Vampire's Blood Ascension-Chapter 50: The Oasis

As Rudy followed the sound of dripping water with Sera on his left shoulder, he realized it was coming from the other end of the tunnel.

"We are near," he said weakly, and Kalien looked at him with a confused expression, still unable to hear the water.

’Has he gone mad?’ Kalien wondered seriously, and after a few more steps, he, too, heard the water.

"What the hell?" He twisted his head towards Rudy and mumbled, "How did he hear it so early?"

The question was genuine as he was unaware of Rudy’s Ashen Juggernaut attribute and didn’t know that he had sharper senses than most irregulars of the same rank.

The two silently moved forward; their bodies had long since stopped sweating, as they had nothing left in them. Their insides were dry, and their vision was foggy from fatigue; however, using the last bit of strength they had left, they continued moving.

They didn’t know how long had passed since they entered the tunnel; all they knew was that they couldn’t keep this up for long.

The faint sound of water dripping and splashing on the ground was their only solace in this dark tunnel, lit by torches that cast dancing shadows of their own.

At this point, their mind had no schemes, no jealousy or hate. It only had the fire of survival.

All of a sudden, the darkness of the tunnel was pushed back from the other side, and the two gazed at the open end of the tunnel.

"Finally..." They whispered with dry lips as their eyes shone with power they didn’t have, and they rushed towards the light.

The nearer they got to the end, the louder the sound of water, and with the last desperate step, they set foot outside the tunnel, and their gaze fell on the pale desert, which they ignored because before them was an oasis.

This oasis had vivid green grass and tall, broad palm trees with giant leaves, their branches heavy with fruit, and vines stretching lazily from tree to tree. At its center, a spring of fresh water caught the bright sunlight.

Behind the oasis were towering dunes that neither of them cared about.

"An oasis..." they breathed at the same time, and Kalien stepped forward.

"What are you doing?" Rudy asked while trying to wake Sera up. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Kalien turned his head towards him and snapped, "I am thirsty and hungry. I don’t have time for these stupid questions."

Rudy frowned. "What if it’s a ploy of the old realm?"

An amused chuckle escaped Kalien. He turned towards the oasis and said, "What if it is? If we go as we are, we will die anyway."

Rudy glanced between him and Sera, and seeing that she was still unconscious, he spoke weakly, "Should I take the risk?"

He gazed at the oasis that had shimmering water that could end his thirst and delicious fruits that could fill his hunger.

"It doesn’t look dangerous," he mumbled, and with a final glance at the bright sun, he stepped forward.

Sera hung lazily at his shoulder as he buried his feet into the hot sand, while the unbearable heat of the pale desert stabbed him like ant bites.

Just as Kalien was about to reach the oasis, he stumbled forward and let out a shaky breath as he crashed face-first into the pale sand. He had run out of every bit of strength.

Rudy’s expression darkened. He moved closer to Kalien and lifted him by the lower end of his chestplate.

As he stepped onto the shimmering grass, he let go of Kalien and lowered Sera beside him, then continued towards the spring.

He crouched at its edge and lifted some water in his palm.

"It’s not warm at all..."

He drank lazily, and as the water slid down his throat, he felt a refreshment that he had been lacking for the past few days.

Without any care, he once again filled his palms and drank greedily.

"It feels much better now..." he remarked after replenishing himself with water.

He looked at the two unconscious figures behind him and whispered to himself, "I still need them."

With a heavy sigh, he retrieved an empty bottle from his spatial ring and filled it.

He stared at the bottle for a moment and shot up to his feet, then he walked over to the two of them and splashed some water on their faces.

As the water touched him, Kalien’s eyes trembled as he opened them and whispered, "Stop, sera..."

He blinked the tiredness from his eyes and looked up at the person whose shadow covered him. Rudy entered his vision, and remembering what he had just said, his face turned gray. He stammered, "Where is Lady Seraphel?"

"She is still unconscious," Rudy scoffed as he turned to a palm tree.

Kalien stared at his back with gritted teeth before he sat up and looked at Sera, who lay beside him. A smile appeared on his face, and he said softly, "Don’t worry, Lady Seraphel, I’ll take care of you."

Rudy sat down in the shade of a palm tree and said, pointing at the bottle beside Sera, "You can use that. I just filled it."

Kalien’s gaze drifted towards the bottle, and he nodded reluctantly as he picked it up and drank from it.

Rudy watched him try to wake Sera, but just like him, Kalien failed.

He leaned back on the palm tree and gazed at the fruits hanging from it and called out in his head, ’Final Will.’

×××××××

Name: Rudric Ironwell

Moniker: Crimson Saint

Path: [Blood]

Rank: [Deviant]

Attribute: [Scarlet Scion]

○ Grade: [Apex]

○ Description: [You are the last child of the Blood God]

Traits: [Divine Blooded], [Lesser Vampire], [Blood Expert]

Skills: [Scarlet Sight], [Blood Manipulation], [Crimstone Construct], [Blood Usurpation]

Artifacts: [Dark Spatial Ring #15692], [Haloband #17394738], [Night Earring]

Essence Shards: [64 / 1000]

×××××××

’Hmm?’ Rudy tilted his head and mumbled, "Has it always been like this?"

For some strange reason, Rudy felt as if something was missing, but he didn’t know what.

Frowning, he began to ponder over it, and just then, a soft groan left Sera’s lips.

He dismissed his runes and looked at her.

"You are awake, my lady!" Kalien said brightly.

Sera looked up at the bright sky and gripped the grass as she sat up, and nodded weakly.

Kalien inched closer, displaying his usual charming smile, and offered her the water bottle.

She looked at the bottle with a muddled expression before she shook the confusion out of her head and took the bottle from him.

Once she finished drinking, Rudy asked, "How far is the return beacon from here?"

Sera looked at him and replied flatly, "I am hungry."