ã€ŠThe Undead King of the Palace of Darkness (WN)ã€‹


 Prologue: The Resurrection Ritual.

    And thus, I was revived.

    I opened my eyes and my foggy, blurry vision was greeted with a room made from stone.

    Lining the walls were rows of bookshelves with a bright red magic array drawn on them.

    Everything felt so new, like I hadn¡¯t seen or felt anything before now. My slate had been wiped clean, like I hadn¡¯t had a will or consciousness or even any intelligence until now. All these changes felt like how one would feel when they are awakened from a dream, except it was more vivid than a dream.

    As if I had been brought back from the depths of the netherworld.

    Or, as if I had been pulled out of eternal slumber.

    Sense of sight, hearing and smell. My mind is overwhelmed by the astounding amount of information I receive through all of my five senses.

    As the chaos reached a peak inside my head, I hear a hoarse voice directed at me.

    ¡°Have you regained consciousness? How do you find yourself¡­.Flesh Man?¡±

    The voice felt like it was drilling right into my head. I looked to my side and I came to the realization that I lay stretched out on an elevated platform of some kind.

    The voice issued forth from an old man who had on a robe that looks like it was made from darkness itself. His face, ashen with countless wrinkles, strangely enough could not be easily written off as a result of a very long life. He had blazing dark eyes, and by no means looked frail.

    His feather-light body held a very twisted, deformed and awfully repulsive staff in its hand.

    I couldn¡¯t grasp the reality I was faced with. I couldn¡¯t make any sense of it. All I could do was cast a glance full of suspicion at the old man.

    He continued as if it was a matter of course for me to not make a satisfactory response.

    ¡°My name is Horus Carmon. One who defies mystery, a Mage and your Lord. Flesh Man! Bow before your Lord!¡±

    The moment those words were uttered, the moment it pierced my eardrums, I felt a strange sensation run through my whole body.

    My body began to move against my will. It raised itself off the platform with movements that were sluggish as that of a newborn baby. It twisted back and forth, and my knee bent the other way contrary to my will. Before I realized it, I had my head hanging down, with my eyes to the floor, kneeling in front of the Lord.

    The smell of mold. Gray stone floor. Suddenly, it dawned upon me.

    Everything was so vividly reflected in my eyes as if it was the middle of the day, despite there being almost no light seeping into the room.

    Something felt off. And with my sense of discomfort as the starting point, my mind started to slowly sort out all the information. My brain that was maxed out at processing all the new information it received from the environment, also starting putting all my memories in order.

    All of a sudden, my head was struck with a resounding clang. I could feel the impact but there was no pain accompanied.

    No, it wasn¡¯t just that. I couldn¡¯t feel the ¡°usual¡± throbbing of my heart. Or the usual ache in my head that felt like my brain was being stirred by several tiny daggers. The very pain that was impervious to any kind of analgesic was also gone. Nor did I feel what made it seem like my insides were rotting, melting and being weighed down. The mind that had become clouded under the torture of the never-ending agony, felt lucid and sharp like a polished new knife.

    As strange as it may sound, at that moment, for the first time ever, I felt normal.

    Also, at that very moment, I understood what it felt like to be human.

    As I was completely lost in a daze at the thoroughly unforeseen events unfolding before me, Lord Horus¡¯ voice pulled me out of my reverie.

    ¡°Flesh Man! My slave! The one who returned from depths of perdition! I shall now bestow a name upon you, you nameless bastard!¡±

    ¡­.nameless bastard.

    That¡¯s not right. I did have a name. The name my parents gave me when I was born. Although it has been a while since anyone has called me by it.

    But, I stop short of uttering it.

    It was a gut feeling. I had a feeling that I shouldn¡¯t do that just right now.

    Perhaps it was a bad habit that stemmed from the useless, pessimistic life that I lived before. I held my silence and the Lord bestowed a name upon me.

    ¡°You will be called ¡°End¡±. End as in the one whose life has ended. I used necromancy to breathe transient life into you.¡±

    Transient life.

    Necromancy.

    Even someone like me, who had had no sort of normalcy in life, who had never even been properly schooled, knew that the man in front of me, was a repulsive Dark Mage. A Dark Mage capable of manipulating the dead.

    I replayed everything that just happened.

    And, I understood it. I understood everything. Combining my memories along with the words directed at me, I¡¯m sure anyone would be able to make sense of the situation.

    That, I am dead. And, the man now before me, used the power of dark magic to revive me from the dead.

 Chapter 1: The Living Dead

    ¡°End. Follow me.¡±

    The Lord gives me a curt order and leads us out of a room that resembles a research laboratory. I follow him without a word.

    My body moves well. My extremities move as I will them. I wonder how long it¡¯s been since I was able to walk properly¡­.

    It felt strange to have a body that feels no pain. Somehow, it hasn¡¯t really sunk in yet¡­ as if I¡¯m watching a dream unfold.

    After leaving the room, the Lord stops walking, turns around and looks at me. His eyes, glint gold, look at me like it can see right through me.

    ¡°Hmph¡­looks like words do get through to you. You would be worthless if you couldn¡¯t comprehend verbal commands.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    If I couldn¡¯t comprehend¡­ verbal commands?

    I don¡¯t really get what he means by that. But, I recall what happened right after I regained consciousness, my body seemed to prioritize the Lord¡¯s order over my own will.

    This¡­ is bad. It doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s any room for defiance. Even without all the details, it doesn¡¯t take me long to realize. The feeling of danger.

    I¡¯ve read that a Necromancer is capable of manipulating the living dead. I am no different from a doll as far as the Lord is concerned.

    The Lord nods at the silent me with a satisfied look on his face and resumes walking. I follow after him.

    Truth be told, I have no clue as to what is happening.

    About why I was resurrected, where I was, what I would be ordered to do, the reason, the details or what future holds in store. It can¡¯t be that the reason I was resurrected was just to release me from my agony.

    But, there¡¯s one thing I do understand.

    That this isn¡¯t the time to bombard the Lord with questions or attempt to escape this place. I have to figure out all the details.

    Luckily, thinking was my forte. Before when I was alive, thinking was all I could do as I lay in bed, groaning in pain and evading death.

    Although, there isn¡¯t much difference to then and now, this is a lot better considering I¡¯m not writhing in agony.

    After tagging along with the Lord for a few minutes, we descend a flight of stone steps and reach what appears to be the cellar. The Lord proceeds to open a huge metal door and enters the cellar.

    Surprisingly, the cellar looked very spacious.

    I swallow the words that almost spilled out unconsciously. There, lined up in rows were¡­ thousands of dead bodies. They all lay on a stone slab, a few spaces apart from each other. Unlike me, they didn¡¯t show any signs of movement.

    I have never seen a dead body before. Perhaps I would have been afraid originally, but for some reason, although I was surprised, I felt no fear.

    ¡°Standby in this room, until I order you otherwise.¡±

    His breath came out in white puffs as he directed a cold gaze at me and gave the curt order.

    ? ? ?

    The sound of the Lord¡¯s footsteps start to grow fainter. I give it a bit of time to completely disappear and begin to move from my position.

    First, I want to check how well my body can move. I swing my arms and shake my legs.

    The pain that tortured me for years was nowhere to be found. I feel completely fine even if I swing my arms, shake my head, stretch my back or lightly jump up and down. It feels like a dream.

    Although I almost wanted to laugh out loud, I settled for grinning like an idiot. This is the cellar. I dare say the Lord isn¡¯t going to come running back if I make a bit of a sound, but the situation is still unclear. I want to err on the side of caution.

    It would appear the room I was ordered to stay in, was a morgue. No, rather than a morgue, I suppose calling it a storehouse might be more appropriate.

    Laid out on the stone slab were real, human dead bodies. All of which were almost completely unscathed. Their ages ranged from late teens to thirty years and most of them were men. They had all been properly clothed, looked uninjured but there were no signs of life.

    The bodies took me by surprise when I first entered the room but as time passed, I had already adapted to the situation. Before, when I was alive. Well, at that point, I was practically half dead anyway, and in reality I probably had already died once.

    Who knows? Maybe a few of them might end up becoming my colleagues. Such silly thoughts start popping into my head.

    The morgue was of a simple design. There was only one entrance, and apart from the stone slab on which the bodies were placed, there was a single table jutting out of the wall. The surrounding walls seem to be made of stone and when given a light tap, a dull, heavy sound was returned.

    The room I woke up in looked more inhabitable than this one. Thinking that, I go to examine the table.

    Right now, I need all the information I can glean. No matter how small.

    I pull out the drawer very carefully. It hadn¡¯t been locked.

    It appears that the Lord expects all of the bodies laid out here to be functional.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The first drawer that I exultantly pulled out¡­ was empty. The second and third ones were also empty. The fourth drawer held a few strange fangs but that doesn¡¯t help explain this situation much.

    The fifth drawer was empty as well. The sixth one had about a dozen bottles filled with some strange liquid. Disappointed at finding the seventh drawer empty, I opened the eighth drawer. My eyes widened at what I find inside it.

    ¡° There¡¯s food in here.¡±

    The words spill out in spite of myself. My hoarse voice echoes off the walls in the silent room that contains the bodies.

    Now that I think about it, it has been quite a while since I¡¯ve let out a sound. And, of course doing so doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.

    It¡¯s wonderful to not feel any pain. Feeling like humming a song, I take out what I found in the drawer.

    It was a square mirror. I wipe the cloudy mirror with my clothes and take a peek at it.

    I looked the same as I remembered.

    Fragile looks, hollowed cheeks and sunken eyes. Only, my hair looked more in place than the dishevelled mess it was before. I suppose after I was dead, my body was prepared for the funeral so I was appropriately dressed one last time.

    Looking at my reflection for a while, I was overcome by many emotions. I carefully placed the mirror back in the drawer.

    I am myself. Although, it¡¯s a pity that I couldn¡¯t find anything else useful, I am satisfied with this for now.

    I make a quick check around the morgue and head towards its only entrance.

    The Lord did not lock the door behind him. I¡¯m sure of it because I had my ears cocked to it when he left.

    I tiptoe towards the door.

    I still don¡¯t know the layout of the mansion. I don¡¯t have a good grasp of the current situation either. However, there is too little information in this room.

    I¡­ am ignorant. I want to find out. About this mansion and Necromancy. Also about just what I have become.

    Because unlike my previous life, I can freely move around now.

    The Necromancer is an evil being. I¡¯m sure he can¡¯t be trusted. If so, I have to do what needs to be done.

    I grab the brass knob, taking extra care to not make a sound and slowly turn it.

    Contrary to my fears, the knob turned easily. I was right. It hadn¡¯t been locked.

    I open the door slowly as I keep my ears pressed to the door. There isn¡¯t a single sound. The stillness was so great that I couldn¡¯t hear my heartbeat nor the sound of my blood gushing through my veins.

    A sense of relief washes over me. I push open the door to check the situation outside.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    The door is opening. Although, only by an inch, I can already see a gap forming. However, no matter how much I push, it won¡¯t open any further than that.

    Too heavy¡­? Locked? No. That¡¯s not it. I¡¯ll check again but it wasn¡¯t locked and it didn¡¯t look like it was barred with anything.

    I push with my arms. With my whole body. I try to push.

    That¡¯s when¡­..I realized something.

    I felt like I had been struck by lightning. My knees gave out and I slid to the floor.

    The door was made of metal. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s quite heavy. But, it wasn¡¯t about its weight. That wasn¡¯t the problem.

    Again, I extended my hand towards the door that was very slightly ajar. My hands tremble but I steel myself and push at the door with all my might.

    I did push¡ª-or so I thought.

    My arms hadn¡¯t moved by even an inch. No matter how much strength I put into them, they wouldn¡¯t move any further.

    The Lord¡¯s last words to me before he left the room cross my mind.

    ¡° Standby in this room, until I order you otherwise.¡±

    Yes. I¡¯m afraid it wasn¡¯t that the door was too ¡°heavy¡± but that it ¡°wasn¡¯t being pushed¡±.

    My body is prioritizing the Lord¡¯s order over my own will. Just like how my body obeyed the order and knelt down before the Lord right after I regained consciousness.

    A cold shiver runs down my spine. My mind is in disarray. Arms trembling, I try to desperately push the door. However, quite contrary to my feelings, my body won¡¯t budge an inch.

    I was under the belief that I had understood it. However, it had been nothing more than a ¡°belief¡±.

    I open my eyes wide and shake myself by my shoulders. The emotion I felt quell up within me wasn¡¯t fear or surprise.

    It was anger. It has really been a long time since I¡¯ve been at the throes of such anger. I understood then for the first time, about how a person¡¯s face could contort in rage.

    I shall not scream. Nor will I lose my head. However, I shall keep it all in my heart.

    I was under the impression that I had attained freedom. There was no pain. I was in cloud nine at having gained a body that worked perfectly fine. I thought I was invincible with this body that was capable of normal movement.

    However, I was wrong. Nothing had changed. Is this better than before? Far from it!

    Before, my body was racked by never-ending pain and my arms and legs were all but useless. All I could do to forget the pain was immerse myself in my thoughts. No, I suppose I wasn¡¯t even able to focus enough to accomplish that.

    Still, I hadn¡¯t lost control of my body. It hadn¡¯t been in the hands of another person.

    I don¡¯t mind following his instructions. The Lord was, in a sense, my saviour. Even if he was a Dark Mage, I cannot be reluctant to aid him.

    However, I cannot forgive him for this.

    I am not yet aware of Lord Horus¡¯s intention behind my revival. However, I cannot possibly forgive him for holding the power of life and death over someone.

    The emotion was so overpowering me that it even took me by surprise. Looks like despite having resolved myself to my fate¡ª-I hadn¡¯t really wanted to die.

    Right now, I do not want to lose this ¡°Second Chance at Life¡± that I was fortunate enough to be blessed with.

    Yes. I will make sure of that by any means necessary.

    I try to take in a deep breath, and that¡¯s when I realize that I wasn¡¯t breathing. I place my hand on my chest but I don¡¯t feel any heartbeat.

    What an idiot I am?! That is when I finally understood what an unpardonable existence I had become.

    The body is capable of movement. There is no pain. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m alive. I can just move around, that¡¯s all.

    Now that I think about it, when we arrived at this room, I noticed that the Lord¡¯s breath came out in puffs. The bodies here show no signs of decay. Yes, this place ¡ª- is cold. I can¡¯t feel the cold. I have lost a part of my senses.

    To begin with, I can see everything clearly in this room. A room that has no window or light source.

    My body has¡ªundergone a metamorphosis. Is that perhaps why I don¡¯t feel any fear at coming face to face with this many dead bodies?

    I entertain that thought for a minute after which I shake my head.

    It doesn¡¯t matter. I am conscious. I am capable of thought. I exist¡ªhere, right now. I can experience the life that I so desperately yearned for.

    I was ill. To add to that, I had been bedridden for years and buckled under the torture of the unexplained pain that plagued my whole body. I was a ¡®dead-alive¡¯ so to speak which had now changed to ¡®living dead¡¯. That was all.

    Then¡ª¨CI should accept this fate of mine. Even if that means that I am a being of darkness, it¡¯s still a much better alternative to leading a meaningless life.

    I stood up and scowled at the slightly open door and pulled it shut. The door that hadn¡¯t budged an inch despite my utmost effort closed promptly.

    I wasn¡¯t really taken by surprise. The reason was the Lord¡¯s order after all. An absolute order that overrides my own will. I wonder if it¡¯s a privilege bestowed upon the one who revives the dead.

    However, there must be a loophole. I¡¯m sure of it.

    I remember what the Lord told me. ¡°You would be worthless if you couldn¡¯t comprehend verbal commands¡±, which means that for resurrected ones like me, incomprehension of verbal commands is a possibility.

    I will survive ¡ª-no matter what. I shall collect information. The kind of information that will allow me to escape from the Lord¡¯s control.

    I am too ignorant of many things. I know nothing about necromancy, this mansion or even the changes that my own body has undergone.

    Now is the time to gather intel. I have to patiently bear with this and wait for an opportunity to strike.

    Patience was my strong suit after thinking. Seeing as how that is going to be helpful now, perhaps my previous life wasn¡¯t all for naught.

    With renewed vigour, I walked over to the place I was ordered to stay and stared in front of me.

    I stood there affixed, and started counting numbers inside my head.

    I don¡¯t feel hunger, fatigue or the need to sleep. My eyes don¡¯t become dry even if I don¡¯t blink.

    With eyes fixed to the front, indifferently, void of any emotion I merely count. As I pretend to be just like one of the dead bodies around me.

    ? ? ?

    The Lord returned to the room when I had counted to around 2000 and something.

    The Lord was enveloped in a long, pitch black robe. After checking whether I had properly stayed put as ordered, he extended his arm to offer me something.

    ¡°Take it.¡±

    It was a machete that was about a meter in length. Its blade was wide, dark gray and had blood clinging to it and yet strangely enough, it was actually oddly shiny.

    I did as ordered. I almost lost my footing under the brutal weight of the machete that pulls down my entire body.

    It doesn¡¯t seem like the Lord suspects anything. He looks at me straightening up and needing both my arms to hold up the machete and snorts in disapproval.

    ¡°Follow me. I am going to put you to the test.¡±

 Chapter 2: The Test

    I meekly obey the Lord and follow him out of the mansion. I am lost for words as I blankly look in awe at the scenery that unfolded in front of my eyes.

    I had spent most of my life bedridden.

    The reason being a strange debilitating illness that inflicted headache, stomachache, and never-ending pain all over my body. Nobody knew the cause. There was no known cure. No great doctors or sorcerers were capable of healing me.

    People weren¡¯t sure I would live past the age of ten, when I stopped being able to stand up on my own. For several years after, my world revolved around what limited scenery the window had to offer.

    I am ignorant of the ways of the world. Most of my knowledge consists of what I learned from books and it has actually been more than ten years since I¡¯ve been able to go outdoors.

    However, even I can acknowledge that this area, where the mansion is located, is something extraordinary.

    The mansion was surrounded by dense, pitch black, eerie woods. Since it was night time, the sky was dark and a huge silver moon shone bright.

    The mansion was surrounded by metal fencing that was pinned down to the ground by what looked like long stakes.

    The only way in appeared to be a solid gate that was firmly shut.

    I stood affixed while the Lord stopped and raised his hand ever so slightly. That looked to be some sort of a signal as soft footsteps started to approach us.

    I don¡¯t turn around but try to look through the corner of my eye. I almost end up exclaiming in surprise at what appeared before us but somehow manage to hold back.

    We were approached by three, furry wolves. They were about half my size, and it would take some serious effort to be able to get on to them.

    The wolves split up and drew closer to the Lord. They let out a low growl and stopped in front of him.

    My gut told me that these wolves were ¡ª corpses. Well, I suppose I should have known that considering the Lord.

    The wolves were swift with sharp fangs and talons but their eyes looked clouded.

    Well the Lord being a Necromancer, I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised at him being able to bring back to life beings other than humans.

    I knew ¡­ I can¡¯t escape from here. Even if I somehow managed to get out of the cellar I won¡¯t be able to flee this place.

    If I try to escape from here with no clear plan in mind, I will definitely be caught. For the past few years I haven¡¯t even been able to walk around, let alone run. And seeing as how both I and the wolves were revived from the dead I feel the chances of me outrunning them are extremely low.

    The Lord removes a key from his breast pocket and proceeds to open the door. He said curtly,

    ¡°Come, End. Show me your strength.¡±

    Show him ¡­ my strength? I possess ¡­ no such thing.

    The machete that I was given still lies heavily on my hand. If I wasn¡¯t a corpse , my arms would be too sore to hold up by now.

    My silent protests didn¡¯t reach him. I had no freedom of choice. As the Lord went past the door, I followed helplessly.

    The woods I stepped into for the first time looked even more eerie in the dark.

    The rustling wind, the insect and animal sounds, everything sounded scary. The Lord pressed on regardless, down the path that cannot rightly be referred to as one.

    Seeing him walk down with wolves under his command on both sides, he bore the air of a King. Well, I wonder if he is a King actually.

    The King of the Undead with an army of evil undead under his command. Then I, who meekly followed him, am merely just one of those pawns.

    The woods looked untouched by men. I desperately follow the Lord down the path with ill-footing. Due to the dense foliage and thicket everywhere, my vision was limited and if I lost sight of him, I could be left stranded in the woods.

    A non-human body that didn¡¯t understand the concept of fatigue was a blessing.

    I wonder where the Lord is headed and about the purpose of this outing.

    After some time had passed, I caught sight of something out of the corner of my eye ¡­ a glint through the thicket. The wolves growl softly.

    The Lord let out a weary voice.

    ¡°Finally¡­ here it is ¡­¡±

    The thicket moved with a rustle and something dark slowly grew in size.

    The creature that showed itself was a wolf that looked a size bigger than the wolves under the Lord¡¯s command. I suppose they belong to the same species. The salivating, jet black wolf looked at us with a pair of blazing eyes.

    My body stiffened. It was a given since it was my first time seeing a wild wolf.

    The wolf may not be much of an opponent to the Lord, but it is to me who wasn¡¯t even able to move his body properly up until a while ago.

    The dark wolf does not come lunging at us right away, but starts to slowly circle around, with its eyes fixed on us.

    However, the Lord doesn¡¯t seem to pay any mind to it and looked deep in thought.

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s too many ¡­ It may be futile, against these numbers.¡±

    Hearing that finally made me realize that we were surrounded.

    From every direction, several pairs of eyes were fixed on us. Jet black fur that dissolved into the darkness. They looked light-footed and their movements nimble.

    It was a pack of wolves. I had forgotten. Wolves tend to move in groups.

    If I wasn¡¯t a corpse, I¡¯m afraid I would¡¯ve passed out under the stress. However, I am one, so I slowly glanced around, letting no shock register on my face. I counted sixteen pairs of glinting eyes, meaning there were eight wolves. That is more than twice the number of wolves the Lord commanded.

    The Lord had a look of displeasure on his face and not one of fear. The wolves slowly started to close the distance between us.

    Upon witnessing that, the Lord simply snapped his fingers.

    That was all the Mage, Horus Carmon did. Three wolves that were guarding the Lord leaped forward.

    I felt like I was in a dream. The wolf to the right, that had been guarding us, dealt a heavy blow to the wild wolf that had gotten closest to us. The wolf to the left bit into another wild wolf and tore off its neck.

    I stood still with eyes wide open at the gruesome scene.

    The wild wolves may be more in number, but the Lord¡¯s wolves were certainly stronger. That was apparent even to me who had never even gotten into a fight his whole life.

    Firstly, the Lord¡¯s wolves may be smaller in size, but they appeared to be physically stronger even to an inexperienced eye. The wild wolves were lithe and nimble, but the wolves under the Lord¡¯s command were swift like the wind.

    Secondly, they attacked without hesitation. With disregard to their own well-being, they leaped straight towards the opponent and bit into them. It felt like I was watching a well-tuned piece of machinery at work.

    Lastly, their movements never slowed down. They didn¡¯t flinch or falter even when they tore into the wolves and bit into their limbs and neck.

    In the end, they stopped only after five of those wild wolves had been killed, and the remaining three had fled deep into the woods.

    After which the wolves returned back to the Lord¡¯s side as though nothing had happened. However, it did not feel like it was out of loyalty.

    I simply stood dumbfounded at his strength and how horrifying it all was.

    Necromancers. They are considered to be the most vile among the Mages who exist in this world.

    I don¡¯t know much about them, but I do know that they commit the blasphemy of manipulating the souls and the remains of dead beings. Necromancy is a forbidden magic in this world and it¡¯s existence is akin to a myth or a fairy-tale, always portrayed as practised by the mad villain of an opera.

    I knew of it but had no understanding of it. Coming face to face with the strength of that magic made me realize the reason it was abhorred.

    It was ¡­. too sacrilegious. I don¡¯t have anything against those wolves but anyone who witnesses that bloodbath would be led to the conclusion that they were ¡°evil¡±.

    And I, who was resurrected by said evil practice ¡­ must be evil as well.

    Would I be able to win ¡­ against this man, who openly defies the world order by desecrating the dead?

    No, I must win. If I don¡¯t, very soon I¡¯m sure I would be subjected to the same pathetic fate as those wolves.

    The Lord who had been inspecting the remains of the dead wild wolves his subordinates had killed, muttered,

    ¡°Hmph¡­ It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t have enough night wolves but¡­ I suppose I¡¯ll leave these be. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Although I heard him whisper ¡®finally¡¯ when those wolves appeared, it looks like they were not the end goal¡­.

    But I suppose if the wolves were the reason for our venture into the woods, my presence wouldn¡¯t really be necessary. He did give me the machete but there has still been no order.

    I wasn¡¯t even ordered to be his shield nor was I asked to clear a path through the woods. I was simply asked to follow.

    Once more through the woods we went. I didn¡¯t feel the presence of any other humans in the woods. After all, I suppose humans wouldn¡¯t really venture into the woods at night, where they could be attacked by such huge wolves. It doesn¡¯t look like these woods lie close to town either.

    I spotted many animals pop up as we kept walking. Plus, they all showed hostility towards humans and were prone to attack on provocation. Perhaps, these are what they call monsters.

    At first, we came across wolves, twice my size that the Lord referred to as night wolves. Then, there were monkeys that held something like a club in their hands. Foxes enveloped in blue flames and moss green boars. Had I encountered them alone, I¡¯m afraid I would have been an easy kill. The Lord¡¯s wolves effortlessly scattered the various scary beasts like they were nothing.

    Damn. These woods are more dangerous than I had first thought.

    Even if I somehow managed to evade the Lord and his wolves and jumped over the fence, I still wouldn¡¯t be able to escape here.

    However, I began to notice a few things as I followed behind the Lord.

    This body doesn¡¯t feel fatigue or absolutely any pain. The path was uneven and my arms and feet caught a lot of branches along the way, but it didn¡¯t hurt anywhere. I don¡¯t feel any weariness either.

    The woods seemed huge, but humans can¡¯t be living that far from here. The Lord may be an excellent Mage but I doubt even he could use magic to build the whole mansion by himself. He must need food supplies as well. It wouldn¡¯t be too out of the realm to assume that humans had access to the mansion.

    As I desperately tried to keep up with him, sorting my thoughts along the way, the Lord came to a stop for the second time. Was it another beast again?

    The leaves rustled and something big jumped out from behind the thicket.

    It was a bear. Maybe it was still a cub, as it was only half my size but with its long limbs and huge claws, it looked plenty menacing.

    All the animals so far had appeared to move in groups but this one was alone. I¡¯m sure the wolves would have no problem dealing with it.

    But the Lord had other plans for me. He said,

    ¡° Just one monster, I see¡­ End, fight¡±.

    ¡­Huh?

    It took a minute to sink in.

    Fight? Me?

    Well, from what little I know of necromancers, I supposed I should have expected it would come to this. Undead are nothing but weapons to a necromancer.

    But I had unconsciously ruled out that possibility.

    I am weak. I had never even gotten into fights, let alone fight a beast. I have never trained my body. I don¡¯t know how to fight!

    I look at the machete in my hand. It¡¯s not possible. The opponent may be small, but it is still a bear. I wasn¡¯t put through any sort of training. A human with no redeeming feature like me can¡¯t possibly win against a bear that has been blessed by nature.

    I could see that the bear was raring to attack. It showed no signs of backing away despite being faced with wolves drenched in blood.

    I do have a machete with me but the bear has claws. I might have a body that feels no pain, but I doubt I¡¯ll be able to move around if it tore me to bits. It¡¯s impossible. Totally impossible.

    The lord looks at me being indecisive and not holding up the machete. His order sends shocks through my brain. He says,

    ¡° What is it? This is an order. ¡®Fight with all your might, and kill it¡¯¡±.

    My feet move forward, kicking through the earth. The realization came too late, when I was already right in front of the bear.

    My body moved on its own. With no regard for my fears or indecision, at that moment, I was but a helpless spectator.

    The hand holding the machete raised it over my head and upon approaching the bear, it was swung down towards it. The bear raised its limbs at the machete that came out of nowhere.

    The blade sunk its teeth, deep into the bear¡¯s left foot. I could feel it pass through the flesh and hit the bone. The bear growls and springs at me headlong.

    I feel the impact through my whole body. I hear the sound of something split open. I had never heard that kind of fatal sound before. However, I could feel no pain and my hands still held the machete.

    My head moves. Before I could let out a scream, it bends over and bites into the bear¡¯s ear.

    The reek of the malodorous beast pierces through my mind and onto my teeth. The sensation of the hard flesh and the fur, hit me with intense nausea.

    My teeth shattered and my chin let out a horrible creak. The bear swings its head to shake me off. A part of its ear that had been bitten off, falls down from my mouth.

    I stop caring about the nausea and the odor.

    At that moment, I was¡­ a ¡®monster¡¯ that anybody would turn away from.

    My left arm moved quickly, and lunged at the right eye of the bear that had pulled back a step. I momentarily feel my fingers pierce through something soft before it attacks my lunging arm with its left forelimb.

    Snap, I heard the bones break. The broken bones stuck out of my left arm. The fingers that I had put all my strength into were broken as well. However, there was no apparent pain and the fingers that heeded the Lord¡¯s command showed no signs of stopping.

    The bear was indeed strong. Much stronger than someone like me. Try as I might, someone wimpy like me would never be able to win.

    Nevertheless, the Lord¡¯s order was much stronger than the bear.

    Even beasts that easily attack humans still feel pain, but I don¡¯t. My left arm forcibly removes the machete that had sunk halfway into the bear. Blood spurts everywhere, and the bear lets out a loud growl that is better described as a shriek.

    Maybe my spine had broken because everything started to spin. However, my body pays no mind to it, raises the machete over my head, aims for the bear¡¯s neck and swings down as the Lord¡¯s order comes to completion.

 Chapter 3: The Difference in Perception

    The bear yelps out in pain and keels over. I simply keep swinging the machete down at the half-dead bear with all my might.

    My blade strikes relentlessly and tears through the thick coat of the bear and proceeds to hack at its flesh. The blood spatters everywhere but my hand doesn¡¯t stop.

    My body is moving on its own. I am witnessing everything that is happening, from a distance, separated from my own body.

    The blood spatters onto my face and eyes. But I don¡¯t feel any pain. Well, if I had any sense of pain in the first place, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be writhing in pain right now.

    My arms aren¡¯t strong. It had hardly held anything nor practiced any kendo swings. How is it possible for my noodle arms to tear through the thick coat of fur of a wild animal and hack through its flesh? The mouth that hardly held any food in it, is capable of tearing off a part of a monster¡¯s body?

    Well, I suppose normally the answer would be no. If I and the bear clashed, ten times out of ten, the bear would win without question. Even if by some luck I managed to land a blow, I¡¯m certain it wouldn¡¯t be fatal.

    And yet, right now, I am greeted with a complete opposite of the expected outcome. The bear still twitched but the blows that my machete landed on it, had cut through it¡¯s flesh and reached its bones. It was obviously fatally wounded.

    However, how was I able to bring down such a robust beast? I could guess at the primary cause behind this; from the eerie shocks running through the arms that swung around the machete.

    ¡° Enough. It¡¯s dead. Stop!¡±

    Upon the Lord¡¯s order, the arm that had been moving like it was separate from the body, comes to a stop. I¡¯m not out of breath nor am I tired or in any pain. An undead knows not those concepts.

    I look down at my right arm. It was congested with so much blood that it looked like it could drop down and waste away at any moment.

    As far as I know, my right arm did not take any hits. I¡¯m afraid the damage resulted from it hacking away at the bear with all its might.

    If I¡¯d had any sense of pain, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal that many consecutive blows. At the very least, the blows would have been weak. The damage to the arm was that terrible.

    It wasn¡¯t just that. During close combat, the abdomen that took a head butt and the left arm that was kicked down by the bear¡¯s huge forelimbs would be put out of commission with just one blow had I been alive. The blow was that powerful.

    The broken bone was sticking out of the left arm, and the finger that had been stirring the bear¡¯s brain up until a while ago was bent in a direction it shouldn¡¯t normally.

    I can keep attacking relentlessly with all my might without having to care about injury, pain or fatigue. I suppose that is the advantage of being an undead.

    Nevertheless, that doesn¡¯t mean that the body can escape unscathed. I can still see the wounds on the Lord¡¯s wolves they received along the way.

    My body that had previously been tormented by extreme pain has now been remade into a body that feels absolutely no pain. This was more shocking to me than when I found out that I had been given new life as an undead.

    The Lord cast a brief glimpse at the bear¡¯s remains and surveyed me from head to toe, and frowned.

    ¡° I see this all it can do¡­. Well, I suppose it isn¡¯t so bad considering it was diseased before. It did a good job. Even if it¡¯s not that useful, it¡¯s all good if it serves its purpose in the future.¡±

    Those remarks are really uncalled for given that I was forced into combat. But, that doesn¡¯t mean I can retort.

    The Lord sighed and touched his staff to my bloody mess of an arm.

    He utters a few words of incantation. It sounded different from the recovery magic cast by the light mages who treated me multiple times before.

    ¡° Come forth from hell, He who is frozen in time, bestows negative energy upon this undead. ¡®Force Reverse¡¯.¡±

    The tip of the staff glowed purple and there was a weird sensation around the wound on my arm. All the blood dripping from the left arm promptly returned to the body and the broken right arm put into its rightful place. My chin is mended and my teeth that had shattered to pieces are all restored to their former glory.

    I have heard that restoration magic requires extreme finesse. It costs a small fortune to heal even something as simple as a bone fracture.

    I don¡¯t know if using recovery magic on an undead requires the same degree of finesse but, I can see that the Lord is an extremely skilled mage.

    Usage of magic is often followed by strong exhaustion or so I have heard. However, the Lord looked perfectly fine.

    Well I had already guessed as much since he lived alone in the neck of the woods. The Lord is no ordinary man.

    Lord Horus said with an unamused expression after confirming that my wounds had been properly healed,

    ¡°Let¡¯s search for the next prey. End, follow me.¡±

    Eventually, I was ordered to engage in combat with a total of five monsters.

    ¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    After everything was over, I was once again taken back to the cellar. Well, it looks like the cellar is going to be my station.

    I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m nothing more than a weapon at the hands of a swordsman.

    The Lord leaves and being left alone in the silent cellar, I have all the time in the world.

    I am now fully aware of the condition of my body. It is capable of movement, does not tire and doesn¡¯t know the concept of pain. I can also see in the dark. Come to think of it, the Lord¡¯s breath came out in puffs in this cellar, meaning it¡¯s really cold down here. Nevertheless, I don¡¯t feel it all. I¡¯m afraid all the above are characteristics peculiar to my current body.

    Talking about this body, it is obvious that in all aspects, it is far better than my previous one. However, having no sense of pain also means that there exists the possibility of me not realizing when it takes damage, so I should be careful about that.

    I also came into another useful piece of information. The Lord is a powerful mage with a number of strong subordinates under him.

    The night wolves were one of them and I also came across a walking bag of bones. A Skeleton, the kind that is often depicted as slaves to a necromancer in stories. Although that was all I caught sight of, necromancers in stories usually have a large number of undead under their influence. So I wouldn¡¯t be wrong in assuming that there are a lot more undead under his command. And of course, I can¡¯t underestimate the Lord¡¯s personal fighting strength either.

    However, more importantly, I am still not aware of the Lord¡¯s intentions.

    His reasoning behind resurrecting someone with a sickly body. Even if I am supposed to act as his guard, I¡¯m sure there were countless other options to choose from.

    However, what worries me the most right now is¡­ my body being ¡®different¡¯ from the Lord¡¯s expectations.

    A little while after the Lord left, I moved from my position.

    I quietly tiptoe to the door and carefully place my hand on the doorknob. The door lets out a creak which catches me off guard but I didn¡¯t feel the presence of the Lord.

    I put some strength into my arm. The door that wouldn¡¯t budge the slightest the first time around, opens ever so easily.

    I focus as I grab the door frame with my right hand.

    I slowly extend my hand outside the door a little.

    My feet can touch the floor, outside the room.

    ¡­ I knew it. It is as expected.

    I can leave the room. Before, when I was told to standby in the room, I couldn¡¯t leave it no matter what I did and yet now I can make it out.

    What is the difference between now and then?

    The Lord, before leaving the room¡­ did not issue any sort of order. Unlike the first time, there was no command that stopped me from leaving the room.

    That is the reason I, unbound by the ties of an order, am now able to freely leave the room.

    Badump! It felt like my heart just leapt even though it is supposed to have stopped beating already.

    This is it¡­ the disparity. The disparity between the Lord¡¯s expectations and my current state.

    I don¡¯t think the Lord has ever considered the possibility of me escaping. There¡¯s not a chance that the Lord simply forgot to issue an order. A mage who controls the dead can¡¯t be that foolish.

    Perhaps the order from before wasn¡¯t by design. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any particular reason behind it.

    Moreover, why was me escaping not considered a possibility?

    If my heart hadn¡¯t already stopped beating, it would be hammering in my chest by now.

    I suppose I should consider myself lucky.

    I feel grateful towards the person I was before. Owning to good fortune, I didn¡¯t open my mouth when I first awakened.

    Thinking back, everything the Lord had uttered up until now sounded very much like it was all addressed to himself. Even when he issued orders, it didn¡¯t look like he acknowledged my presence.

    I pull my leg back into the room, quietly close the door and return to my initial position.

    Given the current situation, it would be too reckless to walk around the mansion. I should at least familiarize myself with the Lord¡¯s daily routine before attempting to take a look around the mansion.

    If I am not mistaken, I think the Lord is still yet to realize that I possess a will of my own.

    I don¡¯t have enough information yet. But be it the fact that the Lord had to confirm whether I could comprehend his words, or the fact that he does not question my silence, my assumption can¡¯t be wrong.

    Above all, had he known that I possessed a will¡­ I¡¯m sure that there would have been something like a ¡®First and foremost order¡¯.

    It¡¯s imperative that he never finds out.

    I let my hands hang loose on my side and assume the appearance of a statue. I¡¯m sure that there will be chances to accomplish whatever I intend to do.

    Whether I decide to make an enemy out of the Lord or not, I need as many cards as possible.

    ¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    And thus, began my new life.

    I played my part in assisting Lord Horus which mostly included guarding the Lord outdoors and hunting.

    I would hunt monsters and the Lord would use their remains to create more undead.

    One could get used to anything. Even my barely existent fighting skills improved with each combat and I started defeating monsters more efficiently. There was no more need to resort to barbaric methods such as sinking my teeth into the opponent.

    As ever, my body shows no signs of pain or fatigue. To add to that, the Lord backed me up perfectly. I discovered that the Lord boasted a good range of offense magic skills.

    When I made the mistake of letting a monster pass by me, he just simply destroyed it. Moreover it all happened in an instant and no trace of the monster was left behind. And, he had nothing to say about my blunder either.

    Upon witnessing the horror of his magic, I realized all over again that the monsters of these woods were no real opponents to the Lord.

    It was clear that he is stronger than I am. If I think about it, he wouldn¡¯t have built a mansion in these woods, if the monsters living in it were something he couldn¡¯t handle. I had somehow unconsciously taken this old mage for someone with poor combat skills.

    However, this has made me realize that¡­ the plan of using the monsters to send him to his grave is in fact impossible.

    In any case, at this point, I have no idea what would become of me after his downfall.

    In the stories I have heard, upon the master¡¯s death, the undead do not disappear with him but are forced to wander the world forever. However, the truth is unknown.

    A week had passed and I had grown to be able to defeat a lone night wolf almost completely unscathed.

    I was also getting the hang of properly wielding the machete that I was given. A trick to dealing a death blow was to put the strength of your whole body into the strike.

    I stood in front of a night wolf that had its head split open and brain matter spilling out. The Lord had a dubious look on his face as he muttered,

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I wasn¡¯t so sure at first¡­ but this corpse seems to be quite capable¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Of course, I don¡¯t respond. However, something felt odd.

    The arm that had swung the machete with all its might was fine, unlike the bloody mess it was the first time I fought the bear. The first combat was done with much fear, confusion and through the effect of the order. Hence, the backlash was severe as I ended up using too much force. That said, I don¡¯t think it is only the reason behind why I improved so much in such a short span of time so as to be able to defeat a night wolf unscathed.

    I had a weak constitution. Since I had been bedridden for several years before my death, naturally, my muscles, bones and my organs had all but wasted away. The Lord¡¯s order may be powerful enough to have me display strength beyond my limits but considering that the foundation was already weak to begin with, there must certainly be a limit to how much strength I can exercise.

    This body of mine is not alive. The Lord referred to me as ¡®Flesh man¡¯. If I am dead, then physical growth should naturally be impossible. I am still supposed to be in my growing phase but I don¡¯t need to take any food so my muscles cannot return to being as weak as they were before.

    Nevertheless, I have certainly become stronger.

    If not for that, it would be too unnatural for me to be able to slaughter monsters like I was some sort of skilled warrior in just a week.

    I don¡¯t believe I had the talent to be a warrior.

    The Lord observed me in silence for a while and muttered with a sigh,

    ¡°¡­ is it getting closer to evolving into a ¡®Ghoul¡¯? That was fast¡­ almost too fast, not that there¡¯s anything wrong with that¡­¡±

    ¡®Ghoul¡­¡¯ I remember hearing about it. It¡¯s a type of undead that liked to feast on human remains.

    But that is where my knowledge ends. The Lord¡¯s soliloquies are my only source of information.

    I suppose¡­ the time has come for me to make a move.

    I steeled my resolve as I looked down at the Lord¡¯s forehead etched in wrinkles.

    I already have a general understanding of his daily life. It may be dangerous but, doing nothing is not going to make the situation any better.

    Not to mention, if he is right about this ¡®evolution¡¯ getting closer, I need to know all the details about it before it happens.

    I have to explore the mansion.

    The Lord is a mage and a research scholar. In the room in which I was revived is a laboratory which had a countless number of apparatuses and rows and rows of books.

    It may be way too dangerous to break into the laboratory. It can¡¯t be the only place with information in the whole mansion. I must be able to find something that would help me make sense of my current circumstances elsewhere.

 Chapter 4: The Investigation

    I am no stranger to counting down the hours. If I could have wished for anything, it would be a clock.

    Although I can¡¯t tell the time of the day yet, I am already aware of Lord Horus¡¯ daily routine.

    To be more precise, rather than his routine,what I had figured out was when he visits this particular room.

    He always visits the morgue well after dark. There have been no exceptions thus far.

    If my calculations aren¡¯t wrong, he visits the morgue once a day, at night without fail and takes me out to the woods to hunt.

    The time spent hunting varies from day-to-day but we always return to the mansion before dawn and the Lord puts me together in the morgue. At first, he used to accompany me all the way to the morgue and would fix me up there. But as time went on, I don¡¯t know if walking all the way had become a chore to him, he began to command me to walk back to the morgue by myself.

    He does not visit here until it is time for us to go hunting.

    I have very little knowledge regarding the undead. One of the things I do know is that the undead are weak to sunlight. I¡¯m afraid that is the reason the Lord brings me along to hunt at night.

    I don¡¯t know what the Lord does during the day. He may be an excellent mage but he is still human.

    Unlike me, he needs sleep. I suppose the Lord uses the time I am out of commission, to eat, sleep and answer the calls of nature.

    As far as I know, there are only two people living in this huge mansion including the Lord.

    The Lord is the only one I need to be wary of. Well, I need to be wary of them bothbut as long as I¡¯m careful I should be able to evade their eyes.

    I quietly tiptoe out the morgue and reach the stairs.

    Only the rooms in the mansion are well-lit. The rest of it is practically dark since the only few existing windows are all boarded up with wooden planks. Even so, I could see very clearly as if it were illuminated.

    The mansion has a lot of blind spots. So I should be fine as long as I stay careful.

    I cheer myself up, clench my fists and focus my mind.

    I realized after being reborn, just how chaotic my body had been before.

    The beating of the heart. The sound of breathing. It is true that it felt very strange to possess a body without all that, but my eyesight, hearing and sense of smell were all much sharper than before.

    If I focus my mind, I should be able to even pick up the sounds of someone else breathing.

    And as old habits die hard, I take in a long breath and steel my resolve, taking the first step towards true freedom.

    ? ? ?

    I carefully proceed to explore the mansion that is enveloped in darkness.

    The aim being the study or the library or just about any place where I can find documents related to my present condition.

    Fortunately, I can read and write. As I was confined to the bed, reading was my only pleasure.

    The only language I can read is ¡®Lattice¡¯, which is the official language of the country I was born. Since the Lord seems to use the same language, I shouldn¡¯t run into any problems on that front.

    In any case, I just want any kind of information I can lay my hands on.

    For now, I decided to start searching far away from the supposed laboratory which the Lord always occupied.

    Unlike the mansion I lived in before, this place had no unnecessary fancy decorations except for rooms being carpeted. It gave the impression of a cold, inhuman place.

    I have to be careful to not let too much sound escape my feet.

    I should be fine if I keep it down. As any sounds would be masked¡­by the other footsteps.

    If I close my eyes and focus, I can make out regular, solid footsteps echoing through the mansion. There were more than one set of footsteps.

    There are two people, including the Lord, who live in this mansion. If we were to talk about the undead, I¡¯m sure there are a lot more than that.

    There were several sentinels on guard throughout the whole mansion. Furthermore, they were all undead sentinels.

    This place is Lord Horus¡¯ palace so to speak. The dark palace inhabited by the King of the Undead.

    The footsteps of the undead sentinels followed a regular pattern and since they weren¡¯t really trying to muffle them, I can easily make them out even from afar. I hear footsteps coming from both in the front and behind me.

    I can¡¯t escape them. I retreat to the end of the passageway and crouch down.

    There is no impatience in me. I am ready to break into a run anytime so I settle down and wait.

    My fears were realized as what suddenly appeared out of the dark was a skeleton that was lightly steeped in darkness. The difference between an ordinary skeleton and an undead one, was that the latter¡¯s vitals were covered by some light armor and it was armed with a sword. Also that it was still up and about despite not possessing a brain or a heart.

    The armor and the helmet scrape against the bones and make a slight rattling sound. I could hear two of those skeletons walking abreast as if to block the passageway.

    Seeing them walking around despite not possessing any of the vital organs was just too unnatural and abhorrent that had I encountered them when I was alive, I may have passed away from the shock.

    They were referred to as ¡®Skeletons¡¯ in stories. Clad in armor and equipped with a sword and a shield, maybe they should be called ¡®Skeleton Knights¡¯.

    I came across them a lot this past week as I accompanied the Lord on our way to the woods.

    I was made to spar with it once. In direct contrast to its appearance, the skeleton knight was agile and had excellent sword skills. Although I had the upper hand in terms of strength and body weight, it wasn¡¯t an opponent that I could win against as of now.

    I may not feel any pain but any physical damage inflicted on my body will make my movements sluggish no matter what. I could maybe take on one of them but two at a time would just result in me being cut into pieces.

    My fight isn¡¯t over even if by some miracle I end up winning against them. This lair of the evil mage was heavily guarded against intruders.

    An ever-present army of skeleton knights patrol the corridors. Giving them the slip is close to impossible. They do not tire nor do they need sleep, just the same as me.

    But if my assumptions are correct, I should be fine. I had to roll the dice eventually anyway.

    The skeleton knight comes to a halt and with its body still, it rapidly lowers its head and looks down at me.

    I shrink into a ball and stay completely rooted to the spot. One second felt like a ten or a hundred.

    The skeleton knight stared at me through its empty eye sockets for a while before turning away as if it had lost interest. It turned around to resume its patrol again.

    I breathed a habitual sigh of relief and started to relax my stiffened body.

    I had assumed that I would not be attacked.

    It wasn¡¯t that I was invisible to their eyes. Simply put, they had been ordered to not attack¡­a fellow undead like me.

    The first time I came across them, the skeleton knights suddenly came at me with their swords drawn. And the Lord had to order them otherwise. Since then, they have been mindlessly obeying the order.

    I do not know if the skeleton knights possess any intelligence like I do, but judging from their behaviour I doubt they have a will of their own. Also, considering that they wanted to attack me despite the fact that I was with the Lord at the time, I would say they are nothing more than puppets that move as the Lord commands.

    Ironically, one of the advantages of being placed in the Lord¡¯s mansion, is the fact that I am one of his undead.

    Owing to that, I will not be attacked by his other undead subordinates. I only need to be wary of ones who definitely possess intelligence. That would be the Lord himself and one other being in the mansion. But, it would be the end of me to be discovered by the Lord especially.

    If he were to ever find out that I was walking about freely, he would realize that his commands weren¡¯t thorough.

    In which case, he would either kill me or worse command me to revoke my freedom for sure. Taking my future into concern, that is something I certainly need to prevent from ever happening.

    I had successfully cleared a hurdle. I slowly got up and checked if I could feel the Lord¡¯s presence nearby.

    After the confirmation, I reached out my hand to the door that was the closest to me.

    ? ? ?

    I carefully opened the doors and inspected the rooms one at a time.

    As luck would have it, none of the doors had been locked. I was aware that the Lord personally locked his laboratory before we ventured out to the woods everyday but he doesn¡¯t seem to care about the rest of it enough to have them locked.

    Every door had a keyhole without a key in its rightful place. Turning the knob made the door easily swing open. Come to think of it, the cellar had a keyhole as well but I have never seen it locked.

    I am afraid it is because of the undeniable fact that the Lord is the absolute ruler of this mansion.

    No being in the mansion would ever defy Lord Horus Carmon. Regardless of whether it was an undead or a living person, every being that occupied this mansion were slaves to the Lord. So basically, there was no need to lock any door.

    I am sure that a necromancer who breaks the taboo with his practices has his fair share of enemies. It was the duty of the skeleton knights to protect the mansion against any such intruders.

    I am not sure of the actual number, but I would venture that there are dozens of skeleton knights patrolling just inside the mansion. They patrol in pairs which does feel like a bit of an overkill in terms of defense.

    I do not possess any lock-picking skills. If any of the doors had happened to be locked, I would have had to think of ways to get around it. I was lucky.

    It would seem that most of the rooms weren¡¯t being used.

    The undead have no use for a room. This mansion is simply too big for just two people. Although the mansion did not span two levels, it was quite expansive as far as I could tell looking at it from the outside.

    Most of the rooms were covered in dust. They were all fully furnished for what it¡¯s worth, but it didn¡¯t feel like anyone had lived in it. I pulled on a drawer to verify my speculations, and as expected it was empty. The rooms were in terrible need of house-keeping as running a finger across the furniture left a thin layer of dust on it.

    I suppress the emerging annoyance at the search being unproductive and press on.

    I make my way across the cellar and away from the Lord¡¯s laboratory. I do not think he would ever visit the far end of the mansion, but one can never be too careful.

    Assuming that there is some sort of a study or a library, I suppose it is highly likely that it is located in close proximity to the Lord¡¯s laboratory?

    I come to a halt surprised by my own revelation. If I were him, I would keep the study close to my own room for easy access.

    However, the closer I get to the laboratory, the higher the chances of me getting caught.

    I noticed no sort of bed in the laboratory. The Lord may be an evil mage but I doubt even he would sleep on the floor. I¡¯m sure he uses another for that purpose.

    Running into him would mean the end of me. Any blunder on my part will result in death or loss of freedom. Throwing caution to the winds¡­ should be my last option.

    After walking for a few minutes, contrary to my fears, I came across a room with rows of bookshelves at the end of the passageway.

    The room looked twice as big as the ones I came across so far. It had gigantic bookshelves and the smell of old books filled the air.

    It was quiet and had no other occupants. The bookshelves were crammed with thick volumes of books and maybe they ran out of space, for there were also piles of books everywhere in the room.

    I ran a finger across the bookshelf and unlike all the other rooms I inspected earlier, there was no dust accumulated here. I expect a servant cleans the room regularly, which means I can¡¯t stay here for too long.

    I have always liked books. I was in no shape to read anything right before I died, but books have been my only friends for as long as I have known.

    A little excited, I take a look at the spines of the books. Upon doing so, I could not help but frown.

    It took me aback that most of the books were all written in a language different from Lattice, which was the only one I knew.

    I wonder if they are grimoires of some kind or written in some sort of code that only a necromancer can comprehend. I can¡¯t even recognize the language.

    That dampened my spirits a little but I pull myself together.

    I never would have had the time to peruse all the books in this room anyway. Maybe it is for the better to not have too many options.

    I glanced through the books once again. And, I came across a book that was written in Lattice.

    It was an old book. It was titled ¡®The History and Perils behind the Abominable Source of Immortality¡¯.

    Pulling out the book from the jam packed bookshelf was no easy feat. I manage to pull it out and try to flip it open.

    The very first thing that entered my line of sight was the following sentence.

    ¡° The undead are cursed beings. The souls interfered with by a necromancer will become eternal prisoners of torment, only to be liberated when smitten by the holy Gods¡±.

    My face twisted into a smile at the unexpectedness of the sentence. I felt like I had just listened to a morbid joke of sorts.

    If the undead were cursed and at this very moment, my soul is being tormented, then what would you call my bitter past life?

    That pain, the hardship and endless torment on the body, can only be understood by those that have suffered through it.

    Those days when the pain was so terrible that sleep would evade me. Less and less people came by to visit with every progressing day. The faces of the light magic healers that had lost all hope and the feeling of helplessness I felt towards my own impending death.

    Those blessed could never understand the sufferings of the cursed.

    What I cannot stand is to be deprived of free will, that said, being reborn as an undead leaves me no despair.

    Before when I was alive, had I been told that transforming into an undead would liberate me from my never-ending agony, I would have agreed without the slightest hesitation.

    Needless to say, I hold no resentment toward Lord Horus Carmon. Even if I came to be as a result of the practice of abominable arts.

    This book does not seem like it will be of any use.

    I shut it and cram it between two books and decide to look for ones that would be of more help.

 Chapter 5: Evolution

    I maneuver a long, disproportionate arm that is already accustomed to using the machete, to slay a monster monkey that jumps out of a tree overhead.

    The sweet smell of blood fills the air and the woods grow quiet.

    I wonder if the monkeys sitting up high on the treetops, observing the fight realized that the opponent was too out of their league. They let out a strange call and hightailed it deep into the woods.

    A body that can freely move around. The sensation of life dispersing from the monsters that I can feel through the machete. All of it fills me with a strong feeling of satiation that permeates my soul.

    In the beginning, after I was reincarnated, I thought the feeling of satisfaction may have been my body¡¯s reaction to free movement. But it appears I was wrong.

    The Lord who was mending my arm glanced at the corpse of the monkey and turned around to look at me.

    ¡°End, you bastard¡­ did you get stronger?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I just stood there quietly. Because I was not given the permission to answer.

    It has been a few months since I became an undead. An unfettered body, which I had pretty much grown accustomed to. Owing to hunting daily, I have become able to read the movements of the beasts to a certain extent.

    I, who suffered from backlash at exhibiting strength beyond my limits before, am now capable of ¡®holding back¡¯ my strength when hunting beasts. The number of times the Lord has had to mend me has also greatly gone down.

    I have been doing my best to focus so that I do not feel the strange sensation that I felt during my first combat. Although it is true that actual combat has become a lot easier, I have had a hard time regulating my strength so that the Lord does not feel like he is not observing any changes in my body. Because I have no idea what he would do if he were to think that I showed no changes.

    This unshackled body is a pleasure. I enjoy running around, jumping around and learning. Most of all, it feels wonderful to be alive.

    I know that I still haven¡¯t tasted absolute freedom nor can I afford to let my guard down. But I have pretty much grown accustomed to my life as an undead over these last few months, and have gained enough composure to actually find it fun.

    ¡°Hmph¡­ I see you¡¯re still a fleshman. You should already have a fair number of kills under your belt. It would not be too strange for you to have already evolved into a ghoul¡­¡±

    The Lord stood in front of me, and tapped a bony finger to my arm and body, giving it a check. I simply stood still, my face betraying no emotion.

    A few months have passed since I got my hands on some books. I know a lot more about undead now than I did before.

    The Lord¡¯s library was a perfect place to learn things. I sneaked several books to the morgue and hid them on an unused shelf. I read them whenever I could find the time.

    That said, most of the books in the library were written in a language that I do not understand. There were only a few books that I could read, but they were enough to give me some basic knowledge regarding the undead.

    The undead are fundamentally different from the living. The concept of time does not exist in them and they are sustained by the negative energy released by the living at the time of death. The accumulation of this negative energy strengthens them and helps them evolve. It means that the dead are living frozen in time.

    This phenomenon was designated as ¡®evolution¡¯ in the books.

    I found the same written in the book I first came across, that the undead are born as a result of a curse cast by a necromancer.

    Cursed by necromancy, the corpse undergoes a change in its nature and comes to life, so to speak. That is who I am right now.

    The curse came with a process of evolution.

    The undead are resurrected by means of an evil curse by the necromancer. They are bound to their master¡¯s command and by the accumulation of negative energy, they acquire an ego and further evolve into stronger undead. Being a fleshman is but a beginning.

    The Lord is completely absorbed in his research, so much so that he does not leave the room even to partake of his meals. And yet, he never forgets to bring me out to hunting every night. I am certain the reason is for me to accumulate sufficient negative energy in order to evolve into an even stronger undead.

    It would appear I have a predecessor. Same as now, the predecessor accumulated enough kills under the command of the Lord and evolved into a ghoul. After which, he left to hunt by himself and was devoured by the monsters of the woods. It would explain the reason behind the Lord always accompanying me during the hunt.

    Eyes that glinted in the dark. With eyes as dark as that of an undead, the Lord looks at me with his head tilted.

    ¡°Looks like you still haven¡¯t gained an ego¡­ Well, no matter. There is nothing wrong with your present state of condition¡±.

    That is right. Everything is fine. I still haven¡¯t been exposed.

    Not yet, for just a little longer, I should be able to deceive him.

    The Lord may be a powerful mage but he had not handled enough undead to be able to see through my act.

    It would appear that fleshman do not possess an ego by nature. And of course, obviously, the Lord had not a single shred of suspicion towards my behaviour.

    The time that the Lord and I spend hunting are extremely advantageous to me. I can focus on increasing my strength under the Lord¡¯s protection.

    If he were to find out that I had an ego, he would alter his commands. He would surely command me to never raise arms against him at the very least.

    All I needed was the perfect chance. I am being kept alive by the Lord¡¯s curse right now.

    However, the curse once cast is not broken even upon the caster¡¯s death.

    ¡°End. Carry the monkey¡¯s corpse and follow me¡±.

    The usual command. I grab the still profusely bleeding arm of the corpse and follow the Lord.

    The overwhelming odor of blood and beast. The sweet-smelling corpse. Black blood trickled down the deep, shredded gash.

    I felt something hot squirm inside me.

    ? ? ?

    I have recently begun to feel hunger.

    Hunger. Something that I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. It spread like wild fire within me and was too much to bear.

    I made my move after I was mended and left in the morgue as per the usual routine.

    It has been more than a month since I felt the need to eat. The moment I felt hunger I understood that my body had evolved.

    Hunger. Sleep. Libido. The three basic needs of a living being. These desires had no place in a fleshman but once evolved, it meant the exact opposite.

    I had a basic understanding of the undead by then, so I could tell that these desires happened as a result of ¡®evolution¡¯.

    Evolution happens as a result of taking quite a fair number of lives. I had evolved from fleshman to an existence referred to as a ghoul.

    The appearance of hunger was proof that I had evolved into a higher being. Unlike a fleshman, a ghoul possessed a bit of an ego and the brains of a human infant.

    The physical body is also enhanced due to the accumulated negative energy but the biggest difference between a fleshman and a ghoul would be that the latter has intelligence.

    As I already possessed an ego and had retained my memories, the only advantage to becoming a ghoul is that I have a stronger body now. I do not know if that makes up for the disadvantage of having to deal with hunger. But even if that makes me weaker, it was still a change that I would welcome any day.

    Hunger. It is a very human desire. Being an undead was very convenient but that desire was valuable enough that I would not mind forsaking convenience for it.

    I was not able to ingest any food before my death. I did not feel hunger. My mind was too occupied for that. Hunger was one of the things that I had lost.

    I suppress another emotion that I felt rise up besides hunger and strip off my tattered clothing and quietly leave the morgue.

    Ghouls feed on meat. On corpses to be more precise.

    In that sense, the morgue is something like a pantry to me. The putrid smell of corpses that would make one turn their nose up in disgust, smelled sweet to the monster that I had become. However, feeding on any of the corpses there would spell trouble.

    Just like when I killed a monster for the first time, I did not particularly feel any aversion towards the thought of eating a corpse. Well, looking at it from a human viewpoint, it is something I would like to avoid but I cannot afford to falter with my survival on the line.

    I may be under his radar right now, but if the Lord were to notice a decrease in the number of corpses which are his research material, he would cast an eye of suspicion towards me.

    I should calmly think this through. The searing hunger was so unbearable and if I let my guard down for one minute, I might sink my teeth into one of the corpses nearby.

    It was necessary to satiate my instinct of hunger before it took over my reason.

    I slip past the skeleton knights on patrol and exit through the door.

    Humid breeze caressed my face the moment I opened the door. The night sky was hidden behind voluminous deep indigo clouds.

    Upon exiting the door, I happen upon a huge gate to the garden. There were several ferocious fleshwild in the garden that stood guard against trespassers. Most of these beasts were born in the woods and had been slaughtered, either by myself or by my predecessors. Of course, the pitiful beings had been resurrected by the Lord.

    A night wolf undead sniffs out my scent and directs its empty eyes at me. It looked no different from the night wolves that inhabited the woods but its gaze no longer held the power to invoke any fear. The night wolf sniffed the air once and maybe it identified me as the undead that was always beside the Lord, that it soon turned around and left.

    They were simply puppets that followed orders just as it was written in the books. Every time I witness it, I thank my fortune that I did not end up the same.

    And I tell myself that I need to make sure that it stays that way.

    The night breeze brushes past me as I near the gate. The huge metal railing is several feet high and encompassed the whole mansion.

    The gate was only a physical obstacle, as there was a magical barrier around the mansion as well. However, it has no effect on me since I am a comrade.

    The gate was chained and had a gigantic lock slapped on it. The Lord was the only one who possessed the key. I disregarded the gate and moved a bit to the side and grabbed the railing with both my hands and began to scale it. Before death, it may have been impossible for me to use my hands to support my whole body, but the task was effortless for me now, owing to the negative energy inside me.

    Once I reached the pointed end of the railing, I grabbed onto it and deftly hurled my body over it.

    The world spins around and I land on all fours. I wait till the numbing shock to my limbs pass before slowly getting up. Nothing was broken and I could move well. ¡®Ghouls¡¯ unlike ¡®Fleshmen¡¯ were capable of self-healing small wounds.

    The whole thing had me nervous at first. Now, I can leave the mansion with ease as if I was going to go for a walk.

    So, I proceeded to enter the whispering woods enveloped in darkness without the least bit of hesitation.

    Unlike before when I had to walk in front of the Lord, I could move at full speed now. That also meant that I would not have the Lord¡¯s assistance. However, none of the inhabitants of the woods are capable of harming me now.

    Cracking sounds escape my fingers on the right hand. My fingertips begin to feel hot. Out came pointy claws that were as sharp as a knife.

    It was one of the abilities of a ghoul.

    I conceal the claws that still feel hot with my left hand and speed through the dark forest. The smell of beasts. The smell of wind. The searing hunger in my mind was sharpening my senses.

    I soon found my target. The silhouette that stood amongst the tall grass in the midst of shrubbery.

    It was two meters wide. It was as tall as when a four-footed animal stood on its hind legs. And yet, the creature that was two or three times bigger than me looked nothing more than food to me.

    I lower my body and sprint towards it. The delight at possessing an unshackled body makes the mind that is impatient with hunger go wild.

    The wind rustling through the bushes. The screeching cries of the insects. I ran past all of it.

    Maybe the target noticed me drawing near, for it started to make a move in my direction. However, the woods that were overgrown with shrubs did not cooperate with its huge body.

    I made use of the opportunity and used the momentum to project my body into the air.

    Feet up in the air and my head hung down. Everything starts to spin. At the same time, the silhouette right below me turns its head around.

    Jet black fur. Blood red eyes. A glance was enough to tell that it was fully grown and appeared strong and lithe.

    A bear type monster. The Lord referred to them as night bears. They were tougher than the night wolves and unlike my first kill, this one was not a cub.

    However, it does not matter who the opponent is.

    As I pass over the monster midair, I swing my arm and run my claws through it. My claws, a few inches long, manage to slightly wound its head under all the fur. The tough fur and its solid skull are slightly scraped and its head starts dripping blood. The monster roars. I land and bend down to lunge at the torso of the bear.

    I am no longer just a walking corpse.

    In that moment, I was more of a beast than the night bear. And, an intelligent beast¡­or should I say, a demon.

    The strong odor of the beast stimulated my searing hunger. I thrust my hand towards the heart of the bear. With the physical strength and knife-sharp claws of the ghoul, my hands easily pass through its armor of fur, muscle and finally bone.

    Its huge body, twitched, convulsed and stopped roaring in an instant. All that remained was the stillness of the woods that brought on a sense of emptiness. Heat and the feeling of satiation spread throughout my body. I pulled my hand out from inside the bear.

    I could hear the sound of blood vessels being shredded. In my palm lay a still pounding, source of life. The heart was too big for my hand. The intense odor of blood that appeases my sense of smell and the smell of death, all stimulated my appetite even more.

    I stepped away from the bear as I pulled my hand out of it. As if the monster had been waiting for that moment, its huge body collapsed to the ground. It was dead. Even so, its heart was still throbbing in my hand. That vague, throbbing felt like life.

    I puffed out a steamy breath.

    ¡­ Even though undead do not possess any warmth nor do they breathe.

    I raise the heart that was still glistening with blood and run my eager tongue over it.

    That was all it took to feel like shocks were piercing through my brain. The feeling, the smell and the taste. My body craved all of it. Of course, I felt no revulsion. This is what I need right now.

    Ahh. I am no longer human. The reality that I had felt on countless occasions ever since I became an undead, came into my mind once more, as I deliriously sank my teeth into the heart.

 Chapter 6: Suspicion

    I can feel the power surging through my body. I truly wonder how long it has been since I was given new life.

    The Lord has started to regard me with strong suspicion.

    ¡°¡­There is still no change¡­hmph¡­even though he should have already gotten a lot stronger¡­¡±

    At the laboratory. After our daily hunting routine was over and done with, the Lord quietly groaned and looked at my face. I presumed the face of a puppet.

    There¡¯s a rule of thumb to everything. The research on undead does not seem to have progressed very far since the practice of necromancy is prohibited. According to the books, a fleshman was estimated to need from six months to one year to evolve into a ghoul.

    Needless to say, this varies from one undead to another.

    If an undead is locked in a room with no means to accumulate kills, then no matter how much time passes, it will never undergo any evolution. On the other hand, an undead that participates in a large-scale war, will evolve at a tremendous speed. Meaning that the time needed to evolve from one rank to another is extremely short.

    However, as far as my case is concerned, the Lord has been helping me accumulate kills after which he patches me up everyday. It would be inconceivable for me to take longer than the average fleshman to evolve.

    It probably has not even been a year since I was resurrected. And I am sure it hasn¡¯t been that long since I started to feel hunger.

    But it seems that that short period was more than enough for the Lord to think that something was not quite right with me.

    The Lord touches a bony finger to my arm. He peers into my eyes and chants some sort of spell. I cannot understand it. I suppose it¡¯s some type of necromancy spell.

    I feel the power welling up inside me. An intense sensation of my extremities heating up as if they are going to grow longer. And yet, I persisted with my silence.

    ¡°It does not seem to be a case of insufficient mana¡­? What am I missing?¡±

    He grimaces and looks at me with an annoyed expression on his face.

    There was no doubt that the Lord was an excellent mage. It¡¯s evident from the fact that he has built his mansion deep into the woods, which was home to several ferocious monsters. Also from the countless number of books and dead bodies he was able to obtain.

    However, the Lord was limited by his preconceptions and expertise in necromancy.

    Fleshmen are the weakest of the undead. They can be easily created and a dead body was all that was necessary. Easy to make use of but extremely vulnerable. A moving puppet that is only capable of following orders. It has no will nor purpose of its own, and therefore is incapable of moving a muscle, unless commanded by the Lord.

    My predecessors are also one of the reasons the Lord is caught in the grips of his preconceptions.

    My predecessors must have been a run-of-the-mill kind of fleshmen. They must have all foolishly followed the Lord¡¯s orders and their progress of evolution must have been apparent.

    They suddenly gain intelligence. According to the books, the undead that evolve from a fleshman into a ghoul could be split into two categories.

    Namely, ones that come to terms with their situation and ones that vehemently oppose it.

    On the other hand, the Lord could not elicit a response from me. Crippled by his deep understanding of the ranking change that happens with the undead, the Lord is unable to comprehend my case. I am a peerless undead who managed to continue to survive thus far. The Lord is unaware of how to ascertain whether I did truly undergo evolution.

    Even though the Lord knows that I have become stronger as a result of accumulating negative energy, his suspicions still remain weak.

    The appearance of an undead does not alter upon evolution.

    I have certainly changed on the inside but the Lord seems to have forgotten the best possible method of distinction.

    If I were him, I would have passed such a command as a shot in the dark.

    ¡®Did you evolve, you bastard? Speak the truth.¡¯

    I am bound to the Lord¡¯s commands. If such a question was ever to be raised, I would have no other option but to yield. However, the Lord, who is well-acquainted with the basic nature of undead, which is that they do not possess intelligence, would never pose such a question.

    I could never behave out of character or do anything unexpected since I am nothing more than a ¡®thing¡¯ to him.

    After having examined my whole body, he furrowed his brows and yelled out in a disgruntled tone.

    ¡°Roux, bring me a knife!¡±

    ???

    I could hear soft footsteps come to a halt in front of the door, and silence for a while as if there was some hesitation, after which the door opened with a creak.

    There is one more living being in this mansion besides the Lord.

    Although low on the scale of danger, I have always kept an eye on that figure.

    In came a frightened girl dressed in filthy rags.

    It was a young girl with black hair. I would say she was in her mid twenties. Scraggly and short statured. Scrawny arms and legs.

    And as a defining trait there was a long, narrow, black collar around her neck. She was a slave and that was the proof.

    Her eyes were dull and clouded much like an undead¡¯s. Her lips were chapped and if one were not careful she could easily be mistaken for a fleshman.

    I did not know her name. But the girl that the Lord called ¡®Roux¡¯, was a slave that he owned.

    Even if the undead were powerful and capable of killing monsters, they were unsuitable for any delicate work. So it was her job to help around the laboratory and wait on the Lord.

    She cleaned around the mansion, made the food and put away the books. Unlike the Lord, she did not seem to possess night vision which was evident from the fact that she needed a light to walk through the passageways. Contrary to the Lord, she did not seem to have a set routine. I almost bumped into her a few times during my searching expeditions.

    I calmly looked at her. It would spell trouble if Roux were to happen across me, someone who is supposed to be in the cellar and ends up reporting to the Lord. However, at the same time, she could never do that.

    Slaves do not possess a will of their own much like the undead. The collar around her neck is a magic tool that made a slave submit to their Lord¡¯s orders.

    It had the power of controlling the slave¡¯s thoughts to a certain extent and is capable of bending their will in order to obey the Lord¡¯s orders.

    Roux was more strongly inclined to fear the Lord than I did. And I could see fear dwell in the eyes that looked at me as well.

    She possessed a will, but not free will. She could only do as ordered by the Lord.

    ¡°The knife.¡±

    Roux panics and pulls out a knife from out of her pocket and approaches the Lord. He takes the knife from her outstretched hand and nonchalantly hits her on her head knocking her off-balance.

    ¡°You dawdling scum.¡±

    Contrary to his tone that was full of malice, there was no anger in the Lord¡¯s eyes. I am afraid it was simply done out of spite. Even if not for that, the Lord did not treat her any better or worse than a slave would normally be treated.

    Roux collapses. The Lord cracks his knuckles and stabs the knife into my right arm.

    The dull pain I felt emanating from my arm was probably hundred times weaker than what I would have originally felt had I been alive. And that also pointed towards the fact that there was progression in my evolution process.

    The undead are cursed. I, who was merely a ¡®moving corpse¡¯, was drawing closer to becoming an even more repulsive existence due to the accumulation of negative energy.

    This is certainly more awful than being a fleshman with no sense of pain. And yet, it was nothing compared to what I had to endure when I was alive.

    Not much blood spilled from the wound. There must still be no proper circulation of blood in my body. According to the books, an even ¡®higher¡¯ undead possesses a body similar to that of a human being.

    The Lord gouged at the wound to check my condition.

    I get through it with my face betraying none of my emotions. It hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts¡­it does not hurt. It does¡­not hurt.

    The Lord slowly let go of the knife. He spat out Roux an order as he kept his eyes fixed on me.

    ¡°¡­still a fleshman I see¡­ You! Report to me should there be any changes to the condition of the wound.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­.h¡­¡±

    ¡° Where¡¯s my answer?¡±

    ¡°Gah¡­¡±

    A violent sound fills the room. It is said that mages strengthen their body with the help of magic.

    The Lord may look all skin and bones, but he should be strong in his own way. Having taken a kick to her gut, Roux goes flying like a ball.

    The Lord simply stared at her with no particular emotion on his face.

    The gash in my arm oozed blood and hurt.

    Whenever I got wounded during the hunt, the Lord would heal me with magic. It was a necessary measure if you intend to make long use of a fleshman, as it does not possess the ability to regenerate.

    The time it takes for a wound to heal. One of the biggest distinguishing factors of a ghoul from a fleshman is that the latter has no regenerative abilities. That is what he must have meant when he ordered her to report any changes in my condition.

    It appears that the Lord is trying to ascertain my evolution from a different angle rather than just the manifestation of a sense of self.

    Well, considering the number of monsters I have killed, it was only natural he would consider it strange that I show no change. I had expected for this to happen sooner or later.

    However¡­he is too naive. His plans would be rendered futile if he utters his intentions right in front of me.

    I started on my plan after I was returned to the morgue as usual.

    I bend my arm to check how much the wound has healed. Ghouls had better regenerative capabilities than humans. The would had already begun to close up. The regeneration did not happen in a flash like when healing magic is applied but a wound of this severity should only take a day to heal.

    Furthermore, the higher the rank of an undead the stronger the regenerative capability. I am lucky that I am still just in the stage of a ghoul. I raise my left hand and slowly make knife-sharp claws out of my nails. The claws were no inferior to the knife used by the Lord to dig into my arm.

    I thrust my claws into my own arm, to make the wound appear as it did when it was first made. Pain emanated from the wound and slowly made its way up and sent shocks through my heart.

    By no means, was this more painful than when the Lord stabbed the knife into my arm.

    The thing is, I had never hurt myself before. I was of the thought that I, who had not possessed a normal body ever since I could remember¡­could never hurt myself even if the sun were to rise in the west.

    My eyes are dry as this body does not produce tears, but my heart is weeping. I feel an ache coming from the depths of my head, but I stifle it. This is something I must¡­do.

    I shall slay the one binding me. I will have to kill Lord Horus Carmon who has absolute control over me. He is inhuman. I am nothing more than a sort of a slave to him.

    I have to bide my time until I become stronger. I would do anything necessary to create a chance.

    The Lord is strong. On top of which he has absolute control over me. He is not an opponent I can win against as I am now. But that does not mean there has been no case of an undead successfully having defied its master.

    There were several books in the library that had recorded instances of defiance displayed by an undead as a word of caution.

    Right now, the Lord has imposed low restrictions on my movements. If the situation remains the same, and I evolve into an even stronger undead¡­the odds may be against me, but I may be able to defeat him.

    He may be the absolute but he is not omnipotent.

    I dig into the wound, slowly, as if to harden my resolve. The wound may look a bit different from the one made by a knife, but I doubt the difference is noticeable.

    After checking the size of the wound, I pull out my claws and enclose my mouth around them. I use my tongue to lick the blood and tissue off them. My palate that even considered the bear¡¯s heart delicious, felt no pleasure in partaking of my own flesh and blood.

    It would spell trouble if someone were to notice my bloodied hand. As I passed my tongue over my claws, I suddenly heard a sound.

    I look up. I do not know when¡­I had completely failed to realize it.

    There stood Roux, looking at me with her eyes wide open. The skin around her eyes were bruised and her lips were swollen and bleeding. Dark circles clung to her eyes¡­she appeared very similar to an undead. But, her line of sight was evidently in the direction of the fingers in my mouth.

    Our eyes meet. Before I could say anything, she scampers off like a scared rabbit.

    I failed. I was seen. She may be a slave but I am sure even a slave can tell that my behavior was out of the ordinary.

    I start to give chase but decide against it at the last minute. I cannot run after her. I am sure to be found out by the Lord if I were to do that. I mean, what could I do even if caught up to her? Convince her? Is that even a feasible option in my mind?

    I am an undead. An undead that was created by the mage, Lord Horus Carmon.

    I cannot be trusted by any means. I would never trust me if I were her.

    In that case, I need not chase after her. It would be game over if the Lord were to discover me chasing after her. Because¡­the Lord never ordered me to do such a thing.

    I calm myself down. There was not a single drop of blood left on my fingers.

 Chapter 7: Trust

    The lights flicker and a tearing scream echoes through the mansion. Roux was sent flying into the air and landed onto the dead bodies on the stone slab. It was the first time I had seen a person be blown off their feet. I suppose that was caused by offensive magic that the Lord seldom uses.

    The Lord¡¯s expression was the same as ever. His eyebrows were not furrowed nor was his face contorted, but one could surely see the spark of anger smoldering in those cunning eyes.

    ¡°Roux! You¡­you had the nerve to trick me? I remember telling you to report should there be any changes to the condition of the wound.¡±

    ¡°!¡­¡±

    Maybe it was due to the impact the fall had on her, she could not reply. The Lord treads on her hands on the floor.

    ¡°I do not remember ever ordering you to lie.¡±

    Roux certainly did tell him the truth. But between me and her, the Lord seems to have chosen to trust me.

    Well, that is no surprise. He believes in his own magic. A slave¡¯s word¡­ Her position must be taken into consideration. What¡¯s more, a slave who has not really proven her worth, could never carry any weight. All the more so when the story is ridiculous.

    I had understood that. Hence, I chose to let her be.

    I have been observing their interaction all this time. The kind of cruel treatment the Lord gives Roux.

    Perhaps, Roux dreamt that relaying the truth to the Lord would placate him, and that he might start treating her a little better.

    I would never have chosen that course of action had I been in her place. To think that she would decide to bet everything on that sliver of hope. Looks like she was desperate enough.

    Slaves are not even allowed to raise any objections.

    The Lord, after having delivered several blows, took her by the neck and brought her over to where I was lying.

    I am not sure if she bit herself for a small drop of blood fell off her blackened lips. For just a moment, a wonderful scent fills the air. It almost makes me lose my calm but I manage to compose myself after a bit of a fluster. Luckily, the Lord was busy chastising the slave that he had not noticed my slip-up.

    ¡°Hey, you scum! What exactly changed with End did you say? Say it once more.¡±

    ¡°A¡­h¡­¡±

    The Lord¡¯s eyes and Roux¡¯s vacant eyes were pointed in the direction of my wound. All they could see was that the wound looked no different from when the Lord made it. Well correctly speaking, there was a slight difference, but the Lord was not looking that closely.

    ¡°End. Raise your arm. Show your wound to me and this thing¡­ clearly.¡±

    I raised my arm out of my own volition. The wound was laid bare under the dim light of the room.

    The wound that ought to have healed had I been a ghoul was evidently still there.

    ¡°Hey, Roux! I ask you once again. What did you say about¡­ this wound?¡±

    ¡°Gah¡­ Mas..ter, it did¡­ by itself¡­¡±

    Maybe it was out of fear or because of the torment, she was not making much sense. The Lord makes a dramatic gesture as he looks at me.

    ¡°Listen, End. The slave says that¡­you gouged out your arm yourself. Mua ha ha . Say, is that true?¡±

    Yes. The answer is yes. But, I will not answer.

    The order has to be clear and precise. If he needs an answer¡­ ¡¯Answer me¡¯ must be his order. But there were no such words from him. Hence I was not under obligation to answer.

    That was the loophole granted to beings with intelligence in order to escape the clutches of absolute dominance.

    The Lord looked at me for a few seconds and I suppose he interpreted my silence in his own way. He directed his attention back towards Roux.

    Roux¡¯s shoulders trembled, she turned pale and sputtered out,

    ¡°Ma-master¡­ it¡­ is lying¡­¡±

    ¡°Kek kek. I had not told this to a slave like you but¡­ undead can never defy their creator¡¯s orders!!¡±

    The Lord laughed out loud and knocked Roux to the ground.

    I watched them with my hand still raised. Because¡­ I was not ordered to lower my arm. It was only natural for a devoted fleshman that is only capable of following orders.

    ¡°Hmm? Did you think you would be treated better if you reported that there was an anomaly? Did you really think that you could trick me,you useless dunderhead?¡±

    Pitiful. The slave faithfully reported the strange truth to the master, but the master did not seem to place his trust on the slave. Their day-to-day interactions speak for themselves. Or maybe, the master¡¯s personality is at fault.

    If she had held her tongue, she would not have been chastised. But that does not mean I sympathize with her. I could have had my freedom stripped because of her.

    I wonder if the reason why I don¡¯t feel even a shred of pity towards her is because¡­ I am a cruel person.

    ¡°Ah¡­. h¡­. It¡­ even before¡­ a book¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut it! You living scum that is lesser than a corpse!¡±

    Looks like she knew about me reading the books. I wonder when she found out¡­ but it¡¯s not so surprising since she is also supposed to tidy the library.

    However, she made a mistake by saying that now. Looks like the Lord was right. She is a useless dunderhead.

    For several moments after, all I could hear was the sound of a person being knocked around, and her groaning and shrieking. Eventually, maybe the Lord had hit her enough for he looked over his shoulder and spat out at Roux who lay motionless on the floor.

    ¡°The next time you give me a false report, I will tear apart that body of yours as you live and make that soul writhe in eternal agony.¡±

    His voice had an impact. It had the ring of truth.

    A Necromancer. To the words of the mage who practiced the abominable art of manipulating the souls of the dead, Roux who lay like a corpse, convulsed in response.

    The Lord turned to me.

    ¡°End. You can put it down.¡±

    You can put it down. Since that was not exactly an order, there is no need for me to comply, but I am supposed to be a loyal fleshman, so I lowered my arm.

    In response the Lord snorted, dissatisfied and proceeded to heal the wound on my arm. I suppose that since there was no change in the condition of the wound, he figured that it was meaningless to leave it be any longer. Although I could bear with it, the pain was getting on my nerves, so I breathed a sigh of relief but still kept a blank face.

    ¡°Roux. I expect this room to be returned to its original state. The corpses in this room carry more worth than you. You, that was bought for a mere gold coin.¡±

    A single gold coin. I wonder how much he paid for me. I never knew that corpses could be bought. But I suppose it must have been for more than a gold coin, considering that many of those corpses are tasked with the duty of protecting the Lord.

    The Lord leaves the room. Leaving me and Roux alone in the morgue.

    Roux was lying face down on the floor since she collapsed and it did not look like she was going to move anytime soon. Maybe the Lord did not go all out on her for she was still alive. I could clearly make out the sound of her still breathing.

    However, I am worried. She is a comrade. Our circumstances may be different, but she is something of a colleague to me. If you find your colleague in a bad situation, I suppose you should help them.

    I was not under orders to stay put so I got up, stretched and plopped down where Roux lay prone on the floor.

    It¡¯s imperative that I keep an ear out for the Lord who may return to the morgue upon changing his mind. This whole incident happened due to my negligence. I shall not make the same mistake twice.

    Roux looks up at me. Her unfocused eyes try to make out my face.

    I wipe off a drop of her blood on the floor, and as if to show off I put the finger in my mouth and give it a lick.

    And I learned for the first time, the kind of ghastly expression a truly bewildered person could make.

    Nevertheless, it was all futile now. I don¡¯t suppose the Lord trusted you very much to begin with¡­ but now, he will certainly never believe you ever again.

 Chapter 8: The Right Opportunity

    Considering the fact that I can evolve and excluding the risk that I could have my freedom stripped, these are the best circumstances I could ever ask for right now. However, I could feel that ¡®the time¡¯ for my mutiny was drawing close.

    The seed of suspicion will no doubt keep growing bigger inside his mind. Even though the Lord dismissed Roux¡¯s words as lies, they must surely keep pricking him in deep recesses of his mind.

    All I need is to determine the best possible time to strike.

    I stopped retrieving books from the library every night. I do not think the Lord would lend an ear to a slave, and Roux with her eyes still as dead as ever, had resumed her usual duties. But I thought it would be better to err on the side of caution.

    I have already learned all the basics from the books. I must be just as much of a threat to Roux as the Lord.

    The Lord increased the time spent on hunting. He ordered me to hunt more monsters than before.

    Such an order only made things convenient for me. If I were to happen to get severely wounded on any of my nightly dinner escapades that I cannot recover overnight, the Lord would begin to doubt me. But if it were to happen during the day, the Lord would use his magic to heal me. The Lord may be a master who I must defeat someday, but at the same time, he also made the best possible ally.

    My plan had succeeded and I was getting stronger by the day but I was also getting more impatient with every passing day.

    I cannot find the chink in his armor. He is still a man of mystery. I am not sure I have the time to find out the strange reason behind why the Lord chose to live so deep into the woods.

    If possible, I want to get stronger and when I am certain of my victory, I would like to challenge the Lord. But it would seem it takes a few years to evolve from a ghoul to the next rank. And it¡¯s impractical to wait that long.

    In any case, no matter how powerful I become, the Lord still has absolute control over me.

    If he were to command me to not attack, then everything ends right there.

    The only way I could win against him is by delivering a blow so lethal that it should render him incapable of exercising control over me.

    The undead are strong. My regeneration and physical abilities are much superior to those of an adult male. I am not under orders to not cause him harm, so attacking him from behind was possible.

    Even for a mage, I doubt he would come out unscathed if I were to attack him with claws that are capable of ripping through the flesh of monsters.

    However, failure is not an option. Perchance I fail to kill him in a single strike, I am sure I would be bound by his orders and my second chance at life would go to waste. To me, that is worse than living a life curled up in bed.

    I need perseverance and strength. So I persuade myself and quell the rising impatience and wait for the right opportunity.

    And so my days passed, with hunting every night on the evil mage¡¯s orders, avoiding the slave and looking for the Lord¡¯s weakness.

    At first, I was satisfied having a body with which I could freely move around but now the aforementioned really annoy me.

    A taste of transient freedom has made me want to get hold of true freedom. This must be what people refer to as greed.

    Freedom. That single word is more alluring than any monster that I have ever devoured.

    The Lord was called upon by a visitor, right as I was caught in a dilemma between taking a risk and staying put, and was at a complete loss as to what should be my next course of action.

    ???

    The Lord had allies.

    Well it only meant no matter how much of an evil necromancer he may be, he could not live a recluse. Once or twice every month, there came a man, called Huck, making his way through the vicious forest accompanied by guards.

    He is a man of small-build who always had on a filthy, green cowboy hat. I call him ¡®Corpse Carrier Huck¡¯.

    As the name implies, the man brings corpses through the forest. The Skeleton sentinels did not perceive the man and his troupe as a threat.

    I am not fully aware of the nature of their relationship, but Huck was responsible for food & other supplies and the replenishment of corpses. His job was to provide the Lord with fresh corpses that were dug up from God knows where, for which he was paid either in money or skeletons.

    Judging from their conversation so far, Huck seems to be buying skeletons from the Lord for the purpose of using them in battle. The skeletons he required were no ordinary ones, but ones that had accumulated kills and therefore quite strong.

    Since the use of undead is forbidden, it was evident that he was no decent individual.

    Normally, I am not a part of their business negotiation, but this time curiously enough, the Lord had summoned me.

    We were all gathered in the rarely used parlour. Huck with his friendly face and his five guards who were all armed to the teeth.

    Huck eyes widen in surprise and his face shows naked curiosity.

    ¡°Heh¡­ This one really did manage to pull through huh. I didn¡¯t think it would last that long since it was a diseased body.¡±

    ¡°Well, I suppose corpses of noblemen are different after all.¡±

    The Lord had his eyes on me and his tone seemed to be one of admiration.

    I am afraid he was mistaken in that regard. The only reason I managed to persist for so long was simply because of my thirst for life.

    The thirst that had taken control of me the moment I was awakened and has not been quenched even the slightest, although I have grown more powerful than before. On the contrary, I feel it has become a lot stronger.

    If I were to describe it, I would call it a force that sets my soul ablaze. It was an intense emotion that I had never once felt during my previous life in which I was all but dead.

    I would say without a doubt that it was the one big difference that set me part from the other undead.

    However, I do not let any of that show on my face as I look at the Lord.

    The Lord¡¯s cloudy, glazed eyes search me as if to ascertain my intelligence. But it was only my eyes playing tricks on me. If the Lord was convinced that I could reason, I am certain that he would have more specific orders for me.

    ¡°Can you not procure more corpses of noblemen?¡±

    ¡°Cut me some slack please. I don¡¯t see many oddballs coming forward to sell their relatives even if they¡¯re already dead.

    ¡°Nonetheless, you did manage to procure one. The corpse that served as the base for End is¡­¡±

    Huck¡¯s hideous face warped in response to the Lord¡¯s words. His voice seemed to be heavy with censure.

    ¡°I thought we agreed you would never question where I get the corpses from. By chance I came across someone who wanted to sell their relative¡¯s remains. I passed on that information to my special customer, to you, Lord Horus. And you make the decision to purchase it. That¡¯s all there is to it. Nothing more.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah yes, I understand that. I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter that it was diseased before. It didn¡¯t look that robust either¡­¡±

    The Lord looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze.

    Well he was not wrong to think that. I was bedridden for the longest time. My muscles had atrophied and I was barely kept alive by the healing magic performed by white mages who called upon regular intervals. That was the kind of life I had led.

    Even though I am really active now with hunting monsters and doing other hard physical labor that may have been impossible for me before, I am still as scrawny as ever.

    A healthy body¡­ and that too a body that is not tormented incessantly is a blessing in itself. It was something that I had always yearned for. I read that as you keep ¡®evolving¡¯, you transform into a monster of a higher level and there are also physical changes. I will do my utmost to survive until that happens.

    However, I see¡­ so my body was sold.

    The new piece of information was not all that shocking to me.

    I guess that proves to show how weak my bonds were with my family. It was all I could do to endure the agony, I had not the luxury to invest in any other emotions.

    I do not¡­ resent them either.

    My family had stopped visiting me a few years before my demise. The regular ¡®care¡¯ I received from the white mages must have cost them an arm and a leg. And it would be no exaggeration to say that that method of life-support was what prolonged my lifespan even by a little.

    One¡¯s ¡®reach¡¯ is the most important thing in battle. Although I am scrawny, I suppose I should consider it fortuitous that I did not die until I was just a little shy of adulthood.

    Even if the special care was not provided out of concern for my well-being, it does not change the fact that it helped me all the same.

    And, the same goes for the matter of my remains being sold to Huck.

    Suddenly, the fundamentals of undead written in the books came to mind.

    The regrets that a person carries to their death are what serve as a foundation for an undead. However, I dare say the strong feelings that made me an undead are not the same as the feelings of ¡®resentment¡¯ that typical undead hold towards all living things. But instead it was my ¡®desire to live¡¯.

    Even if I had lived my life bedridden and had been tormented by never-ending agony, I still never once considered death. At least, I believe I never did.

    I¡­ had wanted to live even after death. I wanted to be myself. Maybe these pure feelings allowed me to retain my memories, which is originally impossible for an undead.

    My knowledge on the topic of undead is woefully inadequate, so I have no proof to support my theory, but well, proof be damned.

    Lord Horus is pretty much my benefactor. I really do feel terrible about all this.

    However, I could never allow someone who holds ¡®rights¡¯ over me to live.

    Truth be told, I still have an ace up my sleeve. The kind of ace that can only be used once and never twice.

    It is not exactly the ultimate ace, but if I time it right, it is more than enough to take downthe Lord.

    The more lives I snuff out, more death energy I accumulate, the longer I draw this out, the stronger I become. And higher the probability of success of a surprise attack.

    I need to gather information. I am still in the dark regarding the Lord¡¯s fighting abilities. The apparent age of a powerful mage cannot be considered as reliable information. I have only ever seen him perform necromancy. I may have the upper hand at close range, but one can never be too careful against a crafty sorcerer.

    The most important thing was the right opportunity.

    My soul burned with a dark fighting spirit and my face blank when I heard Huck say with a grimace,

    ¡®Speaking of which¡­ I heard that a bunch of Death Knights have recently arrived at Engey.¡±

    ¡°What did you just say¡­? Don¡¯t tell me it was because you slipped up?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! My clients are all tight-lipped you see. But, the Knights¡¯ ability to sniff things out is the real deal. If I were going to be careful, it would be better for me to not visit here for the time being.¡±

    The Death Knights. I have read about them before death and also found them in books in the Lord¡¯s library.

    They are a group of knights that belong to no country. They are the ones that bring about the end to the never-ending darkness. The strongest fighting force in the entire world.

    They often appear as heroes in tales. Ones who cut down any and all danger and tribulations with a swing of their sword of light. I looked up to them as a child and truth be told, I had a fleeting aspiration to become one before my disease rendered me unable to do so.

    Necromancers who interfered with human remains and created the undead are the worst enemies of the knights. Among the picture books I read as a child, many of them told tales of battles between necromancers and the Death Knights. It goes without saying who emerged victorious.

    The Lord¡¯s face contorted in anger unlike I had ever seen before. It seems that the enmity between necromancers and the Knights was not just fiction.

    And the Death Knights were also my enemies since I am an existence against nature.

    Considering how unrelenting they were portrayed in the picture books aimed at children, I doubt they would allow my existence.

    ¡°Are they after me¡­? If I had a few more years, I would set my experimented hounds on them, kill them and make eternal slaves out of them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get dragged into the fight between the knights and milord Horus. I will pull back for now.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hold on, Huck! There¡¯s something I need to ask of you besides the usual corpses. End, return to the morgue.¡±

    Although it makes me quite curious as to what he wants to request of Huck, I cannot afford to ignore the order.

    I took my sweet time in leaving the room and yet I was unable to hear the details of their conversation.

    Well whatever. I did hear some unpleasant things but I suppose it is better than proceeding ignorant.

    The time limit has been shortened further. I should figure out what I need to do in order to survive.

    Upon returning to the morgue, I lean against the wall, cross my arms and get my mind into gear.

 Chapter 9: The Weakness

    I need to be certain of my victory.

    I, Lord Horus and the Death Knights. Between the three, there is no question that I am the weakest.

    I was able to hunt the monsters in the woods only because I had the Lord¡¯s support. I may have grown a little owing to experience and evolution, but in reality, I have not changed all that much from before.

    Typically, when a civilian with no combat experience turns into a zombie, an infamous undead of the lowest rank, it is said that their fighting ability will grow with time.

    Basically, there is a limiter in every human brain.

    It appears that if humans exert their fullest strength, the resulting backlash will damage their body. The limiter exists to prevent that from happening, much like a safety switch. Owing to this limiter, humans are able to live a healthy life, but at the same time they are rendered unable to exert their fullest strength.

    On the contrary, once turned into an undead, this safety switch disappears along with the sense of pain. Humans transformed into zombies do not fear wounds and exhibit the kind of inhuman strength that sets them apart from humans. They cannot be stopped due to their lack of sense of pain until they are killed.

    For an undead, the body is not the source of its life, so even with its heart pierced through and its limbs torn apart, it will still devour its opponents with a single-minded grudge.

    However, since I was a fleshman upon revival and not a zombie, there were a few differences that set us apart. Also one of the reasons I was able to defeat a monster right after revival despite having had a weak disposition. The other reason being the Lord overseeing my recovery and keeping the monsters in check. If not for that, it is highly likely that, with no combat experience, I would have easily perished. I could not be more grateful towards him.

    I am now a ghoul, far more powerful than I was ever before. But the question of whether I would be able to win against the Death Knights would have to be answered with a resounding no.

    I would certainly bite the dust in a one-on-one match. Even if there were five or six of me, we would still be mowed down like a bunch of weeds.

    The Death Knights are an accomplished elite among elites who have been through rigorous training.

    Each group member has their own choice of weapon. They are all unrivalled warriors and are no strangers to dealing with undeads like me.

    Be it their physical, fighting capabilities or experience, I lose to them in all spheres. I cannot see how I could win in the slightest.

    They are the light. If necromancers are the Lord of Darkness, then the Death Knights are an existence on the total opposite end of the spectrum.

    The Death Knights command an energy totally opposite than that of a necromancer.

    I am not aware of all the details but according to the books, there exists positive energy and negative energy in this world.

    Light and Darkness or Life and Death. All living things in this world, without exception, possess positive energy. When this energy is reduced to zero, it leads to death and said life bids eternal farewell to the mortal realm.

    At the same time, there exists a magic called necromancy that overrides said rule.

    This magic, the curse, animates a corpse with the help of negative energy.

    I was brought back by Horus¡¯ magic, a moving puppet owing to the negative energy in me. The reason I am able to live despite having a still heart is because my source of energy lies elsewhere.

    The source is not the positive energy that is produced by a beating heart anymore, but instead the negative energy that is produced at the moment of death. And unlike positive energy, negative energy does not naturally exhaust itself.

    That is the reason undead do not have a lifespan and the why they are referred to as such.

    However, that does not make the undead without flaw nor does it make me invincible.

    The reason for my existence is the Lord¡¯s power that enables me to slightly deviate from the natural. If the damage to my body is so severe that it becomes unable to keep a hold on my soul, then I imagine I would die. And if for some reason the energy in me were to be exhausted, I would die.

    It is really all simple up to this point.

    But from this point forward, it becomes a little complex that even I cannot wrap my head around it. It is also the reason why the undead are at an overwhelming disadvantage against the Death Knights.

    Well, I have been using the terms positive and negative energy to explain things in a simple manner, but strictly speaking, they slightly differ in meaning.

    ¡®Positive energy¡¯ is an energy but ¡®negative energy¡¯ is not one. It is a state.

    The energy the Death Knights utilize (I mean, all living beings do) is the power of light, the positive energy.

    Their military strength is unrivalled but when they confront undead, they do not just blindly ¡®destroy¡¯ but work extremely efficiently and perform a ¡®cleanse¡¯. They do not use their military might to simply pulverize the undead physically but add some light energy to the undead which thereby brings them down from the negative state to zero state. And I who was finally able to come back thanks to the Lord¡¯s magic will have my body return to zero state. The moment that happens, I will be forced to conform to the rules of this world and cease to exist. I will have to face death for the second time.

    This is my fatal weakness and all of the undead in general.

    On the other hand, the same thing cannot be done to them. Since negative energy is not an energy per se (I am becoming more confused by the minute myself), it cannot be blasted out like a beam to bring them to the zero state.

    It is impossible to discard this weakness that makes one obey the great principles of this world.

    It truly is cruel that the undead can never win against them. Well, even if not for such a weakness, there is no way to win against their overwhelming strength, but I digress.

    I have grown a lot stronger than before. It was only natural I was weak given my health condition, so it may be strange to compare my current state with how I was then. But after transforming into a ghoul, my physical strength, toughness and regeneration capabilities have all surpassed that of a normal human. Plus, there are certain special skills attributed to ghouls, the ability to transform my nails, ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯ and the ability to sharpen my fangs, ¡®Sharp Fang¡¯.

    Well I suppose I am two years old in undead age. Unlike fleshmen, ghouls are not capable of exerting their power unless they feast on corpses. However, their strength is so great that it cannot just be attributed to the absence of a limiter.

    Generally speaking, an undead with a ghoul rank would be capable of defeating one or two soldiers of the lowest rank. Since I have a bit more brains, I should be able to take on three or even four.

    However, that is nowhere near enough to win against the veritable heroes that are the Death Knights.

    The quick and easy solution to the current predicament would be to run away from here. Unlike the Lord, I hold no grudge towards them nor do I wish to fight them. However, the Lord with his ¡®privileges¡¯ stands in my way.

    The ¡®privileges¡¯ he holds are no joke. And I am sure it includes more than the just absolute dominance.

    Absolute dominance, a rough sense of my location and the right to cast a specific spell from far away.

    Even if I manage to put some physical distance in between, I can do nothing about the magical link between us. It cannot be erased. It is a safety switch that will continue to exist until the Lord perishes. The Lord can cast his spells through this link. In other words, he can turn me back into a corpse.

    It is impossible for anyone else to release me from his control. No, maybe it is possible, but I am certain I cannot do it. I do not have the time either.

    If I am to escape from here, I will need to launch a ¡®surprise attack¡¯ on him.

    Honestly, I am still contemplating if I should fight the Death Knights alongside the Lord or if I should just kill the Lord and escape from here. I cannot determine which is the more difficult.

    I have run out of options now. Although I find both of them to be impossible, I am going to have to make my choice.

    ???

    Before I could find a way to ease my worries, the next day, brought along its own new crisis. The Lord had implanted a great deal of lookouts inside the mansion.

    Ones that silently creep about and relay everything they see and hear to their master. A huge parliament of owls.

    Therefore, I cannot leave the mansion at night. Meaning, I, as a ghoul, have no means to satiate my appetite.

 Chapter 10: Malice

    I had underestimated the cunning mage. He was a man of caution. Well, I had lived in a very small world.

    My only source of knowledge was the books. I had come across nothing about surveillance magic on there.

    Well, putting aside whether or not that would make a difference now, I should have anticipated such an outcome. The magic used was evidently not necromancy, and there are no rules that forbid a necromancer from using other types of magic. In any case, I have no right to gripe about it.

    The countless owls that appeared out of the magic circle were released out of the window, wherein they disappeared into the woods. The only silver lining was there were no owls let loose inside the mansion. However, even that bit of luck may not really be enough to help me out of this deadlock.

    The Lord summoned Roux and barked out orders to the shivering slave.

    ¡°Roux. Feed the birds when they return. They are my familiars and also my eyes and ears. They are more diligent than you.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes. I under¡­stand, ¡­ master. Umm¡­ err¡­ what should I feed them¡­¡±

    ¡°Meat. Meat oozing with blood. Fresh, raw meat. No need to do anything special.¡±

    Roux was still shivering but my mind was occupied with other matters.

    His eyes and ears. Things just took a turn for the worse. I am not crafty enough to evade countless of Lord¡¯s familiars and go on my nightly escapade.

    The Skeleton Knights that patrolled the interior of the mansion were excellent guards that knew not the concept of exhaustion. However, they are incapable of reporting information regarding the movements of their fellow undead. They have no voice either.

    But these owls are a different matter. Since he referred to them as his eyes and ears, I dare say everything they see and hear is promptly relayed to the Lord.

    It is now¡­ impossible to hunt at night given the current circumstances. It poses too much of a risk. The Lord is already in a state of alert.

    The night hunt meant two things to me.

    To accumulate energy in order to speed up the evolution process, and sustenance. The latter is the main problem now.

    The evolution of the undead does not just mean an increase in strength. It also puts you at a disadvantage.

    The advantages and disadvantages are like two sides of the same coin. Ghouls have better physical abilities than fleshmen and are superior to the latter in almost every way. But unlike fleshmen, ghouls need sustenance.

    It is not just an option but a need.

    Ghouls possess a strong appetite. That too the kind of hunger that can completely surpass reason, an intense need to feed.

    I am afraid that is the primary reason for ghouls to attack humans and why they are referred to as such.

    The hunger I felt at the beginning of the evolution process was hellish, the likes of which I had never experienced before.

    A searing hunger, an urge that shook me to my very core. The only thought in my head being ¡®I have to eat¡¯. And anything or anybody, be the Lord, Roux or his undead, all would only look like a ¡®meal¡¯ to me.

    Luck was the only reason I have been able to somehow suppress the urge until I could go out to hunt at night.

    Barely, by just a fraction, the urge to survive overshadowed the hunger. Had I slipped up even a little, I am sure I would have transformed into a ghoul that was ruled by its appetite, never to place the need for survival above the need to feed.

    A ghoul¡¯s need for sustenance is not something that can be resisted through sheer will.

    The time I could hold on for had reduced considerably. As far as I know, a ghoul could go on for about three days without a meal.

    It is just a battle of wits from that point forward. I was able to hold on for half a day last time. I should be able to do the same for now.

    But the fact that I have been pushed to this state is a defeat in itself.

    The strength of a ghoul is inversely proportional to its hunger. The hungrier I feel the less powerful I will be.

    I have no idea how weak I could become but I am sure there would be no time to dawdle.

    As usual, I accompany the Lord to hunt. I do feel a little weak, but I should face no trouble with monsters that I have experienced hunting before. I also have the Lord helping me.

    I suppress the hunger that is much like smoldering coal, and simply focus on following the Lord¡¯s orders.

    I slay the lumps of meat that appear before me. Kill and slay them. Scattered around are warm corpses dripping with blood. But I cannot lay my hands on them right now.

    If the Lord were to ever realize that I had transformed into a ghoul with intellect, he would most certainly put stronger shackles on me. I am fortunate to not be more strongly bound at this stage.

    I was at a loss as to what my next course of action should be. I had originally planned to hunt a lot, get stronger and attack the Lord in his sleep.

    But the Lord¡¯s been observing constant vigilance, now that he has been driven into a corner.

    I use my machete to deflect the pebble that came flying at me, and slash across a monkey concealed in the trees.

    Right now, my only hope is evolution. If I manage to evolve to the next stage, I should not be tormented by hunger. It would not be the solution to the root of my problem, but it would at least serve to buy time.

    Can I even pull it off? It took me around three months to evolve into a ghoul. Much shorter than the time taken for a typical fleshman to evolve, which is from six months to one year. Normally, it takes a few years to move on to the next stage of evolution.

    A miracle. I need a miracle.

    I direct my thoughts away from my hunger and mercilessly mow down the pack of night wolves that had surrounded us. Thereupon, the Lord suddenly uttered in a skeptical voice.

    ¡°¡­ End, you bastard, aren¡¯t your movements sluggish?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What happened? You don¡¯t appear¡­ to be hurt.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Lord¡¯s cloudy eyes inspect me as if he were checking the condition of a product.

    I panicked for a moment, but seeing me silent, I suppose the Lord came to the conclusion that it had been all in his head. He ordered me to begin the search for the next prey.

    ¡­ What tipped him off?

    I felt some mild annoyance that I cannot quite describe. I mean if I calm down and think for a moment, I am currently fighting the monsters as well as my hunger.

    It would not be unimaginable for the Lord to feel something off with the way I fought as he has been closely watching me from the start. I believed that I was moving as usual, but no matter what my movements seem to reveal my impatience

    I simply brandish my blade without thought. Swing once. Swing again. The blood spurts and rather unexpectedly, a drop of it lands inside my mouth.

    I have never had alcohol before, but I suppose what I feel right now is something akin to intoxication. I felt heat rise up from the depths of my belly and hit my throat which shook my resolve.

    Not enough. Blood cannot satiate me. The hunger welling up inside me was unsettling and made me unsteady on my feet.

    ¡°What is it? End! What happened?¡±

    Said the Lord in a sharp tone. It was evident that my movements lacked vigor.

    A single drop of blood did not in the least satiate my hunger.

    This will not do. Not yet. Hold it in. I cannot be found out. I need to survive this.

    I have no particular purpose in life. Nor any reason. I just¡­ wish to live. Even if I have to sacrifice anything and everything in order to achieve that.

    I keep a blank face and take a deep breath. I override my extreme hunger with reason and endure a rising sense of irritation.

    And thus, I was somehow able to direct suspicion away from myself and succeeded in finishing the hunt without further incident.

    We returned to the mansion, and unusually enough, found Roux waiting for us.

    There she stood in the dark, her face illuminated by the candlestick. A face that was dull and lifeless, but her usually dead eyes had a strange spark in them.

    I felt a sense of foreboding. The Lord arrogantly crossed his arms and looked at her as if she were some kind of repulsive trash. Roux uttered in a hoarse voice.

    ¡°Mas¨Cter¡­ Umm¡­ I¡­ have¡­ found¡­ proof¡­ to substantiate¡­ my claims¡­¡±

    ???

    Hunger and survival were engaged in battle inside me. Even though I am not supposed to have any body heat, I felt a burning heat rise from within me.

    I cannot afford to waste any time dealing with Roux right now.

    The Lord, who barely had a lid on his anger and I, who was giving it my utmost to quell my hunger, were led to the cellar where I was usually stationed.

    Just what does she mean to show the Lord? There is no actual evidence that I moved around in the morgue. The floor is made of stone and I was careful not to leave any traces of movement.

    There is not much stuff in the room to begin with. Excluding some furniture, the shelves and the stone slab on which the corpses were placed. I made sure not to touch a single strand of the corpses since they belong to the Lord.

    ¡°Th-this way, Master¡­¡±

    Once we reached the cellar, Roux made a beeline to the shelves, albeit unsteadily.

    And I finally realized what it is that Roux had managed to find.

    My face stiffened. The thought of hunger was driven away from my mind for just an instant.

    Roux proceeded towards the second last drawer. The drawer that was originally empty, was now filled with dusty, reference books on undead that I had found in the Lord¡¯s library.

    I had stopped going to the library after Roux accused me earlier, so those were the books that I had brought to the morgue before then. A portion of books that I had hidden in order to peruse at a later time.

    I had let my guard down since I had never seen the Lord or Roux ever come near the shelves.

    I should have gotten rid of the evidence when I found out that she knew about my reading the books.

    I am afraid that after having her accusation swept aside, Roux had spent all her free time searching for irrefutable evidence against me.

    I never would have thought that she would go so far when she was always so dead on her feet. There really is no end to human malice.

    Roux picked up an illustrated book from the pile and showed it to the puzzled Lord.

    Roux and I are both slaves. We are both in the same position, and yet I wonder why she feels the need to harass me.

    I could feel my fingers twitch a little. No. I will not move.

    ¡°Wh-what do you think, Master? There¡­ were¡­ no¡­books here before. It, this undead, brought over these books from the library!!! This guy is¡­¡±

    Roux accused me with a shaky voice.

    The Lord after taking the book that was presented to him, was silent for some time, as if lost in thought. He then spoke in a voice that felt like it was from the pits of hell itself.

    ¡°¡­ So, where¡¯s the proof that you didn¡¯t bring these over here yourself?

    ¡°¡­ What?¡±

    I had won. The Lord¡¯s trust in Roux had hit rock-bottom from the looks of it.

    The Lord flung the book towards the floor.

    Originally, these books were just sitting there, gathering dust in the library. I doubt he placed any value on them.

    Roux looked at the Lord, completely at sea.

    The Lord spoke calmly. It was not an emotional outburst and hence, one could tell that he was genuinely angry.

    ¡°You hopeless woman. I told you before. If you were to ever report any false information to me, then that would be the end of you. I employed you for so long, and this is how you choose to repay me.¡±

    ¡°B, but, I¡­¡±

    ¡°It has always occurred to me. That the collar that binds the slaves was flawed. That it should enforce absolute obedience, just like with the undead¡­¡±

    The cold words hit a pale Roux who lay collapsed on the floor. The Lord pulled out a short staff from his belt with his right hand and his left hand caressed it, as he took a step closer towards her.

    The tip of the staff glowed an eerie green. It was something I had seen several times before, the light that magically triggered the creation of an undead.

    Roux¡¯s stiffened and I could see her face filled with regret and dread. She could not gather her strength and lay weak, and just her eyes begged the Lord for mercy.

    ¡°F-forgive m¡­!¡±

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t bother, Roux. You are going to be reborn as a diligent slave.¡±

    Thoroughly overbearing, the Lord raised his staff up high. The wrinkles and anger etched on his face shone in the green light.

    Might be because she was scared stiff, she did not even try to run away. And it looked like she had wet herself for a warm liquid spread onto the floor from where she sat.

    I thanked her inside my mind.

    It is here. The time has come.

    The Lord is showing his back to me. He is completely focused on Roux.

    I suppress my hunger and clench my teeth.

    Automatically, the claws extend on both hands. Almost as if my body was imploring me to devour the prey.

    I was convinced. It is now or never.

    I shall kill the Lord, my lifesaver and my enemy. I am not at my full strength but I should still be able to kill one delicate human.

    If I let this golden opportunity slip by, I would never get another chance.

    I do not breathe. Nor does my heart beat. I am an undead. Stealth is one of the merits of being an undead.

    It has been embedded into my body. The way to take a life. It was something the Lord had taught me.

    The Lord is completely focused as he chants a few words of a spell. The staff is lowered on the pitiful slave who nobody would believe.

    In a flash, I lunged at his defenseless head with all my might.

 Chapter 11: The King of the Undead

    I put all of my strength into it. My long claws easily pierced the Lord¡¯s skull.

    Roux¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock upon witnessing the sudden attack. However, it was too late.

    I felt no exhilaration. Just dark pleasure. I guess that proves what a monster I have become.

    I pulled my claws out of the soft skull. Warm blood began to spurt and that made my mouth curve into a smile.

    I won. Now, I am free. All I have to do is leave the forest and I could go anywhere.

    I do not intend to fight the Death Knights. I should quickly leave here. Find a woods similar to this one and live my days hunting beasts.

    Until I am fed up with this new life.

    ¡­ Thereupon, I suddenly heard something sound like a click.

    ¡°What in hell!¡­ What¡­ is this?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    I heard a voice that should have been impossible to hear.

    I could not wrap my head around it. A few moments passed, and I felt dread take over my entire body that made all my hair stand on end.

    There is no doubt that my claws pierced through the Lord¡¯s skull. He neither evaded nor defended himself.

    The source of the sound was right in front of me. The Lord, whose head I remember slashing through was standing right there in the same place as he was moments before, speaking calmly.

    The head that was supposed to have been impaled, had not a single scratch on it.

    What the¡­ that¡¯s impossible! The Lord is not an undead. I, a ghoul, can clearly tell that the Lord is a living, breathing human being.

    I had not noticed, but the blood on my claws and all the blood that had sputtered out, were nowhere to be seen.

    This cannot be. This is absurd. Impossible! I am certain that I killed the Lord. I certainly did.

    ¡°So you possess intelligence¡­ now. Or maybe you have for some time. Interesting.¡±

    ¡°¡­ !!¡±

    Not yet. This is not over yet.

    I steeled my resolve and thrust my arm with all my might. I will aim not for his head this time. But for the heart.

    My five claws easily pierced through his frail body along with the robe. There was a big gaping hole at the center of his body. I could feel the warm blood on my hand and the sound of gushing blood.

    Once again, I heard the strange clicking sound.

    And I heard the Lord¡¯s voice once more, which should not be possible considering I only just pierced through his torso. His voice held no anger but what sounded like admiration.

    ¡°The reason I¡¯m not dead is not because you didn¡¯t aim for my heart. But that¡¯s smart of you, really smart. I don¡¯t know how long you¡¯ve had intellect, but even after evolving you were biding your time? Looking for a chance to kill me? Ku ku ku¡­ I didn¡¯t hold any expectations but this is much more brilliant than I could have ever imagined. Looks like he gave me some prime material. I should thank Huck.¡±

    He is a monster. I, even as a ghoul would not be able to escape a stab to the heart unscathed.

    It is impossible. So¡­ this is what it means to be a Necromancer.

    I knew that I would not be able to take him head-on. So I decided to use the perfect opportunity to go on the offensive.

    I, at the edge of despair, am being sustained by hunger and the desire to live.

    I pull out my arm. And the very next moment, the blood and tissue on my arm disperse like the fog.

    Several thoughts pass through my head in a flash.

    What now? How am I supposed to kill something that can survive a blow to its skull and heart?

    No, not quite. It is not that he can survive lethal blows. Nor is it some sort of superior regenerative power. Yes, by some means or the other, something is making it so that the attack never happened in the first place¡­

    Escape is not an option. I cannot defend myself either. I make up my mind in the blink of an eye. I shall kill until I get killed. And for the first time ever, I yell in front of the Lord.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    I raise my claws intending to slash across him. Just before my sharp claws could tear into him, I heard Lord Horus¡¯ voice break through my roar.

    ¡°Halt!¡±

    The command struck me like a lightning bolt.

    My arm convulses, and falls apart at the sudden obstruction to its movement. The tissues start snapping and my arm starts throbbing with a dull ache. The body that was devoted to me, the body that was unrestrained, is prioritizing the Lord¡¯s command over my will.

    My claws will never be able to reach that flesh ever again.

    I almost had him. But now, no matter how much I will my arm to move, it would not budge an inch.

    At last, at that moment, I accepted my defeat.

    Any resistance is futile. I cannot win. Ever. The man in front of me is a monster. More so than I am. I cannot compare to him.

    The Lord turns around to look at me frozen in place. I could see no anger on his face, but just dark delight at the situation.

    And that, accurately portrayed the difference in power between us. The Lord was angered at Roux¡¯s false report (which in actuality was true). And yet, my rebellion after lying in wait to use the perfect opportunity to launch an attack was nothing to be angry about.

    If I had to worry for my life, I am certain there would be some sign of it on the Lord¡¯s face. My rebellion had not succeeded in the least, not even a little.

    The Lord revealed his secret as if to annoy me.

    ¡°Kukuku. End. I¡¯ll admit you¡¯re smart, but you don¡¯t know anything about magic. The reason you lost is because of your assumption that I only have ¡®one life¡¯. Ah! I permit you to speak.¡±

    ¡°What, do you mean¡­¡±

    I have been trying to attack for some time now, but it was as if my body had turned to stone. It would not even stir.

    The Lord¡¯s grin widened as he slowly pulled out a round, silver rock out of his pocket.

    I had never seen such a rock before. It had a strange glow to it. It must have had a smooth surface before but now it had a big crack on it.

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ I¡¯ve split my life into a hundred and twenty fragments. All you did was snuff out two of those. For you, my subordinate, to kill me, you¡¯d have to take my life 120 times in a single instant. And that¡¯s about it. You can expect any top-grade necromancer to have done the same.¡±

    The rock cracked further and shattered into pieces on the Lord¡¯s palm. But now is not the time to be looking at that.

    A hundred and twenty lives¡­ he says?! That cannot be true. There were no such details even in the fairytales I have read before. His cowardice knows no bounds.

    But at the same time, I now understood where his confidence came from and had no other choice but to accept it.

    If that is true, I have no chance of winning. If it were one or two lives, I could probably succeed by launching a surprise attack but it is improbable to do it 120 times. There was never any chance for my rebellion to succeed since the beginning.

    I was hit with an intense sense of regret. However, it was all too late. I had had no other choice. It was only a matter of time.

    The most important thing is what lies ahead for me.

    What is going to happen¡­ to me? How is the man in front of me, going to deal with a ghoul that carried out a rebellion?

    I glare at him while he returns it with a sneer and says,

    ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s a headache if you¡¯re going to keep targeting me. End. Hereafter, I forbid you from ever raising arms against me and also to make any moves that could put me at a disadvantage.¡±

    Of course it would come to this.

    However, the same words that I would have rather died than hear up until a while ago, actually brought me relief. Because, that command assures me that the Lord does not intend to get rid of me at least for the time being.

    And I felt thorough despair towards that relief.

    Well that gave rise to new doubts but I shall leave them aside for now.

    I cannot lose heart. I need¡­ to stand firm and have faith.

    Horus Carmon. I will kill you. Without fail. You are nothing compared to my life before when I could feel death closing in on me every passing day.

    I shall use any means necessary. And no matter how many years, how many decades it takes, I shall emerge the victor.

    ¡°Kukuku. ¡­What a terrific fighting spirit! A dark determination that does not wither at the face of immense power. The intelligence to lay low after going through evolution and gaining an ego. The one I¡¯ve always wished for. You are the King of the Undead. So the time has come for my eternal wish to be fulfilled. Although, the immortal killers, the Death Knights are almost upon us¡­ fufufu, ahahaha¡­¡±

    The Lord rolled his eyes and let out a shrill laugh.

    His eyes shone bright in the dark. I could see Roux who was almost turned into an undead, crouched on the floor, shivering.

    Oh laugh! Laugh all you want. All that matters is I will be the one laughing at the end of it all.

    ¡°I am going to put you to good use, End. Your consent is not really a matter of concern.¡±

    ¡°Let me free. I will comply.¡±

    Well he already knows everything. Fake obedience is not going to fool him. But I know that is what he expects from me.

    I glared at him, to which the Lord laughed happily as I had predicted.

    ¡°Ahh, I did hear that it was death from an illness. What a ferocious man you are! Still, I suppose it¡¯s alright. End, I permit you to move.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Do it, once more.¡±

    ¡°?¡­ I permit you to move.¡±

    My body that had been frozen in place up until now, easily regained its mobility the moment the command was issued.

    I immediately turned around, and sprinted towards the door at full speed. Ignoring the dull throbbing in my arm, I made a run towards the stairs.

    I heard a flustered yell from behind me as I climbed the stairs.

    ¡°End. Don¡¯t run!¡±

    ¡°!¡­¡±

    So, it was pointless. I mean I knew it was impossible right from the start. But I couldn¡¯t not try.

    I stood there unmoving, as the exasperated Lord approached me.

    ¡°Well, it looks like I can¡¯t let my guard down around you. But those are the qualities I¡¯d expect of the King of the undead.¡±

    ???

    And so began my life as a captive.

    Although everything looked the same outwardly, my days of being bound hand and foot by unseen shackles thus began.

 Chapter 12: Intentions

    I am out on the night hunt with the Lord. Now that there is no need to conceal my abilities, the monsters in the woods are no real opponents to me.

    I had already gotten used to the physical abilities of a ghoul. The machete and the claws, in addition to abilities that far surpass a fleshman and with the Lord¡¯s backup, there was no way these monsters could pose any kind of threat.

    I slaughter a pack of night wolves, that were once terrifying, and partake of their flesh.

    The meat was raw, but I felt a strange, pleasant heat pass through my throat and set my body ablaze.

    Earlier when I used to sneak out to hunt at night, I had to take off my clothes out of fear of getting them dirty. I also had to be extra careful about getting no blood on my body. I need not care about that anymore.

    As he looked on me drenched in blood, fervently devouring the corpse, the Lord muttered,

    ¡°To think you evolved into a ghoul in just three months¡­ what a talent! And that you managed to hide it so well¡­¡±

    ¡°How many months did it take for my predecessors to evolve into a ghoul?¡±

    ¡°Ten months. But that was not slow in the least. You are just too fast. Not disregarding the fact that it may depend upon the individual, I suppose it is¡­ because you¡¯re a noble¡­¡±

    Indeed. I was from a small noble house that ruled over a small land.

    However, not high nobles like the ones that came up in stories. There were not any great accomplishments made by any member of the family tree either.

    Just that, it was richer than the average house. I am grateful to them for having prolonged my life after I was afflicted with an incurable illness. However, I do not think I ever felt like I had any special qualities just because I had a bit of noble blood in me.

    My razor sharp teeth dig into the night wolf¡¯s meat clinging to its bone as I glared at the Lord.

    ¡°¡­ No matter if it¡¯s a noble or a commoner. Everyone¡¯s just a corpse once they¡¯re dead.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Indeed. Oh, well. Considering your growth so far, you should be able to evolve into a ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯ very soon. I can think about the reason behind it all at a later¡­ time.¡±

    The Lord almost sounded like he was speaking to himself.

    All I managed to obtain as a result of my desperate effort at rebellion, was very little new information.

    And the most important fact of all, is that the Lord is not someone who I can win against as I am now.

    My hands are tied, now that I have been forbidden from ever attacking him or doing anything that could put him in harm¡¯s way. Even if not for that, it would be impossible to snuff out a 120 lives before I receive an absolute order. I was able to take two of his lives since I took him by surprise, but even if he had not stopped me, I doubt I would have been able to kill him.

    The Lord has his magic. And I have no way to counter it. I had thought that I did not need to take it into account if I caught him off guard. But I had underestimated magicians too much. The only reason I was not killed then, was probably because the Lord did not consider me as much of a threat.

    ¡®Dark Stalker.¡¯

    Dark Stalker is the next stage of evolution from a ¡®ghoul¡¯. According to the books, not many of those exist in the world. Although that does not mean I could match the Lord¡¯s strength even if I evolve into one.

    ¡°¡­ Will I be able to win against the Death Knights if I become a ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Well, of course not. Don¡¯t think too much. Although it¡¯s a rather annoying fact, the Death Knights specialize in hunting down creatures that lurk in the darkness. Even the third grade knights can be formidable foes in a head-on battle. Among the ¡®Living Dead¡¯ the only ones that could win against them¡­ are the abominable ¡®Vampires¡¯. Even with all their power, the Death Knights have a hard time obliterating them.¡±

    The Lord speaks of one of the most famous undead, a stage that lies pretty far ahead in my path of evolution.

    I thought I had become quite strong after evolving into a ghoul and becoming capable of defeating the monsters in the woods. However, as it turns out, I was a little too arrogant.

    The Death Knights are only humans. Unlike me, they cannot get substantially stronger by killing the living.

    I wonder how they managed to get that powerful even though they are just humans. The Lord, necromancers in general, seem to be more powerful than described in stories, which would mean, the Death Knights must also be strong enough to oppose them.

    It is a concept beyond my understanding as all I had was a body that could do nothing but await death.

    And, that is precisely the reason why I absolutely cannot let myself be killed by them.

    I would rather kill¡­ than be killed. Even if they were my aspiration in my past life, they are my enemies if they try to kill me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The woods are under surveillance. And they¡­ are your enemies at present. You may have the makings of a King, but you are weak right now. Our interests are aligned. I won¡¯t let us be taken out that easily.¡±

    Saying so, the Lord snorted and there were underlying dark emotions in his tone.

    I expressed disapproval inwardly, finished my meal and jumped up to go in search of new prey.

    ???

    The Lord is my enemy. My greatest enemy. Because of his absolute authority over me, he is more trouble than the Death Knights, who I could simply deal with by running away.

    As usual, I was returned to the cellar and was ordered to ¡®stay put¡¯. The only thing I was allowed, was what had led Roux to accuse me, the very same books that I had already read over and over.

    I imagine I would have done the same had I been in the Lord¡¯s position. Absolute authority is certainly powerful but it is not without its loopholes.

    At the very least, I am sure it¡¯s only detrimental to the Lord to have one of his subordinates who resents him to gain more knowledge. Especially since the Lord¡¯s library is filled with grimoires (which I cannot read), it certainly poses too much of a risk to give an undead with intellect access to them.

    Although it makes perfect sense to me if I think about it, the current circumstances still angered me.

    Compared to the degree of freedom I had before, which included slipping out at night to hunt, my movements were too restricted now. I feel like I have been deprived of air.

    Well¡­ naturally it is still far better than getting killed.

    In the morgue lined with corpses that were off-limits to me, I was left alone to my thoughts and maybe a bit of exercise.

    The only thing that is fortunate about this whole situation is the Lord¡¯s assumption that my intellect is a result of my evolution into a ghoul.

    The worst thing is not the Lord forbidding me from defying him, but the fact that he is simply too strong.

    Too strong. I wonder how you could snuff out the existence of someone who has a hundred and twenty lives.

    Given the number of lives, accidental death is out of the picture. Death from natural causes¡­ is not something I could expect either.

    Above all else, I have no idea what the Lord¡¯s motives are.

    Why, despite my defiance, does he still take me out to hunt every night, which will only help me evolve? Why despite trying to make me stronger does he not give me the necessary ¡®knowledge¡¯ pertaining to that strength?

    And, what in the world, is the King of the Undead? What is he trying to accomplish in these woods? I tried to ask him about it but he only evaded my questions.

    Well, he is a necromancer. I am sure he is up to no good. I daresay, the joy on his face when he looks at me, is not what a father shows to his son, but because his experiment had succeeded.

    Does he want to make me stronger in order to have a strong pawn under his control? I, who rebelled against him?

    That does not make sense. The Lord does not place any trust in me.

    I looked at the owl in the corner of the room. It has its shining eyes fixed on me, looking at me mechanically. It was the Lord monitoring me.

    The Death Knights are closing in on us. I have to kill the Lord no matter how. A hundred and twenty¡­ since I snuffed out two of those lives, what remains is a hundred and eighteen lives and the Lord, whom I have to somehow outwit.

    I huddled into the corner of the room and lowered my head. Scratching my head, I opened my eyes wide and racked my brain for a solution.

    However, I did not experience an eureka moment.

    ???

    And thus, three days had passed, as I led a trapped, restrained life. After the usual hunt, the Lord frowned and said,

    ¡°End. You are going to accompany Roux into town as her guard.¡±

    The unexpected words hit me so hard that I forget my caged life for a minute and open my eyes and ears wide.

    The Lord looked at my expression, with furrowed brows, stroking his staff.

    ¡°The town has its dangers¡­ but I can¡¯t possibly go along. I have a device that will help you conceal your dark aura. It should be alright if you stay careful. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine considering you succeeded in deceiving even me.¡±

    And, that is where I will end up seeing heroes.

    The archenemy of the necromancers and undead alike. They, who are proud of the overwhelming advantage they possess over darkness, and who are purported to be the strongest warriors ever since time immemorial.

 Chapter 13: The Death Knights

    It has been quite a while since I have been outside.

    The last few years of my life before were mostly spent in bed. So it must be around five or six years since I have been into town.

    The sunlight pouring down from the sky pricked my skin. The hunt happened almost always at night, so it¡¯s been a while since I have been outside during the day.

    However, that does not mean I am out of commission in daytime.

    The class of undead that is the most susceptible to sunlight is the vampires, who turn to dust at mere exposure. However, that is not because their negative power is suppressed by the positive energy of the sunlight. But more due to the nature of the curse. The restriction imposed on their movements during the day is what allows them to manifest tremendous power during the night.

    With the undead curse, as a rule of thumb, more the weaknesses, more the strength. In exchange for hunger and a mild sense of pain, a ghoul is given many skills in return.

    And according to the Lord, one of the lowest classes of undead, the ghouls, are not affected by sunlight.

    One of the curse¡¯s effects, which is restriction from sunlight, does not apply to fleshmen before they evolve. However, the negative energy they possess is too low that the meagre positive energy from the sunlight is too much for them to bear. So, overall, ghouls are the most suitable to be active during daylight.

    However, long periods of exposure to direct sunlight does inflict some damage. But equipped with the object from the Lord, a jet black robe that reduces the effect of the sunlight and keeps the damage to the minimum, I can move almost the same as usual.

    Apparently, the next class in the stage of evolution, ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯, are more susceptible to sunlight. So this may be the last time when I am able to walk around freely during the day.

    Roux, who was asked to run errands along with me, walked ahead in silence.

    The only exposed part of her skin was as pale as mine, and with bony arms and legs, she looked closer to death than me. Dark circles clung to her face, her hair was unkempt and she had barely cleaned up.

    She had on much cleaner clothes than usual, but that was only because they were clothes prepared by the Lord so as to not arouse any suspicions among the public when he had to send her into town.

    In the end, the Lord¡¯s attitude towards Roux had not changed in the least, even though she had put her life on the line to expose me.

    She escaped her fate of being turned into an undead, but that was all. I am not aware of Roux¡¯s personal circumstances nor am I curious about them. However, it is evident that the Lord does not value her in the least.

    Although I do not find myself curious, I do pity her a little. Probably only slightly more than the Lord, but she reminds me of when I spent my days trapped and bedridden.

    If I do succeed in killing the Lord, I may not mind setting her free.

    We had been assigned with the task of picking up some goods that the Lord had requested from Huck at the nearby town of Engey.

    Trailing after Roux, I easily make it out of the woods and into the town. We were attacked by monsters on the way, but I had already reached the level of making it past the woods while protecting one other person. Since it raised the probability of suspicion, I was not allowed to carry my machete with me, but my claws were all the weapons I needed.

    The town of Engey, was about an hour¡¯s walk from the woods.

    I had conjectured that it could not be too secluded, since Huck brought corpses through the woods from time to time. But the town was a lot closer than I had originally thought. The woods spread for miles around the mansion, so it¡¯s rather difficult to look for it without the knowledge of its exact location. However, the worst-case scenario would be, pointed in the general direction, anyone could probably arrive at the mansion if they keep to a straight path. It made it all the more sense why Huck decided to stop visiting the mansion upon learning about the imminent call of the archenemy.

    Engey was a reasonably prosperous town. It was not a city, but it cannot be called a village either. The gates were sturdy, the earth had hardened overtime and numerous carriages could be seen going around.

    It was the hustle and bustle that I had once yearned for.

    I entered the town using the identification papers the Lord had prepared for me. Nobody seemed to suspect me of being an undead.

    I may be an undead, but my physical appearance is not all that different from a human. I am on the paler side, but the same could be said for a lot of humans as well. A little display of intellect, which is rare among undead, should blow away any doubts.

    The most feared undead of all are the vampires. The reason being their high intelligence and the fact that they can easily conceal themselves amongst humans.

    I may be a ghoul, but I can speak and I am capable of being active during the day. In terms of concealment, ghouls may be the best amongst the undead even surpassing the vampires who are only able to be active at night.

    I look around at the people excitedly. Taking in all the sounds, colors and smells.

    ¡°Roux. Want to take a look around town?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Lord¡¯s mansion enshrouded in darkness was pretty good, but this was a sight for sore eyes. We were only given a limited amount of money, so it cannot be squandered. But I thought it should not be a problem if we checked out the town.

    As I looked wide eyed at the bright spectacle around me, burning it into my memory, I heard Roux¡¯s curt reply.

    ¡°We were, ordered, by the master, to run, the errands, and, quickly return to the mansion.¡±

    ¡°But we weren¡¯t ordered to quickly run the errands. It should be alright if we get our stories straight.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Your, duty, is to, guard, me.¡±

    ¡± We¡¯ve been living in that darkness the whole time. It shouldn¡¯t hurt to have a little fun.¡±

    I ran after the quick-footed Roux, and gently tried to persuade her.

    Roux has been serving the Lord a whole lot longer than I have. She must be that much more dissatisfied.

    ¡°We are not under surveillance by the Lord. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll find out. We won¡¯t exactly be going against his orders. We were asked to return post haste but weren¡¯t presented with a time limit.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°The restrictions imposed on you are far weaker than mine. There¡¯s no way you can¡¯t do what I can.¡±

    The existence of slaves is not openly discussed in public but it is commonplace. So I am aware of the restrictions imposed on them.

    The collar on a slave¡¯s neck is a magical device. However, unlike the limitless absolute order against the undead, the magic in it is far weaker.

    I dare say, that is probably because, unlike the undead that are the outcome of the curse originally created to manipulate them, humans were not born to be enslaved.

    The shackles placed on a slave were¡­ pain.

    My body would automatically obey an order, whereas a slave has to pay the penalty for violating an order with pain.

    There is a limit to the number of restrictions that can be imposed. Meaning only three restrictions at the same time.

    Two of those restrictions being, the slaves are forbidden from killing themselves, and any indirect or direct attacks against one¡¯s master is strictly prohibited. Since they are constantly under these two restrictions, there is but one other restriction that can be freely imposed on them.

    The order has to be as precise as possible. If the order is too open for interpretation, the slave might inadvertently violate it and the resulting pain inflicted as a penalty could end up killing them. Or on the other hand, the slave might exploit the loopholes in it.

    There are several ways to bypass a slave¡¯s order. Which is exactly why I followed her.

    I know what she was ordered to do because it happened right in front of me. It was the same as she had just said, ¡®Finish, the errands, and, quickly return.¡¯

    It also includes the possibility of me dying en route due to some reason and her being tortured for hours and killed at the end.

    I was ordered to protect her, and to obey the order within bounds. Meaning, if the situation were to get out of hand, I am to abandon her and return to the mansion by myself.

    There is no limit to the number of restrictions that can be imposed on me. The previous orders of being forbidden from putting the Lord at a disadvantage and being prohibited from running away, are still in effect. But the order given to me and Roux are not in contention in the least.

    Upon hearing my clever idea, the look in Roux¡¯s eyes changed for the first time.

    She looked at me as if I were a monster, with dread and a bit of anger and whispered in a shaky voice.

    ¡°Do-don¡¯t, you, try, to tempt me. You monster. The idea, you proposed will be, reported to the Lord, later¨C¡°

    I guess it was of no use¡­ huh.

    It¡¯s not that surprising. She has been punished before because of me.

    Strictly speaking, it was Roux¡¯s fault for doing something unnecessary, but I doubt she looks at it the same way.

    I laughed seeing her suppress her fear and try to put on a brave face.

    ¡°I won¡¯t fall for that. I¡¯m sure you realize by now. Even if you make that kind of report, the Lord is never going to treat you better. The Lord is already aware of how I¡¯d behave.¡±

    That is the reason the Lord did not send me into town alone.

    Part of the reason may have been about me not knowing the way into town, but that could be easily solved by providing me with a map. The reason he made us go together is because he is aware that Roux and I are not friends.

    I would expect nothing less from the crafty old mage. His ways are cowardly. A pair of purple lips closed shut and Roux¡¯s face stiffened.

    She was not a forbidden existence in this world unlike me. And yet, she seemed to fear everything and believe in nothing.

    But here I am feeling refreshed¡­ out in town after a long time.

    How wonderful it would be if I could buy all kinds of food and take in the sights!

    ¡°Oh right. If you agree with my idea¡­ when the Lord is killed somehow and we¡¯ve been set free, I¡¯ll drop you in town.¡±

    Upon hearing my perfect proposition, she looked completely blank for a moment but regained her senses soon after.

    Her eyes opened wide, she clenched her bony hands, and her whole body trembled. The voice that came out of her lips were slightly louder than a moment ago.

    ¡°The master¡­ will definitely, not die. He¡¯s invincible. The master, is terrifying. I¡¯ve seen many people, try to take revenge on him. The one to die, will be me or you.¡±

    Her voice felt more like a scream.

    It did not evoke any deep emotions in me. Nor did I feel any sympathy. However, I could feel the despair in her voice.

    Judging from her behavior until now, I had expected this much. But it riled me up witnessing it directly.

    Roux¡¯s spirit was already broken. Or maybe she was capable of being the slave of an evil mage exactly because she was already broken. Regardless of her loose shackles, she lived as she was led.

    Perhaps, the reason she fears the Lord is because even death cannot save her from him.

    I think it¡¯s impossible to persuade Roux. I thought maybe I could gain a powerful ally if I managed to bring her to my side, but she seems too weak to be of any help.

    I have to think of so many ways to persuade her, just to borrow a little bit of her help,

    ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s¡­ pretty scary.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At my tepid words, Roux slightly hung her head and trudged along as if she was a puppet on strings.

    I sighed, and decided to accompany her as the Lord had ordered.

    ? ? ?

    Gills: Just making you guys aware The Undead King of the Palace of Darkness has a Patreon to help support the translation. Now some people have gotten confused on the Patreon¡¯s purpose it is to help support translation of the novel or novels not to sell chapters to you, by supporting you get benefits ergo reading ahead but they are not tied to the value, anyways thanks for your continued support, enjoy coming chapters. ????

 Chapter 13.5, The Death Knights

    We picked up what had been requested and made our way towards the exit of the town.

    Huck was very surprised when he saw me with Roux but he didn¡¯t say anything.

    He has a generally favourable impression since despite his shady business, he has a principle of not prying into his clients¡¯ affairs.

    The object that the Lord had requested was wrapped in a thick cloth, so I could not tell what it actually was.

    Except that it was about a meter long, with a narrow tip and wide bottom. The shape was too peculiar for it to be a weapon and it was rather heavy for Roux to carry.

    However, it must be quite something for the Lord to take the risk of sending me into town.

    Huck only spoke of relevant details so I have no clue what it actually is . It could perhaps even be the Lord¡¯s secret weapon.

    In the end, I could not look around town.

    But if I manage to survive, I am sure there will be more chances in the future.

    Very reluctantly, I followed after Roux.

    ¡ª-And thus, I encountered the living sun.

    It was near the exit that it happened.

    Just a glimpse made me lose consciousness for a moment. I could feel the strength leaving my body and my arm losing grip on the object I held on to.

    I felt dizzy, like what happens when you stand up too fast, which makes me lose balance. I frantically force myself to regain composure. Roux shoots a puzzled look over her shoulder.

    Standing there were a number of Death Knights. Clad in shiny, pure white armour, all armed with different kinds of weapons.

    At a glance, they look like ordinary knights. However, what sets them apart from other humans¡­ is the amount of positive energy they possess.

    I, as an undead, am capable of sensing the positive energy in humans, who are food to me.

    They far surpassed any human I have encountered thus far in that regard. Although they were still a good hundred metres away, they were too dazzling to look at directly.

    It¡¯s not that they were actually radiant. No other humans directed their gaze in that direction.

    However, I understood now. Despair was too feeble a word.

    If I had to compare, they were the light, the moon, the sun¡­ a marvel.

    My limbs began to quiver, and even though it should already be a thing of the past, I found myself fighting for breath.

    If I were to get any nearer, I am sure someone weak as me would be blown away to bits. My brain, my instincts were desperately signalling me to run.

    Although I do want to escape, my legs simply would not move.

    I will vanish if I get closer. Even if I do not, I will be killed the second they lay eyes on me. The curse on my body screamed as such.

    That is¡­ the archenemy of the undead. The Heroes. The Warriors. The Apostles of Light. The ones who bring death to necromancers.

    ¡­ The Death Knights.

    I always wondered why they were all that fearful to the Lord who possessed a hundred and twenty lives.

    Although not as vehemently as Roux, I had not doubted the Lord¡¯s victory.

    However, now that I have seen them in person, now I understand from the bottom of my soul, why the Lord considered them the archenemy.

    I had known they were heroes. And I had admired them dearly. But I had not truly comprehended their existence.

    That¡­ cannot be won against. Simply too impossible, as I am now.

    How is a ghoul whose only talent is to devour corpses supposed to defeat beings that shine far brighter than the very sun?

    ¡°¡­ What is it? Pick up the package, quickly.¡±

    ¡°Aa, ahh¡­¡±

    Roux¡¯s voice brings me back to my senses. I burn their image into my mind as I slowly lean over to pick up the fallen package.

    Nevertheless, we have to defeat them. If they do attack, even if I have to devour the light in order to survive, then naturally, I should do it in order to prevail.

    Although the Lord referred to them as his archenemy, he did not flee from them. Since there¡¯s no way that the cunning necromancer knows nothing about his enemies, he must have the means to defeat them.

    I try with all my might to ignore the light that eats at my body even at this distance.

    It¡¯s alright, I will not be discovered. I am still quite far away from them and I also have the amulet from Lord, which was prepared in the event that I should encounter them.

    An amulet with a black crystal. The amulet stops the negative energy within me from leaking out, thereby preventing the Death Knights from sensing it.

    I clasped tightly the amulet inside my pocket, and headed towards the gate, gradually picking up my pace, while at the same time, gathering as much information as I could.

    Maybe it¡¯s because I already endured its impact once, I could somehow push my body to move despite the heavy pressure.

    There were six of them. They were of different genders and ages.

    Three very large, knightly looking men and a blonde woman. The weapons I could see were a mace, a staff, a sword and a shield, a bow. All of the knights radiated more light than the average man.

    I have heard that the Death Knights are classified into three ranks.

    It¡¯s likely that they are knights of the third rank. Ahh, indeed. The Lord was right. I do not think I can defeat them.

    However, still, they paled in comparison to the other two.

    There was a girl with a silver blonde bob and a beautiful silver treasured sword on her hip. She looked younger than the other four, but the light around her was far more radiant than the other three. It¡¯s only my intuition, but I would wager she was two or three times stronger than the other four.

    She did not look human in any way. Her appearance outclassed anyone I had ever seen before, she was on a completely different level. If we were to face off, I am sure I would be killed before I could even make a move.

    She was¡­ the moon. Uncanny, strong, and yet enveloped in a soft light. An apostle of the moon.

    And the most troubling thing was, the whole reason I judged the first four to be of third rank and could not help but conclude that the silver blonde girl belonged to the second rank was because incredibly enough, there was someone even stronger in their midst.

    Their soul, their body, their very being, and just about everything was blindingly radiant.

    The other five put together would still not be able to hold a candle against that radiance.

    It was someone as old as the Lord. But unlike the Lord, his back did not stoop and he had an incomparable physique. His white hair was swept back, wrinkles etched on his face, but his eyes shone with warmth.

    That man¡­ was the sun. An apostle of the sun, who could reduce my whole existence to dust through mere proximity.

    A glimpse made me realize the disparity between us, he was an invincible hero. I could not win against him even if I trained diligently for a hundred years. That was the impression I got from his overwhelmingly, imposing presence.

    If he was not a knight of the first rank, then who else could be?

    Any beings of the darkness would flee upon witnessing his figure. I wonder how many gods bestowed their blessings on this man.

    Oh what fate is this! For there existed a man like me, who was struck by a strange illness, met with a painful death, chained to his bed. While there existed an old man with such incredible positive energy.

    Oh how unfair¡­ is this world.

    After the initial shock had subsided, what was imprinted on my mind, was not fear. But anger. And envy.

    My purpose is survival. Survival and freedom. As long as I manage to secure both, I have no intention of clashing with the Death Knights.

    However, putting that aside for now, he cannot be permitted to live . Even if I do not wish to fight with them, I cannot possibly yield either.

    I could not stop myself from feeling indignation at the thought that a blessed existence such as himself was actually coming after a pitiful existence such as myself.

    I keep my face impassive and quell my heart.

    No. I have to endure it. I cannot win against that. At the very least, ¡­ not as yet.

    Enduring, to bear patiently was my forte. It is the privilege of the weak, the only forte of someone who has managed to endure everything fate threw at him up until now.

    I override anger with reason. I keep my legs moving, and trail after Roux who shoots an enquiring, puzzled look at me.

    Nevertheless, how in the world does the Lord intend to deal with the Death Knights? Is there even a chance of victory?

    The Lord has countless other subordinates other than me, but they are simply too insignificant in front of them.

    The Skeleton Knights are certainly strong but I doubt they can win against the third rank Death Knights. The disparity in strength is simply too much.

    Shit¡­ I don¡¯t know anymore.

    The Lord is certainly strong. However, the Death Knights are also simply too strong.

    Undoubtedly, it¡¯s the ultimate battle¡­ the battle between light and darkness. I do not know how the Lord intends to use me in this battle, but if I clash against them¡­ I will die. I would be wasting my precious second chance at life.

    As if I had gone back to being human, my head started throbbing. I felt very nauseous, my knees wobbled and my vision got blurry.

    It was no good. I could not get my head together.

    I need to get away. Now¡­ somehow¡­ I need to¡­ retreat¨C.

    Somehow we manage to get into the line of people waiting to leave town. When I was about to heave a sigh of relief thinking all that was left was to follow them out, I suddenly heard someone call out to me from behind.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­ you don¡¯t seem to be very well. Are you alright? Sir?¡±

    ¡°¡­!!¡±

    The cool voice makes my breath catch in my throat. I force my body to not tremble and slowly turn around.

    Standing near, with their gazes fixed on me, were the second rank female knight enveloped in moonlight and the other four third rank knights.

 Chapter 14: A Chance Encounter

    Beautiful hair made of fine silver strands. Deep purple eyes like the amethyst.

    She was, not yet twenty¡­ but I suppose in her late teens. Her skin was pale, but not sickly like Roux¡¯s. Her refined features gave her an intelligent air. She had the kind of beauty that would have had me bewitched if not for the current circumstances.

    She was shorter than me and looked very dainty, but the energy I felt radiating from her was more overwhelming than it felt a short while ago at a distance.

    Maybe even Roux who cannot sense positive energy in people found her impressive, for she was rendered speechless.

    As for me, who could see her sublime beauty with nary a shred of darkness from up close, wondered if I really had no right to live in this world if such a beauty deemed me worthy of death.

    Even so, I shall never consider the option of¡­ resigning myself to my fate.

    Luckily enough, my body was able to withstand the energy.

    No. Maybe I had deluded myself into thinking that I would be incinerated if I ever got any closer. The energy radiated may not possess any destructive powers at all for all I know. Come to think of it, even in the stories I read before, there was never any depiction of an undead being annihilated through mere proximity.

    Nevertheless, I could not stop myself from shaking.

    I cannot possibly run away, leaving Roux behind. My physical abilities may have surpassed a human¡¯s, but the opponents are no ordinary humans.

    ¡°You¡¯re still shaking, and you don¡¯t look¡­¡±

    It is all your fault.

    ¡°Good grief! You really are a curious one Senri.¡±

    The words seemed considerate, but the tone and his gaze were as cold as ice.

    A knight with brown hair carrying a mace approached her from behind sounding exasperated. He frowned as he observed my face.

    I am supposed to be perfectly prepared for such an event. According to the Lord, the Death Knights are capable of sensing negative energy and detecting the location of an undead from far away.

    As long as I have this amulet, even if they suspect anything, they should not be able to confirm those suspicions.

    I steeled my resolve. If fight and flight are both out of the picture, then I have no choice but to deceive them somehow.

    Roux was as quiet as a mouse. The man akin to the sun did not come any closer but watched over the girl named Senri from afar, with a gentle expression on his face.

    Although the cold gaze is concerning, as long as they do not abruptly attack me, I think it is safe to assume that I have not been found out for now.

    Eventually, they directed their attention towards the collar on Roux¡¯s neck. Nevertheless, slaves are not all that uncommon.

    ¡°Sorry. It may seem like she¡¯s angry, but our princess is just being her ¡®normal self¡¯. Nevertheless, she does have a promising future, you know?¡±

    Normal self? That is?

    Her sharp eyes looked as if they completely saw through me. And still you call that her¡­ normal self?

    Upon hearing her companion¡¯s words, the girl who looked perfectly capable of destroying someone with her aura alone, closed her eyes as if in disapproval.

    ¡°At any rate, Senri¡¯s concerns are not completely unfounded. You know, I hate to say it, I can see the shadow of death on you. You look deathly pale.¡±

    ¡°Lufry! Watch your mouth! You¡¯re being rude!¡±

    The blonde female knight from behind, smacked him on his head and turned her attention toward me. I may have escaped from the worst possible outcome, but the situation is still precarious.

    The sunlight felt too strong. As naturally as possible, I sink further into the hood of my robe.

    ¡°¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m alright. Thank you, very much. I¡¯m fine. Still recuperating from an illness, that¡¯s all. I was still confined to bed up until a few days ago¡­ and only just barely managed to go out on a walk.¡±

    ¡°Confined¡­ how about now¡­ are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The line moved forward, and I moved along with it. However, the grim reapers after my life, also cluelessly follow behind me.

    Just what in the world do they want? Have they already realized that I am an undead and are just waiting for the chance to kill me?

    I am glad that I am an undead. Had I been alive, I would be sweating bullets right now.

    The apostle of the moon said softly.

    ¡°I can relate. I¡­ was also very ill once.¡±

    ¡°!¡­ Oh, really¡­¡±

    I gave a faint smile which she reciprocated with a short awkward smile.

    Two things made an impact on me. The first, was the fact that this girl who possessed miraculous power was also once sick.

    And, the fact that she tried to understand me when she barely knew me.

    I may have thrown something at her if she had said that to me before.

    The reason I was able to smile at those words is because I have a sound body now. And my definition of a sound body probably does not match theirs¡¯.

    However, strange as it was, her words made me regain my composure a little. I raised my head and took a look at each one of the Death Knights.

    It invoked a score of emotions in me. Astonishment, joy, admiration. One another thing that surprised me very much were the Death Knights themselves.

    The knights were all radiant. But at the same time, incredibly enough, they were all¡­ simply human.

    In the stories I have read before, they were a few knights who filled people with intense dread. But the knights here all looked very much human.

    They all looked at me with concern on their faces. Simply because I looked pale, even when no one else around noticed anything.

    Although compassion is a quality befitting of the apostles of light, they were different from the image I had had of them.

    Had they been as I had imagined¡­ I would be dead by now. Well, if that man like the sun had gotten any closer, he may have seen through my disguise.

    I am sure the amulet would not work on him as his presence made me believe so.

    Senri¡¯s eyes widened as if she had just realized something.

    ¡°Oh right!¡­ If I cast a recovery spell¡­ you should be able regain a bit of your strength.¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s alright. I really am fine now¡­ thank you very much. Senri-san, if you don¡¯t mind, please cast it on Roux. Roux is exhausted from looking after me.

    I was able to smile from the bottom of my heart at that moment.

    Normal recovery magic has no effect on the undead. Recovery magic that heals using the positive energy of the caster can even be toxic to the undead.

    Senri, the compassionate girl, nodded her head in assent, walked towards Roux, who had grown stiff from anxiousness, and held out her hand.

    The abundant power that enveloped her undulated and was released with a short incantation. The surplus energy that felt like it could reduce me to dust at a mere touch was poured into Roux. Roux¡¯s complexion which was as sickly pale as mine, regained its color in the blink of an eye.

    Alas¡­ she is strong. A little too strong. Moreover, even though she had just used magic strong enough to annihilate me, her aura had not weakened in the slightest.

    Unlike the undead, there is a limit to the amount of positive energy that the Death Knights can wield. It simply shows the difference in our capabilities.

    I remained impassive even though lethal magic was used in close proximity.

    She was an archenemy of the darkness, and yet a friend of the weak. Completely in contradiction to her inhumanly strong power, her heart was just so humane. It was a weakness that could be exploited. At the very least, she did not seem as mentally strong as the cunning Lord.

    It goes without saying that I cannot fight her head on. That would be sheer foolishness. Senri, the apostle of the sun and the others cannot be matched in strength.

    I need¡­ to come up with a plan.

    Not a plan to kill them, but a plan for me to survive.

    I bowed, keeping my inner turmoil concealed. Several pairs of the heroes¡¯ eyes were directed towards me.

    ¡°Thank you, very much. Well then if you¡¯ll excuse me. I¡¯m in a hurry¡­¡±

    The moment I gave a Roux a push, intending to get a move on, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

    I felt like my dead, still heart had been stopped. I have no pulse, or heartbeat, nor do I breathe. And as a matter of fact, my body temperature is far lower than humans.

    It was just a stroke of luck that my face did not betray my emotions. The one who had stopped me, was the blue-haired man who had quietly stood behind Senri the whole time.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry for stopping you. Actually, we are trying to find a Necromancer in the vicinity on our master¡¯s orders. A dark mage who trifles with death and souls.¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­ that sounds rather terrible¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Me aside, Senri is considered a never-before-seen talent. A mere necromancer could be killed in an instant upon discovery. But we haven¡¯t really been able to find many clues. The miserable bastard is reputed to be good at hiding his whereabouts.¡±

    It really had me astonished that the mocking tone came from a Death Knight. But, in a sense, he looked a lot more dangerous than Senri.

    The man scrutinizes my appearance and says,

    ¡°Le me be frank. You look a whole lot like an undead. Although I can¡¯t sense any darkness¡­ vampires are weak to sunlight. Let¡¯s see you take off your hood. Even if you don¡¯t wish to.¡±

    ¡°Neville?!¡±

    Senri¡¯s tone was reproachful but Neville¡¯s expression did not change.

    I see¡­ Senri may be stronger but that does not mean the others are weak. They are almost as strong as her. The master, in all probability, must be the apostle of the sun who was looking at us from afar.

    I smiled a little, slowly raised my arm and pulled down my hood without hesitation.

    The sunlight fell on my eyes, and it was simply too bright that I had to squint. My skin was exposed to sunlight, the weakness of the undead, and I could feel a slight sting.

    ¡°Will this do? Maybe it¡¯s because I was indoors for a long time, the sunlight is a bit too bright¡­¡±

    Maybe he had not expected this outcome for his eyes opened wide and after surveying me for a few minutes, he frowned and clicked his tongue ostentatiously.

    ¡°Tch. So, I was wrong. Yeah, that¡¯ll do. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Neville!¡­ I¡¯m very sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. He¡¯s only doing his job.¡±

    I smiled as I shook my head and receded further into my hood. But my heart was not as calm as my face.

    I have no pulse, or heartbeat nor do I breathe. I have a low body temperature too. There were more factors that could have exposed me other than my tolerance to sunlight.

    The reason they picked sunlight, was because it is the ultimate weakness of the undead. The kind of undead that are intelligent, powerful and capable of concealing themselves amongst people, are generally weak to sunlight. Since they are professionals on the topic of undead, they did not think of ascertaining my identity based on the other factors.

    ¡­ Er, come to think of it, do vampires have a pulse or a heartbeat?

    If I remember correctly, vampires can be killed by a wooden stake to the heart. Well, those monsters exist by slurping up blood. It would not be too strange for them to have blood circulate within their bodies.

    Once I return, I should go over the reference books again.

    I resolved to do so and bid farewell to Senri and the others with a smile.

    ¡°Well then, thank you very much. Until we meet again¡­¡±

    I pray¡­ we never will.

    This encounter was a coincidence. That was my impression for some reason.

    If we were to meet again, there is no doubt that it would be in battle.

    I will survive. Even if that means I have to become a monster.

    I do not intend to cross swords with them, but I have to sweep away any sparks that come flying my way.

    Even if they are not sparks but the raging fires of hell.

    ? ? ?

    ¡°What did you say?! You came across the Death Knights?!

    There was a drastic change in the Lord¡¯s expression upon hearing my report of what had passed.

    Unlike the Death Knights, you could sense the intense darkness behind the Lord¡¯s warped evil face.

    I told him everything that had taken place. After all, Roux would report back to him, so it made no difference if he heard it from me.

    Their headcount and the weapons they carried. The energy that they radiated. The only thing I did not tell him was the sense of ¡®sweetness¡¯ I felt emanate from them.

    And when I spoke about the man enveloped in energy as radiant like the sun, the Lord went ballistic.

    With anger and resentment burning in his yes, he banged his fists on the table. His actions matched the image I had of necromancers.

    ¡°A knight of the first rank, you say? Well, I never! Right when I¡¯m so close to achieving my lifelong wish, who would¡¯ve thought a first rank knight would come to such a remote place¡­? Just how much do they need to interfere with my business before they are satisfied?¡±

    ¡°Can we win?¡±

    ¡°Ob.vi.ous.ly!!¡±

    The Lord screamed out, gasping for air. The words swelled with confidence and exaltation peculiar to those who have faced formidable opponents before.

    He was¡­ not lying. At the very least, he is convinced as much. He has the basis to be making such claims.

    ¡°However¡­ if I¡¯d had a little more time, I would¡¯ve been able to wipe them out with even more power. So¡­ this is going to be the final ordeal?! No, maybe there¡¯s still time. It is a little frustrating, but there¡¯s not a moment to waste when we are going to be facing a first rank knight¡¯s disciples and the man himself.¡±

    The Lord removed the cloth over the package I had brought back.

    It was a smooth, curved pole. Black in color with a glossy texture. It had a wide base that got thinner towards the tip¡ª.

    And, that is when it finally dawned on me. I trembled in spite of myself.

    The Lord looked at me shaking and grinned wide.

    It was¡­ a fang. The tooth of a preposterously enormous creature.

    If a single tooth of this creature was the size of my arm, I wonder how much larger its body is. At the very least a whole lot larger than any of the monsters in these woods.

    ¡°However, there¡¯s still not enough resentment. We need another fang. I¡¯ve made arrangements with Huck for that, but¡­ End. You, did you just report that you sensed a tremendous amount of power from the Death Knights?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ Enough to blow me to smithereens in an instant. Or turn anything to dust at the slightest touch. It was that kind of power.¡±

    It felt pathetic to admit it, but they are all in a different league. No matter how I imagine, and even if I am not aware of the full extent of their powers, I am certain of it.

    Although I am still not clear on how much more power I can obtain through evolution, I doubt I could defeat them after just one or two stages.

    Nevertheless, the Lord laughed out loud in response to my statement.

    ¡°Kek kek kek. Muahahaha. And that, is exactly what makes you the perfect candidate to become the King of the Undead! Rest assured, End. The power you sensed shows the depth of your abyss!! Undead are nothing but¡­ the deep shadows cast by light. And you sensed all that when you¡¯re merely a ghoul! The perfect vessel indeed! We should still have a little more time left until they get here. End, brace yourself for what¡¯s to come!!¡±

    His eyes shined with madness and ecstasy.

    His behavior is all the more terrifying considering the Dead Knights are almost upon us.

    I do not need more power. I did not ask to have a deep abyss.

    All over again, I realize just how dangerous the Lord is.

    I do not know what he¡¯s trying to pull off, but the man before me is a veritable monster. He may have veered in a direction opposite to that of the apostle of the sun, but by no means was he weaker¡­ a true demon.

    I cannot help but get caught up in this battle between monsters.

    There is not a moment to waste. Ahh, the Lord was right. There really is no time to lose.

    ¡°I shall make you the King of the Undead! And I¡¯ll have the heads of the God¡¯s vanguard who don¡¯t know their place.¡±

    So, the Lord screamed. Roux shrank in fear. As if to wait for the impending disaster to pass.

    However, the more the Lord screamed the calmer my mind grew.

    I felt no fear. The need to survive was more overwhelming than any other emotion.

    King of the Undead? Who in hell wants that? I am an undead who knows his boundaries. Just leave me alone with the rest of the undead.

    I do have¡­ a plan. I came up with it on the way back. My trump card.

    The risk is too high, but I have no other choice. However, I will need help.

    I shall make a deal with Roux. I know what to say in order to persuade her. I know how the weak think. I am pretty sure it will turn out well.

    Be it the Death Knights or the Necromancer, anyone¡­ who threatens my peace can all drop dead.

 Chapter 15: The Bargain

    The courtyard of the Lord¡¯s mansion. The moon shone peacefully in the night sky.

    I spin around and use the centrifugal force to swing my machete. The Skeleton Knight who is on alert, poised for defense, uses inhuman strength to ward off the blow, by retreating a few steps back and cleverly maneuvering the sword it held in both hands.

    I could sense the weight of training and experience that went behind that single move.

    The quality of a Skeleton largely depends on the principal abilities of the skeleton used in its creation. Because one¡¯s experience is ingrained into the body.

    If an accomplished soldier¡¯s skeleton is used, then a Skeleton with adequate combat abilities can be created. On the other hand, if a skeleton with no combat experience, in other words, a civilian¡¯s skeleton is used, there will be a huge difference between the two even though they are both the same class of undead. And this may be a cock-and-bull story, but the undead created from the remains of an ancient mythical hero is purported to have slaughtered even a dragon.

    Skeleton and fleshman are both one of the lowest classes of the undead.

    The undead can be created from four types of sources.

    Namely, a Skeleton that is born from the skeleton of a living being. A Fleshman that is born from the corpse. A Wraith that is born from the soul. A Zombie that is born from the decomposed remains, as a result of necromancy.

    Each has their own traits, but there are no distinctive differences between them. I, who evolved into a ghoul from a fleshman, am better than the Skeleton (it is clad in armor and using a knight¡¯s sword, but it is a skeleton underneath all that), in terms of ability.

    Even so, in this one-on-one fight, the reason all my attacks are parried, can only be explained by a difference in experience.

    A Skeleton clad in armor. The gaping, empty, eye sockets glowed red, the mark that showed that it was brought back to life by necromancy.

    The opponent is a bag of bones, whilst I have a visceral body. I am stronger and faster. But the opponent is lighter on its feet and neither of us tire.

    With every parried attack, I am more and more convinced.

    This will not do. At this rate, I will never stand a chance against the Death Knights.

    In an actual fight between the two of us, I think I would emerge the victor. If my attacks got through, it would only take a single hit to level the Skeleton, not to mention my strong regeneration powers. However, since that is a feat of strength, it will never work against a stronger opponent.

    The Death Knights are not simple mercenaries. They are¡­ heroes. I have no doubt they possess skills and experience far removed from the Lord¡¯s Skeleton Knights.

    The Lord, who had granted my request and prepared a skilled henchman for me to train with, yelled out as he observed the situation.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, End. Use that head of yours. Your intelligence is your forte. Let all that resentment, emotions and the negative impulses burst forth. The abyss in you is bottomless and is the essence of an undead!¡±

    That is not what I desired.

    Indeed, an outburst of negative impulses might help me get stronger, but that is not my objective.

    Fighting them must be my last resort. If I lose my calm, and get my priorities mixed up, I may not even be able to escape here.

    The Lord seems to have recognized some talent in me, but I do not trust him enough to mindlessly believe him.

    However, I do require a certain degree of strength. If I survive this ordeal and manage to escape from the Lord, I am sure there will be countless other battles awaiting me.

    The reason I was more eager to cross swords with the Skeleton Knight rather than go out hunting to accumulate negative energy is because I had my future in mind. I needed to learn where I stood and experience the skills of a veteran fighter.

    So that in my admiration for power, I do not rush headlong into battle in the future.

    Since I had roughly understood the difference in ability, I did not hold back on my strength as I swung machete downward.

    I felt a dull pain in my arm, but the force of the attack broke the Skeleton Knight¡¯s sword and sent it flying, armor and all.

    Even so the Lord¡¯s Skeleton Knight was formidable. It immediately swung on its heels and took up a defensive stance. However, the victor had already been decided.

    I only need to close the distance to destroy it. There was no point in fighting any further.

    I lowered the machete. I do not know what kind of metal this black blade was made of, for there was not a single nick in the blade even after it smashed a sword to pieces.

    Just like the shadow amulet and the sun-shield cloak I am equipped with when I step out of the mansion, this blade might be imbued with magic as well.

    ¡°Did that satisfy you , End?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Thanks. I got the general picture.¡±

    I gave a brief reply to the Lord¡¯s inquiry.

    Yes. I came to a realization. I realized that it was¡­ impossible for me to learn the way of the sword. I do not know if it was because I fought all my battles thus far like a monster, fully relying on my strength or if it was maybe because of my lack of talent.

    At the very least, it is not something I can learn in a day. And even if I did manage to learn, I do not have the time to apply those skills in a real battle.

    I should¡­ give up for now. It is better to use the other options at my disposal.

    ¡°Then, go hunting. Although there isn¡¯t much time, you need all the power you can get. Hunting should help you more than learning to fight. If you become a ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯, you¡¯ll be much stronger than you are now. That¡¯s the kind of beings the undead are.¡±

    His words made sense.

    The main reason the undead are feared is because they can evolve and rapidly grow stronger through accumulation of death energy .

    The Lord looked puzzled for a moment upon seeing me nodding my head meekly, and then yelled out quickly.

    He gave short instructions to Roux, who had rushed in flustered.

    ¡°Roux! Provide the Skeleton a spare weapon from the armory. I need to make preparations for the upcoming battle¡­ End, finish your hunt and return to the mansion before dawn. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re not at your strongest under the sun.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Got it. I have no intention to court death.¡±

    The Lord snorted in response to my short reply and retreated inside the mansion. Roux scurried over to the Skeleton that had lost its weapon. Her complexion that had temporarily gotten all better due to Senri¡¯s magic, had already reverted to the way it always had been.

    It was an opportunity. There would not be another chance when the generally unused courtyard will be free of the Lord¡¯s familiars. Most of them are guarding the perimeter against intruders.

    Even so, I kept in mind that we could be watched, and moving as naturally as possible, I approached Roux and spoke in a low tone.

    ¡°Roux, I need a favor.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I want to make a deal with you. There¡¯s something I want no matter what. It¡¯s nothing big and you won¡¯t need to go against the orders you¡¯ve been given either.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I refuse.¡±

    A hopeless answer. The Skeleton had its eyes on Roux but that class of undead is incapable of speech.

    I am already under surveillance with a familiar following my every movement but Roux was never watched.

    She is a slave and a true weakling. She simply indifferently carried out just the Lord¡¯s orders. In other words, a living undead.

    And, sadly enough, the Lord was right in his estimate of her.

    For even when she came face-to-face with the Death Knights, who are the Lord¡¯s enemies, she still did not seek for help. Even if she had been afraid of the bolt of pain that would shoot through her body upon violation of orders, the Death Knights would have been capable of taking care of that somehow.

    Roux is weak. As things stand, she may not live for long and I am sure she is aware of that herself.

    I stooped over and looked into her tired, jet black eyes and smiled.

    ¡°I will repeat my proposition from the other day. If you listen to my favor, I will safely drop you off in town, after the Lord dies. If you want, I could even stick around until you get settled.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Master, will, never, die. That, is a, meaningless supposition.¡±

    She did not seem surprised unlike the other day. Her body, her voice were not shaking. Although, her eyes held the same conviction from before.

    I am afraid, even if Roux had not been punished because of me, she would have answered in a similar manner. That is the kind of world she lived in.

    Well, let me give modesty a try.

    ¡°Then, consider that I¡¯ll owe you one. If anything happens, I¡¯ll help you out¡­ So, please.¡±

    ¡°No. I have, no right to have you, owe me anything. And I bet, you¡¯d never pay back what you owe anyway.¡±

    Said Roux softly and frowned.

    Indeed so. If I had to choose between my debt of gratitude and my life, then without doubt I would choose the latter.

    Well, even if not for that,¡­ Roux never intended to heed my request from the beginning.

    As planned, I changed the course of attack.

    ¡°Then, why are you still standing there listening to me?¡±

    ¡°¡­ What?¡±

    Roux¡¯s eyes opened wide and she showed agitation for the first time today.

    The terribly human response of hers had me surprised but I continued to fervently persuade her.

    ¡°If you really want for nothing, there¡¯s no need for you to listen to me. All you had to do, was close your ears and get out of here.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s absurd, drivel. I shan¡¯t, listen to it anymore.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I know why. I am the same as you. A weakling. I know what you want and what you wished for. If you bring me what I want, I can give it to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ?¡±

    I had had it when I was alive, but Roux, a pitiful slave of the Lord¡¯s did not possess it.

    Roux looked at me puzzled. However, her face looked even paler than usual.

    Perhaps, she did not realize her own heart¡¯s desires.

    I did not wish to extend such a proposal. But I did not wish to leave my life hanging in the balance.

    She had her head inclined and I brought my lips close to her ear and whispered persuasions.

    She listened, realized the meaning behind my words, and her expression changed. It was an extreme transformation.

    She looked like she could fly into a rage, on the verge of tears, and laugh out loud at the same time. It was a mixture of emotions.

    ¡°Wh¡­ why¡­ ahh¡­ why, that¡¯s absurd, why¡­¡±

    ¡°I will¡­ keep my promise¡±

    Roux gulped and her body trembled. However, any further resistance was pointless.

    A trickle of tears fell from her eyes and down her lashes. Roux had finally realized. What she had wished for so desperately that she would shed tears for it.

    ¡°How¡­ terrifying¡­ The Master, Horus Carmon, has brought forth, such a horrifying monster!¡­¡±

    The parched lips of hers cursed me. However, she could not reject me anymore.

    Even if she had to go through a little pain, I am sure she would see my request fulfilled.

    I looked around to make sure there was no one, feeling a small sense of hatred towards myself, I informed Roux of what I needed.

 Chapter 16: The Arrangements

    The town of Engey. In the room of a certain inn, all the Death Knights were gathered.

    The Death Knights are people put together for the sole purpose of fighting darkness. They may be referred to as Knights, but they are not affiliated to any country. They travel around the world annihilating enemies that threaten the peace of mankind.

    Their numbers may be low but they are known to be the most elite. They are divided into three classes based on ability. A member of the lowest class is more skilled than a top grade mercenary of the same rank.

    A normal human would find themselves over their head if they were to face a vanguard of darkness. The Death Knights are man¡¯s last line of defense against darkness, and it was for this reason they were often depicted as heroes in fairy tales.

    The centre of the room. An old man sat down heavily on a comfortable armchair.

    Deep wrinkles adorned his face, his hair all white, but his body that had been trained and tempered over the years showed no signs of weakness. If one looked closely, the enormous power possessed by the man, would make one feel peaceful as if they were in a dream.

    In reality, that old man was one of the few first class knights, and the leader of the group of knights who had arrived at Engey on the mission.

    He boasted ultimate authority within the order and is the cornerstone of light, who has defended humanity against many a disaster through the years.

    Ep¨¦e the ¡®Destroyer¡¯.

    The old Knight who was revered for his countless military exploits and his calm demeanor, looked on his disciples with his usual calm eyes.

    ¡°So¡­ he still hasn¡¯t been found. Horus Carmon.¡±

    ¡°Well he¡¯s a second class necromancer alright. There¡¯s no mistake that he¡¯s in the woods¡­ His ¡®Mislead & Dispel¡¯ skill seems powerful. I can¡¯t find any weaknesses in it.¡±

    ¡°It would take too long to launch a frontal attack. This just sucks.¡±

    In response to the Master¡¯s words, one of the disciples ¨C Lufry, the bright leader of the group, shrugged and the boorish Nevira clicked his tongue.

    A skilled mage is capable of practising magic outside his area of expertise. In particular, mages who break the taboo have a tendency to excel at magic that helps them cover their tracks.

    The Death Knights are by no means strangers to magic, but naturally they fall short of a mage who is skilled enough to break taboo.

    ¡®Mislead & Dispel¡¯, bewitches a person when they enter a particular range, and makes them lose their way naturally. It is a type of bewitching spell and top grade barrier magic.

    It makes it too difficult to launch a frontal attack. However, it has a weakness, wherein it is rendered ineffective if one were to be guided by someone who is privy to the location.

    Ep¨¦e frowned in response to his disciples¡¯ report and said quietly.

    ¡°Horus is a dangerous individual. He¡¯s managed to slip through our hands too many times. He needs to be put down before he becomes a first class necromancer.¡±

    Similar to how the Death Knights are divided into three classes, the archenemies of the Death Knights, namely the necromancers are also divided into three classes.

    Horus Carmon is categorized as a second class necromancer, and classified as first class is a type of demon that has transcended humanity. A second class necromancer could be said to be an extremely dangerous practitioner.

    Naturally, the Death Knights will not face defeat, but depending on how things pan out, the possibility of losing a few third class knights was very real.

    However, Ep¨¦e gave a big warm smile that could clear the heavy atmosphere. One could catch a glimpse of absolute confidence behind that smile.

    The first class knights who were few in number had other duties on top of subjugation of evil.

    And that was to pass down their strength and experience to the next generation.

    He directed his attention towards the youngest girl in the room who was yet to speak a word.

    ¡°Senri, You¡¯ll be in charge as planned. Work with the knights and destroy Horus . You can do it, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, Master.¡±

    A second class practitioner is rather powerful. Naturally not as powerful as the first class, but still one does not come across them too often.

    Senri¡¯s voice was composed as she accepted the mission. Those purple eyes, with nary a trace of impurity, looked back at Ep¨¦e.

    Ep¨¦e nodded satisfied upon seeing the expression on her face.

    ¡° You don¡¯t need to worry, Senri. You are still young, yet your strength is exceedingly close to that of a first class knight¡¯s. In particular, your blessing is one of the most powerful in history.¡±

    Virtuous soul. The Sword Princess of Light. The one who was blessed by the God of Creation at birth. Senri Silvis.¡±

    She is an outstanding talent even amongst the Death Knights which is an ensemble of the best of the best.

    Especially because of her blessing which grants her ability to dispel darkness. The necromancers refer to it as positive energy, and hers is the strongest ever among Ep¨¦e¡¯s disciples.

    The Death Knights are put through a strict training of the mind and body to increase the strength of their blessing. However, Senri already had a tremendous amount of blessing when she was recruited by Ep¨¦e. And the power of light has only grown stronger over the years.

    Undoubtedly, a being that came into existence for the sole purpose of being a Death Knight. With enough experience, she is certain to surpass Ep¨¦e.

    Such a huge disparity in talent would not even evoke envy.

    ¡°The opponent is one of the strongest in the second class, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to defeat him with the help of your fellow knights. I intend to use the achievements from this mission¡­ to recommend the promotion of Senri to first class.¡±

    ¡°?! But¡­ I¡¯m still¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that you¡¯re not yet strong enough. There¡¯s no point comparing yourself to me who¡¯s been a first class knight for thirty years. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll catch up in no time. You have an innate talent for the sword and need I talk about the strength of your blessing? The only thing I¡¯m worried about is¡­ listen carefully, it¡¯s your naivety, Senri. Because necromancers¡­ are crafty.¡±

    Senri listened earnestly and nodded in response. The others also listened to their respected master earnestly.

    Senri looked at him straight-on, and declared in a calm and composed voice.

    ¡° Not to worry. I¡¯ve seen a lot of disasters they¡¯ve caused. Necromancers are wrongdoers against humanity. The blessing placed on me, exists for the sole purpose of putting them to death and for the salvation of the poor souls who were defiled by them.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Your kindness, your righteousness, is your strength and at the same time your weakness. But fear not, for it¡¯s a path everyone traverses in their lives. Without facing troubles and hardships, one could never become a knight of the first class.¡±

    ¡°Please count on us, Master. It¡¯s true that Senri has a naive side to her, but she¡¯s got us with her. Although her blessing is stronger than any of us, we have more experience fighting against darkness. We have each other¡¯s backs.¡±

    The Master looked at them with fatherly affection and Lufry who was beside Senri stepped up and bumped a fist to his chest.

    They displayed all kinds of emotions as nodded vigorously.

    Ep¨¦e nodded satisfied and crossed his long legs and stared at Senri.

    ¡°Even necromancers can¡¯t live without assistance. Strong magic needs a good catalyst. I¡¯m certain Horus¡¯ aide lives in this town. Proceed with your investigation. That is your job, Senri. I shall provide advice upon request, but I don¡¯t plan to get involved directly.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    ¡°That said, don¡¯t forget you¡¯re not a first class knight yet. You have me backing you up. It should take time to accumulate enough energy in order to become a first class necromancer. On the off chance that he has already advanced to first class, you¡¯re to report to me.¡±

    Senri kept Master¡¯s words in mind and left with a few assigned knights in order to continue with the investigation.

    ? ? ?

    At the base, Nevira was engaged in conversation with Senri who was checking the equipment.

    He is a long haired man who had the position of vanguard and looked up to Ep¨¦e, whose main weapon was also a mace.

    ¡°Senri, you should blow up the barrier along with the forest really. I¡¯m sure you can do it with blessing as strong as yours. ¡®Mislead & Dispel¡¯ is certainly powerful but sensitive at the same time . You mess with its order a little and it can be easily destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Like I said before¡­ that will be our last resort. If we wreak havoc in the woods, the monsters that flee could hurt the people in town.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly why the Master calls you naive. Sure, there will be casualties, but letting a second class necromancer run loose is probably much worse .¡±

    Nevira ground his teeth as he looked at Senri.

    They never got along, but Senri thought that he had a point.

    The duty of the Death Knights is the annihilation of darkness, and everything else came second place. At times, in the process of subjugation, several innocent people have been caught in the crossfire.

    The Death Knights have long since held their own brand of justice.

    The necromancer Horus Carmon who manipulates the dead is a formidable opponent. A dark mage who trifles with the soul and even death, would resort to using any dirty methods. Hence, once needs the resolve to fight against it.

    Senri was aware of why she was deemed naive by her Master. However, Senri had joined the Death Knights in order to protect the weak.

    Senri had been very sick before. The blessing that was too strong, the increasing positive energy had placed a burden on her body.

    However, owing to physical growth and training her mind along with her body, she is perfectly capable of utilizing the power. Senri now had the strength to fight back.

    ¡°I am the leader of this mission. We will proceed with the investigation. As long as we are in the town of Engey, the necromancer won¡¯t be able to make any big moves. We don¡¯t need to be hasty.¡±

    The Death Knights have an overwhelming advantage over necromancers. There is no doubt that they would win if they clashed head-on.

    Nevira scratched his head and spoke with a harsh tone.

    ¡°¡­ Tch. Forget it. You are the leader this time. But¡­ set a time limit at the very least. Sure we may be able to find someone who knows the location of their base, but we can¡¯t afford to waste too much time searching. Horus Carmon is not the only necromancer in the world. You understand?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I know. We will settle this in under a month.¡±

    ¡°A month is too long. The longer it takes, the more power they accumulate. The barrier around woods will be fortified as well. You may be able to escape this unscathed, but Horus is a powerful mage. Your fellow knights will die.¡±

    His tone was almost threatening. Senri held her silence for a while after which she raised her head determined.

    ¡°¡­ One week. If we don¡¯t find a lead by then, I¡¯ll destroy the woods. Preparations for it will be made alongside the investigation. The arrangements for the clean-up after the destruction, determining where the destruction should take place¨C¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Nevira¡¯s mouth twisted into an almost callous smile as he looked at Senri¡¯s determined eyes, he clapped her hard on her delicate shoulders.

    ? ? ?

    All the preparations were steadily underway. Upon the Lord¡¯s orders, I go into town with Roux.

    The whole town of Engey was enveloped in a tense atmosphere. Unlike during our previous visit, if one listened carefully, one could hear the rumors around town about the Death Knights.

    I fulfill the task assigned to me as I wince at the sundown pouring down on me.

    I reckon the Lord had us run the errand at noon because the Death Knights would be on high alert at dusk when the undead are usually active.

    Huck passed onto us a package very similar to one we were given prior.

    I made to leave the room as soon as we received the package, but was stopped by Huck, who had a message for us to pass on the Lord.

    His usually carefree face looked a little weary.

    ¡°Tell Lord Horus I look forward to the day I can meet him again. Those guys are searching for us. I don¡¯t intend to betray him, but they are good at sniffing out things. It¡¯s too much of a risk to deliver any more ¡®supplies¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Ah, understood.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You really are sentient huh. Also to think you can move around just fine under sunlight¡­ how terrifying. Lord Horus, your Master is undoubtedly¡­ the strongest mage.¡±

    Huck showed a bitter smile and shuddered ostentatiously.

    We left the room after the transaction was completed. Short though it may be, it was a time I had my freedom.

    The final showdown is yet to come. I entered a deserted back alley. Roux who had always reproached me for my wanton behavior, followed me without a word.

    There is very little time when I am not being watched. I am under constant surveillance in the cellar where I am usually placed, and I am not allowed to leave the mansion without express orders.

    The only time I get to be free is when I am on these errands. Now with the Death Knights being watchful, the Lord cannot attach his familiar to me.

    I loomed over Roux who had receded into her shell, and peered into her dark eyes.

    ¡°Did you get what I asked you for?¡±

    ¡°Ye-yeah. B-but, what, use could, something like this¨C¡±

    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t disappoint. Thanks for the help. Really.¡±

    I have no more time. The Lord has been shutting himself up in the laboratory more and more with every passing day.

    I reckon he is preparing to conduct some sort of ritual. The only time he sees me is when he has to order me to hunt.

    The Lord looked thoroughly exhausted but his eyes had an eerie spark in them.

    He is trying to break some new taboo. It may not be my place to speak, considering I am an unforgivable existence myself, but it is rather repulsive.

    I am not a match to the Lord or the Death Knights as is. If they make the first move, the chances of us winning are slim to none.

    Her face displayed fear and doubt, as she pulled out from her pocket what had been asked of her.

    I all but snatched it from her hands, checked it, and smiled for the first time in a while.

    I may have been able to obtain it even if I had requested the Lord. However, that would invite unnecessary suspicion upon myself. I wanted it to be discreet.

    It may be something trivial to Roux, but to me, it is the key to survival.

    Roux did not seem like she was in pain. It is the slaves themselves who decide if they are in violation of their orders.

    Meaning, Roux did not consider her cooperation with me as an indirect attack towards the Lord.

    Roux looked around her restlessly and whispered in a shaking voice.

    ¡° S-so¡­ about the deal¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah! Of course. Well, you¡¯re simply going to have to trust me on that but I will keep my promise.¡±

    Upon hearing the reassuring words coming from someone she had not yet begun to trust, Roux heaved a sigh of relief.

    Her expression softened and she looked a little less tense.

    I am weak but Roux is far weaker. The thought of resistance does not even cross her mind. That is what made her different from me, who had resisted death even in my last moments of my life.

    She really is a hopeless, pitiful person.

    Nevertheless, I do not have the time to dilly dally. I need to make the necessary preparations.

    ¡°Roux, I won¡¯t take long. I have something to do, so wait at the exit.¡±

    ¡°Ah¨C!¡±

    I did not wait to hear her reply as I rushed out of the alley with the object.

    I need to make sure I do not bump into any of the Death Knights.

    The situation was as precarious as being at the verge of death, but now I have a body that can move.

    And I do not wish to wager my life on neither the Lord or the Death Knights.

 Chapter 17: Resolve

    The Lord looked ghastly. His aura was so evil that it felt repulsive even to an undead like me.

    And as a consequence, Roux looked even more fretful than usual.

    She mindlessly assisted the Lord as he yelled out the instructions.

    On the other hand, my duties remained much the same.

    Which did not include more combat training, but as per the Lord¡¯s order, to accumulate as much negative energy as possible.

    The package we had received from Huck the second time was another black fang as I had suspected.

    Having no knowledge on the matter, I had no idea what it was being used for, but I have done everything that I could possibly have done. The rest is up to fate.

    The Necromancer and the Death Knights. The Lord and Senri. Now, who will win this match?

    No matter the outcome, the status quo will change. The tension in the air made me feel discomposed.

    Will I, be able to make it out of this battlefield alive, when the chances of victory are so low?

    Unusually enough, I was summoned by the Lord after I was done with the day¡¯s hunt.

    ¡°End. We are going to conduct the ritual. After going through which you¡¯ll become invincible. Formidable¡­ you¡¯ll become the King of the Dead.¡±

    ¡°What exactly do you mean by¡­ invincible?¡±

    It was a sincere question that had been on my mind.

    What is it exactly? If we conduct this ritual or whatever, will I become stronger than that first class Death Knight who possesses extraordinary, supernatural power? Will I be able to overpower Senri and those other Death Knights? Will I be able to live my life peacefully with my freedom not in the hands of someone else?

    However, the Lord did not answer my question. He looked at me with eyes that glinted with joy.

    It was only natural. He did not seek my understanding. He was practically talking to himself.

    ¡°However, for it to succeed, you need to at least evolve into a ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯. Well, it¡¯s more ideal that way. Certainly, you are the most talented undead I¡¯ve ever come across, but a ghoul¡­ is just too weak. Originally, I was going to wait to do this until you had evolved into a higher rank, a ¡®Lesser Vampire¡¯. But that¡¯s not possible now with the Death Knights closing in on us. It¡¯s fortunate that the last undead I created during such circumstances was you, End.¡±

    ¡®Lesser Vampire.¡¯

    The higher the stage of evolution, the higher the amount of energy needed and the harder to evolve.

    Naturally, I do not need to worry about that now as I have not even evolved into a ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯ yet.

    According to the Lord, there is something abnormal about the rate of my evolution. If I were to assume that the Lord was speaking the truth about how creating the King of the Undead was his lifelong wish, then it shows that his patience knows no bounds.

    Perhaps it was because the Lord had barely slept recently, his voice sounded a little agitated.

    ¡°Your soul¡­ is steadily falling towards darkness. I¡¯m sure you will evolve into a ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯ in time. My barrier can¡¯t be broken that easily. End! Kill! Kill more!! Put everything into accumulating deaths. Devour corpses and defile your soul!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah, of course.¡±

    I did not find his words unsettling, I simply answered indifferently.

    As far as I was concerned, the Lord is totally my enemy. It is well known that nothing good comes out of the rituals conducted by necromancers.

    ¡°Dammit. It¡¯s unfortunate that they will arrive here during¡­ the day. Never let your guard down.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Return to the morgue, End.¡±

    So, he does not forget the order even in this situation.

    A part of me found that admirable, so I obey the order and make to return to the morgue. Roux, who was forced to aid the Lord in the laboratory, looks in my direction, but I do not maintain eye contact for too long and turn away. Our deal was already over and done with.

    I have a trump card up my sleeve. I did use it once, but I am sure the Lord was none the wiser.

    The owl, the Lord¡¯s familiar, stared at me fixedly.

    The Lord seemed to be under the notion that we could make it in time, that we still had a little longer, but he was mistaken.

    There is no more time. The Lord, we have no more time.

    I am already prepared for it. I am sure the opponents are as well. The Lord is the only one who is not perfectly prepared.

    ? ? ?

    Thus, two days later not at the usual hour, the Lord came over accompanied by an army of Skeleton Knights, looking completely livid.

    Well I had more or less predicted the time of their arrival. I was well aware of the situation before hearing about it from the Lord. The Lord spoke brokenly with a voice oozing with naked anger.

    ¡°The Death Knights, those people, are here. They are too early¡­ shit! The barrier must not be working as it should, or did Huck betray me?! Well, I can¡¯t think of any other reason. He is only a trader, after all! He sold me out for money?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Roux was bound by her orders. And she had me as her chaperone during our visits into town. Even the Lord does not seem to have doubted the slave.

    I could see the strong fighting spirit in his eyes that glinted darkly.

    ¡°Lucky for us, the first class knight doesn¡¯t seem to be here. We have no option but to fight them off. There¡¯s no time to even cast a barrier to buy some time. We haven¡¯t completed the ritual either. They¡­ are already upon us. Very well, those hypocrites who stand between me and my lifelong wish! Although the ¡®The King of the Dead¡¯ ritual is not yet complete, let us show them the mysteries behind necromancy.¡±

 Chapter 18: The Strategy

    Lufry, the third class knight, squinted at the dense, overgrown woods.

    ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t a trap¡­¡±

    ¡°I was certain it¡¯d be an ambush.¡±

    ¡°The barrier is down. It simply means we have someone helping us.¡±

    Remarked Senri indifferently and folded the letter she held in her hands, which she then carefully placed in her pocket.

    The letter was an invitation. An invitation to Lord Horus¡¯ stronghold from an unknown sender.

    It is only natural that Lufry found it suspicious. However, any residual suspicions were cleared the moment we got here.

    ¡®Mislead & Dispel¡¯ is a formidable magic equation.

    It does not respond to physical attacks and there is no equal to its defensive ability. As long as it was in effect, even if Senri marched into the woods with a thousand people, or even if the place of aim was just a hundred meters away, they would not be able to reach it.

    There was only one way to get through the barrier.

    And that is to follow the lead of someone who knew the way. In the presence of a guide, the barrier loses its effect. It was its only weakness and at the same time the reason behind its strength.

    The trick does not work unless at least one of the guides is outside of the barrier.

    However, the person is an ally of the necromancer. They had to have known that they would be pursued as well.

    They must be somewhere around the barrier, but it is next to impossible to find a single person in a short span of time.

    I had thought that there was no other way but to destroy the barrier along with the woods. Senri had asked Neville for a week, not only to search for a guide but also to prepare herself to destroy the woods.

    However, there was no need to unnecessarily increase the number of casualties.

    The letter that had been addressed to Senri was a simple map, but it certainly fulfilled its role as a guide.

    It was clear that the barrier in the woods allowed Senri and the others to pass.

    Which meant that they had an ally in the necromancer¡¯s lair.

    They had a supporter. The simple fact gave Senri the strength to press forward.

    Senri Silvis was calm and relaxed at the face of a battle against a second class necromancer.

    She had¡­ no fear.

    They were all armed to the teeth. The white cloak that reduced the effects of any physical and magical attacks and the light silver armor that protected their vitals. An amulet that shielded them from curses and prevented contamination to their soul. They stood glaring at the woods, carrying well maintained weapons that glinted in the sunlight.

    One of the Death Knights, Thelma, a blonde female knight whose weapon of choice was a bow, quickly pulled out an arrow, and in a flash, sent it flying towards the target.

    The arrowhead made of silver that the undead are susceptible to, found its target in a dark owl that sat atop a tree and pierced its head.

    ¡°Stay on your toes. The opponent commands an army of undead.¡±

    ¡°Hah. Senri, since when did you start worrying about others? We¡¯ll be sure to back you up, so go and freely swing your sword around as usual.¡±

    Senri nodded in response, and as usual, she gathered the power of blessing to use it more efficiently.

    The power surged through her dainty body and she drew the silver holy sword from its sheath.

    Positive energy capable of dispelling darkness bursts forth and the surrounding area is filled with light. The Death Knights begin their charge towards Horus Carmon¡¯s stronghold.

    ? ? ?

    The battle begins. Between Darkness & Light, Life & Death, Positive & Negative energy.

    I suppose it is because I am an undead, I could sense an enormous amount of light energy approaching us from far away even though I was inside the mansion.

    It was nothing like what I felt when I first met them.

    The situation is different now. The Death Knights are coming to kill the Lord and myself.

    However, my body did not tremble in fear. I am resolute. Surely, no matter what I have to sacrifice and how much I have to suffer, I will survive.

    The Lord¡­ was the only problem.

    Even after sensing the tremendous amount of light, there was nary a semblance of fear on the Lord¡¯s face.

    I am not sure if that was because of the madness in him or because even in the face of such overwhelming power, he felt there was still a chance of victory.

    That was my only cause for concern.

    The Lord, who I am magically bound to as a servant¡­ must die.

    As long as he lives, I am not even allowed the luxury of having the freedom to survive by leading a life on the run.

    The Lord threw open the gates of the mansion and raised the short staff he held and exclaimed.

    ¡°¡­ Aahh, Oh Great Personification of Death, Imprisoned soul, Crawl out of the depths of hell, answering my call for Death, Come forth and lay waste to all things living. ¡®Corpse Parade¡¯.¡±

    Before I realized it, there were countless undead monsters gathered in the spacious courtyard of the mansion.

    There were wolves, bears, monkeys, crows. Amongst which were monsters I had hunted that the Lord had transformed into undead.

    Roux, who followed after, looked at the scene and her eyes almost popped out of her head and she looked breathless.

    She was trembling but her eyes were fixed upon the Flesh Wild in the courtyard.

    The trees rustled eerily. Although it was still daylight, it somehow felt as if the night had come.

    The body of one of the night wolves in waiting creaked audibly, and its already brawny body expanded even further. Its fangs grew double in size and its eyes shone blood red.

    The transformation lasted a few minutes. I stepped back in spite of myself.

    The Lord waved his staff as if he was conducting a symphony and the monsters howled as if in concert.

    An army of the dead. The term popped into my mind.

    I had wondered about how the Lord intended to fight against the Death Knights with the current undead under his command.

    The answer was¡­ enhancement. A necromancer can not only resurrect corpses but also enhance their attributes!

    The resurrected undead looked completely different now.

    Bigger, stronger, more ferocious and looked more cursed. The power I sensed emanating from them was no match to how they were a moment ago.

    Maybe their bodies had been imbued with too much power, blood and flesh chipped off them, and scattered around leaving a smell of rot in the air. Under the pouring light, dark monsters bared their fangs with intense bloodlust as if they were ready to devour the sun itself.

    There was no cue. The beasts storm towards the woods in unison. They easily jump over the fence and vanish into the dark, dense woods.

    Leaving behind the Skeleton Knights enhanced by the Lord and the same old me.

    ¡°That should serve to buy us some time. It takes time to prepare the trap.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be enhanced?¡±

    Tremendous power. As long as it does not make me lose my mind, I would like to be enhanced by all means. The Lord turned a cold eye toward me.

    ¡°¡­ Those are expendables. Too much power destroys the flesh. I can¡¯t have the vessel of the King of the Undead be destroyed.¡±

    I see. Turns out it was not all that easy as it seemed.

    Well, if it was that easy then I am certain that the Lord would have done it a long time ago.

    However, there are still a lot of things to learn from him.

    Necromancers are an unlawful existence. Although it is meaningless to think about the future given the current situation, it is going to be extremely hard to gather detailed information about necromancers from anyone else other than the Lord.

    It¡­ really is a shame.

    ¡°They underestimate me. Kekeke. I¡¯ll show them. I have all the necessary ingredients. I¡¯m grateful to Huck. Ahh, if we succeed in driving these people away and I meet with him again, I¡¯ll turn him into a magnificent undead!!!¡±

    The Lord screamed. The still, grotesquely transformed Skeleton Knights all waited upon the Lord¡¯s orders.

    By ingredients, I suppose he means the giant fang from Huck. I did not manage to find out what it belonged to, but considering the confidence it has instilled in the Lord, it must be from some great monster.

    I do not want to get involved any further.

    I called out to the Lord who was getting excited all by himself.

    ¡°Lord! I need those items before battle. I wish to borrow the dark amulet, the sunscreen cloak and the machete.

    ¡°¡­ Hm¡­ mmm¡­¡±

    ¡°No one else is going to use it anyway right? I need¡­ it in order to fight.¡±

    It was a gamble.

    I needed the shadow amulet in particular. It is capable of fooling even the Death Knights. I dare say it is rather valuable.

    It is something absolutely necessary in order to lead a peaceful life on the run.

    The Lord looked suspicious just for a moment, but soon clicked his tongue and replied.

    ¡°¡­ Very well. It¡¯s in the desk drawer in the laboratory. End, return to my side once you get it. That is an order. I¡¯ll be in the hall.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I got it. Thanks.¡±

    I smiled, conveyed my gratitude and took off towards the laboratory alone.

    ? ? ?

    It has been a little under a year since I got this new life. I dashed through the familiar mansion at full speed.

    I suppose all the undead were summoned by the Lord. I could not find a single one of the Skeleton Knights that usually patrolled the mansion.

    The laboratory was not locked. I had never entered it alone before.

    I need to hurry. Time is of the essence.

    It was chaos inside the Lord¡¯s laboratory. Unknown potions, books, spare tables and strange skeletons. If I had been able to sneak in alone before, there were many things I would have liked to have taken a closer look at. However, now I ignore everything else and retrieve the intended objects from the Lord¡¯s desk.

    The shadow amulet and the black cloak. Lastly, the familiar machete. I stopped short after taking it in my hand.

    The cloak protected me from the sun, the shadow amulet concealed my negative energy, and the machete¡­ what about it?

    I was not allowed to carry the machete during my visits into town.

    It easily cuts through bone and no matter how many times it is wielded, the blade is never damaged in the least, it is clear that it is no ordinary machete.

    By any chance, ¡­could it be cursed?

    I have used it several times before, so I am sure it has had no bad effects on my body. However, the Death Knights are capable of sensing negative energy.

    I hesitated but for a moment.

    I did not intend to fight in the first place, so I do not need a weapon. I shall not be greedy.

    I still have an ace up my sleeve. Depending on when it is used, the results could be outstanding.

    I have long since been trying to estimate the right time to reveal it. The reason I did not reveal my cards when the Lord was first attacked was because I was fortunate enough to not need to use it just then.

    The ace up my sleeve.

    Which is¡­ my name from my previous life.

    It is imperative that necromancers name their human undead.

    They use the name to bind the human, and form a contract with the spirit. That being the reason why the Lord gave me, someone who was supposed to be a blank slate, the name ¡®End¡¯.

    However, I remember my name from before.

    Amongst the orders I received from the Lord, there were ones I was and was not forced to obey.

    I came to realize that a few days after I was resurrected.

    In my previous life, I was addressed by a different name for well over a decade and I, who can vividly recall the memories from back then, I am not ¡®End¡¯.

    Ever since the epiphany, I have intentionally obeyed every single order from the Lord.

    Even though I am not bound by name, I am still an undead who was brought to life by the Lord. If he were to give me an order that did not include the name ¡®End¡¯ in it, then I might easily end up spilling my true name.

    I have been hiding my identity, waiting for the perfect opportunity to betray the Lord some day.

    And, that time has come.

    I was the one who wrote the letter to Senri.

    Using the pen and paper I bartered off Roux. It was¡­ a gamble.

    There was the possibility that negotiations with Roux would fail, or that she might have a change of heart halfway through. Since I cannot exactly personally deliver the letter to Senri, there was the possibility that the letter might not even reach her. And even if it did reach her, she might not make a move.

    However, my gamble came through. The letter did reach Senri and she did lead her fellow knights to woods in order to kill the Lord.

    There was not enough time for the Lord to complete his ritual for the birth of the King of the undead.

    I had made two miscalculations. First, I did not consider that Senri would not bring the first class knight with her and second, not thinking that the Lord had a lot more aces up his sleeve.

    The battle is not yet over. I gambled everything on Senri.

    If Senri were to lose here, I imagine I would be shackled to the Lord once again, never to be set free.

    However, all I can do now is pray.

    I donned on the protective cloak and put on the shadow amulet.

    I took a habitual deep breath in, and started off in the direction exactly opposite to that of the hall I was asked to return to.

 Chapter 19: Darkness and Light Part 1

    A bear undead made huge by magic, rushes in, with its massive, hairy arm raised for attack and is met with and slayed by a holy sword.

    The army of the undead was overwhelming like an avalanche. I assume they are the pitiful husks of the monsters that once lived in the forest.

    Each and every one of the monsters had been strengthened beyond their limits.

    The limb that had poised to sink its claws into the enemy had been sliced off, and blood mixed with saliva splatters everywhere from the sliced open jaw. The sight of it single-mindedly attacking even as its body crumbled away, certainly made it look like a demon that had been brought back from the depths of hell.

    Senri was aware.

    That it was the power of the abominable necromancer that was making it all happen.

    Nevertheless, all of this is still not capable of stopping the Death Knights.

    The light energy, the power of blessing that Senri and the others wielded is capable of keeping darkness at bay.

    The sword when imbued with light is capable of cutting through darkness and in armor becomes a retardant of death. When activated it increases one¡¯s physical attributes. Thereby enabling the Death Knights wield extraordinary power in order to oppose the followers of darkness.

    ¡°Anyone catch sight of the necromancer?!¡±

    ¡°No! Shit! To think he can control such a large number of undead from a distance!¡±

    The Death Knights were out of breath, slaying the incessant onslaught of flesh wild.

    Light and Darkness. Positive and Negative energy. We have the advantage of affinity. Therefore, necromancers close the gap by fighting in large numbers.

    The monsters that have all been strengthened by the necromancer at the cost of the destruction of their souls, only further made it seem like hell.

    So much so that it posed difficulties even to the Death Knights who were accustomed to purifying undead.

    ¡°Senri! Should we take a step back? We can destroy these monsters, given time.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Haha. I figured you¡¯d say that! That¡¯s what makes you a candidate for first class.¡±

    Said the sweaty Lufry and grinned widely at Senri.

    We can still afford to pace ourselves but the consumption of power is extreme. The power of blessing of my fellow knights is being chipped away at an alarming rate.

    The Death Knights possess an enormous amount of power of blessing but that does not mean it is infinite. When exhausted, it takes time to replenish, and when completely drained, they have no other way to protect themselves from the retainers of darkness. Senri was hardly tired but the power that others possessed was only one tenth of hers.

    The undead that are attacking now are all the weak ones. Senri reflected as she cut down the wolves with an easy flick of her sword.

    A second class necromancer is an existence very close to a Lord of Darkness. I hardly think this is going to end with only a mere army of fleshwild.

    The other Death Knights need to conserve their energy. Bringing them back home in one piece at the very least, is also a part of Senri¡¯s responsibility.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them all at once.¡±

    ¡°?! W-wait, Senri! These are still¡ª¡°

    ¡°That¡¯s what Master would do.¡±

    There was no hesitation.

    The weapon was bestowed upon her when she was made a second rank knight. Senri held the sword made of precious holy silver and prayed.

    She thrust the sword into the ground. The power of blessing in her gathered at the tip of the sword and burst forth in a wave.

    It was not made to destroy; hence the pure positive energy became a wave of light that enveloped the whole place.

    ¡°Soul Release!¡±

    There was no explosion. The bear undead that was about to swing its huge arm and the pack of wolves that charged at them with no regard for their fallen brethren, all quietly crumbled to dust.

    The incessant swarm of undead that charged on relentlessly was not even able to make a single sound before disappearing as if they were an illusion.

    Senri watched it all happen silently with a sad look on her face.

    ¡®Soul Release¡¯ was one of the most basic spells of purification. It fills their abyss with widely spread positive energy and helps them rest in peace. It was a power only Death Knights possessed.

    It was almost impossible to defend against it and there was no other way to better deal with a large swarm of lower rank undead.

    Silence is restored. The heavy atmosphere is purged. Neville stops waving around his mace, throws it over his shoulder and starts whistling almost joyfully.

    ¡°To purge that large swarm of undead all at once, as expected of a second class knight.¡±

    ¡°I decide that complete consumption of energy would put us in a bad situation.¡±

    Senri drew her sword out of the ground. She held it in her hand a few times, affirming the condition of her body. Satisfied, she nodded and not an eyebrow was out of place.

    ¡®Soul Release¡¯ is a powerful skill but since it releases a massive quantity of light energy all at once, it consumes a lot more energy than using a weapon imbued with the power of blessing. Therefore, the Death Knights in order to maintain a proper control over the exhaustible power of blessing first learn the skill of imbuing a sword with it.

    Nevertheless, Senri the power of blessing in Senri rivaled that of an authentic first class knight.

    Since she had released a large quantity of power all at once, she felt a little fatigued, but even that would disappear soon.

    She can still press on. She has not even used up one tenth of her power yet.

    The purple pair of eyes was fixed on the woods the whole time. Souls violated by darkness were still in there. They need to be delivered from evil.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s all good. Horus couldn¡¯t have predicted this attack. We will put an end to this before they find their bearings.¡±

    The knights all nodded earnestly.

    ? ? ?

    It was not hard to locate the mansion.

    I forcefully opened the locked gate and entered inside.

    Inside the fence. A strong smell of death lingered in the vast courtyard. However, the presence of undead could only be sensed inside the mansion.

    The flesh wild that attacked us a while ago must have all been on standby here. The image of the dead wolves circling the courtyard came to mind for just a moment which made Senri knit a pair of well-shaped eyebrows.

    Powerful mages have a strong aura due to the enormous power they possess.

    Gloomy magic emanated from the mansion. Its strength no doubt placed him in the top five of most powerful people Senri had fought against so far.

    He is in there. There is no mistaking it. Horus Carmon is inside that mansion.

    He is arrogantly lying in wait for us, despite knowing that his archenemy, the Death Knights are upon him.

    ¡°Hmph. He doesn¡¯t think of escaping despite knowing about our arrival. Even though he¡¯s just a coward, he¡¯s awfully confident for someone who¡¯s going to be turned into a corpse before long.¡±

    Neville smiled, unfettered as usual. However, he looked a little pale.

    He was being overwhelmed by the evil aura.

    ¡°Scared?¡±

    Neville looked a little taken aback at the words uttered accidently but soon regained his composure and clenched his teeth.

    He shook his mace, the head of which was made of holy silver and exclaimed gruffly.

    ¡°¡­ Who do you think you¡¯re talking to? I am a Death Knight, you know? What¡¯s more, I¡¯ve been doing this a whole lot longer than you Senri. I¡¯ve crossed paths with many a necromancer of his level. You just worry about yourself. It¡¯s your job to destroy whatever Horus¡¯ trumps card is.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I got it. Trust me.¡±

    ¡°Sheesh. I know about your personality, but you really don¡¯t respect your seniors enough Senri.¡±

    We will not face any obstacles in the fight if we maintain our pace. As Neville said, the Death Knights who accompanied Senri on the mission were all seasoned fighters who served under Ep¨¦e the ¡®Destroyer¡¯. Even if they find themselves threatened by the necromancer¡¯s power, they would not cower in fear.

    There was no sight of monsters outside the mansion. We must have fought the last of it.

    Horus intends to settle everything inside the mansion.

    The door to the mansion was provokingly ajar.

    I focus and activate the power of blessing to increase my physical abilities.

    The others followed suit and activated their power just enough to remove any look of fatigue.

    The necromancers become stronger by accumulating deaths and in the same way, the beings of light, are protected by light. There was nothing to fear.

    And thus, the Death Knights infiltrated the mansion.

    ? ? ?

    It was truly a long journey. A difficult one. Nevertheless, I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

    It has been twenty years since I was classified as a second rank necromancer.

    The earnest wish of any necromancer¡­ is to create the King of the Undead. And with its birth, Horus Carmon could be officially categorized as one of the world¡¯s strongest beings, a first class necromancer.

    It is not a coincidence that the Death Knights chose now to attack.

    They could subconsciously sense it. The birth of the King of Darkness. And so, they mean to prevent it by any means necessary.

    It was really my good fortune that brought an extraordinary talent such as End into my life.

    Be it the speed of his growth or the size of the vessel, it was the best Horus had seen in his long life as a necromancer.

    End, who had left to get the equipment, had yet to return. Whatever is keeping him¡­?

    However, the Lord, who is his creator, can still sense that he is nearby. Although his smarts are a cause for concern, he is under orders. He should return once he is done.

    What Horus needs to focus on, is driving back the Death Knights.

    If I were to lose End right now, I do not know how many more decades it would take for me to get my hands on such an undead.

    Nevertheless, there is no need to worry. Once, just once, I need to succeed in repelling the knights.

    Originally, I was going to be prudent and wait until he progressed further in the ranks, but considering his quick wittedness and his intelligence, the ritual may succeed even if he is just a ghoul.

    I slit my palm open and use my own blood to draw a magic circle.

    It would cast burden on Horus since he is a human, but the undead that were released were all decimated in such a short interval of time.

    The enemy is stronger than expected even without the first class knight present.

    Horus Carmon decided to use everything under his disposal.

    So, this is the last trial.

    He scowled at the frightened slave who carried out his instructions. Everything was prepared. The slave was no longer necessary.

    ¡°Roux, I¡¯ll have you put to use as well¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­!?¡±

    Roux pales and takes a step back upon catching the look in his eyes.

    Bony limbs and body. Deeply sunken pair of eyes and dishevelled hair. Tattered clothes, a small existence that looked worse than a ¡®Skeleton¡¯ undead.

    And above all else, her eyes no longer held the spark of life. A typical slave.

    Horus smiled at his slave for the first time.

    ¡°Even a weakling¡­ has its use. The source of their power is their very own life, faith and pride. They can be weakened if those are defiled.¡±

    ¡°Wh-what do¡ª¡°

    Roux let out a weak sounding cry.

    Horus raises an eyebrow, but soon regains his composure and issues an order.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember permitting you to question me¡­ oh well. This will be¡­ the last time. Roux. Roux Dorris! Join the Skeleton Knights and attack the Death Knights!¡±

 Chapter 20: Darkness & Light Part II

    They walked through the silent mansion that held no presence of anything living.

    The narrow corridor that was illuminated by the emitted holy light looked very eerie.

    The aura of darkness had gotten a whole lot stronger. The mansion was filled with chokingly dark miasma that could render an unfamiliar person immobile.

    Horus Carmon was up to something. Senri could not decide if it was futile resistance or something he had been preparing for a very long time.

    Nevertheless, the opponent was a crafty necromancer. The evil mage who had managed to survive all these years must certainly possess an ace or two up his sleeve.

    The miasma that cloaked the entire mansion slowly whittled away at the blessing around their bodies.

    It was not strong enough to invade their bodies, but they realized the current situation was no different from being inside the enemy¡¯s belly.

    There was an illusion that the whole world had become enshrouded in darkness. Senri¡¯s senses were no longer functioning as they should.

    She could sense that there were undead nearby and could vaguely sense the direction they were in, but not exactly how far they were. Usually, she would be able to pinpoint their locations, but now, she felt as if she had been blindfolded and her ears plugged.

    Only the five senses could be relied on in such circumstances. They proceeded towards the intense darkness.

    There were several rooms, but they felt empty with no human presence. Horus Carmon was the first priority right now. They reckoned he awaited them in the deepest part of the mansion.

    ¡°Hmph. Master Ep¨¦e was right. This is one troublesome necromancer. By any chance¡­ you think he created at least a vampire?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ think so. It¡¯s unlikely for a cautious necromancer to keep a vampire under their control. A lesser vampire, maybe.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I was kidding. Just kidding. Senri, you¡¯re too serious.¡±

    Neville frowned with an exasperated look on his face.

    ¡°But¡­ if by any chance, we do come across a vampire. It might be better for us to retreat.¡±

    A ¡®Vampire¡¯ is a special kind of undead. Although it has a lot of weaknesses, it possesses very different kinds of abilities compared to an undead of lower rank.

    Immense physical strength, super regeneration skills that can restore a vampire to its original state even if a better part of its body is damaged or gone. Intelligence that surpasses humans, however, what places it in a league of its own is its high resistance to magic.

    And thus, a clever necromancer would never personally create a vampire.

    Vampires have a strong resistance to magic which includes necromancy as well.

    There have been instances when a vampire raised by a necromancer has ended up murdering its own creator.

    Since they are superior, they patronize mankind and since they possess weaknesses that mankind do not, they envy them. It is said even absolute ¡®orders¡¯ are not effective on a vampire with abundant death energy.

    That kind of monster is naturally not something mankind is capable of controlling. Vampires are said to be the evilest of necromancers¡¯ curses.

    Hence, the cleverer the necromancer, the more unlikely they are to create a vampire.

    The only ones who create a vampire are foolish third class necromancers who do not realize that vampires are beyond one¡¯s power to control or first class necromancers who are confident of keeping one under control.

    A vampire is a monster capable of slaying a third class knight by itself. If it was to appear during the battle against a necromancer, it is recommended to temporarily retreat and amend the battle plan.

    Nevertheless, there was no need for such a concern now. If he could control a vampire, then he would be more on the offensive.

    Because it is really important to choose the right time to use the undead that is weakest to sunlight.

    Suddenly, Senri¡¯s ears picked up the sound of light footsteps.

    She came to a stop, raised her head, and fixed a bright pair eyes towards the direction of light. It was not her imagination.

    ¡°Wait¡­ we¡¯re coming.¡±

    Similarly, Lufry and the others had also come to a halt.

    They could hear several pairs of footsteps now. Also, the noise of something hard, scraping against metal.

    The sounds gave her an image of the approaching enemy, she gripped her sword.

    They showed up at the other end of the corridor. Lufry quietly clicked his tongue.

    ¡°¡­ Crimson Skeleton Knights huh¡±

    ¡°There are too many.¡±

    Skeletons stained red screeched as they rushed toward us. There were so many that they completely filled the narrow corridor.

    Crimson Skeleton Knight is a special kind of undead that is clad in the blessing of darkness bestowed by the necromancer.

    The reinforced skeletons can resist the power of blessing and are truly dreadful beings that do not stop attacking even as they are purified.

    Nevertheless, the power of light is mighty. ¡®Soul Release¡¯ when unleashed with all of one¡¯s might is capable of piercing through their armor of darkness and purifying them.

    However, we would be playing right into the enemy¡¯s hands as their aim is to exhaust us.

    Neville had his eyes fixed on the rushing Crimson Knights and spoke almost threateningly.

    ¡°Hey, Senri! Don¡¯t do it!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I know.¡±

    The Skeleton Knights were not the enemy¡¯s trump card.

    In order to dispel the troop of undead before them along with the blessing of darkness they were clad in, it would take a lot out of even Senri, who possessed the most power amongst them. If they intend to conserve their energy, they have no other choice but to defeat them one by one.

    Just then, they heard the sound of a door open behind them. They heard the sound of several pairs of feet coming from behind. Thelma remarked astutely.

    ¡°¡­ Ah! We are trapped!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t sense them¡­ was a barrier used to conceal their aura?!¡±

    Innumerable Crimson Skeleton Knights poured out of the rooms they had just passed by. They were clad in metal armor and gauntlets, equipped with a sword and shield.

    They were most likely skeletons of soldiers who excelled in sword fighting. It was evident from their careful and calculated footwork that showed considerable skill.

    Thelma¡¯s arrow that was aimed at the head of a skeleton knight was easily deflected by its sword.

    There are sure to be soldiers of varying degrees of skill but to think that he was able to gather so many skeletons of soldiers¡ª-.

    ¡°Be careful.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to?!¡±

    ¡°Here we go!¡±

    Even if they were clad in armor and were made stronger due to the blessing of darkness, they were still the undead.

    They can be defeated by weapons imbued with the blessing of light. The Death Knights promptly took their positions upon Senri¡¯s word.

    Senri entrusted the rear attack to her comrades and pointed her shining sword at the skeleton knights that charged at her.

    ? ? ?

    The mace broke through armor and hit the body, breaking it into pieces and the blessed arrows found their way through the chinks in the armor and purified the undead.

    The Death Knights were specialized in hunting down the beings of darkness but that does not mean their short range combat skills were weak. They had the upper hand in the battle so far.

    The Crimson Skeleton Knights were powerful and armed but they do not understand the concept of retreat. It was their disadvantage, which was the result of being under the necromancer¡¯s control.

    None of the Death Knights were wounded and more than twenty skeleton knights had already been purged. The armors and swords of the purged skeleton knights were scattered on the floor.

    ¡°Dammit! There are too many! They just keep pouring in!¡±

    ¡°Shut up and get rid of them!¡±

    However, no matter how many they defeated, the enemy numbers did not seem to dwindle.

    The skeleton knights still attacked them with full vigor. They trampled on the armor of their fallen comrades, crushing them under their feet. The Death Knights, even with their strengthened bodies, would not be able to escape unscathed, a direct blow from them.

    The miasma was gradually eating away at the blessing. Fatigue began to show on their faces and small conflicts started popping up.

    They began to wonder if it would be better to retreat and leave the mansion to get a clearer picture of the number of soldier skeletons the necromancer had under his command.

    The opponents, on the other hand, knew not the concept of apprehension.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty! Hey!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Senri, who was going to use ¡®Soul Release¡¯ just then, bit down on her lips upon hearing Lufry.

    She meets the opponent¡¯s sword with her own silver blade and uses all her strength enhanced by blessing to push the blade. The blade pierces the armor and the skeleton turns to dust and crumbles to the ground.

    The situation was gradually growing worse. The power of blessing is not unlimited nor is stamina. The five of us were putting up a good fight, but even if one of us were to fall, it would put us at even more of a disadvantage.

    There was no time to contemplate. Crimson Skeleton Knights are different from the undead we faced in the woods.

    If I were to use ¡®Soul Release¡¯ now to purge all the skeleton knights, how many times more will be able to use it later? Twice? Thrice?

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I still have power left.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lufry and the others held their silence.

    There was no other way. Although it was annoying to meet the enemy¡¯s expectations, it was impossible for a third class knight to defeat this many undead with the power of blessing they possessed.

    The moment Senri had resolved to release the power, something unexpected entered Senri¡¯s line of sight.

    There, trying to slip into the troop of skeleton knights, was a human girl. She had a black collar around her neck, which pointed to the fact that she was a slave. She looked in our direction, her face pale.

    It only took a moment to come to a decision. I gathered all the power I could into the sword and outpoured the holy light.

    ¡°Soul Release!¡±

    Intense sadness washed over me and my hands trembled.

    The abundant power packed into the sword became a blindingly brilliant light and washed over the narrow corridor. The Crimson Skeleton Knights that came in contact with the light were turned to dust in an instant. The blessing of darkness could not protect them from the storm of light that swept over.

    The light dissipated. The corridor echoed with the sounds of armor and other equipment dropping to the floor. I felt my legs give away but I persevered and kept on my feet.

    A pair of purple eyes assessed the situation shrewdly.

    Not one of the shockingly countless Crimson Skeleton Knights from a moment ago remained.

    In the corridor scattered with empty armor, standing alone rooted to the spot, was the girl that Senri had seen right before she blasted the corridor with holy light.

    On her right hand was a small dagger that looked pitifully weak next to the weapons that the Crimson Skeleton Knights had carried.

    ¡®Soul Release¡¯ was an anti-undead skill. No matter how powerful it is, it will not hurt humans.

    Although I was aware of it, I could not help but heave a sigh of relief upon seeing her unharmed.

    Thank goodness¡­

    Her hair was black and she was pale. Maybe it was because she had not had a proper meal in forever that one would not tell her that she looked healthy even out of courtesy.

    Considering we found her among the skeleton knights, she must be Horus Carmon¡¯s slave.

    Moreover, I recognized the girl¡¯s face. I remember noticing her in town just a few days back and using recovery magic on her since she looked unwell.

    She seemed to be in a daze and kept glancing around her. Senri relaxed a little, took deep heavy breaths and collected herself.

    The aura of darkness had yet to disappear. However, it would seem that we had seen the last of Crimson Skeleton Knights.

    Her whole body felt heavy and weary. But not to the extent that would render her unable to fight.

    If I am not mistaken, was her name Roux?

    ¡°You idiot! Senri, how could you, such a huge amount of power at that¡ª!¡±

    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m fi-ne now¡­¡±

    Roux staggered closer, unsteady on her feet. Luckily, she seemed unhurt. I held open my arms intending to catch her.

    The moment I came in contact with the bony arm, the small dagger dangling on her right arm, shot out suddenly.

    The dull, dark grey blade seemed to be aimed at Senri.

    It was too clumsy an attack. It was slow and the hands that held the dagger were trembling.

    It goes without saying that Senri was perfectly capable of handling such an attack even in her current state of complete exhaustion.

    Her mind went blank for a moment, but soon she regained composure. Senri, who had subjugated countless beings of darkness until now, was free to decide whether she wanted to evade or accept such an amateurish attack. Even if she were to directly receive the attack, it was unlikely that her body that was strengthened with the power of blessing would ever sustain any major damage.

    She turned her head and shifted her body away from the trajectory of the dagger. It passes right by her.

    And¡ªright before Senri, Roux went flying into the air.

    Outstretched arms clasped at air. The sound of something soft landing with a thud was heard.

    Roux lay on the floor, eyes wide open. Her chest had been pierced with a single silver arrow. It was Thelma¡¯s.

    Blood and spittle started spilling out of her pale lips. Her arms and legs convulsed lightly.

    Senri blanked out for a split second, but then regained her senses and rushed over to Roux. However, it was evident that the blow had been fatal.

    Her life was fading away. All Senri could do was watch.

    Thelma uttered in a voice mixed with anger and sadness.

    ¡°I understand how you feel¡­ but why would you not strike back when an underling of a necromancer was attacking you? Are you out of your mind?¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­ Thelma¡¯s right. Even if it was just a slave, you don¡¯t know what she¡¯s been trained to do. And I know you are well aware. The story about the Death Knight, who saved a necromancer¡¯s slave only to be devoured later when the slave turned into a monster.¡±

    Lufry words went in one ear and out the other. I understood the words, but could not make sense of them.

    I carried her bony body that had nary any excessive ounce of flesh on it. Her body was too light to be human.

    I am well aware. Necromancers are beings that have strayed from the right path and bring forth calamities.

    Senri, as a Death Knight, had seen many such tragedies unfold. There were too many people that she had not been able to save.

    Neville cast an inhumane look towards the dying Roux.

    ¡°It¡¯s not our job to save people. Our job is to destroy. And to stop calamities from happening.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Death Knights are merciless. Kindness could at times be an obstruction to the Death Knights who fight evil.

    It is likely that even if Ep¨¦e, who was much more of a skilled fighter than her, had been here, things would have played out exactly the same way.

    Roux¡¯s lips that had been firmly shut, open ever so little. All that could be heard were the sounds of her breathing faintly.

    Tears started flowing from her eyes. And, she gave a small smile, closed her lids, and her body went limp.

    Hands trembling, I laid her still warm body on the ground. I bit down on my tongue, controlling my emotions as I unsteadily got to my feet.

    I gripped my sword, hard that my knuckles went white.

    No one went near Senri. A question was directed at her, calmly.

    ¡°Can you fight¡­?¡±

    ¡°After defeating Horus¡­ I¡¯ll bury her.¡±

    Whispered Senri, grit her teeth and looked forward.

    ? ? ?

    The Necromancer awaited the Death Knights in the wide open hall.

    There were no other forces of opposition after the Crimson Skeleton Knights. However, it was evident that that was not the end of it.

    Horus Carmon was an old man. He stood calmly with two Skeleton Knights behind him holding something unknown.

    He was wrinkled, his hair white. However, his glinting eyes were brimming with life. His small body was wrapped in a dark robe and he held a small staff in his right hand.

    Our master Ep¨¦e¡¯s age was unknown due to the enormous amount of positive energy he possessed, but the age of this man was unknown due to very different reasons.

    If one looked deep into those cloudy eyes, it felt as if one was peering into abyssal depths of darkness.

    A strange magic circle was drawn in blood in the carpet laid out on the floor. The Death Knights gulped at the evil aura it emanated.

    ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here¡­ The Death Knights¡­ Truly fearsome you are, considering you were able to uproot my entire base to get here.¡±

    ¡°Horus Carmon! I, Senri Silvis, in the name of Death Knights, shall kill you!

    ¡°Hmph¡­ apparently, Roux was of no use.¡±

    ¡°¡­!!¡±

    He showed no signs of discomposure upon hearing Senri, a Death Knight, his archenemy¡¯s words.

    It is impossible to change his mind. We could tell him about how Roux died and drill him with questions, but that will not work either.

    The man before us, unlike Roux, chose to walk this path himself, he is absolute evil.

    Nobody moved an inch. Not because they were scared. But because they were unsure of Horus Carmon¡¯s trump card would be.

    Horus may appear defenseless at a glance. However, it would be a mistake to come to that conclusion.

    The entire hall was engulfed in hitherto never felt negative aura. Horus Carmon bellowed.

    ¡°Nevertheless, my spell is already complete. You are¡­ in the underworld now. You people, who want to get in between me and my lifelong wish, witness my death power, sear it into your brain before you die!¡±

    The ground and the very air shook. The Skeleton Knights crumbled and black object they had held in their arms fell into the magic circle.

    ¡ª And it suddenly looked clearer.

    Senri could see it. It was a¡­ fang. Two giant fangs.

    Lufry and the others grew pale and fell back a step. They probably realized the nature of the ritual.

    Darkness gathered around the fangs. Arms with sharp talons, gigantic wings that could blot out the sun, fangs that could shatter anything to pieces and glinting eyes began to take shape.

    Horus Carmon laughed shrilly.

    ¡°Kekekek. Look! This is¡­ the secret art of necromancy!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s absurd. With merely two fangs¡ª¡°

    The usually laidback Neville, gripped his mace tight and he was trembling.

    Undoubtedly, it was the peak of any necromancy Senri had witnessed so far.

    Originally, when an undead is created from a corpse, it is necessary that most of the corpse remains intact.

    Either way, Senri had never heard of anyone creating an undead out of just two fangs.

    It was an Evil Black Dragon.

    Wings. Fangs. Talons. Huge tail. Smooth skin all over which made the veins underneath stand out. The missing flesh and blood had been replaced with pure darkness. It was tall enough to not be able to fit into the mansion. Its head had easily torn through the ceiling and sunlight shone upon its dark body.

    The Evil Dragon roared. As if to declare war against the sun.

    Horus Carmon bellowed out orders.

    ¡°Go on, kill! Oh Guardian of Death! Oh Gatekeeper of Hell!¡±

    What an evil necromancer! Just how long did he conduct research on the undead and necromancy?!

    The negative energy that the dark being was made of far surpassed a vampire Senri had once fought.

    It opened its mouth wide and gathered destructive energy.

    It took but a moment. Pure black energy swirled in its mouth which looked like a rift in the atmosphere.

    And it spewed out the flames.

    Black flames formed a beam and engulfed the Death Knights. It was an imitation of the Dragon¡¯s power called ¡®Breath¡¯, and dragons are one of the strongest mythical beasts that ever existed.

    However, Senri remained calm.

    She focused her mind, gazed at impending doom and gathered all her power into her sword. And then she wielded her blade.

    ¡°Photon Delete!¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    The power that emanated from the sword turned into a meteor and engulfed the flames of darkness.

    It kept its pace and completely overpowered the flames, scattered it, pushed forward and blasted away half of the Evil Dragon.

    She felt weak. Her head hurt from exhaustion. She felt like she was going to collapse.

    However, her eyes were very clear and glared at Horus Carmon.

    Photon Delete. It was a skill her master Ep¨¦e had created.

    An enormous amount of blessing is gathered instantly and released. The skill was simple but had the potential to vanquish any and all kinds of beings of darkness.

    It is a skill that takes a lot of power. And thus, a skill that was the most compatible with Senri.

    The exhausted power will soon be replenished.

    That was her body¡¯s nature. Her master Ep¨¦e had called her constitution, the enormous amount of power she possessed, as the soul that would continue to reach new heights.

    The power that the Gods had blessed her with, the power that she had been blessed with in order to become a Death Knight.

    She did not possess enough energy for the return trip but she had enough left to destroy the necromancer.

    Senri had never run out of energy in the midst of battle before.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡­ You still had that kind of power¡ª¡°

    ¡°Sorry but you¡¯re going to have to die.¡±

    ¡°You! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re a first class knight?!¡±

    ¡°I will become one soon.¡±

    She was not trying to avenge Roux. Nor was she venting her emotions.

    It was simply the duty of a Death Knight and Senri Silvis¡¯ destiny that Gods had bestowed upon her.

    The Evil Dragon that had lost half its body regained it with the help of Horus¡¯ power.

    Senri advanced towards it, gathered power into her sword once again, and wielded it much more ruthlessly than ever before.

    It¡¯s twice the usual chapter length and a little bit more. Will skip next week since it was this long.

 Chapter 21: The Weak

    Intense light that could blot out even the sun, shined several times. The dreadful, furious roars of the dragon echoed through the woods.

    The light blew the mansion apart, the dark energy from the dragon poured out of the wreckage and infringed upon the world.

    It was truly a battle of the legends that people would talk about in awe for ages to come.

    I observed the situation from the woods behind the mansion, hidden atop a low-lying tree.

    Necromancers are capable of sensing the location of the undead under their control.

    Albeit not very precisely. The Lord might notice my absence if I got too far, so I could not put too much distance between us.

    That is¡­ until the Lord perishes.

    The Lord had brought a gigantic black dragon into being.

    I reckon those fangs acted as the catalyst. Its body was a personification of darkness itself and stripes that ran all over its body were reminiscent of veins.

    Its tail stretched out like a shadow and easily destroyed the mansion, and the black flames it spewed burned down everything in the vicinity.

    The monster was in a totally different league compared to all the other undead that I have ever seen the Lord control. Its soul was ablaze and its abyss was deep enough to engulf light itself. It was in a class of its own.

    Had I known that the Lord had possessed such a secret weapon, I would have been a little more prudent with my plans.

    Nevertheless, the gigantic black dragon was easily blown away by a fearfully enormous amount of light.

    I would probably die a hundred times over if that light were to even simply graze me. That was the impression I got from the tremendous amount of positive energy that overpowered the breath of darkness, burned down the majority of the gigantic dragon, engulfed the Lord who stood behind it, and yet did not cease its onslaught as it passed through the trees a few metres beside me.

    And the one, who accomplished that, is a petite girl, all by herself.

    Senri. The second class knight stood unwaveringly in front of the dragon that was big enough to swallow the world itself, and wielded her sword.

    The protective layer of positive energy around Senri got thinner with every projection, but returned to its original state as if it was being replenished.

    The Lord is exceptionally powerful, but so is Senri. If a second class knight was as powerful as this, I wonder how much more powerful of a being, a first class knight would be.

    The dragon, the majority of whose body was blown away, regenerated its lost body in an instant. Similarly, the Lord who was supposed to have disappeared in the light, stood in the same place, looking unperturbed.

    The sound of the Lord yelling in anger and the cries of the other Death Knights clashed with each other.

    Who was superior and who was inferior, I could not come to a conclusion.

    I am weak. Unbelievably weakest amongst the people in this place now.

    Be it a blow from the dragon¡¯s tail, or exposure to the holy light, I would probably crumble and reduce to dust. Neither the regeneration skills nor the enhanced physical abilities that I gained upon becoming a ghoul would be of any use.

    Nevertheless, I calmly witnessed the battle. I perfectly understand where I stand.

    This was all I could do. I had made the right decision.

    It was an uphill battle even with it being a sudden one. Had the Lord been given more time to prepare, he may have easily defeated Senri.

    The Death Knights are invincible. That was my belief from what I read of their accomplishments in stories over and over as I lay sick in bed.

    According to my plan, the Death Knights were supposed to defeat the Lord easily. Even though the Lord possessed a hundred twenty lives, the Death Knights must have experienced fighting such necromancers.

    I tugged the overcoat closer and clasped the shadow amulet tightly.

    I had not staked everything on the Lord, but on Senri.

    I decided that it would be easier to escape from the Death Knights rather than the cunning Lord. The Lord, who on top of the right to give out absolute orders, enjoyed several other privileges.

    I believed that, as a ghoul, as someone who can move around even in daylight, as someone who is sentient, as someone who can conceal his presence with the shadow amulet, I would be able to shake off the Death Knights.

    I had gambled everything. If the Lord wins the battle by any chance, he would find it odd that I had not returned right away as per his orders.

    Before he realizes that I can violate his order, I need to trust that his lives are sufficiently depleted and start attacking him.

    The sounds of battle never ceased. The mansion that I had stayed in for almost a year ever since I became an undead was collapsing.

    At the hands of fire, light, sword. It was getting destroyed a little bit more with every attack from the dragon.

    I simply observed the events silently as I reminisced about Roux.

    ? ? ?

    The sun was overhead. And finally, the time had come.

    A voice echoed through the woods where I had concealed myself.

    ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    Senri yelled out for the first time. Another beam of light from the silver sword, reminiscent of the sun, thoroughly burned down the particularly huge Evil Dragon.

    It was a miracle. The voice had soul. It was not possible for Senri to release that much energy given that she had been doing it nonstop for some time. However, Senri had done it.

    Maybe the dragon had tried to protect the Lord, for its wings were spread wide. It was a futile attempt however as it quietly crumbled to dust.

    The light dissipated. The ones left in the mountain of rubble were Senri on her knees and her worn-out comrades.

    And¡ª

    ¡°Impossible!¡­ Why, are you able to¡­ such power¡­! Im-pos-si-ble!¡±

    The Lord groaned with his face stiff. It did not seem like the Evil Dragon was going to revive.

    The Lord¡¯s body started to crumble from his feet.

    I reckon he had exhausted his hundred and twenty lives. His staff dropped from his hand and he stared blankly at his own hand that was disappearing into nothing.

    His face displayed no fear. He did not wail nor did he make a fuss; the Lord did not betray the image I had of a necromancer till the very end.

    Senri breathed heavily as she fixed a pair of astute eyes on the slowly disappearing enemy.

    Her silver hair was stuck to her sweaty forehead. I suppose she had used up all her energy as one would expect, for I could not sense any positive energy from her.

    ¡°This¡­ is the end.¡±

    ¡°Frustrating. If only my lifelong wish had been fulfilled, someone like you¡­ if only the sun wasn¡¯t up¡­ Ahhh¡ª¡°

    And thus, the Lord, unable to even curse the one who had felled him, unable to even properly see the face of the one who had felled him, disappeared surprisingly easily.

    Nothing of him remained as if he had been but an illusion. His robe along with his body crumbled to dust with only his staff left behind as the sole proof of his existence.

    I won. The risk paid off. The Lord was my saviour as well as my archenemy. He was a mighty enemy who I would never have been able to defeat.

    I felt no sense of accomplishment. I bore no grudge against him. Maybe that is why, I felt relieved and yet a little sad at the same time.

    I survived. There is nothing that binds me anymore.

    The Death Knights are all exhausted. However, I do not intend to attack them.

    I wonder if Senri had exhausted herself too much, for she collapsed as if the thread that held her up had snapped. One of her friends supported her and let out an exasperated laugh.

    The presence of friends. I suppose that was the big difference between Senri and the Lord.

    The Lord had many subordinates but not a single friend. In case the lord had had friends, I wonder how the battle would have turned out¡ª.

    No, I will not speak about that. The Lord did his best, stood by his beliefs and lost the battle.

    One of the Death Knights picked up the Lord¡¯s staff and did not hesitate before snapping it into two and burning it with light.

    Supported by her friends, Senri and the others left the site where the mansion once stood. My eyes followed them leaving, not once stirring from my hiding spot.

    All the way, until I could not feel their presence anymore.

    ? ? ?

    I made sure that no one was around before jumping off the tree.

    It felt like my body had grown stiff, since I had stayed still on the tree for a few hours. I stretched as I headed towards what was leftover of the mansion.

    The mansion has been completely destroyed. The roof and the walls had been reduced to debris and I did not feel the presence of any undead or living being.

    Even if the mansion had not been destroyed by any chance, I could not have stayed here forever.

    This is a necromancer¡¯s base.

    The Death Knights have pulled back for now, but once they recover their strength, I believe they will return to finish things up here. The hideout of a necromancer was usually set on fire in the stories.

    Well then, I should think about what I should do from now on.

    I am a ghoul. I know no luxury and any lifestyle is better than how I lived my previous life, so as long I have fresh meat, I believe I can survive.

    I do not intend to attack humans unlike the conventional undead. However, I do need to live my life making sure I do not attract the attention of humans.

    The first thing I need to do is leave the woods right away. The Death Knights are not exactly known for their forgiving nature. If I were to be discovered, I would not be able to escape death.

    Nevertheless, there is something I must do before that. I have a promise to keep.

    Roux¡¯s corpse was buried under the rubble of what was once the corridor.

    She was miraculously in one piece. The holy silver arrow pierced in her heart must have been the cause of death.

    I shall do her the favour of wiping off the blood that spilled out of her mouth. She looked peaceful, as if she was just asleep.

    I wonder if she ever wore such a peaceful expression when she was alive.

    At the very least, all she showed me was her angry or fearful expressions.

    The corpse emitted a very sweet odor that stirred my appetite. Human meat is a delicacy for a ghoul.

    But I do not intend to feast upon her. I have never eaten a human before.

    ¡°I¡­ am a man of my word, however unreliable I may appear. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    I grabbed onto the silver arrow. White smoke arose from my hand, and I felt the twinges of pain that I had seldom experienced after I became an undead. However I forced the arrow out and carried Roux¡¯s corpse in my arms.

    Her body was very light. I am not sure if that was because she no longer possessed what made her human or because I had gotten stronger.

    I doubt her soul is around anymore.

    She was destined to die. She had also predicted as much, and even if she had not died here she may have just as easily died elsewhere.

    She had nothing to live for. However, she had no courage to end her life either.

    She was simply too weak. So, I could understand what she would wish for.

    She shed a tear upon hearing my proposition. She called me a monster for being able to guess her hidden wish.

    I gave her the option. I did propose the idea of setting her free and there may have been a way using which she could have been saved.

    But the Lord had kept her close till the very end, so there was not much that could be done. However, she could have just nodded when I presented her the option of me escorting her into town.

    But she did not possess even that sliver of courage.

    Aah, I, who have once experienced death, yearned for life so much that I came back from the dead, and yet she, who was alive did not possess the willpower to continue living. Oh just how beyond our control are our lives in this world!

    I spoke with the expired Roux, whose expression made me believe that she was peaceful elsewhere.

    ¡°As promised¡ª I shall give you a proper burial. And I shall also pray that you rest in peace. Aren¡¯t you glad it was me you made a deal with?¡±

    ? ? ?

    Regrettably, I did not have the luxury of time to search for an ideal place to bury her.

    The best I could do was choose a spot outside the fence surrounding the mansion. Well, the place of burial was not included in the promise, so I suppose this should do.

    I am certain Roux was aware that I would not be mindful of where I chose to make her grave. I understood the mind of the weak but by no means did I sympathize with her.

    Outside of the fence. At the very least, I shall choose a spot with a lot of sun and start digging there.

    It was fortunate that Roux was not that big.

    I used a plank of wood from the debris; dug a hole with enough room to comfortably fit her and placed her corpse in it. I placed a flower I found nearby in her enclasped hands on her chest.

    Forgive me, but I do not have the time to cremate you.

    Well, the evil necromancer is no more, so I suppose she need not worry about being turned into an undead.

    ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t know the proper rituals¡­ although I have been buried before myself, not that I remember.¡±

    I carefully threw earth over her body as I made my excuses.

    Well, I suppose this is better than being put to work by the necromancer even after death. Her legs, then her body were covered and only her face remained exposed.

    I was at a loss as to how to say my farewells and eventually decided to speak as usual.

    ¡°You are more fortunate than the Lord, Roux. Because you get to be buried. Well, I think the Lord got what he deserved though¡­¡±

    After properly covering her face, I packed the mud on her grave. I got to my feet but it felt a little lonesome to leave it at that.

    Above all else, in the future for some reason, it suddenly strikes me to visit her grave, I would not be able to locate it as it is.

    I know I am supposed to leave this place quickly, but I felt like the dead Roux would get angry with me, saying that I had not made a proper grave. I would not be able to look her in the eye if she accused me of breaking the promise after I went through all this trouble.

    I was perplexed for a while but soon remembered something that would be perfect for this occasion and returned to the site of the mansion. It was the silver arrow.

    I bore with the pain as I carried the arrow that I had pulled out a while back and thrust it into the ground where I had buried her. I have heard that silver is capable of keeping evil away.

    It was not a cross, but if I made a cross, and in future it gets added to my list of weaknesses after evolution, it is likely that I would not be able to visit the grave.

    I brought over a fairly neat fragment of rock from the debris and used my claws to carved Roux¡¯s name on it.

    Her name looked a little lonesome by itself, but I was not aware of her surname . So I added the surname from my previous life. I figured it was better than making it Carmon.

    I was not sure as to whether I got the spelling of her name right, but oh well; I ask for her understanding on the matter.

    After I was finally satisfied with my handiwork, I brought my palms together and prayed.

    I am sure she is the first person in the whole world to have had an undead pray for them.

    I pray that¡ª she rests in peace.

    ¡°What¡­ are you, doing?¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    At that moment, from behind me, I heard a voice that I should not have heard.

    I ended my prayer and slowly got to my feet. The tips of my fingers were quivering. I felt as if a knife had been thrust in my throat.

    This time, it was not for Roux, but for me that I prayed to God as I turned around.

    Standing there was Senri who was supposed to have left with her comrades, looking at me with a shrewd pair of eyes.

 Chapter 22: The Merciful Grim Reaper

    The situation was totally outside of my range of expectations.

    I, as an undead, am capable of sensing positive energy. However, it is by no means perfect as I cannot detect trace amounts.

    Just as how it is possible to miss sounds that are so faint that one would have to cock an ear to listen, it is possible for me to fail to sense trace amounts, if I am preoccupied with something else.

    I let my guard down. Senri had collapsed, how was I supposed to predict she would return when not even half a day has passed?

    Even if they were to return to sort things out, I had thought I would have at least a night of respite.

    A pair of bewitching purple eyes was looking at me.

    Her expression was blank but terrifying enough to stop my heart, if I had one.

    ¡°You are¡ª¡±

    The gears started turning in my head right away.

    The first thing I ascertained was whether Senri had been accompanied by her comrades. The four Death Knights were¡­ nowhere to be found. That was good news.

    Next, I checked the difference in our strengths. Senri is exhausted from the battle with the Lord. However, the positive energy in her had already been a little replenished and more than what I sensed from her before she had left my line of sight. Although she was still too far from completely recovering all of her energy, she is a true¡ªmonster.

    She looked a little filthy but otherwise fairly unhurt. Considering the perseverance she showed during the battle against the Lord, she would probably stay on her feet in the midst of battle even if she were on the verge of death.

    Even in the stories I used to read, necromancers were fated to meet their demise in a similar manner.

    Finally, I wondered how she perceived me.

    I have already been seen together with Roux in town. I am almost certain that Roux was killed by one of the Death Knights. So, it would be extremely reasonable for her to think that I am an enemy. Senri stared at me fixedly. However, I noticed she diverted her attention to the sun in the sky for a split second.

    Only undead of the lowest level are capable of being out in the open during the day. She seemed puzzled as to whether she should take me for an undead, for even though I did not seem affected by the sunlight, I was not instinctively attacking her either.

    Since the amulet conceals my negative energy, I should not look like an undead at a glance. Probably.

    I clenched my right hand into a fist when I felt a jolt of pain shoot from the badly scorched palm.

    Blessed arrows are effective against a ghoul as well, as it is the universal weakness of all undead. The effect is mild, as in non-fatal when not on the list of weaknesses that a particular class of undead possesses. However, it hinders the process of regeneration. Hence the wound stays unhealed and as it is happening now; white smoke arises from the festering wound.

    It is of no use to hide it at this point. There is no way Senri has not noticed it.

    Well, even if not for that, even if I were human, I would need to be put down considering I have been associated with the Lord. The Death Knights are all ¡®Kill first, ask questions later¡¯ kind of people. To the extent that even in the stories that were aimed at children, there were scenes where the Death Knights would mercilessly kill any of the townsfolk who were manipulated by necromancers.

    I have no idea why Senri decided to return alone.

    Nevertheless, I will be killed if I try to escape. And the same goes if I try to attack. Making a Death Knight draw their sword would not end well for me.

    In that case, I can do nothing but choose the path of persuasion.

    I would not let me escape if I were her, but she is not me.

    When I met her in town, I realized that she possessed something that the other third-class Death Knights did not. That was¡­ compassion.

    Maybe she operated under the assumption that I and Roux were both human, nevertheless, she tried to help us.

    I shall be honest with her. If any of the other third-class Death Knights had returned instead of Senri, I dare say I would be dead by now.

    Be it a third or second-class knight, they are all Grim Reapers, neither of whom I am not capable of defeating. If anything, it may be my good fortune that it was Senri who I came across.

    She is¡­ different. Compared to the stern Death Knights that appear in stories, she is humane. And that can be taken advantage of.

    I did my best to maintain my composure, put on my best possible grieving face and looked at Roux¡¯s grave.

    ¡°When she was alive, Roux¡­ requested me to build her a grave. I was praying for her to rest in peace.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see.¡±

    Her words were curt but I could see sorrow flash across her eyes for an instant.

    I suppose she is mirroring me by not using formal speech. Although I cannot let down my guard yet, it does not seem like she intends to put an end to me right away.

    I shall be friendly with her. Show her my human side. I have yet to display any qualities of an undead in front of her.

    ¡°Err¡­ Was your name¡­ Senri? What brings you here?¡±

    Senri silently looked at the grave for a while before replying curtly. Her silver hair was swaying in the soft breeze.

    ¡°¡­ I came to collect her body. Thought I¡¯d make her a grave in town.¡±

    I was completely taken aback by her words.

    I regret it from the bottom of my heart. Had I not buried Roux, I would have made it out of here before Senri had arrived.

    And Roux would certainly be happier to be sleeping in a neater grave than in a woods of this sort.

    I had to do it since I had given her my word, but I did not consider the Death Knights to be such an admirable lot.

    I held my silence so as to not show my annoyance, when Senri closed the distance between us and stood beside me as she looked down at the grave.

    A pale, soft nape. Her body emitted a scent so sweet that it stirred my appetite intensely.

    If I were to extend my arm, it would take but a second to sink my claws into her. However, I cannot choose that path. I cannot give her an excuse to attack me (although me being an undead already gives her plenty of excuse).

    ¡°Was she, your friend?¡±

    Friend? The word might invoke anger in Roux.

    We were not friends. We simply cooperated with each other towards the end. If anything, I would say we were enemies from the beginning till the very end.

    I exercised control over my emotions and tried to sound as sorrowful as Senri did.

    ¡°No¡­ she was family.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Appeal to her heart. Arouse sympathy in the merciful Grim Reaper Senri.

    This should work. I have not been killed yet. I can do it. I can stoop as low as possible. Luckily, I do not need to gloss over anything. I was a pitiful person my whole life if I may say so myself.

    ¡°Roux was finally able to rest in peace. She had no future if she continued to be Horus¡¯ slave. Her unconscious wish was to die. You saved her.¡±

    ¡°That is¡­ not true¡­¡±

    Replied Senri in a subdued tone, not even the tiniest bit surprised by my flattery.

    She wore a blank expression so it was hard to get a read on her, but there is no doubt that she is compassionate.

    I¡­ went out on a limb.

    Time is not on my side. If Senri does not return for too long, the other Death Knights may come searching for her.

    I point at my own eyes and sigh deeply.

    ¡°It¡¯s really inconvenient, being an undead at times like these. Because I feel so sad but I can¡¯t cry.¡±

    ¡°?! So, I was right¡­!¡±

    Her face showed conviction and she quickly put some distance between us. It was the appropriate distance to strike. She was still yet to draw her sword, but I am on the precipice of death. I will not get flustered. I will be cautious.

    To show that I felt no hostility towards her, I tried my best and smiled, raised both my arms, up high.

    ¡°Ahh. I am¡­ a ghoul. However, as fate would have it, I retained the memories from when I was human.¡±

    ¡°.¡­Eh?¡±

    That caused a change in Senri¡¯s face that had been mostly expressionless until now. Her eyes opened wide and she looked at me with hostility in her eyes.

    Horus Carmon believed till the very end that I had no memories from my past life. And judging from her expression, I seem to be a very rare case.

    I had won. It was an arrow that killed Roux. However, Senri¡¯s choice of a weapon is a sword.

    She cannot kill pitiful human beings. Even though my body may be that of a monster¡¯s, she cannot kill someone, who possesses human qualities such as intelligence and reason.

    Even if no one would reproach her for not being so, she was simply too sympathetic towards her fellow human.

    It is the kind of naivety that could be suicidal for a Death Knight. She may be exceptionally good at combat but she was simply too humane.

    I shall not embellish my story. I shall narrate it as it was.

    I ostentatiously took in an unnecessary deep breath and began to recount the story of the unfortunate End.

    ? ? ?

    Senri quietly listened to my story with her face betraying no emotions. However, I could see waves of unrest in her amethyst eyes from beginning to end.

    I felt no resentment. All I felt was pain and despair in my past life. No amount of effort could have made my condition better, all I left behind at the end of my short-lived life was my attachment towards life.

    It was nothing short of a miracle that I was able to open my eyes once again, and also that I retained the memories of my past life.

    I do not know the reason. It was not by my design to reawaken as an undead.

    I was glad nonetheless. I was happy that I could stand on my own two feet once more and run around the woods.

    I wonder what really is the difference between an undead that will not and has no need to attack humans and a normal human?

    I ask my own heart. I weave the story as I recall an anecdote from a comedy about a merry crook I once read about.

    ¡°I see. The letter¡­¡±

    ¡°Roux helped me out. Horus Carmon was preparing to carry out some sort of dreadful ritual. Had he been alive, he may have ordered me to attack humans. I wanted to avoid that no matter what. I was fortunate that you, the Death Knights arrived at the town nearby. Thanks to you, I can still live as a human.¡±

    I chose my words carefully and stacked one pardonable excuse on top of another.

    Senri cast her eyes to the ground. I did not utter a single lie.

    I have never attacked humans. Because I have hardly been allowed to leave the woods.

    I do not wish to attack humans. Because I do not want to make enemies out of the Death Knights.

    However, should my survival depend upon it, I am sure I would become a monster that would not hesitate to attack humans.

    I am rational. I am a monster with human sense and intelligence.

    Looking at it objectively, that would make me one terrifying monster. If I were them, I would never let myself live.

    It is pretty ironic in a sense that I am more suited to be a Death Knight rather than Senri, who has abundant talent.

    ¡°Luckily, there are no humans in these woods. I intend to keep watch over Roux¡¯s grave and quietly live here. I can hunt the beasts for food. That¡¯s how I¡¯ve lived so far.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t I continue to do so?¡±

    Before I realized it, the sun had begun to set, bathing Roux¡¯s simple grave in pretty vermillion sunlight.

    I awaited her response. The wound from touching the holy arrow had already disappeared.

    The night is mine, it is the hour of the undead. Ghoul is a low-level undead and hence its strength is not that enhanced at night, but it still becomes much stronger than during the day.

    Senri was in a state of dilemma. Every passing second felt like a minute or even ten minutes

    I had a smile on my face as I patiently awaited her response. Or should I say, I had no other choice but to do so.

    Should I take off right now, Senri will chase after me. And I do not believe the legs of a low-level undead like mine can outrun someone who easily blew away a dragon and killed the Lord a little shy of a hundred and twenty times. That fact would remain the same even in the nighttime.

    Senri may not realizeit herself, but this was no different from being cornered with a sword to the throat.

    Finally, Senri raised her head. I could see she had reached a decision from the look in her eyes.

    Her eyes were clear and she did not sound particularly emotional, but compassionate nonetheless.

    ¡°¡­ Fine. Although I¡¯ve never met an undead that had retained the memories from the past life, I can see that you are rational. So, it shouldn¡¯t, be a problem¡­ I think.¡±

    Her last words were not very certain. However, I could see that she was resolute. She probably intends to persuade her comrades.

    She is simply too righteous, too kind.

    I heaved a sigh of relief and looked down at the grave.

    ¡°Thank goodness. Roux would probably be happy to hear that too.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Tomorrow. I¡¯ll come by again. Tell me if you need anything. I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t dare. But, I guess it would be nice if you could bring some flowers to offer Roux. Barely any flowers bloom in these woods you see.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Got it. I¡¯ll make sure to bring them.¡±

    Senri nodded vigorously.

    What a dazzling human! She has the purest soul I have ever seen in both my lives.

    She, believes in people. No one who has led a normal life could be that way.

    She is a little different from the image of Death Knights I admired, nevertheless shewould appear noble even from an objective point of view.

    That is why, to deceive someone so pure¡­ hurts my heart.

    The sky turned dimmer. Senri closed her eyes and paid her respects to Roux, after which she walked off towards the exit of the woods.

    I doubt we will ever cross paths again. Since, I plan to take off once Senri leaves these woods.

    Senri¡¯s silver hair was swaying in the wind. I called out to her one last time.

    I needed to ask her something. Considering her expertise in exterminating undead, she might know the answer to my question.

    ¡°Senri! Come to think of it, I heard Horus Carmon say something about creating ¡®The King of the Undead¡¯. Well, it might not matter anymore, but do you know what that means?¡±

    Senri stopped in her tracks, without turning around, she spoke in an indifferent tone.

    ¡°¡¯The King of the Undead¡¯¡­ is born when a first-class necromancer transforms oneself into a special kind of undead using forbidden methods. Horus Carmon was human. And I put an end to his life. It doesn¡¯t matter¡­ anymore.¡±

    ? ? ?

    I put my plan to action once I cannot feel Senri¡¯s presence anymore.

    I need to hurry.

    Senri chose to let me live. She accepted it when I proposed to stay put in these woods forever.

    I am certain she was speaking the truth. I have only known her for a very short time, but it is clear that she is not a liar.

    Nevertheless, I am afraid she would not be able to persuade the other Death Knights of the same.

    Well, that is no surprise. I may possess the memories of my past life, but that does not make me any less a monster. There is no way the Death Knights, who consider the subjugation of beings of darkness as a decree from God, would ever let me be.

    I, who once yearned to become a Death Knight, know all about them. The other knights are not merciless. It is just Senri, who is ¡®different¡¯.

    Is there a chance Senri would not tell her comrades about me? That is impossible. She is not a fool but simply too believing.

    Even if she were to hold her tongue, what would the knights make of it, when she returns without the body she set off to collect?

    When enquired by her comrades, I imagine she would tell them. And, for my sake, she would appeal to their hearts. Same as I did with her.

    I have no doubt, they will come to kill me. All of them will come to kill me. They will come for the hideous monster that took their princess for a ride for the sake of extending its own life.

    I do not believe humans will ever accept or approve of my existence. I am already a monster that lives in the shadows.

    A monster that feeds on raw meat, and if I manage to survive long, I suppose blood as well.

    My desire has not changed. I desire to live¡­ that is all. I have more freedom than I did in my past life. Any further ambitions, I shall discover down the road.

    I left behind Roux¡¯s grave and headed towards the ruins of the mansion.

    My objective was to retrieve the machete that I could not bring with me when I fled earlier.

    There is some time left until Senri reaches town. Although I have my claws, a weapon would still be necessary. regardless of whether I will actually use it, it is a sort of a memento of the Lord. A special item.

    Come to think of it, according to Senri, ¡®The King of the Undead¡¯ is a necromancer who transforms into an undead. Perhaps the Lord had prepared the sunshade cloak and the shadow amulet for himself.

    I rooted around the rubble where the Lord¡¯s laboratory once stood, and found the machete after much difficulty. I also found a bag and some clothes while I was at it.

    By the time I was done, a veil of darkness had already shrouded the forest. The silver arrow was the only thing illuminating the world.

    I can see in the dark. My vision is clear. The night is my hour.

    Since I do not have a map, I have no particular destination in mind, but I should escape as far as possible.

    I know I am betraying Senri. However, I have no choice.

    I¡­ am not a believer like her.

    I slashed through the woods and quickly made it past the fence around the mansion.

    And when I was proceeding down the path directly opposite to that which Senri had taken,

    ¡­ suddenly, I heard someone calling my name.

    ¡°End! Finally, the time has come. The vessel of the King of the Undead!¡±

    A gloomy voice that sounded almost as if it reverberated from the very depths of hell. I felt a chill run down my spine.

    I promptly took out the machete and checked the surrounding area.

    It was floating in midair. I bit my tongue to stop the welling fear.

    With the silver moon illuminating him from behind, there he was in midair, looking down at me with his same old face.

 Chapter 23: The Apparition

    Impossible. Horus Carmon met his demise at Senri¡¯s hands.

    After exhausting all possible hands, and putting up a resistance by creating an Evil Dragon, he disappeared rather easily into the light.

    And yet, it was beyond doubt Horus Carmon who was suspended in space. Pallid, his silhouette glowing ever so slightly, right from the staff that was supposed to have been reduced to ashes to the robe that disappeared along with him, it was Horus Carmon himself.

    However, anyone who knew him would be able to tell that his presence was unbelievably weak.

    I have never seen him float in the air for one.

    The Lord crossed his arms and put on airs as he spoke. His voice sounded fainter than usual, but I was able to hear it just fine.

    ¡°To think my body would perish¡­ But the fragment of my soul that I had stowed away is certainly proving to be useful¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He is dying. I regained my composure, fixed my grip on the machete and assessed the current situation.

    This must be the Lord¡¯s final card. He certainly looked like he was using all of his power in the battle against Senri.

    I do not know if he came back as a spirit or that is a part of his soul, but it is no more than a remnant of his original self.

    How cautious necromancers are! How terrifying that he was able to completely deceive the experienced Senri and the other Death Knights.

    Can I¡­ win? The problem is whether he still has control over me. Should that still remain, I¡ª.

    No, I should win.

    I calmly observed the Lord as I steeled my resolve.

    Why else did I make use of the Death Knights to bring about his destruction if not for this?

    I shall do it myself, I decided. I suppose fate wants me to put an end to this myself.

    Fine, so it shall be.

    I looked up at the Lord, eyes wide. The information that I heard about the ¡®The King of the Undead¡¯ from Senri earlier filled my thoughts.

    The Lord¡¯s speech and conduct until now. He referred to me as a vessel of ¡®The King of the Undead¡¯. Right! The vessel!

    Even an imbecile would be able to make sense of the current situation. If what Senri said was true, the Lord¡¯s objective is¡ª.

    ¡°Lord!¡­ You were alright.¡±

    ¡°End! I had implanted the last fragment of my soul in you. That was necessary for the ritual to succeed. It¡¯s fortunate that you managed to survive.¡±

    It¡­ was in me. So, that is why he is still alive.

    Judging from his behavior, it did not look like the Lord suspected me. It would seem he did not listen to the conversation between me and Senri.

    Maybe he was asleep, gathering his strength until night fell. If so, I still have a chance.

    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ then why did you try to use me against the battle with the Death Knights? You wouldn¡¯t like me dead I should think?¡±

    ¡°? Looks like there¡¯s been a misunderstanding. I never intended to use you, the vessel of the King of the Undead in the battle.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    That¡­ was unexpected.

    Now that I think about it, he had certainly never given me any such instructions. The very last order from him was for me to return to the hall, after which he might have intended to give me some sort of instructions that would help me conceal myself.

    Not that it matters. My decision remains unchanged.

    The Lord¡­ has to die for sure this time.

    ¡°I shall conduct the ritual. The birth of the King of the Undead¡­ hmph¡­ there is something I¡¯m concerned about. Things are going a little different from what I had in mind, but it can¡¯t be helped¡­ I am, but a remnant of my original self. Kekekek¡­¡±

    The Lord daringly laughs even at this juncture. I breathed in deeply. I am afraid I only have one chance at this.

    In the dead of the night, audaciously suspended in air, the Lord arrogantly issued his command.

    ¡°End! Your body is a great masterpiece. My soul is the last piece of the puzzle¡­ the moment my dearest wish is fulfilled, you will have become a King with overwhelming power beyond any of the beings of light. End, I will not allow any resistance on your part. Stop!¡±

    I came to a stop upon the Lord¡¯s order.

    Horus Carmon¡¯s movements were slow. He has never used a spirit-type undead, so I have never seen a wraith, but if the description in the books were correct, I imagine it would look something like him.

    Horus emitted a pale blue light as he descended towards me. I wonder what would happen the moment he touches me.

    How terrifying. But I was not scared. Nor were my hands shaking.

    I will¡­ never let that happen.

    Horus got close as one meter away from me. He will enter my range of attack.

    I gripped the machete hard. He was not on his guard. It should be easy.

    I gathered all of my strength, riding on my past experiences, swung the machete towards his neck to deliver the final blow.

    ¡°!!?¡±

    There was no resistance. There was really no resistance. The momentum had me spin around once after which I stumbled to a stop.

    The machete certainly passed through the neck. However, the Lord was still right there. The head that I was sure that I had severed was still connected to his body and the Lord was stroking his neck with a disappointed look on his face.

    ¡°Hmph¡­ have I become too weak? To think that my command didn¡¯t work¡­ and that you would pretend that it did. I really can¡¯t let my guard down around you.¡±

    My attack was strong. It was a blow that was capable of smashing a beast¡¯s skull into pieces and cutting through flesh and bone.

    I had already recovered from the damage I received from the silver arrow. I did not falter either.

    I swung the machete at the calm Lord, not stopping for breath. The Lord did not even bother to defend himself.

    I slashed diagonally, vertically, horizontally. I used any and all sorts of attacks. However, none of it had any effect.

    Almost as if I was attacking something that did not exist. The Lord¡¯s body scattered for a moment when attacked, but soon returned to its original form.

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless. Completely futile, End. You have a good head. And you¡¯re daring and wary as well¡­ however you don¡¯t possess enough knowledge. No attacks¡­ will work against me now.¡±

    I attacked his face and it scattered, but I could still hear his voice. I could see no semblance of pain in his expression.

    Smart. Gutsy. Wary. But ignorant.

    He had hit the nail right in the head. I rushed headlong and recklessly attacked the Lord. There was no pause in my attacks as I have no need to breathe or feel fatigue.

    I realized that my attacks were not going through after the very first blow. The reason I keep at it is to buy some time to organize my thoughts.

    It is true that I am ignorant of many things but I read the books on undead.

    The type of undead that has maximum resistance against physical attacks. Wraith. Even with no corporeal body, it can bring harm to humans, although it is only just made of soul. As I had first thought, the Lord right now¡­ must be something closer to a Wraith.

    I found it rather surprising that physical attacks had no effect whatsoever. However, I am not done.

    I shall unearth the memories.

    Wraiths may have excellent resistance towards physical attacks, but since they do not possess a corporeal body, they are more susceptible to attacks of positive energy and magic than the other undead.

    The reason why the Lord used skeleton-type and other undead with real bodies, but never spirit-type undead in the battle against the Death Knights, must be because they would not pose much of a threat to them.

    I, on the other hand, cannot use magic, nor can I manipulate positive energy.

    Should I ask Senri for help? That is impossible. The town is too far away and the first class knight is also there. I do not wish to die just yet.

    The continuous full-power attacks made my bones creak and my muscles ache. But that does not matter. I feel no fatigue and my regeneration power should be able to catch up with my speed.

    I slowly fell back as I dispersed the Lord, who wishes to control me even after dying.

    ¡°Stop your futile resistance, End! Accept your raison d¡¯etre!¡±

    He has to have his own way until the very end. We will never see eye to eye.

    It was already hopeless when I found out that he still has command over me. And he uses words like ¡®vessel¡¯, meaning it is highly likely I will lose control over my body. Come to think of it, maybe the reason why he did not try to let me acquire any knowledge might have been because it was unnecessary to do so.

    I¡­ am merely a vessel, what is inside the vessel is of no concern to him.

    What he needed was a sturdy vessel with limitless capabilities as he intended to take residence in it himself.

    Perhaps my instincts had sensed the Lord¡¯s objective and the truth behind ¡®The King of the Undead¡¯.

    There were several clues. As far as the Lord was concerned, my will was merely meaningless.

    I shall not surrender nonetheless. I could feel my survival instincts flare up. I felt no fear. Only¡­ wrath.

    I shall kill him. Come hell or high water. And make sure to completely wipe him out of existence. I shall make happen that which even a second-class knight was unable to accomplish.

    Horus Carmon. Your dearest wish will come to end right here and now. You will¡­ be killed by the vessel.

    Amongst the volley of blows and slashes the Lord still advanced towards me.

    Looks like my physical attacks cannot serve to buy me even an extra second. The only reason he has not already descended upon me is probably his curiosity as a necromancer which makes him observe me instead.

    ¡°Gone mad from fear?¡­ No matter. I only need the vessel that shows rare compatibility with death energy. I am the strongest, ¡®The King of the Undead¡¯!¡±

    Even as I slashed through his eyes or his nose, the Lord observed me. I could still hear his voice despite slashing his neck. I slashed through every possible part of his body, but the Lord showed no signs of worry.

    It is true. He is the strongest. Cunning, arrogant, an unpardonable existence, a dark mage. He deserved to be killed by Senri.

    I have not been frantically attacking the Lord without any thought. Nor have I gone mad.

    ¡­ Thinking is my forte. Pondering over things and enduring pain were the only things I was allowed in my previous life when I was sick in bed.

    Maybe the Lord had eventually gotten bored of observing me, for he swiftly swooped down on me. The moonlight illuminated his hideousness.

    I leapt to the side, evading him and dropped the machete that I had been swinging with all my might. The Lord looked surprised.

    ¡°Horus Carmon! Your weakness is¡­ your shortsightedness.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    That is the reason you were deceived by me. That is why you did not realize that Roux had made a deal with me. That is why you lost to Senri.

    To Horus Carmon, the world revolves around himself.

    Do you know where we are now? Did you really think I was simply retreating aimlessly?

    The gravestone engraved with Roux¡¯s name in big letters. The unearthed soil that had hardened.

    It¡­ is the grave of your slave.

    It is true that I have no means of using positive energy or magic.

    However, there is something that can harm an undead here.

    Something I had thrust into the grave in lieu of a cross, I firmly grabbed the arrow that was completely made of silver from shaft to head, and pulled it out. Intense jolts of pain shot out of the palm that had only just healed, and the sound of something melting echoed through the woods.

    Weapons made of silver work even on wraiths as it is the universal weakness of the undead. And, although it is not capable of killing me, it would be quite damaging to a wraith with no physical body.

    He must have realized what I held in my hand. The Lord¡¯s eyes grew wide and he flew towards me like the wind.

    However, it was too late.

    He was certainly fast, I would not have been able to do much in my previous life, but it is not impossible to me now as a ghoul.

    The flying arrow hit the Lord, who rushed in head first, right between the eyebrows.

    The screams that he had not uttered even when he was attacked by Senri, echoed through the woods in the dead of the night.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡ª¨C¡±

    ¡°¡­ is that what you thought would happen?¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    The Lord remained the same. Neither did he vanish nor did he show any signs of anguish.

    With the holy arrow pierced halfway through his head, the Lord sounded as if he found me pitiful.

    Those bony hands drew closer and closer. The cloudy, dark eyes peered into mine. I had no way to stop him.

    ¡°I told you. You have no knowledge pertaining to magic. I¡¯m not just a simple wraith. The source of my existence is in you. Unless that is destroyed, I am invincible. And wraith aren¡¯t impervious to all physical attacks. You should have realized the truth when the ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯ had no effect.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°How pitiful! Well, rest easy. Your vessel will serve to become the greatest ¡®King of the Undead¡¯ ever.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Die!¡±

    To the words dripping with the desire to kill, the Lord frowned as if he had heard an absurd joke.

    ¡°I¡¯m already dead. And, so are you.¡±

    I never would have imagined that Horus Carmon ever had a funny bone in his body.

    Horus¡¯ spirit slipped into me.

    My vision flickered and my consciousness was pervaded by something dark like a muddy stream.

 Chapter 24: The Apparition Part II

    My body, my consciousness, is being polluted by darkness.

    The body that is supposed to be impervious to pain, felt like it was being torn apart from the inside, like something was devouring me from within, and I felt tremendous pain all throughout my body.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±

    My screams resounded through the dark woods. And I came to a late realization that they were coming from me.

    Death is approaching rapidly. The tremendous pain that I had not felt for some time, unwillingly made me realize that nothing had changed from back when I was still a weakling.

    The silver arrow fell out of my hand. My palm still hurt from holding it, but that was the least of my concerns.

    Extreme nausea. Pain. Listlessness. My soul is tormented by all sorts of agony.

    I felt my feet being pulled which created the illusion that I was being dragged down to the very depths of hell, to the realm of the dead.

    ¡°Your soul¡­ is steadily descending deeper intodarkness.¡±

    The words I once heard from Horus came to mind. Desperately thinking through the pain should give me at least a bit of relief.

    I cannot tell top from bottom, left from right. I almost collapse but manage to cling onto a nearby tree.

    My heart that was frozen in place, is beating frantically. Heavy breathing. Memories and knowledge that are not mine flow into my mind. I felt so awful, that I bashed my head against the tree over and over.

    What¡­ in hell in this?

    I feel nauseated. I am completely at a loss. The only thing I know is that if I lose focus¡­ I will die.

    The tree breaks down. Blood starts pouring from my head. My knees give away and I fall to the ground but I crawl on my hands and knees and grab on to another tree.

    I make use of anything to keep myself from goingcrazy.

    I recalled the days I spent sick in bed. I grew weaker as the pain gradually grew stronger. The unbearable pain did not allow me the luxury of sleep, a life in which every single movement led to more torment. I desperately clung onto life, as I was left with the loneliness that no doctor or mage or anybody could cure and regret at not being to do anything but watch as I gradually wasted away.

    I am changing. My body, my soul is evolving. It is merging.

    Stronger, more fiendish, to one that would be more befitting of the title of¡­ The King of the Undead.

    It must be a part of the Lord¡¯s plan. I cannot make sense of what exactly he did to me since I lack the knowledge.

    The memories, the knowledge flowing into my mind, are not mine. I should never accept them.

    As I was helplessly tormented by the pain, a thought that ¡®is not mine¡¯ flashes through my mind.

    ¡ª That¡¯s absurd!¡­ Why can¡¯t I take over?

    Dark. Alone. I raised my head and my breath felt hot.

    Standing before me, was the Lord. Unlike when he was a wraith earlier, his two feet were planted on the ground.

    I am not sure how, but I understood that it was not his real body nor his soul but an illusion that my mind had created.

    It was not of my own volition.

    I overpower the pain with wrath and thirst to kill. I get to my feet and swing my arms. It was not a swift attack nor did I have the luxury to extend my claws. However, it easily slashed through the illusion of the Lord.

    The illusion disappeared.

    ¡ª What, a tenacious soul!¡­ are you still not willing to admit your defeat?

    My whole body feels hot, as if it was on fire. My head,¡­ brain and heart feel especially hot.

    I hear a voice from behind. I swivelled around, swinging my arms sideways. It was the illusion of the Lord that I had just dispersed.

    The illusion disappears. However, it appears anew again. Before I knew it, my field of vision was completely filled with countless illusions of the Lord.

    From top to bottom, in all directions. There were illusions standing, others with their lower-half buried in the ground and some others flew around freely. Empty pairs of eyes that were as cunning as a snake¡¯s were all looking at me.

    I lose myself to anger as I rush to attack them. Horus Carmon is invading my mind. The consciousness that poured into me was like a muddy stream, and it was so mighty that I felt if I were to drop my guard, I could get pulled down deep beneath.

    ¡ª Im-possi-ble. Your will is too strong. How dare you! You¡¯re just a soul that wasted away¡­ Is it the noble blood? No¡­ Im¡­possi¡­ble!!! It¡¯s entirely impossible for you to fight me!!

    No matter how many I dispersed them, the illusions showed no signs of disappearing completely. I frantically, with all my might fought against the soul that was trying to swallow me whole.

    I shall¡­ survive. And, get hold of true freedom.

    ¡ªThe abyss is too deep¡­ in this vessel! However¡­ End, this is an order! Stop resisting!

    The Lord¡¯s voice echoed through my brain putting my soul through even more torment.

    End. Who¡­ is that?

    I claw at my chest. My heart is beating right out of it. It is not my imagination. My heart is beating. I am alive. I have a pulse.

    I am not a corpse anymore. I have transformed into something even more evil¡­ I am in the processof being reborn into a monster whose existence cannot be forgiven, a being that has transcended even death.

    Ahh, so this is the necromancer¡¯s aim, the end goal of the curse!

    Amidst the mind-numbing pain, I suddenly comprehended the long-cherished wish of the necromancer.

    The end goal of the necromancer¡¯s curse. Their objective, the King of the Undead. It is ¡®Immortality¡¯.

    It is not the same as continuing to exist even as a corpse. They continue to exist, as a living, breathing being. The perfect ¡®Undead¡¯ and ¡®Immortal¡¯.

    Death is simply a rite of passage to them.

    Necromancers are experts capable of creating countless undead. It should be simple for them to become one themselves.

    However, they never choose that path.

    I remember what I heard from Senri. First class necromancers are beings that have transformed their own selves into a ¡®special¡¯ kind of undead.

    The illusions of the Lord had disappeared before I knew it. Instead, there was a huge mass of darkness before me.

    Another illusion. Horus Carmon¡¯s face popped up amidst the widespread dark haze.

    Attempting to devour me, to drown me in the depths of darkness.

    His voice echoes in my head. A voice filled with anger and confidence.

    ¡ªThis is the end!! I shall take over that body of yours!! I am superior!! You shall¡­ live for eternity as the vessel of ¡®The King of the Undead¡¯.

    ¡°Ahhhh, ahhhhhh, ahhhh, aaaaaaahhhhh¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    So powerful. I do not know how long he has lived for, but even a fragment of the Lord¡¯s soul is mighty strong. It had firm, misdirected conviction and the power he had accumulated through the years.

    These turn of events, his loss to Senri must have been an unexpected outcome to him. He must have been forced to take this measure, so I wonder just what would have happened to me¡­ if things had proceeded the way he had planned.

    The lord flew high up into the air. He descended swiftly towards me, hiding from my view, the moon, the sky and even the whole world.

    My hand moved. I am not sure if it happened because of my animal instincts, or because of my heart that desperately clung onto life.

    My hand did not move towards the Lord, but my own mouth. It entered my mouth and slit it wide across. Pain was not a concern any longer.

    The Lord suspended in the dark looked dumbfounded. I smile wide through my slit mouth. I lose consciousness for a moment from the pain.

    It is I,who will become ¡®The King of the Undead¡¯. I¡¯m sorry but you¡¯re going to have to become my food.

    You are¡­ the first human I shall devour.

    I jump into the darkness myself. The mouth that was slit open to the maximum bit into his neck.

    There was no taste. It was simply an illusion and not the real person.

    However, I heard terrific screams echo through my head.

    ¡ª¨CAaah!¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Aaah!¡ª¡ª¡ª

    I see. So this is what¡­ real terror sounds like.

    As I was immersed in strange admiration of it, the voice disappeared. Leaving behind a still woods.

    My arms and legs lost their strength and my body fell to the ground. The pain that had tormented me so badly had disappeared entirely.

    ? ? ?

    A full moon shone in the night sky. I wonder if dawn will break soon.

    I accessed the current situation as I lay down on the ground, looking up at the sky, while a cool breeze caressed me.

    I did not sense any other presence in my mind. The Lord¡¯s soul that had tried to take possession of my body, the very thing that was monumental to his existence, was considered a foreign substance and devoured by me instead. I felt refreshed.

    I could not recall the memories and knowledge that were supposed to have merged into my consciousness. Maybe my instincts deemed them dangerous and repressed them.

    The Lord¡¯s experiences and memories are far richer and overpowering than that of mine. It would not be surprising if any attempt to recall them triggers something that could result in my consciousness being overwritten by his. It would be better if I do not force myself to recall them.

    Since I had regained my composure a little, I attempted to push myself to my feet but failed in my endeavor.

    I feel lost for a moment, but once again, I try to get to my feet using all my might, by holding on to a tree nearby.

    My arms and legs¡­ feel limp. I lose sense of my surroundings for a minute. Exhaustion that I had not felt in a long time, seeps into my body.

    Looks like¡­ I still have not dug myself out of the hole.

    I could sense my body and myself changing. I reckon the evolution process has begun. Maybe I had met the requirements when I absorbed the Lord¡¯s soul that had fallen into darkness, or the mechanism etched into me was the reason, I am no longer a ¡®ghoul¡¯. Neither am I a ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯ that I was supposed to transition into. Because that results in the body turning dark in color but my skin looked the same as before.

    I shall contemplate in detail later. I was completely drained out of my usually surplus energy. This situation is very similar to the pangs of hunger I felt when I first transitioned into a ¡®ghoul¡¯.

    I wipe off the blood dripping from my head and take deep breaths.

    Still too weak. Would I even be able to defeat the monsters in these woods in this state? Well, would I even be alive long enough to come across them in the first place?

    Well, I have no other choice. I devoured the Lord, my master.

    I made use of every possible weapon at my disposal to accomplish that. I have sacrificed a lot of things to get here.

    At present, I need to look for food and someplace to avoid the sunlight before dawn breaks.

    My weaknesses should have multiplied after transitioning from a ¡®ghoul¡¯. No matter what I have transformed into, I imagine being exposed to sunlight would be fatal.

    I had not realized it as I was in too much pain,but it would seem the battle with the Lord went on for a few hours. So there is not much longer before the sun rises.

    What an inconvenient body. However, that is also precisely why I feel alive. It is not a bad feeling.

    One step at a time, I moved my helpless body forward; feeling the hard ground beneath my feet, I proceeded carefully.

    And I recalled that I had dropped my machete.

    I¡­ should recover it. Given my now weakened state, the machete would make it a lot easier to hunt for food.

    I stopped intending to turn around. At that moment, I noticed something silver flash across.

    ¡°¡­Ah¡­?¡±

    The sound of wind.

    A little later, I felt a tearing pain shoot up from my left leg and collapsed to the ground.

    I bite down my teeth to stifle the pain and look down at my leg. There on my left knee was an arrow that was fine until a moment ago.

    It was silver in color. It had cleanly pierced through the flesh and bone; white smoke arose from the spot.

    I try to remove the arrow but the fatigue makes my arms tremble, rendering me immobile.

    As I sat there thoroughly perplexed, I heard a familiar hoarse voice.

    ¡°Ah, great. So we did miss you¡­ you monster. Shit, such a waste of time!!¡±

    ¡°Well, calm down. You, you are the one who deceived our princess, am I right?¡±

    ¡°A lesser vampire huh¡­ so one of Horus¡¯ henchmen had escaped! Although I heard it was a ghoul¡­ Senri still has a long way to go before she makes it to first class.¡±

    ¡°W¡­why¡­!¡±

    I asked, forcing myself to speak.

    The male knight I had come across in town the other day was standing a few feet in front of me. The same one who had suspected me of being an undead. He looked at me like I was trash as I lay pathetically on the ground.

    ¡°Why? Did you just ask me why? There¡¯s only one reason, we, the Death Knights would make our move. To eliminate monsters.¡±

 Chapter 25: The Merciless Grim Reaper

    No. No. No. This cannot be happening.

    I cannot get my body to move. The holy power from the silver arrow was eating away at my left leg. Even if I managed to get to my feet, I would not be able to run.

    In the dark, enveloped by holy power, the Death Knights quietly closed in on me.

    There were four of them. And they were all third-class knights. The Lord had said that they would pose no threat to a vampire. And including Senri, the Lord had held out against five of them for a few hours. That alone should be enough to prove how much of a monster he was.

    My heart that had finally started to beat, was ringing like the bells. I heard a voice glide towards me.

    ¡°Geez¡­ I was really surprised. When that stubborn Senri left for the woods after insisting that she retrieve the corpse, only to return empty-handed.¡±

    ¡°Senri is really strong, but at the same time a little too naive. She may seem cool-headed at a glance, but she¡¯s honest and wears her heart upon her sleeve. Hence she commits ¡®mistakes¡¯ of this sort at times. And we take care of that.¡±

    I let out a soft scream and quietly dragged myself intending to put some distance. I need to buy time. I need to act like a weakling.

    There are no chances¡­ of winning. But I shall not give up. The entirely hopeless situation clears my head a little.

    I was almost there. If only¡­ if only I could replenish my power¡ª-.

    I opened my eyes wide, made my body tremble a little as I looked up at them. Up close, the third-class knights looked very much like grim reapers.

    Senri was nowhere to be found. Genuine third-class knights who were not as strong as Senri but without her faults. They were more than enough to kill me.

    Truly overwhelming and thorough. There is not much I can do as I cannot tell for sure if I would be able to defeat one of them even if I were in perfect condition.

    Another silver arrow pierced my right leg. I did see it coming but given my present state, where I can barely move my body, there was no way I could evade it.

    Well, one good leg would not really help get myself out of this predicament. It is alright. I do not need my legs. I need to get them to lower their guard.

    It felt like my legs were on fire that I screamed out loud. The kind of scream that would evoke sympathy in someone.

    However, the blonde female knight who had pierced me with arrows, unlike Senri, had terrifying cold eyes that looked in the least shaken.

    Every single thing¡­ has been completely unexpected. I wonder if I am perhaps cursed?

    Senri¡¯s appearance was unexpected. It was completely unexpected that the Lord who was supposed to have fallen, made a reappearance and tried to take over my body.

    And finally, the Death Knights reaching here when it is still dark is, rather than unexpected, exceptionally fast of them.

    I had expected that they would find out about my lies to Senri. However, I had anticipated them to make their move at daybreak at the earliest.

    The night is the hour of the undead. That is the reason the Death Knights chose to attack the Lord during the day. So I was convinced that they would choose to come during the day this time as well.

    I was too naive. I should not have wasted time, collapsed on the ground. I should have crawled or even disposed of all my belongings to get out of this place.

    The four of them were still exhausted. Their clothes in tatters, the holy power enveloping them was not at its best either. Although not as powerful as Senri, they had more than enough power to put an end to me.

    Resistance¡­ is futile. The moment I try to attack them, they are certain to completely destroy me.

    The body that had finally become mine and the freedom that I had finally attained, are all¡­ meaningless.

    Think. You need to think. Think about your best course of action.

    The Death Knights spread out and surrounded me, as I lay face down on the ground. They were all alert. However, they did not view me as a powerful opponent. If they had, they would not have allowed me the time to grovel this way but instead killed me with an onslaught of attacks.

    I cannot give them more reason to attack. I will drag things out even a second longer. Even if it is futile to do so, it is the best possible option for me.

    The wound in my leg is slowly spreading out.

    I would have been better off staying a ¡®ghoul¡¯. The body that was strengthened by evolution is working against me now instead.

    I put on an obsequious expression and looked up at the male Death Knight who had me cornered.

    He was the one who had held suspicions that I was an undead, when we had met at Engey before. Senri had called him¡­ Neville, if I recall correctly.

    I desperately appealed to him.

    ¡°Haa, haa, I¡­ I have retained my memories from my previous life.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, looks like it. I heard from Senri. Does sound unbelievable, but I heard you were making a grave. It would be one thing if you had robbed a grave, but I¡¯ve never heard of a monster that makes a grave.¡±

    ¡°I- I have never attacked humans either. And I don¡¯t plan to!¡±

    ¡°Hah¡­ so what?¡±

    No weaknesses. The man in front of me is a perfect Death Knight. Cool-headed and the strongest, the very image of Death Knights I had in mind.

    He did not in the least waver. Instead I felt bloodlust directed at me.

    He is angry. I have no idea what I did, but I have provoked him somehow.

    As far as they are concerned, a monster that does not attack humans is still a monster. And that makes sense as protectors of this world.

    ¡°Senri let me¡ª¡±

    ¡°How dare you monster say her name!!!¡±

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    He looked absolutely livid. He glared at me, lips quivering. The hand that gripped the mace had turned pale.

    The man near me, who had me cornered with the sword, the woman with the bow, and another man with a staff, everyone looked at me with anger.

    The atmosphere looked very likely to blow up at the slightest impetus.

    ¡°D-did¡­ she¡­ sell me out¡­?¡±

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have to go through this if she could do that. She was protecting you till the very end. But our Master isn¡¯t naive.¡±

    Thank goodness. Those words gave me some relief.

    I had believed in her merciful nature. It is true that I had exploited it, but still, I had believed in her. Even if that belief may not have helped any, it would certainly feel awful to be betrayed by someone you trusted.

    I cannot think of anything that would get me out of this pinch. I have no weapons either.

    Neville¡¯s face that had closed in on mine, softened for a moment. And his empty left hand was outstretched, as if he was trying to help me up.

    ¡°I sympathize with your circumstances. To suddenly one day wake up a monster must have been too much of a nightmare. Am I right?¡±

    The hand that he held out was clad in holy power. It looked so powerful that the moment I touched it, I could get purified in an instant.

    He had done it on purpose. Looking at me hesitating to take the hand, Neville sneered fiercely, and forcibly grabbed my left hand, hoisting me up.

    ¡°However, you bastard took advantage of Senri¡¯s weakness to deceiver her. This is going to leave a scar in her heart forever. I¡¯m not a big fan of that spoiled first-class knight, but even so, I am her senior.¡±

    White smoke arose from my left hand. The intense pain made my body convulse and the spasms shook me hard. My backbone started creaking audibly.

    A monstrous shriek that I would never have considered mine, filled the woods. Holy power can be used as a protective shield as well. And that can deal direct damage to the undead.

    My free right arm trembled. Neville was very close, close enough that I could reach him if I were to extend my arm, but my arm would not move. Almost as if my strength was leaving my body from where I was held.

    Well, to be more precise, there was nothing leaving my body. But it was getting filled. The abyss that is my life essence which would be abnormal in living things, was being filled with positive energy, and in conformance with the rules of the world, it was heading towards zero.

    ¡°This will leave a deep scar in her. She might be used to tragedies but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s fine with them. Senri will be reminded of you at every turn hereafter. And that might become a big chink in her armor someday. To hurt someone greatly protected by holy power, you are one terrible monster!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Just¡­ let me¡­ live. I don¡¯t¡­ wish for anything else!¡±

    That is what I truly felt. I only just wish to survive.

    I do not intend to bother any humans. I do not hold a grudge against them either.

    Nevertheless¡­ everyone wants to kill me. My vision was growing dimmer. I looked up at Neville with a desperate look on my face, to which he declared,

    ¡°Who would let a monster live?! You may seem harmless now, but you will kill humans someday.¡±

    ¡°Besides we are here on our Master¡¯s orders. Tell me something. How did you know that Senri wasn¡¯t here?¡±

    Asked the female knight as I lay on the brink of death. With a silver arrow pointed at me, she inquired the reason to kill me, almost as if to torment me.

    ¡°Do you know how our Master replied to Senri¡¯s plea? He smiled and said, ¡®Alright, we¡¯ll let him go¡¯. Because Senri is too stubborn and we would never make any progress in an argument with her. But, Senri could tell that it was a lie. At the very least, she was worried it wouldn¡¯t be true. You see, our Master is standing guard at the inn so that she doesn¡¯t try to leave.¡±

    ¡°Not that it matters. Our Master sent us to find you. And kill you for sure. Well, although we never thought we¡¯d be sent over even before daybreak¡­ but, oh well, this will be a good experience for Senri. She needs to go through ordeals of this sort to become a first-class knight.¡±

    The woman with the bow, the man with the sword, both of them were my enemies with not a bit of weakness to exploit. And I am sure the same goes for the inconspicuous man in the back with the staff.

    Just what do they consider¡­ my life to be?

    How to make it out here alive?

    Senri will come to save me? That is out of the question. Even if she were to arrive, it would be after I had been killed.

    And if she were to make an appearance right now, Neville would kill me before she gets in the way.

    He showed that kind of resolve, the resolve that he would not mind even if Senri hated him for it.

    I did not feel any hunger but my throat felt awfully dry.

    A while ago, the man with the sword referred to me as a ¡®Lesser Vampire¡¯. If that is true, then what I need right now is¡­ blood.

    Far. Simply too far. Even if I stretched my neck, I still would not be able to reach Neville, who was the closest to me. And I am not sure my fangs would be able to pierce through his skin, since he is clad in holy power.

    The swordsman carefully approached me and stripped me of my sunshade cloak. Upon finding the shadow amulet I had underneath, he snapped off the chain and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°So, this¡­ is the reason we weren¡¯t able to sense any negative energy from you.¡±

    ¡°Horus Carmon¡¯s precious item huh¡­ dammit. If not for this, we wouldn¡¯t have let you pass by when we met in town¡­¡±

    If not for that, the Lord would not have allowed me to go into town in the first place.

    I had already lost my bag somewhere during the struggle with the Lord. After examining the things I had on me, Neville roughly flung me to the ground.

    Would they perhaps allow me to live? The impossible hope that had sprouted in me for a moment was crushed to bits by the Death Knight¡¯s words.

    ¡°Now, all that¡¯s left is one thing. And that is to kill you¡­¡±

    Whispered Neville to me, as I lay pitifully curled up on the ground, cradling my hurting self.

    The mace was aimed at me. A pair of silver eyes looked down upon me. Neville got close to my face and uttered.

    ¡°Apologize. I¡¯ll give you a peaceful death.¡±

    So, this is¡­ a Death Knight. A Grim Reaper. They felt more real and severe than the ones that appeared in stories.

    They are my enemy. They are an enemy to anyone who is an enemy of mankind. And I am an enemy of mankind.

    I am sure they have families of their own. And people they hold dear to their heart.

    And no doubt those people would view them as kind and reliable.

    ¡ªEven so, I do not wish¡­ to die.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t want¡­ to die, that¡¯s all! I just don¡¯t¡­ wish to die!!!¡±

    I wailed into the darkness. Even if such an act were to bring about a fresh new round of torture, it was a cry from my soul.

    Neville and the others did not look furious. They just simply looked at me, curled up like a caterpillar, as if I was something beyond hope.

    ¡°¡­ Tch. Are you insane? Too pitiful¡­ Hard to think you¡¯re that Horus Carmon¡¯s underling when you¡¯re not trying to defend yourself even when it¡¯s come to this. Can¡¯t really fault Senri for finding you pitiful and letting you go. She has a soft spot for weaklings.¡±

    ¡°Neville. Be sure to finish him off. Those were the Master¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°Goes without saying. I¡¯m not like her!!¡±

    I am going to die. Get killed. There is no one to help me.

    So I was killed by a strange disease in my previous life, and when I thought I had finally gained a strong body, I am going to be killed by the Death Knights? Surrounded, unable to defend myself, stamped on by overwhelming power.

    Tears rolled down my eyes. Tears of blood. My vision blurring, I looked up at my enemies desperately. My body would not move. And the pain had robbed me of reason.

    A weakness. There has to be one. Probe to find one even if you are not sure of its existence. Never stop struggling till the very end. If you die¡­ come back as a ghost.

    ¡°What¡¯s with those eyes?!! What¡¯s with that look in your eyes even in this situation?! Fuck!!!

    Neville kicked me hard. With every kick, positive energy along with the impact poured into my body.

    I was not screaming anymore. I could feel the positive energy pushing my existence towards zero.

    Even in these circumstances, Neville¡¯s kicks were not aimless. He seemed used to them.

    I lay like a corpse, bones broken, muscles crushed; Neville lifted me up by the hair and forcefully raised my head. A very cruel pair of eyes peered into mine.

    ¡°¡­ Fine. As one last act of mercy¡­ I shall allow you a moment to repent.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Neville?! You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    ¡° To be purified by the Death Knights is¡­ salvation. I shall tell you all about it. What did you say your name was? Well, never mind. Do you know what the most painful death to an undead is?¡±

    My body had no more strength left to even tremble. All I heard was Neville¡¯s ill-boding voice in my head.

    Suddenly, I felt a dull shock to my left shoulder. Before I realized it, Neville had thrust into the ground the sword he had held, reached out and raised something into the air.

    It¡­ was my left arm. He gripped it tightly and it was purged in an instant. My left arm turned to dust and disappeared.

    ¡­ Fine. I will let you have that arm. The left arm that I could not even move that well anymore¡ª.

    ¡°Sunlight. Weaken the undead to the point that their regenerative powers won¡¯t help and slowly fill up their abyss with positive energy from the sunlight. It has them suffer continuously from unbearable pain. No matter how evil an undead, it would soon start grumbling. We call it the ¡®Punishment under the Sun¡¯. Due to its inhuman nature, we only ever use it to set an example though.¡±

    Sunlight. Even with tolerance of sunlight as a ghoul, being exposed to sunlight for too long still felt like pinpricks on the skin.

    I wonder how much more damaging it would be to me now.

    With a fleeting consciousness, I croaked.

    ¡°Aah¡­ how¡­ dreadful!¡±

    ¡°I shall give you time to repent. To regret. Consider it punishment for deceiving Senri and for wanting to live even after death!¡±

    It was anger. He felt angry towards me and he was trying to vent his anger on me. He was trying to punish me more than necessary.

    No matter what he uttered, the act felt emotional and more like a personal grudge. And it was the first thing I saw in Neville that I felt was unbecoming of a Death Knight.

    But, that is alright. That is just fine. I breathed faintly through my mouth.

    I would gladly welcome a slow death.

    I can bear with any amount of pain and disgrace. If I can live even a moment longer, if I can acquire a chance to make a getaway, the pain is nothing.

    Neville squinted at me, who lay defenseless, as I was desperately holding on to my sanity.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you still think you can survive? Dream on. I shall give you some time but you will not be left alone.¡±

    Neville picked up my dismembered left hand and easily reduced it to dust as I looked on in a daze.

    ¡°The only thing we¡¯ll leave behind¡­ is your head. That should be enough to repent, right? Oh, right. We¡¯ll leave your head, near the grave that you supposedly made.¡±

    ? ? ?

    My body would not move. Well naturally, as I had nothing below my head now.

    The Death Knights, particularly Neville, mercilessly took me apart. Deliberately without using the silver sword, he ripped off my arms, my legs and mangled up my body and purified it all except for my head.

    I have no idea why I am still alive. I have no power. I cannot regenerate either.

    Intense pain and numbing coldness that I felt at the back of my head, indicated that I was heading towards death.

    The woods at night are certainly peaceful. The Death Knights were long gone.

    Maybe this solitude is also part of the punishment. All I could see from where was placed on Roux¡¯s grave, were the ruins of the Lord¡¯s mansion.

    There is nothing that can be done. I cannot fight nor run away. All I was left with was pain and despair. Very much the same as it was at the end of my previous life.

    Ahh, what a dreadful thought!

    As I was desperately trying to stay conscious, I suddenly heard a wispy voice.

    ¡°How pitiful¡­ End.¡±

 Chapter 26: Thirst for Life

    ¡°?! ¡­ So, you¡¯re still here¡­¡±

    It was the Lord¡¯s voice. He was simply too tenacious that I would have laughed out loud if I could.

    Horus Carmon¡¯s illusion stood before me and scowled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you came back¡­ for my body? Sorry¡­ but all that¡¯s left of it¡­ is my head!¡±

    ¡°Fool. I have no power to do that. Because you swallowed me! I¡¯m no more than a remnant of my remnant now.¡±

    ¡°Does¡­ a remnant of that¡­ remnant exist¡­ then?¡±

    ¡°End, you will die. Had you surrendered your body to me, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    However, that would have been the same as death. No different from now.

    Maybe he was speaking the truth about not having enough power, for he did not seem like he was trying to pull something. It would have been great if he could have helped me, but an illusion is not really all that useful.

    I suppose he would serve as a conversation partner. Even if he and his voice were no more than an illusion, it would still be alright.

    ¡°Why¡­ am I¡­ still alive? I don¡¯t¡­ even have¡­ a heart.¡±

    A vampire¡¯s heart is its weakness if I recall correctly. Considering I am missing a heart, it is rather unnatural that I am still alive.

    Of course I feel really grateful for it¡­

    The Lord frowned and looked at me as if I was some unruly student.

    ¡°The reason vampires die after being stabbed with a stake to their heart is because of the curse. If they aren¡¯t stabbed, they don¡¯t die immediately.¡±

    ¡°Hah¡­ haha, what¡¯s¡­ with that! What a weird creature! It lives against the rules of nature!¡±

    It is simply too absurd that it can exist even after losing the better part of its body. If that is true, then it would mean that removing the heart would be akin to getting rid of their weakness.

    The Lord snorted at my response.

    ¡°However, there¡¯s no doubt that the heart is a vampire¡¯s source of power. If the heart is lost, so is most of their power. And the same goes for a ¡®Lesser Vampire¡¯ like you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ never had any power¡­ to begin with.¡±

    I never attained any power. Even after I was reborn, I was still overwhelmingly weak.

    Amongst the people I came in contact with, the only ones who were weaker than me were Roux and the civilian Huck. But then again, I was much weaker than either of them when I was sick.

    The Lord paid no heed to my comment and simply continued his soliloquy.

    ¡°A Lesser Vampire is a stepping stone to becoming a Vampire. The pupa, so to speak. You would possess almost none of the vampiric abilities or their weaknesses. So you wouldn¡¯t turn to dust as soon as you¡¯re exposed to sunlight.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ahh¡­ glad¡­ to hear¡­ that.¡±

    ¡°That only means you¡¯ll be tormented for a longer time. You¡¯re running low on power, you can¡¯t regenerate. You will have your soul devoured by the sun and experience a slow death. Your abyss is deep, probably a whole lot deeper than they think, but it is impossible¡­ for you to survive too long. There¡¯s only about an hour to dawn.¡±

    ¡°Is there¡­ a way out¡­ of this?¡±

    There is not much I can do. My mouth is the only thing I can move, and it is quite possible that I would not be able to move even that very soon.

    The Lord did not scowl even a little to a question from someone who had devoured him. He answered right away.

    ¡°None. There¡¯s nothing you can do as a Lesser Vampire that¡¯s slowly losing its power.¡±

    I see¡­so this is the end.

    The illusion disappears. His words come crashing down on me.

    Then, this is going to be a battle of endurance with the sun. I shall fight the pain. Keep my head straight. I shall fight death. I shall only be doing what I had already done in my previous life.

    And with that, my final battle began.

    ???

    The dark sky grew brighter and dim light shone upon me.

    At first, it felt like a sunburn. The pain started at the apex of my head and spread out and invaded my whole face, and changed into what felt like heat from fire.

    I thought I would be able to handle it when I received the punishment. I imagined that it would be much better than death.

    However,I soon realized I could not have been more wrong. Positive energy was slowly eating away at my body and my mind. With only my head left, I cannot even writhe in agony.

    I felt like I had been exposed to direct sunlight for several hours. The pain was slowly, bit by bit, killing me. It was trying to return me to a corpse.

    I open my eyes wide and desperately fight the pain. The

    My temper gradually got worse with every tick of the clock. I was assaulted with despair and intense dread that I did not feel even during my encounter with the Death Knights.

    My instincts were sounding alarms in my head at the invasion of its great enemy, the sun. Thus was my condition when the sun had not even fully risen yet.

    Well it is rather strange that I am still alive. My abyss is being filled. It is going to return to zero. Into nothingness.

    Light and Darkness are waging a war inside me.

    I shall bear with the pain as best as I can. The sunlight shining down on the grave slowly grew stronger.

    Suddenly a question popped into my head.

    The Lord mentioned that there was but an hour to dawn. But an hour has long since passed.

    Then how much longer will I live? How much longer will I be able to endure? How much longer will I be forced to bear with it?

    And¡­ is there any meaning to this struggle?

    I finally understood why Neville, the Death Knights had called this the most awful way for an undead to die.

    I had to remain highly alert at alltimes. This is¡­ torture.

    Constant pain and punishment under the sun that will continue for God knows how long. I can almost hear the sound of Death¡¯s footsteps. The farther an undead is away from death, the more unbearable is this form of punishment. Owing to the fact that there is no real enemy in front of you, makes it hard to throw away the very last bit of hope.

    My mind will die before my body does.

    My throat felt terribly dry. The pain that felt like I was being burnt alive made tears run down my face. I took some frantic breaths and fought to remain conscious.

    It would really be the end the moment I accept death. I am well aware of that as someone who suffered through an illness for several years.

    In my previous life, seeing me in a weakened state, enduring the torturous pain, all the while clinging on to life, the doctors had called me a miracle. The pity they felt for me at first changed to amazement later.

    The doctors, my family and the mages, all believed that I would not last long. However, I survived. Well, although I did die eventually, I never gave up on life till the very end.

    I reprimand my faltering heart and raise my spirits.

    I shall not give up this time either. I have already died once. Died and revived miraculously with my memories intact.

    Like hell I will lose hope because something like this, to this pain or despair.

    I looked up with just my eyes, and fixed a death glare at the hateful sun.

    I am an undead. A vessel worthy of becoming the King of the Undead, that Horus Carmon had set his sights on. This is not enough to kill me.

    I shall not scream. I can distract myself from the pain if I scream but it will exhaust me. It was a trick that I had discovered during my previous life.

    I shall stay quiet, keep my mind alert, and fight against the pain that wishes to lower the curtain of darkness over my consciousness.

    There is no chance of victory. Nor do I have a plan.

    What I wish for¡­ is a second miracle.

    I wonder how much time has passed.

    The sun rose higher in the sky and with it grew stronger the sunlight shining down on me. I seared the image into my eyes.

    Blinding. Painful. Dreadful. And¡­ beautiful.

    It is impossible. I cannot win. The morning, the sun I had once loved, is trying to expel me from this world.

    I will perish. My soul will vanish. It hurts. I wonder what has become of my face that has been exposed to sunlight.

    The sunlight is so strong that I cannot see anymore. Only, everything felt hot like I was surrounded by hellfire.

    ¡­ I do not¡­ wish to die.

    I screamed in my mind.

    I feel my consciousness slipping when my head is suddenly lifted up.

    At first, I imagined my soul was ascending into heaven. But I soon realized that I had been wrong.

    They say that a soul defiled by a necromancer will never go to heaven.

    The sunlight grew dimmer and the first thing that entered my line of sight, was silver hair.

    And a familiar pair of deep purple eyes that looked surprised.

    My mouth opened. All I could utter were broken syllables.

    ¡°¡­ Se¡­ n¡­ ri¡ª-¡±

    ¡°¡­!!¡­ !!¡­ !!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ hear¡­ ahh¡­¡±

    My tongue was burned. I was lucky that my eyes were still functioning.

    I am at my limit. I¡­ cannot hold on anymore. Almost all of my abyss has been filled. I cannot bear even the dimmest ray of sunlight anymore.

    Amidst the vague sense of awareness, I pulled on the string connecting me to life.

    What do I do? What would help me? What do I need to do, to move this girl who possesses a weakness unbecoming of a Death Knight?

    I have no strength left in me. There are very few options left. There is no time to even talk.

    And thus, at that moment, I hurled my carefully chosen final word.

    ¡°Tha¡­nk¡­ you¡­¡±

    The hands that carefully held my head, trembled for a second.

    I instinctively realized that I had succeeded in my endeavour and felt relieved.

    Senri was clever but had a fragile heart. Stubborn, does her best in everything, wields immense power, and as Neville mentioned, she is the kind of person who would take to heart the passing of a random undead.

    They, Neville, should have killed me. Without letting anger cloud his judgement and punishing me, or giving me time to repent, he should have made sure to put an end to me.

    So, they are going to lose. Someone truly dear to them.

    I only felt her waver for a second. I sensed my head move again, and felt cool, silky hair caress my cheek.

    I could not see anymore. I could see nothing in front of me. Yet, the sensation of something smooth and soft touching my lips was not an illusion.

    The sweet smell that emanated from her blew away my pain and despair. My tongue that could not move before, moved on its own and took a taste.

    A wonderfully pleasant feeling shot through me, jolting me awake. The drained reserves of my energy were filled a tiny bit.

    My vision was restored.

    ¡°Thank¡­ you¡­ for¡­ the¡­ meal.¡±

    I properly whispered my gratitude in her ear and sunk my fangs into her trembling nape.

 Chapter 27: Singularity

    ¡°Hmph¡­ is Senri yet to return?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. For God¡¯s sake, what¡¯s even keeping her? That¡­ is just a monster!¡±

    Neville looked at the clock, vexed. The clock showed that it was already time for the sun to set.

    Senri had left her room a little after dawn.

    The Death Knights had returned after having calculated the time it would take for the solar penalty to succeed. Upon seeing them, Senri had immediately surmised what had transpired and rushed off before she could even be stopped.

    Lufry frowned remembering how Senri looked ready to break into tears.

    The main objective of the Death Knights this time, was the subjugation of the second-class necromancer, Horus Carmon, and that had already been accomplished.

    Which also meant the promotion of Senri Silvis to first-class, but the present atmosphere did not really put them in a mood for celebration.

    Senri had the quality of naivety. It could be seen as kindness in an ordinary man, but it was something unnecessary to a Death Knight.

    The Death Knights who battle against the forces of darkness employ any and all measures to succeed in their missions. All of which may not always be righteous.

    They may need to resort to torture or even grant gruesome deaths to serve as a warning. They may need to kill humans who have chosen the side of darkness or even disregard the lives of hostages. There are also people who became knights solely due to the resentment they held towards dark beings.

    And all of that is accepted by society. Due to the existence of beings that a normal human is powerless against, beings that are said to get stronger by absorbing death energy, ones that possess abilities far surpassing the living; the undead, are the greatest enemy of mankind.

    This time, Ep¨¦e had uttered a falsehood to Senri. After declaring that the harmless undead, Senri was supposed to have met would be allowed to exist, he had sent the other Death Knights to hunt it down.

    Nevertheless, Ep¨¦e did not regret his actions whatsoever.

    He did feel bad about lying to Senri. And he also realized that it would hurt Senri. However, regret, he did not.

    Since he had only done what was right as a Death Knight.

    Senri is precious. The power of her blessing only grows stronger with every passing day and she has already surpassed her seniors in the blink of an eye.

    The only thing that is left to train¡­ is her mind. She is too mentally ill-prepared to be a Death Knight. Hence this affair should serve as a big chance.

    Fortunately, she is smart. I am sure she will see reason if we talk things out. She only needs a bit of time to settle her emotions for now.

    Because there can never be an undead that is harmless.

    It is in their instincts to attack humans. They envy life.

    A ¡®Ghoul¡¯ feasts on human corpses and a ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯ preys on humans in the dark. A ¡®Vampire¡¯ feeds on the blood of humans. To the undead, humans are nothing more than livestock.

    The undead are a curse. The abominable necromancers cast a curse on them to make them that way.

    Hence the Death Knights, cleanse their souls and bestow death upon them.

    ¡°But Master, is it even possible for something that died once to be reborn as an undead with its memories intact? I know that vampires are capable of making the people they feed on to become faithful to them¡­ but that undead was certainly not acting on its instincts. It didn¡¯t try to attack us.¡±

    ¡°The reason it didn¡¯t attack us is probably because Thelma shot through its leg at the very beginning. It¡¯s just a coincidence! Remember all the undead we¡¯ve come across so far? Words can¡¯t get through to those things!¡±

    Thundered Neville and clicked his tongue.

    Neville can be a bit of a ruffian, but he has the strongest will amongst them to fight against the undead. The Order needed people like him.

    Ep¨¦e narrowed his eyes and without answering the question, replied in a gentle voice.

    ¡°Neville is right. Undead are meant to be extinguished.¡±

    The existence of undead that holds the memories of its past life. That is a secret passed on only to the first-class knights even in the Order.

    Death is the final adieu. The reason why people are able to move on from the death of their loved ones, despite being overcome with sorrow is because death is irreversible.

    Should the slightest possibility of overturning death were to become known, then the whole world would be thrown into chaos. Maybe even some of the Death Knights might try to revive their fallen comrades by making use of abominable necromancy.

    No matter how small that possibility is¡­it cannot be ignored that people tend to have thisbaseless thought that they are exceptions.

    ¡°That said, you should not have sentenced the undead to solar penalty. But instead granted it a quick and painless death. And Neville, that is your shortcoming. I have always been of the thought that solar penalty should not be used except in war.¡±

    ¡°¡­tch¡±

    I should imagine that the others were less inclined from the look on their faces. They were all scowling at Neville.

    Solar penalty is no less than torture to the undead. Actions that inflict meaningless torment are in contradiction to the raison d¡¯¨¦tre of the Order of Death Knights, which is the cleansing of sullied souls.

    Despite that, the reason why the Order allowed the method of punishment to be practiced, is because it brings some solace to the Knights who hold resentment towards the undead.

    Strictly speaking, it should not be done. At the end of the day, the Death Knights are also human beings with feelings and emotions.

    However, Ep¨¦e had more reason to reprimand Neville and it was not only because what he had done was inhumane.

    He narrowed his eyes at Neville thinking of his brash actions.

    ¡°I remember telling you to make sure to kill the undead. That¡¯s why I had all of you go, despite it being the middle of the night¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Solar penalty means certain death. There¡¯s nothing a Lesser Vampire with only its head left can do, right Master? It can¡¯t be saved nor does it have any friends to help. If there was even the slightest indication otherwise, even I wouldn¡¯t have sentenced it to solar penalty.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I also made sure to check that it couldn¡¯t regenerate. It had completely exhausted its power. Even if it hadn¡¯t, it would probably only last around thirty minutes. Well, it could feel like hours to the monster though¡­¡±

    ¡°Master, Neville¡¯s right. It is true that his emotions got the better of him and solar penalty was not what we had originally planned, but that undead was so¡­ unsettling that Neville was forced to do it.¡±

    Maybe she had recalled the events, for Thelma shuddered.

    Typically, the undead are instinctive creatures. And in accordance with those instincts, they attack the living. The sense of self that ghouls begin to sprout also places their naturally strong instincts above all else.

    However, the undead that possess memories from their past lives¡­ are different.

    It is unclear whether that is due to the peculiarity of the particular specimen or is the result of human memories co-existing with undead instincts. Nevertheless, undead that possess memories of their past lives came to be considered ¡®singular¡¯.

    There are not many undead that are reborn with their memories intact, so there have only been a handful of precedents. There are records of battle against such singular undead back in the headquarters.

    They are¡­ beings with the body of a monster and the mind of a human. They need to be culled while still weak.

    Even if that undead has not attacked any humans at this point in time, its existence can still never be forgiven.

    ¡°Neville. She¡¯s had enough time. Go and bring back Senri. We can¡¯t waste time in this town forever.¡±

    ¡°Gah¡­ The fact that she hasn¡¯t returned yet should mean she¡¯s still holding it against us? She can be really stubborn. Would I even be able to persuade her to return with me¡­¡±

    ¡°I may have been the one to send you on this mission but you were the one who chose solar penalty as the method of punishment. It is your responsibility to provide a proper explanation for doing so, Neville. It¡¯s alright, Senri is a strong girl. She can face any ordeal. She should understand where you¡¯re coming from if you have a proper talk with her.¡±

    Upon Ep¨¦e¡¯s recommendation, Senri will be promoted to first-class.

    Should she become one, she will be permitted to access information about undead with memories. She will come to know of that ¡®threat¡¯ as well.

    Although I wish she had not met that undead at this juncture in her life, such a wish was pointless anymore.

    ¡°¡­ See you later. I¡¯ll go get myself punched by the naive princess¡­¡±

    Neville got to his feet, sighed and looked thoroughly displeased.

    And right at that very minute, as though divined, there was a small knock at the door.

    Everyone¡¯s attention turned to the door in unison. The presence behind the door felt strikingly similar to that of Senri¡¯s.

    Neville visibly relaxed a little. He looked around at his peers with an exaggerated eye roll and said,

    ¡°Senri! You sure took your time. How long are you planning to brood over it?. The Master was starting to worry¡ª¡±

    ¡°!! Wait, Neville¨C!¡±

    Ep¨¦e had felt that something was off but it was already too late when he tried to stop Neville.

    Neville unlocked the door and turned the knob.

    ¡°¡­ Ahh, sorry for the trouble. Thanks. I thought ¡®I shouldn¡¯t enter uninvited¡¯. I wonder if that¡¯s because I¡¯m still a vampire even though I¡¯m only a Lesser.¡±

    The door creaked open a little. Neville¡¯s face that was relaxed looked momentarily befuddled before it turned taut.

    The slender silhouette sauntered into the room.

    The man who exuded the exact same aura as Senri, narrowed his deep crimson eyes and smiled thinly.

 Chapter 28.1, Epilogue

    There is no denying it. This is the best I have ever felt in all my life.

    It felt euphoric when I first feasted on a monster after having become a ghoul, but that was nothing compared to the moment her blood touched my lips.

    Well I am sure that is also because Senri¡¯s blood is of the highest quality. I could finally understand why a vampire would risk death, only for a sip of a young maiden¡¯s blood.

    Vampires, as they are called, get stronger through blood. The same goes for the pupa, Lesser Vampires.

    Senri¡¯s blood permeated through my body and heart and helped regenerate it whole. The very same body that would have certainly perished had she arrived a few moments later.

    I can see it. The strong positive energy around the Death Knights. However it did not fill me with hopelessness unlike the last time.

    I am now, including my past life, the strongest I have ever been.

    Lesser vampire is simply a stepping stone to becoming a full-fledged vampire and is said to be especially weak among the undead; not that I mind.

    My body did not look as malnourished as it did in my previous life either. My arms were rather muscled and I even had abs. Needless to say, I felt more powerful than ever.

    The undead body that was originally not supposed to go through any physical growth, is slowly changing. That is also by the necromancer¡¯s design; proof that the curse is progressing.

    All the Death Knights were gathered in the room.

    The man with the mace who condemned me to torture; Neville, stepped back looking aghast. He must have been under the impression that he was welcoming Senri.

    ¡°Y-you are¡­!¡±

    ¡°How?!!¡±

    They should have been utterly taken by surprise. However, their reactions were entirely abnormal.

    The blonde female knight, Thelma, picked up her bow that had been leaning against the wall, and sent an arrow flying towards me in a flash. At the same time, Neville brandished his mace.

    I was calm nevertheless. Had I not been certain of my survival, a coward like me would never dare to enter the enemy¡¯s stronghold.

    The mace was closing in on me at high speed and the arrow was after my head. I could see their trajectory clearly after gaining the superhuman ability of kinetic vision upon becoming a lesser vampire.

    Certainly, the physical abilities of third-class knights are way better than an average soldier and their skills more refined, nevertheless, they are still only human. They possess physical abilities that far surpass a normal human by making use of positive energy, but they are still no match to me now, a genuine monster.

    I stepped to the front, and caught the mace before it crash landed on me with my left hand and grabbed the arrow that was headed towards the centre of my forehead with my right hand.

    Pain shot through my arm. Still, it did not feel as painful as the solar penalty.

    Vampires do not just feed on blood to replenish their energy.

    I fling the arrow to the floor. Grab on to the mace and snatch it off Neville¡¯s hands. The hands that were burning just a moment ago had already healed and the smoke had disappeared.

    ¡°I am¡­ mostly made of Senri¡¯s blood from the neck down. Thanks to you purging all of my body except my head.¡±

    The Death Knights were dumbfounded. Only the man as bright as the sun, Senri¡¯s master ¨C Ep¨¦e the Destroyer, looked unperturbed.

    He¡¯s strong. It was not my first time seeing him, but I have to admit, he is overwhelmingly strong. Ep¨¦e¡¯s power far surpassed even Senri¡¯s, who is supposed to be a genius abundantly blessed by God.

    I have heard of Ep¨¦e the Destroyer even in my previous life. He is one of the more popular first-class knights.

    There was even a famous play about how he conquered the castle of the Vampire King in no time and ¡®destroyed¡¯ an army of several thousand undead with a single wave of his sword.

    Literally, a living hero.

    I was really surprised when I discovered that this man in front of me was that Ep¨¦e the Destroyer who I was a diehard fan of. But it made more sense now why I felt like Icarus flying too close to the sun.

    Ep¨¦e the Destroyer sat with his brows knit and looked calm.

    ¡°So, what brings you here? Lesser Vampire¡­ End, did you say your name was? Revenge? Just because you got your body back¡­ you thought you could take on a group of Death Knights? You¡¯re taking us too lightly.¡±

    Obviously, that was not my intention in the least. Simply standing in front of this man was enough to set my heart thump frantically.

    Strong. Too strong. This man¡­ is truly a monster in the guise of a human.

    I regretted my decision to come to this place a little, but it was a necessary step in my plan.

    Do not let them overwhelm you. The disparity in our strengths is nothing new. I cannot lose in spirit for I am done the moment I do that.

    ¡° Of course this isn¡¯t about revenge. I bear no resentment. It¡¯s true that I thought I would surely die and also wondered what I had done to deserve all that¡­ but even if I do possess memories from my previous life, I suppose it doesn¡¯t make me any less an undead. I don¡¯t fault you for what you did.¡±

    I acted bold and put on a front as the third-class knights were all poised to attack, weapons at the ready.

    ¡°I know all about the Death Knights. You could even call me a fan. I was bedridden for most of my previous life, so reading about your heroic deeds gave me moral support. Let the fact that you tried to kill me be water under the bridge. Thanks to Neville¡¯s cruel punishment, Senri took pity on me. Seeing me on the brink of death, she willingly offered her neck.¡±

    ¡°?! She¡­ I had thought she was naive, b-but this¡­ is just absurd¡­!¡±

    Normally, it is not quite possible to drink the blood of a Death Knight who possesses an incredible amount of positive energy. The reason being, the positive energy around their person is a weapon against the undead and an armor to their own selves.

    So it is only possible when they offer their blood of their own volition. In other words, Senri had stripped off her armor and allowed him to feed on her.

    Ep¨¦e¡¯s expression looked kind but I could not get a read on him.

    ¡°Then, what was your purpose for coming here? Did you really think you could get out of here alive?¡±

    ¡°Ahh, Senri is alive by the way. I accepted her kind offer and partook a little of her blood, but I¡¯m not cruel enough to kill my lifesaver. I am not one of you, you see. I am still quite human¡­ and of course, still have my morals.¡±

    The third-class Death Knights all quivered and gaped at me. Ep¨¦e, who had maintained a lordly, calm expression all along, stiffened a little.

    ¡°?! You mean to say¡­ you managed to control your bloodlust?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I very nearly thought I had ascended to heaven. It even made me forget that I was actually dying. I never imagined such pleasure existed in this world¡­ that said, I am still human, I shall not let my urges control me. And the fact that I know of your names is further proof. Ep¨¦e the Destroyer, Neville, Lufry, Thelma, and that inconspicuous guy back there is, Adrian. I asked Senri for your names. Thought it would help protect myself and negotiations would go smoother.¡±

    Recalling the moment I fed on her blood made my breath hot. It was an experience that completely changed my view of life.

    Nevertheless, I could not become a true undead. The undead have a lot of enemies. I shall survive come hell or high water.

    ¡°¡­ protect yourself. Let¡¯s hear your terms.¡±

    Ep¨¦e is thinking hard. About my true intentions. About how to save Senri, his disciple who was set to become a first-class knight.

    Ep¨¦e must be thinking that I plan on keeping Senri hostage.

    However, he is wrong in that regard. I have no such intentions.

    The reason I put my life at risk to come here, was to settle things once and for all. I did not really wish to but I realized I had to, since I found the outcome would be favourable to me.

    I was clad in a random robe I found in the ruins of the Lord¡¯s mansion. I retrieved a sword, still sheathed from inside of it.

    Their expressions began to shift. From rage to worry and lastly to grief.

    I placed the sword on the table and smiled calmly just like Ep¨¦e had a while ago and uttered.

    ¡°Terms? You seem to be misunderstanding something. I¡®m not holding Senri hostage. I simply dropped by to return the sword. As it was a part of our promise¡­ and I have a message from her. ¡®Sorry. I¡¯ll quit the Order. Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for me¡¯, she said.¡±

    ? ? ?

 Chapter 28.2, Epilogue

    Their faces registered surprise but soon turned stiff.

    There was no untruth in everything I had spoken so far and the message I had delivered. It is true that to an extent, I had swayed her will by inviting sympathy but she had been the one to make the final decision.

    Senri Silvis may be a Death Knight but there is one quality of hers that sets her apart from her peers.

    The Death Knights fight for justice and are archenemies of the dark forces, but Senri on the other hand¡­ fights for the weak.

    Her naivety knows no bounds. That being the reason why she ended up taking pity on a pathetic, weak undead like me.

    I suppose it also could be considered kindness but that deems her unsuitable to be a Death Knight.

    ¡°Senri made me a promise. That she will stay by my side and make sure that I won¡¯t be taken over by instincts of undead. And since she can¡¯t permit me to attack humans, she would periodically provide me with the blood I need instead. Senri really is a good girl but she totally isn¡¯t suitable to be a Death Knight, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ bastard¡­¡±

    Neville turned bright red with fury and approached me. I did not lose any time to utter a warning.

    The Death Knights are a terrifying lot. They do not feel the need to justify any attack they make against dark forces.

    ¡°Uh-oh hang on! Don¡¯t attack me. If I die, Senri dies.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    Ep¨¦e¡¯s expression turned grim. I got carried away by the feeling of invincibility and exhilaration that the blood gave me and declared loudly.

    ¡°You¡¯re wondering who would kill her? Why, her own self! We made a promise. If I were to be slain here or didn¡¯t return for a long time, Senri would slit her throat and die. I would never have come here if I had no assurance of my safety!¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Lufry! Don¡¯t you all know it in your heart if Senri would actually do it or not given how you¡¯ve known her longer? Tread carefully, since Senri will not survive with only a head unlike me.¡±

    It feels really good to be glared at.

    I may be a harmless and pitiful undead, but I am not stoic enough to not feel anything after they purged the better part of my body.

    I could feel their murderous intent. Naturally, there are chances that I might get killed in this place.

    Nevertheless, I had decided that Senri¡¯s word was gold and bet my life on it.

    Strong, beautiful, young, virgin¡¯s blood. Not to mention a former Death Knight. There cannot be a better outcome than being able to feed on such a person and regularly at that.

    Just a bit more blood than necessary granted me so much power.

    If I am able to feed on her blood regularly, then my living conditions would drastically improve.

    Vampires have the dreadful ability of making Lesser Vampires and followers of the targets they feed on.

    Although I do not possess the ability since I am only a Lesser Vampire, I would not make her my follower. The reason being, I will not be able feed on her if I turn her into a vampire as well.

    Ep¨¦e moved from his seat for the first time since I entered the room. He got up to his feet and spoke calmly.

    ¡°That¡¯s absurd. If she¡¯s going to live such a life, if her life is only going to amount to being a vampire¡¯s livestock, then killing her would be an act of mercy¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true. I can¡¯t deny that.¡±

    I am no longer human. My dark irises have turned blood red and I appear translucent in the mirror. The cross and garlic will soon become my weaknesses and I would not be able to enter someone¡¯s room uninvited. Nor would I be able to cross running water.

    I whispered enticements.

    ¡°But think about it. No matter how naive she is, do you really think she would be happy to be my blood source forever?¡±

    ¡°¡­ What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Senri is just a little lost now. That¡¯s all. And there¡¯s no doubt that Neville and you people are the ones who pushed her to this state.¡±

    Having his name called out brought a change in Neville¡¯s expression.

    Senri is naive. She sympathizes with the weak. Although the above are true, there is no way she would simply offer her neck to a vampire when she has been fighting those creatures for a long time.

    Neville tormenting me¡­ was the reason for all of this to happen. It further weakened me, who was already pitiful and weak to begin with. Failure to stop them forced Senri to feel obligated to make amends. Which resulted in her offering her blood to me.

    None of that which happened were by my design, but it all ended up being very favorable to me. I even consider my near death as good fortune.

    ¡°Frankly, Senri was planning on returning the sword herself at first. However, I stopped her. I decided to risk my life and come here to return the sword instead. Good grief, she really is too gullible.¡±

    Had she came over herself, Senri would have been placed under house arrest and she would have regained her senses.

    Well, even if she was not restrained, I doubt this status quo could be maintained indefinitely. She may be extremely kind but she is no idiot nor does she lack common sense.

    She is a woman of righteousness. And there is no changing that I am an evil creature. It makes sense that the two will clash.

    The connection between us is very strained.

    I assume a slightly earnest expression and turn to Ep¨¦e.

    ¡°Senri is strong. Monstrously so, to be honest. I would be no match to her even after receiving a bit of her blood. She isn¡¯t a captured princess. Should I become dangerous, Senri would not hesitate to kill me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ so that¡¯s why, we should let you go?¡±

    ¡°If you were to kill me now, Senri would not hesitate to kill herself. She¡¯s in a very unstable condition right now. What she needs now, is some time to collect herself.¡±

    Nevertheless, I shall not let that happen. I am an undead that simply wants to survive. I dare say I am not the kind of King of the Undead the Lord envisioned.

    I will not make enemies of the righteous. That is, as long as they do not try to kill me.

    Ep¨¦e laughed scornfully. His eyes popped as he stared down on me.

    The sharp look in his eyes made it hard to believe it was coming from an old man. The pressure I felt emanate from his person was extremely terrifying to someone who had gambled his all.

    My heart was shaken. However, I did not show it on my face.

    His teeth bared, Ep¨¦e uttered quietly.

    ¡°How dare you look down on the Order? You think we are naive enough to let you off when that was all you brought to the table? End, you appear to be mistaken. Senri has lost the battle. She bears the responsibility of her own death and not anyone else. Our duty is to kill repulsive living dead like you.¡±

    I laughed upon hearing those words. I see Ep¨¦e the Destroyer is not such a tough opponent after all.

    I shall survive. I shall do anything to that end. Be it using force, words or luck.

    ¡°If you could make that choice, Senri wouldn¡¯t have become that naive. I¡¯m well aware of the Order of Death Knights because I¡¯m a fan of them. Although you¡¯re merciless to your enemies, you¡¯re soft on your fellow knights. And you would never make the wrong choice. Had you wished to kill me, I would already be dead. Let me ask you once more ¨C do you really intend to have your precious princess die along with a single, harmless Lesser Vampire like me? Hahaha¡­ her death would be meaningless. I did say that both of us would die together but our end destination was never the same.¡±

    Ep¨¦e sunk into silence but a smile lingered upon his face. The other knights searched their master¡¯s face while their own looked grim.

    I got ready to make a move. I do not know much about Ep¨¦e¡¯s abilities but it is after dark now ¨C the hour of the undead. If things do not go as intended and they do attack me, I might be able to escape. The previous stage to becoming a Lesser Vampire, ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯ is said to possess the ability to disappear into darkness.

    Nevertheless, since I absorbed Lord¡¯s soul, I skipped that stage entirely and hence cannot utilize that skill. I might be able to use it given practice, but it is rather impossible right now anyway.

    However, Ep¨¦e is not aware of that.

    They are weighing their options. They are weighing my threat against Senri¡¯s worth.

    The Death Knights would never make the wrong choice. The room was quiet except for the clock ticking.

    The silence was broken abruptly. Ep¨¦e looked deep in thought and sunk back into his chair. His disciples sighed deeply.

    It may have been naivety that made them give me the most wretched death but this proved that Ep¨¦e and his disciples were still only human.

    They are in a position to show concern for others. But the same cannot be said for me.

    ¡°Oh I almost forgot. I had to ask one more thing of you. I need you to return the shadow amulet and sunshade cloak you snatched from me. They are Horus¡¯ keepsakes. And they belong to me. Plus, you people can¡¯t bear to have your princess¡­ sleep outdoors either right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Lufry, could you get¡­ them.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    I did not think they would actually return them. Things seemed to be proceeding well.

    Lufry opened a safe and retrieved a familiar looking cloak and amulet from the recesses of the room and handed them over to Ep¨¦e.

    Ep¨¦e placed the cloak on the table and picked up the shadow amulet with the black gem, capable of concealing negative energy.

    He held it out in front of my expectant eyes and uttered quietly.

    ¡°End¡­ I shall fall for your smooth talk and let you off this time. Not because I trust you but because I believe in Senri.¡±

    The gem in the amulet cracked a little. And before I could object, the amulet was crushed to bits.

    Ep¨¦e dusted off what was left of the amulet from his hands and smiled thinly.

    ¡°Disappear from my view while I¡¯m still barely containing myself. Tell Senri that we will surely come for her.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Tch, you monster.¡±

    I felt elation bubbling inside me.

    I will be killed if I do not leave this place quickly. Ep¨¦e¡¯s words made that very clear.

    I reckon I pushed them too much¡­ but I managed to buy some time.

    I turned my back to them. Almost at the same time, a silver arrow whizzed past my cheek.

    I did not sense it coming. Nor did I hear a sound. I had not let down my guard either. Flesh began to burn where the arrow had grazed me. Accompanied by a thud, Senri¡¯s sword that I had just returned, stuck out the door.

    The pain made my heart beat stronger.

    ¡°End, return that¡­ to Senri. That sword isn¡¯t trivial enough for a proxy to return¡­¡±

    ? ? ?

    As I left the inn, fear crept into my legs, late as it may be.

    I broke into a run to avoid being swallowed by it. The agility that I gained after becoming a lesser vampire, enabled me to run as swift as the wind, and I was out of Engey in the blink of an eye.

    I am a coward. I dreaded death all my previous life, and I dread getting killed now.

    If there is one thing that is different from before, it is that I can do something about it now. I have the strength and means to fight back. I have a good, strong body. I have a future.

    I finally stopped running after I entered the woods.

    Under the moonlight, a cool breeze caressed my cheek. No one had chased after me. But by no means did that mean I had gained their approval.

    I have already become an unpardonable existence, the world¡¯s enemy, the King of the Undead.

    But that is just fine.

    I shall not shy away from making use of anything to attain my goal. I shall sacrifice anyone or anything to that end.

    Be it kindness, emotions, joy, or anything ever. Nothing matters as long as I can attain freedom.

    ¡ª I shall resign myself to the fate of becoming the world¡¯s most terrifying monster.

    Senri should be waiting. We need to discuss our route of escape .

    It is important to focus on what lies ahead. I composed myself, felt happy for having survived and walked further into the woods, humming a song.

 Chapter 29: Prologue â€“ Freedom

    The moon was high in the sky. Cold wind danced around the trees and caressed my face.

    The strength of an undead created by necromancers is governed by the cycles of the moon. Meaning, depending on whether the moon is waxing or waning, their power grows stronger or weaker.

    That might be the reason why we, the undead, are referred to as being of darkness or night.

    I would surmise that the curse is designed in such a way. And I, as a Lesser Vampire, am no exception. I get much stronger during the full moon and far weaker during the new moon.

    Well, the one that weakens us undead the most comes around everyday, the day, during which the sun shines bright. However, the ones that chase us to the ends of the world, factor in time of the day and the cycle of the moon when in pursuit of us.

    The reason Ep¨¦e let me off is not because of my ingeniousness, but his indulgence.

    It is not me that he was indulging but Senri.

    I suppose a talent like hers is hard to come by even in the Order of Death Knights, that is only composed of the elite.

    If I remember correctly, only a select few are capable of becoming first-class knights. Not to mention, it is probably even more uncommon for someone Senri¡¯s age to have the qualities to become one. That is the reason, the Death Knights chose to trust her rather than kill the monster.

    Well, the Death Knights are not the only ones that target vampires.

    For instance, there are unaffiliated necromancers who try to tame a vampire with a collar. Also as unbelievable as it may sound, there are ¡®Vampire Hunters¡¯ who specialize in hunting vampires.

    Even ordinary soldiers or mercenaries would join forces to hunt me down if they were to ever find out that I am a pseudo-vampire.

    I need to carefully plan my next course of action.

    Vampires are incredibly strong with several powerful special abilities but at the same time, possess a lot of weaknesses.

    The most common ones being the sun, garlic and the cross. Vampires cannot cross running water nor can they enter a house uninvited. They are not reflected in mirrors and a wooden stake to the heart can kill them. Not to mention, things like silver or holy water that are dreadful to any average evil entity, are also a vampire¡¯s weakness.

    However, I am still a Lesser Vampire. Although my weaknesses are a lot fewer compared to a true vampire, it would still be too premature to head for a town.

    I had realized that the reason Ep¨¦e the Destroyer broke the shadow amulet to pieces, was not because he was carried away by his emotions.

    But because its existence would render them unable to pursue me.

    It was a declaration of war. It was a display of their iron will, that meant even if they let me go this once they would kill me for sure.

    The Death Knights track undead by their negative energy. I am not aware of how exactly it works, but considering the Death Knights are capable of doing so, it would not be too far-fetched to conclude that the other knights and vampire hunters may also have the same ability.

    Now that there is no amulet, even if I were to blend into the crowd and live a peaceful life as a sort of night owl that dislikes mornings, it is quite possible that the Death Knights would find/attack me.

    I dare say that a device like that is rare. I searched through the ruins of the Lord¡¯s castle but was unable to find anything alike.

    And it is now impossible to find out how the Lord managed to acquire it.

    It has been ten days since I ran away with Senri. We have been steadily making progress through the woods. There have been no signs of any vestiges of the Lord since that day. Perhaps he is gone for good.

    The moon was reflected in the lake. I peered into it and was greeted by my translucent reflection.

    I am¡­ free now. Completely free. Although there are people on my tail, my choices are endless now. And no one to block my path.

    The reality of that felt very burdensome.

    I was bedridden for most of my previous life. Once resurrected, I was under the Lord¡¯s protection.

    The fact that my choices were endless meant that the weight of responsibility of my actions lies on me.

    The reality of that hit hard.

    How should I live my life? How should I defend myself? How do I protect? How do I escape?

    However, that unease still brought me solace. Even if I had to face hardships, I would never want to handover the reins of my freedom to the Lord.

    A big, dark lizard slithered through the trees. The beasts here seem to be of a different kind than the ones in the vicinity of the Lord¡¯s mansion.

    A pair of ferocious gold eyes stared fixedly at me. Its mouth slightly ajar, I could see rows of small teeth.

    However, the lizard is not aware of the truth.

    That I am¡­ a demon, far stronger than the average beast, with inhuman strength and a dark being that can survive decapitation.

    The nails on my fingers began to transform and taper into sharp claws.

    It was the ability I had gained upon becoming a ghoul, ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯. Although it is no more than an extension of my nails, it is sharp and strong enough to use in place of a knife.

    I waved my hand and laughed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll present it to Senri. Anything to make her produce even one more drop of blood.¡±

    While I pondered about Senri and how she was slowly coming to her senses, I leapt upon the lizard in front of me like the true beast I am.

 Chapter 30: Discord

    The Death Knights are guardians of mankind and enemies to evil beings.

    They may be few in number but it is made up of the cream of the crop. They learn combat techniques and ways to ward off evil in their headquarters and upon completion of the course, they are assigned to the corresponding units.

    Senri is naive. However, that is certainly not all she is.

    If naive were all she was, Ep¨¦e would not have let me go.

    She is educated in methods of purging evil, has real-life experience battling monsters and holds the knowledge derived from those experiences.

    ¡®Demon¡¯ is the word that would be used to describe an evil being with intelligence.

    In all the stories I have come across, they were portrayed as beings with immense strength, who were cruel and haughty in nature and at times used sweet words to deceive the Death Knights.

    Yes¡­ much like how I deceived Senri.

    I am still very much human at heart. I cannot state that with much confidence as all I could do in my past life was bear with the pain, but I do not feel as if my mindset has changed.

    However, given time, Senri is sure to start doubting me. No, maybe she already does.

    The reason Senri saved me was simply because I was in a perilous state. Only because I was really on the brink of death, she lent her neck to a lesser vampire semi-impulsively.

    I had not uttered any lies during the negotiations with Ep¨¦e. They were my true feelings.

    Senri is a Death Knight. I should never forget that fact.

    I do not intend to harm humans. However, the world would still come for my head in the name of justice and I fully intend to fight back.

    Vampires are strong. Although their weaknesses cannot be disregarded, even lesser vampires are much stronger than the average human.

    Senri had promised me her blood. Nevertheless, I do not have the slightest inkling how long that self-sacrificing attitude of hers will continue for. I had not realized it since I was surrounded by strong people, but I am no longer what is generally considered weak.

    If I were her, I would never have made the choice to offer my neck to a monster. There is no doubt that with all her knowledge of the dark forces, she would hold a great deal of aversion to such an option. At that time, she simply felt compelled to make that choice, that was all.

    I needed to gain her trust. She is my lifesaver, my enemy and the shield that protects me.

    The battle between Ep¨¦e and I had started ever since our first encounter in town.

    If I fail to gain her trust, the Death Knights win.

    And if I manage to win her over, I could live a little longer. The odds of the battle are not in my favor.

    If I wish to lead a tranquil life, I can never afford to lose her.

    Not just her blood, but I lack too much common knowledge regarding the world to lead a proper life.

    When I was a ghoul, I satiated my hunger by partaking the raw meat of monsters. If I had stayed a ghoul, I could have lived a life without ever hurting any humans.

    However, vampires are different. Vampires cannot exist without partaking the blood of ¡®humans¡¯.

    In fact, I tried drinking the blood of wild beasts several times since then, and found it unable to satiate my hunger nor did I feel the euphoria that Senri¡¯s blood gave me.

    The reason is the curse. Vampires need to make livestock of humans in order to exist. They cannot live a quiet life deep in the woods.

    Vampires only need a small quantity of blood at regular intervals but I doubt there are any willing humans, generous enough to permit that. Hence, it is inevitable for vampires to attack humans and for the latter to detest the former.

    I lugged the lizard, whose head I had chopped off, drained the blood and proceeded deep into the woods.

    Senri was waiting in a clearing a few miles away from the watering hole.

    I could hear the sound of twigs crackling.

    The crimson bonfire dispelled the darkness ever so slightly and illuminated the silver, holy knight.

    ¡°End, what¡¯s that¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for you. We don¡¯t have salt or pepper, but it¡¯s better you eat some meat¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see. Thanks.¡±

    A faint smile lingered on her face.

    In these past ten days we have spent on the run, Senri has grown a little haggard.

    She is a human being. The glow around her was still bright but it was undeniably, fatigue etched on her face.

    It is probably mental fatigue resulting from this indefinite life on the run that had started without any preparations whatsoever and the fact that she has to stay by me, a vampire.

    Intrinsically, she is different from an undead like me.

    I, as a vampire, have a helluva sturdy body.

    Ingesting garlic would upset my stomach but I could even eat rotten meat and not have anything happen to me.

    I can go for a longer period of time without taking any sustenance. I do not feel any fatigue no matter how much I run and my sense of pain is rather weak as well. Even if I were to get hurt, my regeneration ability would heal me completely. Although I do not possess the special characteristics of a vampire, my body is very much close to one.

    However, that is not the case with Senri. She may be much stronger than the average human due to the enormous amount of positive energy she possesses, and may also be trained but at her core, she is but a frail, human being.

    She would grow weaker without intaking food at regular intervals, and there is a limit to how many nights she can go without sleep. Fatigue would build up and make her mind dull. And her intake needs to be nutritious or the quality of her blood would drop.

    She is stunningly beautiful. However, her beauty and strength are not eternal.

    I was sitting some distance away from Senri, and yet, I could still smell the same intoxicating scent of hers.

    The scent of blood and flesh.

    A simple taste of her blood underneath that pristine, white skin could make my body and soul tremble.

    Just being near her made my breathing heavy and set my mouth drooling. No matter how much I try to hold myself in check, it is not something that can be controlled. It is also proof that I am a demon.

    I tore my mind away from such thoughts and skillfully wielded my sharp nails to slice up the lizard.

    I removed the skin, the innards and the bones. My hands had become soaked with blood before I knew it.

    I threaded the meat through the skewers made of branches and placed them against the fire. Senri was nibbling on a fruit, one she did not seem to find particularly delicious.

    On my way to throw away the innards, I found a watering hole to wash the blood off my hands.

    The abilities of a lesser vampire are amazing. Not just night vision but all the other senses are sharper than the average human and the range might also be wider.

    Although I can see in the dark, peering into the bonfire does not leave me blinded. Although my sense of taste is sharp, I would have no trouble eating rotten meat. And the same goes for my sense of smell, hearing and touch.

    However, those only serve to represent the distance between me and Senri, a distance that I can never close.

    I returned to Senri¡¯s side and examined her face.

    ¡°Senri, aren¡¯t you having a hard time?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Not a problem.¡±

    There is no way that is true. However, she does not let any discomfort show on her face.

    She indifferently accepted the skewer I offered and nibbled on the bland lizard meat.

    A daily life that consisted of simply traversing the woods and insipid food. A life with no joy.

    I am aware that ¡®The poor cannot afford any manners¡¯. It still does not sit well with me to let my lifesaver lead such a life.

    We need to leave the woods soon¡­ or the quality of her blood will deteriorate. The thought that suddenly crossed my mind made me laugh at myself.

    It is not a very human thought. I am using Senri but I was sure that I was not just thinking of my lifesaver as food.

    A troubling inclination.

    Senri has weakened considerably. Before long, she would grow weaker and end up growing weaker than me. If I do not rein in myself, I might end up making a tragic decision when that time comes. That will be the moment of reckoning.

    If that moment were to come before I win her over, I am sure to die.

    Senri was growing weaker due to malnutrition, stress and fatigue.

    However, the positive energy around her person had not dulled in the least. If anything, it had grown stronger.

    It is certainly marvellous. I had been under the impression that positive energy (she calls it blessing), represented one¡¯s life force. However, I seem to have been mistaken.

    She had such an enormous amount of energy that she would have plenty left over even after killing me. I could never even imagine challenging her with that ridiculous amount of energy.

    Maybe she had noticed something in my gaze for Senri¡¯s voice sounded a bit more somber than usual.

    ¡°I¡­ really¡­ am fine. You should just think about yourself¡­ End.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡­ wish I could walk under the sun¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t push¡­ yourself. You¡¯re not¡­ at fault.¡±

    I am part of the reason why we have yet to leave the woods.

    As a vampire, I cannot walk under the sun. Although I would not turn to dust the moment I am exposed to sunlight since I am still a lesser vampire, we still needed to sleep in a place where the sunlight could not seep through. Not to mention, it was the time of the year when the days were longer.

    Senri has been forced to keep up with my pace and that has further contributed to her lack of rest. The time I spend sleeping in a hole in the ground, she protects me from up above, under the strong sunlight.

    I am aware that the Death Knights may chase me down to these woods and hence it was unsuitable to linger here but we still needed to make a base somewhere.

    Seeing my non-responsiveness, Senri looked up at me. Deep purple eyes quietly peered at me.

    I made up my mind and steeled my resolve.

    Her fingers trembled ever so lightly, as she undid her collar and exposed a pale, flawless, delicious looking nape. There were no wounds left whatsoever from when I drank her blood ten days ago.

    My resolve weakened. Senri whispered inquiringly,

    ¡°End¡­ are you hungry?¡±

 Chapter 31: Blood Lust

    ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore, Master. We need to bring back Senri this instant!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Neville. Your impetuousness is one of your faults.¡±

    Neville grit his teeth as Ep¨¦e frowned admonishingly.

    Ten days since Senri has been gone. The Death Knights were still in the town of Engey.

    The atmosphere was terrible. Senri was by no means a social person, but she was adored for her strength and natural disposition.

    Now all of that was in the hands of a vampire, and the reason it came to this was because they failed to kill him, which led to Senri choosing to give herself over to the vampire. There is a limit to how much even Death Knights, who have seen their fair share tragedies, can bear.

    The one who looked worse for wear was Neville, who had chosen to punish End with solar penalty. The look in his eyes that had naturally been terrible had become as dangerous as that of a wounded beast. Dark circles had formed under his eyes, probably because he had been unable to sleep tortured by nightmares and he did not look composed in the least.

    The other third-class knights looked a bit better, but all of them looked at Ep¨¦e gloomily.

    Lufry and the rest were still third-class knights. They had plenty of training and battle experience, but were still inexperienced in the war against dark forces.

    It would be their first time experiencing the abduction of one of their peers.

    Lufry, the unofficial leader of the third-class knights, declared,

    ¡°Master, I agree with Neville. That vampire is still in the pupal stage, but it can¡¯t be trusted. Horus Carmon is the one who created it. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to do nothing at this juncture other than simply just forward a report. Shouldn¡¯t we at least give chase before the footprints left by the negative energy of the vampire disappear?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Master, give me the order. I will single handedly rescue Senri if I have to!¡±

    Neville banged his fists on the table and glared at Ep¨¦e.

    Neville may only be a third-class knight but by no means could he be considered weak. A full-fledged vampire aside, Neville is skilled enough to take care of a single lesser vampire all by himself.

    However, Ep¨¦e joined his hands together and stared fixedly at Lufry.

    ¡°¡­ Lufry, it¡¯s important to be patient. Senri is just a little lost now. Waiting is part of my strategy.¡±

    ¡°B-but Master! Senri isn¡¯t that strong mentally! At this rate, that vampire will¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Win the battle? Devour her? Are those your fears? Lufry, did you really think Senri is that weak?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Lufry faltered as if he had recalled their experiences together on the battlefield.

    There was no mistake that Senri could be naive but she was a whole lot stronger than that. She tended to reach for ideals but we have fought many crafty demons to the bitter end.

    ¡°I hate to agree with him, but as that End said, she simply needs time to gather her thoughts. It would be too premature for us to make a move yet.¡±

    ¡°But Master! Wouldn¡¯t we be playing right into that vampire¡¯s hands if we do that? Not to mention, he can¡¯t really be trusted.¡±

    Unusually enough, Lufry looked fired up. Senri is somewhat of a troublesome sister to Lufry, who has been Ep¨¦e¡¯s subordinate long since before Senri had joined them.

    Ep¨¦e looked fondly at his disciple who cared for his peers and smiled serenely as usual.

    ¡°¡­ Rest at ease. Simply in terms of strength, Senri is very close to a first-class knight. End can never overpower Senri. Even if he were to attack her in her sleep, Senri¡¯s blessing should easily be able to turn him to dust. The main problem is her intention. It wouldn¡¯t be wise for us to make a move until she has come to her senses. Of course, we can¡¯t wait indefinitely, but if we were to try to rescue her now, she might just as well protect End from us. It would be very difficult to get past her and get our hands on the vampire.¡±

    Senri is a kind and sensitive person. However, she does not tend to drag her feet.

    She is just simply too kind. If she continues to fight alongside the Death Knights in the future, she is bound to run into such monsters. This encounter with a monster that has memories of its past life could be considered a trial of sorts for her.

    End, a vampire born out of unfortunate circumstances.

    It is simply too pitiful to be reborn as an undead after his passing. I recall him stressing that he simply wanted to survive, but his soul is no longer pure.

    The body is strung along by the soul. End must have felt confident of being able to convince Senri. However, he is simply too ignorant of several details.

    It is true that End is quite a powerful vampire. Not his actual strength but his will.

    It is rather unheard of for a lesser vampire to possess marked sentience and human senses. He was capable of controlling his blood lust and stopped himself from taking the life of his first victim (that said, he may have gotten himself killed had he tried to harm her), and this bit of news took even Ep¨¦e by surprise. However¡ª

    Ep¨¦e brought his hands together, smiled self-deprecatingly and whispered.

    ¡°End. The blood lust of a vampire is not something you can easily keep a lid on forever. You will soon turn into a demon that Senri needs to defeat. You are already¡­ a monster!¡±

    ???

    My breathing quickened. I only had to extend my arm and stoop forward to reach Senri¡¯s neck.

    I wonder why I could feel the delicious, warm blood gushing under that porcelain white skin. I could hear her heartbeat and the sound of the blood coursing through her veins if I listened carefully.

    Senri had taken down the shield of blessing that always surrounded her. There was nothing that stood between me and her anymore.

    Push her to the ground, pin her struggling body beneath you, sink your fangs into that neck and suck out her blood.

    My vampire impulses whispered temptations. It was tantalizing beyond measure.

    My fingers and body were trembling, allured by her sweet blood. It tugged at my heart painfully.

    I was doing my utmost to hold back my arms that longed to reach out and my body that was ready to fling itself onto her.

    My eyes were fixed on her nape while I tried to divert my attention elsewhere.

    Vampires are undead that attack humans and feed on them. They particularly prefer the blood of young, pure humans of the opposite sex and they do not fear to resort to anything to that end. And once they sink their fangs in their victims¡¯ neck, they seldom stop before draining every single drop of their blood.

    In the book about vampires in the Lord¡¯s library, I came across the term called ¡®blood lust¡¯.

    Vampires feed on humans out of impulse. The demon sustains itself and grows stronger through the act. The blood lust is said to be so strong that even clever vampires that conceal themselves in a human village could semi-impulsively attack humans at the risk of exposing themselves.

    It has been ten days since I first fed on Senri. I have since then abstained from drinking any blood.

    The book from the Lord¡¯s library had been written by a human being, and as such there were no specific details, but after partaking of her top-grade blood once, I feel like I understand the reason for and how strong blood lust can be.

    The experience was otherworldly. That is not an analogy. My whole body and my soul were taken over by intense pleasure, that even if I were to have died at that instant, I would have done so with a smile on my face.

    It was almost a miracle that I stopped short of killing her.

    Perhaps my reason hanging by a thread stopped me or it was because I understood Senri¡¯s noble intentions. Had it been a stranger who I felt no obligation towards, I am not sure I would have been able to stop.

    I felt a dull pain emanating from my palm. That is when I realized that I had clenched my fist so tightly that my nails had dug into my palm.

    I reckon my eyes are blood-red now.

    When I was a fleshman, I was but an empty shell. I felt neither pain nor fatigue or even had an appetite. An urge is simply proof that one is alive. Had I not possessed memories from my past life, I would have been nothing more than a puppet.

    After becoming a ghoul, I gained an appetite and sense of pain. And now, as a lesser vampire, I can sleep.

    Then, what about the rest of the desires?

    The three primitive desires of mankind would be food, sleep and sex. Do vampires have sexual urges?

    The answer would probably be¡­ yes.

    And this is just my hypothesis, but if I am right, a vampire¡¯s sexual urge and ¡®appetite¡¯ are united as one.

    According to the book, everyone who had their blood taken by vampires all stated that they had felt intense sexual pleasure instead of pain. The other senses suppressed by intense pleasure, they pass away in a state of bliss.

    I imagine the vampires also feel something similar to that. Although I do not have a scale of measure since I had no sexual experiences in my past life, it would not be too strange for it to be true considering full-fledged vampires are capable of turning their victims into fellow vampires through the act of blood sucking.

    The bliss, that rewrote my entire view of life, must have been due to the synergy of two desires being fulfilled at the same time.

    I am nearly at the end of my tether. The only things barely holding me back are the small voice of reason and my survival instinct that is stronger than the three desires.

    I dare say once I give into the blood lust, I would not feel the hesitation I now feel next time. That could mean danger for my life.

    Not that I am hesitant about quitting playing human at his juncture, but if that would lead to my death then I would rather not.

    I should be able to hold on. I shall not kill Senri even if I drink her blood next time.

    But that could also give rise to suspicion.

    What I need the most from Senri, is not her blood, but her heart. I need, not transient feelings of pity but true friendship.

    Senri¡¯s blood is top-grade. Owing to that, I have been able to sustain myself for ten days without drinking any blood. However, that does not mean I did not feel the urge to feast upon her.

    I just held back. I diverted my mind from brooding on my thirst by only thinking about escaping the people who could be pursuing us.

    Had Ep¨¦e had sent people after us, it would have made Senri¡¯s heart lean towards me. However, there were no signs of that happening. Despite him seething with anger when we separated ways.

    He has seen through the true nature of my battle. He is convinced that he only has to sit and watch me fall. Wait for the ¡®weakling¡¯ in me to die.

    He is right. Senri is kind. Kind enough for a monster to seek through the gap in her defenses and try to devour her the moment she lets her guard down. In the past ten days, Senri showed me nothing but an amiable expression.

    And even now, she is not trying to entrap me by exposing her neck but out of genuine care for me.

    However, that is precisely why I should put my life on the line and face her righteousness head on.

    Do not underestimate me¡­ Death Knight.

    ¡°¡­ End?¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    I did not realize how it happened but Senri was close and looking up at me with her purple pair of eyes.

    I was lost for words. Both my hands gripped her shoulders and her bare neck lay open before me. For a moment, I thought Senri had closed the distance between us but no. I seem to be the one who moved closer.

    Despite not having been able to bathe owing to us being on the run for the past ten days, Senri still smelled heavenly.

    Her hair, skin, blood and flesh, and everything, exuded a sweet smell that was so enticing.

    My head felt hot. I felt intense dizziness and nausea. My hands on her shoulders would not budge an inch just as if I had been ordered by the Lord.

    My ignorant heart was beating like crazy. It kept willing me to drink the first-grade blood in front of me. Even when I try to draw my hands back, they simply twitch but do not move.

    Senri shot me a quizzical look and inclined her head even more, exposing the veins on her clear, pale neck.

    ¡°!!¡±

    My body moved on its own. The hands on her shoulders slid to her back and pulled her small body in for an embrace. My head moved and closed in on her nape.

    I could feel her warm blood and soft flesh with my whole body. I shivered, body and soul in bliss. The canines that had grown out and become sharp when I transformed into a lesser vampire pierce into her skin.

    ¡ª At that moment, I willed my whole body to stop moving.

    My head felt really hot. Dark red liquid marred her flawless skin. Blood. Not Senri¡¯s but mine.

    Tears of blood from my eyes drew lines on her pale skin. It looked immoral.

    I took care not to put any strength into my arms so as to not crush her to death, took deep breaths and whispered in her ear.

    ¡°¡­ I can¡­ hold on¡­ a little longer. Senri, I can¡­ still¡­ fight it. I wish¡­ to live as¡­ a human for some more time. Please¡­ don¡¯t¡­ tempt me.¡±

    I will drink her blood without fail. Even if I can bear with it now, there will come a day when I will not be able to anymore.

    There are no vampires that can survive without drinking blood, and I will not hesitate to drink any amount of blood I need in order to survive.

    However, now¡­ is not that time yet.

    Senri patted my back awkwardly. That made my blood lust calm down a little.

    I felt something lukewarm on my neck. Tears. Unlike my own, these were tears from someone who genuinely cared about me. Senri spoke with a quivering voice.

    ¡°I¡­ am sorry¡­ End. I did¡­ something horrible. I¡¯ll never¡­ do it again.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But when you really can¡¯t bear with it anymore, I want you to tell me without hesitation. I heard when vampires deny themselves blood for too long, they could go mad.¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­oh. At that time¡ª¡±

    I swallowed hard and made a firm decision.

    I shall drink her blood in the best of circumstances.

    Feed her well and make her healthy again. Have her recover from fatigue by making her sleep good hours. Have her take a bath to make that soft skin shine.

    And finally, atop a clean, white bed, I shall have her strip, pin down her naked body under me and sink my fangs into her pale skin.

    The act of drinking blood is not as simple as partaking a meal to a vampire. I felt strangely convinced of that.

    I am certain to attain more power than ever if I were to drink the holy blood of someone who I have an emotional bond with.

    The moment I finally accomplish that without getting purged is when I will have completely won her over.

    I rested my cheek on Senri¡¯s neck and scowled at the dark.

    I need to gain a human ally. Just like how the Lord had Huck, someone to deliver supplies and prepare living quarters, an ally who would help me live a life away from the human world.

    Although it is a risky venture, in order to lead a peaceful life, I am in need of such an ally.

 Chapter 32: Blood Lust â€“ Part II

    My strength that was already on the decline, just plummeted.

    The pace at which I grew weaker was much faster than I had anticipated. Perhaps my body has completely exhausted all of Senri¡¯s blood.

    Vampires have physical abilities that far surpass mankind. So I have no problem trekking through the woods all night, but if I were to get caught in a full-fledged battle, then the difference in my strength between now and before would become very apparent.

    If I were to go head-to-head against myself right after I had drunk Senri¡¯s blood, I would be beaten down in an instant.

    I speak less. I am in a constant daze. I feel crazy hungry.

    My food intake is more than enough. However, it looks like food cannot completely replace blood.

    Blood Lust is similar to hunger and at the same time it is not. My body grows hot, and I feel lightheaded. As if my very soul was on fire, my head turns towards Senri¡¯s every move.

    Since then, Senri has not made any overt invitations.

    However, the soft glow of her silver hair, flawless pale skin, somewhat sombre purple eyes, have grown insanely dear to me.

    If the act of feeding satisfies both food and sexual urges of a vampire, then what I feel towards Senri must be a mixture of both.

    In fiction and nonfiction alike, there is no such thing as a ¡®good vampire¡¯.

    Thirst that cannot be satiated by ingesting meat, drinking water or animal blood, the gradually depreciating strength are a few things that make a vampire a truly fearsome monster.

    It is truly a ¡®curse¡¯. The feeling of impending doom was unendurable even for me, who had once experienced it before.

    Senri would have shared a bit of her blood with me had I asked.

    However, it was partly stubbornness on my part that stopped me. I have no idea what I need to do to gain her whole trust. All I can do is delay the inevitable.

    First, I stopped conversing with her. I only spoke when necessary and fought against the unquenchable thirst by completely immersing myself in my thoughts.

    Solitude was nothing new to me. I had plenty to mull over.

    How am I going to live my life hereafter? How can I earn Senri¡¯s trust? How to quickly become stronger in order to fight against my enemies? How to make use of the ability of concealing myself in the darknes,s which I cannot yet use since I skipped over the stage of ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯ and evolved into a lesser vampire instead? How long do I have before I evolve into the next stage? How do gain a human ally?

    Vampires cannot cross running water. It would not kill them, but their body would grow weak and they would not be able to use any of their special abilities.

    Consequently, vampires can seldom be found on islands, and most developed cities have a moat built around them. I need to give some serious thought as to where I need to settle while the effects are still mild for me as a lesser vampire.

    It is rather difficult to find a human ally who could help us live among humans.

    I have no allies. However, I cannot trust any of Senri¡¯s allies either.

    There are only two people who could help¡­ two viable options.

    The first option, the ¡®corpse carrier¡¯ Huck who served the Lord. The Lord, who happened to be much more fearsome than a teeny lesser vampire like me.

    Perhaps, he would be willing to help me. I have met him a couple of times. And he is probably my best bet.

    However, Huck illegally trades undead, which would put him on Senri¡¯s hit list and even if we get past that, Huck is a businessman. The Lord compensated him handsomely and hence he procured the items the Lord wanted, but I cannot give him anything that would outweigh the risk the job would entail.

    And the biggest problem to begin with would be, I have no idea where to locate him. He may be in the town of Engey, but I cannot just waltz in there. There are also chances that he could already be detained.

    The second option would be, my family from my previous life.

    Though small, my family is nobility of a lower rank. Owing to that, I was able to get regular treatments despite having been stricken with a strange illness. So, they should have enough wealth to support an undead and a Death Knight at least.

    The problem is, I have no idea how my family viewed the bedridden me.

    Thoroughly absorbed in my never-ending thoughts, I mechanically moved my feet forward.

    The only legacy of the Lord that was not seized by the Death Knights since it was buried under all the debris ¨C the black machete ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯, proved to be useful.

    The profoundly heavy machete easily smashed the skulls of the carnivorous beasts that tried to attack us, all with bare minimum of movements.

    If I do not make use of any special abilities, I can control the rate at which my strength declines a little.

    At times, monsters that I carelessly missed would try to take a bite out of us, but Senri was even more skilled with the sword than me. So we faced little trouble.

    Finally, after two weeks, we safely made it through the dense, thick woods.

    And that was also when my thirst reached its peak.

    ?? ?

    Frustration, hunger and thirst turn me into a monster. My body does not feel like my own.

    What welcomed us after making it out of the woods, was an empty meadow as far as the eye could see.

    I shook my head in an effort to clear away frenzied thoughts and squinted to get a good look.

    Compared to the woods, there was nothing that could shield me from sunlight. I had prayed that something would change once we made it out, but it does not look like things are getting any better.

    The moon was three-quarters full in the sky and waning. It was one of the reasons I have been able to endure my thirst.

    A vampire is at its peak during the full moon.

    It usually hunts for prey during the night of the full moon. The increase in power results in heightened emotions, which in turn probably makes their blood lust stronger.

    I am at a loss. I have no idea what to do.

    Looking at the empty, sprawling meadow made me feel small and insignificant.

    ¡°Keep this up and¡­ you will die, End.¡±

    Out of nowhere, the vestige of the vestige started spouting drivel.

    I was not in the least surprised by the shadow that suddenly popped up. I was in no shape or form for such emotions.

    I had not realized when it had appeared, but I saw the Lord looking down at me with an exasperated expression.

    Given that Senri who was behind me has not reacted in any way, it is most very likely a hallucination.

    ¡°You have almost completely exhausted your power. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve been able to endure until now.¡±

    ¡°Shut¡­ up¡­¡±

    ¡°Your struggle is pointless. You are a demon, you need to drink blood to survive. I see you still haven¡¯t realized why I had placed a female slave by your side.¡±

    ¡°?¡­ End¡­ are you okay?¡±

    It is not that I want to starve myself. The reason why I am doing all this is because¡­ I am weak.

    Even after everything we have been through I still do not completely trust Senri. To be more precise, I do not trust the part of myself that trusts her.

    I needed to be cautious and careful. Perhaps not making a move until the situation gets critical is one of my bad habits.

    ¡°The more blood they drink the stronger vampires become. End, that woman¡¯s blood is of the finest quality. If you succeed at drinking every last drop of it, you are certain to reach the peak as a lesser vampire. Be it flee or fight back, you can do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°After which you can lay low someplace and drink the blood of some pitiful soul passing by. There will be very few¡­ who will be able to harm you.¡±

    Certainly, that would be the most practical solution.

    Although there is the question of whether Senri would allow such a reckless act on my part, depending on how I go about, there are chances that I could succeed.

    However, I would only evolve into a vampire and the situation would be much the same as it is now. And vampires are destined to be killed someday.

    To survive with this body that has a lot of enemies, I need to plan well.

    I suppose if the Lord had taken over my body, he would be able to pull it off. The Lord has both knowledge, experience and not to mention, necromancy. I reckon he has connections as well. I, on the other hand, do not have any of that.

    ¡°Vessel with an admirable spirit! He lived through solar penalty, resists blood lust and even when half-dead, he still resists me¡­!¡±

    The Lord looked down at me distrustfully. Whispering empty praises. His form and voice were very clear for a hallucination.

    ¡°End, don¡¯t resist me. My soul is within you. Let me take over. And I easily will get you through this pinch.¡±

    The devil whispered temptations. Is this really a hallucination or does Horus Carmon¡¯s soul still remain inside me?

    Either way, my answer is the same. Get lost.

    I can survive by myself. Alone if I have to.

    ¡°End¡­ you look awful, we should return to the woods for now. The sun is going to be up soon. We should come back¡­ tomorrow.

    ¡°Ahh¡­ I know. Ahh¡­ I know that. You don¡¯t need to tell me!¡±

    I answered reflexively, without thought. The Lord¡¯s illusion had disappeared before I knew it.

    Lead by hand, I reprimanded my staggering body as I followed along.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t let you be out in the open for now¡­¡±

    Senri¡¯s unexpected apology barely reached my ears. However, who gives a damn. I was in no shape to appreciate anything.

    Her silver hair swayed as she walked. Warm, pale fingers made of flesh and blood were holding my arm. I remember seeing a watering hole near the edge of the woods. I suppose she is taking me there.

    My eyes probably glow red now.

    ¡°End, devour her! You have already had her blood once. You don¡¯t have any other choice. A monster like you has no future without enemies.¡±

    I hear his voice echo in my head although I did not see him.

    I clutched at my head. But, my thirst showed no signs of abating.

    It is useless¡­ I am at my limit. At this rate, I will end up killing her.

    I breathed in and voluntarily sunk my fangs into the flesh before me.

 Chapter 33: Blood Lust â€“ Part III

    The sharp fangs pierced the skin and sunk into the flesh. My parched mouth started salivating and the taste of blood spread throughout.

    The frustration I felt at the depths of my heart dies down if only just a little.

    My vision clears up. Senri does not seem to have realized what I am up to. I take care not to let Senri notice my actions and bite harder.

    My fangs sunk into my left arm and my own blood slowly flowed into my mouth.

    I felt a dull throb but it was nothing compared to blood lust I had felt a while ago.

    My backup plan to resist blood lust, is to drink my own.

    The pain brings back my sanity. Even ingesting my own blood seems to help with the illusion of assuaging my thirst. Although it does not really go away.

    I discovered this trick when I separated from Senri one night in order to hunt for food. A beast suddenly attacked and wounded me and that is when the realization happened.

    The wound itself healed right away, but when I licked the blood off my arm, though nowhere as potent as Senri¡¯s, it was able to calm down my blood lust a little.

    I remember reading that vampires are only capable of drinking the blood of humans. However, it seems even another vampire¡¯s blood is capable of assuaging thirst, though not all that effective.

    It goes without saying that it is no more than a stopgap measure. Nothing can change the fact that I am almost at the end of my tether, however, I will take what I can get for now.

    I kept an eye on Senri, as I ingested blood that was terribly bitter unlike hers.

    Well, considering how I could survive after having my head lopped off, this may be a bit of a contradiction, but I should be able to survive even if my body was drained of all blood. My body does not require blood as a substance. Otherwise, it would make no sense why I cannot make do with animal blood.

    Now that I had calmed down, my brain began to work again.

    Oh right, how about I go find Roux¡¯s body? I can drink the blood off her corpse.

    I do feel bad about it, but it should be fine if I give her a proper burial once again. I am sure Roux would not hold it against me either.

    I still have strength left in my legs. Would I be able to get there if I left Senri behind and ran at full speed? Although I am not confident I can make it back in time, it should not be impossible. I reckon my thirst is too strong now because I am near Senri, who is basically prey of the finest quality. There is a possibility that my thirst will die down a little if I am alone.

    Senri came to a stop near bumbling brook.

    I take my arm out of my mouth before she turns around. The minute I stop drinking my own blood, my head becomes all heated up but I bear with it. My blood clots almost immediately, so I do not need to worry about her noticing anything amiss with my arm.

    We had split up duties between us. Senri who had excellent survival skills took care of keeping the fire while I, who only had a tough body to boast about, went in search of food.

    I will bite into my arm once I separate from Senri. I should be able to bear with my thirst if I drink my fill of water.

    I need to be careful not to cross running water though¡­

    I got to my feet when I felt a light tug on my arm.

    ¡°End¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still good. It¡¯s soon going to be morning, I need to gather food and dig a hole.¡±

    It is at times like this that one needs to maintain their calm.

    I need blood immediately. I did not look into her eyes before I shook off her hand, dashed out of there and away from Senri.

    ?? ?

    My breathing was ragged. I felt like something was squeezing my heart.

    Although Senri¡¯s blood is of the finest quality and it brought me the kind of pleasure that could never be replaced by anything, bitter tasting blood is not all that bad either.

    I sat down on the ground, and screwed my fangs into my right arm.

    A vampire¡¯s fangs are made in such a way so as to facilitate the process of sucking blood. I focus on gulping down the bitter, cold fluid that flowed into my mouth.

    Feeding on Senri brought me pleasure, but this does not. The victim is not supposed to feel any pain during the act but I do feel a dull throb.

    I do not give a damn about the pain. I need to control my blood lust.

    Unfortunately there was not a lot of blood in the right arm as compared to the left arm, although the blood flowed out more easily. My skin that was pale to begin with, had turned even paler and looked drained of all blood.

    It was not surprising as it was not the first time I had bit into them. The blood I take in does not go right back into circulation.

    The Lord¡¯s illusion levitated in the air and looked at me expressionlessly. Almost like a Grim Reaper.

    However I completely disregarded it and thrust my tongue into the wound.

    The feeling of cold flesh. As ironic as it may sound, the monstrous and repulsive act of devouring my own body brought back some of my humanity.

    Such thoughts crossed my mind, but none of that matters anymore.

    I need to survive even a second longer. I need to think of something before I turn into a complete monster.

    For instance¡­ oh, right! If I recall correctly, beasts resembling monkeys dwell in this forest. How about I drink their blood?

    There are chances that blood from a species closest to humans could quench my thirst¡ª

    ¡°End¡­¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    Suddenly, I heard Senri¡¯s voice from close quarters. I panicked and turned to the direction of her voice.

    Right there she was, a few feet away from me, looking at me through those purple eyes.

    I had not even noticed her get so close. I tried to open my mouth to speak, and that is when I realized that my fangs were still sunk into my right arm.

    My meal was interrupted. A strange annoyance stirred in me.

    However, I was still capable of discerning that as a monster¡¯s thought.

    She caught me in the act. No humans would ever gnaw at their own arm.

    My mind gears started turning.

    It is alright. It should still be fine. I still have not harmed Senri.

    Senri tries to approach me but I raise my left arm that was still fine to stop her.

    ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m alright. I haven¡¯t gone mad. My own blood is capable of quenching my thirst a little.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Oh right. It completely slipped my mind. I realized why Senri had come here.

    I left in search of food. However, I do not know how long I was sitting here totally absorbed in drinking blood.

    I¡­ made her worry. The world started spinning. The delicious scent was closing in.

    The scent made my bitter blood seem delicious.

    A dying monster was reflected in her eyes.

    Senri whispered, ¡° End¡­ don¡¯t push yourself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m still good. Oh right! Hear this. I thought of something that would help.¡±

    I looked up at my arms. There were a number of bite marks left on them.

    A wound of this caliber would heal right away before, but even after observing them for some time, they showed no signs of healing. I suppose my body no longer has the strength for that. Well¡­ the wounds are not exactly fatal, they would not kill me.

    I took deep breaths to calm down my quivering body. My mouth felt heavy and unlike my own as I tried to speak.

    ¡°I was thinking of digging up Roux¡¯s grave. It hasn¡¯t been too long since she passed and it won¡¯t bring trouble to anyone. I¡¯m sure Roux would forgive me for it.¡±

    ¡°End¡­¡±

    Oh, that¡¯s right! The Lord had a lot of corpses in the cellar.

    I could use those. I had totally forgotten about them. The mansion has already been reduced to rubble, but I wonder if they have rotten.

    I could not linger there for a long time since the Death Knights could be after me, but that place might have been my safe haven for all I know.

    Senri looked close to tears. Her voice shook.

    ¡°Vampires¡­ suck out life energy through the blood. That¡¯s why, blood from corpses won¡¯t do and a blood transfusion would have no effect either.¡±

    ¡°Ehh¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ know that.¡±

    I had not expected that. I am at a loss. I have lost the only hope I had held on to break the deadlock.

    I wish I had known that before. The vestiges of the Lord are useless.

    He has only popped up twice and both times he failed to give me any useful information. Since he is an illusion, I cannot drink his blood either.

    ¡°I¡­ know a lot about vampires too. The Death Knights are still investigating about the weaknesses of vampires . They know you better than you know yourself.¡±

    She is right. Any information I possess is what I got from the books in the Lord¡¯s library.

    Not to mention, the books only held basic information and I had not read deep into the vampire lore.

    It is cold. My body is as cold as a corpse. I have no idea what to do.

    ¡°Do¡­ you intend to kill me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Senri said nothing. I am sure she has realized that I am at the end of my tether.

    I can no longer hide it. I do not know what will happen to me from here on out but I am certain she does.

    Well, I still might be able to endure it, but eventually there will come a time when I would not be able to.

    ¡°All I want¡­ is to survive. To live the continuation of my life from before when I was bedridden. I don¡¯t resent humans. I¡¯m not an evil vampire. I just get this irresistible urge to drink blood at times¡­ and like I said before, I have never attacked humans either. Not including you sharing your blood with me when I was but a head.¡±

    I guess there is no helping it. The Death Knights are originally an enemy of the undead.

    I would not hold it against her. However, struggle against my fate I must.

    Even if my opponent is someone who once saved my life before, I need to fight back if they come for my head.

    Every second felt like an eternity.

    Reassurance. To win her over, I need to reassure her.

    ¡°I promise. I will never leave these woods. I don¡¯t need the salvation death would give me.¡±

    No. It is of no use. There is no way I can win her over with words. It would take nothing but a mere touch for her to kill me.

    My head felt hot and I had a hard time collecting my thoughts. What would I even accomplish by killing her?

    Words spilled out desperately.

    ¡°Maybe a miracle will happen again¡­ I mean, it has already happened twice¡­ of course, that is if you let me go.¡±

    Right! It may be good to borrow the wisdom of the vestige of the vestige of the vestige.

    I do not intend to hand over the reins of my body to the Lord, but I doubt he would want me completely gone. Our objective should be the same.

    I can still run. However, it is rather impossible to escape the Senri¡¯s holy light that brought down that gigantic dragon.

    Ep¨¦e has keen insight. The silver sword he asked me to return to Senri made sure that she was still a member of the Order of Death Knights. I could not afford to not return it to her when I considered the possibility that she might find out about it later.

    I could not try to flee either. Because I had no idea how wide her range of detecting undead was.

    I never had a path to choose since the very beginning.

    The dawn is almost upon us. Even if she were to let me off now, I doubt I would have the time to dig a hole.

    I cannot think of a way to break out of this deadlock.

    I am tired. Even thinking exhausts me. I smiled sadly.

    At that moment, I felt something cold touch my cheeks.

    It was Senri¡¯s hand. I had not noticed her make any move as my senses were not working the way they should.

    My head feels foggy and my eyes cloudy. I cannot smell anything. My instincts were on fire and trying to override reason.

    However, even if I were to turn into a monster, Senri¡¯s blessing can easily reduce me to zero.

    I steeled my heart when Senri¡¯s lips parted.

    ¡°End¡­ I want¡­ you to rely on me more. Trust me¡­¡±

    I did not expect her to say that. I blanked out for a minute.

    Her right hand was on my cheek. Her thumb entered my mouth and brushed against my fangs.

    ¡°You did¡­ your best. I¡¯m sorry but I did realize what was happening. I also knew¡­ you were drinking your own blood but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to call out to you.¡±

    My fangs pierced the ball of her finger and warm blood filled my mouth. The impact of it jolted me awake.

    Her wounded finger brushed against my tongue. Maybe it hurt, for Senri¡¯s face twitched.

    However, Senri brushed it off and continued to speak.

    Just the same as when we conversed in front of Roux¡¯s grave before, I could sense the compassion behind her cold voice.

    However, unlike then, Senri is now aware of my monstrous nature and that I am not a vampire who would not even harm a fly.

    I took advantage of Ep¨¦e¡¯s weakness to escape from him. In addition, I have hunted several beasts until now. Someone who could hunt a beast could very well hunt man.

    After taking all of that into consideration, she is still going to take my side. Did I get that right?

    ¡°A person¡¯s real nature manifests itself on the verge of death. I heard you loud and clear. I will help you. I won¡¯t¡­ kill you. Could you tell me more¡­ about yourself? We have a lot to talk about. If we do that, I¡¯m sure everything will be just fine.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Senri¡­ you¡­doo¡­ Dell me¡­ more¡­ aboud yourselp?¡±

    I asked her like a moron as I licked the blood off her finger. In response to my question Senri¡¯s eyes widened and a faint smile adorned her lips.

    ¡°Hmm. I will.¡±

 Chapter 34: On the Move

    ¡°The Death Knights are capable of sensing the negative energy emitted by the undead. The range can be increased if we focus, but it¡¯s usually not very wide nor is the accuracy very high. That¡¯s why¡­ if we keep a low profile and don¡¯t stay put in one place, there is a good chance we won¡¯t get caught.¡±

    Another day came to an end. As usual, I unearthed myself from the ground, greeted Senri, who was waiting for me, and exchanged information as we prepared to leave.

    The knowledge I gleaned from Senri was priceless. The books in the Lord¡¯s library were written by humans and had no information regarding the abilities of Death Knights.

    I suppose it is not common knowledge. The Lord might have been privy to it, but he did not bother to share with me.

    You need to know your enemy in order to protect yourself. And I was dangerously ignorant.

    Maybe we should have conversed this way from the very beginning.

    Now with the blood lust having calmed down after receiving a bit of Senri¡¯s blood, I realized just how close I came to being consumed by madness .

    Had I been sane, I would never have told Senri that I was going to rob Roux¡¯s grave, and I would have known that it was not a distance I could cover on foot and make it back before the sun rose.

    Unbeknownst to myself, I had gradually lost my mind. Senri¡¯s kindness saved me, but I was in a really precarious situation.

    ¡°So¡­ how wide is the range exactly?¡±

    Senri gave the question some thought before shaking her head.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not sure. If one focuses, they should be able to cover a medium sized town, probably. It¡¯s mandatory for the Death Knights to check a town for the presence of undead before entering and after leaving it and three times a day, during the morning, afternoon and night.

    ¡°What about your Master?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Master¡­ is special. He could detect the presence of undead from Engey to where we are now if he put his mind to it.¡±

    It was almost incredible. We are quite far from the town of Engey. We have been walking through the night for at least twenty days now.

    Although we may have not made a lot of progress since we were not in the best of conditions, the distance between us and Engey is not as simple as the size of one of two towns.

    As I was left dumbfounded at his ridiculous strength, Senri spoke softly .

    ¡°Rest easy. Normally, no one does that. The wider the range the more the power of blessing consumed. And as the range increases, so are your chances of detecting other undead you aren¡¯t looking for and become unable to discern the one you want.¡±

    ¡° Other undead¡­ are there a lot of those?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah. There are those artificially created by necromancers and ones that are created by nature.¡±

    She sounded the same but somehow, it felt more free than usual.

    Senri is on my side. She is trying to understand me. At the very least, there is no doubt that we have gotten a little closer.

    A Vampire and a Death Knight. Although there is no changing the fact that we are still on opposing sides, she does not look like someone who could pull off an act convincingly.

    She teaches me ways to live a secure life. I do not think I need to worry about her suddenly attacking me. That is, as long as I do not become the enemy of mankind.

    ¡°Then, I guess we better head for a town.¡±

    ¡°¡­ We need to get some essentials. I didn¡¯t bring anything with me since I hurried to your side ¡­ although these clothes don¡¯t get filthy easily, I still need a change of clothes.¡±

    Senri has been in the same set of clothes the whole time we have been together. She seems to be taking baths when I am not with her, so her clothes look fairly clean. However, we are too poorly equipped for a long life on the run.

    My belongings are what I scavenged from the ruins of the Lord¡¯s castle, so it is nowhere near enough. My cloak was already in tatters. Although my body can regenerate, I cannot say the same for my clothes.

    I need a watch as well. Later, if possible, I want to take in the sights of the town. Well, I suppose that would be too greedy.

    ¡°The Death Knights are few in number. We are always understaffed and we move in groups. Not to mention, we have our fair share of enemies. You¡¯d be hard pressed to find us¡­ in small towns.¡±

    ¡°What about vampire hunters?¡±

    The Death Knights cannot be the only enemies of the undead.

    Senri¡¯s face clouded over. After I stared at her fixedly, she answered hesitantly.

    ¡°They¡­ can be found anywhere. But¡­ they basically don¡¯t make a move unless they receive a commission. Since stray vampires won¡¯t really bring them any money.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    I suppose vampires are no more than game to them. Rather formidable game that does not yield any meat upon death as vampires turn to dust.

    To be more precise, the relationship between a vampire and vampire hunter is one that of a bounty and bounty hunter.

    Putting aside whether or not I would want to befriend them, I find them a whole lot easier to understand than Senri, who is driven by compassion.

    I could see the pity on Senri¡¯s face. I wonder if that was because she worried that I might be taken aback by the revelation.

    It was needless worrying on her part. I am well aware that I am no longer human.

    I am not going to be shocked all over again upon hearing how I am perceived.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a relief.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡±

    I had resigned myself to never getting an ally. Senri becoming my ally has been a godsend.

    I could feel the power surging within me. The bite marks on my arm were no more. The heat that had smoldered in the recesses of my mind had disappeared without a trace and so had the Lord, who had loomed over me like the Grim Reaper. It almost felt like I had been reborn.

    We are going to leave the woods behind and venture past the meadows. Before that, I have something I need to propose to Senri. I turned towards Senri, who was gathering her things and draping mud over the remains of the bonfire.

    It is alright. I must¡­ believe in her. That is the best possible course of action for me.

    I took a deep breath and looked into her purple eyes.

    ¡°Senri¡­ there may be people after us¡­ so I think it¡¯s better to move as fast as possible. Could you suppress your power of blessing and get on my back?¡±

    ?? ?

    I could accelerate to unbelievable speeds with a just single thrust. The wind pushed against my whole body but I still levitated a few dozen meters above ground.

    There is no doubt that I am faster than a horse drawn carriage now.

    There were no obstacles in my path, in the meadows that stretched as far as the eye could see. I noticed a pack of strange black beasts and glowing eyes, but I simply moved past them.

    A pair of supple arms were wrapped around my neck and held on to me tightly.

    I could feel Senri¡¯s heartbeat, as she was practically stuck to me. That brought me back to earth a little.

    Her soft body pressed against my back and her warm breath tickled my ear.

    The sweet fragrance of her blood. It made my body tremble with desire.

    She is something like a living, breathing fruit to a vampire. If any vampire were to see me now, it would be so envious that it would not be able to control its blood lust.

    Senri suppressed her power of blessing so as to not cause me harm and clung on to me as she continued to speak.

    ¡°Vampires have far surpassed humans in their physical abilities and endurance. They don¡¯t feel much fatigue either. Vampires¡­ are said to be the first stage of the ultimate kind of undead a necromancer envisions.¡±

    ¡°Will I¡­ eventually become one too?¡±

    ¡°You would¡­ have to kill thousands of people.¡±

    ¡°Well, never mind then.¡±

    I am not interested in power¡­ which is not true. However, if that would lead to making more enemies, then I would rather not bother.

    Even as a vampire, I have far better physical abilities than humans and a near immortal body. I do not desire for more.

    If I could be allowed to live a life safely in hiding, I would not mind continuing to live as a lesser vampire than transform into a vampire that is more powerful but has just as many weaknesses as strengths.

    I could even go out in the sun for a short time.

    ¡°The Death Knights¡­ have been conducting research on vampires for a very long time. A vampire that is unable to quench its thirst, will end up drinking its own blood, eventually lose its mind, rip out its own heart¡­ and die.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But normally¡­ vampires can¡¯t control their blood lust till it gets to that point. They would choose to drink human blood rather than drink their own any day. All the more true¡­ if there were a human nearby. That¡­ is the curse. End, you¡¯re probably the only vampire to have resisted the urge for that long.¡±

    How dreadful. But it does not matter anymore. The situation will not repeat itself. Even if I attempt something like that, Senri would give up her blood before I lose my mind. Not to mention, I would be unable to resist from giving into her allure in a state of near insanity.

    The surrounding scenery shifted at a dizzying pace. I made sure to not let any impact reach Senri as I moved my arms and legs.

    Suddenly, I heard Senri mutter something unsettling.

    ¡°¡­ Maybe¡­ Master¡­ would try to help you too, if he knew about this.¡±

    That is impossible. Impossible, Senri. I reined in my emotions and gulped down the words that wished to escape my mouth.

    Ep¨¦e, Ep¨¦e the Destroyer, is a Death Knight through and through.

    Unlike Senri, he is not naive and has lived through countless tragedies and created many legends till date.

    Senri should know him better than me.

    He is one hundred percent on the side of humans. And the fact that I have a human mind, would in no way loosen his grip on the sword.

    Also¡­ there is something only Ep¨¦e is aware of.

    That I am not as harmless to humans as Senri believes me to be.

    I, who possess a human mind, memories, emotions, capable of suppressing my urges when necessary and let reason govern my actions could possibly be more dangerous than an average undead.

    If Ep¨¦e were to learn that Senri¡¯s mind cannot be changed, then he might try to kill me even at the cost of making an enemy out of her. And his conduct would only be proper as a Death Knight.

    I cannot just stand around and watch Senri lean back towards Ep¨¦e¡¯s sentiments.

    However, wise as she is, I am sure she is aware that Ep¨¦e would never go easy on me.

    I changed the topic of conversation.

    ¡°Come to think of it, it was written in Horus¡¯ notes that it feels good when a vampire feeds on someone. Is that true¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d be glad if it at least doesn¡¯t hurt. How did it feel when I drank from your fingers? Did that also feel good?¡±

    Senri stayed silent for a minute and seeing me patiently await an answer, she spoke in a trembling voice with what looked like resignation.

    ¡°¡­ Just¡­ a little.¡±

    ?? ?

    Finally, I spotted a path. It was not exactly a proper path but rather one made by carriages passing through. I reckon we would reach a village or town if we follow it. I made sure to keep track of the direction, so there should be no worry of us ending up back in Engey.

    Senri, who was getting accustomed to being carried on my back, cried out.

    ¡°End, look¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ A light.¡±

    Far off in the distance, a little further from the beaten path, a light could be seen. A bonfire. Straining my eyes, I could make out several carriages in the vicinity of the fire.

    I wonder if they are merchants. As I thought, we should not be too far away from a town.

    Naturally, as a pair of suspicious people who can leap through the night air, we cannot join the merchant group and we also needed to find a watering hole before the day broke out. But something troubled me.

    About a mile away from the merchants were a pack of black beasts that resembled panthers. It was clear that they were looking in the direction of the carriages.

    There were several people guarding the carriages. Even if the pack were to attack, they should be able to fight them off. Any beast that needs a pack to survive, should not be that strong.

    However¡ª

    ¡°Do you mind a detour?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Go ahead.¡±

    Senri¡¯s arms tightened around me.

    It may be a little too obvious, but I need to score more points with her.

    Even if it ends up being a miscalculation on my part, I stand to lose nothing by adding on to reasons for why I should be allowed to live. There is also the chance that their pelts could go for a good sum.

    I smiled and turned towards the direction of the pack.

 Chapter 35: Lesser Vampire

    Vampire.

    It happens to be one of the most well known among the undead, also referred to as the King of the night.

    A genuine monster that possesses a number of special abilities that enable it to take on an entire army all by itself. Although I am still only a lesser vampire, I possess considerable strength. A human who possesses the same physical attributes as I would probably be referred to as a hero.

    I landed on all fours. I could sense several pairs of eyes focus on me.

    The wind caressed my cheeks and the smell of earth, grass and prey, tickled my nose. Reveling in a strong urge to destroy coupled with the feeling of invincibility, I licked my lips.

    I can see them. The moonlight was very faint, but I could clearly make out black beasts crouching among the tall grass with their eyes on me.

    However, the same goes for them as well. They were quietly watching me, who had plopped down all of a sudden. Unflinching and calm.

    There were ten of them. They were twice as big as the night wolves that the Lord had kept.

    I was never the overconfident type, but I did not feel like I would lose.

    I do not possess any of the special abilities of a vampire.

    The difference between a lesser vampire and a vampire is that the lesser vampire possesses the physique of a vampire while possessing none of the special abilities associated with the latter.

    As the name implies, it is truly lesser than a vampire. However, I was completely fine with that.

    I had inhuman strength and absurdly strong regenerative powers and a body that does not know the meaning of fatigue or pain.

    The Death Knights, including Lufry, all carry weapons made of holy silver that are fatal against the dark forces.

    Even in stories I have read, the Death Knights were always armed with such weapons. They exploit the weaknesses of dark forces, find strength in numbers and aim to prolong the battle until sunrise.

    In other words, even the Death Knights blessed with a tremendous amount of positive energy may find themselves in a tough spot, if they do not aim for the weak spots of an undead that has been through several stages of evolution.

    The Death Knights will band together and relentlessly chase after me. Necromancers are the menace of mankind. The vestige of the Lord had said that only a few people are capable of defeating me in the world.

    I felt Senri¡¯s arm around my neck loosen its grip. I touched her arm to stop her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get down. This should be a breeze.¡±

    I have no battle skills. However, a monster has no need for that.

    Senri¡¯s blood from last night is blazing inside me.

    All I needed was control. Just as how a rogue horse is reined in, I need something to stop my mind from being strung along by my body. Or I will end up becoming a monster like the vampires in tales.

    It took everything to stop my instincts kicking in and extending my talons. I pulled out the Blood Ruler.

    It was a calculated move on my part. Putting aside the fact that I did want to score more points with her, Senri is experienced in combat. I wanted to show her my fighting style just once.

    I hunted mostly by myself in the woods and it usually all ended with a single strike. So this is the first time for someone to see me fight up close.

    I calm my heart and squint in the direction of the beasts. Maybe they mean to warn, for they took a step forward. However, they lose to me in levels of monstrosity.

    Kill. I will kill these beasts and prove that I am harmless. And¡­ I will have her tell me their weaknesses. I will have her tell me what I need to do when the Death Knights or vampire hunters come after me.

    The black beasts lunge at me. Their supposedly quick movements appear slowed down to my superior visual acuity.

    I shift stances and swing the machete. The dark, heavy machete easily slices through the forelegs and lops off the head.

    The sensation of slicing through the flesh appeals to the monster in me and is reflected in the form of unparalleled bliss. I push it down into the farthest recesses of my mind and swing around to a stop.

    I kick at the beast that leaps at my side. The sensation of having kicked something hard spreads through my leg as the beast yelps and rolls over several times and plops down limp.

    Its claws had slashed through my leg, however, by the time my leg got back to the ground, it had healed completely.

    I do not need to stop to take a breath. Immediately, I lunged at the beast that was the closest to me. Fear flashes across the cold eyes of the beast. I swing my machete at its head with all my might. The beast falls down limp.

    ¡ª It felt fantastic. The joy derived from an able body adds on top of the satiation of my violent urges being fulfilled.

    I stopped there for a moment and brought my focus back to Senri who was still on my back and composed myself.

    It felt a bit different from blood lust but a dangerous sensation all the same. I felt this irresistible urge to feed on Senri.

    I was aware that I was swaying at the precipice.

    It naturally feels good to act as your emotions dictate. However, that will not help me survive.

    I felt several feet kick the ground in the blind spot behind me. There should be five beasts remaining. And they did not seem to be in the mood to retreat.

    They were the footsteps of beasts that wanted to avenge its fallen brethren by devouring the demon that killed them. And they sounded ready to lunge.

    Simple wild animals might have fled after having lost three of their pack. However, judging from their fighting spirit, they seem to be a type of monster.

    If my death is what they wish for, then I must respond in kind.

    I swung around to protect Senri from the line of fire.

    It was close to impossible for me to lose. The only thing I need to be concerned about is not to get drunk on the pleasure of the kill and destroy them without getting my clothes filthy.

    I can swing around my machete thrice in the time it takes for the beast to slash at me once.

    Be it the tempered, massive body that nature has bestowed on them, or their fur and bones, none of it poses a threat to my body that has been strengthened thanks to Senri¡¯s blood and this curse upon me. I do not even need to think about a battle plan.

    I lopped off its head slashing through the skull and used the talons on my left hand to shred the flesh apart. I toyed with the beasts that quickly wanted to surround me by moving even faster than them and killing them effortlessly.

    The blood that spattered from their bodies brought me indescribable pleasure.

    I guess¡­ I might not need to ask Senri for their weaknesses after all.

    As the thought flashed across my mind, Senri exclaimed.

    ¡°End!!¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    I had completely led down my guard. I had totally not realized it. I intended to maintain my composure but I may have ended up losing control of myself.

    Light blinded my eyes. It was a flaming arrow.

    Countless bright, flaming arrows scattering sparks of fire flew towards us from all directions.

    It was offensive magic. They were moving incredibly fast¡­ and I would not be able to dodge them in time.

    They were all clearly aimed at me. I quickly tore Senri off my back and tossed her to the ground.

    Almost soon after which multiple flaming arrows pierced my whole body.

    I did not feel any pain. The light grew bigger and blinded my eyes.

    The flames licked at my body and the impact pushed me backward.

    My whole life up to this point, flashes through my eyes.

    The past life in which I was bedridden. The resuscitation from an evil curse. The days in which I acted like the Lord¡¯s puppet, my resultant rebellion and crushing defeat.

    The deal with Roux, the battle between the Death Knights and the Lord. The grave I built for Roux. The conversation I had with Senri then. The time I was reduced to nothing but a head, after which I fed on her blood.

    The world grew quiet and was soon consumed by darkness.

    I blinked in a daze. Absentmindedly, I checked the condition of my body.

    There was no pain. I do not feel any heat either. My robes were scorched and had several holes everywhere leaving me exposed.

    I brushed a finger over where the holes were. No pain. No wounds.

    ¡°End!¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh right¡­ vampires are¡­¡±

    It was a late revelation. What a fool I am.

    A vampire¡¯s body is very resistant to all kinds of magic.

    The countless flaming arrows that had me prepared for death could only push me back a few steps. Looks like those flying lanterns made me leap to the wrong conclusion¡­.

    Senri rushed over.

    Her eyes showed concern. It appears all the arrows found the target in me as Senri looked unscathed.

    Thank goodness¡­.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, not a scratch¡­¡±

    I turned around in the direction where the arrows came from.

    Before I had realized it, around ten silhouettes had us surrounded. Seeing as how they were armed lightly, they must be the guards I spotted earlier.

    Two of them were men, who brandished a staff. They must be the ones who shot the flaming arrows at me. However, they looked dumbfounded now.

    The magic was plenty powerful. Well, since I was unhurt, I am not sure exactly how powerful it was, but I dare say it could have reduced those black beasts from earlier to dust.

    They may certainly be more in number, but none of them were clad in positive energy like the Death Knights. They were just ordinary mercenaries.

    Simple mercenaries, who were not trained to take on vampires. Given how they were all trembling in fear and rooted to their spots, they do not seem to be much of a threat. They were obviously far inferior to Lufry, Neville and need I say, Senri.

    The only concern is the fact that, despite my superior senses, I had become completely immersed in the hunt that I had not realized them approach.

    The monster¡¯s instincts in me that had not been satiated after hunting the beasts, constantly whispered to kill the humans in front of me.

    ¡°End¡­¡±

    Senri¡¯s voice trembled. However, she need not worry.

    I put a smile on my face as I called out to the people surrounding us.

    ¡°Hang on! Sorry if you got the wrong idea. But I am a human being!¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    I cannot blame them to have taken the preemptive after finding a single entity massacring all the beasts in a dark spot.

    I wish they had called out to me instead, but there are plenty of monsters with a human appearance.

    Well, considering both of us are uninjured, I shall be magnanimous and forgive them. I should forgive them. I need not be swayed by my instincts.

    Maybe I am¡­ a really nice person? Just kidding.

    The thought made me laugh.

    ¡° Hahaha. Sorry, but we¡¯re in a hurry. We shall take off then.¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡­¡±

    It would be nice if we could talk it over and have them compensate us for any harm caused, but unfortunately, I am an undead.

    I might slip up and end up exposing my identity if we converse for too long. I gathered some precious metals from the ruins of the Lord¡¯s mansion, so I should have no problem with obtaining the currency in use.

    I did not wait to hear their reply, as I quickly grabbed Senri and took off at full speed.

    I did not sense any of them attack us, but I felt totally exhilarated.

    Offensive magic does not work on me. I had forgotten about that.

    Vampires have strong resistance to all kinds of magic. Mind control magic nor offensive magic work on them.

    Furthermore, the resistance seems to be much stronger than I had imagined. This bit of news certainly bodes well for me who puts survival above everything else.

    The offensive magic performed by mages is a kind of weapon in itself. Compared to a swordsman, the AoE and strength of a mage¡¯s attack is much more powerful.

    Mages are considered elite and are favorably received in any country. In war, the military strength of an army could greatly vary depending upon the number and power of the mages affiliated to it.

    The fact that magic has no effect on me really changes things.

    I cannot deny the possibility that the mages who attacked me earlier were simply weak, so I cannot let down my guard just yet, but I feel like the list of potential enemies suddenly went down.

    If magic really has no effect on me, it opens up more options to defend myself in a critical situation.

    I am glad I stumbled upon this bit of development at this juncture.

    In the blink of an eye, I was out of their range. I continued to run at full speed, and when I was sure that I had completely lost them, I lowered Senri to the ground.

    Senri looked a little unsteady on her feet but quickly regained composure and looked up at me.

    She brushed a hand against the holes in my clothes that the flaming arrows had scorched open.

    ¡°End¡­ are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Totally fine. I¡¯m not hurt in the least. I didn¡¯t retaliate either. Senri, offensive magic doesn¡¯t work on vampires!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I know. But only to a degree, they aren¡¯t completely immune to it¡­¡±

    I can become stronger. There are still a lot of challenges to tackle, but the results were not bad.

    I am this strong when I have not been taught any combat styles from anyone. I can become even stronger if Senri teaches me.

    That is right. I might¡­ even become able to use magic. I am the vessel the Lord chose to transfer his soul into. I cannot imagine that he as a mage would choose a vessel that had no natural propensity towards magic.

    I had never even dreamed of it in my past life. But if I become capable of wielding soul transfer magic like the Lord, then my chances of survival will greatly increase.

    As I stood exhilarated at the thought, Senri let out an exasperated sigh.

    ?? ?

    I have given them plenty of time. Ep¨¦e stood by the window and squinted as he looked down at the town bathed in sunlight.

    The hustle and bustle of carriages going back and forth. People lead a peaceful life in this place. And that should be protected by the Death Knights.

    I have waited long enough for End who still had some humanity in him, to lose to the monster¡¯s blood lust.

    I gave Senri plenty of time to rethink her decision. However, she has not returned yet.

    ¡°Your time is up¡­ Senri. I don¡¯t know how he did it¡­ but how dare you, End!¡±

    His tone appeared calm, but one could see the dangerous glint deep in his eyes.

    Senri Silvis is a rare talent as a Death Knight.

    Even Ep¨¦e, who is one of the strongest Death Knights would consider it a great achievement for Senri to have reached the first-class when she is only seventeen years old.

    Had Ep¨¦e been of the same age as Senri, he may have felt envious of her blinding talent. She is sure to eventually surpass him in strength.

    The Death Knights are few in number. She needs to be brought back at any cost. It cannot be too late, there should still be a chance.

    Even after all that happened, Ep¨¦e did not consider the possibility that Senri may have already been killed. For the Death Knights, who learn the art of manipulating positive energy, it is second nature to always have a protective shield around their bodies. Ep¨¦e did not think that End could get past that barrier.

    However, if Senri is hopelessly under his spell, then I must give her a painless death. That will be my final act of mercy as her Master.

    All the third-class disciples looked sharp.

    They no longer continued to look haggard as they did soon after Senri had taken off. They are in the best of conditions.

    The Death Knights are accustomed to disasters. They do not let personal feelings get in the way of their duty. Even Neville who had been impacted the most from Senri being snatched away, had already completely recovered.

    Perhaps he had picked up on the change in Ep¨¦e, for Neville walked over for a quick confirmation.

    ¡°Master¡­ we¡¯re going after them, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Neville, do you think¡­ you could take on Senri? There is a chance we will have to.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Neville¡¯s expression changed and he trailed off.

    Third-class knights lose to second-class knights in almost every regard. Above all else, Senri is endowed with a monstrously huge amount of blessing even among the second-class.

    Power of blessing or positive energy is fundamental to a Death Knight. It is used to purge the dark forces and is also used to fortify their bodies. At times, it can even be transformed to be used as destructive power. Not to mention, it can be used to magnify the range of detection as well.

    That absolute quantity is one of the biggest talents of Death Knights. Purging, which is one of their forte will have no effect on Senri, as she is human.

    There is a huge difference in strength between a first and second-class knight, and the same goes for the difference between a second and third-class knight.

    ¡°But if it¡¯s you, Master¡­¡±

    ¡° Yes. But¡­ there is someone more apt.¡±

    Lufry blinked at his master¡¯s calm words.

    Ep¨¦e still had not given up on rescuing Senri. No way can she be abandoned when the opponent is a mere lesser vampire.

    She is a precious talent, who is capable of bringing about the end of something of the highest rank, like a Dracula that could terrorize the world or even the King of the Undead.

    End is keeping her shackled. Then, all we need to do is destroy him.

    Killing him is simple. But if they were to corner and kill him as was the norm, it would sour their relationship with Senri.

    If so, someone who is not one of us needs to kill him.

    It is true that End is a singular type of undead, but at his current level, there are any number of people capable of killing him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting. You may enter.¡±

    The door opened. Neville¡¯s brows furrowed at the figure that stepped into the room. Lufry¡¯s eyes grew wide and Thelma¡¯s face grew grim.

    The one who had come into view was a huge man, clad in a black coat with his head far receding into the hood of his coat.

    His arms were bandaged and almost no part of his skin was exposed. He wore a big leather belt which held a sword in a brown scabbard.

    A huge silver cross swayed from his neck and it only added to his overall strangeness.

    He was accompanied by a black dog that was big enough for a human to ride. Its intelligent, gold eyes looked around at the Death Knights and growled quietly.

    The man looked as ominous as an undead. If the man was in fact human, then there is only one possible explanation.

    ¡°Vampire hunter¡­ you¡¯ve got to be kidding me, Master. Are you trying to pit scum against another scum?¡±

    The man clad in the black coat chuckled at Neville¡¯s stifled annoyance.

 Chapter 36: Training

    ¡°You don¡¯t need it.¡±

    The sky looked empty save for the twinkling stars. It is the new moon today and also the day when the dark forces are at their weakest.

    We never came across any humans after that one instance and our journey proceeded smoothly. We should reach town within a few days as we were making our way through a well- trodden path.

    It would be difficult to do any hands-on training once we reach town. After all, I cannot go around displaying my vampiric powers in public.

    Near the oasis. We were around the bonfire and I had asked Senri to teach me her combat skills. She carefully considered my request for some time before she answered as such.

    I frowned at her in spite of myself which got her flustered and she expanded in a hurry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take me wrong¡­ it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to teach you. We are just¡­ too different. Human techniques are only applicable to humans. It won¡¯t necessarily be of any use to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ but¡­ our appearances are the same. Won¡¯t the application of the techniques be the same as well?¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe for now. But soon it won¡¯t be so.¡±

    There was a grim look in her eyes.

    Her smile is rather pretty, but as strange as it may be, her sombre expression was rather alluring as well.

    ¡°We, the Death Knights, learn footwork and breath control. Firstly, parry and evasion techniques are drilled into us. Because we can¡¯t afford to let ourselves receive a blow from a powerful vampire.¡±

    I see¡­ that does make sense.

    My power increases with the amount of negative energy, which in turn increases the more blood I consume. There are limitations placed on the growth of a human body.

    Our bodies may appear similar, but if it is true that disparity between our physical abilities exist, although not completely useless, those skills would assume low priority. When wounds heal in a second, receiving a blow would not really be a big deal.

    ¡°Our physical abilities can be enhanced with the power of blessing, but that power is exhaustible. Whereas a vampire¡¯s power isn¡¯t. Be it stamina or physical ability, we, the Death Knights, are always at a disadvantage.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t look that way to me. Neville and Lufry looked incredibly strong.¡±

    ¡°¡­As I was saying, we always aim to wrap things up quickly. We take the preemptive and strike first and we never fight head-on.¡±

    That is pretty much the same as what I had imagined the differences between vampires and the Death Knights to be.

    They always hunted down the monsters in the stories. It was never a fair and square battle like a duel.

    I understand that Senri¡¯s combat techniques would not be suitable for me.

    However, it still is not enough reason for me to not learn about them.

    ¡°A true vampire fights like a beast. They aren¡¯t governed by human principles. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll understand what I mean¡­ when you evolve into a vampire.¡±

    After saying her piece, Senri gently brushed the dust off her clothes and got to her feet.

    Her long, slender figure wrapped in white clothing went well with her silver hair and along with the silver sword casually strung on her hip, she looked like the personification of a holy knight from stories.

    She is not on the taller side nor is she of the nominal weight, but even in the battered state resulting from long travel, there was no hiding her gracefulness.

    She was enticing enough to make me want to sink my fangs into her neck this instant.

    Senri gracefully removed the sword from its sheath. It was a beautiful sword made of holy silver. It may seem decorative at a glance, but I have personally seen her wield it and send many a beast to hell.

    She pointed the sword at me and uttered from the other side of the sword.

    ¡°That said¡­ I¡¯ll serve as your training partner for a short while. It¡¯s true that your concerns are not unfounded. If you learn how the Death Knights fight, then your chances of survival would indeed become better.¡±

    I would expect no less from her. She seems to have read my thoughts.

    I got up to my feet as well. I was not born with a good constitution, but after evolving, I was almost twice as big as Senri. My hand moved towards the machete on my hip, but hesitated. Seeing which, Senri smiled.

    ¡°Go ahead. I don¡¯t mind. Don¡¯t hold back. Come at me with all you¡¯ve got. You can¡¯t hurt me as you are now. This is simply¡­ training. I won¡¯t use any skills that unleash positive energy.¡±

    Looks like there is still a considerable difference in strength between us. I suppose I need not worry since she gave me the go ahead after having seen me fight.

    I unsheathed the heavy Blood Ruler and imitated her stance.

    The imminent taste of battle in the air lit a fire in me.

    Let me think. I have herculean strength. I could probably cleave a rock in two if I used my full strength.

    I cannot imagine that it would be something a human being can withstand, but I suppose it should be fine if I curb my power in the event that something happens¡­I think. My arm would probably break if I stop a swing at full power, but I can heal, so it should not be a problem.

    Senri looked calm in front of the monster holding a black machete that looked like it could devour light itself.

    I widened my stance and focused on her.

    ¡°Here I go!¡±

    ¡°Come at me!¡±

    I should first¡­ test her out.

    I pushed myself forward kicking the earth beneath my feet and took a downward diagonal slash at her.

    Senri had mentioned that they evade and fend off attacks. Then all I need to do is put enough strength into the attack to render her unable to evade it.

    She is strong. A whole lot stronger than me, but I feel like she is not taking me seriously.

    Their strong power of blessing is what makes the Death Knights formidable. I still have not thought of a way to deal with their attacks that unleash positive energy, but I should be able to deal with the rest.

    Maybe she did not wish to hurt me, for Senri had not put on her protective shield of blessing.

    Senri simply took a step backward to evade the machete that had split air. The swing was quite fast, but she had completely¡­ read my move. So she need not even bother to parry an attack of this degree.

    I quickly returned the machete to its original place, full of admiration for her, as Senri called out to me in an almost reproachful tone.

    ¡°End¡­ I remember telling you to use your full strength.¡±

    ¡°Ehh¡­ ahh¡­ hmm¡±

    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re being kind. However, there¡¯s no point to this whole thing if you hold back.¡±

    You say that¡­ yet, you are not displaying your whole potential either.

    We are using real weapons to train. If by some miraculous chance, I end up killing Senri, how would I live my life from that point forward.

    She is right that I had not put my all into the attack just now.

    I remember the very first time I hunted the beasts in the woods upon the Lord¡¯s orders. If I put my mind to it, I can swing the machete with enough force to rip off my arms. Not even the tenacious body of a vampire can withstand that blow. If a human were to fend off that blow with their sword, they might get cut in half along with the weapon.

    Seeing me hesitate, Senri sighed deeply.

    As I stood perplexed, Senri gently pulled down her collar to expose a pale neck.

    ¡°¡­Fine. End¡­ if you beat me, I¡¯ll let you drink my blood.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    My eyes were fixed on her pale, almost translucent neck.

    My usually faint heartbeat grew stronger. My breath quickly grew ragged and the heat in my head grew stronger.

    I have never bit down on her neck ever since that first time in the woods. It was just that once.

    It was rather pleasant to drink from her finger. However, nothing compares to the feeling of burying my face in her neck and drinking her blood directly from its source. The sensation of her hair brushing against my face, the feeling of her soft flesh against my lips, all of that is firmly imprinted in my mind.

    She had asked me not to endure my thirst, but her blood is too precious. I imagine her body does not produce blood that fast either. Considering the fatigue resulting from long travel, I could not ask to drink her blood whenever I wanted.

    ¡°That- that¡¯s an absurd proposition¡­¡±

    We are just training. In response to my words, Senri ran a suggestive finger along her neck. It was a bewitching gesture.

    ¡°You want to, don¡¯t you? Vampires, irrespective of age, all tend to prefer to feed from the neck. After capturing their prey, they pin them down and take their time to drain the blood. End¡­ your eyes have turned red.¡±

    What a wonderful proposition. Of course my eyes are red. If I were given the option, then I naturally would want to sink my fangs into her neck.

    Even under the best of circumstances, there is no vampire that would not waver upon being tempted by a prey of finest quality.

    I licked my lips. I feel like she has me in the palm of her hand and that made me grip the machete harder.

    Isn¡¯t Senri looking down on me too much?

    I focused, took deep breaths and calmed myself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve grown accustomed to the feeling?¡±

    Senri simply smiled at my provocation.

    ¡°Maybe. End, come at me.¡±

    I will have you regret tempting someone as harmless as me.

    I shall pin you down, nip your neck and take my time to relish the taste of your blood.

    I let the blood lust take control over my body as I kicked the ground hard and lunged at Senri at the speed of a cannonball.

    ?? ?

    She is fast. No. I suppose it is more skill than speed.

    The machete that I swung with all my might was greeted with air. Senri is right in front of me. She is at a distance where I could touch her if I extended my arm and yet none of my attacks reach her.

    ¡°You¡¯re strong¡­ just as vampires would be¡­ it¡¯s been a while since I last fought.¡±

    Her whispering voice grated my ears. The sweet smell emanating from her hair tickled my nose. It willed me to attack her.

    I let my urges control my movements but it almost felt like I was fighting an illusion.

    She did not move around much and yet evaded me gracefully. For a moment, I was taken in by the illusion that she was dancing around.

    The disparity is too great. So this is a second-class ¡®Death Knight¡¯. Although I had witnessed the battle between her and the Lord from afar, coming face to face with her strength made me realize the weight of that title.

    I did not lose hope. It only fired me up.

    Senri¡¯s eyes were following and reading the movements of the dangerous machete that even I have little control over.

    I have her within reach. Yet, I simply cannot reach her.

    I remember the Lord mentioning that an undead would need to be a vampire at the minimum to be able to fight against a Death Knight.

    Vampires have a strong special ability.

    They can transform into a wolf, bat or even fog. I don¡¯t know all the details, but indeed I lack power.

    I am not really sure if I have better physical abilities and endurance, considering how I am being toyed with.

    I heard clear sounds at times. They were the sounds of my machete clashing with Senri¡¯s sword.

    However, there was no other response. The two weapons came in contact only for an instant. I reckon she fends off my attack in that instant. What a terrifying skill!

    The urge to destroy whispered me to put more strength into my attacks. Whispering that I trample down on her.

    I refused to listen to it and retreated a step. Even if I keep this up, none of my attacks will land on her. She is still completely in control.

    Think. The only thing I have that an average vampire does not, is the ability to control the blood lust to an extent.

    Senri¡¯s eyes opened wide. I made up my mind in an instant.

    I smiled and stomped hard on the ground.

    This is it. This is something only a vampire can do.

    The ground shook. Her stance was broken. I did not miss that sliver of an opportunity and swung the machete diagonally downward with all my might.

    A high-pitched metallic clang echoed through the air. I felt strong impact on my hands for the first time.

    My eyes widened at the unexpected scene unfolding in front of me.

    Senri parried my attack by placing both her hands on her sword. Despite me using my entire strength as a vampire, the two blades were caught in a struggle.

    Our eyes met over the crossed blades. I continued to put my strength into the machete as I glared at Senri, when she uttered.

    ¡°End¡­ you¡¯re¡­ strong. I was caught by surprise.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that vampires are generally stronger?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m using the power of blessing to enhance my physical abilities now.¡±

    Now¡­? Meaning, that she had not until now?

    Well, who cares about that. I never imagined I would lose to Senri in pure brute strength.

    ¡°Who cares.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re using one hand, while I¡¯m using both of mine.¡±

    Upon hearing that, I almost reflexively try to grab Senri with my free left hand. As if she had expected it, she suddenly sprung back and put a distance of a few meters between us.

    The machete lost its opposition and I was sent hurtling through the air. Senri quietly watched the whole thing pass.

    Senri was not even a little out of breath. If this were a real fight, I would have died a hundred times over.

    What a horrible disgrace! To vent my anger, I need to drink her blood no matter how.

    I cannot call myself a vampire if I fail to reach for what was offered.

    I am sure I was glaring at her.

    However, she received my glare with nary a fear, sheathed her sword and tilted her head to one side.

    ¡°Wanna play tag?¡±

    ¡°Sure!!¡±

    I flung the machete aside and kicked off the ground. My body shot across the air like a cannonball.

    However, Senri was already a few ten meters ahead of me. Her speed felt incredible even to me who possessed inhuman physical abilities.

    Upon closer inspection, I could sense the power of blessing on both her feet. I see¡­ so, it is also possible to enhance the abilities of just one part of the body.

    They probably conserved power by controlling its application.

    Nevertheless, I should have the upper hand in stamina. Senri said so herself.

    I stretched my arms forward in an attempt to catch her, and I chased after her like a beast. Senri almost glided out of the way.

    I forgot everything as I chased her around the oasis.

    The wind brushed past my cheeks. A beast that had come to wet its throat, yelped. However, no matter how much I tried, I could not close the distance between us.

    Are we competing in terms of speed now¡­ dammit, if it only was not the new moon today, I would be able to increase my speed even further.

    Senri had mentioned that she would be weaker on the stamina side, but she showed no signs of slowing down. I squinted my eyes to find that she was not really running. Her fluid movements barely required her to move her legs.

    I am sure that puts a strain on her body. I do not feel fatigue, nor do I breathe, so I will never run out of breath. But despite everything, Senri looked perfectly fine.

    I have no idea how she was doing it, but I wonder if that again has something to do with the power of blessing.

    She promised she would not unleash any positive energy. How long can she continue to use that skill?

    Although I feel no fatigue, I have a time limit. Dawn. There is also the possibility that I run out of power I get from Senri¡¯s blood.

    This will not do. I cannot win against her using normal means.

    I jumped up several meters in the air. I landed hard and started running on all fours.

    Even I was surprised by my behavior. My vampiric instincts insisted I do so.

    Logically speaking, my speed should decrease on all fours. However, incredibly enough, I was closing in on Senri. She turned around and stopped short, surprised.

    Has she accepted defeat? I pushed my body forward by kicking at the ground, trying to pin Senri to the ground, when she shot up in the air.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    That as a metaphor. She really flew up into the sky. Not like how I leapt into air but she was actually levitating.

    The power of blessing had gathered at her back to make a set of bright wings¡­ anything goes huh.

    ¡°That¡¯s possible?!¡±

    ¡°Unleashing positive energy means converting the power of blessing into destructive power. ¡®Wings of Light¡¯ does not require me to do that.¡±

    How¡­ unfair. How is that not unleashing energy?

    As I glared at her, Senri¡¯s voice reached me from above.

    ¡°True vampires can fly as well.¡±

    Shit. She does not want me to feed on her that much? What is the harm if it only makes her feel good?

    Nevertheless, I still have not given up. I cannot morph into a bat, so I can¡¯t fly as yet.

    Desperate, I ran towards her and jumped off the ground.

    I was propelled into the air, with Senri almost within my reach. But no matter how great my physical abilities are, I still cannot move midair as one would expect.

    As I shot up towards Senri who was still a hair¡¯s breadth away, she placed a hand over her mouth and spoke as if she was appalled.

    ¡°Wow¡­ do you really want my blood that much?¡±

    ¡°¡­I can still go on. Just a little longer.¡±

    Senri swooped down from above. Travelling at a tremendous speed, she landed hard enough to set the ground reverberating.

    Looks like those wings of light can do more than just fly.

    However, she must have exhausted a lot of power. Upon closer look, the wings almost looked like they were on fire and burning energy. Not to mention, if it did not take up a lot of energy, she could have easily made use of them to fly to the nearest town.

    Pulled by gravity, I landed hard on my knees.

    Senri is within grasp. Just one more step and I should be able to reach her. I got on all fours and lunged towards Senri¡ª.

    ¡°Ahh, End?!¡±

    Suddenly I lost all my strength.

    Water enveloped my body. That is when I realized that Senri had been standing over the oasis¡¯ surface.

    I rushed to extricate myself out of the water. However, my body felt weak as it did in my previous life just before I fell sick.

    I finally got to my feet to see Senri heave a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Please, calm down.¡±

    ¡°Sen-ri¡­ this is rather unfair.¡±

    Running water is one of the weaknesses of vampires. I was not told that it would be included in the training.

    I never had a chance to win to begin with. This is unfair. She has to offer her neck as penalty.

    No worries. I will only take a bit of blood¨C.

    As I relayed my objections even as I was unsteady on my feet, Senri uttered ruthlessly.

    ¡°Yes. The Death Knights¡­ don¡¯t play fair and square.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡±

    I lost all strength and flopped back into the water.

    It is true that I had lost my calm. This may just be perfect to cool off, but¡­

    I was sinking into the water like a deadweight when Senri got closer and looked down at me.

    As much as I wanted to grab her ankle and say, ¡®Gotcha¡¯, my body would not cooperate.

    I looked at her with resentment in my eyes, while Senri put on a serious expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s the end of training. End¡­ let me tell you something. If you ever happen to run into the Death Knights, don¡¯t think about fighting and just run away as fast as you can. Don¡¯t hesitate to flee even if I were to get caught.¡±

 Chapter 37: Tranquil

    I feel like our relationship has changed a little.

    Although I still cannot let my guard down, it was a good change. She has started cracking jokes and also shares her knowledge with me. We train together as well. If this were all a ruse, I would stop being able to trust in people. As long as I keep strictly to the straight and narrow, I am sure she would continue to stay by my side .

    I realized several things over the course of our journey.

    The cycle of blood lust and the amount of blood I needed to intake. My response to the difference in strength between a Death Knight and me and my weaknesses. My thirst for violence and how to quell it.

    These are things I need to know in order to survive in this world.

    Senri was knowledgeable in matters regarding the Death Knights and ways to kill vampires, but was unaware of how a vampire could survive longer in this world. I slowly came to understand things about myself, one by one.

    Also, I was beginning to understand Senri. She may appear too serious, but she also smiles and cracks jokes. Appears stubborn but is also flexible. Kind but also broadminded. And she has her equal share of weaknesses too. Not to mention, she likes to tempt me at times¨C.

    She is a very complex person. However, her standing, strength, knowledge and her finest blood, make her the perfect travel companion.

    It may have been my greatest fortune that it was Senri who was sent to dispose of the Lord. I need to make the best use of this fortune. While she is still by my side, I need to determine my next course of action.

    And thus, without any further incident, we safely reached town.

    It was a mid-sized town much like Engey. The outer walls were not too high, there was a river nearby and a lot of people were lined up at the gate even at sunset.

    Merchants, who came on horses and their carts, were having their goods examined. The travelers, as long as they were not suspicious, were allowed to pass through. Even in Engey, you do not need any papers to get you into town. The outer wall is probably more of a safety measure against beasts.

    Well, I do possess the papers the Lord had prepared for me¡­

    As we stood in line awaiting our turn, Senri whispered to me.

    ¡°End, watch your step¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was a small ditch outside of the gate. Water slowly tricked down it.

    It was clearly a measure taken against vampires. If it ran around the entirety of town, then even a true vampire would not be able to transform into a bat and try to get into town.

    Had I stepped into it carelessly, I would have lost all my strength and collapsed to the ground.

    This kind of thing frightens me. There is no doubt that I would have been caught if I was not warned by Senri.

    In this world, invisible to the human eye, there are undead countermeasures set up everywhere.

    However, I should be able to overcome such a small ditch as long as I am prepared.

    ¡°Is this common?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s properly maintained in bigger cities. Engey had it too¡­ but maybe it was out of order, the water wasn¡¯t flowing.¡±

    Engey is near the Lord¡¯s base. If the Lord really intended to assume control over my body, then it would not be too strange if he had taken measures against the vampire countermeasures.

    Vampires possess several other weaknesses besides running water. I need to be careful¡­

    A gatekeeper armed with a spear, looked on at the travelers passing the gate, with a bored look on his face. I reckon he is checking for any strange behavior on part of the travelers crossing the running water.

    Senri casually moved closer and squeezed my hand. I squeezed back her slightly cold fingers.

    And so, I crossed the running water in a single breath and succeeded in making it into the town of Cemeserra.

    ?? ?

    We walked the streets of the town as the dusk light shone upon us and quickly found a place to stay. The rooms were acceptable except for the fact that the curtains were on the thin side.

    We got two single rooms and gathered in my room to discuss future strategies.

    Senri¡¯s eyes looked as cold as ever.

    ¡°There¡¯s a chance that people may come after us in a town of this size. We need to leave quickly.¡±

    ¡°That could be said of any place.¡±

    ¡°¡­End¡­ are you¡­ in a bad mood?¡±

    ¡°¡­ a little. But no need to worry. I understand what needs to be done.¡±

    Cemeserra was about the same size as Engey.

    The population and hustle and bustle around town seemed similar as well. There was only one thing that made it distinctly different from Engey.

    Likely due to the presence of a big river nearby, the town had several aqueducts running the length of it.

    I could step over a ditch but I would not be able to cross a long bridge by myself.

    It might be possible if I push my limits, but I would be unsteady on my feet for an extended period of time and as such run the risk of exposing myself.

    It is said that vampires lose most if not all of their abilities when atop water. Losing the special abilities would only be natural, but they also lose all strength and probably their regenerative capabilities as well. Although in my case, I do not possess any of the special abilities of a vampire, I would not be able to use the abilities I learned before as a ghoul, such as ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯ and ¡®Sharp Fang¡¯. I would be so weakened that even an ordinary human would easily be able to kill me.

    Of course, I could cross any bridge with Senri by my side, but I would be no more than deadweight in that situation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pity me. I¡¯m well aware that I¡¯m a fugitive. I¡¯m just being selfish. I just wanted to take in the sights and walk around town and maybe try some of the food. Since I¡¯d never done it before.¡±

    Senri¡¯s eyes grew wide. You do not need to look at me like that, I know full well that it is a very childish wish.

    Even when I tagged along with Roux, I did not get to take a look around town. In my previous life, I had become unable to walk since I was ten years old. I had almost never walked around town by myself or tried the food from stalls in the vicinity.

    So, I may have gotten my hopes up a little, but it looks like a place of human settlement is far more difficult for me to live in than I expected.

    It is said that most vampires choose not to settle down in human towns, but the ruins of old castles or underground labyrinths.

    I had considered that to be almost animalistic in nature, but I see it now. If all human settlements are this hard on vampires, then it makes complete sense.

    To make matters worse, the curtains were too flimsy. It is likely that sunlight would seep into the room even if I shut them well.

    Which means, even with the rare opportunity of a bed in front of me, I still cannot sleep on it. I would have to make use of the closet in the room to hide from sunlight during the day.

    Well although my body would not particularly ache if I sleep in the closet, I still wish I did not have to.

    Senri sighed and her eyes were kind as she looked at me.

    ¡°Tell me if you want something, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±

    Something I want. There is a lot of that. I need a change of clothes. I want to have some good food and I want Senri¡¯s blood too.

    Also, we could not possibly buy anything that would add to our load and we will be leaving here soon.

    ¡°¡­ books on magic, if you can find them. As for money, we can exchange the gold and silver I picked up from the Lord¡¯s manor.

    ¡° What kind of magic?¡±

    ¡°Any kind. Oh, something that would help us on the run.¡±

    Maybe I will happen upon something. I did not get to read any books on magic in my previous life as one would expect and the ones in Lord¡¯s manor were too complex to make sense of.

    Senri looked lost in thought at my vague request for a moment, after which she nodded.

    ¡°¡­ Got it. I¡¯ll just use my own discretion then. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I know I have no right to say this, but be careful. I¡¯m sure people are after you as well and not just me.¡±

    Senri looked dazed for an instant at my word of caution, but soon smiled at me.

    ?? ?

    A manor that was burned to the ground with nothing but ashes left behind. Silhouettes of a human and animal fell upon the simple grave nearby.

    One of which belonged to a man in the prime of his life, who was clad in a long, dark cloak. He was a man of large-build with his head sunk deep into the hood of his cloak and he carried three long swords.

    There was a stench of blood on him. His appearance added a strange intimidating air to him.

    ¡°Alba¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The other silhouette belonged to a black dog. It was at least two meters long and one meter tall.

    With glossy fur and strong, supple limbs, it had beauty particular to animals. It had a sharp, golden pair of eyes and one could certainly see the intelligence behind them.

    The dog called Alba, sniffed at the grave with his large snout, soon raised its head and directed its gaze deep into the woods.

    ¡°So¡­ they decided to leave the woods¡­ just as I¡¯d expected. I see they aren¡¯t stupid enough to try and face off against the Destroyer.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Alba looked at his master as if he fully understood his musing.

    The man looked at his dog and smiled wide.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. They wouldn¡¯t go to Engey. However, they would need supplies. The only path that they could have taken after leaving the woods, would lead them to Cemeserra. But that town is not very vampire friendly¡­ ahh, don¡¯t worry, Alba. A lesser vampire that has lost its master and a naive Death Knight who¡¯s still a child should pose no problem at all. I guess we should at least do some work¡­ that¡¯s worth the compensation.¡±

    His murky, black eyes peered into the dark and his zealous voice, echoed through the empty woods.

    And the man and his dog quietly dissolved into the darkness.

 Chapter 38: Tranquil Part II

    ¡°There are a few methods employed while tracking undead. Armed with that knowledge, we will only need to outsmart those¡­¡±

    The morning arrived in Cemeserra and Senri had changed into something much simpler than the same set of clothes she had on all along. She examined the map spread out in front of her and spoke solemnly.

    Although her actions meant that she was using her knowledge of tracking undead to help the target itself, Senri did not falter.

    However, there was something else that had me more curious.

    ¡°Senri¡­ why are you wearing glasses¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Disguise. It¡¯s fake though¡­ my hair and eye color stand out too much, you see.¡±

    Senri had on brown-framed glasses and a very solemn pair of purple eyes peered at me from behind the thin lens.

    Maybe because the glasses were of good quality, there was hardly any change in her appearance from before. Moreover, you cannot really hide your hair and eye color by simply donning on a pair of glasses in the first place.

    Although, it does suit her¡­ I am not sure if she is being serious. I want to feed on her.

    Granted that we cannot really go around wearing a thick, hooded robe all the time as it would invite suspicion, I do not think the Death Knights really know what a disguise is.

    Senri had bought a gray cloak for my use. I would have preferred black, but it seems that is exactly what a vampire would prefer as well, and gray also serves as camouflage in the area we are going to be passing. As an outsider who knows nothing about the area, I can do nothing but comply.

    Senri displayed the route we would take to get us past the river near Cemeserra. It was a path I could not have taken alone.

    The river ran rapid and it was a few meters deep and a thick, stone bridge had been built over it.

    I gulped lightly as Senri nervously looked for my approval.

    ¡°Do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°We¡­ have been in the same boat for quite some time now. I truly am grateful to you.¡±

    This world is simply too harsh for a single, ignorant vampire to survive all by oneself.

    When Senri first offered me her blood, I had the choice of running away on my own. Considering how much she was discomposed then, she may not have chased after me.

    However, I am really glad I made the decision to negotiate with Ep¨¦e and chose to bring Senri to my side.

    I was not even aware that only human blood was capable of satiating a vampire¡¯s thirst then.

    Right now, I am choosing the path best suited for my survival.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s okay. I consider this also to be the duty of a Death Knight.¡±

    Senri replied with her eyes cast down. However, her voice displayed slight undertones of gentleness and melancholy.

    Senri is still undecided. As smart as she is, I am sure she is well aware.

    That, no matter how well we get along or no matter how much of a good person I am right now, the moment I cause harm to a human, I would become a monster that cannot be allowed to live.

    If Senri was no longer by my side, I would have to look for someone else to feed on.

    Time is irrelevant to me now. So there will eventually come a time when I take the wrong turn. That is why, I need to keep deceiving her using any and all means.

    She has nothing really to gain from helping me. I should not think that any pleasure derived from my feeding on her could really be taken into account¡­.

    I wish there was some other way I could survive without having to ingest blood.

    ¡°How are we going to get across? On my back?¡±

    I can just about barely cross running water since I am a lesser vampire. I imagine it would be very difficult for a true vampire.

    However, it is probably impossible to cross such a long bridge in a condition where I could collapse any minute.

    I could hold on to Senri, but she is shorter than me. It may look unnatural. Not to mention, we have our things to carry as well.

    Senri shook her head at my question.

    ¡°Nah¡­ I will carry you and fly. It shouldn¡¯t be conspicuous if we take off at the foot of the bridge, and considering the size of the river, we should be able to manage.¡±

    It was a pretty wild idea. However, I reckon Ep¨¦e and the others would have never imagined Senri to be so willing to help. Things are going good.

    I squinted at her nape and replied humorously.

    ¡°If your intention is to drop me in the water while we¡¯re airborne, I¡¯d like you to let me drink my fill first.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if you do fall, considering you don¡¯t really need to breathe and the currents in the river, you should eventually wash up on the bank¡­ probably.¡±

    ¡°I guess a sinker belongs under the sea. Since I can¡¯t really gather any strength, I should not be able to gouge out my heart myself.¡±

    What a horrifying image. I have no problem showering or entering a bath but I am completely put out of commission over running water. Truly what strange creatures vampires are.

    Senri¡¯s eyes widened and she clasped her hands together.

    ¡°Ohh¡­ that¡¯s a very good idea. I never thought of it since the Death Knights make sure to kill the undead, but it might be the best way to confine them alive.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Please don¡¯t. It¡¯s not particularly painful to stay underwater, but that doesn¡¯t make it any better.¡±

    ¡°Then stop being absurd. Here you are, I¡¯ll give you¡­ some food.¡±

    That irked me.

    Senri uttered hesitantly and offered a finger that was as soft and smooth as an ice fish.

    The cycle of blood lust comes around once every ten days.I could probably hold off twice that if I bore with it, but any longer than that and I would lose my abilities and eventually my sanity.

    My thirst is satiated and the cycle is reset once I take Senri¡¯s blood. And the amount of blood necessary for that to happen is not that much I should think.

    Even when blood lust had taken over me, I was able to regain myself after ingesting just a few drops of her blood from her finger. The only time I needed a lot of blood was the very first time I drank from her neck as I had to regenerate most of my body.

    I have been wanting to feed from her neck for the longest time but it does not look like she has made up her mind yet.

    I gratefully accepted that which was offered, caressed her soft finger and guided it into my mouth.

    Senri¡¯s eyebrows raised ever so slightly. It is nothing but pleasant to have her finger stroke my tongue.

    I slurped on her finger as I bit down hard with my canine tooth. There is no pain associated with the act of feeding. Probably feels like a mosquito bite at most.

    I reckon the pleasure associated with the act is to facilitate the whole process. According to folklore, a person who has once experienced the pleasure would voluntarily offer their necks the second time.

    However, that did not happen with Senri, which only goes to show how tenacious she is.

    The delicious blood melted away my anger. The pleasant feeling that spread through my brain made me puff out hot breaths.

    Although it does feel like I am missing a little something, I cannot really put into words the sensation of ingesting blood. It looked to me like Senri¡¯s eyes had grown a little gentler and her cheeks somewhat red.

    I examined her face as I carefully sucked on her finger. I ran a finger along the back of her hand and extended my arm to invade hers. When her silky smooth skin came in contact with mine, I felt like I gained more energy than usual.

    If all I needed was blood, then ingesting it from anywhere should feel the same. However, I clearly gained more energy when I fed from her neck .

    Considering what Senri mentioned about vampires taking their own sweet time with their victims as they slowly drained them of all blood, there may be a direct link between the satisfaction obtained from the act of feeding and the amount of energy gained.

    I just gave into the pleasure and closed my eyes as I sucked on her finger. At the same time, my fingers reached Senri¡¯s elbow.

    When I extended my arm even further, Senri suddenly withdrew her hand from my mouth. She cradled her fingers still glistening with saliva and lightly slapped away my arm that held her own.

    A bite mark was left behind on her pale finger, but it did not bleed. And that mark should soon disappear as well.

    ¡°¡­ We¡¯re done here. You¡¯ve had enough, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I did not answer her as I reveled in the aftertaste of her blood.

    Of course, I have not had enough. However, I had more than enough to keep my blood lust in check.

    The feeling of dissatisfaction only just adds spice to the whole thing. I am not weak enough to lose to urges of this level.

    With my enhanced hearing abilities, I could hear Senri¡¯s usually calm heart beat a little faster than normal.

    She thoroughly wiped her fingers and awkwardly pushed her glasses up her nose. Almost as if she was trying to revert the mood back to how it was before.

    ¡°Once¡­ we get past the river, we should head towards the north. There¡¯s a small town in that direction. There is a bigger town towards the east, but we are least likely to bump into the Death Knights in a smaller town.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Got it. I¡¯ll follow your instructions.¡±

    Senri¡¯s words brought on a temporary peace of mind. I think the Death Knights could pop up even in a smaller town and they might already expect us to select the option of crossing the bridge. However, voicing those concerns is of no use now.

    After staying the night in the inn and shower later, Senri had changed into cleaner clothes and shined beautifully.

    We cannot live like nomads forever. Either way, as long as we are alive, there will come a time when we will run into our enemies.

    I had already steeled my resolve to sweep aside any sparks that threaten me when I laid plans to defeat the Lord.

    Blood is making me stronger. I am heading towards the next stage of evolution. I realize that my existence is rapidly degenerating further and further.

    And the rate at which that is happening is probably much faster than Senri thinks.

    ?? ?

    We left the town behind and headed towards the bridge. It was made of stone and a few meters wide, enough for a carriage to pass through.

    The day was almost at an end, and there was nearly no one waiting to cross the firm, huge structure. However, maybe as a countermeasure against monsters that could attack at night, the bridge was illuminated by light from a tower erected on it.

    Senri was fully equipped. A plain, brown overcoat with a sling that a poor traveler pulling a horse or carriage might lug around unwillingly. She looked very different from when she had on the white Death Knight attire.

    The fake glasses, though meaningless, did give her a very different air coupled with the rest of the ensemble.

    I did not carry anything. Because it takes all of my strength just to make it past the bridge.

    We avoided human eyes as we sneaked towards the foot of the bridge.

    ¡°The Wings of Light are made of the power of blessing. Be careful not to touch them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will have the energy to do that.¡±

    It really does feel awful over running water. As I stood there with my face stiff, Senri softly hugged me from behind.

    Maybe if I had been human, I would have yearned for her in a situation such as this, but unfortunately all that came to me was the smell of her blood.

    Please for the love of God, do not trigger my thirst.

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you and fly across. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything.¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ I¡¯ll leave it all up you.¡±

    Senri lifted me by the armpits and carried me in her arms. She then gathered her strength and kicked off from the ground.

    I could feel all strength escape my body. I entrusted my whole being to Senri.

    Reflected in the dark surface of the river, were the crescent moon and a translucent me.

 Chapter 39: Under the Radar

    Just as Senri had said, our destination was a much smaller town than Cemeserra or Engey.

    Stone buildings and mud roads. Be it the number of carriages or people, both were a lot fewer than Cemeserra. It was a dimly lit, idyllic little town.

    And as one would expect, there was a pit in front of the gate and water was flowing through it, but maybe because it was not properly maintained, the water was almost stagnant. So it did not affect me as much and I could cross it without a hitch.

    This is a nice town. There are not too many mercenaries around and it is not too deserted that we cannot conceal our presence. A customary glance around tells me that the shops sell all the bare necessities. Provided we do not have a tail on us, staying here for a while might not be too bad.

    Ahh, if only the shadow amulet had not been destroyed¡­ I could have kicked back and relaxed.

    My eyes promptly locked in on a food stall when I felt Senri tug on my arm.

    Senri was able to rest on my back on the way over. Maybe she was tired since we travelled without taking a break, for she did not look very good. Although I suppose leaving the woods without much of a preparation was the main reason.

    She was trying to hide her fatigue but I could tell from her smell.

    All I have done is cause her trouble. She even had to gather all the necessities in Cemeserra. Although I did want to help, there were not many shops open at night.

    ¡°Senri, you should get some rest. They shouldn¡¯t be able to find us since we¡¯ve made it this far, right?¡±

    ¡°End, I need you to get your act together¡­ I can¡¯t rest otherwise. You¡¯ve been spacing out a bit recently.¡±

    Senri sounded a little reproving.

    That was pretty harsh. I thought back upon my recent conduct.

    ¡­ She is right. Maybe I have let my guard down a little too much.

    ¡°Ahh. I¡¯m sorry. I mean, this is the first time I met someone I didn¡¯t need to be so wary around.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see¡­ What about Roux?¡±

    ¡°It was a little different with Roux. Because she¡­ was not exactly strong.¡±

    Even if by any chance Roux had survived, I doubt I would have been able to relax around her.

    Although it would give me more freedom to do what I wanted, she would have been lacking as a partner.

    I stopped myself from being distracted by everything and ran to catch up with Senri. She looked so unbelievably small from behind.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay in this town for a while. If we stay holed up in an inn, no one should be able to find out about us, right? As long as the Death Knights don¡¯t pay a visit, that is.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best to look after you. I¡¯d only be returning the favor. Also, I like keeping active.¡±

    Senri hesitated. But I am sure she realized that she was not in the best of condition.

    It would spell trouble for the both of us if she were to fall ill. I am fully aware that humans are not all that sturdy.

    She is dainty. She has trained her body well, but she still feels very tender in my arms. I do not think she would be able to fight against the forces of darkness if not for her strong power of blessing. I have been the one to rely on her until now, but I think it is time we changed roles.

    Either way, rest was much needed.

    Senri sighed lightly and a troubled smile shone on her face.

    ¡°¡­ I get it. But will you behave?¡±

    ¡°I know. Just what do you think of me¡­¡±

    I may not sound convincing, but even I would not leave behind Senri and take off by myself to look around town. No matter how fascinating the town looked, prudence must be maintained.

    That is how I have managed to stay alive until now.

    ?? ?

    Same as we did in Cemeserra, we looked for a moderate inn in town. And we got the same single bed, two rooms. The gems I had picked up haphazardly from the Lord¡¯s mansion could be exchanged for quite a good sum, so we should be able to live on it for some time.

    Since the night had already fallen, Senri got ready to go to bed.

    I dare say the primary reasons for her feeling unwell is sleep deprivation and the destruction of her natural bodily rhythm. Humans are beings that work during the day and require a good amount of sleep to function well.

    Senri was on guard when I slept during the day, and also mostly awake during the night when I awake. It was only natural that even a Death Knight would feel unwell under such circumstances.

    From now on, I should have her sleep more at night, though it would make me feel lonely.

    Although being taken care of was nothing new to me, the feeling of taking care of someone was entirely different.

    Humming a tune, I brought Senri¡¯s supper to her room. The innkeeper said nothing, but I wonder what they thought of us asking for separate rooms although we arrived together. I doubt we look like travelers or peddlers or mercenaries for that sake.

    I reached her room and stopped in front of the door.

    Vampires cannot enter a room unless invited. It happens to be one of the strangest parts of the curse.

    True vampires cannot invade others¡¯ homes. I could probably do it if I pushed myself, but it would not feel very pleasant.

    I do not know what the exact rules are, but it is rather meticulous. As far as shops or places of stay are concerned, I would be able to enter them, because as a customer I would be invited inside, but I would not be able to enter a shop after working hours are over.

    In the case of inns with a lot of rooms, I would have no problem entering the lobby or dining area but I would not be able to enter any guest rooms. I reckon I would need the permission of the person staying in the room for me to be able to enter.

    Owing to the curse, vampires cannot sneak into someone¡¯s home and try to drink their blood. Even if other modes of entry like an open window or a chimney were present, and a chaste maiden lay defenseless on a bed in the middle of the room, they still would not be able to enter, no matter what. In that sense, vampires are very fair monsters.

    Well at present, I do not really have plans to lie in wait and attack someone at their home, so it does not really count as my weakness, but some time in the future it could serve to be a big hindrance in my path.

    Putting that aside for now, I found a way to make the most out of the curse.

    With the food tray in my hand, I stared fixedly at the thin, wooden door.

    I had not knocked yet, but I still felt fine. And that made me happy.

    I do not have the key. In other words, it meant that Senri did not consider me a trespasser and that she accepted me. It was also proof of her trust.

    If Senri and I were on opposing sides, she would not permit my entry into the room, so I would feel incredibly awful owing to the curse.

    So at the very least, this was more than enough proof that we were on the same side at present.

    If I had been able to transform into mist, then I could enter through the keyhole and not get censured for doing so.

    Oh how wonderful it feels to be accepted! I needed confirmation and it was also one of the reasons I booked two rooms this time as well.

    As I stood engrossed in thought, I heard the key turn and the door swung open.

    Just out of bath, she had on casual clothes without the glasses and looked at me quizzically with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°What are you doing simply standing in front of the door, without so much as a knock?¡±

    ¡° Well, I was about to do just that.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Nevermind. Someone might question you for lurking around in the corridor. Come in.¡±

    Senri sighed as she explicitly invited me into the room.

    ?? ?

    I decided to catch up on some reading alone during the time Senri rested in her room.

    I had a lot of things I needed and wanted to do. I could not possibly leave the inn to hunt at night like I used to before when I lived in the Lord¡¯s mansion, but I still need to get stronger somehow.

    I could not pass the time gazing at Senri sleeping for her sake. I reckon the natural aura around undead who are originally enemies to her, does not really let her mind rest. A single wall separating us might not make much of a difference, but it should still be better than nothing.

    And it was also to stop myself from being tempted to drink her blood as I watched her sleep.

    My reading material consisted of the book on undead that I picked up from the Lord¡¯s mansion and the book on non-elemental magic that Senri had bought for me in Cemeserra.

    I was not aware that magic performed by mages was divided by elements.

    The five important elements being fire, water, wood, metal and earth. Humans are born with an affinity to one of them and it determines the type of magic that they can wield. Someone with affinity to fire would not be able to use magic related to water and vice versa. Although extremely rare, there are gifted people born with strong affinity to multiple elements. People with affinities become mages.

    I suppose the one who shot fire arrows at me was mage with fire attribute.

    If so, what exactly was non-elemental magic?

    Non-elemental magic is magic for those pitiful souls who possess mana but do not possess an affinity to any element.

    All living, breathing creatures possess mana, but it seems most every being does not possess affinities to elements.

    Such people are capable of wielding any magic irrespective of element but the result would still be far weaker than a mage who has an affinity.

    The result of research to increase the power of such people was the birth of non-elemental magic.

    There are almost no offense type spells in non-elemental magic. It was focused more on convenient use of magic, like for example, to make a small fire, make a cold breeze blow on a hot day, extract water from air or make mud balls out of earth.

    I have mana, I mean, vampires are known to possess an incredible amount of mana, but possess no attribute. The crystal Senri had brought to identify my element simply glowed colourless, which also showed that I would not be able to rely on magic to improve my fighting capabilities.

    Senri¡¯s face had turned grim upon discovery but it was not her fault and despite being non-elemental, magic was still magic.

    I was not able to wield magic even in my previous life and it is not really my aim to become a mage.

    The only reason I am learning is because I find it fun to learn new things. It was in good humor that I had asked Senri to get me a book on non-elemental magic and decided to study it.

    Thankfully, as a lesser vampire, I possess more mana than the average person. I have plenty of time to practise.

    If I become capable of performing at least a few spells, I can make Senri¡¯s life on the road a bit easier. Incidentally, Senri cannot use any magic it would seem. She mentioned something about healing magic not strictly falling under the magic category since it is done through the power of blessing.

    And¨Cthere was one thing Senri failed to mention.

    There were no details of it in the book and I doubt it would be covered in any commercially available grimoires, but¡­ it is likely that necromancy is also a type of non-elemental magic.

    Senri is not aware of this, but I am a vessel of the King of the Undead.

    Before, I heard her say that the King of the Undead was an undead capable of performing necromancy. If that is true, then I could be capable of performing the abominable art, considering I was able to control the mighty Lord.

    The book was no manual. However, all of the Lord¡¯s knowledge was within me.

    It was simply sealed deep within and there should certainly be a way to gain access to it.

    It goes without saying that I cannot proudly display my use of necromancy in front of Senri.

    I had best keep this to myself. Any kind of power would go towards prolonging my life.

    I very much like the life I am living now.

    Senri would regularly permit me a bit of her blood, make jokes at times as we travel the world together.

    Although it comes with its fair share of difficulties, they were nothing too great that could not be overcome. It was almost perfect. She might even let me feed from her neck in the future.

    However, I am not all that optimistic enough to believe that we would be able to continue to live this way forever.

    I chanted the spell as dictated in the book and struggled to bring out the mana within me. Small sparks of fire fluttered around my index finger.

    Seeing that, I smiled.

    ?? ?

    I received a letter from an unknown sender on the third day of our stay in town.

    We had done absolutely nothing to draw attention towards ourselves. Etched on the letter, as if to torment me, was the mark of a cross, which happened to be a vampire¡¯s weakness.

 Chapter 40: Negotiation Part I

    The night wore on and the town soon became deserted. I stepped out of the inn alone.

    Hardly any people could be seen out and about since it was a fairly rural town. Even so, I moved furtively as I headed towards the location mentioned in the letter.

    A half moon shone in the sky. I suppose it is neither good nor bad in terms of phases of the moon. Nevertheless, my body is brimming with power.

    I might even be more powerful than the time I first encountered Ep¨¦e. I felt so euphoric that I even started humming a tune.

    Senri let me have her blood. Though I had fed on her just a few days ago, I drank a bit more than usual this time around. It may have been a little too pushy on my part, but I truly needed more strength to deal with this matter.

    I did not need more blood in order to quench my thirst but to gather necessary strength. The power I gained and the pleasure I felt was still no match to when I drank from her finger.

    The location mentioned in the letter was a large tavern. Despite it being nighttime, the tavern was teeming with customers.

    I suppose this was chosen as the meeting place to make me let my guard down even just a little. Also implying that I need not worry about being attacked as we would be in front of all these common folk.

    The letter bearing the crucifix that ostentatiously dripped with hostility was surprisingly looking to make a deal with me.

    It was not from the Death Knights, but from a Vampire Hunter who had been commissioned by them.

    I had expected that people would be after us, but I never imagined that they had already caught up with us.

    I had thought we had quite a lead over our pursuers. How ever did they catch up with us and what can we do to outrun them from this point forward?

    There were instructions in the letter for me to come alone and the condition for negotiation was a Night Crystal which can be used to conceal negative energy.

    I finished the letter and after much deliberation, I decided to take a gamble . They already had us by our necks the moment our location was exposed.

    Well, I do not think they would come for my head the instant they see me. Had they wanted to kill me, they would have done so when we were on the road.

    Above all else, I really am in need of a Night Crystal. I heard from Senri that it is rather difficult to obtain one .

    It is a good thing the opponent is a Vampire Hunter. The Death Knights would never turn a blind eye to an undead, but it is possible to negotiate with a Vampire Hunter who merely hunts vampires for the bounty. I do not know what they would want in return but I can imagine what it could be.

    I walked through the blinding lights, entered the tavern and looked for them.

    I did not have to look for long.

    The Vampire Hunters were dressed in such a way that it made them stand out even amongst the crowd.

    A large man clad in black from head to toe and a similarly dressed girl. A large crucifix hung from his neck. It was so overt that it made me want to laugh.

    The crucifix is my weakness. It is not powerful enough to turn me to dust the moment I get closer to it. And as a lesser vampire, it does not have that much of an effect on me.

    I steeled my resolve and walked towards their table. They peered at me, the man¡¯s cloudy, black eyes and the girl¡¯s eyes that reminded me of a beast.

    They were humans. I could not sense any energy radiating from them as it was the case with the Death Knights.

    I had heard that Vampire Hunters were people who hunt vampires despite only possessing a normal human body, I see¡­ I applaud them for their courage. Even as a lesser vampire, I cannot imagine ever going after a vampire, and yet they try to achieve that with their frail human bodies¡­.

    This¡­ could get dangerous.

    It has been some time since I was overcome by such an intense bood lust. I quelled my heart and put on a smile.

    I have a bad feeling about them. I imagine they would make a similar impression on normal humans as well. Everyone¡¯s eyes have been fixed on them for quite a while.

    ¡°Are¡­ you End?¡±, said the girl, quivering with anger.

    She had black hair and black eyes. She looked younger than Senri but much more intimidating. She gave off the impression of a wounded animal. I wonder if she has something against me.

    ¡°Glad to meet you. You even went to all this trouble for my sake¨C¡±

    ¡°¡­ Take a seat. We didn¡¯t come here to fight. Simply trying to keep up our end of the deal.¡±

    The man narrowed his eyes and shot a reproachful look at his partner.

    He appeared to be smart. However, the glint in those cloudy eyes was not something that would be directed at a human being.

    I did as asked and took a cautious seat across them.

    ¡°I see you came alone as promised. I trust you haven¡¯t told her anything?¡±

    ¡°I merely answered in goodfaith. Moreover, Senri is a little exhausted from the trip you see¡­¡±

    The eyebrows of the man of indiscernible age twitched and he murmured, ¡°Matches with the information we received¡±, and nodded.

    Looks like they investigated us. Well, I had assumed as much given how they even knew which rooms we were staying in.

    I am brimming with power. Everything is happening as I had imagined.

    ¡°She is Albertus. I am what people would call, ¡®A Keeper¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Keeper¡­? What exactly do you keep?¡±

    The man who called himself a keeper, said nothing and simply smiled. He withdrew a single sheet of paper from his cloak.

    He whipped out a pen and his hands glided across the table. After he was done, he got straight to the point without even bothering to order any food.

    ¡°There is only one demand in the commission I received. I need you to return Ep¨¦e¡¯s princess, who you managed to deceive.¡±

    ¡°And, what do you offer in return?¡±

    The keeper¡¯s smile grew wider and he whispered.

    ¡°Absolute freedom. That is what you will get in return. You will be given a Night crystal that will allow you to conceal negative energy and¡­ the Death Knights will never pursue you. I am¡­ merely a mediator sent to negotiate since it would be against their principles to let an undead live after coming across one. It¡¯s not a bad deal, is it?¡±

    I see¡­ so that is how they are going to play it.

 Chapter 41: Negotiation Part II

    The girl introduced as Albertus had a fire lit her eyes and looked like she could pounce on me any second. If anything, it was almost unbelievable that she had not already done so.

    I returned the Keeper¡¯s stare.

    The weird man whose thoughts I cannot seem to decipher, rubbed two thinly gloved hands together and a very unpleasant expression adorned his face.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that? Neither did I. The one in your grasp seems to be more valuable than anything else to the Destroyer. Although, it¡¯s hunting I specialize in¨C.¡±

    ¡°I need some time to decide.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t have any.¡±

    Upon hearing my response, Albertus gripped the table and bared her teeth at me. Her thin fingers dug into and made cracks on the thick wooden table. Quite the terrifying strength considering that it did not seem like her physical abilities were enhanced by positive energy.

    That said, I could easily do the same.

    I broke the rules we had set and fed more on Senri than needed because I had predicted that the opponents would be powerful. I did not come here willy-nilly without a plan.

    The details of negotiation were not much of a surprise either. It was just that, their process seems¡­ a little too peaceful than I expected.

    The only thing I possess that would make them go so far as to deign to negotiate to retrieve, could only be Senri.

    This¡­ is rather a pickle.

    I am a monster. Senri shows me compassion despite that because I am hunted down. If that image is broken, there would be no reason for Senri to stick close to me.

    They really are clever. I doubt the Death Knights would keep their promise, but I could raise my chances of successfully evading them if I could conceal my negative energy.

    ¡°I cannot survive without blood.¡±

    ¡±Not my problem. You can hunt as much you want if you can conceal your negative energy. And if you really are a harmless vampire, there are any number of ways for you to survive.¡±

    The Keeper scowled.

    ¡­ This is difficult.

    It is true that there are any number of ways.

    The reason vampires are hunted is because they get carried away by the blood lust and exhaust their prey of all blood thereby killing them.

    Moreover, a true vampire as a result of the curse, is capable of turning their prey into another being that dwells in the darkness. A vampire that expands its influence exponentially would be considered an enemy of mankind.

    However, as long as I do not manifest that particular special ability, I could almost be considered harmless. The curse placed on me is useful in certain circles. Perhaps, I might even be able to find a patron.

    The piece of paper that the Keeper had pulled out was the contract.

    The paper by itself held no power, but written on there, were the details of negotiation mentioned earlier by the Keeper, which were : In return for freedom and the Night Crystal, I was to disappear from Senri¡¯s side of my own volition.

    ¡°Let me have your name. And seal it with your blood. It will serve as proof that you weren¡¯t coerced into this deal¡­ and then we can head towards the willful princess with it in hand.¡±

    ¡°¡­ this proves nothing.¡±

    ¡°It sure does. There¡¯s a curse placed on vampires. Their bodies turn to dust the moment they are killed. It¡¯s impossible to get their blood after they are dead, and as a Death Knight, she should be capable of identifying your negative energy embedded in that piece of paper.¡±

    The Keeper¡¯s voice was low and gloomy.

    ¡­ Knowing her, it would not be too strange if she actually found it convincing.

    The Keeper put his hands in his pocket and retrieved a leather pouch from within. He placed a crystal the size of the nail of the little finger on the table. It was rather small, but I certainly recognize it.

    ¡­ It was the real deal.

    I could tell instinctively. It is the crystal that is capable of absorbing the negative energy I constantly radiate, thereby preventing its dispersal.

    I am not sure if it can completely hide my aura given its size, but it is still better than nothing.

    And I am desperately in need of it.

    ¡°Though it may be small, it is rather a rare item that you won¡¯t be able to find easily. Kekekek¡­ beings of darkness would all kill to get their hands on it. It¡¯s not something a mere lesser vampire can get a hold of.¡±

    ¡°¡­ It still can¡¯t replace Senri.¡±

    Let me show my objection once. I do hope to live a peaceful life, but it is no more than a stone. Given that I have managed to already come across two, I am sure there should be a third stone somewhere in this world. However, there is only one Senri in this whole wide world.

    The Keeper frowned and spoke almost as if to admonish.

    ¡°You are hindering her future. You can¡¯t possibly think that tagging along with you is where her happiness lies. If you really do have a sense of humanity, shouldn¡¯t you let her go?¡±

    This is what I was talking about. This man clearly knows where my weaknesses lie.

    My strength is the human will I possess which is also my weakness at the same time.

    This is sad¡­ I even feel sorry for this man before me. Although he is harder to deal with than the Death Knights, who only have strength to their names.

    ¡°Has she gained anything after being bewitched by you? There¡¯s a black mark in her career, she is pursued by people who were once her colleagues, she has destroyed her health and is currently laid up. Don¡¯t you feed on her as you hide behind your weaknesses and take advantage of her kindness? If you really do possess a human heart¡­ then give it some thought.¡±

    Cornering me with a soundargument and convincing words will have no effect on me. Because I have no sense of justice.

    Everything he said is true. I am perfectly aware of it. I exploit her kindness and rely on her, while giving nothing back in return¡­ I wanted to survive even to that end.

    My plan¡­ may have fallen apart.

    What should I do?¡­ No, the answer is obvious.

    I took deep breaths as a human would do and looked into the Keeper¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Senri¡­ gave all of herself to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahh, don¡¯t get me wrong. I meant everything but her virginity. She remains pure. So, she can still return to being a Death Knight. I knew that I would need to return her to the Order someday.¡±

    I do not understand how but a strong power of blessing dwells in a pure body.

    That is why almost all of the Death Knights, irrespective of their sex, stay chaste. It is one of their weaknesses and the beings of the dark and demons take the initiative to target said weakness.

    The Keeper¡¯s eyebrows twitched a little.

    ¡°So you knew your place ¡­ I feel ashamed to have almost jumped to the wrong conclusion.¡±

    I grabbed the pen on the table and did not hesitate in the least before I signed the contract with the name End.

    I am sure they never imagined that I would agree to their conditions so easily. I returned the pen to the Keeper, who gaped at me.

    ¡°There¡¯s just one thing I have to say. I wasn¡¯t the one who bewitched Senri,¡­ but it¡¯s the other way around. I didn¡¯t snatch anything from her, but she bestowed everything upon me. Senri made me human. I doubt you can understand the feeling of suddenly waking up a monster one day. Nor the happiness of being accepted by a human being despite what you¡¯ve turned into.¡±

    Albertus¡¯ breath came out in puffs but she stayed silent while her pupils contracted.

    I grabbed the night crystal from the table and placed it inside my breast pocket.

    I bit down on my right thumb, and approached the paper with a bloody finger.

    ¡°I¡­ hold Senri dear to my heart. So, if this will make her happy, then I would only be too glad to let her go.¡±

    I pressed my thumb on the paper. A clear fingerprint was stamped on the contract.

    I wonder how blood can remain when the undead turn to dust upon death.

    This is good. I cannot think of any other way. This is fine. The rest¡­ is a gamble.

    As I stood mulling things over, the Keeper picked up the contract, gave it the once over nodded in affirmation and placed it in his pocket.

    He smiled and held out his hand as if to shake mine.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­ that you¡¯re a reasonable vampire. That¡¯s a load off my shoulders.¡±

    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something I wanted to ask you¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ What is it?¡±

    I ignored his outstretched hand and returned to my seat, eyebrows furrowed.

    The Keeper and Albertus. What a terrifying pair! Even after hearing my resolve and my convictions, they were not moved in the least.

    I thought I was supposed to be the monster here, but how the tables have turned.

    He is the personification of the image of a vampire hunter I had in mind.

    My lips curved into a smile. This negotiation really had me sweating.

    And now, I voiced my doubts.

    ¡°Do you have the permission from the Death Knights for that contract? They aren¡¯t exactly the kind of people who¡¯d show kindness to monsters as far as I know.¡±

    ¡°¡­ kekek¡­ No wonder they wanted me to handle this. Aren¡¯t you a clever one?¡±

    He reached out and grabbed my arm. I felt it go limp.

    But right at that moment, I kicked the table up in the air.

    The huge, heavy, wooden table flipped over and he could not hold onto my arm anymore. I regained my strength in that arm in a flash.

    The table fell with a resounding bang and a moment later, the sound of screams and yelling reached our ears.

    It was meant to completely take him by surprise, but the Keeper had not been crushed by the table.

    Maybe he had quickly moved to the side to evade it, he gazed at me unperturbed, with a smile on his face.

    I wonder if the reason I lost my strength in a flash was because he had a crucifix under his glove. Had I not turned over the table, I may not have been able to shake him off.

    However, at that moment, what I felt was¡­ huge relief.

    Indeed this is how the relationship between a vampire and vampire hunter should be like.

    The Keeper unsheathed his sword. It was a silver sword that gave off unpleasant vibes.

    It was a crucifix. I could tell instinctively.

    It clearly satisfies all the conditions to be a crucifix which vampires find dreadful. Since considering the size of the grip and the sword itself, the guard was simply too long. The Keeper smiled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think badly of me, poor vampire. I haven¡¯t broken the contract. I shall mercifully condemn that soul of yours to hell.¡±

    The customers, realizing the situation, left behind their drinks and food that they had been enjoying, and ran for the exit, helter skelter.

    Oh right. Vampire Hunters do not care about humans. The Death Knights would try to protect the people but Vampire Hunters would not even attempt to do so.

    The reason why they become vampire hunters is either money or a deep seated resentment towards vampires.

    They are madmen with a strong will, who would not give up despite not possessing the power of blessing to overpower the undead like the Death Knights.

    They would not mind sacrificing a thousand humans if it meant the death of a single vampire.

    That is the kind of people the Vampire Hunters are.

    Albertus picked up the table with one hand and spitted out angrily.

    ¡°I see you drank your fill before coming here. No matter how you try to fool us with your pretty words, I can smell it on you, vampire!¡±

    ¡°Do you intend to meet Senri right after you kill me?¡±

    ¡°This is just extra service. We are not affiliated with any group you see¡­ it would be nice to have that monster owe us one.¡±

    So they are fine if things get complicated. I see, so the request they received was to simply kill me.

    It does not seem like they intend to let me live. Well, I suppose a Vampire Hunter cannot be referred to as such if they fail to hunt down a vampire.

    However, I did not think they would not even let me leave the tavern¡­.

    The Keeper retrieved a bottle from his pocket and poured its contents over the blade of his sword. The liquid trickled down from the sword to the ground.

    In all probability, it is the holy water that has the power to eat away at the body of undead. I cannot afford to take a blow.

    I am superior in simple terms of power, but I am not aware of the effects holy water would have on me.

    The Keeper and I¡­ are similar in a sense.

    I smiled amiably. The Keeper grimaced. And that is when I pulled out my hidden card.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t broken my promise either. I never spoke about the contents of the letter to another soul.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I never spoke about it. I simply¡­showed it.

    I came here alone as promised. However¡­ I had someone waiting here before I got to this place.

    That was a close call. I suppose it was simply impossible to attempt to see this peacefully to the end.

    Moreover, I could not act like I did not care about Senri¡¯s happiness either.

    ¡°¡­ Sheathe, your sword.¡±

    And I had planned, a cold voice reverberated in the near empty tavern.

 Chapter 42: Vampire Hunter Part I

    My objective is survival. I would do anything to increase my odds even just a little.

    Why else would I waltz into enemy territory to get the Night Crystal that I so desperately need?

    Unbelievable. Even if they had set the time of meeting at night during the working hours of the tavern which is favourable to me and displayed that they meant no harm, they are professionals that hunt dark beings for a living.

    I have come across my fair share of powerful opponents. I am not conceited enough to think I would be able to go head-to-head with them just because I had a bit more blood.

    ¡°¡­ So, you planned it all.¡±

    The Keeper frowned and his voice betrayed no emotion.

    Albertus whipped around and looked ready to pounce as she glared at the owner of the voice from earlier.

    Senri stood behind the Keeper and Albertus.

    Her head was buried deep into the hood of her robe and she had on the fake pair of glasses as disguise. Her piercing gaze and the sword that served as proof that she was part of the Death Knights, were pointed at the Keeper.

    Although not a perfect plan, I had her sneak into the tavern before the sun had set.

    Quite likely long before the Keeper or Albertus made it here.

    I wanted her to witness the transaction between me and the Vampire Hunter. If things had settled without any incident, she had no plans to reveal herself.

    However, I was certain that they would attack me. They had me for a while when things were going smoothly but grudges always ran deep.

    Senri looked eerily pale.

    The reason could be anger or because I acted a little wilful and drank too much blood.

    I ended up spewing a lot of embarrassing things, but it did not look like she minded.

    In spite of being at the other end of the sword of a second-class knight, whose strength I cannot even compare to, the pair still had not lost their fighting spirit.

    Albertus snarled at her.

    ¡°You fooled us huh, you lecherous bitch!¡±

    ¡°Alba, stop it. She is not our target.¡±

    The Keeper shrugged lightly. But the look in his eyes was just as cold as his dangerous partner¡¯s.

    He still held the crucifix sword in his hand.

    As far as I know, Vampire Hunters are no match to the Death Knights. And yet, what is giving them this composure?

    I had thought that they would retreat the moment Senri entered the picture. Unless they have something else up their sleeve.

    ¡°Well well¡­ Destroyer¡¯s gem. Aren¡¯t you taking things a little too far? Do you even know what you¡¯re doing? That vampire may still be a lesser¡­ but I heard it is a singular specimen, ¡®Ancestor¡¯, created by Horus Carmon. I don¡¯t get it. I should think a Death Knight would understand the danger it poses.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Ancestor¡¯. I have never heard that term before. Nor did I come across it in books.

    However, considering that Senri has not interjected, I suppose it was common knowledge in their circles.

    The Keeper ran his fingers along his sword as he continued at large.

    ¡°We have no idea about the reason behind its creation. It needs to be exterminated before it completely turns into a monster. Kekek another ancestor could leave several casualties in its wake. Not that it¡¯s a matter of concern to me.¡±

    ¡°He¡­ hasn¡¯t fed on anyone else but me. He¡¯s still rational. And perhaps, he always will be.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¨C¡±

    That brought a change in the Keeper¡¯s expression.

    His face deep with a frown, he sighed deeply and spitted out.

    ¡°This certainly makes things difficult. If that¡¯s its singularity, then it makes that vampire¡­ the worst among the ancestors we¡¯ve witnessed so far. It could inflict evil upon the entire world. Leave it to a second-class necromancer to create such a thing. Senri Silvis, if it manages to propagate that singularity, it could gain immense power. Are you¡­ raising the most dangerous vampire ever?¡±

    Senri¡¯s face expressed strong doubts for an instant.

    Our eyes meet. However, I keep quiet. I have nothing to say.

    I have no idea what an ancestor is or what he means by me being dangerous. But I believe in her.

    The silence lasted a few seconds. Senri frowned and spoke in a controlled manner.

    ¡°¡­ Leave. I¡­ will watch over him.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kekek¡­ Our negotiations have failed I see¡­ that¡¯s unfortunate. Alba¨C¡±

    The Keeper did not look the least unperturbed hearing Senri¡¯s response.

    He barked a curt order to his partner by his side.

    ¡° Seize that pitiful Vampire¡¯s Bride. I wanted to go as easy on her as possible, but¡­ just make sure she¡¯s alive.¡±

    ¡°I refuse. I shall kill that vampire!!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t kid around. Would you have me, a mere human take on a Death Knight? Just do what I told you. If you catch her quickly, you can help me with the hunt.¡±

    Unbelievable. Do these people intend to fight Senri?

    This is completely not what I had expected to happen. Even under restrictions, Senri is much stronger than me and she does not possess any obvious weaknesses like me.

    Albertus lifted up the huge table with one hand and easily flung it in Senri¡¯s direction.

    Considering she could do that with her small body, her power could possibly rival mine. I wonder if there is a trick to it.

    Nevertheless, this is not the time to stand lost in thought. Almost the same time, the Keeper made his way over to me.

    He raised the crucifix sword over his head.

    ¡°Keep your wits about you, vampire.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    He was not that swift, but it gave me a very bad feeling.

    I retreated to the back and easily evaded the blow. Droplets scattered around. The colorless, transparent liquid is akin to strong poison to me.

    A crucifix is not that fatal a weapon against vampires. However, it has the power to make one feel sick and weak upon coming in contact with it. More so when the Keeper¡¯s sword is made of silver and has been splashed with holy water.

    I doubt I would be able to heal as quickly if I were to take a blow. I may even be rendered unable to move.

    It was my first time facing off against a Vampire Hunter. I do not have the luxury to worry about Senri now.

    I pulled back, picked up a table and flung it with all my strength, just as Albertus had done.

    I am brimming with power. And I am in great shape. The Keeper clicked his tongue and slid to the side to avoid it.

    Apparently, he is no match for me in terms of endurance, physical strength or regenerative ability. In return for all that, I have a ton of weaknesses.

    I have attained my objective. All I need to do is get out of here. I kept an eye out for his attacks as I retreated. On the other side, Albertus had taken to all fours and lunged at Senri like a beast.

    I do not need to worry. Senri is more than capable of fending her off.

    For now, I need to shake off this man in front of me. The Keeper relentlessly pursued me as I pulled back.

    ¡°Sorry you had to come all this way to drop off the night crystal.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be paying for it¡­ with your life!¡±

    The crucifix sword is thrown at me. Upon closer inspection, two more similar looking swords hung from his hip.

    The inside of his cloak was filled with strange weapons I had never before seen but they gave me a very unpleasant feeling.

    I evaded the sword. The long sword pierced the wall and shook badly from the impact. However, I cannot try to take it in hand. I would lose my strength as soon as I touch it.

    This puts me at a disadvantage. The man before me does not look like the type to pursue someone with all his strength. That looked to be more his partner, Albertus¡¯ job.

    I am overwhelming him in terms of strength, but it would be dangerous to get any closer without knowing all of his tricks.

    I exit the tavern. The Keeper chases after me. There were a lot of curious onlookers gathered outside the tavern. Seeing me rush out, they screamed and scattered everywhere.

    A hostage¡­ I should not take any. I doubt hostages would work on them and Senri would never forgive me.

    Six, small, silver crucifixes, came spinning towards me. They looked almost like boomerangs. They really are innovative huh¡­. I evaded them half exasperated and half impressed. It was simple given the heightened senses and enhanced physical abilities of a vampire.

    ¡°What an impressive trick¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Right?¡±

    Another crucifix sword came flying at me. It is pointless no matter how many times you repeat it.

    The moment I tried to avoid it, pain suddenly shot across my whole body.

    My hands froze in place, but I somehow managed to whip out the machete at the last minute and knock down the crucifix sword. The Keeper was closing in on me.

    That is when I realized I was caught in a loose web of dark thread. I bear with the pain, force my body to move and release myself from it.

    Silver threads. They were dyed black so that even a vampire with night vision might fail to notice it. There is no puzzle as to when it was set up.

    The Keeper¡¯s hands pulled back. The threads became taut and the six crucifixes that were thrown earlier came at me from behind.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    I promptly wheeled around and used the Blood Ruler to knock down the crucifix attached to the thread.

    At the same time, the Keeper came at me brandishing his crucifix sword.

    He is strong. He certainly would not win any battles but he was accustomed to it. Had Albertus been at his side, I would have stood no chance.

    I ignored my body screaming in pain and cried out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me!¡±

    ¡°!!¡±

    I kicked off the ground.

    I am much stronger now than I was at the time of my training with Senri. The ground fractured and the earth shook. It broke the Keeper¡¯s stance.

    He looked dumbfounded as his eyes met mine. Reflected in his cloudy eyes was a monster with red eyes. I sneered.

    ¡ª Time to retreat.

    I do not think I can handle them. If I think about it calmly, they are hunters who specialize in killing vampires. I should not have to face them as a lesser vampire.

    I took a big step back, which exasperated the Keeper. He reached into his cloak and retrieved a ball the size of a fist.

    He stepped back and sent it hurtling towards the ground.

    White powder dispersed through the air.

    A smokescreen? That only works in my favor.

    My body was instantly taken over by intense nausea and pain.

    I slid to the ground in spite of myself and hurriedly got back to my feet. My head spun around. I dashed out and made it past the cloud of white powder.

    My naked palm was red and swollen. I felt like passing out. Tears would not stop flowing.

    This acrid smell¡­ finely ground garlic I see. On top of which, there also seemed to be a smattering of silver powder mixed in there.

    I cannot believe they are being so mean to a helpless, little vampire.

    I do not feel weak. Looks like powdered garlic and silver are not capable of taking away my strength. I would like nothing more than to wash it all away, but if I carelessly jump into a river, I will die.

    I need to look for a roof to jump onto. Given my physical abilities, I can jump over from one roof to the other to get away from here. The moment I crouched ready to kick off, I heard the high-pitched shriek of a shot being fired.

    I felt intense heat at the side of my torso and pain shot across my body. The bullet had made a hole in the wall before me.

    I placed a hand over the wound and applied pressure. White smoke arose from it. Silver bullet. Luckily, all it did was graze me.

    I looked back. The Keeper had a huge revolver leveled at me. I wonder what kind of training he has gone through to be able to accurately aim at me in this darkness.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ damn you! I hate you!¡±

    ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡±

    That was not surprising.

    The Keeper pulled the trigger. I bore with the pain and evaded the bullet that came hurtling towards me.

    The number of bullets are limited, and given a vampire¡¯s dynamic visual acuity and reflexes, it is rather easy to evade them.

    Had I been unhurt, I could even split them in half using my machete.

    Maybe the Keeper had discerned that I still had energy left in me to fight back, he put down the revolver and uttered disappointed.

    ¡°Do you intend to leave behind the princess, your bride, vampire!¡±

    ¡°Of course¡­ I am.¡±

    If I put my utmost effort to make it out of here, I doubt they would chase after me.

    Senri will be alright. The original plan was to run away the moment a fight broke out.

    We have already set a place to rendezvous later.

    I jumped up on the roof still dizzy. Although I had made it out of the cloud of white powder, I still felt dizzy. It has been quite a while since I was in this much pain.

    However, it still did not compare to the solar penalty, but that does not mean I want to go through this again.

    ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll meet again. Goodbye.¡±

    ¡°End. I¡¯ve committed your name to memory. Next time¡­ you won¡¯t escape.¡±

    The sword he sent flying landed within an inch of my feet. I ran away with my tail between my legs.

 Chapter 43: The Vampire Hunters Part II

    The pain lingered. However, I shall press on as long as I am able.

    Pain and undead do not go together.

    Thanks to my previous life experiences, I quickly gathered my wits and made it out of the smokescreen, but originally, the undead can barely feel pain, nausea or dizziness.

    If such an undead¡¯s weaknesses were suddenly targeted, it could be rendered motionless for a moment.

    What dreadful tactics! Anybody else would have been killed.

    Not to mention, I did not get to land any attack on the Keeper.

    Feeling a profound sense of defeat, I move from roof to roof as quietly as possible and manage to reach the inn we were staying at.

    I doubt he would come after me right away. However, I am strapped for time. I would like nothing more than to take a shower to thoroughly wash off all the powder on me, but I have no other choice but to give up. My life is more important.

    I was put through the ringer, but I got what I needed.

    Night Crystal. I do not doubt its authenticity.

    I have no idea how the Keeper managed to track me down, but if I conceal my negative energy, it makes me no different from a normal human.

    It is within grasp. I can live a peaceful life, it is possible.

    I shall hide myself in a town far away. As long as I have the night crystal, I can freely move around town and try out all kinds of food. For the time being, I can kick back and relax, drinking a bit of blood every now and then.

    I entered Senri¡¯s room and picked up our stuff that had been packed and ready.

    Pain still lingered in my body, but I felt much better than before. I suppose the powder dusted off me as I jumped from one roof to another. I do not think¡­ there is a risk to my life. It is rather fortunate that vampires do not need to breathe. Had I happened to breathe in a lot of that powder, it may have felt like my organs on fire.

    I touched the window. The meeting spot is near the exit of the town.

    The one who got back to the inn first was supposed to pick up our stuff. Meaning, Senri has not managed to shake them off yet.

    That girl called Albertus¡­ had strength that certainly rivaled mine, but I doubt that would be enough to beat Senri.

    Knowing Senri, I do not need to worry. It is possible that she is holding back so she does not end up killing anyone.

    I dusted off my hands that were red and swollen in an effort to distract myself.

    ¡ª at that moment, the sky suddenly shone bright.

    The atmosphere turned electrical and I heard crashing sounds from afar. The sight felt familiar.

    It was the same light that Senri had unleashed at the dragon during the battle against the Lord.

    The light faded away in an instant, leaving behind darkness. But to think Senri was pushed to use that move that was powerful enough to reduce the mansion to dust, things must not be going too well.

    I jumped out the window and looked in the direction the light had appeared. I only hesitated for a second.

    I¡­ should not go to her aid.

    Senri is strong. She is capable of handling the girl by herself, and even if the Keeper were to join in, it still should not pose that much of a threat to her. If anything, I might only be a nuisance if I go to her. Her power of blessing is no more than poison to me.

    I weaved across the people who had appeared onto the streets, alarmed by the light and noise, and made it into the alleyway.

    I broke into a run towards the rendezvous spot we had settled on.

    ?? ?

    Senri had requested me not to kill them. She did not regard vampire hunters as the bad guys.

    The Death Knights are few in number. The world needed Vampire Hunters. And I, who looked up to the Death Knights, am of the same opinion as well.

    The undead are meant to be purged from existence. I am nothing more than a pathetic monster, who fights against his fate due to selfish reasons.

    I wish they would not attack me, but I do not resent them for it. As long as they do not go for my head or pose that much of a danger to me, I will not try to kill them.

    Resentment begets resentment. If so, it is better to treat them with kindness and humor them.

    After all, I have¡­ plenty of enemies. So many that killing one or two would not make much of a difference. Although the chances are slim, perhaps there will come a day when I no longer need to worry for my safety.

    I neared the gate and hid myself between two buildings and waited for Senri. I sharpened my senses and tried to pick up any traces of the Keeper zeroing in on me.

    The silent town at night somehow filled me with sorrow.

    Come to think of it, I could not take a look around this town either. I spent all my time looking after Senri, and not to mention my promise to her that I would not step out.

    I do not mind as much since I was happy to nurse her, but will there ever come a time when I will be able to freely take a stroll around town? I only wish for something simple like shopping or to go on a walk¡­.

    The wind blew. Suddenly, a sweet odor wafted through the air which jerked my head up.

    It was from afar, but it was Senri¡¯s scent. I sniffed around trying to pinpoint the direction it came from. I squinted in the darkness.

    Thank goodness¡­ she is fine. Well, I did believe she would be¡­.

    At that instant, I was caught by a strange sense of foreboding. I deliberated for a minute. I reprimanded my leg that still hurt and broke into a run.

    Senri¡¯s blood is sweet. And her body that houses all that blood, her skin, her hair and all of her smells like the finest fruit in the world.

    However, I still should not be able to sense it all this distance away.

    Despite all the weight I was carrying, my speed did not drop. Someone who happened to be on the street, got startled at me whizzing past and hurriedly made way for me to pass through.

    And not long after, my eyes found Senri.

    ¡°Senri¡­!¡±

    ¡°En¡­d¡­¡±

    Senri was terribly wounded. She was awfully unsteady on her feet, however, her feeble looking right hand still had an iron grip on her sword.

    The power of blessing around her body looked much weaker than usual.

    Her body was covered in blood. It was not from someone else. It was the scent of Senri¡¯s blood that I knew all too well.

    Her beautiful silver hair was dyed red with blood and she was bleeding out of her stomach that she was applying pressure to with her left hand.

    The sweet smell made me forget my pain and shook me violently. Her violet eyes caught a faint sight of me and as if the thread holding her up had snapped, she collapsed to the ground.

    I leaped out in an effort to catch her. The moment our bodies touched, intense pain shot through my whole body. Her hair brushed past my cheeks and burned them.

    I muffled a scream that I almost unwittingly let escape and gently laid her down.

    Faint smoke arose from my body where it had come in contact with her. Although it was not as bad as when I was shot with the silver bullet, my body was sounding the warning signal.

    Positive energy. The spontaneous veil of positive energy around Senri¡¯s body had filled my abyss.

    She had taken it down during our travels, but with her unconscious, her body had cloaked itself in it. I suppose this is her normal state. Perhaps her body had instinctively activated it upon sensing danger to her life.

    I closed my eyes and honed my senses. I focused on my abyss.

    The death energy that I possess is quite strong. Even for Senri, it should take quite some time to bring it to zero with the power of blessing she is unconsciously radiating. And the smoke from earlier had already disappeared. I cannot be killed that easily.

    However, that does not mean I do not feel any pain. I pick up Senri¡¯s sword which scorches my palm, but I somehow manage to put it back into its sheath.

    We have no time to lose. I would like to treat her wounds, but they had already hurt her pretty bad. There is no doubt they are on their way over here.

    There is no time to wait for her to regain consciousness and have her take down her shield.

    Should I leave her here? The Keeper never ordered Albertus to kill Senri. I am sure they would treat her wounds. And surely Albertus would not deal the final blow to someone who is unconscious.

    I took in a deep breath.

    No¨C I cannot do that. She was fighting for my sake. I should fight for hers.

    Above all, if I lose her, my chances of survival would lower greatly. I would end up alone.

    I could even bear with solitude, but the next time we meet might not be on friendly terms.

    I trust Senri, but Ep¨¦e who I happened upon in town, is an undeniable monster.

    I called out to Senri whose body lay limp.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ worry.¡±

    First things first, we need to make it out of here. When gathering the necessary supplies, we also stocked up on medicine.

    I could treat her after we put some distance between us and them. Senri recovers exceptionally fast when she is enveloped by the power of blessing.

    She would soon regain consciousness.

    I put my arm around her, bit on my tongue at the pain that shot through me, and held her up. Steam arose from my arm and body.

    Almost as if I was holding fire that had some weight to it. The pain was not that intense, but the never-ending pain brought back memories of solar penalty.

    But this is still much better. I would choose to be killed by Senri over getting purged by the Sun any day. The positive energy flowed into my jet black soul, but considering the rate at which it was being filled up, I need not worry.

    As I descend into the abyss at a much faster pace.

    Her head had already stopped bleeding, but the wound on her stomach still left a trail of blood as it slowly trickled onto the ground.

    What was waste¡­ no, it was not. I should stop her bleeding soon¡­ as Senri was already quite anemic since I had just fed on her. She would bleed to death at this rate.

    The Keeper and Albertus will soon be here. I feel bad that this would put a strain on her body, but I doubt I can defeat Albertus who reduced Senri to this state.

    I bore with the pain and ran as fast as I could. Senri moaned, still unconscious and I made sure I held onto her tightly so I did not drop her.

    The guard at the gate took a look at us and his eyes opened wide. However, I have no time to go through the necessary procedures to leave town. So, I crouched and shot myself up. I easily jumped over the gate that was more than five meters high and landed on the other side.

    My arms and my body were screaming in pain. Maybe Senri was fighting for her life, for the power of blessing around her got stronger and it scorched my body.

    Bring¡­ it on. I shall survive. Together we shall survive.

    This pain is nothing compared to death I have experienced once before.

    I steeled my resolve once again and bolted into the darkness.

    ?? ?

    The tavern had been reduced to an unrecognizable state. The tables that had been flung across, had struck the wall and had made cracks. It would take some time for them to reopen shop.

    Particularly devastating was the huge gaping hole that was where the ceiling originally was.

    There were no traces worthy of mention around the hole.

    She must have used her power of blessing for purely destructive purposes. It is a skill unique to the Death Knights.

    A Death Knight¡¯s strength is centered around their power of blessing. The energy whose form they can freely manipulate is much more versatile, prompt and powerful than magic that can make similar miracles happen.

    Standing on debris, Albertus looked up as she bared her teeth at the hole in the ceiling.

    ¡°So it got away.¡±

    ¡°¡­ likewise, I see.¡±

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ quite the vampire that one. Seems to be¡­ accustomed to pain.¡±

    The Keeper frowned as he let out a muffled laugh.

    It certainly did not appear to be the novice that it was. The tactics employed by vampire hunters that attack every weakness of a vampire should spell certain death to a stray vampire.

    Their body should freeze in response to the pain they have never experienced before. And when they are rendered immobile, their quick reflexes would be of no use.

    However, it still managed to escape. The outcome would have been different if Albertus had been there, all the same, it will not happen a second time.

    The most dreadful thing about a vampire is its intelligence and¡­ ability to learn. We had an overwhelming advantage during the first face off, but the second time, the opponent would already be privy to our tactics.

    Of course, the opponent is a lesser vampire. It is no match to a Keeper¡­ but,

    ¡° You¡¯ve put us in a pinch by letting the bride slip away. How are you going to explain this to that monster?¡±

    Ep¨¦e the Destroyer. The best among the best of Death Knights who has annihilated countless first-class vampires. Someone that a mere lesser vampire should steer clear off and can never hold a candle against.

    Albertus turned away from the sighing Keeper.

    ¡°¡­ she flew up in the air. But I made a hole in her stomach. Next time, I will end her.¡±

    ¡°That defeats the purpose though¡­ if you hurt her that badly, it should take some time for her to recover. We will run them down before that¡­ before we make our client mad.¡±

    ¡°I will definitely not lose¡­ if the moon gets fuller.¡±

    Albertus¡¯ golden eyes shone brightly.

    Her slender body swelled up, tearing apart the black clothes she wore, reducing them to shreds.

    The transformation only took a few seconds. Standing there, was a huge black dog. Black, gigantic, a dog as intelligent as man.

    ¡°So you need a new set of clothes again. How many times have I told you to transform after taking them off?¡±

    Albertus howled almost threateningly at the exasperated Keeper.

    Her eyes burned bright with resentment towards vampires.

 Chapter 44: The Escape Part 1

    I forgot about the pain as I ran through the night like a madman.

    I had no destination in mind. My only thought was to put as much distance between us and the Keeper as possible.

    I stopped once to patch Senri up. Her condition looked a bit more stable. She should not die as long as she was not poisoned or something else along those lines.

    The aura of blessing around her never dimmed. Even as she was wrapped in a thick robe, the pain it inflicted upon me never lessened. However, I cannot stop.

    I was running out of time. The brilliant moon already shone overhead. The day would break in just a few hours. Which means, I have to find a way to keep moving under the sunlight somehow.

    Amongst the numerous weaknesses of vampires, sunlight is the worst.

    Those dreadful vampires would never miss an opportunity to make use of it.

    I ran past a peaceful meadow and was greeted by a huge, black mountain range.

    I suppose it would be much easier to conceal ourselves in the mountains¡­ we might even be able to find a cave to rest in. At this rate, if the sun happens to rise before Senri wakes up¡­ I am done for. Not to mention, there are monsters out in the open.

    However, that does not mean it would be completely safe in the mountains. There are monsters there too. Moreover, they are different from the monsters that inhabit meadows and the wilderness, in that they are intelligent. There are even ones that can comprehend human language and have established a kingdom.

    Referred to as the King of Nature or King of the monsters is the being called the Demon King. They are antagonistic in nature towards humans and rule over a huge territory away from human towns with a number of monsters under their command.

    Although the bad guys depicted in half the stories were necromancers and the undead, the other half depicted Demon Kings. They are dangerous beings that possess strength that man could only dream of and live by their own rules that clash with human principles.

    There should not be a Demon King in the vicinity, but they do not concern themselves with the circumstances of man, so they could have expanded their territory. For all I know, there might even be a new Demon King.

    I mulled over it as my legs moved forward. After a few seconds of deliberation, I changed my course towards the mountain.

    If it came down to a fight, there are better chances of winning against monsters than vampire hunters. Above all, the mountains lush with trees could shield me from sunlight so I would be able to push my limits even after daybreak.

    And there should also be no shortage of food. A fire in the mountains would probably attract less attention than it would in an open meadow.

    I shall only think about surviving. And I shall choose the options that will increase my chances even a little. The night crystal lay safe in my pocket.

    With the backdrop of the mountain at night, I dashed up the gentle slope without a clear path. The branches that snapped as I made my way up the mountain did not harm me in any way.

    I followed the scent of water. I barely came across monsters. A few passed by, but they did not try to attack me.

    Perhaps their animal instincts had made them realize the difference in strength. I suppose the risk of having to fight me outweighed the temptation of devouring an unconscious Senri. It is almost next to impossible for them to defeat me, whose physical abilities are almost on par with a vampire without resorting to exploiting my weaknesses like the vampire hunters.

    I jumped over the bushes and simply ran across the rough path passing monsters when Senri¡¯s eyes fluttered open.

    Weak, purple eyes looked into mine.

    ¡°E¡­nd¡­?¡±

    ¡°Thank¡­ goodness¡­ really!¡±

    I would like her to take down her aura of blessing but I do not think she is capable of doing so right now. There is also the possibility that it is healing her wounds.

    Well¡­ I guess it is fine. I can still bear with it. I held onto her more securely and further picked up my pace.

    ?? ?

    In the end, I came to a stop near a brook.

    The sun will rise any moment. I could not keep running forever.

    I gently lowered Senri and she stood on her own two feet even as she staggered. I stopped hurting immediately, which brought me relief.

    ¡°How long¡­ was I out?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not daybreak yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ahh.¡±

    Senri touched her head and rolled up her clothes to reveal her abdomen. Her pale skin looked captivating, illuminated in the moonlight.

    The wound inflicted by Albertus was barely visible. The blood had also been completely wiped off.

    She checked her abdomen and uttered dumbfounded.

    ¡°¡­These aren¡¯t the clothes I was wearing before.¡±

    ¡°I changed them. I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to control myself if I carried you with your clothes soaked with blood. I didn¡¯t touch your underclothes though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Why¡­ am I healed?¡±

    Senri¡¯s wounds were deep. I have no idea how she was attacked but it was not the kind of wound that could stop bleeding just because I wrapped them up tightly. Same goes for the wound on her head. I had no other choice.

    I tried to sound calm as I answered her.

    ¡°¡­ I licked them. And it wasn¡¯t because I couldn¡¯t control myself.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I mean, the bite marks I make on you heal right away after I stop drinking, don¡¯t they? So, I thought maybe a vampire¡¯s saliva had healing powers¡­ moreover, I thought it was a waste of blood too¡­ but it was more for your sake.¡±

    If I were to be questioned if the experience was arousing, then it was, yes.

    Stripping of her clothes and running my tongue along her body and wounds were very pleasurable and a bit arousing. But I ultimately did it for Senri¡¯s sake. Also, I felt my power increasing even if not as much as when I actually feed on her. I was killing two birds with one stone.

    Just as I had expected, the wound on her abdomen closed up right away. I doubt the blood she spilled was restored, so she needed complete rest, but her life did not hang by a thread now.

    ¡°Of course, I washed it off with water after. The magic I learned came to be of help so soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t sink my fangs into you. Although I did plan to¡­ if licking didn¡¯t work.¡±

    The longer I explained the more I felt I was digging myself deeper into a hole.

    Senri had been looking at me reproachfully for a while, after which she sighed a little and fixed her clothes. Her pale skin disappeared from view.

    ¡°Thanks, End¡­ you saved me.¡±

    ¡°No no, I should be the one thanking you. Tell me anytime you need me¡­ although, it¡¯s best if you never do.¡±

    The blood was delicious. I was told that my thirst cannot be satiated by drinking preserved blood or blood from corpses, but that does not seem to be the case with drinking blood as soon as it was shed.

    Making use of the high mana, I forcefully wielded non-elemental magic.

    Although it had only been a few days since I started learning magic, I was growing accustomed to it. I probably possess a whole lot more mana than the common man, so I can practice for a lot longer. If I keep up with this pace, it should help me greatly with day-to-day life.

    The fire crackled, sending sparks flying and I made use of that to set fire to a leaf. The wind carried the smoke away.

    Senri¡¯s words came out in a whisper. Her small fist was clenched tightly.

    ¡°I was too careless. That Albertus, is a cursed being.¡±

    ¡°Cursed?¡±

    ¡°Something like a subspecies of vampires. Although they aren¡¯t as strong, they gain power in exchange for something, which makes them dreadful.¡±

    Well, that would explain how she was able to pick up and fling the table using one hand. She was pretty small and her arms were rather thin. It did not look like she had any muscles.

    I see, her power certainly somewhat resembles mine. My body may be a little more rugged but it still did not look strong enough to lift up a table with just one hand.

    I have no idea what the compensation was, but I am sure she is not a vampire considering she hunts them down along with the Keeper.

    And circumstances aside, there is no changing the fact that she heavily injured Senri.

    ¡°All I could do¡­ was run. How shameful.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself too much. Death Knights specialize in hunting down beings of darkness.¡±

    I said comfortingly as Senri looked at me sullenly. She stroked her neck.

    ¡°¡­End, it was all because you drank too much blood. I couldn¡¯t gather my strength.¡±

    ¡°?! But you gave me your permission. You told me the situation was concerning so I could drink a bit more than usual.¡±

    ¡°You still drank too much. I asked you to stop¡­ but you didn¡¯t until after a while.¡±

    Senri looked at me reproachfully.

    I was allowed to feed from her neck after a long time. I have never had alcohol, but that must be how it feels to be intoxicated.

    I had no luxury to revel in the pleasure when I was body-less, but the situation was completely different this time. It was incredibly satiating and pleasurable, and although she is criticizing me now, it seemed like she was trembling with pleasure back then.

    She never asked me to stop¡­ but she did say ¡°st¡­¡±.

    I did actually stop halfway, so please forgive me. I want to do it again.

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ lose next time. As long as you don¡¯t drink too much of my blood, I can win.¡±

    The thought did cross my mind during our training sessions, but it seems like Senri hates to lose.

    I pulled out the small night crystal from my pocket and showed it to Senri.

    ¡°That opportunity won¡¯t come for a while¡­ I got the ¡®Night crystal¡¯. All we need to do is hide somewhere.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see. Even so, we need to pick a suitable place to lay low. I¡¯m sure they are using a tracking spell that doesn¡¯t rely on tracing negative energy.¡±

    That begs the question. How did they manage to track us down?

    Of course, I did not think we had successfully hidden our identities. Me aside, Senri¡¯s looks are too unique and if they whittle down the list to those that arrived at night, finding us should not be too impossible.

    I held doubts. And fears. However, I cannot spend too much time deliberating.

    Senri needs to recover as soon as possible. And we cannot afford to live in the mountains forever either.

    I relayed my suggestion to Senri with a serious look on my face.

    ¡°I am thinking of reaching out to my family¡­ from my previous life.¡±

 Chapter 45: The Escape Part II

    I was born into a noble house of a small country.

    That said, it was neither a powerful or illustrious house¡­ probably. It was of the title of Baron, and we were never invited to popular huge gatherings. As I was bedridden since the age of ten, I was unable to take a look around our domain or enjoy any of the special privileges that came with the class, but our house was enormous and I never had to go hungry. A number of servants were employed by the family as well.

    Well, I suppose we were wealthier than the average house. Or they could not have spent a great deal of money to treat their son who was destined to die of an unknown illness, by calling over light mages.

    My family stopped visiting me a few years leading up to my death. However, I did not fault them. I was afflicted by an unknown disease, whose cause was obscure and my family had their own life to live. Even if they had visited me, I was in no state to properly receive them.

    I do not resent my family. I am well aware of how apathetic I feel towards them.

    At first, I did resent my own circumstances which I eventually projected onto them, but after several years of fighting the sickness, even that dissipated. Unable to feel neither resentment nor loneliness, I died. That is why, my decision to reach out to my family came from a purely practical standpoint.

    Baron Formet. I was his third son.

    That was my station in my previous life.

    If it were not my negative energy that led them to me, then the Keeper and Albertus must have tracked us down through the humans we came in contact with.

    We could stay outside in the fields without relying on any human towns for shelter, but that would simply be a stopgap measure. I do not think it would be a bad idea to enter into the protection of authority. We might be able to get ourselves a safe house and they might even help us gather supplies.

    More than anything¡­ if we were to escape to some place far away, I needed to make a firm decision.

    I bear no grudges against my family, so it does not sit well with me to cause them trouble. I could not say that they never loved me.

    ¡°The risk¡­ is pretty high.¡± Said Senri reasonably, while I pointed to my hair and eye humorously.

    ¡°I¡­ take after my father. They wouldn¡¯t want a monster that looks exactly like their son making trouble somewhere, would they?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For an instant, Senri¡¯s face scrunched up like she was about to cry.

    No need to make that face. I do not pity my current circumstances.

    Of course, not becoming an undead, peacefully growing up in a noble house, receiving a good education and getting a job does not sound so bad.

    Nevertheless, I do not hate my life now.

    ¡°¡­ okay, End. If that is what you want, then I shall go along with it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not trying to have my revenge against them.¡±

    Senri¡¯s eyes widened a tad and she whispered.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ???

    Although I did not remember the name of the town I used to live in, it should not be too far away.

    Huck was the one who brought my corpse to the Lord. And the first prerequisite for the corpse to be resurrected as a fleshman is for it to be fresh.

    Even if magic were used to keep it cool, it would be pretty difficult to carry a human corpse over a long distance.

    It goes without saying that Huck would have used the shortest possible route. If the town the corpse originated from was too close, then Huck would not be able to keep the identity of the corpse hidden from the Lord. But even that came with its limits.

    As it happened, the Barony of Formet was nearby. A map we had bought in Cemeserra only showed the general location, but it should take less than ten days to reach if I ran as fast as possible.

    Although it was a wasted trip to come all this way since the Barony was in the opposite direction, it might serve to throw the vampire hunters off our scent since they would not least expect it.

    I gathered our things and signalled Senri to get on my back as usual.

    I could not sense the Keeper and his companion near us. I am faster than a horse and even if Albertus were faster than me, the Keeper is just a human being. I doubt they would split up and come after us separately.

    Come to think of it, I have really grown accustomed to running while carrying Senri on my back. As I stood lost in thought, I felt a sharp sting on my back.

    My body shook in spite of itself and I let out a scream. She forgot¡­ to take down her aura of blessing.

    ¡°?! Ahh¡­ I-I¡¯m¡­sorry.¡±

    ¡°Nah. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    I was just a little startled. I should not succumb to it unless I am extremely weak.

    However, I do feel the sting. I realized it during the fight with the vampire hunter, that pain was a big weakness of vampires. Since we are normally numb to it, the effect is strong when we do feel it.

    Once again, I felt my back grow heavy. But it was pleasant this time.

    A slender arm wound around me and I could feel her heartbeat due to close proximity.

    Senri is supposed to be carrying all our stuff, but it was an insignificant addition.

    I broke off into a run as if I was carrying nothing. My body was overflowing with power from the last time I fed.

    It always felt amazing to be physically active. I kicked hard at the earth and thought about nothing but moving forward. It almost felt like I had become one with the wind.

    Suddenly, I heard Senri whisper in my ear.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trained to automatically shield myself with the aura of blessing if I lose consciousness¡­ did it hurt?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, it hurt a lot. But it wasn¡¯t unbearable.¡±

    I suppose I should be glad that it was not powerful enough to threaten my existence. If it had, I would have had no other choice but to leave her behind.

    I kicked off the ground, flying into the air and night sky. The waxing moon shined down upon me. Jumping around the night sky made me feel invincible.

    I could make out trees sparsely spread out, slopes and brilliant eyes of monsters below me.

    ¡°I need you to act as the guide.¡±

    ¡°¡­Got it. Leave it to me.¡±

    I listened to her instructions, descended the mountain and reached an empty meadow.

    There was nothing as far as the eye could see, so with my visual acuity I would be able tell if the Keeper was on my trail.

    Come to think of it, the crowded town was an ideal playing field to the Keeper. If we had faced off somewhere spacious where I would be able to use my physical abilities adequately, then I could have won the fight. It is futile to think about that now, but I suppose we had been playing into their hands right from when they chose the place of meeting.

    However, the Keeper would not have expected for me to get away. The next time we meet¡­ I shall win.

    ¡°¡­ That reminds me, Senri, what is this ¡®Ancestor¡¯ that the Keeper mentioned?¡±

    It has been bothering me since then. In order for me to survive, I not only need to know about my enemies but also about myself.

    Senri said nothing for some time and eventually sighed and spoke softly.

    ¡°It refers to a vampire with a special curse¡­ one that a necromancer brought into existence. A dangerous being¡­ that the practitioner pours all of their aspirations into. End, I dare say you fall into that category.¡±

    ???

    I suppose the battle with the vampire hunters is more of a hide-and-seek than a game of tag. I am faster when it comes to speed, so even if we were to both set off at the same time, I would still pull way ahead of them.

    That would put us in a rather favourable situation, but they would try to fill that gap with wit, courage and skills.

    They have already once taken us unawares. So the next time, there would be no pretense of a negotiation I am sure.

    ¡°That crystal¡­ is the real deal. Although not as strong as the one you had before, this one should still be able to conceal 80% of your power. And unless you¡¯re within their sight, you should be able to conceal your identity from even Death Knights.¡±

    So Senri whispered in my ear as she rested on my back. I assured her that I would not mind her getting some sleep, but I wonder if she did not feel sleepy.

    It felt tingling to have her whisper in my ear. But the sensation was a little enjoyable.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good to hear. It¡¯s better than nothing.¡±

    ¡°But be careful, negative energy is not the only thing that gives away a vampire.¡±

    According to Senri, vampires are powerful but come with their fair share of imperfections.

    The very first necromancer, in his pursuit of a perfect being, created a wild zombie, giving birth to the art of necromancy which in turn brought forth numerous abominable spells that propagated, but the process itself was never perfected.

    The vampire brought into existence using necromancy had several special abilities, a perpetually young body, enhanced physical abilities, but at the same time possessed several fatal flaws. So fatal that even a normal human could stab them to death.

    Well, I suppose that is how it was meant to be. They gained power in return for all those flaws.

    In the end, the very first necromancer was never able to correct those flaws.

    The necromancer¡¯s ritual, the one used to bring forth undead, called ¡®Reverse¡¯, is still not in its complete form.

    And that is the reason, the art of necromancy did not die inside the creator¡¯s head but propagated everywhere. The first necromancer made sure of that in hopes that his fellow mages would bring improvements to it.

    And those are the roots of the necromancers in existence today.

    Therefore, ¡®Singularity¡¯ exists in the ¡®Reverse¡¯ curse.

    Something that was brought forth as a result of each and every necromancer trying their hand at perfecting the ritual.

    The undead develops in accordance with the curse, and roughly around the time it becomes a vampire, its abilities begin to ¡®blossom¡¯.

    If the necromancer was unskilled, the curse would be unable to attain balance resulting in the destruction of the vessel, but if things go right, then a special singular undead would be created.

    That type of individual is referred to as an ¡®Ancestor¡¯.

    A product of a necromancer¡¯s aspirations, it would be the forefather of a new kind of monster. They make prime targets for the Death Knights.

    In most cases, the process may only result in the enhancement of a previously possessed special ability, but among them, there are those whose flaws disappear or change into something else entirely.

    And as Senri speculated, it is highly likely that Horus Carmon did something similar to me.

    I cannot argue with that.

    The Lord had intended to transfer his soul into my body. And he was someone with great aspirations.

    That reminds me, those corpses in the cellar may have been spares to test the ritual on. Or they may have been the result of failed ones¡­.

    Either way, I reckon he would not have built any great flaw into a body that he was going to inhabit himself.

    This is not the right time for this. I have too little information.

    It grew quiet behind me. I suppose she fell asleep.

    She is a light sleeper. She would respond right away if I called out to her, but there was no need to wake her up unnecessarily.

    I endeavored to keep from swaying too much as I ran single-mindedly.

    Finally, after seven days, after repeating the cycle of travelling by night and sleeping in a hole by morning, without being pursued by the vampire hunters, we safely trespassed into the Formet territory.

 Chapter 46: Homecoming Part I

    We succeeded in making it into town unsuspected by anybody, and planned our next move in an inn.

    We were already in the Formet Barony, but the particular part of town felt unfamiliar.

    The town was needlessly huge with the buildings here and there, and it had an overall idyllic atmosphere. There were not many soldiers guarding the town, and most of the residents we spotted seemed to be either farmers or merchants.

    Never would they have imagined that an undead, widely known as the enemy of mankind, would ever trespass into their town. I suppose it is a sign of peace. Perhaps they have grown a little too complacent with their peaceful life.

    I intended to meet my family alone. The one I am to meet is not just the Lord of the land but also nobility. He is certain to have people guarding him, and I did not want to show Senri my weak side.

    Naturally, as soon as we arrived here, she could have inquired about my station in previous life, if she had so wished. I had a total of seven siblings (although I had no older sister), and I am probably the only one to have passed recently.

    It is not my intention to hide my last name from previous life. I suppose the information would not cause me any trouble, as the Lord, the only one who held absolute control over me is no more.

    The reason I still go by the name of End is due to a sort of gratitude I feel towards the Lord, and because there is the possibility that Ep¨¦e or the Vampire Hunters might target my family should they happen to discover my family name. Although it would be a futile attempt. I do not really care if my family were to be taken hostage. At most, I would find it a little off-putting.

    My body matured when I evolved into a lesser vampire. I shot up a bit in height and had also developed some muscles, but my face remained the same. My parents¡­ should be able to recognize me. In the event that they do not, I shall cross that bridge when I get to it.

    I washed up thoroughly, brushed my hair and put on decent clothes. I will not be taking the ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯ with me. I can use my fists against normal humans, not to mention, anyone would be horrified if their dead son breaks into the house, all armed.

    ¡°End¡­ you¡¯re¡­ really¡­ brave.¡±

    ¡°You think the odds of this working are slim?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. Bound to fail for starters. Because the undead¡­ are the enemy of mankind.¡±

    Senri is a brutally honest person. Her purple eyes looked earnestly into mine.

    I am not really expecting to be welcomed with open arms.

    When that happens, all I have to do is run away from there. Things will continue to be the same as they are. I am free now.

    ¡°But¡­ maybe they will accept you, End. You have retained much of your own self. Good¡­luck.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thanks, Senri.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Do¡­ you¡­ need blood?¡±

    Senri asked hesitatingly. Looks like Senri felt sorry for me.

    That is unnecessary. I am used to tragedy. As someone who fell victim to an incurable illness and then overcame death, my mind is quite strong, probably.

    The color had returned to Senri¡¯s face in the week that had passed. The blood she lost must have been replenished.

    No matter how confident she is in her physical abilities and endurance, Senri is still human. To put it simply, she will die if she loses too much blood.

    I am all right, since I had my fill the other day. Not that I do not want her blood, but I would rather not place a burden on a convalescing Senri.

    Well, come to think of it, we have grown a lot closer. It could be attributed to us being incessantly pursued¡­ but it looks like my plan is bearing fruit.

    There is the possibility that she is treating me like she would a pet¡­ but if she would allow me to feed from her neck, I do not mind being treated any which way.

    ¡°I¡¯m good. But, would you give me a hug?¡±

    Senri¡¯s eyes opened wide upon hearing my request, but she soon opened her arms wide and embraced me.

    ???

    I quietly made my way through the dark night.

    I only had to exert a little strength to run at a blinding speed. If I were to pass by a normal human being, they would probably only consider me a sudden gust of wind.

    I effortlessly jumped from one roof to the other, and did not feel any tiredness.

    ¡°??¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I feel like I heard¡­ something just now.¡±

    ¡°?¡­ Must be your imagination. I heard nothing.¡±

    Two men dressed like soldiers looked at each other, puzzled. I wonder if they are patrolling the town. I retreated into the shadows and went past the puzzled pair of men.

    The stage I skipped in the process of evolution, Dark Stalker, has completely dark skin and is capable of concealing itself in the darkness.

    There is a reason for the order of stages in evolution that happens due to the curse ¡°Rebirth¡±. I am gradually maturing¡­ as a monster. My time as fleshman, ghoul and even the stage of dark stalker that I skipped over have all shaped the way I am now.

    My only concern was about not obtaining the ability to conceal myself in darkness that a Dark Stalker is said to possess. If I had it, I would be able to move around even more covertly. I can still use the abilities I obtained during my time as a ghoul. So I should be able to use the abilities of a Dark Stalker as well.

    However, as of now, I have nary an inkling on how to use it. It might be better if I could find a Dark Stalker and observe the ability with my own two eyes, but I have never come across any other undead besides the ones the Lord had under his command.

    I moved quietly under the shadows and headed towards the Baron¡¯s mansion, which was the biggest in town.

    The mansion was surrounded by a fence. There were several guards on patrol but they all looked relaxed.

    I am strong. Even if I had not been given a little training, guards who do not possess any weapons that could target my weak spots, can do me no harm, no matter their number.

    I almost forget what I am since I am pursued by my archenemies all the time, but I am a vampire, a being that the whole world fears. Although I am still only a lesser vampire.

    I kicked off the ground, and easily crossed over the thorny fence that was meant to discourage intruders. I was completely stealthy and did not make the slightest sound.

    They must not be prepared for any intruders other than humans. A true vampire is capable of transforming into a bat or fog, so any amount of countermeasures they come up with would only be futile.

    I ran through the large garden. The study of my father, Baron Formet, should be at the far end.

    The mansion felt very nostalgic. I was moved to a villa when I fell ill, so I had not seen the mansion for a few years until my death, but seeing it now brought back memories.

    I did not allow myself to get carried away by my emotions as I neared the mansion.

    The moment I witnessed the shut door at the front of the mansion, I felt an unpleasant sensation in the pit of my stomach.

    The owner of the house refused to let me in. The curse of the vampire was in effect.

    I had expected this. I am already dead. It would be abnormal if they actually welcomed their son who is supposed to be dead.

    However, I was a little taken aback. More so because Senri, a complete stranger, had already accepted me for who I am.

    The curse still has a weak effect on me , so I might be able to enter if I pushed myself. Even if the door were to be locked, I would be able to tear it down given my physical strength.

    However, it was not burglary I intended to commit. It was not my desire to make a racket, and since I am a smart monster, I would not turn desperate upon being refused entry.

    I thought for some time before deciding to go around back. The study was on the third floor, but there should be a window in the room if I recall correctly. And he must still be working at this hour.

    I want to soon return to the inn and have Senri comfort me.

    Sure enough, there was a light in the study. Warm light poured through the window. There was no handrail but it should be easy for a vampire to cling to the walls.

    There was no need for me to steel my resolve once again. I was ready. Although we were once family, I am no more than a trespasser now. I have no time to dawdle.

    I would be lying if I said I did not want to see my siblings, but I shall graciously give up on it.

    I extended my claws and pierced them into the wall and scaled it quietly. From what I could see through the window, the study looked almost exactly the same as I remembered.

    Be it the huge bookshelves lining the wall or the elegant brown rug. A small chandelier hung from the ceiling and the spacious room was filled with its warm glow.

    There was no change in the silhouette that sat at the table either.

    Maybe he had a few more gray hairs, but it was none other than Ludo Formet, my father as I remembered.

    Though lean, he had broad shoulders with black hair and dark eyes, and the level-headedness reflected in his eyes somehow resembled my own. He was sitting with his back to the window and looked to his side once, but it seemed like he was completely unaware of me looking in from behind.

    I squinted as I watched him for a while.

    From the outside, he looked like a very capable man. And as someone who was his actual son, he was certainly not a bad father. After thinking about it calmly for some time, he truly did not look like a man who would sell off my corpse.

    Well then, how shall I greet him?

    I tilted my head to one side, and thought no further as I gave the window a light tap.

 Chapter 47: Homecoming Part II

    My father¡¯s change in expression was dramatic. And I realized at this late hour that, my expectation on how he would react had been warped by my emotions.

    I never imagined it would be a moving reunion. However, rationally speaking, how would it really feel to have one¡¯s dead son come back alive?

    To make matters worse, that son had perished after years of suffering from an unknown illness. He also had not been visited by any of his family for a few years prior to his death. Though I do not hold that against them, they are not aware of that.

    Moreover, the undead in this world¡­ are, at times, driven by deep resentment towards the living and attack them.

    Naturally, even a man who holds the title of a Baron would not be able to remain calm, if his dead son suddenly called on him in the middle of the night.

    At first, my father looked at me outside the dark window, his eyes wide, completely dazed, but soon, all the blood drained from his face.

    At that moment, he was not the strict father I remembered him to be. I could perceive the slight fear in his expression which only further strengthened my convictions.

    It did not surprise me. Maybe being an undead had altered my mindset. Considering my numbness towards pain, it would not be too strange if I were numb to mental shock as well.

    Baron Formet was much better in that he did not panic or shriek in horror. I was composed enough to ponder over his reaction.

    After I knocked on the door several times, Ludo Formet seemed to collect himself and cautiously approached the window.

    He looked as if he was caught in a nightmare. After examining my face for some time as I clung to the window, he whispered in a quivering voice.

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s absurd¡­ impossible. Lierre¡­ you¡¯re supposed to be dead!¡±

    It had been a long time since anybody called me by that name. There was nobody around to call out to me for some time prior to my death, so it may be a few years since.

    Lierre Formet. That was my name. And, most likely a name I will never use again in the future.

    As if to confirm, Ludo uttered.

    ¡°We arranged for your cremation and a funeral was even conducted. Lierre¡­ you died a year ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, Father, I¡¯m well aware of that. I came here in need of a favor. I need you to let me in.¡±

    I felt no resentment even with him in my presence. I have already found something precious to me.

    Perhaps seeing me calm had allowed my father to regain his composure, for some of the color returned to his face.

    ¡°Do you¡­ resent me?¡±

    He whispered, subdued. It made apparent his apprehension and remorse.

    I will say it again, I do not resent him. Although it was for a brief time, I was provided with a number of things by the man before me.

    He never visited me, but he did not abandon me, who had no hope for cure, either.

    I was always cared for, and was provided with any number of books should I wish for it. I am sure I cost him way more than any of his other children.

    That is why, I am able to keep my wits about me even as an undead. The reason I am not governed by resentment is not because I am kind, but because that is not how I was raised.

    And if it is true that he had arranged for me to be cremated¡­ it would mean that someone stole my body along the way and my corpse was sold off.

    Well, not that it matters after all this time.

    The wheels were turning in my head, thinking of ways for me to survive.

    Never blame your circumstances. That was one of things my father taught me.

    Instead of that, think ahead and make plans for the future. Although I feel like his words may have been a little complex to a barely ten year old child stricken with an unknown disease, that is what is keeping me alive right now. So advice from elders cannot be disregarded I would say.

    My blood-red eyes looked into his that looked identical to mine from before.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t resent you. Father, if you¡¯re afraid, you don¡¯t need to let me in. Just listen to what I have to say.¡±

    ¡° ¡­Ahh, good day. I guess it¡¯s night¡­ you can come in.¡±

    My father was still rather pale, but he sighed, opened the window and invited me inside.

    ???

    ¡°¡­ So, he¡¯s gone¡­¡±

    He looked at his son, as he jumped out the window and disappeared into darkness, after which he slumped into his chair.

    His body was suddenly taken over by intense sadness and weariness.

    He was frightening.

    That was Ludo Formet¡¯s assessment of his son named Lierre.

    The onset of an illness when he had barely reached ten years of age, stole everything from my son.

    The cause was unknown. No amount of magic or summoning any number of doctors of note gave nary a hope for recovery. Since the number of people afflicted with it were few in number, the research on the illness had grown stagnant, and everyone stricken with it grew weaker by the day until they eventually died. There had been¡­ no exceptions.

    The name of the illness that made it seem like, the body, the soul merely accelerated towards death is, Dead Soul disease.

    It is not contagious and chances of it being hereditary are low. One could do no more than rue their fate. I had once agonized over why my son had to go through such suffering.

    However, Lierre never once complained about anything. He had soon become unable to walk and even though his whole body was racked with pain, he never once grumbled about it. Perhaps his heart was filled with all sorts of emotions, but his face seldom betrayed his thoughts.

    He was so strong-willed that the doctor in charge of his care only had praises for him.

    And it did not take long for that rightfully admirable trait to be considered unsettling instead.

    His eyes showed no signs of having resigned himself to the fate that awaited him. After being told about his impending death, a year passed, then two, and eventually three years and he was still alive.

    They were not lacking in funds to take care of him. The house of Formet was not particularly well-off, and calling over mages from the city to cast recovery magic on Lierre cost quite a sum, but that did not matter at all.

    However, the sight of his son fighting the illness appeared monstrous. And it was probably not just Ludo who thought that, but also the people who were taking care of him for a long time. The doctors who had once called him a miracle to have survived for so long, soon changed their tune. The footsteps of people going to visit him gradually grew faint.

    It was impossible. The sight of him fighting for his life despite being enshrouded by a thick veil of death looked too ghastly and abnormal that even a stranger would find themselves unable to look on.

    The first thing Ludo felt upon hearing news of his son¡¯s death¡­ was relief.

    He was relieved that he was finally able to rest in peace and grieved for him. It was not that he hated his son. He had loved Lierre as much as his other children. However, his son was simply too strong-willed for Ludo to continue to feel that way about him.

    And now, through someone¡¯s scheme, Lierre had once again been restored to life. This time¡­ a true monster.

    His face on the other side of the window, looked the same as before. He seemed to have grown a little but that was all.

    He did not speak a word of resentment against Ludo, who could have been taken as having abandoned him, and his calm temperament had not changed. He appeared all the more strange for it.

    He was supposed to have been cremated. In the Formet Barony, as is the same in every other territory, unless there is a valid reason, the custom was to cremate and bury the dead.

    Naturally, that is what Ludo had also followed. He had seen with his very eyes, his son become ash and bones and be interred in his grave. However, if Lierre were speaking the truth, his corpse had to have been swapped somewhere along the way. It was not impossible since Ludo had not been with the body all the way until the body had been carried in to cremate.

    It is an outrageous crime. The offender must be caught.

    But before that, how was he going to answer his son¡¯s demands¡­ it was put on hold as he sat perplexed at the wake of his son¡¯s departure.

    A hapless fate. It was not very often that a person is stricken with the Dead Soul disease, but to become an undead with memories intact on top of that sounded too absurd to be true.

    It is said that the undead strongly reflect the kind of person they were before death. Although an undead with memories of past life could only be found in fiction, it would not be too strange for it to have happened to Lierre given his abnormal obsession to life.

    And in reality, it was his son who had appeared before him.

    Although dead, Lierre is my son. Those were his thoughts as a parent.

    The details of his demands were certainly not too difficult. Ludo was not just the landowner but the Lord of the territory as well. It would be no trouble to secretly prepare a hideout and the same goes for supplying him with necessities. Although it may not be kept a complete secret, he would be able to impose a gag order to have no one talk about it.

    However, the problem was that hiding an undead was a big crime.

    The undead are meant to be purged. Their tendency to rapidly grow stronger by accumulating death energy if left unchecked could lead to a huge disaster.

    And if caught, even nobility would not be able to come out of it unscathed. Nothing to say of the pursuers already on his tail.

    Ludo Formet, as the Baron and head of the house of Formet needed to prioritize its preservation.

    The house that had persisted for generations must not perish in this lifetime. The fate of his family rested on his shoulders.

    After agonizing over it the whole night, he had still not reached a decision by morning.

    Rationality called for contacting the Death Knights right away.

    Even if he was his son, there was no changing that he was an undead, hence no one would blame Ludo for reaching out to them. They might even take pity on him. Saying, how unfortunate it must be for his son to have fallen in the hands of a necromancer.

    However, that was certainly his son. He had once found his son¡¯s obsession with life horrifying, but he could tell as a father. There was no mistaking that it was his child. The son, who he had once failed to save, had come seeking his help.

    It was madness. The risk was too high. However, Lierre must be aware of that as well.

    Nevertheless, he came knocking.

    Surely¡­ would I be able to proudly call myself a father if I shirk off the hand seeking salvation?

    Would I be able to proudly live on as a noble?

    He came to a decision after extremely agonizing over it.

    Nonetheless, I cannot let him settle in the Barony. That would be simply too dangerous.

    However, funds and supplies can be arranged for. Although it may not be much, it should be of help to him.

    Later, all I would have to do is pretend to know nothing. Originally, it is impossible for the undead to reach out to the living anyway.

    I swear on my title as a Baron, that I will end the criminal responsible for disturbing the peace of my son¡¯s soul. Corpse trade is illegal and the crime of selling off corpses of noble heirs can never be forgiven.

    The moment I made up my mind and decided to call for someone, the door opened without so much as a knock.

    There stood a man clad in black accompanied by a huge black dog.

    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for your loss, Baron Formet. I wasn¡¯t sure from the name on the grave¡­ but to think it really was an undead of noble blood¡­ kekekek, so it wasn¡¯t all just a superstition that corpses of nobles made for good material¡­¡±

    Who are you?! How did you get in here?!

    Before I could raise my voice, the suspicious man laughed out loud.

    ¡°I shall take care of your problems, milord. Of course, I expect to be compensated for it. I am called the Keeper. The dog is Albertus. A tracker who doesn¡¯t know when to quit.¡±

 Chapter 48: Homecoming Part III

    I suppose the negotiation went neither badly nor well. My father asked me for some time to come to a decision.

    Which is only reasonable. The plan I proposed is something nobility would find themselves typically unable to accept.

    The risk is too high, and if I were him¡­ I would probably agonize over the right choice.

    I do not expect to be accepted right away. On the contrary, it would be scary if I were.

    However, it would seem Ludo Formet¡­ is not stern a person as I had imagined him to be. Time had made its mark on him and he looked much older than I remembered, but I could tell that he still considered me his son from the way he spoke.

    If so, my chances might be better than I expected. Aside from whether he might let us stay here, he should at least be willing to lend us some money.

    Most of my negative energy is concealed by the night crystal. The main problem is the vampire hunter, but I doubt they would be right on our heels already.

    Well, rationally speaking, it should be impossible. If they are, then it would mean that through some means they have deduced our current location and that they were able to either outrun or keep up with my top speed, both of which spell disaster.

    I woke up from my slumber and felt thankful that I was able to greet yet another day. I crawled out of the closet, stretched lightly and walked over to Senri¡¯s room which was next to mine.

    As usual, the curse did not activate when I tried to enter Senri¡¯s room.

    Half the day had passed and a world bathed by the light of dusk awaited out of the window. It was time. I need to meet my father once again.

    Depending on his answer, we might be released from the life of a fugitive.

    However, maybe father¡­ I would rather not think about it, has made preparations to have me purged.

    The undead are beings that are apart from the rules of this world¡­ and are tainted souls. It is said that a soul once fallen into a necromancer¡¯s hands cannot ascend to heaven unless it is purified. In other words, purging does not mean death but salvation.

    Well, that is the general belief though heaven¡¯s existence is questionable ( Here I am, still alive without getting purged even by the straight-laced Senri). It is probably too hard a reality for father to not only have his son¡¯s body stolen but also for his soul to have suffered such disgrace.

    He would choose purification of my sake. Although it would not be any of his business¡­ I cannot deny the possibility of that happening.

    When my father asked me for some time to think things over, I replied that I would be back the next day. The reason I granted him only a day was to lower the chances of risk. It would be hard to get Death Knights here in just a day and there are not many normal soldiers capable of defeating a vampire.

    I hate myself for not trusting my own father, but it was necessary in order to survive.

    I made myself presentable and spoke to the bespectacled Senri.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving to hear my father¡¯s reply. Although the chances are low, there¡¯s a possibility that I could be walking into a trap. Would you come with me?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Of course¡±, Senri replied, without hesitation.

    Senri is a member of the Order of Death Knights. And she also holds proof of that.

    I did not speak of my companion to my father. He would find it hard to believe that a Death Knight was helping me anyway, and there is a chance that information about me could reach Ep¨¦e¡¯s ears if my father were to get in touch with the Death Knights.

    Moreover¡­ she turned her back on the Death Knights when she chose to help me. It felt too unfair to make use of her awkward position upon taking into concern her personality.

    However¡­ the outcome could be different if he were to see her for himself. If he were to find out about Senri, his views could change as well.

    Besides, Senri is pure. No matter how many times my fangs pierce her, her soul remains untainted. Even if my voice does not reach my father, hers might.

    It was totally unlike me to be nervous. As I stood lost in thought, Senri clasped my hand. Pale fingers that carry the finest blood intertwined with mine.

    Senri smiled gently and spoke reassuringly in a voice that had never changed since the first time we met.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I, won¡¯t betray you. We, can run away together.¡±

    ???

    Once again, I entered the Formet mansion grounds and headed towards father¡¯s study.

    The security had lightened around the mansion. Perhaps it was for my sake, but it felt like he made himself too vulnerable. It may not be my place, but maybe I need to point out the need for more security.

    I tried to sense the presence of people in the study. Although untrained, I am able to instinctively sense the number of people in a place even from a distance if I focus.

    There is probably just one person, my father. At the very least, I do not sense more than one living being. The chances of us walking into a trap has become low.

    Senri got on my back and I jumped up to the window in a single breath.

    The atmosphere¡­ did not feel unpleasant today. I opened the latch from the outside and entered the study through the window. The window swung open and warm breeze filled the room.

    Ludo Formet was the only one who awaited them in the study.

    His expression made apparent his exhaustion. He must have agonized over his decision for a whole day.

    Father raised his brows when he spotted me but soon his attention shifted to the Senri on my back.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here¡­ and who is that girl you¡¯re carrying?¡±

    ¡°Senri Silvis. She¡­ is an ally. You see, I can¡¯t live without drinking blood now¡­so, with her consent, I borrow a bit of her blood.¡±

    ¡°!¡­ I never¡­ asked you that.¡±

    His expression openly grew more strained. I wonder if he perhaps thought that I lived as a harmless undead without hurting anyone.

    That cannot be. Sure I did not mention it directly¡­.

    The duty of a noble is to his fief and its people. Maybe there is too much of a difference between a son who has become a monster but has retained his mind versus a son who has become a monster but has retained his mind and yet cannot live without partaking blood. I have failed. Maybe I should have kept it a secret for some more time.

    Was it too premature to have father meet Senri¡­? Did I get too carried away once I realized that it was not father who had sold off my corpse¡­?

    The strained atmosphere further increased the distance between me and father.

    However, at that moment, Senri got off my back and looked at my father resolutely.

    With a kinda deep voice for a girl, but pleasant all the same, Senri uttered.

    ¡°Lord Formet, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am¡­ Senri Silvis. A member of the Order of Death Knights.¡±

    A plain robe. From its pocket, she retrieved a seal made of silver and gold.

    It was the symbol of the Death Knights ¨C a seal that was a combination of a sword and a crucifix.

    I feel a bit sick upon seeing it directly. I had never seen it before, so maybe Senri had kept it hidden for my sake.

    My eyes widened in spite of myself. I stared fixedly at Senri.

    She had already displayed her will by wanting to return the sword to Ep¨¦e. And considering her personality, it is impossible that she would try to make use of her position where she has practically withdrawn from the Order.

    However, Senri¡¯s voice never faltered. Without hesitation, she faced my father with her back to me.

    It would be a rare sight for the Death Knights to have ever visited such a remote place in the country. So it must have never occurred to him that his undead son would bring along a member of the Order. Father¡¯s face warped in surprise.

    ¡°Death Knight, did you say?!¡±

    ¡°I am¡­ separated from the other knights for now¡­ but your son is truly strong-willed. Although his soul was tainted by dark magic¡­ he has never once lost his mind.¡±

    The words rolled off her tongue. Father retreated as if intimidated by a girl half his age. It was really unusual to see the always fairly brusque Senri to speak so politely to someone.

    Every word from her mouth was as sharp as the sword and full of faith.

    She was incredibly charismatic. Standing there, was the epitome of a Death Knight in everyone¡¯s imagination. It is said that one preyed upon by a vampire would have their mind polluted as a result, but Senri showed no signs of that.

    I want her blood. I suppressed the welling of a tremendous blood lust with a scowl.

    Senri continued.

    ¡°Lord Formet¡­ your concerns are entirely justified. However, could you believe in him and entrust him to me?¡±

    ???

    It was the best conceivable outcome. The tension from a moment ago dispersed.

    Father looked a little more relaxed.

    ¡°¡­ Looks like you found yourself a splendid companion. I am a little relieved.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Just that made becoming an undead worthwhile.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t be absurd, Lierre. ¡­Ah, I suppose it¡¯s End now.¡±

    He sounded thoroughly exasperated. However¡­ those were his true feelings.

    It was an added perk. Although I am in a precarious position where I stand to be annihilated any time, I would not be able to drink her blood if I were human nor would I have a girlfriend as fine as her.

    I never imagined that Senri would turn out to be such a powerful ally back then, but it was worthwhile to negotiate with Ep¨¦e at the risk of getting killed.

    Father had prepared a briefcase full of money, a map, identification papers and¡­ a single key.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s the key to an unused mansion. It needs cleaning¡­ but I suppose it would serve better as a hideout the way it is. It should be perfectly capable of housing two people. However, stay on guard.¡±

    He looked fairly ill at ease as he handed over the key to me.

    So, I suppose it would be alright to hole up in this fief for the time being.

    I never imagined he would prepare for us a place to stay on top of all the money. Ludo Formet must have a lot of people to protect. Naturally, if the Death Knights or the country were to find out about this, he would lose his head.

    I cannot stay here forever for his sake. However, I should at least be allowed some time to gather my bearings.

    Nothing connects me to father and it should be alright even if someone were to follow the trail of the key I just received.

    My worries dispersed and I felt great. I wanted to converse a little longer, but it would not bode well if someone were to enter the study by chance.

    If things pan out as intended, perhaps we would be able meet again.

    I expressed my gratitude once again and headed towards the window with the briefcase and map in hand.

    As long as the Death Knights who are capable of sensing negative energy do not close in on me, my identity would be safe.

    Maybe, someday¡­ I might even be allowed to enter the house through the front door.

    As those thoughts ran through my head, I heard my father speak solemnly.

    ¡°Lierre¡­ no, End. I cannot allow you to take the Formet name as you are now. You, are dead.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ahh, of course, I know that much.¡±

    Well if I am found out and my relationship with my family is discovered, they could be put in danger. I did not need to be reminded. I do not intend to use the name.

    ¡­ Come to think of it, I did carve the family name on Roux¡¯s grave. Though I doubt anyone would notice.

    I shrugged as my father¡¯s lips curved into a smile.

    ¡°Instead¡­ as proof that you¡¯re my son, I will bestow upon you the title of Baron.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Low rank.¡±

    ¡°¡­ No complaining. Originally, it¡¯s not something you could even desire as the third son¡±, said father with a scowl.

    I found it amusing in spite of myself and laughed out loud.

    ¡°Ahh, alright . Thank you, father.¡±

    Baron End. It does not really roll off the tongue but I guess it is not too bad.

    Above all, I doubt there exists a lesser vampire with peerage.

    ¡°¡­ I have something I need to speak with Ms.Senri in private. It won¡¯t take long, so wait outside.¡±

    I wonder what the conversation is about. Though I am a bit curious, I am sure Senri would fill me in on it later if it was something I needed to be made aware of.

    That is how much I trust Senri.

    I nodded vigorously and jumped out of the window in much better spirits than when I walked in.

 Chapter 49: The Trap Part I

    A swell mansion indeed, thought the Keeper, unfazed.

    Quite spacious, well furnished, with plenty of space to hide and more than anything, there were no other houses in the vicinity.

    The secret to hunting vampires lies in rendering them unable to make a move. Careful planning is critical to kill vampires that are superior to humans in every possible way. The disparity in strengths is that extreme. No matter how much a normal person trains their body or masters all kinds of combat techniques, they still cannot hold a candle to that monster.

    The only ones capable of holding their own against those loathsome monsters are the Death Knights with their blessing or the ones who carry a similar curse as them.

    If the first ever necromancer had succeeded in dispelling all the weaknesses of the undead, then humans might have been reduced to no more than creatures that lived in obscurity and fear forever. Or the position of humans and vampires¡­ might have been reversed.

    Fortunately, the undead possess a lot of weaknesses at present. Human history is their long battle against the undead.

    The crucifix sword has been made precisely to reflect an actual crucifix that the undead are fearful of. A bomb filled with garlic and powdered silver and a wooden stake made easy to wield. A robe made with holy water and silver that almost serves as a blessed armor.

    The tools that are a product of vigorous research and immense progress are capable of exterminating weak undead like vermin.

    The undead are meant to be annihilated. There are¡­ no exceptions to this rule.

    They can communicate and master tools created by man. Once you pity them, you will be taken advantage of. In particular, vampires possess the ability that the weakest undead, i.e, zombies possess, called ¡°infect¡± and are capable of using it at their own will. Hence, vampires can multiply much faster than humans.

    The target this time is a troublesome one.

    The vampire not only has a special trait setting it apart from the rest of its own class, but it also has a former Death Knight as guard. So it was no wonder that Ep¨¦e the Destroyer had requested the Keeper to take on the job.

    Among the vampire hunters, the Keeper and Albertus are specialists in tracking down vampires. Since one of the targets is a Death Knight and is aware of the tricks employed by the Death Knights to pursue vampires, ordinary methods cannot be used to catch up to them.

    The opponent has let their guard down upon getting their hands on the night crystal. Tonight we will settle the score.

    It is a full moon tonight. The day in which the vampires are at their strongest. However, that is precisely the reason they would have their guard down. There is not much a lesser vampire can do against the Keeper upon gaining a bit more power.

    It was luck that enabled them to predict the next move of the target. The fact that the vampire possessed memories from its previous life was also a complication.

    Sadly, that repulsive monster still considers itself human. What a tragedy!

    The father, who was Lord of the Land, readily yielded to their threats.

    The carefully prepared mansion looked no different outwardly, but it had been converted into an anti-vampire stronghold. Well, perhaps¡­ it should be called an execution site instead.

    Vampires possess many weaknesses that are fatal to them. Even if they are a little smart, they are done for once caught in a trap. Once an opening is discovered, they can be barraged with attacks until they die.

    Any kind of means can be employed to kill a vampire. That is the duty of a vampire hunter.

    It escaped once. The circumstances worked to their disadvantage before. But that will not happen again. The opponents are not the only ones who learnt their lesson from the first encounter.

    They hid inside the mansion and awaited the prey to fall into the trap. If the Lord had followed their instructions, they should make an appearance anytime now.

    And thus, that time arrived.

    The key turned in the lock, followed by the door opening quietly. A light pair of footsteps walked straight towards them. Not in the least nervous, they stood as unmoving as a shadow.

    The vampire would be welcome inside with open arms. It needed to be completely trapped in the room.

    A vampire would find itself considerably weaker once inside the room. Since vampires only sleep at places untouched by sunlight, it should make its way into this room.

    Never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined that the vampire hunters would be lying in wait for them. If they are already aware of it, there would be no reason to go out of their way to set foot in here.

    A special herb had been used to conceal their body odor. The opponent is completely off guard. They need not worry about being discovered before the target enters the room.

    His lips twisted into a huge grin as he awaited his hunt. And thus, the door to the room in which the Keeper was lying in wait, opened wide.

    The one that came into sight was someone that the Keeper had been expecting.

    However, they were missing their companion.

    The precious student of Destroyer with silver hair and purple eyes stepped into the room without hesitation and looked in the direction of the Keeper, unlikely to be seen as he stood hidden in the shadows.

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless to wait. End¡­ won¡¯t be coming.¡±

    They were exposed. It was not a trick.

    Looks like the circumstances are widely different from expectations. The Keeper emerged from the shadows and scowled at the ignorant princess.

    ? ? ?

    Senri Silvis did not know much about the vampire hunters. However, she did know that they were formidable.

    In the past when the Death Knights were still few in number and there were still no proper means to make use of the power of blessing, they and the vampire hunters had cooperated with each other. By the time Senri had become a Death Knight, the Order had been widely known for hunting down vampires, so she has never come across or joined forces with any vampire hunters. However, upon witnessing their methods in person, she had realized they were just as powerful as the Death Knights in a different way.

    In the presence of a second-class Death Knight, the man who introduced himself as Keeper, did not in the least look fazed.

    ¡°Did you come to surrender? Or is it a negotiation you¡¯re after? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re our objective anyway. Should you follow us willingly, we will let that vampire be.¡±

    ¡°!¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ take me for a fool.¡±

    Her brows furrowed, she glared at the strange man.

    Even Senri could tell that it was a lie. The man was not that naive. Moreover, Senri was not innocent enough to believe someone who had already once lied.

    The Keeper sighed and surveyed the room. The wall clock showed that the time of the hour was midnight. There were still a few hours before dawn.

    ¡°So you being here means, the Baron betrayed us¡­ what an exasperating man. Even if it were his son, the fact that he would try to protect an undead¡­ is a heavy sin. Does he not treasure his house?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t the slightest what you¡¯re on about.¡±

    There were several things she wanted to say in response, but Senri did not rise to the bait and feigned ignorance.

    Ludo Formet had taken her aside and told her about the Keeper. After which, he had entrusted End to her.

    Senri did not know how important the survival of the family name was to a noble. But, she had certainly witnessed the bond between parent and child.

    She had considered running away, but found herself unable to make that choice.

    This man¡¯s tracking was simply too fast and accurate. If left unchecked, they would pose a bigger risk if they were to team up with the Death Knights or other vampire hunters.

    ¡°Legend has it that corpses of nobles make powerful undead. Though a cock-and-bull story it may be, it¡¯s the reason why it¡¯s been made mandatory to cremate nobles in a majority of countries. Kekeke, if it were to be known that a corpse had disappeared¡­ it would be the end of the house of Formet. I did warn him¡­ looks like I have no other choice.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After saying his piece, the Keeper suddenly looked puzzled. He spoke to Senri in a tone that appeared to be one of censure.

    ¡°I said this last time we met, but I still don¡¯t get it. Why would you take that vampire¡¯s side? You can¡¯t tell me it¡¯s all out of the goodness of your heart. It makes zero sense to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Giving him your blood should have fulfilled any sense of obligation left in you. Don¡¯t tell me you mean to watch over him forever? That boy has no concept of time. As a Death Knight whose duty is to hunt down the undead, are you really going to stand there and point your sword at me and not the vampire?¡±

    For goodness sake, what an obnoxious man.

    Perhaps, using words to rattle someone is one of his tactics as well. His words prodded at Senri¡¯s concerns.

    It was true that End is dangerous. He still remains sane, but it cannot be known how long that would continue and also when he would become stronger than Senri. There is also the difference in their lifespans. Not to mention the possibility that he might drink someone¡¯s blood unbeknownst to her.

    However, End, as she had seen him until now, had touched her heart.

    He is extremely timid, resists his own instincts and has been trifled with by his hapless fate.

    She had wanted to stay close to him and support him. And that was reason enough to wield her sword.

    She withdrew her sword from its sheath. The proof of her being a Death Knight. The silver sword glowed cold.

    This¡­ is a display of my will.

    ¡°Do you think¡­ I would never kill a person?¡±

    The enemies of the Death Knights are the undead. However, there are undead capable of controlling humans and also knights who join them of their own volition.

    There is a history of dispute between the Death Knights and Vampire Hunters. They are well versed at fighting humans as they are with undead.

    The Keeper frowned at Senri, who glared at him, sword at hand.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. Not me at the very least. Because¡­ pitiful¡­ vampire bride¡­¡±

    ¡°Unlike you¡­ we didn¡¯t come alone.¡±

    ¡°!!¡±

    She used her sword to fend off the blow from the dark figure that suddenly attacked from behind.

    She retreated as she countered the attack but as it was simply too strong, her sword shook and her arm grew numb.

    It was the girl in a black dress, who had attacked.

    She looked a lot younger than Senri and it was unbelievable that her small arm had delivered such a strong blow. It was not the physical strength of a human.

    In the dark of the room, fiery gold eyes shone brightly. Albertus. The girl who had defeated Senri once, smiled like a monster in the darkness.

    She held in both her hands weapons shaped like claws.

    What a strange weapon. Although they hunt vampires, the weapon did not seem to be made of silver but some other stronger metal, as she had no trouble stopping Senri¡¯s blows last time.

    She was of a smaller stature than Senri, but her every single move was incredibly swift and nimble and she may be better than Senri at pure martial arts.

    Her strength was clearly inhuman. If she were human, that kind of strength cannot be exerted unless the body has been enhanced through blessing, but that did not seem to be the case and there were no signs of her using magic either.

    All that left was one conclusion.

    A cursed one. In return for a curse similar to that of a vampire¡¯s, she had received strength.

    Just as how the vampires possess several weaknesses, the curse was supposed to be accompanied by its compensation, but Senri was not able to pinpoint it in their first encounter. After all, there are several cases in which the compensation was not paid right away.

    My path of retreat has been blocked off. The reason she was not in the room, was to trap me in?

    ¡°Did you forget the hole I made in that stomach of yours, Death Knight?¡±

    ¡°Those aren¡¯t the moves of someone with a hole in their body¡­ Alba, it¡¯s not as you told me.¡±

    ¡°All I need to do¡­ is tear her a new one.¡±

    Albertus crouched down and her abundant hair quivered.

    The Keeper unsheathed his crucifix sword. Although the sword would have no effect on Senri, his posture spoke of his mastery over it.

    ¡°I thought the two of you would come together. But I guess one at a time is more convenient. Princess, it looks like you don¡¯t completely trust that vampire yet. After taking you in, I shall catch that boy as well. Try to not get caught¡­ kekeke, I¡¯m sure the experience will be eye-opening,¡±

    ¡°¡­ Keeper, you¡¯re mistaken about something.¡±

    The Keeper grew silent. Albertus looked at Senri through gleaming, fiery eyes.

    She felt charged. The chilly atmosphere caressed her cheeks.

    She collected the power of blessing that circulated in her body. Her body grew hot and she could feel the power surge through her body.

    And then, she unleashed it all at once. The power transformed into light and then into a strong wind that swirled around her.

    If the vampire hunters use any means or tools to strike at weaknesses and lay traps, the methods of the Death Knights make use of their abundant pure energy¡­ their blessing to fight.

    One of the conditions for a third-class knight to become a second-class knight is to master 36 basic skills that make use of one¡¯s limited amount of blessing.

    Strength enhancement skill, ¡°Direct Light¡±.

    She suppressed the strange sense of satisfaction that arose from the power spreading up to her head, cloaked herself in light and stood her ground.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ exert all my strength last time. It¡¯s not that hard¡­ to take on both of you. It¡¯s not¡­ that I don¡¯t trust End, it¡¯s just that I can¡¯t fight at my best with him at my side.¡±

    ? ? ?

    ¡°You, are you even trying?! To think¡­ that you¡¯d be done in that lass. Ahh, how pathetic as the vessel of the King of the undead.¡±

    ¡°Sh..ut¡­up¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahh, if this is what you¡¯d be reduced to, I would have taught you to be more careful around women. Ahh, what an utter shame. You fool.¡±

    I cannot refute that. However, it was Senri¡¯s fault. It was all her fault.

    My whole body felt numb and I could not move. Putting aside the pain, it was my first time experiencing paralysis strong enough to render me immobile.

    I was laying on the bed, face up and spoke my objections to the Lord, with a barely moving tongue.

    The Lord¡¯s illusion was not as composed as it always had been before. His hand on his forehead, he looked as if he was flabbergasted at his son¡¯s stupidity, as he shook his head in disapproval.

    Wait a minute, why did you even appear? Am I, perhaps¡­ dying?

    Poison does not work on an undead like me, nor do anesthetics or sleeping drugs.

    However, here I am, having to put my all into moving a single finger and the Lord¡¯s illusion that always appeared when I was on the brink of death had popped up. Oddly enough, I was still conscious. I did not feel any strength leave my body either.

    ¡°That lass, is rather strong. Only your spine has been accurately paralyzed. She went and used a minor skill that is seldom used. But, it certainly¡­ is your fault for falling for such a weak skill. I dare say there is no other undead in the world that has ever fallen for such a thing.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You were too carefree. Where would you ever find a vampire who would allow himself to get bitten? You fool. You better reflect on your mistake!¡±

    Who in hell discovered this horrible technique!

    I mean, it could not be helped. I will admit that I was on cloud nine with a lot of things proceeding smoothly.

    However, I trusted Senri. Anybody would accept an invitation to feed from her neck, and while embracing each other, she whispered into my ear, ¡°Before that, can I bite you too?¡±, so of course I would ask her to go ahead.

    Who would have thought she would do something so awful¡­ she betrayed me. She did not give me any blood either. I hate the Death Knights.

 Chapter 50: The Trap Part II

    ¡°!!¡±

    Golden eyes darted around in the dark. The ceiling and the walls were made floors to propel herself back and forth while she attacked Senri with her claws at a tremendous speed, which Senri met with her sword.

    Senri¡¯s sword is not made of ordinary silver. The base metal used is¡­ holy silver.

    Holy silver is a rare metal also referred to as mithril and it boasts a power superior to ordinary silver. It is much more durable and it is extremely easy to transmit blessing or magic through it.

    It is seldom possessed by anyone save for the Death Knights.

    The silver pair of eyes opened wide in surprise. The attack was easily fended off and the distance between them closed.

    The attack that came from her blind spot was fast and it was the same or even heavier than the first blow, but Senri¡¯s physical abilities were in an enhanced state now.

    Direct Light is a skill where the blessing is circulated inside the body at high speed, thereby enhancing the physical abilities of the user to the level of the undead.

    ¡°¡­ Shit¡­!¡±

    Perhaps Albertus had sensed the disparity in their strengths in that single blow they exchanged, for she retreated.

    The first time they faced off each other, Senri had been considerably weaker. One of the reasons being her having let End feed too much just prior and the main reason being the blessing in her had substantially depleted.

    And that put Senri, who excelled at wielding her blessing, at quite a disadvantage.

    The enhancement of one¡¯s body through Direct Light depends on the amount of blessing in one¡¯s body. Senri was much stronger now than she was back then.

    Her body felt light. The room was dimly lit, but Senri could distinctly discern the current situation.

    Having woven threads out of her blessing and spreading them out through the room, Senri had gained a new sense.

    Heightened sense skill ¨C Thread Weave. Senri Silvis had no blind spot now.

    She swiveled on her heels and fended off the crucifix sword that came flying from behind her. Some watery substance sprayed from the sword, but Senri evaded that with ease.

    The substance landed with a hiss and the floor became discolored. It was not holy water, but¡­ poison. Something that does not work on a vampire.

    ¡°Looks like you weren¡¯t bluffing¡­ about being strong.¡±

    The gloomy voice reached her ears. He did not stop attacking even as he spoke. She widened her scope only to discover that there were almost invisible fine threads strung up around the room. It was a trap.

    Senri found the Keeper attacks too easy to fend off. However, if she were to let that sword to even graze her, the poison on it would penetrate her body.

    I can¡­ deal with this. Although the Death Knights exhibit enhanced physical abilities on par with the undead owing to the power of blessing, they are still humans at the core. Unlike the undead, poison would work on them and their recovery rate is a whole lot slower than a vampire. Not to mention, their stamina is not inexhaustible.

    However, it was all fine. She fended off the crucifix sword that came swinging towards her. The sword that resembled the crucifix was slender and too fragile. It was not made to cross swords with another. It looked like it could break into pieces if heavy blows were to be exchanged.

    And, the Keeper was well aware of that. After sending his sword flying towards me, the Keeper¡¯s movements were fluid as he reached for the next weapon.

    As Senri decided to give pursuit to the Keeper, from behind, she heard Albertus shoot across the walls and the ceiling and jump down from above. Senri clicked her tongue and was forced to deal with her instead.

    ¡­ She is strong.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s quite a bother¡­ hunting humans.¡±

    Senri imbued her sword with blessing. Albertus twisted her body to avoid the light that quickly lit up along the blade, but the light extended further and grazed her flank.

    Albertus¡¯s face warped in agony for an instant. Her body twisted in midair before landing. Dark red matter trickled onto the floor.

    Light sword was as strong and destructive as an actual sword. Although difficult to maintain over a longer period, it was a potent skill.

    Photon Blade.

    It was a skill passed down by her Master. It was also the skill used before Photon Delete.

    With her senses heightened, she could sense one of the threads suddenly be pulled. From her blind spots came silver arrows, which Senri accepted without evading.

    Almost as if it had run into an iron plate, the arrows rang loud.

    The Keeper groaned for the first time.

    ¡°¡­ Wouldn¡¯t expect any less from Ep¨¦e¡¯s pupil. What a monster¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­ an arrow can pierce me.¡±

    The arrows repelled by the clothes strengthened with blessing fell to the floor. Defense skills that may be useless against the undead can still protect against human weapons.

    Well to begin with, the crucifix sword¡¯s attacks might not even be able to graze Senri, whose body is strengthened with blessing.

    The Keeper swiftly pulled out his gun and fired rapidly.

    Bullets came flying at Senri, who cut all of them down with her sword. Bullets neatly cut in half tumbled onto the carpet on the floor.

    ¡°¡­ Alba, this one¡¯s troublesome. Combat mode. We¡¯re going with battle plan B. Surprise attack.¡±

    ¡°!¡­¡±

    Albertus¡¯s eyes grew big. Her heartbeat grew faster and her thin arms rapidly swelled in size.

    Glossy, black fur grew all over her body. Her swelling body ripped her dress to shreds and the scraps fell to the floor.

    Senri could have attacked then. However, she retreated a few steps.

    ¡­ A cursed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know about this as a Death Knight. About Werewolves possessing the ability unique to the original ancestor, King of beasts, Lukos.¡±

    Werewolf. Anyone who fights against the vampires needs to learn about them.

    Senri retreated further. Albertus¡¯s face warped and so did her body, her soul transformed to that of an animal. The transformation of a human to werewolf was horrible no matter how many times she had seen it.

    Lukos is one of the oldest and also one of the most famous ancestors.

    Among the numerous abilities possessed by a vampire, one of them include transforming into a wolf called Lycanthropy.

    By itself, it would be no more than a transformation, but that ancestor makes it possible for that ability¡­ that curse to be spread and create followers.

    Anyone bitten by that ancestor is bound to them and transformed into a mighty werewolf.

    Lukos possessed countless followers.

    Although the ancestor himself has long since died, his followers who inherited his power are spread throughout the world and are still a thorn in the Order¡¯s side.

    Senri has fought quite many herself.

    However, she retreated a few steps after witnessing a transformation in person.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not¡­ a wolf?!¡±

    In the dark, breathing heavily, was a big, black dog. It was clearly different from the werewolves she had seen so far.

    The shape of the body and the face were different, and above all, she could still see the human behind the eyes.

    Werewolves often lose themselves during transformation, however, Albertus did not lunge at her right away but glared at her warily.

    The Keeper let out a muffled laugh.

    ¡°How pitiful. Seems an idiot tried to make a better curse by using the werewolf curse as reference. I suppose she could be called a weredog. Alba happens to be the only victim.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    She was like a dark breeze. Not a footstep could be heard. Senri greeted Albertus¡¯s claws with her sword.

    She was quite strong even in the human form, but her blows as a beast landed even heavier and were much faster. The only thing that had not changed were her golden eyes that peered at Senri from close quarters.

    The light sword grazed the dark-pelted body but did cause any wound. Perhaps it had healed. Silver is a werewolf¡¯s weakness. Unlike the undead, they are not affected by holy positive energy.

    Senri extinguished the light and attacked with her sword made of holy silver. However, Albertus deftly handled the attack, that was as fast as flash, using her claws. She landed on all fours and disappeared in a whirlwind.

    Senri breathed deeply and further circulated the blessing in her body. She increased her area of awareness. As far as she could tell from the attacks just now, Senri was still much stronger. However, she was not as nimble. Speaking in terms of physical abilities, the werewolves surpass the vampires. Weredogs should be similar as well.

    I will end this in one strike. The Keeper who lingered behind, did not bother to attack but uttered unconcernedly.

    ¡°The ancestor who turned Alba is dead. The curse failed. He disintegrated the moment he used up his power. Not that uncommon an end¡­ to beings created by inexperienced necromancers. And that¡¯s how Alba came to be the only weredog. Say, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s pitiful?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She cannot heed his words. With her whole body covered in black fur, Albertus blended into the dark. It would be difficult to sense her using sight. I need to focus¡­.

    But the Keeper¡¯s words naturally made their way into her ears.

    The Keeper sighed and continued as if he was spilling all his secrets.

    ¡°It was by scent, Ep¨¦e¡¯s child. I used your scent. The werewolves have enhanced physical abilities, but she has an enhanced sense of smell. Much more than an ordinary dog¡­ you see. She can discern scents and auras.¡±

    ¡°She has already learned your auras. As long as Alba is alive, no matter where you hide, or how far you go, you can never outrun her. Alba deeply¡­ resents the vampire that turned her into that. Kekeke, so much so that¡­ she doesn¡¯t mind using the curse he gave her.¡±

    A troublesome ability. It was awfully similar to End who is fated to live a life on the run.

    And, such power¡­ should definitely come at a heavy price.

    The Keeper slowly walked the room. Senri focused on him as she stayed on her guard against Albertus.

    She cannot afford to take a blow from those claws. If she were to lose her sword and get pinned to the floor, Senri, with her small stature, would be put at an overwhelming disadvantage.

    ¡°Due to her curse¡­ she can¡¯t stay in human form during the day. And, every time she uses that power¡­ she¡¯s slowly getting closer to fully becoming a dog¡­ eventually she¡¯d be unable to change back. Don¡¯t you think she is in fact the kind of weaklings you¡¯re supposed to protect? You¡¯re pointing your sword at someone you¡¯re originally meant to help.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What about the counter-curse¡­¡±

    ¡°Vampire curses can¡¯t be broken. I thought that¡¯s the reason the Death Knights have been purging the victims¡­ am I wrong?¡±

    Fair enough. Senri bit her lips in an effort to keep up her spirits.

    However, her grip on her sword did not loosen. It is true that Albertus¡¯s circumstances are pitiable.

    But, it was a different vampire that turned Albertus. Not End.

    She glared at the Keeper. She had thought that his name was rather strange¡­ so, it was Albertus that he was keeping.

    If she will get taken over by her animal side upon overusing the ability, should he not make her fight to begin with?

    ¡°¡­ You are¡­ abusing that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. But rather than abuse, call it a partnership. It¡¯s her purpose to hunt down vampires. Moreover¡­ weaklings need to band together, you see.¡±

    The Keeper laughed out loud and picked up the crucifix sword from the floor.

    That was when Senri came upon a late revelation.

    It was too late. Albertus¡­ was not going to attack her. Even for a plan, it was too¡­.

    ¡°Did you think I went on and on to evoke sympathy in you?

    ¡°¡­!!¡±

    Senri took off only to find dark threads strung up around her. It was not made of silver. It was made to deal with humans. Steel threads.

    And subsequently, she heard a creak which was followed by a volley of arrows from all sides. Senri stopped them in their tracks by expanding the blessing around her body.

    They sounded a little different from the arrows she first encountered. The arrows that she evaded had pierced halfway through the floor.

    Even with the protection of blessing, she cannot escape those arrows unscathed should she take any directly.

    They were countermeasures against humans¡­ specifically, the Death Knights.

    They were simply too powerful for use against normal humans.

    I failed. I unconsciously did not take that possibility into concern. Because¡­.

    ¡°Im¡­possible. You were discarded?¡±

    She whispered, dumbfounded.

    Combat mode. Battle plan B. Surprise attack. All of it¡­ was a bluff.

    The Keeper simply cannot keep Senri in check by himself. They barely managed to do so together. The difference in strength was apparent.

    Using any and all kinds of methods would only serve to buy time. If the Keeper faced off against Senri by himself, he would surely die.

    One of the arrows had pierced a corner of the room. White smoke emitted from the arrow slowly filled the room.

    Standing in the middle of it, the Keeper frowned and declared as if offended.

    ¡°We are vampire hunters. And it goes without saying that we put our lives on the line for it.¡±

    As for the Web Novel translation, we will continue until they tell us to stop.

 Chapter 51: The Curse Part I

    ¡°Come on, move already! You fool! You were only struck by a needle to your spine. You imbecile! Heal yourself already!¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ shut¡­ up¡­¡±

    I tried my utmost to put some strength into my body. Gradually, bit by bit, my body was growing less numb.

    I crawled off the bed, fell to the floor and pushed myself up to my feet.

    The only thing that had me moving was anger. Anger against Senri.

    Though she promised to give me blood, it was only an awful lie. Even if her actions were justified, I still would not forgive her.

    It had been nearly ten days since I had last fed, so when asked if I needed to feed just as I figured I should be almost depleted, I totally did not suspect her.

    Even though I was incredibly happy, she was too cruel¡­ I will definitely get her back for this later. I will never let my guard down again.

    The numbness was slowly ebbing but the Lord¡¯s apparition showed no signs of disappearing.

    ¡°All things said, you really are¡­ unique, as I thought. You have talent. Generally, you can¡¯t recover from the effects of that skill so quickly. If not for that weak spirit of yours, you could have made a fine King¡­¡±

    Then, you need not have rushed me to heal.

    He certainly is too noisy for an apparition. And more voluble than the actual Lord.

    It is not my objective to become a great King in the first place. I am only looking to become the King by default.

    Even as we speak, the negative energy in me is steadily growing. I am slowly getting stronger even without killing any living or drinking the blood of anyone else.

    I do not know if that is normal for an undead, but judging from what the Lord has to say , I must have a vessel suitable for an undead. Quite the irony considering my desperate will to live.

    Senri bit down on my neck and made a thin long hole in my body. One that reached down to my spine. The damage caused by that is being healed albeit slowly.

    Still, what a horrible skill. I could swallow it if I had been pushed to this state after a punch or something, but I was taken down when my eyes were fixated on Senri¡¯s neck. How cruel¡­.

    ¡°Your body is¡­ generating more negative energy? Well, it really is a miracle that you managed to survive all those years in that body of yours¡­¡±, said the Lord with a puzzled expression.

    Good grief, must be nice to have nothing to do but yap about.

    I ignored his comments as I pushed myself up by leaning on the soft bed.

    ¡°I¡¯m here right now because I died¡­ ahh, finally I can move around.¡±

    I felt unsteady on my feet. Numbness still pervaded my fingertips, but it was still manageable.

    Nevertheless, just why did Senri make me go through this hell. Today, we were going to move to the mansion that my father had prepared for us.

    It does not make sense that she simply left me paralyzed if her intention had been one of betrayal. It would have been easier than taking candy from a child for Senri to have dealt the final blow to me.

    I need¡­ to chase after her. Something feels off. Although I am not completely back to normal, I should recover on the move. The Lord¡¯s apparition had also disappeared before I knew it.

    Judging from the circumstances, Senri must have wanted to stop me from going to father¡¯s mansion. Only she can tell me the reason behind her actions, but if I had to guess¡­ she might have wanted to check if any traps had been laid out. Either that or father may have said something to Senri yesterday.

    Senri, as I have seen of her personality so far, is very self-sacrificing in nature.

    I am prepared to make use of anything in order to survive, but that does not mean I want her to bear the brunt of the burden.

    I wonder what happened to the machete ¨C Blood Ruler.

    I looked around the room and found the machete propped up against the wall. The moment I picked it up with my still numb arm, something dark suddenly jumped into the room through the window.

    I was completely caught off guard. Not to mention, I had barely sensed any presence.

    Broken glass. I was sent flying by whatever entered the room. The Blood Ruler slipped from my arm, fell onto the floor and away from me.

    The world spins uncontrollably. I tumble over several times before slamming against the wall and sliding to the floor. I tried to straighten myself, ignoring my numb arms¡¯ protests and raised my head.

    The one that had come flying at me¡­ was a five feet tall monster, a black dog. Of course, I had no recollection of seeing it before.

    Fiery gold eyes gleamed in the dark.

    My instincts screamed that this was no ordinary beast. The dog¡­ looked almost like a monster.

    Why am I being subject to this hell¡­ I simply just want to survive.

    As if it was not enough that the Death Knights and the Vampire Hunters were always after me, now even a dog has to attack me¡­.

    No¡­ wait! This scent feels familiar¡­.

    As thoughts kept swirling through my head, I forced my still slightly numb arm to reach for the machete. However, before my fingers could touch the hilt , the dog kicked it away from me. And immediately after, it tread on my hand with its huge limb. I could feel my hand being crushed and the bones breaking.

    I forcibly removed my arm, ignoring my arm tearing apart, broke my arm free and rolled around to get back on my feet.

    By then, the broken bones and torn arm had healed and the pain was subsiding.

    Unfortunately, tonight¡­ was the full moon. The night the dark forces are at their strongest. I am much stronger than usual.

    The black dog lunges at me. It stands up high on its hind feet and strikes at me with a huge hairy forelimb. I received the blow that came from above by planting my feet firmly on the floor.

    ¡°?!¡±

    I gasped in spite of myself at the outcome that was not in the least what I had expected.

    The floor easily gave away, my legs sunk into it and my body screamed in pain.

    Speechless, I withstand the power that tries to crush me from above.

    What a tremendous power. Although it is true that my body is not completely back to normal, this is no strength of an ordinary beast. It is much superior than the beasts I have ever faced. Above all, it is incredible that it comes close to me in strength on a full moon.

    ¡­ Don¡¯t underestimate me!

    I put all my strength into my arms and pushed myself to the side, thus evading the forelimb that attempted to crush me down. Its claws plunged into the floor due to momentum, but the black dog was still unstoppable. The other forelimb slashed at me with its sharp claws. I hastened backwards but they still managed to graze me.

    Blood spurted and I was thrown back violently and slammed against the wall. Although the wound healed right away, this is¡­.

    The black dog came stomping with its huge mouth and shiny tongue. Sharp fangs lined its mouth. Though a vampire¡¯s body is much sturdier than a human¡¯s, a bite from that could tear me apart.

    I rolled over to the side and evaded its mouth. It crashed into the wall leaving a huge hole in its wake. Its forelimb that I had failed to evade made holes in my body proportionate to the number of its claws.

    Dammit¡­.

    I bit down on my pain and kicked at its body. However, an attack that could have broken a few bones in an ordinary being did no damage to it.

    It is strong. I used the skill Sharp Claw and transformed my nails into sharp talons. I rolled over to evade the relentless attacks from its forelimb and stabbed at the gap between its fur with my claws that were as sharp as a knife.

    There was a response. However, it was different from what I expected. The bones in my fingers were crushed.

    The claws that had stabbed and pierced through countless beasts before were broken in half. What in hell¡­ is that fur made of. I hit the wall when I tried to retreat in order to avoid the attack. Glinting talons descended on me from above.

    I need to think. Though it was troubling that I had lost the machete, fighting in such a narrow space was a much bigger problem.

    Being tossed around in a small space puts me at a terrible disadvantage. Even a vampire would perish if its body is torn apart and its head crushed, moreover, my regenerative abilities are not inexhaustible.

    I stretched out my arms and received its limbs that came at me with momentum. Outclassed by power, my arms were torn and bones crushed, but I gained a few seconds.

    I crawled on all fours like a beast and desperately threw myself out the window. It was the second floor, but you cannot make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

    People passing by scream out seeing me suddenly fall out of the window, but I pay them no mind.

    So did the black dog as it relentlessly chased after me.

    My arms healed. However, my clothes were still torn. And I had only just bought them¡­.

    I probably would have the upper hand in a wide space. I do not know the identity of the black dog, but surely it cannot have better regenerative capabilities than a vampire. I picked up a rock the size of my fist and flung it with all my might. The black dog did not even slow down as it easily flicked off the rock that came at it like a cannonball.

    It was almost like a boar. Drooling all over, a beast is coming to kill me.

    The broken and crushed claws regenerate and grow stronger. This time, they were much stronger and sharper.

    My body creaked as it mutated.

    Ominous, glinting, golden eyes drew nearer.

    Fine. If you wish to kill me¡­ I shall kill you.

    I steeled my resolve. I firmly planted my feet on the ground and received the left forelimb that slashed at me, with my own left arm.

    The blow sent heavy shockwaves through my body. However, I was not sent flying this time. My left arm creaked in protest. But it was still fine.

    I was going head to head¡­ no, I was overpowering it.

    ¡°Finally!¡­ the numbness¡­ is gone!!¡±

    Seriously, it is not even funny that I can be overpowered on a full moon at that, when vampires are well known for their herculean strength.

    Its jaws come for my flesh. However, no matter if it is different on the inside, it is still in the shape of a beast. I have ample experience battling wolves in the Lord¡¯s mansion. I use my sharp claws to slash at the jaws that lunge at me.

    I got in a clean shot. Having taken a blow to the jaw from below, its huge body was sent flying in the air. Blood trickled down my claws and touched my fingertips.

    The black dog was flung far and bounced over the ground several times, before it took on a defensive position to land safely and got up on its feet.

    I gaped in wonder. Impossible. I pierced its jaw and it would not be too strange if my claws had reached its brain.

    Bloodshot golden eyes. The blood that was gushing from its jaws, stops suddenly. Its feet pawed at the ground and the very same mouth let out a deep growl.

    It¡­ was regeneration. The attack just now would have been fatal to an ordinary beast¡­.

    It finally hit me. The reason why something felt off earlier.

    The scent had felt familiar. And that surprising regenerative ability.

    ¡°Werewolf¡­ and this scent¡­you¡¯re the Keeper¡¯s partner!¡±

    It was the girl who looked at me with hatred in her eyes back during the negotiation. Albertus was the name I think.

    The black dog made no response to my words.

    I do not know any of their special traits. However, since werewolves pop up in a lot of folktales, I have a general idea about them.

    Minions of vampires. Werewolves are dreadful evil.

    Normally in the human form, they are capable of transforming into wolves upon will. Superhuman strength, explosive power coupled with insane regenerative powers, they grow stronger and weaker with the moon cycles, just like vampires, with silver weapons being their weakness.

    However, what sets them apart from typical dark forces is that those beings¡­ are not undead. Although cursed, they are not undead. Hence, they are capable of function during the day and are said to protect the vampires as they sleep.

    Other things mentioned in folklore include them losing most of their reason when they transform or the full moon transforming them into werewolves even against their will. But if Albertus really was a werewolf, then that raised a lot of questions.

    Firstly¡­ the Keeper not being a vampire. Since werewolves are said to have been created by certain vampires.

    Secondly¡­ no matter how I look at it, the beast before me is not a wolf. But a dog.

    The Keeper does not seem to be close by. If he were, they would coordinate and attack me together.

    Perhaps, Senri had been caught off guard by the Keeper¡¯s attack.

    Well, let me set that aside for now. Albertus¡­ is a fitting opponent for a monster like me.

    It is true that the herculean strength, agility and the thick coat that acts as a shield are certain threats, but I should be able to take her on now. I can win.

    I cannot let down my guard, however, the clash earlier makes me feel like I have a fighting chance.

    Werewolves are small fries that play the part of mid-bosses in stories. They are something like minions to vampires.

    I licked off the blood clinging to my claws. Albertus¡¯ blood was as different from Senri¡¯s as meat from fruit, but it was not a bad taste.

    Maybe because the blood was still fresh, my body fired up and power surged forth. Albertus growled even fiercely.

    Spilling blood had me excited. I brandished my claws and grinned at Albertus.

    ¡°Come at me if you wish to die, Albertus. I won¡¯t hold back unlike Senri.¡±

    Albertus¡¯ eyes grew narrower.

    Eyes full of killing intent. A hoarse voice filled the air.

    ¡°Ggggrrrrhh¡­ Don¡¯t look down on me, vam¡­pire.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    The next instant, Albertus¡¯ body swelled up.

    Her body, which was five feet high, grew in size along with her mouth, limbs, ears, tail and just about everything enlarged with every heartbeat.

    It was quite the incredible transformation making it worthy of being called a curse. The claws in those limbs grew bigger, piercing the ground, forming deep cracks. All the fangs grew much sharper, her golden eyes had contracted like a beast¡¯s and her fur, all bristled, stood on end, sharp as needles.

    Gigantic!¡­ What in hell¡­ I gaped and retreated a few steps in spite of myself.

    Albertus after transformation was twice the size she was before. Be it in height or width, just about everything was twice the size.

    Earlier, she could still be classified as a beast, but now, she was the size of a food stall. It would be no exaggeration to say she was twice as intimidating as well.

    Her forelimbs were almost like pillars. If the size were not just for show, I do not think I can stop a blow from it. The black beast, unlike anything I had seen before, stood tall with the ground under its feet cracked and finally turned its attention to me. Looking into those fiery eyes, I could not sense any humanity behind them.

    The beast roared mightily. The air trembled, debris was sent flying everywhere and windows of nearby houses shattered. My body trembled. Any exaltation I felt before disappeared. And thus, smashing the ground it stepped on, Albertus came charging.

 Chapter 52: The Curse Part II

    It was a demon. If Albertus was like a dark wind earlier, she appeared more like a demon now.

    Her strength, speed, size, anything and everything looked completely different.

    I made the split second decision to move to the side to evade her gigantic self. Albertus crashed head first into a closed shop and that was all it took for the building to crumble as if it were no more than a pile of bricks.

    Although it was nighttime, that did not mean there were no people around. The air was filled with screams from unlucky passersby and people who were staying in the same inn as me. However, Albertus did not seem in the least concerned about causing an uproar.

    She shook off the debris, turned around and glared at me.

    This¡­ is dangerous. Can vampires really make a subordinate out of such a monster?

    I thought perhaps growing in size might dull her intelligence, but that does not appear to be true. Not a single footstep could be heard as that huge body leapt into the air.

    The moon hidden from view by her black silhouette, the surroundings grow dark for an instant.

    It¡­ is impossible to parry this blow. The monster descends. I kicked back to evade it. Its claws smashed the surface of the unpaved road and did not stop as it lunged towards me, mouth open. Let alone an arm or two, that mouth looked capable of tearing me right in half. Gigantic jaws. I retreated and hurriedly evaded it.

    Its body felt as if it was on fire. I tried to kick it in the face as I retreated, but I did not make the slightest dent. Those eyes burned with loathing as always.

    Ahh, how abominable¡­ curses are.

    For a moment, I set aside the fact that I was also cursed and sympathized with her circumstances. However, I need to defeat her no matter what.

    How can I take down this monster in front of me?

    Should I wait for Senri? When would she get back?¡­ No, I should not let Senri face this monster.

    I am well aware of her strength , but this monster ¨C a pseudo werewolf is most likely not an undead, so positive energy would not be its weakness.

    This is my enemy. It has come to kill me. I need to be the one to deal with it.

    Albertus advances towards me crushing the ground she steps on. Her limbs stomped over the ground, scattering earth everywhere. I frantically retreated, but she was much faster than even me, a vampire. I manage to evade a few attacks but her claws that tried to slash me, graze my body. The impact from that attack was so strong that it felt like my body was being torn apart.

    I lose consciousness. When I came to, I was lying on the first floor of a house.

    There was a huge hole in the wall. I seemed to have broken through quite a few walls. The bones in my body that were on the verge of breaking apart, heal and return to their original state and my torso that had been torn to shreds heals up in the blink of an eye. I may have died a hundred times over had I been human.

    Luckily, I had blacked out only for an instant.

    However, this is impossible. I need a weapon. Nevertheless, I cannot wield a silver weapon which is probably her weakness.

    I made the mistake of letting go of the Blood Ruler back at the inn. Would it be possible for that machete to cut into that fur, flesh and bone?

    Well¡­ I have no other choice but to take the risk. I cannot imagine a weapon better than that to conveniently lie around somewhere.

    I only thought about it for a second.

    Albertus ran towards me breaking through houses and walls as if they were mere sheets of paper. I frantically slid to the side to evade her.

    I managed to avoid her claws. But she found an opening and swung her tail at me.

    Covered with bristles and fiercely strong, it was a lethal weapon in itself.

    It hit me right in the abdomen and gouged out a large portion and I was sent spinning before slamming heavily into a wall. The throbbing pain made my vision flicker.

    The pain itself was not unbearable. However, I felt immensely thirsty. Since I had to recover from several fatal injuries, I was running out of energy. If I completely run dry, I would stop recovering like before when I was tortured by Neville and the rest of the knights.

    I need to replenish. I supported my spinning head as I thought it over.

    We are in the middle of the town. A lot of the townsfolk are probably running helter-skelter at the unexpected occurrence of a disaster, so there should be no lack of resources.

    Albertus is targeting me. If I quickly feed a little¡­.

    The internal conflict lasted but a moment.

    No¡­ I promised Senri I would not feed on any other humans, and I doubt I would be able to gain the strength to defeat this monster by drinking a bit of blood.

    I do not have the luxury to feed on anybody¡­ in the first place.

    Again, Albertus came at me from above decimating every obstacle in her path. To have all this strength and not as many weaknesses as a vampire is simply too unfair.

    I cannot even spare a moment to go pick up the machete. A storm is what she was like.

    Though she was carelessly sending me flying far, she did not lose sight of me. Is she perhaps able to detect me through my scent?

    I need to get away. I need to escape somehow¡­ and gather my bearings¡­.

    Her forelimb slashed at me. And her dark, gigantic self from above. I made the impulsive decision to not move to the side but leap forward.

    The ceiling began to collapse. My entire vision is blocked by its dark mass. I crouch down and frantically slip away. I shudder at the sounds of destruction coming from behind.

    Somehow I manage to not be turned into a pancake and slip underneath Albertus.

    I manage to buy myself a second of breathing room. Before Albertus turns around, I stealthily make my way to the road where we originally started.

    She is much faster than I am. Merely running away will only get me easily caught.

    Nevertheless, Albertus really put me through the wringer. My abdomen was slit open several times with blood splattering everywhere.

    If she really was locating me through my scent, then this might be able to confuse her. Given the whole place was a mess with debris everywhere, I have plenty of places to hide.

    It took me a lot of effort to put a distance of a few houses between us. My sharp sense of hearing could clearly make out Albertus violently tearing down houses in an effort to turn around.

    I particularly found a room that looked like an appalling scene of murder with my blood spattered everywhere coupled with the destructive remains of the house. Although not ideal, I may be able to hide here.

    My claws came out and I slit my arm to scatter more blood around. Losing a bit of blood is nothing if it can serve to fool Albertus.

    After scattering fresh blood around the room, I hold my breath, find a broken table near the scene of spatter and lay down in its shadows. I make sure to stay as quiet as a mouse.

    Albertus¡¯ footsteps draw closer. Considering how large she grew, it should be impossible to move around the house without making a sound.

    She did not charge like before and her footsteps sounded more unhurried.

    Looks like I was right about her detecting me through my scent. And probably also sound.

    Chasing me down would be simple if I were moving, but if I quietly stayed hidden somewhere, it should be hard for even a beast to find me.

    I become one with the table as I wait for the footsteps to draw closer. I could sense a huge presence nearing me smashing through all the wreckage. And that presence came to a halt in the room I was hiding.

    The sound of the beast breathing. The sound of it sniffing around. Debris tumbles over nearby and my normally feeble sounding heart, stops beating all together.

    Though I was not in pain, I felt lightheaded. I need¡­ blood.

    Maybe she had sensed something, for she did not leave the room right away. I could hear the half destroyed furniture being tossed around. Perhaps¡­ the fresh spatter of blood meant to confuse her had raised doubts in her instead. Did my plan to hide my scent backfire on me?

    I am dead if found. A direct attack from her forelimb could easily crush my skull.

    Forget it. Forget trying to counterattack and only think about hiding right now.

    I curled up like a small animal. Unable to move with death looming over me reminded me of my previous life when I was bedridden.

    I try to become one with the wreckage. At that moment, I noticed my arm¡­ the color of my skin change.

    ? ? ?

    Strange. I lost sight of him.

    The beast that was once Albertus squinted as it followed his scent. There is no doubt that he was right in front of me just now. A few more minutes and he would have been ripped to shreds.

    However, he was nowhere to be found. Albertus¡¯ senses were quite sharp. In particular, her sense of smell was exceptional, but her sense of sight and hearing were quite extraordinary as well. No matter the day, it was impossible for her to lose sight of someone.

    There is no doubt that he is nearby. He had no luxury to get very far.

    Blood and tissue from the lesser vampire were scattered in the vicinity. She detected the faint scent of blood particular to undead as she searched for the target. A spark of annoyance was beginning to smolder in the corner of her mind.

    She violently kicked through the wreckage, searching for the vampire that was certain to be hiding somewhere.

    The full moon shone brightly in the sky. The full moon grants more power to the vampires, but the same goes for Albertus as well.

    They were overwhelmingly mismatched in terms of fighting strength. The target is not a vampire. It was only the chrysalis of a vampire, a lesser being.

    It does not possess most of the powerful abilities particular to vampires. There was no way she would lose.

    In the midst of a whirlwind of emotions, with what little reason I had left, I recalled a scene from my past.

    The sudden destruction of peace. Arrogant, cruel and overwhelmingly strong, the King of the Dead suddenly attacked her.

    The feeling of being deprived of something precious through being fed on and the extremely terrifying feeling that came with being forcibly made to transform.

    It was simply a coincidence that Albertus was chosen to be the first victim of its ability. And perhaps her good luck as well.

    The ability that had been gained through forcible transformation was imperfect. The being that was supposed to gain control over Albertus, instead self-destructed from the backlash of using its incomplete ability, leaving behind a curse that could not be undone and her murderous rage against vampires.

    Animal instinct was taking over the human mind. Even so, I will not be at peace if I do not exact vengeance against vampires that took everything from me.

    This time, I will be the one to take everything and replace it with fear. She had already committed to memory the faint scent of vampires that normally even beasts are unable to detect.

    I am no mere dog. I am the hound that drives vampires into a corner and hunts them down.

    I am not doing this for anyone¡¯s sake. I do not need gratitude, sympathy or even any significance in life. Albertus surrendered herself to her instincts and howled into the moonlit night.

    The atmosphere shook and the sound unsettled the wreckage. Making use of the shock waves that brought forth, she caught a rough sense of her surroundings.

    And so, Albertus spotted a house. She found something standing still above its roof.

    Steeped in darkness, it was a boy with a very feeble presence.

    Without a scent, completely silent, he had blended into the dark. Standing still, even Albertus would have a hard time spotting him.

    I see¡­ it was the ability of a Dark Stalker. Albertus dusted out some knowledge buried in the depths of her mind.

    That weak undead before evolution into a vampire was better than the latter at one thing and that was in concealing itself.

    It was the special characteristic of an Ancestor, which gets stronger through evolution, to use abilities from its other stages of evolution. It was the one defining characteristic that set it apart from undead that are turned by other vampires.

    That boy ¨C the lesser vampire called End, held a large, black machete in his hand.

    He was clad in clothes that had been shred apart from Albertus¡¯ attacks, that they were naturally reduced to rags. However, it was not anger reflected in those eyes as they quietly observed Albertus.

    What a futile attempt. Silhouette, the ability of a Dark Stalker cannot be wielded for longer periods of time.

    Having gotten your hands on a weapon, you think you can defeat me, Albertus?

    You could have lived a little longer had you fled here¡­.

    A weapon like that is no more than a wooden stick before me. I will toy around with you before tearing you apart.

    Filled with pure murderous intent, Albertus howled. Brandishing the machete, the vampire swooped down on her.

    And thus, the final battle began.

 Chapter 53: The Curse Part III

    I jumped off the roof. With the aid of gravity, I flung the machete with all my strength that even my sturdy vampire¡¯s arms were torn apart. Albertus received the blow squarely with her right limb.

    The jet black blade dug into the midnight fur causing tufts of it to scatter to the ground. Albertus¡¯ eyes glinted in the moonlight.

    However¡­ the machete did not proceed any further. I used so much force that the bones in my arms broke and the flesh was torn¡­ and yet there was almost no damage made. What a sturdy body.

    Nevertheless, maybe it had hurt her, for Albertus¡¯ body trembled. I landed on my feet, quickly crouched down and slid over to her blind spot.

    Perhaps due to the ability of the Dark Stalker Albertus was not responding as fast.

    I was barely making a sound. And my scent might be concealed as well. My instincts perhaps sensed the danger to my life and activated the ability called Silhouette, which had little to no offensive ability but allowed me to conceal my movements.

    However, I doubt it can be used for too long. My skin that had turned black was slowly returning to its original color.

    I need to settle this quickly. I used the machete to parry the blow that came from her tail that she swung like a whip. Such immense power. Although I braced myself for it, I was pushed back a few feet nonetheless.

    Too strong. Just what will it take to kill this monster? To think¡­ even the Blood Ruler could barely put a scratch on it.

    My thirst was almost at its limits. It would seem that Silhouette consumed my strength. The power I got from Albertus¡¯ blood seems to have run out as well.

    Her movements have not in the least dulled after all this time. Instead, they have grown more fierce.

    I did not feel any fatigue either but I have accumulated considerable damage. Most of it from attacks I could not evade, but also due to backlash from my own attacks. Time is on her side.

    I am¡­ severely lacking in offensive power.

    Thinking over how many times I can do an all-out attack¡­ I desperately look for an opening as I dodge her attacks.

    I search¡­ for a chance to win. There is only one way I could land a lethal blow. By making use of the momentum from my opponent¡¯s attacks.

    After all those dodges, I was starting to understand her attack patterns.

    After swinging down her forelimb, she mostly goes for me with her jaws.

    I suppose she does not use her fangs first in order to not give me any opening, but if I am to land an attack, that is where I could do it. In order to defeat Albertus, I need to land a single fatal blow to her vitals.

    Albertus is strong. Even with her animal side in control, her attacks were not blind. However, I have no other choice.

    I shall swing my machete hard and swift at the jaws that snap at me.

    Would I really be able to defeat her with this? I am not sure. However, I need to try. My path of retreat has already been blocked.

    I will step back to evade the attack from her forelimb. I shall then step forward and plant my feet. After which I shall cut down the mouth that comes at me. Even if she were to find my movements odd midway, she would not be able to stop my momentum.

    Albertus must be a little relaxed now. Since the weapon I had taken the trouble to sneak over to bring along had not worked.

    Heat consumes my mind. My instincts scream for battle and blood. I steel my resolve.

    I bore with Albertus¡¯ consecutive attacks by making full use of my Silhouette skill and evading them with all my might.

    Ahh, I want blood. Sweet sweet blood.

    A monster with crimson eyes, the shade of blood was reflected in Albertus¡¯ gold eyes.

    My brain was not working anymore. I half let my instincts guide me. Blood spurted. Not from my opponent but me.

    My consciousness was slipping. I shall survive. No matter what, I shall survive.

    And so, the moment Albertus raised her forelimb, I awoke from my stupor. I almost reflexively retreated to evade it. The ground shook, but strangely enough, my feet were steady.

    I put all my strength into the hand holding the machete and blindly stepped forward.

    ¡°You fool! Drink some blood!¡±

    The rebuke that came out of nowhere made me halt for a moment.

    Right before me, in point blank range, claws come down. Albertus¡¯¡­ left forelimb.

    The machete that I had failed to stop was thrust in between the limb as huge as a pillar.

    It was a trap. Had I not stopped, I would have been mowed down.

    The machete that was supposed to counter her attack, sunk its teeth into her left forelimb, going past the fur, but meeting something solid halfway stopped it in its tracks. The bone?!

    My consciousness was flickering. I felt as if I were floating above the ground.

    Thoughts race through my mind as Albertus¡¯ movements grow sluggish. The Lord¡¯s apparition was by my side unbeknownst to me.

    ¡°You¡¯re still a lesser vampire! Do you understand what that means?! The only vampiric ability you possess is bloodlust!¡±

    Only¡­ bloodlust. Those words resonated deep within me.

    He is right. I do not possess the vampiric abilities of transforming into a bat or fog. Neither the ability to charm others nor the ability to create followers.

    I am the chrysalis of a vampire. The only ability I possess¡­ is to drink blood.

    However, will that do? Not even the Blood Ruler can barely pass through her fur. Would there even be an opportunity to sink my fangs into such a raging beast? What use would drinking her blood do? There is also the promise I made with Senri¡­.

    All kinds of thoughts and hesitation crossed my mind. Golden eyes were looking down at me.

    Nevertheless, the very next moment, my canines had grown longer and sharper.

    The ability of a ghoul. One that I seldom used, Sharp fang. I let go of the machete that had only pierced halfway through her limb and kicked off the ground. I shall¡­ aim for the neck.

    I ran past those forelimbs huge as pillars and slid under her jaws. Albertus did nothing as I rushed in recklessly with no definitive plan in mind.

    However, the moment she spotted my fangs, I noticed her pupils contract in surprise.

    I get nearer. She looked like a giant black wall up close.

    I clung to her bristled fur and I let my instincts take over as I opened my mouth wide and sunk my fangs into her giant neck.

    They easily penetrated the fur that the machete swung with all my might had had a hard time getting past. Perhaps she finally realized what I was up to, for Albertus turned around and raged hard, trying to shake me off. My fangs should be nothing compared to such a gigantic body but she struggled fiercely all the same.

    Her forelimb came in contact with my body. However, it was too late. It would be impossible for a dog to shake me off after I stuck like glue.

    ¡­ and so, I tasted Albertus¡¯ life.

    Lord¡¯s half-excited, half-insane laugh echoed through my head.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Be it a Werewolf or Evil eye, nothing can stand in your way! The essence of a vampire lies in its ability to drink blood!¡±

    It was a completely different experience from feeding on Senri. The blood flowing into me was hot as fire and dark as night.

    My heart throbbed fiercely. The strange sensation of my soul going through a transformation almost makes me lose my grip, but somehow I manage to hold on.

    The evil and ambitious necromancer¡¯s voice resounded in my head.

    ¡°Yes! This is the result of my lifelong research, Curse Steal, which will surpass all Kings.¡±

    I was brimming with dark power. My body began to spasm. What I am drinking right now is not just her blood. Her neck, which I clung onto, trembled and visibly grew smaller.

    It was the curse. I am sucking out the root of Albertus¡¯ curse right now!

    I was at the mercy of images of things I had not experienced before, churning through my mind like a murky stream. However, even in such a situation, my fangs still would not let go. There was no change in the amount of blood that flowed down my throat. I have already once experienced something similar. At the time¡­ I absorbed the Lord¡¯s soul.

    Everything poured into me. The curse, Albertus¡¯ memories.

    I have never heard of anyone sucking out a curse. Ancestor. Special ability. Is this the ability that the necromancer, Horus Carmon had designed?!

    There was no longer a response. The jarring laughter I had heard up until a while ago had disappeared.

    I heard something like a scream escape Albertus¡¯ mouth. Her giant head looked up at the sky and her limbs as huge as pillars and body as huge as float, trembled and shrunk like a balloon that had lost its air. I sunk my fangs in further so I do not fall off.

    Her black fur shrunk and turned into pale soft skin. I reduced the size of my fangs that had grown long and made sure not to bite off her flesh as I continued to drink.

    And finally when all traces of the dark power from her blood had disappeared, I let go of the body that I had been holding in my grip and looked up.

    I was at my limit. I staggered, overtaken by intense dizziness, I held my head in my arms. My heart had not in the least slowed down and was still pounding away.

    Apparently, Curse Steal or whatever it is called, puts a heavy burden on my body.

    However, I did it. I have done it. I got out of the tight spot.

    Slumped on the floor after having been released, was Albertus who had been by the Keeper¡¯s side. Incredible to think that something that tormented me severely, was the petite, pale, naked body.

    The contrast between the two forms was extreme. Anyone who had not seen her other form would find it hard to believe that the girl could transform into such a huge dog.

    Her eyes opened wide in shock, she looked at her hairless palm as if she could not believe her eyes.

    I can win. I do not feel all too good, but I will not lose now.

    If I am guessing right, Albertus is now weak. That superhuman strength must have been derived from her curse. The one in front of me now, was a mere human with no combat skills.

    Furthermore, she is unarmed.

    I reprimand my body for almost collapsing, straighten my back and look down at Albertus.

    Serves you right. This is what happens when you try to come for my head.

    I broke my promise to Senri and ended up drinking Albertus¡¯ blood, but she was not human then, but a dog, so I consider her to be an exception.

    Realizing my gaze on her, Albertus got up to her feet and took a step back. Her face showed none of the killing intent she displayed a while before, but maybe because of blood loss, she looked pale.

    I am sorry¡­ but you are going to have to die. You have seen my ability. If the vampire hunters were to find out about this, there is no saying what they would do.

    They might even come for me as a group. I am not as naive as Senri. Certainly not as naive as to forgive people who come to kill me.

    I closed the distance between us and smiled in an effort to disguise my poor condition and used the ability that I just now sucked out of her.

    I instinctively knew how to use it. My heart thumped loudly, my skeletal structure and body creaked audibly as it underwent transformation.

    Albertus¡¯ face twisted in shock. In a flash, my viewpoint¡­.

    ¡­ grew lower.

    ¡°?!¡±

    The rags that I had on, grow loose and fall over my head. I frantically shook my head and crawled out from the heap of rags.

    Huge. Albertus, who stood stock still, appeared huge. Like a giant. No, wrong. I know it. I¡­ am the one who shrunk.

    I turned my head around and looked behind me. What I saw was something completely different from what Albertus transformed into, a white fluffy tail.

    ¡°¡­ kuun.¡±

    I looked at my right hand, only to find a squishy paw with centimetre long claws. Unnecessarily long fur. Moreover¡­ I was fluffy¡­. The fur on my belly was fluffy as well.

    This¡­ this is¡­ I have turned into a small-breed that is treasured as a pet. I was clearly twice as small as Albertus when she jumped into the building through the window.

    As I sat depressed, Albertus slowly walked around. Naked and brazen, without so much as an underwear, she picked up the Blood Ruler that lay on the ground beside me and looked down at me.

    What was reflected in her eyes was not the intent to kill or fight. With no emotion showing in her eyes, Albertus raised the machete high over her head.

    ?! Wait a minute, how am I supposed to turn back?!

    I try to turn back, but find myself ignorant of how to do so.

    Perhaps her strength was failing, for she was unsteady on her feet as she held the machete overhead, but she should be able to win against me as I am now.

    And what a timing¡­ for the sky to grow brighter. I should have quickly finished her off without transforming.

    Even if I am to escape, I would lose the Night crystal that I went through all that trouble to obtain, if I do not take my clothes with me.

    ¡°Kyaan!¡±

    Even my bark sounded like a whine. I retreated and desperately tried to look menacing, trying to keep her in check as she aimed where to strike, when I suddenly felt my body being lifted up.

    A familiar scent. It was Senri. Senri had flown over with her light wings and picked me up.

    Senri looked worse for wear. Her overcoat was filthy everywhere and even her skin was covered in soot. She looked unhurt otherwise.

    ¡°End¡­ are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Kyan kyan!¡±

    ¡°I got held up. I can see¡­ what happened here.¡±

    My saving grace had descended.

    The creepings of sunlight made me twinge. Smoke arose from the tip of my tail. Senri picked up my clothes off the ground and wrapped them around me. Though it was done to block out the sunlight, it was a bit much to be handled that way.

    I would like to complain, but there is not much I can say in the form of an adorable small dog.

    Cocooned in darkness, Senri¡¯s calm voice reached my ears.

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t come after us any longer.¡±

    ¡­ She is not going to finish her off? What a naive way of handling things. But at the same time, it did not come as a surprise.

    Vampire Hunters are not her enemies. That is the reason I wanted to finish off Albertus before Senri returned.

    However¡­ that is fine. I will not reach for the skies. I snatched Albertus¡¯ power from her. Since I am fine and so is Senri, I consider it a good outcome.

    I have no idea what became of the Keeper, but even if he were alive, I doubt he is reckless enough to challenge us by himself.

    Although not the best of outcomes, it was still better. Right now, I need to think about how to turn back.

    Stuck in a tough spot as I was, the Lord would naturally not pop out at times like these.

    Moreover, I was struck with intense drowsiness. Clearly this was not the time to nod off, but it was already sleeptime for vampires.

    Senri began to run. I could tell from how my body was swayed.

    ¡°kyaan¡±

    ¡°¡­ We shall leave this town. If we continue to stay here, we will cause trouble for your father.¡±

    ¡°kyan kyan¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Without solid proof¡­ aristocrats cannot be prosecuted.¡±

    ¡°kyu-n¡±

    ¡°End. Leave everything to me.¡±

    Senri sounded resolute.

    Although we were not exactly conversing, her voice was all it took to loosen the ball of nerves in me.

    Relaxed, in the dark, my eyes closed. I felt an extremely pleasant sleep on the horizon.

    I trust Senri. I suppose¡­ it is not too bad to be the one cradled once in a while.

 Chapter 54: Epilogue Light

    Good grief, what a wringer I was put through.

    The Lord¡¯s creation, the ability called Curse Steal is rather terrifying.

    Well it is true that I need to be careful with what I feed on since it is actual substance I take in, but depending upon how I use it, it could make me a whole lot more powerful.

    However, the curse I sucked out of Albertus was simply too horrible.

    Though younger and of a smaller physique, she could transform into a giant muscular dog, while I transformed into a small pet dog.

    Reflected in the mirror Senri lent me, was a truly adorable translucent dog. A pure white dog with long fluffy fur. If I had owned one like this in my previous life, it would have brought a lot of comfort to me.

    This is too much. Clearly, I have lost a lot of combat ability than when in human form. Moreover, I have no idea what I am doing wrong, but no matter how much I try, I cannot turn gigantic like Albertus. The only upsides to this is the enhanced sense of smell and not having to worry about being pursued by Albertus since I stole her curse.

    What else¡­ oh yeah. A smaller body might come in handy some time.

    A tightly shut space where not a sliver of light could slip through. The world was swaying back and forth.

    Since there was nothing better to do, I closed my eyes and cocked my ears. As long as I focus I can discern what was happening outside.

    ¡°Is that your pet¡­ in a carry case?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a puppy. He¡¯s sleeping so I can¡¯t show him to you right now. Are pets allowed here?¡±

    My ears twitched hearing Senri¡¯s voice come from above. A flustered voice followed soon after her brusque voice.

    ¡°Of course. Although there would be extra charges levied if the pet makes too much of a mess¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright. He¡¯s been potty trained.¡±

    ¡°Not surprising. Your pet seems pretty docile.¡±

    The rubber collar around my neck bothered me a little. However, inside the bell on the collar was the night crystal, so I cannot have it taken off either.

    Albertus was fine under the sun and did not emit any negative energy, but that was because she is a human at her roots. Even if I am in the dog form now, it does not change the fact that I am a vampire.

    I was inside a carry case for small pets.

    It was slightly modified to not let a sliver of sunlight seep through. Well, a bit of sunlight would pose no risk though¡­.

    Setting my pride aside, I suppose this can be considered tremendous progress compared to when I spent my days shut in a closet.

    As for our life on the run, not being able to move during the day had been a huge obstacle, but since Senri was easily able to carry me in my dog form, the distance we cover in a day has improved astronomically. At night, I could carry a sleeping Senri on my back, so our chances of being able to outrun our pursuers have greatly risen.

    The Death Knights expect the two of us to be travelling together, so they would look for two people. However, we have now become a person and a dog.

    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s the name of the puppy?¡±

    Asked an employee (most likely) maybe because they liked dogs. Senri was silent for a minute after which she uttered softly.

    ¡°His name is¡­ Baron.¡±

    ¡°Baron¡­? How elite.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is. He¡¯s such a sweet dog.¡±

    That¡¯s too mean, Senri. It made me unhappy and I expressed it by whining sadly.

    ? ? ?

    We enter the room. The curtains are closed and once let out of the carry case, I turn back human.

    My small paws grow bigger in a flash, so does my body and all the fur that was my most attractive feature, disappear. Only thing that remained the same was the flexible collar around my neck.

    Although I was not aware of how to turn back into a human soon after transforming into a dog, I soon figured it out. I only had to imagine my body growing bigger.

    I had instinctively grasped how to transform into a dog, but the process of turning back felt a bit more difficult .

    Also, my original curse seemed to clash with the new curse I obtained. I heard from Senri that the curse forced Albertus to spend the day as a dog , but that was not the case with me. There are many things that need careful observation.

    The faint sunlight seeping through the curtains made my skin tingle. After turning back, I lost no time to find a dark corner to hole up in, when Senri turned away and threw the rucksack at me and spoke in a troubled voice, which was rare for her.

    ¡°End¡­ put on some clothes first.¡±

    ¡°It would be nice if I could keep my clothes on when I transform. What an inconsiderate curse.¡±

    ¡°End¡­ you¡¯re a little too¡­ carefree.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in worrying. Turning into a dog isn¡¯t all that bad. I could perform tricks to make some money.¡±

    However, it did feel weird to not wear any clothes for a long time. Even when I was sick in bed, I was certainly properly dressed. It was rather surprising how Albertus tried to attack me even as she was buck naked.

    I cracked jokes as I put on my underwear and ran an arm through the sleeve of the shirt. Senri had her back turned to me as she spoke.

    ¡°Do you feel fine? I have never heard of¡­ someone possessing more than one curse. I have no idea¡­ what could happen to you.¡±

    ¡°Looks like¡­ the vampire curse is stronger.¡±

    Well, there is not much I can do about that now.

    However, the Lord did intend to take control of my body. I doubt he would have created something that could end up being an encumbrance to him, so all I can do is trust in his abilities.

    We successfully made it out of Formet territory. There was no indication of the vampire hunters pursuing us. You could say we had escaped a perilous situation for now.

    ¡°Are you okay with not bidding farewell to your family?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    I had already heard all the details. Also the fact that father had entrusted me to Senri.

    Though we had not seen each other in years, my father helped me a lot more than I had imagined.

    I would be lying if I said I had not felt moved. Although I kind of want to meet my siblings and mother¡­ I suppose I should drop that idea.

    I am already deceased. It would be better for fewer people to know of my existence. Though it may not hold much significance, I feel satisfied being titled a Baron.

    According to Senri, the Keeper is no longer alive.

    Seems the trap started with a smokescreen and ended with poison gas. All kinds of tricks were employed to keep her from leaving with the end result of the whole mansion being blown up.

    Though an enemy, he was rather an admirable man. Had he succeeded in his endeavour to keep Senri there any longer, I might have died by Albertus¡¯ hands.

    Moreover, despite being blown up, Senri was practically unscathed and even immediately flew over a long distance to come to my aid. That makes her seem a whole lot less human than me.

    I do not know what kind of life Albertus will lead upon having lost her Keeper, but though her curse is gone, she still has her memories and experiences. I suppose she will survive. The only thing I do know¡­ is that Albertus will never again stand before us as an enemy.

    The fearsome tracking ability of the Keeper seems to have been Albertus¡¯ sharp sense of smell. They probably tracked us fast by the Keeper riding on Albertus or something like that.

    Having taken that ability from her and with the possession of the night crystal, there is no one that can pursue us anymore. I can finally relax now.

    Luckily, the ability, Curse Steal, was not dangerous for now.

    I imagine it would get stronger the more curses I absorb, but at the moment, it holds no danger. Had this been an ability capable of causing uncontrollable destruction, then Senri may have put an end to me, and not to mention, it is useless when fighting large numbers.

    I think she will overlook it for the time being.

    I walked towards Senri, who still had her back turned to me, hugged her from behind and brushed my nose against her nape.

    I could sense the delicious blood flowing under that skin. Albertus¡¯ blood was sweet as well but it could never hold a candle to Senri¡¯s.

    Senri did not stir but expressed her disapproval.

    ¡°End¡­ no.¡±

    ¡°But you promised me. It¡¯s not nice to lie.¡±

    ¡°You fed on Albertus. So, no.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah, fine. I got it.¡±

    My nose brushed against her neck, my lips touched her pale skin and traced her neckline. Her fragrant scent had me drooling.

    Senri let out a soft sexy moan.

    That brought a dark pleasure in me, so I tightly embraced her dainty, supple body.

    Even after all that had happened, Senri had still not protected herself in a veil of blessing.

    Senri Silvis¡¯ blood had the power to make vampires lose their mind.

    I am surely the luckiest vampire ever to be able to drink her blood when I wish to. But at the same time, it also meant that we could become the target of other vampires.

    As long as I am around her, Senri will not shield herself with blessing. Thus, the scent of Senri¡¯s blood, unprotected by positive energy that vampires instinctively fear, can probably be sensed from far away considering how delectable it is.

    I shall kill them all. Vampires are Senri¡¯s enemies. And so, mine as well.

    Vampire¡¯s Bride.

    The term the Keeper used, refers to a person who remains human and offers their blood to a vampire.

    Though Senri did not bat an eyelid, to someone who still considered herself a Death Knight, it must have come off as a horrible insult.

    Her silver hair brushed against the tip of my nose. Her pale skin was slightly drenched. A seemingly reproachful voice reached my ears.

    ¡°End¡­ turn back into a dog. You were a good boy then.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t bite. But being this way¡­ is really¡ª-¡±

    ¡ª nice.

    As I was about to say that, my whole body was overtaken by intense heat.

    That which filled the world in the blink of an eye, resembled a natural disaster in some respects.

    The shock made my eyes pop open. The heat was pain. I was being burned by positive energy. It was even more powerful than sunlight itself¡­.

    My body, my soul began to disappear. The incredible amount of negative energy that I had accumulated, the most thus far, was canceled out. Returning me to zero.

    The tips of my fingers vanish, then my arms, my legs, as if I had never existed from the beginning.

    This is¡­ not Senri¡¯s power. This¡ª.

    Senri, who was always calm and composed, had her eyes wide open in surprise. She hurriedly lifted up the upper half of my body as I collapsed to the floor.

    ¡°Soul Release¡­ im¡­possible. There should be at least a distance of a thousand kilometers between us¡­¡±

    It was Ep¨¦e. I thought, as my consciousness was gradually fading.

    The only one capable of such a feat, emitting energy that could be mistaken for the sun, would be Ep¨¦e the Destroyer.

    I was losing consciousness. I was not allowed to put up a fight. I will be returned to a corpse. I was not the only target.

    It was an indiscriminate attack. A sweeping attack against undead from a long distance.

    No, I do not want to die. The abyss in me tries to fight back, but is completely drained by the simply colossal energy, unable to put up much of a struggle.

    That is when Senri picked up my head and had my lips touch her neck just like she once did before. I feverishly plunged my fangs into her pale skin.

 Chapter 55: Archenemy

    My vision flickered. Regardless of my will, I was forced to feel insignificant in front of that storm of light.

    The Death Knights claim that their duty is one of purification.

    If this really is purification I am being subjected to, then the objective of this fire that burns my soul, the pain, must be to purge all the karma I have accumulated.

    I am well aware that my second chance at life goes against the fundamental rules of this world. Even so, I did not wish to die.

    Not because I was particularly ambitious. I simply had too many regrets to easily accept death.

    It felt like a storm, a tide and the sun at the same time.

    Amidst my fleeting sense of consciousness, I desperately tried to move my absent limbs and fought against the power that wanted to return me to my original state.

    I accumulated negative energy. I could feel myself slowly getting stronger.

    However, that was all in my head. If all of this is just a single human being¡¯s strength, then I should consider myself lucky for having survived this long.

    Oh how harsh this world is on the undead.

    My existence was being wiped out. Erased without even given the time for my life to flash past me. My consciousness was fading.

    I was miraculously revived the first time. I was saved by Senri the second time. However, I doubt history will repeat itself a third time.

    ¡°¡­!!¡±

    I tried to scream out, but my voice was no more. And so, I died just like that.

    ? ? ?

    I jolted awake on the bed.

    It was almost completely dark. Thick curtains were draped over the windows and not a sliver of moonlight slipped into the room.

    My head prickled. I clutched at my violently throbbing heart as I slowly took a look around the room.

    ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­ haa¡­ shit, it¡¯s that dream again¡­¡±

    Lesser vampires do not perspire. If they could, I would be drenched in cold sweat from head to toe.

    They do not need to breathe either. My ragged breathing was no more than something that I retained from my life as a human.

    If I close my eyes and focus, I can sense my dark soul. My arms, legs and whole body were shaking.

    However, all of that is proof that I am alive. Had that incident occurred when I was asleep, I would have died without even feeling any of the dread I feel now.

    ¡°End¡­ you had that dream again¨C¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ but I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m getting used to it.¡±

    Senri, who lay curled up next to me, slowly stretched out and held my arm. A vulnerable Senri in a nightgown.

    Almost a week had passed since Ep¨¦e¡¯s sudden onslaught.

    My life has gone through a few changes.

    First, I began to sleep at night. Second, I cuddled up to Senri while I slept.

    It was only a temporary measure, but being close to Senri made my nightmares a bit better. Besides, if that attack were to happen again, I could get some blood right away while I wait for it to cease.

    It was simply good fortune that I could survive that storm of light.

    I had been awake and Senri had been close by. Those two things saved my life.

    I would have died without so much as a struggle if I had been asleep. If Senri had not been close by, then I could not have fought against the purification by drinking her blood as I was dying.

    According to Senri, that light was called Soul Release and it was one of the basic skills of the Death Knights.

    The skill that is mostly only used to kill lower level undead, almost completely ate my soul, a lesser vampire¡¯s.

    Moreover, there was still quite a bit of distance between Ep¨¦e and us.

    We ran at full speed, Senri during the day and I at night to further that distance. Even if he were to ride a carriage, he would not be able to catch up with us.

    I breathed in deep the sweet scent that wafted from Senri.

    Dressed in nightgown, she lay curled up. Her exposed nape shined bewitchingly despite there being no light in the room. I am grateful that she scoots over out of consideration for me, but my thirst gets a bit stronger after I wake up from a nightmare, so holding back is very difficult.

    I cannot possibly pin her down and feed on her after she saved my life twice.

    Senri whispered reassuringly.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ don¡¯t worry, End. Taking into concern the scope and strength of the attack that almost killed you, Master¡­ must have pushed himself too hard. The power of blessing can be exhausted, so¡­ it shouldn¡¯t happen twice.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Yeah, you¡¯re right. ¡­. Impossible. It can¡¯t happen again.¡±

    I told myself over and over. I was aware that it could only give me some peace of mind.

    Ep¨¦e¡­ that man, is my archenemy.

    Senri is a wonderful partner. She is fair, gentle and a kind soul who would sacrifice herself for others.

    And that is precisely why Ep¨¦e, deprived of Senri, is trying to decimate me with so much power, enough to reduce those benefits to nothing.

    I am sure Senri is right about him having exhausted all of his power. If that kind of power could be wielded without any limitations, then all the undead would have disappeared from this world a long time ago, and though a week had passed since then, there has been no other such attack.

    But at the same time, I cannot imagine that not happening again.

    I have no idea why he decided to do the deed himself despite having entrusted the job to the Keeper. Perhaps Albertus had informed them of their failure or he had grown tired of waiting for the report of success that never came.

    However, even if that skill takes an enormous amount of power¡­ as long as it was possible to do it again, I am sure that man would do it. Until Senri returned, as many times as necessary.

    I am scared. I ended up incurring the wrath of someone way more powerful than me. Even the thought of returning Senri crossed my mind. Although I cannot live without Senri anymore, I am well aware of the part I played in distorting her life.

    But even if I were to go ahead and return her, I am sure Ep¨¦e would still never forgive me.

    The most that could happen is, he might not want to smite me but give me a merciful death by purification. Neither of which I want.

    As of now, I have no way to counter that attack. Because the enemy does not even come into view.

    All I can do is to stay out of the range of Ep¨¦e¡¯s attack and quickly accumulate energy to evolve into a vampire.

    Recalling the incident still makes me shiver. As I grew timid in spite of myself, I looked at Senri beside me to raise my spirits.

    Senri is trying to keep me alive. So, no matter what¡­ I need to outrun Ep¨¦e.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m okay, I¡¯ve calmed down. You should¡­ sleep some more. Since we need to move once the sun rises.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. ¡­ Do you need blood?¡±

    ¡°Nah. I¡¯m fine¡­ still good.¡±

    I need to get a control myself. The vampiric instincts are trying to overwhelm me.

    If Senri forsakes me, then this time around, I really will need to live my life as a monster.

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good then. Good night, End.¡±

    I made sure Senri lied down before laying down myself. I scowled and bit my tongue at the delightful scent that came from such close-quarters.

    I gingerly extended my arm, found Senri¡¯s hand and squeezed it. She trembled for a moment before squeezing back.

    We need to travel far. Head for a place out of reach of humans.

    Ep¨¦e is freakishly strong. I almost died due to an attack from a super long distance. If I were to encounter him in person, death would be inevitable.

    However, there was one other concern.

    Senri¡¯s hand, a bit cold, I could sense the blood flowing through her veins. My head grew hot.

    Weird. This is weird. I had drunk more than enough of her blood.

    Vampires grow stronger the more blood they drink. Senri thinks my physical abilities already rival vampires.

    In truth, I am a bit stronger than Albertus when she did not exert her full strength. That meant the amount of negative energy I possessed was much closer to a vampire¡¯s.

    However, I am still yet to evolve into a vampire.

    The Lord mentioned that I was special.

    The blood I received regularly from Senri was of no doubt the finest quality and I have also killed countless beasts.

    It would not be too strange for me to have already evolved. No. It was unusual that I had not evolved considering I have lived this long.

    Although the skill Soul Release is quite powerful, its effects differ depending on the type of undead.

    Simply put, it does not work very well on undead with a tough body. It works best on spirit type undead, and is effective on lesser vampires whose soul is out in the open, and has noticeably weaker effect on vampires.

    Lesser vampire is the chrysalis of a vampire. So, it is incredible to emit enough power with Soul Release to fill their abyss, but, it did indeed end up being more than effective. Chances of dying to that skill will get considerably lower if I were to become a vampire.

    I need to accumulate more energy by any means necessary. I need to spare no effort.

    Before Ep¨¦e torments me to death.

 Chapter 56: Caravan Part I

    I rocked heavily back and forth. Stars shone in the clear night sky.

    Winter appeared to be almost upon us, as a moist breeze caressed my fur. I stretched and wagged my tail as I rested on Senri¡¯s lap.

    Senri gently stroked my back. Cool breeze or lustrous fur mean nothing special to me. Since vampires barely register any changes in temperature¡­.

    ¡°Oh really¡­ little miss is heading to Romberg with your dog?¡­ What is your business there? It¡¯s not the kind of place girls like you should visit¡­ it happens to be the front line.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to join the fight. I may not look it, but I can wield a sword.¡±

    ¡°Ehh¡­ with those skinny arms? Either you¡¯re really confident in your skills or too reckless.¡±

    The one who spoke was a gruff man with a deep scar on his cheek.

    His vulgar eyes gave Senri the once over. I stood up on her lap and thumped my tail and growled as menacingly as I could with my high-pitched voice.

    The filthy man chuckled at my threat and said, ¡°Quite the reliable knight you¡¯ve got there but that pretty dog of yours would be eaten up in under a week if you take it to Romberg.¡±

    Unfortunately, I am not a Knight but a Baron.

    A month after I had begun to grow accustomed to being treated like a dog, we joined a large group of travelling merchants and proceeded on our journey towards the north.

    Groups of horses and carriages at the front and back as far as the eye could see along with the lights, probably makes us look like one big herd from above.

    In this day and age, places outside of towns are not safe. There is the threat of monsters and also bandits.

    It would be no trouble for someone as strong as Senri or me to travel safely from one town to another, but for most of the population, travelling is a risky business.

    That is the reason for travellers or merchants with no means to hire decent guards to travel in big groups.

    In this world where only the fittest survive, man¡¯s place on the food chain is certainly not at the top. They would not be able to survive unless they join forces.

    Human society works on the principle of give-and-take. People capable of fighting like Senri and I, are hired by merchants for the price of food during the journey, a small fee and are allowed to ride in the carriages.

    Even with guards, it is safer to travel in large numbers and while traversing long distances, it is more mutually beneficial.

    Although, the circumstances are a bit different in our case.

    Senri patted my head as I thumped my tail in protest at the vulgar guard.

    It was Senri¡¯s idea to join a group of merchants.

    I and Senri can travel much faster on foot rather than carriages. I do not tire and am much faster than a carriage, and as I would be carrying Senri on my back, there is no other method more effective for a swift escape.

    However, a woman travelling alone would be too conspicuous. Even if I were in my human form, we would still stand out. It would pose no major issue outside of towns but while entering towns or passing checkpoints, we will need to go through inspection. The Death Knights¡¯ influence cannot be underestimated. So, the only way to hide a person is in a group.

    We were positioned in the middle of the group. Although the vanguard and the rearguard are more likely to face any potential issues, the fact that Senri had a dainty appearance and I am a dog were taken into account, so we were placed at the center of the group where it is the safest.

    Even so, probably due to there being very few female guards, the other male guards often hit on Senri by way of killing time, which had me greatly annoyed.

    They stopped trying to lay hands on her after she twisted one of their arms but I felt like they could defile her with their contemptuous gazes.

    Nevertheless, I was unfortunately stuck in a cage during the day and though I was let out during the night, I could not possibly turn human, so there was not much I could do about anything. Maybe I could put them on guard if I were a bigger dog, but I command too little respect as I am now.

    What¡¯s more, since joining the band of merchants, I have thrice been kidnapped by scoundrels who fell for my beautiful coat of fur and each time we have had to change the location to regroup. Dogs are considered assets so stealing them is a crime, but apparently I am so adorable that people would not mind committing a crime to get their hands on me.

    There were even requests from registered merchants who wanted me, and every such request fed my ego but Senri looked a little fed up with the whole situation. The price seemed to climb at every negotiation, at this rate, I might get sold off the next time.

    ¡°Baron, you wag your tail at anyone.¡±

    ¡°kuun¡±

    You know, I am not doing it because I want to. I somehow end up wagging my tail. The body of a dog is a mystery.

    ? ? ?

    A city near the border was decided as our next destination.

    Romberg. A fortified city where humans and beasts compete ruthlessly over the rights to the land. It is also known as the city of blood and iron and the most relentless battlefield in the entire continent.

    There are three reasons as to why we chose the city.

    Firstly, Romberg was not in correlation with the Death Knights of this continent, hence the chances of meeting Ep¨¦e here were unlikely.

    Secondly, repeated battles would not only accelerate the rate of my evolution but also enable us to earn some money.

    Thirdly, if something were to occur, we could take refuge in the Demon King¡¯s territory.

    If rumors are to be believed, Romberg seems to be a truly dreadful but also the most technically advanced city and a place that was haunted by both man and demon.

    Hide a human among humans and demon among demons. Although we do not plan to stay there forever, it is the most optimal destination for now.

    The only issue was that Romberg was an extremely long journey.

    The bonfire snapped and crackled as it burned bright. A hotpot with a variety of ingredients hung over the fire, enveloping its vicinity in a fine aroma. Although we were in the middle of nowhere, there was a flurry of activity resembling a tavern.

    The group moved according to plan. Both people and horses get exhausted unlike the undead, so it was necessary to make regular stops at watering holes.

    Guards took turns keeping an eye out for monsters or beasts. Senri was also included in the rotations but I was not as I was unfortunately a pet dog. They would not add me to the list.

    However, during that time, I do something only I am capable of.

    ¡°Baron, were you a good boy?¡±

    ¡°kyuun¡±

    Once we stop to rest, excited children of the merchants gather around me.

    There are not a lot of dogs travelling with us. The ones in the group, though not as huge as Albertus, were all robust dogs that could be used for combat. Apparently, these adorable children cannot help but want to feed me.

    There are even kids who bring over their share of jerky or precious sweets. Even their parents looked on affectionately at the actions of their children.

    Good grief, there is no helping it¡­. I woofed, thumped my tail up and down as I took them on.

 Chapter 57

    The world is vast. The sky is high, with nothing to obstruct the view until the horizon. The scene struck a chord within me, who had led the better part of his life stuck in one place.

    Since the body of a dog is small, even running around a small distance is a great adventure. If I were to enter a field with tall grass, I would disappear from the view of others and my own view would be obstructed as well.

    However, my sense of smell is great. Though my senses were enhanced upon becoming a lesser vampire, it was still nothing compared to after I transformed into a dog.

    According to the Keeper, Albertus had apparently run us down from hundreds of kilometers away by scent. Sad to say, my olfactory senses are not as strong, but I can track down Senri at the very least.

    In my spare time, I tested my strength.

    The body of a dog is much more convenient than I imagined. I felt cheated that I did not gain any combat abilities like Albertus, but it is great that people are not on guard around me. Although, it is rather sad that I am loved more as a dog than when I was human.

    There are a few things I discovered about a dog¡¯s body.

    The exemplary sense of smell. Combat abilities were non-existent. Magic could not be wielded while in the dog form. Vampire¡¯s weaknesses were passed down as well. Onion and chocolate could not be ingested.

    Apparently, the dog curse and the vampire curse seem to work on different levels.

    The transformation into a dog was done utilizing the power of the vampire but the transformation itself was not the ability of a vampire. You may think it meaningless, but it is in fact very important.

    That is right. I¡­ can sustain my dog form on water.

    Vampires actually lose all their abilities on water. Even if they try to cross a body of water in the form of a bat or wolf, the transformation would be undone. However, that does not happen to me.

    Since the dog curse is separate from the vampire curse, even approaching the surface of water does not undo my transformation.

    We discovered it when Senri and I made a careless mistake.

    Tucked away in the carry case, we did not think before trying to enter a town that had taken countermeasures against vampires. If my transformation had been undone, the result would have been catastrophic.

    Since the weaknesses themselves do not change, it does weaken me to the point where I can¡¯t even take a step, but there is an important difference.

    In other words, as long as I am in a carry case, I could even travel on a ship. Of course that is based on the assumption that Senri would help.

    Senri mentioned that it would not have been too strange for the Lord to have become a first-class necromancer much earlier.

    it was likely that the lord prepared for an attack and so, postponed becoming an undead.

    All in order to create an undead with the ability of Curse Steal. To be more specific, it must have been his dream to take over that undead¡¯s body and become the greatest King of the Undead ever.

    The ability Curse Steal that I possess, has long years of research behind it.

    Horus Carmon is dead. Though a vestige of him remains in me, he was not able to see his dream come true.

    I suppose putting that power to good use is all I can offer the Lord, who is a mage at his core.

    Senri returned after ending her shift of keeping watch. Holding the big ornamental box given to me by one of the merchants, wagging my tail, I greeted my master.

    The blood of children is fresh. Although the taste differs from person to person, depending on their health, sex and age, everyone generally emits a very delicious scent.

    Still, there is no match for Senri.

    I ran around Senri to make sure she was not hurt. Had she been hurt, her scent would give it away. Seems like she was able to end today¡¯s shift unscathed.

    Senri leaned over, took a look at my spoils of war in the box and sighed heavily.

    ¡°¡­ Baron, you got so many gifts again¡­ you really have what it takes to be a dog.¡±

    The box contained coins and different kinds of jewelry.

    The travelling merchants are mostly wealthy. There are even ones that deal in precious gems among them.

    When I take the box to them, they all look amazed and put all sorts of things in it. If I were to spot something I like, I would put my paw on it and they mostly end up giving it to me.

    Though the coins were mostly copper ones, there were a lot of silver and gold ones in the mix too. We do not really need money since the money I got from father was still left over, but they certainly made a good audience.

    ¡°They need to be returned again.¡±

    ¡°kyuun¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to do this? Where¡¯s your pride?¡±

    ¡°¡­ kyuun¡±

    Even though she never succeeds, she always tries to return my spoils of war. I may be a cute dog, but Senri is a pretty girl too. She has not realized that the dog that asks for money and the master who tries to return it have become a sort of spectacle within the group.

    I am only trying to make the best of my circumstances. I know no pride. They give me snacks and money. No one tries to be careful around a dog, so even gathering information is easy. The only other thing I need is blood, which I get from Senri. I felt satisfied. And if Ep¨¦e had not existed in this world, my life would be perfect.

    The children of the merchants were all brilliant.

    Well-kempt hair and clean clothes. Their eyes shone as if they believed only good things existed in the world, and every night when we paused our journey, they would huddle around the bonfire and learn things from their parents.

    Knowledge is power to a merchant. At that moment, everyone was serious, such that I was first shooed away when I approached them, but once I learned to stay quiet during their classes, I was allowed to curl up near them and listen in on their conversation.

    I heard stories about travel, history, towns and even recalled maths that I had forgotten.

    There were families of mercenaries in the group too. Their children were completely different, in that most of them had this sharp look in their eyes, and I had a hard time getting them to warm up to me.

    However, children are just that, children. They were all putty in my hands once they grew close to me.

    I observed how the mercenaries trained with weapons, went together with them on their rounds, learned how to set traps, conceal one¡¯s aura and methods of tracking.

    Senri was overwhelmingly superior in terms of pure combat skills, and ways of concealing aura or tracking come easy to a vampire, but it was very fun to gain more knowledge. Not to mention, I might have to face off against mercenaries in the future. It would be best to learn more about their methods.

    Sadly enough, I was not able to see people train their magic.

    There were a few mages in the group, but they were all masters of their craft, so they could mostly be found reading a book and not doing any training.

    Mages were scarce and their skills were a mystery.

    Grimoires only contain the basic principles, so I guess they are not foolish enough to expose their skills among strangers. They might also want to avoid exhausting their mana and becoming unable to fight should the situation arise.

    The surrounding scenery changed as the group pressed forward.

    From grasslands to wastelands. Monsters that appeared ranged from beasts a bit stronger than ordinary animals, magical beasts that shared more than one animal trait, goblins, orcs and even humanoid monsters. It was proof that we were nearing human settlements.

    Strong monsters serve under the Demon King. Hence, in the vicinity of the domain of the Demon King, monsters that are too strong for ordinary humans to defeat appear.

    The group of merchants are nothing but delicious bait in the eyes of intelligent monsters. They would be able to get their hands on abundant food supplies, weapons, armor and even all kinds of jewelry. There are humanoid monsters that even target the horses.

    Since the merchants are well aware of the threats and prepare the best defense possible, they cannot get taken down easily.

    Among the battles that yielded multiple casualties, Senri, who was overwhelmingly powerful with equally strong recovery, earned the nickname of Goddess of Victory at some point, meanwhile I went around providing comfort and solace for everyone.

    And so, we earned the name, ¡°Goddess of Victory and her White Dog¡±.

    ? ? ?

    Under a thick tent, I was in my human form for the first time in a while. I threw on a dark cloak for appearances sake to cover my body.

    It is absolutely vital for vampires to ingest blood. Though I was growing accustomed to the body of a dog, I need to turn back into a human when it is time to feed.

    I cannot use my vampiric powers in the dog form. And that includes feeding.

    Usually Senri simply goes to sleep with her cloak wrapped around her. Though that is how most of the soldiers spent their nights, Senri borrowed a largish tent in exchange for some money only when it was time for me to feed.

    Because I cannot have someone see me in my human form and we cannot possibly go someplace away from prying eyes.

    ¡°¡­ End, you¡¯re a little too relaxed.¡±

    It had been a long time since I was in my human form. Senri looked at me reproachfully as she uttered the words that I had recently grown tired of hearing.

    ¡°I¡¯m the type to revel in the present. Moreover, it has helped gather information too.¡±

    ¡°¡­You certainly seemed to be having a lot of fun. You can¡¯t afford to stand out too much.¡±

    Well, it is true that I had a lot of fun. I have forgotten how long it has been since I played hide-and-seek or raced around.

    ¡°My bad. But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m the only white dog around, I won¡¯t be exposed.¡±

    Well, they might find it weird that I stayed inside the carry case all day, but the group travels all throughout the day.

    No one has the time to pay me any mind.

    Since I had been in my dog form for a while, seeing Senri look smaller than me felt new. I shrugged as I replied.

    ¡°Everyone treats me well. I wag my tail to return the favor.¡±

    Senri looked into my eyes for a minute and soon sighed heavily.

    ¡°¡­ Haa, we have no idea what the curse could do. So be mindful of that,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be great if I could tag along with you on your shift. Looks like we are coming across stronger monsters recently.¡±

    ¡°There are other mercenaries with me, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    I crawled over to Senri and took hold of her wrist in my hands. The sweet smell of blood made my head spin.

    Her wrist in my palm. I traced a line along the soft skin.

    A slender arm so dainty that makes it hard to believe that she could exhibit power rivalling mine. Only thing that pains me is that I cannot strip off her clothes.

    Senri stayed silent, but after catching my eye, she tilted her head a little defeated, exposing her pale neck.

    It cannot be helped, so I convinced myself.

    Ep¨¦e is terrifyingly strong. In order to be able to stand my ground against him, I need to grow stronger as quickly as possible.

    The spot where you feed is important. Depending on whether you feed from the finger or neck, even if the same amount of blood is ingested, there is a discernible difference in the amount of power gained.

    There is a limit to how much blood Senri can produce. As it is, there are not many opportunities to feed, so no other spot than the neck is optimal.

    ¡°End¡­ you have forgotten restraint.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ just proof that we trust each other.¡±

    I grabbed her limp arm and pinned her down over a thin blanket.

    Her soft, warm body beneath me, she obediently waited to be fed upon. That was enough to make the heat rise to my head and my heart to throb.

    She had undone her armor of blessing. I touched my lips under her ear and traced a path along her neck.

    My fangs ached. Touching my nose to her neck, the sweet smell of her blood flowing under all the skin and muscle sent jolts through me.

    Ahh, I have not even fed and yet, it already feels so good.

    Her naked neck. As I paused, entranced by her shining pale skin and scent, Senri stirred.

    ¡°Nng¡­ End¡­ quick, finish.¡±

    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the rush? The night is long. Doing this¡­ makes your scent sweeter.¡±

    Though I was yet to bite down, her pale skin grew hotter. Senri let out a stifled breath and trembled.

    Sweet. Not just her blood, but her skin, her body and everything about her was of the finest quality. Senri would make an exquisite meal to not just a vampire but also a ghoul.

    The positive energy residing in her, made her chaste and healthy. If I were to compare her to a fruit, it would be a waxed, shiny apple.

    The sweet smell intensifies. It meant that she was overwhelmed by pleasure that even someone as logical as her cannot suppress through reason.

    Her pinned down arms trembled as if to fight it. I held back, careful so as to not ruin the mood.

    Senri, who always easily suppresses me, has now become a helpless prey. Seeing her like that, aroused me greatly and felt empowering.

    Not yet. I will only partake a little of her blood. It felt such a shame to end this scarce opportunity too quickly.

    I ran my tongue along her neck, discerning the vein underneath. I painstakingly analyzed where to pierce my fangs.

    It was a very difficult choice.

    ¡°Haa¡­ haa.. quickly, End. Finish quickly, it feels weird.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ what do you mean Senri, it¡¯s always been weird.¡±

    Ahh, her clothes are getting in the way. I feel like I am eating a fruit without peeling off its skin. It felt too discourteous and blasphemous.

    A ball of sweat pops up. I lapped it up as I spoke to a feverish Senri.

    Senri is always sharp but there are times she is unguarded. That part of her is what the other knights must have been concerned about.

    Maybe this only felt to Senri as if she was giving me a meal, but the act was closer to a sexual union.

    Vampires do not differentiate between the two.

    ¡°As far as I know, the mercenaries borrow the tent¡­ only when they spend the night with a lover.¡±

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    Her arms that were pinned down, spring up and away. The sweet smell grew stronger for a second and her slightly flushed skin turned beet red.

    Did she not realize it? The curious gaze of the merchant who lent her the tent.

    ¡°End, no, we¡¯re done! You can feed from my finger.¡±

    This is too much, after letting me have my way, you cannot torture me like this.

    I ignored her protests and continued to explore her veins with my tongue.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if they ask you anything, just deny it. Either way, we need the tent when you give me blood. I¡¯m looking for the best place to feed, please wait just a bit longer.¡±

    Her scent felt incomparably sweeter than earlier. It was clear that her being flustered or angry, or just any kind of stimulation was making her scent stronger.

    Be it the act of feeding not being accompanied by pain or it bringing sexual pleasure, vampires are truly well designed.

    Senri struggled making the tent rock heavily. I was going to take it slow, but I suppose it is the right time. I cannot bear the ache in my fangs any longer either.

    Logically speaking, it did not matter where I fed. Since, her blood is going to taste the best anywhere.

    Just when I decided on a spot and was about to pierce my fangs, like you would take a knife to a steak, a sudden piercing shriek was heard from outside the tent.

 Chapter 58: Travel with Merchants Part III

    For a moment, I thought that Senri and I had been discovered. However, I was mistaken.

    Due to the hair-raising shriek, Senri, who had been flushed beet red, soon turned serious, quickly slipped out from underneath me, picked up her sword and tore out the tent.

    I felt a little miserable, but I soon turned into a dog and trotted after her.

    A tepid breeze was blowing through the prairie at night. My olfactory senses that had been heightened upon becoming a dog picked up a scent that made me choke. A strong scent of blood.

    A lot of people had been injured along the journey so far, but this was on a whole other level.

    I ran after Senri. The other mercenaries who heard the scream gathered as well.

    And finally, we reached the origin of the scent.

    ¡°¡­This?!¡±

    ¡°How¡­horrible!¡±

    The scene could only be described as appaling.

    There lay scattered, were bones and sinew that came from god knows how many people. The blood splattered from their bodies had formed a pool and the breeze made ripples in them.

    One of the mercenaries who witnessed the scene retreated in horror. I took care not to let any of the blood get on my white fur as I walked closer.

    Gustav¡¯s carriage was left near the scene. It was a medium sized company with around ten employees.

    I suppose this was the location where Gustav and company had set up camp.

    The travelling group was a large one made up of more than ten companies. Each firm had its own trade secrets, but since they cannot afford to put too much of a distance between one another, the groups generally split into ones made of individual merchants and companies while setting up camp.

    The setup worked in such a way that one group could call for the other if any of them were to be attacked, but it turns out there was no point to it.

    No one was left alive. There were supposed to be lookouts, guards and mercenaries with the group as well, but judging from the carnage, all of them seemed to have been wiped out.

    There lay a half-eaten head of a soldier that belonged to someone I was familiar with. The horses had also been killed and a non-plundered carriage was the only thing intact.

    Despite my heightened sense of smell, I still could not figure out how many people had been killed with all the bones and sinew in a complete mess.

    However, since I visited all the groups during the break, there should be faces I can recognize. Should I consider myself fortunate for not being able to distinguish them?

    I yelped quietly, mourning the deaths of kind merchants who gave me all sorts of things.

    ¡°Was it a beast¡­.? If it were human, then they¡¯d have surely plundered their belongings.¡±

    ¡°But for this to be the work of a mere beast¡­ are you the one who screamed?¡±

    One of the soldiers called out to a young girl near the scene of carnage, who had sunk to the ground.

    She had proportionate features, red hair and was dressed modestly. She was ghastly pale as if she had seen a monster, and she was shaking awfully.

    Perhaps she had trouble breathing, for her chest that was voluptuous in contrast with her slender body, was going up and down as she breathed heavily.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the chief. The culprit may still be close by! Stay alert!¡±

    ¡°Are you okay? What happened here¡­?¡±

    One of the mercenaries ran over to the campsites of the other groups while the rest of the people present in the scene walked closer to the witness.

    I examined the corpses from a distance.

    To shred humans to pieces is simply too violent¡­ and too unnecessary. There are better, more efficient ways for humans to kill one another.

    The cuts did not look to be made from a sword. But rather more like the work of fangs and claws. A beast as big as Albertus should be able to bring about such carnage.

    The world outside was filled with danger. Though the guards and merchants are prepared for anything fate may throw their way, seeing such a scene reminds me of how fleeting life is.

    However, this is not the time to stand around in a daze.

    I tapped on Senri¡¯s foot, who stood before me with a grim expression.

    Senri looked down at me. I turned my gaze towards the witness and let out a small cry. I cannot talk in this form, but I wonder if Senri understood what I was trying to convey, for her expression changed.

    The strong scent of blood.

    It was natural for such a strong scent to come from the scene of carnage, but there was a similarly strong whiff of blood coming from the witness, the girl who was weeping profusely surrounded by mercenaries.

    There was no blood or sinew on her clothes. The scent was not of her own blood.

    It was from her mouth and nails. Humans might not be able to tell, but for the sense of smell of a dog, it was clear as day.

    Most of all, the girl¡¯s acting was so real that even the experienced mercenaries were completely taken in¡­ but I did not smell any ¡°fear¡± from her.

    I can tell. The scent of fear, anger, joy, sadness, and even the scent of pleasure that can make you tremble all over.

    Senri looked at the girl and unsheathed her sword.

    She did not hesitate in the least. She pointed the sword towards the girl, who the mercenaries were helping get to her feet.

    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡±

    ¡°?! Wh¡­ what are you talking about?!¡±

    The girl quivered, her eyes wide as she stared at the holy sword fixedly.

    The mercenaries helping her looked dumbfounded at Senri¡¯s sharp tone, who was well-known as the goddess of victory among the group.

    With a number of gazes fixed on her, Senri replied in a calm manner as usual.

    ¡°You don¡¯t smell human¡­ You can¡¯t fool Baron¡¯s nose.¡±

    ¡°¡­kyuun¡±

    Senri quietly shifted the blame on me, which made me cry out sadly.

    I never said that she did not smell human. I said she reeked of blood. Looks like I was wrong to think that we were communicating well without words.

    I need to take my time with her later and establish a stronger bond.

    The mercenaries who were lending her a shoulder shook her off and hurriedly moved away from her. Despite losing support all of a sudden, the girl did not topple over.

    She looked aghast at Senri¡¯s purple eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m detaining you. Should you wish to object, show us your identification papers. If you are part of Gustav¡¯s group, then your name must be on their register. I will apologize¡­ if I am  proven to be mistaken.¡±

    ¡°!¡­¡±

    The girl gulped. She staggered heavily and retreated a few steps back.

    Her expression was one of utter despair as if she could not make sense of what was being said to her.

    Seeing her incredibly frail appearance, a mercenary nearby, who witnessed everything, turned to Senri, and opened his mouth.

    At that moment, the girl¡¯s arm pierced through the man¡¯s body.

    The movement was as swift as wind. A dull sound was heard.

    A short muffled cry. The mercenary¡¯s eyes grew wide, as he stared dumbfounded at the slender fingers that had pierced through his metal armor and protruded out of his own body.

    It was so fast that I was not sure even I could have evaded it.

    Senri took off. The girl swiftly removed her arm and roundhouse kicked at a nearby mercenary who was still slow on the uptake.

    Though two times bigger, he was sent flying like a scrap of paper. His body made a sound it should not have made, as if something had popped.

    She evaded Senri¡¯s swing by retreating towards the back.

    Her expression was the complete opposite from before. From the frail image she projected to a wide savage smile.

    ¡°¡­ Demon! It¡¯s a demon!!¡±

    The mercenaries who had finally come to their senses screamed cries of help. However, the girl¡¯s eyes were fixed on Senri.

    Her lips twisted and her eyes narrowed as she stared at Senri. Her eyes that had been brown up until a minute ago, began to turn gold.

    ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m surprised you noticed. But if you come after me¡­ these people will die!¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    Senri yelled out as she swung her sword. She followed up with rapid strikes that made silver lines in the air. However, the girl easily evaded them all.

    Though not as agile as Albertus, her movements were certainly more than what humans are capable of.

    ¡°Albeit barely, they are still alive. They could be saved if treated right away. What will you do?¡±

    She was telling the truth. Though the wound was fatal, both the guy, who had his body pierced and the guy, who was sent flying, were still alive.

    No, that is what she probably planned. In order to stop Senri in her tracks.

    The girl turned around and broke into a run. She leaped high and crossed several feet with just a single step.

    Her small figure disappeared into the darkness in a flash.

    There are only a few people who are capable of performing recovery magic. Even in the group, there were only one or two of them.

    And their abilities were much weaker than Senri¡¯s. Putting it off any longer would only yield more corpses. Considering Senri¡¯s personality, there was only one choice.

    Senri did not choose to give pursuit.

    She sheathed her sword without further thought, helped up the mercenary lying in a pool of blood and performed recovery magic on him.

    Her recovery magic is strong. By channeling her own positive energy, she can heal any fatal wound as long as the person was not dead. I am an exception to that case and theoretically, it could kill me, but that power was put to good use this time. The huge gaping hole in the man¡¯s body closed up before our very eyes and the color returned to his face.

    The merchants who had been summoned by the mercenary were beginning to gather around.

    I glared at the direction the girl had taken off and quietly took a lick of the blood spattered on the ground.

    The bitter taste of blood made my body tremble.

    I cannot ingest blood in the dog form as I had surmised. Besides, what a shame that the blood had already been drained of all life force.

    Though unsure of her identity, she is an enemy.

    I have learned her scent. She killed the merchants who often fed me snacks and food.

    Moreover, she interrupted my date with Senri just as it was getting to the good part¡­ I will never forgive her.

 Chapter 59: Travel with the Merchants Part IV

    ¡°There¡¯s no mistaking it. That¡¯s not something humans are capable of¡­ it must be a soldier in the Demon King¡¯s army. There have been many casualties among peddlers so far¡­ but never was it this bad.¡±

    With a grim look on his face, the one who spoke was the young leader of the group.

    The important members of the group were gathered in front of the crackling bonfire that had been lit to keep monsters away.

    A few men were digging up a huge pit nearby. It was to bury the dismembered corpses. We had no means to cremate or bring them back home with us. There was no way merchants who travel far from towns could be laid to rest in a proper manner. Gustav and Co. were well aware of that, but it is the thought that counts.

    ¡°Our group is one of the supply lines. Romberg may be a stronghold, but it is a barren land. They couldn¡¯t possibly continue to fight without supplies being delivered to them periodically. I reckon that is what the demons are targeting.¡±

    Rainel. That is the name of the Demon King; Romberg is keeping in check. He seems to have an army of beasts under his command.

    That woman appeared human. She even smelled human, but then again, Albertus also smelled human while in her human form. If she was capable of bringing about that tragedy, one that did not let but a scream escape anyone¡¯s lips, she must be quite strong.

    The leaders of individual merchant companies, mercenaries and guards were all discussing the matter with a grim expression on their faces.

    I was resting near the bonfire as I listened intently.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take us a week to get to Romberg even if we make haste. If their intention is to stop the supplies from reaching its destination, then they are sure to attack again.¡±

    ¡°¡­ We have no choice but to fight back.¡±

    Apparently, that woman was not affiliated to any company in the group. However, the group was a large one, so even if a stranger were in their midst, it would be normal to assume that they belonged to one of the other companies.

    Moreover, though moving in a large group ensured a certain degree of safety, it also meant that time taken to reach the destination became longer. Even if we were to discard the supplies we were carrying, I doubt we could all reach Romberg alive.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine that the mercenaries who were pros in their field were unable to raise any kind of alarm. It¡¯s likely¡­ they were caught off guard. The enemies aren¡¯t large in number, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the work of one being.¡±

    Senri spoke from her experience as a Death Knight and as an expert in fighting monsters. Everyone listened carefully to the only one who fought the woman, as well as saved the lives of two of the mercenaries.

    Even I am capable of wiping out Gustav and Co. But, clashing head-on, I would end up giving them the time to at least raise an alarm.

    There were five mercenaries in the company. Although it could vary depending on their capabilities, one would need at most five minutes to take them all down.

    The mercenaries employed by the group are by no means weak.

    That said, they are only humans. Because they are human, they are easy to fall apart in a surprise attack. It is also possible that they had let their guard down since the enemy had the appearance of a woman.

    Now that Senri mentioned it, if that woman really was a soldier in the Demon King¡¯s army, then it is quite likely that she was not acting alone. It would be absurd to attack a huge group without knowing its head count. I am not an expert at gleaning information from such situations, but there was logic behind Senri¡¯s words.

    It also made sense that the enemy was not large in number. There is the fact that the Demon King¡¯s army was not as big as that of humans, as there would be no need to launch a surprise attack if they could overpower us through numbers.

    ¡°Do we¡­ stand a chance, Miss Senri?¡±

    The leader of the group looked at Senri. Senri looked down at me and I cried out softly.

    I will help them. They were very good to me, so it is the least I could do. My nose is capable of detecting a surprise attack from far away.

    Senri spoke earnestly as she patted my head.

    ¡°Baron can detect any attacks. He was the one who noticed that the woman earlier was an enemy.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, if that¡¯s true, what an incredibly brilliant dog! That would make him way more efficient than a mere hound dog. ¡­ Where did you get him?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I fed him once but he grew attached to me and followed me along.¡±

    Senri held out a finger and I lapped at it without reservation.

    It was high praise. Senri cast an exasperated look at me as I wagged my tail proudly. Her cold gaze seemed to question my pride as a human.

    Senri continued.

    ¡°Moreover, I can use magic to scan my surroundings. Combining that with Baron¡¯s sense of smell, we should be able to defend ourselves during any surprise attack.¡±

    Senri¡¯s words left the mercenaries speechless. The mages in the group looked at her suspiciously.

    Everyone was already aware of the excellent command she had over her sword. Being capable of casting recovery spells on top of that was already pretty amazing, but if she could also perform detection magic, then that would make her more efficient than any mediocre mage.

    The leader voiced everyone¡¯s thoughts a little reluctantly.

    ¡°Umm¡­ Miss Senri, just what is your identity? You¡¯ve saved us a number of times, so it¡¯s okay if you¡¯d rather not tell us, but it¡¯s hard to imagine your skills as those belonging to a simple mercenary.¡±

    Senri hesitated. We are on the run. We were supposed to lay low as much as we could, but Senri¡¯s name was already known. Because my father had prepared a fake identity only for me.

    Everyone had their eyes on her. We had already attracted attention to ourselves. Senri straightened her shoulders and spoke fluidly.

    She did not try to appear modest.

    ¡°I¡­ was a member of the Order of Death Knights. For certain reasons I can¡¯t say, I¡¯m now travelling around with my dog. I¡¯d like for this to be kept a secret.¡±

    The leader¡¯s eyes almost popped out of his head. Seldom does anyone come across Death Knights. Any other mercenary claiming to be one might have been met with reprehension, but Senri had an unworldly air about her.

    And thus, from that day forth, we came to be known as ¡°The former Death Knight aka. Mysterious Goddess of Victory and dog¡±.

    Apparently the news of Senri being a former Death Knight had more impact than a dog capable of detecting surprise attacks.

    ? ? ?

    Since then, the group changed the way they operated. In the state of emergency, we could not turn a blind eye to their troubles or worry about our identities being kept a secret.

    At night when the group stopped to rest, comfort was sacrificed as the civilians were clustered together, with the guards surrounding them in protection.

    The children had grown quiet in the tense atmosphere. I stayed quiet as well.

    We were attacked every night. The woman was not involved after the first attack, but beasts that were obviously not just ordinary wild animals, attacked the camp and injured several people.

    Thinking back, that woman may have meant to infiltrate the group. Even a large group could easily be taken apart from the inside.

    Senri was a jack of all trades as she healed people, traced and fought off monsters.

    Her detection magic was done using her positive energy. She changed the form of energy to cast a net of thin wires which she then used to detect any movements.

    I employed my sense of smell to detect enemies while she did not. Though her range was not as wide as mine, it was clearly more efficient. It put me in an awkward position. Every time Senri used her detection skill, I felt a little queasy.

    The woman was quite far away, but her scent kept following us. It was proof that we were still being targeted.

    I wonder how our enemies precisely sense our location from far away. Perhaps, they were also tracking our scent like me.

    And so, it was the fifth night. We had almost reached Romberg when the leader summoned everyone.

    ¡°It¡¯s time we settled this. We need to wipe them out. The situation would only worsen if we continue to receive these attacks. We¡¯ve managed to keep them at bay until now, but we aren¡¯t completely exhausted.¡±

    There were both truth and lies mixed in his words. It is true that we are not exhausted, but it was at a stage where it could be ignored. If safety was our priority, then we should not be the ones to make the first move.

    However, I assume the leader has also taken the near future into concern.

    The group is quite large. Hence, we were able to get back on our feet after the first attack.

    Had Gustav and Co. been travelling alone, then I am sure they would have been wiped out without a trace and disappeared into nothing.

    Moreover, ours was not the only group that was carrying supplies to Romberg.

    ¡°At the very least, we need to hunt down the demon that looks like a woman while she¡¯s still in the vicinity. She¡¯s sure to cut off the supply route if left unchecked.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That one is quite formidable.¡±

    ¡°But you can defeat her. Right, Miss Senri?¡±

    The leader who had completely become Senri¡¯s fan in the past couple of days, smiled at Senri.

    Well it is certainly not a bad idea. The monsters that have been attacking us everyday have been successfully defended against by proper coordination among the mercenaries.

    Though everyone in Gustav and Co. perished, the group still had plenty of mercenaries left.

    The woman was not close by. We would need to seek her out in order to kill her. Even if we were to lead an offensive with Senri, there were still enough people left to guard the group. We had more room to plan things with all the carriages having gathered in one place.

    The leader spoke in a grim tone.

    ¡°Humanoid demons are rare. That woman should be the keystone of this attack.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What do you think, Baron? ¡°

    ¡°kyuun¡±

    She needs to be killed¡­ if possible. Of course I have my concerns, but worrying does not solve a thing.

    There is no saying what the opponents are scheming by attacking us every night. But the leader is right in saying that the situation could only worsen if this kept up.

    High returns require high risks. So, though this may not be a part of our duty, knowing Senri, she would not be able to refuse. Naturally, I would comply as well.

    ¡°¡­ Okay. I¡¯ll help.¡±

    ¡°You have my gratitude. Miss Senri.¡±

    And thus, we put our plan into motion.

 Chapter 60.1, The Attack Part I

    Vampires are demons of the night. Even if it were a darkest cave into which not a shred of light seeps into, they still would not be able to exert their full strength.

    However, that is not so for their archenemies, the Death Knights. The reason they hunt down undead during the day is because the undead are weak to sunlight and not because their strength weakens at night.

    The day the plan was to be executed. An almost perfectly round moon shone in the night sky.

    Senri and the mercenaries stood around a roaring fire, fully-armed.

    Half of them along with Senri were to attack and the other half to defend. Most of the mages were part of the latter.

    The scent of powerful beasts, the likes of which I have never come across, wafted through the air. And their number was likely more than any that had attacked us so far.

    Among them clearly, was the scent of that woman mixed in. It spoke of her strong fighting spirit.

    We were almost at our destination, Romberg. I am sure our enemies were getting impatient as well.

    ¡°We are going to take the fight to them.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be better to attack during the day rather than at night?¡±

    A tough, veteren mercenary inquired with a frown on his face.

    Demons are creatures of the night. Contrary to humans, beasts can see better at night. Unless there are special reasons, it was normal practice to eliminate beasts during the day.

    Senri shrugged.

    ¡°Our enemy¡­ would be on guard in daylight and wouldn¡¯t come near us. I could chase them down if it were just me¡­¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t have you be the only one to fight, Miss. Senri. Since the enemy is probably not just the undead.¡±

    Uttered the second-in-command of the group (Laurel, seems to be his name), all-importantly.

    He wasn¡¯t wrong. If Senri attacked them by herself and ended up losing, then this group would face the risk of getting wiped out. The only reason that woman had not attacked the group with all of her entourage was because it had someone as skilled as Senri protecting it.

    Moreover, there was only one reason Senri chose to fight at night. It was because I cannot join the fight during the day.

    I am a pacifistic vampire, but I would not let Senri fight alone. I was even able to defeat Albertus somehow.

    ¡°kyan kyan!¡±

    The moon is almost full. I can feel the power welling up inside me. I displayed my rising will to fight by howling into the night. Senri kneeled down, and (as usual) looked at me with her cold eyes and patted my head.

    ¡°Baron¡­ will be staying back.¡±

    ¡°kyan?!¡±

    ¡°Be a good boy.¡±

    ¡°?!!!¡±

    This is absurd¡­ I was so thoroughly taken aback that I stood baffled.

    I grew stiff and a tough-looking mercenary laughed as he tousled my head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kiddo. Your master is strong and we¡¯re there to help too.¡±

    ¡°kyan kyan!¡±

    This is preposterous¡­ I am Senri¡¯s partner? We even have the seal of approval from my father.

    While it is true that I would not be of much help in this form and since we are not that far away from the enemy, Senri¡¯s detection skill might just be sufficient but it is simply too mean of her to not take me with her¡­.

    I feel myself being picked up from behind. It was Katerina, one of the merchants¡¯ kids I always played with.

    She was around fifteen years old, had blonde hair and a delicious scent always wafted from her body.

    I turned around to see her look at me with affection in her eyes.

    ¡°Baron, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t be afraid¡­ I¡¯ll protect you.¡±

    ¡°?!!!¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of mercenaries staying behind to guard us. As long as we stay put, it¡¯ll all soon be over. Stay with me, please?¡±

    ¡°¡­ kyun¡±

    I have no reason to listen to a girl, who would not give me any blood but it does not look like I have any other choice.

    She takes me to the children sitting around the bonfire. I send off Senri and the others with a sorry look on my face.

    ? ? ?

    At the head of the group tracking the monsters was Senri.

    Demon King is the term used to refer to the King of all other kinds of creatures that display hostility towards the entirety of mankind.

    Any monster can be the King irrespective of its species. There have been dragons, intelligent monsters and even ¡°King of the dead¡±. The only thing connecting them all was that they were no simple monsters.

    The primary duty of the Death Knights is to hunt down the undead. However, they also have experience fighting the Demon King.

    Once in a while, a strong and intelligent undead would take a number of monsters under its wing and transform into a Demon King. Conversely, it is also possible for the Demon King to have undead under its command. The Death Knights need to fight all kinds of enemies in all kinds of circumstances.

    Senri has fought many such hard battles with monsters of every kind.

    Rex, a mercenary, who was walking alongside Senri, struck up a conversation with her.

    ¡°Senri¡­ if we make it back safely, would you like to join our band of mercenaries? We¡¯d certainly be more than happy to welcome an ex-Death Knight. Baron¡¯s ability would also be of great help. You seem to have your own reasons but there are a lot of people like you with us. It must surely be a better prospect than travelling alone.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m grateful for the offer, but I have things I need to do.¡±

    Rex smiled bitterly at Senri¡¯s prompt reply.

    End was certainly in a tough spot. Senri¡¯s ¡°reason¡± was probably more grave than Rex could imagine.

    Mercenaries also battle with undead at times. There may also be among them, people who hold grudges against vampires. Senri and End could not just easily join any group.

    End cannot forever live in the form of a dog either¡­.

    Even with the battle with the Demon King ahead of them, there was no fear among Senri and the others. That was because Senri was with them. That is the weight the title of Death Knight carries.

    The Death Knights are not particularly skilled at defending. There have been quite a few normal citizens or hired mercenaries, whom they have let die.

    However, it was much better than being frozen in fear, unable to take any action.

    The enemy seemed to have sensed them getting closer. And has made the decision to fight back.

    The opponents were pretty spread out. Their intention being to surround Senri and the rest. Maybe they were being wary of the mages.

    However, that would only serve to help Senri. That woman must be the leader of their group, so once she is defeated, the pack of beasts would soon scatter.

    It would be no issue if a few beasts were to escape. There are more than enough people guarding the base camp.

    Senri cannot very well hunt them all down herself. Senri¡¯s main role was to crush the leader.

    ¡°They¡¯re coming. Be alert.¡±

    A look of nervousness swept across the mercenaries¡¯ faces at Senri¡¯s curt words.

    A tepid breeze blew past. They already had a spell for night vision cast on them. Even if it were the dead of the night, no beast would escape their sight.

    ¡­ And thus, Senri intercepted a sudden dark mass that swooped in on them.

    The dark sword and the silver sword exchanged fierce blows which sent sparks flying. The intense dark energy made Senri¡¯s hair stand on end. The one who attacked was a woman with huge, dark wings.

    Contrary to her previous appearance, her skin was inky black and her largely exposed body was covered with some strange red lines forming a pattern.

    She was barely clothed, except for her private parts hidden from view. Her eyes glinted gold.

    A long tail stretched from her back. The mercenaries felt a little shaken, but Senri did not stir in the least.

    There are only a handful of demons that are humanoid and capable of shapeshifting into humans. If anything, the non-human woman looked a little shaken instead.

    The dark longsword clutched in both her hands clashed with Senri¡¯s silver sword.

    However, Senri was the stronger of the two. There was but a moment of contention. Senri made use of the momentum she had gained to push back the woman who came swooping down. The woman spread her wings wide open and took to the night sky.

    She was a creature akin to demons and different from undead. Her lascivious appearance was proof of her depravity.

    Demons. Paranormal creatures that are said to rule the underworld. Incarnation of evil. Fearsome beings that wield the power of countless evil spirits and are capable of pushing humans into the path of darkness.

    To the Death Knights, they are beings on the list to hunt down next to the undead. Senri licked her lips and uttered.

    ¡°Demon¡­ this is a pain.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me, Death Knight.¡±

    The demon grew furious with rage and a magic circle levitated above her arms. Demons, which could very well be said to be the personification of magic, do not need any complicated procedures to wield it.

    It is likely that the demon has never crossed swords with a Death Knight. No, she surely must have not. If she had, there was no way she would be alive now.

    So, their decision to fight back must also have been a poorly informed one.

    A little later, the howls of beasts echoed through the forest. The pack of beasts under her command were closing in. Senri turned around to Rex, who had become stiff.

    ¡°We proceed as planned. I¡¯ll kill that demon. I¡¯ll also ward off her attacks. Just as we planned.¡±

    ¡°Oh, ah, aah¡­ let¡¯s go! Keep up with Senri! We carry the fate of the merchants in our hands!¡±

    ¡°Oh-h¡­YEAHHH!!¡±

    The mercenaries screamed out hearts trembling with excitement.

    And thus, Senri with her sword clad in blessing, intercepted the dark lightning the demon let loose at them.

 Chapter 60.2, The Attack Part I

    This is unfair. This is really below the belt. I lay dispirited on Katerina¡¯s lap.

    The scent of Senri¡¯s blood is the best but Katerina also gave off a very delicious scent. It goes without saying that I cannot indulge in my cravings, but the simple act of laying on her lap felt tantalizing. Had I been just any other vampire, then the girl would have found herself devoid of all the blood in her body.

    As she gently caressed my white fur which I took pride in, I set my eyes on our surroundings, watching every movement.

    I can sense what people feel from their scent. The camp was enshrouded in a bit of fear and relief.

    The ones who could not fight were all gathered around the bonfire. The mercenaries spread out, forming a circle around the group, guarding them. Most of the mages were out to fight alongside Senri, but one had remained in the camp. Every precaution had been taken.

    That said, we would still find ourselves in trouble if the enemy were stronger than me, but there does not exist a lot of monsters stronger than vampires, so there is no point in worrying. If it ever comes to that, we have no choice but to accept death.

    There were a lot of little boys and girls gathered around me and they took turns stroking my head. They were all kids I had grown close to in my time travelling with the group.

    I almost never had a chance to be the center of attention of so many people even in my past life, so this was certainly a new experience.

    The kids were not their usual self and appeared a little nervous.

    ¡°Baron, once everything is over, will you become mine?¡±

    ¡°kyuun¡±

    Would you give it to me? Would you give me your blood? Really? Are you okay with not being able to take me out on a walk in broad daylight?

    ¡­ I felt like a king. Is this what being the ¡°King of the Undead¡± feels like?

    ¡°I hope the plan succeeds¡­¡±

    ¡°All we can do is pin our hopes on them. We can¡¯t really make it out alive, just us.¡±

    Men, who looked like owners of different companies, threw kindling into the fire as they discussed their predicament.

    Senri is strong. I know that better than anyone. So, I do not doubt her capabilities, but at the same time, it is also true that there is only one of her.

    Even when I was attacked by Albertus, Senri was not by my side.

    Her power is hers alone. Hence she cannot protect the whole group by herself.

    The fact that we had little to no information on our enemies was also cause for concern.

    As I carried out my duty as a guard dog vigilantly, Senri¡¯s scent wafted through the air and into my nose. Looks like the fight had begun as per the plan.

    The fight was taking place quite far away from where we were camped, so, no sounds of battle were heard. However, the downwind carried her scent to me.

    If I were to ever catch a whiff of Senri¡¯s blood, then I intend to rush to her rescue. My nose twitched in an effort to glean as much information as I could about what was happening.

    And then, I craned my neck to look up.

    Is this not strange? We are camped downwind. The direction of the wind has not changed that much either.

    During our first encounter with the woman who pretended to be the victim, Senri mentioned that she was found out through her scent. So, the enemy should be aware of my sharp sense of smell. In that case, they should have attacked from the direction the wind is blowing.

    Actually, since Senri employs wide-range detection magic, it did not really matter which direction they came from, but they are not aware of that.

    The first attack was pre-planned.

    In the wild, learning to read the wind was a necessary tool for survival. I cannot imagine they would not know something as simple as this. Our opponents have the upper hand in terms of movement speed. They could have masked their scents if they so wished.

    They intended for me to know the location of the battle¡­? Why? Am I overthinking this?

    I jumped out of her lap and stood on the ground. I felt unease prickling my skin, however, it was simply too late to warn Senri.

    The scent of blood reached me.

    Close. But it was not from the battleground. A groan echoed through the trees and was followed by a delayed scream.

    Flustered, I turned around to look in the direction the scent of blood came from.

    There stood a small man near the bonfire.

    At his feet lay a mercenary who had been enjoying a recess. I have no idea how he was attacked, but his head was barely hanging on to his neck. Death must have been instant.

    Dark red liquid gushed from the gaping hole where his head once was. His eyes were wide open looking in my direction. There was no more light in those eyes, but I could see the regret in them.

    ¡°Ahh, Oliver, w-what did you¡­¡±

    ¡°What you ask¡­? Have you gone senile, Master?

    The mercenaries who were on guard around us, heard the screams and began to gather.

    However, the man called Oliver did not look in the least flustered. Nor did I smell any fear from him.

    It was the coachman. A black hat on top of his head, well-tailored clothes that invoked a different feeling of comfort from the kind mercenaries wear. A small whip dangled from his hip.

    He had a small build with barely any muscle. He did not look as strong as a tough mercenary.

    However, the fingers on his right hand were wet with blood. Drops of blood dripped from his fingertips.

    He smelled human, but I doubt humans are capable of lopping off another person¡¯s head with their bare hand.

    He was an enemy. He had infiltrated the group. Got himself hired as a coachman and became part of the group and travelled along with them.

    And thus, the moment the secret weapon, Senri, had left the group, he made apparent his real identity.

    The man who lay dead was one of the finest mercenaries among the ones who stayed behind. However, he still could not defend himself from a sudden attack from a man who he believed to be a comrade.

    The guards were on the lookout for any movements from outside the group. They could not have foreseen this and so they cannot really be blamed.

    The merchants are transporting goods from far away. If he had joined them at the very beginning from where they set off¡­ then this must be one truly patient plan they put in motion. Moreover, the fact that he chose to reveal his true colors now must mean he saw his chances and took it.

    A young man who may have been his employer, shrunk back as he censured him.

    ¡°H-Have you lost your mind¡­are you biting the hand that fed you?! I paid you plenty¡­¡±

    He really has gone senile. He cannot even read the situation.

    ¡°Well. That young Miss Senri is certainly strong, but no matter her strength¡­ she can¡¯t carry the whole group on her shoulders.¡±

    There is a right place and a right person for everything. If Oliver¡¯s intention was the destruction of the supplies, then he has no need to kill Senri to accomplish that.

    Oliver shrugged and a big fireball landed square on his face and exploded.

    ¡°You traitor! Don¡¯t think you can win against so many of us!¡±

    The mercenaries¡¯ eyes glinted with anger as they surrounded him. The merchants had grown pale and did their best to keep the helpless folk at a distance.

    The fireball was from a mage who had been left at the camp as a precautionary measure.

    Offensive magic was strong and even a lower-rank mage should be able to fatally wound at least a single person by themselves.

    It would no doubt cause a fatal wound. That is, if the opponent were human.

    The smoke cleared away. The mercenaries¡¯ eyes almost popped out of their heads and they stepped back.

    Oliver was utterly unharmed. His hat had been blown off and half of his shirt had been reduced to ashes, but there were no discernible wounds on his skin.

    ¡°Wow¡­ how could you be so mean to an ex-comrade¡­ I really liked that hat.¡±

    ¡°W-What in hell are you¡­¡±

    The mercenaries looked speechless at Oliver speaking away nonchalantly.

    He brushed off the ashes and said in a regretful tone.

    ¡°I intended to keep that hat. Well, no matter. Since the moon is almost full, I would probably wreck everything anyway.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    Saying so, thick blood vessels bulge on his body. It creaked and groaned as his small figure underwent extreme transformation.

    This caused unrest among the mercenaries, their faces grew white as a sheet and they shrunk back.

    I recognized that transformation. Albertus.

    His average sized body enlarged to the extreme, tearing apart his clothes, pants, shoes from the inside.

    His height, which was about 150 centimeters, almost doubled. Brown fur akin to wires enveloped his scorched skin. However, the most shocking change was the one to his face.

    Its skeletal structure changed. His jaw jutted out, nose grew long, ears stretched upwards transforming into huge ones. All of the changes happened in a matter of seconds.

    The children witnessing the horror at a distance all began to scream. I wagged my tail and glared at Oliver.

    One of the mercenaries uttered its name even as his voice trembled.

    ¡°Werewolf.¡±

    ¡°Well, it looks like I don¡¯t need to introduce myself. Humans.¡±

    Werewolf. A combination of wolf and man.

    A being different from Albertus who was closer to a beast. He was the very image of what I had pictured a werewolf to look like.

    With a wide smile on his face, Oliver shot off the ground, raised an arm as huge as a log and attacked the mercenaries surrounding him.

 Chapter 61.1, The Attack Part II

    He was overwhelmingly powerful. Three people were sent flying in a flash with a swing of his arm. Though it was unclear if they survived, they did not budge an inch on the ground where they lay. That single attack broke the spirit of all the mercenaries who had come running to the rescue.

    He did not possess any extraordinary skills. It was simply the pure physical strength of a beast.

    Every single move of his was so swift that no human could keep up with him. It was no more than a display of the abilities of a beast in human skin possessing human intelligence.

    One of the mercenaries recklessly unsheathed his sword and yelled out as he rushed towards the werewolf. The sword came in contact with the werewolf¡¯s torso covered in brown fur, however, it was easily deflected. His arm was carelessly shaken off and the force of it sent him flying a few feet as if he were a ball.

    It was the weapon. A sword was no good. Ordinary weapons do little to no damage to a werewolf.

    A mercenary raised his voice as he stood in front of the children, shielding them. He was a large man and yet he looked more like a child before the werewolf.

    ¡°D-Does anyone have weapons made of silver?!¡±

    ¡°Oh right! I do have a knife¡­¡±

    A female hunter, who was moderately equipped, pulled out a puny knife. It looked like a charm that she carried around for protection.

    Silver is a metal that is more malleable than iron. It is expensive and generally unsuitable to smelt into weapons. Its use largely lied in its ability to be wielded against beings of darkness, so other than professionals like the Keeper, no normal person would carry any silver weapons on their person. Holy swords like Senri¡¯s are of more practical use, but it is almost next to impossible to get one¡¯s hands on holy silver.

    Oliver squinted at the knife and laughed out loud.

    ¡°Are you fools¡­ what do you think you can do with that toothpick?!¡±

    Arrows unleashed by the mercenaries were repelled by his fur. Not paying any heed to the sword that came at him from every direction, he devoted his attention to the prey in front of him.

    Though there was a mage and a person carrying a silver knife, his first target was the mercenary who stood in front of everyone. A huge paw cut through his body along with the sword. The man had not even the luxury to cry out before he collapsed to the ground lifeless. The children screamed in terror.

    ¡°To think you would imagine you could take me on, Oliver Arbor III, when the full moon is almost upon us!¡±

    He did not need to prioritize his targets. Fire magic was deflected by a flick of his arm and he turned around to crush the hunter who came at his blind spot with the silver knife in hand, prepared to die. The beast wreaked absolute mayhem.

    He was not as big as Albertus after her transformation. But he was probably superior to her in terms of sheer combat abilities. However, his blows had that strength that someone only in a human form could deliver.

    Oliver never howled. Most probably because Senri and the rest of the group might hear him. Even if the children¡¯s screams could not carry very far, Oliver¡¯s howls would probably reach Senri¡¯s ears.

    One of the merchants, the man who had been Oliver¡¯s master; his legs gave out and he shrunk back as he yelled at Oliver.

    ¡°Oliver, y-you bastard, what are you after?! Is it the supplies? If so¡­¡±

    ¡°Everything. Human. I¡¯ll kill everyone here. And then¡­ take all the supplies.¡±

    Our numbers dwindled with every passing second. Out of the thirty people who were left behind to guard the group, less than half were alive.

    Fear got the best of one of the mercenaries and he took off on his heels. Oliver did not look the least perturbed as he deftly picked up a fallen sword with his clawed hand and aimed it at the fleeing man.

    The sword pierced his head and he slumped to the ground. No one can escape. No human can escape from a beast¡¯s claws.

    ¡°The supplies, the horses, the carriages, the humans, I shall help myself to anything and everything. All you will be allowed is to get on your knees and beg for mercy.¡±

    Such arrogance. Such power. Werewolves are supposed to have been brought to life by vampires, but Oliver¡­ might be stronger than me.

    I weighed the pros and cons of the situation in an instant and made up my mind.

    I have no choice but to fight. I might be able to escape here in the dog form, but this group is certain to perish.

    These people did take care of me. I am not completely heartless.

    Although it does not warrant putting my life on the line, if I were to survive by abandoning them right now, I might end up losing Senri later.

    Senri would never forgive me for abandoning them. Although her mind would be able to see why, her heart would still not agree.

    Then, my only choice is to fight. You need to take a risk in order to gain something. Well, this is nothing I cannot handle. My odds of winning are not zero. I managed to evade even Ep¨¦e and even defeated Albertus somehow.

    I wagged my tail at Katerina, ran towards Oliver and growled fiercely.

    I owe them for the food they shared with me. I shall use this opportunity to help them out.

    I will end up exposing my identity if I transform here, but¡­ oh well. Albertus already knows what I look like.

    I growled as the power welled up in me.

    ¡°kyankyan!¡±

    ¡°Baron?!¡±

    I could hear Katerina scream out my name. Oliver looked at me growling at his ankles and stared in wonder.

    ¡°Kekek¡­ what do we have here¡­ such a brave little doggie. Much more courageous than the so-called mercenary who turned tail. Come to think of it, it was you who sniffed out Monica¡­ too. Well, I¡¯m sure fate brought you to us, so I shall let you live. You will serve as a good present for Lord Rainel.¡±

    Whoa?! Really?! Is not what you will hear me say.

    The curse I possess right now is something I got from Albertus. It is the source of her absurdly ridiculous strength.

    I nimbly kicked off the ground and bit into Oliver¡¯s brawny arm. My small fangs dug into his skin and my talons clawed at his thick skin.

    Oliver was unfazed. He simply looked down at me, a being much smaller than him and smiled puzzled.His expression looked human in some respects.

    ¡°It¡­ hurts? Impossible. It¡¯s not¡­ just an ordinary dog? Well, I guess you¡¯re not an ex-Death Knight¡¯s dog for nothing?¡­ Such a pain in the ass!¡±

    Oliver shook me off, slamming me against the ground. The strong impact made my muscles tear and bones break, sending pain shooting across my body. I yelped in spite of myself, as if I really were a small dog.

    Werewolves are known for their cruel nature and this one was no exception. He showed me no mercy. He trampled on my small body. The weight pressing down on me made me yelp reflexively.

    Albertus mentioned that she got the curse after she was bit by a vampire. However, she had not lost her mind to it. She had enough sense to stay on the human side of the world and make the decision to hunt down vampires. However, Oliver does not seem to be rational. The man before me was in the form of a werewolf and looked to be complete control of himself, when in fact, his soul had completely descended into darkness.

    I made a mistake. I thought I could get him to let his guard down in my dog form.

    I only need three seconds to transform. If I grab hold of him and revert to human, I could gouge out his heart before he realizes what even took place. Maybe I would even be able to end this without everyone seeing my human form.

    However, I cannot move an inch now.

    The only reason I had not been squashed to a pulp was because Oliver was holding back on his strength. I could tell my bones were breaking but my regenerative power seemed to be doing its job.

    He still did not hold back enough. I would have certainly died, had I been an ordinary dog.

    With his foot still over me, he surveyed the mercenaries, who stood rooted to the spot. Everyone felt threatened by his sharp gaze.

    ¡°Do not oppose those stronger than you. I was right. Humans are¡­ such weak creatures. There was no particular need to infiltrate this group¡­ but that Death Knight is certainly a handful. Oh well.¡±

    At this point, there was only one way to win against him. I need to steal his curse. I would rather die than do this, but if I revert back and drink his blood¡­ I should be able to absorb his curse.

    Timing was the issue. If I were to do it now, I would very likely end up dead before I manage to drink his blood. I needed a chance.

    I racked my brain in an effort to find one.

 Chapter 61.2, The Attack Part II

    And at that moment, Katerina who had been trembling in her mother¡¯s arms, shook them off and stepped forward.

    Her face was a mess from tears and fear. Even so, she threw cutlery at Oliver and yelled shakily.

    For better or for worse, the bowl with soup still in it, spun around and hit Oliver square on his head.

    ¡°L-Let go of Baron!! You monster!!¡±

    ¡°H-Hey, Katerina!¡±

    I found myself incredibly taken aback by Katerina¡¯s actions, as she was supposed to be smart.

    It is foolish to draw the attention of the monster now. Not to mention, to do that for a dog just because you care for it, is crazy to be honest.

    Even if she had not done that, chances are she would end up a corpse on the ground sooner or later, but she still should have stayed quiet. Even in a situation where it would be impossible to come out on top, you still need to avoid being foolhardy.

    Oliver looked at Katerina as he would a prey. I could catch a glimpse of a tongue that was bright as if on fire.

    ¡°Well well, looks like we have yet another brave young girl¡­ here. Alright, if you don¡¯t wish to see Baron die, then I shall let you go first.¡±

    Katerina uttered a cry and her knees gave out.

    She did manage to draw his attention, but his leg was still pressing down on me. He is rather cautious than I expected.

    Katerina is the same as Senri. Even if her actions were due to the fact that she did not know of my real identity, I could not possibly abandon someone who tried to save me.

    Though I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Lord did not bother to make an appearance. I struggled desperately, trying to put some strength into my body.

    A strong will to fight makes me see red. My whole body feels blazing hot.

    ¡°kyan! kyan!¡±

    ¡°What a noisy dog¡ª?!¡±

    And thus, I went through an awakening.

    My viewpoint grew higher. My breath came out in puffs as if to dispense the heat within and my body creaked in tandem.

    My body was expanding. The picture of Albertus swelling up flashed through my mind.

    My long, white fur grows even longer. Small, cute front paws into bigger, cute front paws.

    Oliver, who had held me down, stepped back, looking shocked. And I, with the help of my new huge limbs, got to my feet.

    ¡°T-This¡­ is impossible!!¡±

    I grew a lot taller. Almost as the same as the tallest mercenary in the group.

    I had evolved. So this is what the world looked like to Albertus.

    The ground shook with every step I took. Considering my height on four-legs, I probably look like a soaring monster from a human¡¯s perspective.

    I looked at Oliver, whose breathing grew ragged as he retreated. I was a bit shorter than Oliver but that was because he was two-legged. If he were to get on all fours, then I would probably be the taller of the two.

    I can win. I can win! I looked up at the moon and howled.

    ¡°kyan kyan!¡±

    ¡°Baron¡­ grew¡­ bigger?!¡±

    Katerina¡¯s eyes were wide as she uttered shakily.

    ¡­ Don¡¯t tell me, it was only my size that changed but I still look the same as before?

    Oliver, who was out of it until a while ago, kicked hard at the ground and sprung at me.

    Since I have no experience fighting on four feet, I was at a loss at what to do. His huge claws slashed at my paws and the pain was so intense that I yelped loudly. I instinctively raised my other paw to fend him off, but he stopped my blow with one arm.

    ¡°¡­ What in hell? Your size was just for show? What a weird dog.¡±

    Blood splattered, staining my prideful white fur red. It appears I did not grow any stronger.

    All that had changed was my weight and I was still no match for Oliver.

    This only put a bigger target on my back. I was still hurting like before, and all I had become was a bigger white dog.

    Even so, I held on to a gleam of hope as I tried to attack him. Oliver simply slid to the side to evade my full-on attack that was strong enough to crack the ground. I lunged at him but that only enabled him to land a heavy blow to me. I was blown off, landing smack on a mercenary standing around. I rolled around and quickly got to my feet.

    He is strong. He was incredibly fast despite his body being big.

    I lunge at him with my mouth open wide but he uses both his hands to stop me in my tracks.

    ¡°You have no experience, do you?¡±

    His claws dig into my jaw and the intense pain almost makes me tear up. And, I could not close my mouth at all. Sadly, I had no choice but to receive his kick, which once again blew me off my feet.

    Even though Albertus was quite strong, a fine predicament I find myself in right now. The white fur that everyone petted and cherished was soiled in the blink of an eye. I wanted to weep.

    Nothing worked, be a blow, or hurling myself at him, or trying to snap at him.

    First, I need to arrest his movements. I could hear people behind cheering Baron on.

    I prepare for the inevitable pain. I raised myself on my hind feet and used my front feet to stamp on the ground.

    The ground shook more violently than I could have made happen in human form. However, Oliver was at my eye level by then. He had leapt up before the ground rocked.

    I could feel his claws, sharp as a knife at my throat and his voice in my ear.

    ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯re going to have to die. If you wish to resent someone, direct it at your master and your weak friends.¡±

    His voice made me snap.

    At this rate, his claws will tear apart my defenseless throat. This will not do. I have no choice but to revert to human form.

    This guy is out to kill me. I can only survive by killing him first. Don¡¯t think about the consequences now. Forget¡­ about what needs protecting too.

    Kill. My instincts whispered.

    A monster at night is a lone king. It is at its strongest¡­ when solitary.

    His claws miss my throat. My body shrinks. The fur falls out and I am released from Oliver¡¯s grasp.

    The sounds of people cheering Baron on ceases. However, it is for the better.

    Forget taking him by surprise. Don¡¯t think about what comes later. Miracles cannot happen.

    Attack him head-on. Kill the guy who dared to rob me of my freedom.

    The moon shone in the sky. I was on my knees as if I were praying to it.

    I got up on my feet slowly. My viewpoint was neither high nor low.

    There were no screams. There was nothing but silence. No one said anything as they had their eyes fixed on me.

    And so, I returned to my original form after a truly long time.

    The one to first utter something was Katerina.

    ¡°Baron¡­ became a human this time!¡±

    Sorry, I am not really a dog.

    However, this is not the time for apologies. I shook my head clear.

    It has not been too long since I fed, but I am not all that sure I can defeat Oliver in this form.

    Senri mentioned that werewolves rival vampires in pure physical strength and may sometimes even surpass the latter. Consequently, the Death Knights find werewolves to be more troublesome to handle than vampires.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start the third round¡­¡±

    Claws out, I glared at Oliver.

    Oliver was dumbfounded. His eyes open wide, his body trembling, he stared at me. He looked more shocked now than when I grew bigger earlier.

    Is it that unusual for someone to take the shape of a human? When he has been doing the same thing just as easily.

    Our eyes meet. It made me realize how intimidating his presence was all over again.

    I hope¡­ my claws can penetrate that fur. Worse comes to worst, I need to buy time until Senri gets back at the very least.

    It should not be too hard to accomplish owing to my regenerative powers. I walked towards him as Oliver croaked.

    ¡°T-T-That¡¯s absurd¡­ a vampire?! No wonder you could hurt me¡­ no, that ability¡­ i-i-im-impossible.¡±

    His voice was laden with fear. He was foaming at the mouth. His pupils were contracted in excitement.

    His arm that had easily crushed me, his fingertips, were quivering in fear. With every step I took forward, he drew back several. His demeanor had not a shred of the arrogance and bravado he displayed earlier.

    His trembling voice echoed through the night. And Oliver fell to his knees and prostrated himself as if to offer his head to me.

    ¡° ¡®Ancestor¡¯¡­ ¡®The King of the Undead¡¯. I didn¡¯t realize, I had no idea. I-I¡¯m just a loyal, powerless dog, my liege.¡±

    If chapters are twice as long, we will split them.

 Chapter 62: The Attack Part III

    If Senri had one shortcoming, it would be the fact that she had never fought alongside others much weaker than herself.

    The Death Knights typically move in units led by a first class knight.

    Until now, Senri had fought beings of darkness with people who were Death Knights much like herself and needless to say, relied on her Master Ep¨¦e¡¯s strength. She had reliable seniors like Lufry and Neville (even if they were not as strong as Senri), who are capable of wielding the power of blessing at will and are strong warriors in both body and mind.

    The next one to fight alongside her had been End.

    End had been an invalid originally and hence had no experience in combat nor did he possess any knowledge pertaining to the field. That said, as an undead, he possessed the finest attributes combined with a strong will.

    Though Senri gets a little frustrated with his occasional carefree attitude, End¡¯s circumstances are not something that could be overcome with a weak will.

    Revived by an evil necromancer, he kept his memories even while under another¡¯s control, never uttered a word of complaint after being subject to solar penalty by the Death Knights, not to mention, pushed his limits to endure the bloodlust of a vampire which could drive anybody insane.

    His victory against Albertus is also rather commendable.

    Albertus was mighty strong even by Senri¡¯s standards and the former also had experience hunting down undead.

    Even if he had been reborn as an Ancestor, Albertus was still not an opponent a mere lesser vampire could defeat.

    He is still lacking on-field experience, but once he gains enough of it, End will probably go through metamorphosis. Senri might find herself way in over her head before too long.

    Compared to them, the mercenaries currently under Senri¡¯s command were simply too weak.

    They probably do go through combat training. And they are also not complete amateurs. They should be able to hold their own against monsters to a certain extent. Even so, they were still not strong enough to fend off beings of darkness.

    Senri came to realize that when she trusted them to take care of the herd of monsters led by the demon while she took off after said demon that pranced through the night sky.

    Senri and her team had the upper hand until halfway through the fight. The female demon was rather strong but in a one-on-one fight, there was no way Senri would lose.

    As demons and undead may appear alike but are quite different in nature, she could not fill up the demon¡¯s body with the positive energy thereby bringing it to null state and purging it as a result. However, demons are still weak to the power of holy light.

    Demons can fly in the air, but so can Senri. The demon must have realized that it was at an overwhelming disadvantage after Senri¡¯s initial strike and hence fled the scene right away, but Senri gave chase.

    Senri dominated the fight from the beginning till the end. She was unharmed and the demon was barely evading Senri¡¯s consecutive attacks and yet looked completely battered.

    The flow of the battle was interrupted when the demon used a certain spell in desperation.

    Demons are well versed in magic. The spell used by the female demon was not of the offensive type.

    It was the kind of spell that would find its way to people with weak minds. It was ¡°Charm¡± magic that could put the targets in a hypnotic state and take control of them.

    It was also something the Death Knights would never fall for. So, Senri had failed to realize how dangerous it could be on normal people.

    It had been a miscalculation on her part. Magic that attacks the mind does so through people¡¯s fear and unrest.

    A timid mercenary fighting the monsters fell prey to the magic that descended from the sky.

    He lost the light in his eyes the very next moment, became the demon¡¯s pawn and swung his sword at his comrade he had been fighting alongside a few minutes prior.

    Fear spreads like wildfire. Suddenly being attacked by one¡¯s comrade can bring about intense dread even in an experienced mercenary with relatively strong will. The Death Knights who fight against evil take such scenarios into account when they train, but ordinary mercenaries stand no chance against it.

    Senri could not just stand by and watch them kill each other. She was forced to abandon pursuit and rush to their aid instead.

    Charm magic cast over a wide range was not all that powerful as far as mind control spells go. The victims could be jolted awake but in this no-holds-barred fight, they might end up dead before that could be accomplished.

    Senri needed to bring the comrades back to their own selves, fend off the monsters and defend against the magic that the female demon rained down from above. What mattered was human life. The casualties must be kept at the minimum.

    If the demon¡¯s spells had been too strong for Senri to defend against, she would have reluctantly focused on only attacking the demon even if it led to a few deaths. However, though a bit hard, she could fend off the demon¡¯s attacks fairly well.

    The battle would have seen its end had there been one more comrade who had not fallen for the charm magic.

    The battle dragged on. The demon did not choose to withdraw.

    However, it was still Senri¡¯s side that had the upper hand. The power of mind control spells wanes the more times it is cast. If the herd of monsters led by the demon was wiped out, Senri would be able to focus on annihilating the demon.

    And it was at that moment that she heard a wolf howl in the distance.

    It was no ordinary wolf. Senri had heard that call a lot in her time with the Death Knights to know that it was from something evil.

    There is a peculiarity to a werewolf¡¯s howl. Senri paled, while the demon that had not relented in its attacks despite being in pain looked really taken aback.

    Whatever happened? The demon that showed no signs of retreating just a while ago, flew higher into the sky. However, Senri could not give chase.

    The herd that had been fairly thinned out attacked them all at once.

    By the time they somehow managed to cull the herd, the demon was nowhere to be seen.

    ? ? ?

    Upon returning to the site of the camp, Senri was greeted by a scene of disaster.

    Several corpses of mercenaries were strewn about which made the place reek of blood and standing around was a pale and shivering merchant group.

    Werewolves are strong.

    They are born from the curse of the king of beasts and are considered part of the demon race. A werewolf is probably even stronger than the female demon from earlier in terms of pure combat ability.

    If it had hid itself among the group, then surely the number of casualties could not be this low.

    The enemy was not in sight. Nor was Baron¡­ End.

    Senri¡¯s expression did not alter as she accepted the fact that the worst-case scenario must have unfolded.

    That call from the werewolf was a signal to retreat. Senri left End behind at the camp not just because he had little to no combat ability in his dog form but also to protect the camp should the need arise.

    There is such a thing as compatibility between beings of darkness. If the opponent were a werewolf, then a vampire would be overwhelmingly higher in rank.

    As part of the demon race, werewolves are much lower in rank than vampires. The fur of a werewolf that is impervious to anything but weapons made of silver, is still vulnerable to attacks from a vampire.

    That is the nature of the curse. Werewolves were beings created to serve the vampires.

    There are ranks even among werewolves. However, the fact that the opponent chose to retreat¡­ must only mean one thing.

    It implied that End must have been forced to make a difficult decision.

    The men who returned with Senri rushed to their people. Since she defended as much as she fought, there were no wounded or dead in the team she had led.

    ¡°Y-You did well returning in one piece. However, things have taken a dire turn. Miss Senri, your dog¡­ is no ordinary animal. You were being deceived! Your dog was a vampire! It had snuck into our group!¡±

    ¡°¡­ If a vampire had really appeared here, then the casualties would have been way higher.¡±

    ¡°N-No. Turns out Oliver was a werewolf. Those two faced off against each other. Shit, why did we have to go through all this¡­¡±

    Vampires were infamous for hiding in human settlements, coming out to hunt every night, feasting on humans and killing them . Even if no one witnessed the vampire hurt anyone, its very existence was enough to strike fear in the heart of humans.

    That is the typical perception. It was Senri¡¯s perception that was uncommon. And she was well aware of that.

    Had Baron not been there, all of these people would have perished and yet they have completely forgotten about it.

    She bit down on her lip. But she could not open her mouth to protest.

    She peered at Katerina. Baron was really popular, but that girl cared for him most. However, she found her trembling and weeping, with her face buried in her mother¡¯s bosom.

    There were all kinds of looks directed Senri¡¯s way. However, the most intense were ones of a reproachful nature.

    I suppose it cannot be helped as they were under the assumption that she had not realized Baron¡¯s real identity despite being an ex-Death Knight. They had been taken over by fear and were not in their right minds. Senri was used to such treatment.

    However, it did not seem like they doubted her. There seemed to be no one who suspected her of being in cahoots with the vampire.

    End must have said something. That young man had grown accustomed to such dangerous situations and had also gotten used to being treated with hostility.

    However accustomed he may be, alright with it he was not.

    ¡°¡­ Did Baron leave a message for me?¡±

    ? ? ?

    Ahh, what a turn of events.

    Oliver Arbor felt smaller than ever. Next to him, was the personification of darkness whose mere presence could make people tremble in fear, walking alongside nonchalantly.

    This was supposed to be an easy task.

    Oliver had a family. The camouflage ability of werewolves could be considered perfect as flowing water has no effect on them and they are not undead. Their combat abilities are far superior to an ordinary mercenary.

    Even for a huge merchant group, the strength of the mercenaries guarding them should still not amount to much. Third rank¡­ Oliver, who was an elite even among the werewolves could only be stopped with power and not numbers.

    When he learned that an ex-Death Knight had joined them, he considered it bad luck. But to think that a vampire had also been in their midst could only be described as true misfortune.

    Moreover¡­ it was a special monster even among vampires. Few in existence and one with special abilities called Ancestor. Typically, they are beings that live in a castle in a desolate place, with countless monsters under their command and lead the life of a ruler.

    The moment he realized the truth, everything disappeared.

    The will to fight, the exhilaration derived from slaughtering humans, just about everything vanished, and at that moment, Oliver realized that nothing had changed from the time when he was under another¡¯s control.

    Werewolves have animal instincts. They are resistant to all kinds of injuries and even when faced with a demon of a higher rank they would not easily lose their will to fight.

    However, that is only if the opponent was not a vampire.

    Werewolves serve vampires. All the werewolves were created by vampires and are thus unable to go against their word.

    Oliver¡¯s master was not an ancestor but a powerful vampire as the descendant of a once well-known ancestor called ¡®The King of the Beasts¡¯, and had inherited a portion of the ancestor¡¯s power.

    Absolute obedience is not included in the ¡®Werewolf Genesis¡¯ curse. To the kings of the night, werewolves are not objects worthy of fear.

    Vampires feel entitled and are more than happy to carve fear into the hearts of the werewolves that they created with their own hands. Vampires torment their subordinates that grow impudent due to their newly attained beastly strength, treat their souls with contempt and make sure they never defy their command.

    This in itself could be considered a kind of a curse. The kind of curse that would never be broken even if the caster were to die in any way.

    The one who turned Oliver into a werewolf was no more.

    His master, who was supposed to be all powerful and had absolute control over him, fought another vampire¡­ a rare existence, an Ancestor, was met with defeat and easily turned to dust. And thus, Oliver Arbor was set free.

    However, the proof of an attendant carved into him had not disappeared even after more than a decade and despite having gained a new master in the name of Rainel.

    The reason that Ancestor chose to not have Oliver under his control was because he saw him as nothing more than trash whose life was not worth taking or having under his command.

    He laughed scornfully at Oliver on the ground, whose legs had given out from fear and walked past him nonchalantly.

    The King of the Night walking next to me looked much younger than my previous master. However, there is nothing more unreliable than guessing the age of a vampire from its appearance.

    The ability to transform into a dog that I caught a glimpse of earlier is no doubt not an ability that a vampire is born with.

    It could be taken as him having inherited the ability from a different ancestor. However, if that were true, he could not possess a ghoul¡¯s ability of ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯.

    The Demon King, Rainel, is certainly a demon far more powerful than a vampire. However, for Oliver¡­ for werewolves, their true master is the vampire.

    Though Oliver was not aware of the truth behind how End gained the new ability to transform into a dog even though vampires are naturally capable of transforming into wolves, the one thing he knew was that he could not dream of defying him.

    ¡°Lord End¡­i-if it¡¯s alright with you, could you please tell me why you were a part of that sort of a group of human merchants?¡±

    ¡°And why should I answer you, Oliver?¡±

    The subdued anger in his voice, sent shivers down Oliver¡¯s spine and made his tail stand on end.

    He was on his knees before he knew it. In the middle of vast nothing, he was prostrated.

    ¡°¡­ I-It was an impudent question. P-Please forgive me!¡±

    ¡°I had to go through so much trouble because of you. My plan was to stick with them until we got to Romberg. Moreover, you made my white fur, my pride, filthy. I was totally toying with you though.¡±

    ¡°Ack¡­ t-that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°I had taken great pains to disguise myself as there was nothing more adorable than that dog. But now, I would be caught at the checkpoint. I naturally didn¡¯t intend to stay with them for long, but my plans have now been ruined. I will need you to provide compensation.¡±

    ¡°O-Of course, milord!¡±

    Oliver did not know what grand, fearful schemes End was planning. Neither did he wish to know.

    All he could do was get on his knees and pray for mercy.

    His demon comrade, Monica. She was also Rainel¡¯s subordinate like him and her scent was drawing near. Oliver simply waited for the storm to pass by.

 Chapter 63: Demons

    ¡®Feeding¡¯ is an ability much like the abilities a ghoul possesses, such as ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯ and ¡®Sharp Fang¡¯.

    Though lesser vampires do not possess what makes vampires the powerful demons they are, the ability of ¡®feeding¡¯ is something a few among them are capable of using.

    There is a scent in the air. A sickeningly sweet scent.

    Vampires do drink blood, but not just the blood of any human.

    They can distinguish between whose blood can and cannot be consumed. That is probably another one of their abilities. Perhaps with enough experience, they can even discern the health condition of their prey.

    Actually, with my senses having become acute, I can vaguely understand other¡¯s emotions through their scent. So, anything is plausible.

    I am in a pinch right now. I have had to leave the merchant group because of Oliver. However, by no means is it the end of the world.

    What would be the end is if Senri abandons me and I end up having to fight her. My life is still hanging by a thread.

    I had not foreseen that Oliver would completely admit defeat. When even a girl like Albertus was hellbent on driving me to a corner, would anyone ever imagine that, Oliver, who was obviously much older and a fully-grown adult, would easily submit simply because I showed my true self.

    Thanks to that, I have an enemy in the name of the merchant group.

    Though I am aware of the whole story behind how werewolves are created, there might be more to it than I imagined.

    And I also may have had a more naive view of what it means to be a vampire.

    The only thing that could scare a monster that tore mercenaries to pieces as if they were no more than sheets of paper is¡­ an even stronger monster.

    Oliver had certainly shriveled up. His prickled fur and gigantic body had figuratively shrunk and he had his ear cocked, watching my every move.

    Even I should be able to easily kill him as he is now.

    There was a demon standing before me. A demon with a female body.

    Her clothing was black, basically an ensemble of only unmentionables and she had a huge pair of wings on her back. A twisted horn adorned her head.

    She had curves unlike Senri. Her overexposed body was voluptuous and lascivious, along with refined features, I would probably have gaped open-mouthed had I been human.

    However, what concerns me now is someone¡¯s blood and not their appearance.

    The comrade that Oliver had summoned ¨C a demon by the name of Monica Ultivia, emanated a strong sweet scent akin to a spoiled fruit.

    I had not realized it back then when she had disguised herself as a human, but it seems transformation enables one to alter their scent as well.

    Monica¡¯s reaction upon laying eyes on me was much the same as Oliver¡¯s. And after hearing about me being an ¡®Ancestor¡¯ from Oliver, her expression warped further.

    Senri taught me a lot about the undead along our journey, but it looks like the information may have been rather subjective. Well it is not so surprising as the viewpoint of Death Knights whose purpose in life is to hunt down vampires and ancestors must be quite different from a layperson.

    ¡°Ancestor?! Impossible¡­ why, here of all places¡­¡±

    ¡°I had the same thought. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine for someone to get in my way in such a remote area.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Demons are monsters that often appear in legends and fairy tales. Quite different from vampires, they corrupt and incite humans and are bitter enemies of God.

    They are more muscular than humans as a whole, have an array of evil spells under their command, and are certain to be the mastermind behind the scenes in situations such huge wars or gruesome incidents.

    I do not know much about their combat abilities. And of course, this is my first time seeing one in the flesh.

    However, if Monica is primarily a magic user, then I should have the upper hand in a fight between us. She did not appear to be as afraid of me as Oliver, but I did catch a glimpse of dread on her face.

    Generally speaking, I should be the stronger one here.

    Monica was battered and bruised. However, the fact that she could get away with light injuries after clashing with Senri, is ample proof of her having stood her ground.

    Should I kill them? Well it does not really warrant consideration, I should kill them. Monica and Oliver are not really my enemies but they are Senri¡¯s. And it goes without saying that Senri¡¯s enemies are my enemies as well.

    I left the merchant group and did my best to throw suspicion away from Senri.

    Knowing her, it is least likely that she will chase after me, but neither can we meet up that easily.

    There is also my resentment towards these monsters for killing the mercenaries who fed me beef jerky.

    I should be able to kill them now. I can strangle Monica to death and gouge out the heart of Oliver, who cannot seem to exhibit his full strength due to some kind of trauma.

    Maybe she could sense my thoughts, for Monica drew back a step. Oliver was still pathetically quivering in his boots.

    However, at the same time, ¡°What comes after?¡±, was a thought that crossed my mind.

    I am a monster. I do not have the tiniest of intentions to betray Senri, but an undead would benefit more by being on Oliver¡¯s side if anything.

    I may possess superhuman abilities¡­ but I am incredibly weak to sunlight.

    I need a base. Romberg is not an option anymore.

    It is the first line of defense against the Demon King, so they are sure to be completely protected against vampires as well. I may have been able to sneak into the city in the form of a dog, but news of a vampire capable of transforming into a fluffy, cute, little dog with a long white fur coat must have already spread everywhere.

    I need to make a decision. Before the sun rises.

    Kill or keep alive to make use of them. Naturally, I would need to kill them someday even if I choose the latter, but I need to make the best choice that would guarantee my survival.

    The cloak I blindly grabbed on my way out was terribly ill-fitting. I am not armed either.

    Monica knelt before me, as a knight would before a king. She tucked in her wings and uttered in a trembling albeit dignified voice.

    ¡°Your Highness, pardon me. I never knew that a King would be a part of the merchant group¡­ please allow me to apologize. That said¡­ from here on out, that is, between here and Romberg is our King, Lord Rainel¡¯s territory. Generally we wouldn¡¯t let anyone in, but I would like to humbly invite you by way of an apology.¡±

    What? You would really invite me? Even though I am still just a lesser vampire?

    Romberg does kindle my curiosity, but this is the Demon King we are talking about. A being I had best not make an enemy out if I wish to survive.

    Although I do feel uneasy to be away from Senri for too long, I fully believe in her. I am sure she feels the same way.

    ¡°Though we are currently engaged in battle, our victory is certain. I¡¯m sure Lord Rainel would also be pleased to meet you as there is no King of the Night among his sworn friends.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You would also provide me with blood?¡±

    ¡°O-Of course, yes! Be it a hundred or two hundred humans, we can make the necessary preparations! We have more than enough prisoners at our disposal! Any number of them could be given to Your Highness.¡±

    Oliver answered fervently, as he jumped to his feet, with drool dripping from his mouth. His breath came out in puffs and he reeked like a beast.

    I spotted a fiery tongue inside the mouth that opened wide enough to chow down on my head.

    I do not need a hundred or two hundred humans.

    ¡°I¡¯m a gourmet, Oliver. Delicious blood was supposed to come into my possession. The merchant group is huge after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I-I¡¯m sure your expectations will be met.¡±

    But they are prisoners, aren¡¯t they? Prisoners are usually not in their best of conditions.

    They cannot be malnourished. Nor can they be under stress. It has to be a woman.

    And a virgin. Also young. Even better if it is a Death Knight.

    Though I doubt anyone would taste better than Senri.

    I licked my lips. It has been a few days since I last fed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, how about I start with you then, Monica? I¡¯ve never had the blood of a demon before.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    Hearing me, Monica who was kneeling until then, looked completely taken aback, let out a low scream and began to tremble.

    Monica smells simply too sweet. Her scent feels a hundred times more concentrated than Senri¡¯s, akin to an overripe, spoiled fruit.

    That said, I doubt there should be any problem with me drinking her blood. I am a vampire after all, and taste aside, it should not really result in indigestion.

    Monica replied, still quivering.

    ¡°P-Pardon me¡­ but that would be impossible¡­ as I¡¯m not human. I¡¯m a demon. My blood is cursed in a different way from the blood of Your Highness.¡±

    Apparently, vampires cannot feed on demons. Maybe the hint of decomposition in the scent is the reason.

    However, I smiled.

    ¡°Curses¡­? I¡¯m terribly fond of them. My ability as an ancestor pertains to that field, so curses don¡¯t affect me. It¡¯s not as if there¡¯s garlic mixed in with your blood?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Please¡­ have mercy on me!¡±

    Monica bowed so far, her head almost touched the ground. Looks like she really is against it.

    Considering how vampires are known for draining all the blood from their victims thereby killing them, her reaction makes sense.

    Well, Senri was also unsure as to what could happen to me if I were to absorb multiple curses, so I suppose I will let it pass for now.

    This is certainly a risky choice. However, it appears Oliver and Monica really do not doubt that I was no more than a pet to Senri. If I play this right, I might be able to make my way out of this pinch.

    I nodded as regally as a king would.

    ¡°Well, have it your way. It¡¯s not my intention to make an enemy out of the Demon King either. I¡¯ll have you guide me to him before sunrise then.¡±

 Chapter 64: Base

    I enjoyed floating in mid-air while being held by Monica. Demons can still fly fast even while carrying another person and the flight wasn¡¯t very shaky either, so I felt very comfortable. In addition, they can hold the same flight speed for a long time. Monica¡¯s mobility might be the reason she was chosen from Demon King Rainel¡¯s army to attack the caravan. Oliver was following us on ground in his werewolf form, leaving behind a  cloud of dust. Evidently, he was much faster than Monica, who was flying in the air. If we¡¯re talking about pure physical abilities, he¡¯s stronger than me, and on top of that, he doesn¡¯t have to worry about the sunlight. This world is truly unfair.

    ¡°My deepest apologies for treating you like this. We, how to say this¡­ aren¡¯t affected by the sunlight.¡±

    Returning in such a hurry must¡¯ve been out of their plans. I could detect ahint of fear in her voice, but I simply nodded magnanimously.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not as bad as you might think. Flying while being held is a fresh experience for me.¡± I was always the one who held others, and the process itself was closer to jumping than flying. The slightly cool night breeze felt nice. Wasteland illuminated by the moonlight looked somehow lonely, yet very beautiful. It might not be a bad idea to travel around the world if I can escape from Ep¨¦e¡¯s clutches. I¡¯d go sightseeing at beautiful places. While holding me close, Monica continued flying. She timidly spoke up.

    ¡°Um¡­ to reach our camp before dawn, we will have to either cross the big river or fly over Romberg.¡± ¡°Are there any problems with that?¡±

    ¡°Romberg¡¯s barrier is quite strong, so¡­ even if Oliver uses a different route, the moment we pass the sky while defenseless, we will be attacked. We would be the perfect targets for tracking magic.¡±

    Now that wouldn¡¯t be very good. I might¡¯ve wanted to see Romberg, however I don¡¯t fancy being under attack. Magical attacks don¡¯t work on me, but Monica is different¡­ I wonder if taking the form of a dog could save us from being attacked?

    The reason she didn¡¯t mention the option of crossing the river first was because¡­ she was looking out for me.

    ¡°We can cross the river. The flowing water is certainly scary, but at least we won¡¯t have to meaninglessly make an enemy out of a whole city. It¡¯s fine, I already crossed the river before I came here. Also, I¡¯m fine with sunlight¡­ if it¡¯s just a bit.¡±

    I could even endure execution by sunlight. Now that I¡¯m full of power, I can withstand sunlight for a couple of hours, unless it¡¯s very strong. Monica swayed as if shocked by my words, her altitude greatly fluctuating. And, after hurriedly restoring her position, she said with a trembling voice. ¡°?!¡­I¡¯m terribly sorry, my liege¡± What could¡­ her reaction mean?

    I doubted her for a second, but when you think about it calmly, not a lot of vampires can withstand sunlight. I can bear with it a little only because I¡¯m still a lesser vampire and my curse is still weak. Even a little morning sunlight would be enough to seriously wound any other ordinary vampire.

    ¡°Is this your first time seeing a vampire that can withstand the sunlight?¡±

    ¡°¡­We rarely get the honor of seeing the King of the Night in the first place.¡±

    Looks like they are quite rare. Now that I think about it, there weren¡¯t any vampires among the Lord¡¯s subordinates either.

    ¡°Well, it might sound strange coming from me, but vampires are full of weaknesses, after all.¡±

    ¡°Well, there would be no need to even side with any Demon King if one had as much power as the King of the Night.¡± Monica¡¯s tone was serious, contrary to her lascivious appearance,

    Another vampire, huh¡­ I¡¯m sure we wouldn¡¯t be able to get along. If I got close to other vampires, Senri would definitely catch their eye sooner or later.

    Even I have the feeling of possessiveness. It¡¯s unthinkable for me to share her blood with another vampire. After a while, I saw something huge and black. Light blinked from time to time. Monica soared higher, significantly increasing her altitude. And, the scenery opening up before my eyes left me speechless.

    It was a wall. This man-made structure seemed to almost cut through the wasteland and continue to the end of the horizon. Lights were flickering everywhere on the wall. I had never seen anything like this before. As I looked down upon bean-sized humans busily moving around, I felt like I had become a higher being.

    My heart throbbed.

    I want to go there. I want to see it nearby, I want to go sightseeing! The only thing that lasted long was the wall and I couldn¡¯t see anything resembling a town. Perhaps noticing the change in my demeanor, Monika started explaining.

    ¡°This is the great wall of the abominable Lomberg. It was originally created for the turf war of humans, but today it only remains as the fortress that hinders our troops.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see a town.¡±

    ¡°The city is further west ¨C near the Burg river that¡¯s known for its strong currents. However, please rest assured, if we move away slightly, we will be able to cross the river without being seen by anybody.¡± The fort is different from any other city I have seen. It¡¯s somewhat futuristic. I¡¯m really frustrated. I¡¯m sure the city would be full of things I had never seen before.

    ¡°Hey, Monica, can¡¯t we look around the city? You can take on a human¡¯s form, right?¡±

    At that time she was wearing proper clothes, unlike her erotic appearance right now. Well, how I can sneak in is a different matter, but the caravan shouldn¡¯t have reached the city yet so maybe if I can use my dog form¡­

    Monica returned a troubled reply to the question I asked excitedly.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ my deepest apologies. That city has the perfect countermeasure against vampires and they are extremely vigilant towards visitors that arrive at night.¡±

    ¡°¡­What a pity. I wanted to see the city.¡±

    If not for Monica and Oliver, I could go sightseeing with Senri¡­ Now, as for how to convince the caravan, is it too late to start over?

    As I was on the brink of seriously changing my mind, Monica hurriedly added.

    ¡°However, our base is not any worse either. I am sure you will enjoy it more than any human city.¡±

    ¡°I was enjoying living as a dog too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Lord End, you are¡­ quite unique.¡±

    I might have attained a body that can move freely, but things still don¡¯t quite go my way. I sighed lightly and saw off the lights that were gradually becoming more distant with painful reluctance.

    ? ? ?

    We crossed the broad Berg River, which had a rapid stream that you could say even came from the sky, which also cut across the wasteland. The sky gradually brightened and the Sun bore its head from beyond the horizon. My body started tingling but I didn¡¯t pay it any mind.

    The scenery changed completely from a moment ago. Monika flew straight towards a big mountain range. But it wasn¡¯t just a mountain. A huge base, big enough to be clearly visible even from a distance was built on the mountainside.

    Crudely made buildings seemed to have been added repeatedly without much thought and the stench of blood, flesh and iron tainted the drifting wind. Dawn hadn¡¯t fully arrived yet, but there were still fires lit and even looking from above, it was noticeable that a group of clearly non-human beings were shouting creepily. Some of them seemed to have noticed Monica and howled in greeting.

    ¡°As you may know, Demon King Rainel is also known as Lion King. Intelligent beasts make up most of his subordinates.¡±

    I felt thrilled. While this might be a place that doesn¡¯t suit my keen senses, I feel excited as if I have wandered into a mythical world. Even the stench that would have definitely made me cringe as a human doesn¡¯t bother me right now. This could be considered to be characteristic for vampires.

    I would definitely love to look around if it¡¯s safe.

    ¡°That over there is Lord Rainel¡¯s castle. It was built only as a temporary  residence before Romberg had been conquered however¡­¡±

    Monica pointed at a magnificent castle that was far too different from the crude city below. The castle, built by cutting through part of the mountain and making use of nature, was majestic in a different sense than Romberg. If the Lion King signifies the king of lions, this castle is perfect for him.

    Just as I was looking around with sparkling eyes like a country bumpkin, Monica spoke up.

    ¡°However, the Sun will rise soon. Although it might not be worthy of your presence, please wait for a short while at my house. I have to report the good news to Lord Rainel.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯ll be quiet.¡± If most of Rainel¡¯s subordinates are beasts, wouldn¡¯t I be able to move around freely in my beast form? Monica looked at me full of worry, while I was happily lost in my thoughts.

 Chapter 65: The Demon King

    ¡°A King of the Night¡­ an Ancestor, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no doubt as Oliver has a keen sense for sniffing out vampires.¡±

    There exists a being called the Demon King.

    It is a title given by the weakest and most populous under the sun, the humans, to a being that rules over enemies of mankind.

    There have been many different kinds of Demon Kings. Intelligent beasts as well as dragons. Or even what was once human.

    Most of the magical beasts live in a world where only the strong can survive. As long as one is strong, it is not all that hard to subdue monsters that display hostility towards mankind.

    Rainel, who Monica was prostrated before, is also such an existence. He used his strength alone to expand his influence and before long, he had attained the title of Demon King.

    His hoarse voice had the power to make anyone shrivel up.

    Perhaps the reason Monica felt his presence oppressing, despite being on her knees and not even seeing him in the eye, was because she was afraid of him.

    Rumors say, the blood of a famous, magnificent and ancient dragon flows through his veins.

    The Demon King, Rainel, grunted as Monica silently knelt with her head almost touching the ground and said in an exasperated tone.

    ¡°That damn Oliver¡­ strong he may be, but knows no pride.¡±

    ¡°Vampires are the personification of fear to werewolves. Since the king of the night from ancient times is third in rank after the king of beasts, they can be considered quite strong. Dare I say Oliver¡¯s reaction was only natural.¡±

    Vampires are capable of turning the ones they feed on, who are called progenies, but that ability does not seem to be passed on in its full effect down the generations.

    The curse gradually grows weaker with every generation. Basically the ones turned are less powerful than their master. Rank Three means a third generation descendant of a Rank Zero Ancestor.

    The one who turned Oliver was the progeny of the progeny of the progeny of the ¡®King of Beasts¡¯. Though a Rank Three, the origin of their power was a once well-known ¡®King of Beasts¡¯, so they must have had unparalleled strength.

    Rainel snorted as if he was disinterested in Monica¡¯s statement.

    ¡°So, is this man¡­ strong?¡±

    ¡°Forgive me, Lord Rainel, but¡­ there is no such thing as a weak vampire. Though¡­ he seems a little peculiar, it would put a crimp in our plans for us to become opponents. He could help in conquering Romberg if we make him an ally.¡±

    ¡°Vampires have too many weaknesses.¡±

    ¡°Those weaknesses¡­ are nothing but the flip side of the powerful curse. As abominable as it may be, vampires live in contradiction to the law of life. You are well aware of Oliver¡¯s strength, my liege.¡±

    Rainel laughed for the first time. His deep voice reverberated in the dimly lit fortress.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ he didn¡¯t die despite being torn to pieces. That was enough to take even me by surprise.¡±

    Vampires¡­ and the strong point of undead in general is something that cannot be found in other beings. That is their ability to regenerate.

    The undead are not living beings. It is no ordinary feat to kill them simply with force. Oliver has inherited only a portion of the regenerative ability.

    And what if he were to come face to face with a genuine vampire that possesses powers beyond regeneration and other numerous powerful abilities?

    Hot breath blew over Monica¡¯s head.

    ¡°I welcome anybody strong with open arms. But¡­ you should know the rules here. I understand your thinking but I don¡¯t intend to bend those rules for anybody even if they may be a King of the Night. My followers will not stand for it. Nor will I.¡±

    ¡°¡­ As you command.¡±

    The King¡¯s will must be established.

    However, what kind of effect will all of this have on a vampire, in a world where power reigns supreme and the strong make the rules?

    Monica Ultivia could not help but feel ill at ease.

    ? ? ?

    Vampires do not sleep. As to whether they can or cannot sleep, they can but they just do not need to.

    Actually, I was awake the whole time Senri kept me in the carry case. I might hit my limit if I go for several days without sleep but that has not happened so far.

    I had made the decision to not sleep behind enemy lines. Naturally, I do not intend to escape from here on the very first day.

    I closed my eyes and patiently waited for Monica to return.

    Monica¡¯s place was close to the fortress. Unlike easy to set up fixtures like tents that I was used to, these dwellings were proper ones made of bricks. The house even had a separate bedroom and living room. There were no windows but that only meant that no sunlight would seep in if the door were properly secured.

    Though a lot more modest than a room at an inn in town, it felt rather comfortable.

    Hierarchy probably exists in the Demon King¡¯s army. The closer you get to the fortress, the fancier the dwellings become.

    Going by that, Monica must be quite higher up the ladder.

    The sun went down again. I awaited her with my eyes closed, when I sensed her scent drawing near. The sound of the door opening. The presence entered the house.

    Monica casually climbed into bed and rolled over to me as I lay with my eyes closed. She lay still for a while but eventually put down whatever she was carrying on the floor.

    She did not seem to want to attack me. Well if she really intended to kill me she would try to do so during the day. Although her actions were within expectations, I still felt a little relieved.

    I rubbed my eyes as I got up.

    ¡°Did you wake up just now, Lord End?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It wasn¡¯t a bad sleep.¡±

    It would have been perfect if I could have had Senri¡¯s blood. Monica pointed to what she brought and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing too grand, but I brought you some clothes. I couldn¡¯t bring you any armor or helmet as I wasn¡¯t sure of your size¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not really particular about my clothes and I¡¯m built pretty tough. Not to mention they¡¯re all gonna come off when I transform.¡±

    I was always in the nude in my dog form so I was starting to grow accustomed to it, but that was scary in a sense, as I was so close to losing something important as a human.

    The clothes she brought were smooth to the touch and made of fine material. There was even underwear. After putting on a black shirt that fit me perfectly and a pair of pants, I finally felt human.

    A rudimentary question popped up in my head so I voiced it.

    ¡°¡­ Does anyone in this army wear clothes?¡±

    ¡°Almost none. Those garments were pilfered from a human settlement. Protective gear like armor or helm are more in demand but there aren¡¯t many that could fit into them. Since clothing is the most blase thing ever, we have a mountain full of those. They are being used as fuel but firewood lasts much longer, so¡­¡±

    Well, I guess beasts would not feel the need to cover up. The members of the army I spotted while being carried by Monica were mostly of the beast type. There were also bipeds but I doubt even they wear clothes.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s nice that I get to look smart.¡±

    ¡°A plus point of having a human form.¡±

    Monica grinned for a second but soon her expression turned serious.

    ¡°I was tasked to relay Lord Rainel¡¯s intention for you to pay him a visit and I also got you the approval to take a look around. Also¡­ there aren¡¯t a lot of humanoids in this army. The unshakable rule we live by is the ¡®survival of the fittest¡¯. All of us are rather bloodthirsty, so you might find yourself entangled in something sooner or later.¡±

    Well it is true that I do not really exude strength at a glance. I grew a little muscle when I evolved into a lesser vampire, but it is still pretty modest compared to anybody belonging to the beast race.

    However, this is still better than my dog form in which I look a little too adorable.

    I would like to avoid getting in trouble to be honest. I do consider myself to be fairly strong but that does not mean I like being in fights.

    Not to mention, the soldiers in this army are probably all best of the best.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can be done to prevent trouble?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult¡­ to get everyone to comply. For anybody to gain anything in this army, they need to win it with their own hands. Everybody in the army was chosen for their strength, even the top brass, except for outliers like me.¡±

    What a terrifying place! I cannot conceive of this as a human society¡­ ahh, I guess it is not one.

    I am just a peace-loving vampire, who is totally content as long as he is fed a bit of blood.

    I grimaced and Monica spoke with a determined tone.

    ¡°On that note¡­ I¡¯m ashamed to request this of you¡­ but if possible could you please refrain from killing any who might attack you?¡±

    ¡°¡­ What?¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t really come at you with intent to kill. I kindly beg you to consider my request.¡±

    I stood a little dazed and Monica once again bowed deeply.

    ? ? ?

    The fortified city, Romberg was filled with an air of exaltation and anxiety that is often the atmosphere during wartime.

    Romberg was originally built to prevent invasion from the north. Therefore, a better part of its population was composed of soldiers and people involved in military affairs.

    After somehow managing to lead the merchant group safely into town, exchanging information for a whole day, Senri was finally set free.

    Living up to the name of a fortified town, its defenses were impeccable. The whole town was surrounded by a solid wall with water flowing here and there as part of anti-vampire measures.

    ¡°I was afraid that something would happen on the way, but I¡¯m really grateful for all your help this time. If possible I¡¯d like to request you to continue to assist us, Senri¡­¡±

    The current leader of the merchant group, Laurel, bowed deeply.

    He looked worn out and appeared to have aged several years since the first time Senri met him.

    That said, maybe having delivered the goods safely had set him at ease for his face looked a bit brighter.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I have things to do.¡±

    I need to meet up with End one way or another.

    In the end, they never doubted Senri.

    A dog capable of transforming into a human is quite uncommon and it may have been a mistake for him to travel along with this group, but it was also thanks to that that they were saved. If they were to condemn her for bringing him into the group then they would also need to address the fact that they attracted a werewolf to join their ranks.

    The fact that Baron did not kill anyone must have also worked in his favor.

    Although they seem to be of the opinion that it was possible only because Senri had kept a watchful eye on him, the reason behind the deaths was abundantly clear.

    Senri tried to steer the conversation towards Baron several times, but the information exchange ended with him never being brought up.

    From the view of the general populace, forces of darkness are enemies of mankind. And they are right to think so.

    Even Senri had slaughtered countless vampires up until now, but all of them had been genuine threats to mankind that gleefully attacked humans.

    End is simply a miraculous outlier. So Senri could not carelessly allude to the fact that End had contained himself only because he obeyed her will, as that might lead to a misconception and result in more victims down the line. It was rather unfortunate that End had to break away but it was the right choice.

    Katerina, who treated Baron with much fondness, called out nervously.

    She was the daughter of a merchant and a few years younger than Senri.

    ¡°Miss Senri¡­ are you going to look for Baron?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±

    ¡°To kill him?¡±

    Katerina had tears in her eyes.

    Looks like she really loved Baron and those feelings had returned to her.

    She might not be aware of the threat vampires pose. Senri looked her full in the eye.

    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll restrain him. Vampires don¡¯t really transform into white dogs and though we travelled for a long time, he didn¡¯t really feed on anyone. Perhaps that werewolf was mistaken and¡­ Baron is just a relatively friendly beast.¡±

    Senri had to add to it. She put on a grim expression.

    I am sure End will forgive me for saying this.

    ¡°Vampires are basically¡­ terrifying creatures. They are the enemy of mankind. The Death Knights simply possess the right abilities to fight them, but in general¡­ not even a hundred ordinary humans are a match for them. Don¡¯t ever forget that.¡±

    End is strong. I doubt he would lose to that werewolf.

    He is yet to go through the next stage in evolution, but he is already a monster in his own right.

    His physical abilities are already on par with that of a vampire¡¯s and he also possess abilities vampires do not usually possess.

    Everything is decided by affinity. And it was lacking until now.

    End will probably soon find out. Just how dangerous a vampire is in a situation where its weaknesses cannot be exploited.

 Chapter 66: Demon Kingâ€™s Army

    While I was looking around the base of Demon King Rainel¡¯s army, I realized why such weak creatures as humans could prevail in a world swarming with mythical and magical beasts.

    The physique of the beasts might be suited for hunting, but it¡¯s not fit for building civilization. And, they take up a lot of space since they walk on all fours.

    There might be individual differences in their reproductive capabilities, but even if they¡¯re as intelligent as humans, increasing their numbers would probably not be very easy. Some of them might be able to use magic, but magic can only do work crudely and won¡¯t be a good substitute for dexterous hands.

    There are a great variety of beasts in Demon King Rainel¡¯s army. But while I was guided around the base by Monica, I was able to see the hierarchy within the army.

    Basically, the bipedal magical beasts are more intelligent.

    I have heard that the more powerful a demon is, the closer it is to resembling a human. The further we were from the castle and closer to the foot of the mountain, the more beasts there were. The closer we were to the castle, the more we would see bipedal beasts.

    Still, all the different species in the army didn¡¯t seem to be of one mind, so the atmosphere seemed uncomfortable. I¡¯m sure some of those beasts were enemies before joining the army.

    What a truly fearsome person, to be able to control so many beasts, he is indeed deserving of his Demon King title.

    And, Monica Ultivia seemed to be in a respectable position even within Demon King Rainel¡¯s army.

    From what I know, demons are powerful apparitions. I could already make some inference from the fact that she had been left with the mission to cut off the humans¡¯ supply route and could directly talk with the Demon King, but her face was also well-recognized amongst the lower members of the army.

    Monica has a very charming appearance, though I¡¯m not exactly sure if those of the different species can also recognize that, but the gazes drawn to her were more filled with awe. She¡¯s most likely not a soldier at least.

    ¡°You must have a high position.¡±

    ¡°It is because demons and magical beasts have vastly different abilities¡­It¡¯s not as powerful as the ¡°Fascinate Eye¡± of the King of the Night, but it is enough to manipulate targets on a wide range.¡±

    I guess that¡¯s common knowledge here. Monica¡¯s words were said casually.

    From the looks of it, demons truly excel at tempting humans. And, vampires also have similar legends. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to use this ability, but apparently, vampires who have lived long, can make people spellbound just by looking them in the eyes. Not like it could work on Senri anyway though.

    ¡°Did you perhaps use that ability on me?¡±

    Right now, I¡¯m a little excited at this unknown new situation, but usually, I¡¯m much more cautious.

    My question bewildered Monica.

    ¡°¡­You must be joking. There is no way ¡®Charm¡¯ could work on a vampire.¡±

    Seems like it won¡¯t be effective on me. Well, I wanted to see the world even before I died anyway¡­

    In Rainel¡¯s army, everything seemed to be made viable via plundering.

    The supplies obtained by attacking human villages were distributed in order of strength. Is this what the true meritocracy looks like?

    Lower layer ¨C At the bottom of the base, everybody was doing whatever they wanted.

    This confined encampment full of blood, flesh, screams and roars was like hell on earth. They are probably eagerly waiting for when they get to fight. According to Monica, there technically was a commanding officer here, but I couldn¡¯t really tell the difference.

    Generally, those with the most scars had the highest chance to be the squad leaders. ¡®That part is similar to humans,¡¯ said Monica, while I could only nod in agreement.

    The upper layer was in a better state than the lower layer. I started seeing more humanoids like ogres and beastmen and the density of population there wasn¡¯t so high either.

    Some of them were looking at Monica lustfully. Looks like the beasts and ogres have the same aesthetical senses as humans. Now that I think about it, ogres and demons kidnapping beauties is a staple in fairy tales.

    There was a sturdy stone building at one part of the upper layer, at the side of the castle. Monica pointed at it.

    ¡°That is a treasure storage. Where the loot goes is all decided through battle. Everything from stolen weapons and armor, to alcohol and meat and human prisoners, even the ranks within the same race, everything is decided by fighting. It¡¯s a system where the strong get everything.¡±

    ¡°¡­What about money?¡±

    ¡°Human currency is meaningless in the army. The soldiers of the lower layer hold no interest in it. It is technically used for exchange by the members of the higher layer though¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that how you get these clothes too?

    ¡°¡­Human clothes are not popular, so there is no scramble for them.¡±

    I see¡­ culture sure differs from place to place.

    They are undoubtedly the enemies of mankind. Their livelihood depends on plundering so reaching the understanding between the two races might not be that easy. Besides, they are going to such lengths to oppose humans, so the Demon King¡¯s side probably has their own emotional reasons too.

    However, perhaps because I¡¯m already an enemy of humanity, I don¡¯t feel aversion towards them. There is not much I can do on my own here anyway. I feel similar to when I felt fine despite seeing a corpse for the first time.

    While I was looking around with the mood as if I was on a picnic, a low voice suddenly called out from behind.

    ¡°Monica, what¡¯s with that guy?¡±

    It was a voice that was hard on ears, clearly not made with human vocal cords.

    Standing behind us was a giant man I had to crank my neck to look up at. No, to be exact, it was ¡®probably¡¯ a man. I can¡¯t tell the gender of humanoids.

    He¡¯s probably 3 meters tall? His skin is covered with black scales and he has golden eyes like those of reptiles. His arms are robust and several times thicker than mine. He¡¯s almost fully naked except for the straw skirt around his waist. Perhaps he is more skillful than he looks, as he is carrying a trident on his back.

    I could see his narrow tongue within the gaps between his fangs.

    He¡¯s probably a Lizardman. It¡¯s one of the humanoid species opposing mankind, known for their ferocity and their superb physical abilities. It¡¯s my first time seeing one.

    ¡°Selzard¡­This person is Lord End Baron, the honored guest of Lord Rainel.¡±

    ¡°A honored¡­guest? Who, a human? Is he the kin of that bastard Oliver Arbor? Or is he your slave? Is he a snitch from Romberg?¡±

    He was clearly insulting me.

    His sharp gaze held strong bloodlust. He was also accompanied by several smaller lizardmen behind him.

    Lizardmen are generally classified as monsters. It¡¯s because their culture is far too different from humans.

    They¡¯re omnivorous, but they also eat humans. On top of being ferocious, they can also use tools to some extent, but since their forging is not very advanced, they attack human villages and towns for human tools.

    On the contrary, I have heard that because they like to settle down near beautiful rivers or swamps where precious plants grow, they are sometimes hunted by humans. It¡¯s no surprise that they would side with the Demon King¡¯s army.

    I was not aware that they could speak human language.

    ¡°A shrewd and weak, foolish human. On top of that, the one who even sold out his comrades¡­ unbelievable. My tribe was driven out from our home by you bastards.¡±

    He tilts his body and glares at me from a closer distance. His nostrils are flaring. I take a step back and frown.

    I don¡¯t know how to answer that. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the one who drove them off, and I might have felt more empathetic had they been innocent, but you guys eat humans, right? And on top of that, I have heard that you even plunder for human inventions. Humans have no mercy even for people of their race, there is no way they would leave you alone.

    Perhaps realizing that the situation was not looking good, Monica replied in a hurry.

    ¡°?! How insolent! How dare you mistake His Highness for a mere human¡­This person is neither a human, nor a snitch, a slave or a werewolf. He is ¡®the King of the Night¡¯!¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    There was no warning.

    The moment he heard those words, the left hand of the lizardmen called Selzard was piercing my torso with its sharp claws.

    My feet left the ground from the impact. Pain ran through my body belatedly. He pierced my heart with tremendous force just as described by rumors.

    Monica was rendered speechless. Before my body even touched the ground, the trident that had been unsheathed who knows when, was swung down on my head.

    A strong impact. My body was slammed on the ground by an inhuman force. Selzard stomped on my body as I was laying on the ground. My body and the bones creaked beneath his force.

    ¡°W-what are you doing¡­ all of a sudden-!?¡±

    ¡°My hometown was trampled by a King of the Night!¡±

    That wasn¡¯t me either. I want to retort back but I can¡¯t make a sound.

    Selzard¡¯s voice is full of trong anger and exaltation. The ground is cold, and the blood from my head is dripping into my eyes.

    ¡°Tsk¡­ but, is this all? Is this all that the dreadful King of the Night is capable of¨D¨D?!¡±

    I was careless. I knew that there was a possibility somebody could stir troubles with me, but I did not expect to actually get attacked all of a sudden. That being said, he didn¡¯t attack when he thought I was a human, but tried to kill me the moment he found out I was a vampire. Aren¡¯t those Kings of the Night a bit too sinful?

    I pull myself together and get up by propping myself with my hands. I was made to roll on the ground big time, but not because I¡¯m into that or anything.

    I put more effort and raise my legs. Both my pierced heart and the broken head are already healed. Looks like his spear wasn¡¯t made out of silver.

    Selzard put all his strength in his legs, but his force wasn¡¯t as powerful as Albertus.

    ¡°Impossible¡­ I pierced through your heart¡ª¡°

    ¡°My precious new clothes are ruined¡­¡±

    My heart is indeed my weakness, but I won¡¯t die instantly if they don¡¯t use a wooden stake. I might have panicked if he followed it up with more attacks, but just stomping on me is cutting it too easy. He should learn more from Albertus.

    No, it¡¯s not like I mind it that much or anything. I don¡¯t, mind it. I¡¯m a peaceful vampire.

    I¡¯m just a little pissed because he attacked me without any warning. A single hit is just a single hit.

    Selzard¡¯s legs gave in and his posture crumbled. I dove towards his open torso before Monica stopped me and swung my fist at him at full power, letting my emotions carry me away.

    There was a short sound. The air trembled strongly.

    Monica was lost for words, while Selzard opened his eyes wide.

    My fist was completely buried in his body. Looks like the scales that covered his body were not as tough as Albertus¡¯ fur. If he had a slightly shorter stature, I would have completely pierced through him.

    The sensation of something soft and hot enveloping my fist, along with a sensation of his hard bones, brought me a somehow creepy feeling of exaltation.

    Selzard swung his trident with his trembling right hand.

    I pulled my fist out of his body while feeling slightly apologetic and avoided the spear that was swung powerlessly by moving back.

    ¡°My bad, I didn¡¯t use my claws just in case, but I didn¡¯t expect to pierce through your scales so easily.¡±

    ¡°Gu¡­kh¡­¡±

    His giant body is already convulsing after just a single hit. I guess not even tough lizardman warriors can survive unharmed after having been punched through the center of their body.

    I can still see fighting spirit in his eyes, but the only thing he can do right now is barely hold himself together while staggering.

    Meeting an opponent with such poor durability is actually kind of fresh. I look down at my clothes that had a giant hole in them.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t intend for the situation to turn out like this. It wasn¡¯t on purpose. But, isn¡¯t it strange that I had my heart pieced and my head broken and yet I¡¯m still¡­ the aggressor? Honestly, out of everybody I have fought, you¡¯re the weakest. It would have been better if you attacked me right at the beginning.¡±

    No matter what, meeting him after Albertus doesn¡¯t match the set precedence.

    ¡°¡­Cu..r..se¡­.yo¡­u¡­¡±

    As Selzard groans while holding the hole that has been opened in his body, he collapses on the spot.

    The ground shakes. The collapsed giant convulses and paints the ground with green blood.

    He might have seemed strong, but he turned out to be quite weak.

    That being said, I still gained something I need to reflect on. I left my heart vulnerable enough to allow somebody to land a blow at it. I would be dead had Selzard used a wooden stake as his weapon.

    Something cold runs down my spine a bit too late. Looks like I need to be more alert.

    I look around at other lizardmen. Their eyes are filled both with fiery killing intent and fear.

    Senri will probably forgive me since this was for self-defense.

    Lizardman¡¯s blood probably won¡¯t be able to sate my vampire urges, but it can¡¯t be helped. If somebody tries to kill me, I won¡¯t hesitate to kill them either. I would run away if it was somebody stronger, but if they¡¯re at Selzard¡¯s level, I¡¯m sure I can take two on without breaking a sweat.

    ¡°There¡¯s probably no meaning in sucking blood that is not human¡¯s¡­¡±

    The moment I mumbled this, Monica apologized in a suppliant manner.

    ¡°Please accept, my apologies! Please forgive Selzard, who did not understand his standing, for attacking you without thinking!¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­. yeah.¡±

    ¡°He¡­ did not intend to kill you!¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ he was full of killing intent though?¡±

    There was no way he did not intend to kill me after gouging my heart, swinging a spear down my head and stomping on me.

    I might be a harmless vampire, but I¡¯m not generous enough to laugh off an attack on me.

    ¡°Selzard is already half-dead!  I am sure he fully understood how strong Lord End is. I beg you to please be magnanimous! ¡°

    I think a little. Monica is bowing her head while crying.

    I wasn¡¯t really going to kill him anyway¨D¨D

    ¡­Oh well.

    I would never forgive him if it was Albertus, but Selzard is too weak to hold this over his head for too long.

    I doubt I could win if I made an enemy of the whole Demon King¡¯s army anyway. To live in peace, one must learn how to compromise¡­ Maybe I can get some blood too.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. Why don¡¯t you take him and get him treated already? A human would be dead, but a lizardman might actually survive.¡±

    Selzard, who was lying face down on the ground and convulsing, was taken away.

    I should have gouged out his heart with one blow. I find myself thinking this for a second, but my wounds have already completely healed. The only problem is the dirty clothes.

    I used some energy to heal my wounds, but it wasn¡¯t the amount to worry about.

    ¡°I want a towel and new clothes.¡±

    ¡°I will prepare them immediately.¡±

    Monica deeply bows her head at me and sprints towards the stone building.

    I lick the blood on my hand, but a lizardman¡¯s blood is as tasteless as I expected.

 Chapter 67: Sparring Part I

    To the best of my knowledge, there is more than one demon king in existence.

    I am not aware of all the details as I was bedridden and rather uninformed of worldly affairs in my past life, but they are known to be terrifying enemies of mankind. They are probably higher on the scale of danger than necromancers.

    There are a couple of reasons as to why. A demon king¡¯s sphere of influence is much wider than a necromancer¡¯s by definition. The fact that demon kings do not have an archenemy as necromancers do in the form of death knights also plays a role.

    There are even demon kings who are said to have decimated human kingdoms.

    I had long thought of the demon king¡¯s army to be a terrifying existence. I thought they would be miles stronger than the beasts I fought in the woods or the vampire hunters that came after me. However, crossing paths with Selzard made it apparent that I may have been mistaken in my conviction.

    I changed out of the torn clothes, wiped off the blood and once again restarted my day anew.

    Naturally, I am on guard now so no one gets the jump on me. I was just a little careless earlier, that is all.

    Nevertheless, maybe everyone around had been watching me clash with Selzard, for they simply observed me from afar and no one tried to attack. Even my guide Monica walked some distance away from me.

    ¡°Were you perhaps good friends with Selzard?¡±

    All I did was pay back for what he dished out. I would like for them to consider me generous for not having reciprocated in kind by gouging out his heart.

    Monica hesitated a little before her small lips opened nervously.

    ¡°¡­ No. But Selzard was of the same rank as me. And a soldier who is well-respected among his subordinates.¡±

    ¡°Is he strong?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oliver and needless to say, Lord Rainel are much more superior in terms of pure combat abilities, but Selzard still holds¡­ a high rank in the army.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, it was partly a surprise attack, so¡­¡±

    And I had called him weak. I felt a little bad, so I had to say something by way of excuse.

    Maybe he was an expert at martial arts. And I might have crushed him before he had a chance to show any moves, either way, he was not that strong in comparison to a vampire.

    All the enemies I have faced so far were on guard against me. The third class knights like Neville wielded weapons made of holy silver and need I mention the Keeper. I cannot make any excuses regarding my loss to Albertus as she was simply stronger. Looks like affinity is really important for a vampire.

    Of course, the fact that I am a lot stronger now than back when I fought Albertus probably plays into this. I received Senri¡¯s blood regularly during our travels and my soul is still falling deeper into the abyss according to the Lord.

    Monica linked her hands on her bosom and uttered.

    ¡°Your fighting prowess was beyond expectations, and I, Monica, bow down to you. I had heard that the night kings are not all equally strong, but to think you barely broke a sweat as you crushed Selzard without even utilizing any special skills, you must be a helluva powerful King, Lord End¡­¡±

    Absurd flattery. Her tone may appear bright but true dread dwelt in her eyes.

    Nevertheless, that bit of information was significant. The special skills Monica mentioned must be the abilities unique to a vampire.

    As I am still a lesser vampire, I do not possess most of those abilities. However, Monica does not seem to be aware of that.

    Also, my physical abilities¡­ could possibly be better than an average vampire¡¯s.

    I can guess why. It is probably because of Senri¡¯s blood. Which is why it makes it all the more baffling as to why I am still yet to evolve into a real vampire despite accumulating so much power.

    Either way, brooding over the matter is not going to get me anywhere. I shall just check with the vestige of the vestige of the vestige of the vestige of Lord¡¯s soul should it pop up next time.

    ¡°Everything is merit based in this army. You might easily be able to reach the top, Lord End.¡±

    Monica uttered something preposterous despite the fact that we were smack dab in the middle of Rainel¡¯s base. Is she trying to test me?

    If Selzard was a valuable asset to the demon king¡¯s army, I suppose she is trying to ascertain whether I am an enemy or ally.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested. I have other things to do, and I plan to leave here in due time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a shame.¡±

    Monica¡¯s head hung low.

    What am I to do if Senri decides to set off to god knows where, leaving me behind? I am awfully curious about Monica¡¯s blood, but she could still never replace Senri.

    Senri is aware of how long I can withstand my thirst. At most¡­ the grace period would be ten days.

    It should be possible to locate Senri if I track her scent by taking on the dog form. That is, only if she had not taken off by herself¡­ she would not leave me behind, would she?

    I peeked at the voluptuous Monica.

    You are mistaken, Senri. I am not cheating on you.

    I am just interested in her blood as a vampire. I am totally not thinking she would be fine even if I were to be rough while feeding on her because she is a demon. Trust me.

    As I was caught in a hell of my own making, I and Monica entered the treasury.

    The treasury of Rainel¡¯s army was not as resplendent as I had imagined.

    It was not even fancy, but just a simple stone walled warehouse.

    From what I gather, it seems to be used like a warehouse too. It was no more than a place where all the loot was gathered.

    I cannot imagine monsters coveting jewelry, so I was not completely overtaken by surprise at what I was presented with.

    There was a hint of the smell of smoke in the chilly air.

    My line of sight was instinctively drawn towards a particular door. Ever since I could transform into a dog, my sense of smell seems to have grown a lot sharper.

    The other side of the steel door reeked. There were several scents mixed together, but one of them was human.

    However, Monica said nothing about it and guided me deeper into the warehouse.

    The scent of blood, flesh, death and delirium was drawing near. Monica stopped in front of a remarkable door, hesitated for a moment before opening it.

    ¡°This is the arena I mentioned before. This place decides where the spoils of war should go.¡±

    I was shown a huge room. No, I suppose calling it a courtyard would be more appropriate.

    There was no ceiling and looking up one could see all the stars in the sky. There was nothing like a stage and the ground was bare with blood stains clinging on to it here and there.

    At this very moment, two monsters were duking it out. They looked humanoid in appearance, except they were twice as big. Their skin was as dark as iron, and they had two horns growing out of their head.

    I wonder if they are demi-humans referred to as ogres. They are monsters classified as demi-humans just like lizardmen.

    The two of the ogres were going all out in a fist fight.

    They had no kind of protection or armor on. The muffled sound that escaped when their fists connected with the other¡¯s body was only drowned out by their roars.

    I heard blood spatter and bones break. The blood was black. However, none looked like they were willing to stop.

    They look rather evenly matched and other similar looking ogres roared their encouragement for both the warriors.

    Monica whispered more details.

    ¡°The item that¡¯s up for grabs right now is the claymore the enemy chief wielded when we attacked Romberg. Strong weapons could help raise one¡¯s ranks, so everyone wishes to get their hands on them.¡±

    The weapon does not interest me in the least. If I had to pick, I am more interested in the ogres fighting.

    Ogres are known for their formidable strength. They have a stronger physique than humans, with skin as hard as steel and every single blow from those fists are deadly. Also, they have the custom of devouring the warrior they defeat in battle. Experienced soldiers would know better than to take ogres head-on.

    This match did not seem a fully fledged one as both of them were not using any weapons, even so, every punch had incredible blood lust behind it.

    My expression warped like a demon¡¯s as I observed the survival of the fittest that was the motto of Rainel¡¯s army.

    ¡°Killing is prohibited. As everything in the army belongs to Lord Rainel.¡±

    ¡°What if you accidentally end up killing your opponent?¡±

    ¡°Killing is prohibited.¡±

    Monica stressed the point once again. However, punches like that could easily kill humans. And in actuality, the arena reeked of death.

    The winner was decided as we looked on. A kick from the somewhat larger ogre on the right, connected with the abdomen of the ogre on the left that swung its fists wide, despite appearing unsteady on its feet. Not even a monster known for its herculean strength and endurance could withstand such an attack from its own kind. The ogre on the left roared wildly, retching and soiling itself, tumbling to the floor.

    It still seemed to be hanging onto life, its body was twitching but there were no signs of it getting back up.

    The ogre that won cried out in triumph and its allies cheering on from the sidelines all joined in. Only their appearance seemed similar to humans.

    I shielded my ears from their roars, when Monica violently gestured to her abdomen, and spoke hesitatingly.

    ¡°So¡­ Lord End. How do I put this¡­ live humans are very popular trophies.¡±

    I see. The guests are not given any special treatment.

    Then what was with Oliver stating that he would prepare hundreds of humans for me?

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m fine with your blood though.¡±

    ¡°?!¡­ Please have mercy.¡±

    She seems to be really against the idea. To think she would be so afraid despite being a demon and that scantily dressed; she could learn a thing or two from Senri, who though unwilling lets me feed and allows me to touch her here and there.

    ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to kill, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Absolutely not.¡±

    Monica¡¯s expression grew stiff as she declared.

    Well I would have no part of this if killing was allowed, but if that is not the case, I would not mind testing my strength.

    Even after observing the duel, I was unable to discern the disparity in our strengths.

    I guess the only choice is to jump into the ring myself. Exchanging blows with ogres should make it clear where my physical abilities stand. Even if I were to lose, pain is nothing new to me.

    Know thy self, know thy enemy. This is a good opportunity.

    I am not really hankering for humans, but I am probably a better option for them than being prisoners of Rainel. I only need their blood and have no use for their lives.

    I took off my shirt as it would be a shame if it got destroyed again, stretched my arms wide, and walked to the center of the arena.

    Monica seemed to call out to me, but I ignored her. Even if I am only just testing my strength, it is obviously smart to choose an injured opponent to fight first.

    The ogre that was the victor of the duel looked surprised to see me appear out of nowhere.

    The injured, towering giant of an ogre was intimidating as hell. With its huge body, thick limbs and hard muscles, it looked nothing like me, a human.

    However, what can I say, Albertus was just so overwhelming that this ogre did not seem like a threat at all. Albertus and Ep¨¦e have really made my sense of danger go numb.

    I cannot discern either of our strengths, but thinking back to what happened with Selzard, I had better be on guard.

    Eyes like glass beads were as red as mine and despite having just been in a battle, the ogre looked raring to go.

    ¡°Ack¡­ what the heck are you¡­¡±

    ¡°Show me what you got, champion.¡±

    Something smoldered deep in the recesses of my mind. Maybe it was the battle instincts of the vampire that made them brutal.

    And so, the ogre roared and without warning, swung down its fists at me.

 Chapter 68: Sparring (2)

    An Ogre seen from a close distance was something else. He was breathing heavily and his steel skin shone with a mysterious luster. I felt a strong heat from him, perhaps his body temperature was higher than a human¡¯s.

    However, even when a giant fist was swung down on me, I still didn¡¯t flinch.

    Humanoid creatures are nothing compared to giant dogs the size of food stalls. The ogre¡¯s flesh squeaked. Fittingly, his shocking visage contorted. ¡°Impossible¡­ this is¡­ impossible¡­¡±

    ¡°Not bad, Champion.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t just evade his fist. His iron-colored fist, that was one size larger than me, contained tremendous strength in it. However, while Ogres seem to be very powerful ¨C they still aren¡¯t the enemies of vampires, who have grown stronger by drinking only the finest quality blood.

    His fist caught in the palm of my hand creaked. Blood vessels appeared on the face of the ogre with bared sharp fangs, making him look tense. However, even with all that force, he couldn¡¯t make me budge. I¡¯m still fine. He might be twice my size in everything, including thickness of his arms, weight and physique, but I¡¯m still stronger. I divert the fist I caught to the side. His giant body grandly loses its footing. I try to land a blow on my enemy¡¯s body, but my body is thrown in the air with a violent impact. I feel my bones break and my flesh twist. After drawing a high arc in the air, I somehow manage to land on the ground.

    I was kicked in my solar plexus, but I did not feel much pain. I also managed to land a blow on his chest. My wound has already healed too. ¡°A-aghhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    The ogre roars and kicks the ground with force, but perhaps the blow I did to his body dealt a lot of damage, as his movements aren¡¯t as sharp as before and his center of gravity seems to have shifted too. Looks like my durability and regeneration abilities are better than his.

    We exchange fists head on, just like he had done with another ogre a while ago. I could avoid his punches, but there were no real reasons to. Ogres have claws and fangs and their fists are so boney, they¡¯re closer to a blunt weapon, but they¡¯re not made of silver. I only played along because this seemed to be their way of fighting.

    I let him hit me as many times as I hit him. My field of vision blurs, my flesh squeaks and my body shakes from the impact, I take hits to my head, my shoulders, my stomach, and my legs.

    Still, even if we take the same damage, Champion is the one who slows down. Champion¡¯s vigor was fierce, as expected from the winner of the previous battle, but he couldn¡¯t escape from the limits of his body. After taking a hit to his chin, Champion¡¯s head shook and he finally kneeled over. How inconvenient it is for living beings; to become immobile after just having their brains shaken.

    The result has already been decided. Well, I did have a handicap, but now I¡¯m the Champion. And I¡¯m still ready to fight some more. My wounds have healed and I don¡¯t feel any fatigue.

    Thus, I ask other ogres who have been watching us with bated breaths.

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling good. Who¡¯s the next challenger?¡±

    ??????

    Too strong. The scenery unfolding before Monica was unbelievable for her, even if she had prior knowledge about it.

    An ogre, species known for their superior physical strength, was losing to somebody two heads smaller than him.. The palm that used the center of gravity to its advantage was raised, and yet the ogre, who put in so much effort until his face turned red, still could not make him budge. End, himself, looked undisturbed. It was natural, as his body was already dead.

    She only wanted to test his strength, but even just a slight test was enough to ascertain that he would be the natural enemy for Demon King Rainel¡¯s army. To start with, this was the opponent that even Oliver, who boasted of his regeneration ability and his superhuman strength, regarded as out of his league. All things had their good and bad matches. Undead, humans and the Demon King¡¯s army were in a three-way deadlock. The Demon King¡¯s army, where a lot of individuals with superior physical abilities gathered, tend to overpower humans. They would not lose easily even against Death Knights. However, on the other hand, they are very weak against high-ranked undead, the beings out of this world, that possess excellent physical abilities and regeneration, along with an untiring body.

    The reason for that was because, unlike the demons like Monica, for most of the races that made up the Demon King¡¯s army, their power was the source of their pride. Vampires have a lot of weaknesses to offset their enormous power, but the Demon King will not try to use those to his advantage. He might try to swap the weapons for the ones made of silver, but using flowing water, crosses or garlic is out of the question. It¡¯s because he thinks that using those would make him fall to the same level as humans, who he looks down on.

    At first glance, the ogre warrior and End seemed to be equal. The ogre¡¯s fist made End stagger and easily sent him flying. End¡¯s kick made the ogre¡¯s body that was hard as steel, creak. It seemed that the vampires were superior in terms of power, but it wasn¡¯t like the strength of the ogres was limited only to their superhuman power either.

    Even in the eyes of a layman, End¡¯s combat abilities were not very high. However, even if he wasn¡¯t very skilled, the durability of the two were far too different. The regeneration ability of the ogres was superior to humans, but a vampire¡¯s regeneration ability exceeded even that. While the movements of the opposing ogre warrior became duller, there were no changes in End¡¯s movements even since the start of the fight. Even when he was hit on the head, even when he was knocked off his feet, he attacked back without showing any signs of weakening.

    [They¡¯re¡­ really no match for him.] This vampire would most likely have no problems even going against 100 ogres in a row. Truly, a peerless warrior. In addition, End hasn¡¯t used any of his vampire¡¯s abilities either.

    The eyes of the ogres known for their bravery distort in fear. Monica had yet to fully grasp End¡¯s true strength, however, just how many beings in the Demon King¡¯s army could even match him?

    They would be eaten. In this army, where everything was decided through battles, vampires who felt neither fatigue nor damage were the worst. Just like Oliver, whose powers rivaled End¡¯s and who silenced every rebel against him with pure power, word of End¡¯s existence would spread in the blink of an eye. And, Oliver couldn¡¯t have picked a worse time to turn incompetent. Rainel is a powerful Demon King. He wouldn¡¯t easily lose to a vampire, but, on the other hand, he also wasn¡¯t the type to go against the law of the jungle he made himself.

    Finally unable to endure any more hits, the ogre warrior fell to his knees. Nobody cheered. Ogre warriors, that took pride in fighting, were completely swallowed by the atmosphere. This wasn¡¯t something that could even be called a duel. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like End had killed the ogre. Vampires were known for being violent, but perhaps Monica¡¯s insistence over and over before the match had helped. If they played their cards right, there was a chance that End would ally with them. If he did, they would have a considerable advantage over the armies of other Demon Kings.

    While Monica was busy making calculations in her mind, End spoke up with a laid-back tone.

    ??????

    I can fight. I can hold my own against them. The ogres were strong and agile, but not as much as the current me. They had endurance and their wounds healed quite fast, but not as much as the current me. After I defeated the Champion, I ambushed the new challenger ogre. After knocking down 5 of them, the challengers disappeared and I stopped fighting. Looks like a vampire¡¯s body is of higher quality than I thought. This is only talking about the case I forget about my weaknesses, but it doesn¡¯t seem like I would have problems fighting multiple opponents at the same time if they¡¯re as strong as an ogre.

    Naturally, my opponents weren¡¯t fighting seriously. They didn¡¯t have any weapons. Had they had silver weapons, they could wound me, and even without that, they could incapacitate me if they broke me apart. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t afford to get overconfident. But it¡¯s not like I showed my all either.

    Rainel¡¯s army is going to be a great training ground for me. I don¡¯t have much experience fighting humanoid creatures, and there are a lot of demons here. I wonder if I can also use of the fighting techniques that the ogres use. The one that makes use of their superhuman strength? There should be beings stronger than me in the Demon King¡¯s army. I don¡¯t particularly attach much importance to strength, but I want to gain as much experience as possible. In my opinion, I¡¯ve been too unlucky so far. ¡°You are truly powerful to be able to defeat so many ogres in a row. Even in this army¡­ you would most likely completely overpower most opponents.¡± Monica, who was observing us from a distance, praised me, but from her scent, I could easily discern what she truly thought. I felt how careful she was when choosing her words. Maybe she was trying to avoid arousing my animosity.

    ¡°I want to fight somebody strong. You see, I lack combat experience.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I have somebody in mind. You will definitely clash against them if you desire to obtain living humans.¡±

    Monica trembled and her expression turned serious. Then, she said something unexpected.

    ¡°There¡­ is a precious prisoner of war right now in this army ¨D¨D A Death Knight. One of the executives, ¡®Man-Eater¡¯, should also be participating in a battle for this prisoner. When Lord End defeats ¡®Man-Eater¡¯, your strength will be acknowledged even within this army.¡±

 CH 69

    Death Knight. It¡¯s the strongest pronoun in this world. This name, which has become synonymous with the title of Hero, and their power to manipulate a special blessed energy far surpasses many of the strongest non-human beings.

    Many of the heroic tales tell their adventures, as the Order of Death Knights has established countless legends until now. They usually target Necromancers and Undead, but sometimes they also fight against Demon Kings. Death Knights generally exorcise darkness. Their blessed energy is powerful, but it can only purify undead, and not demi-humans or dragons. That¡¯s why, I can theoretically understand how one could have lost in a battle depending on the Death Knight¡¯s ranking, but I can still hardly believe it even after hearing Monica out.

    As evident from Senri, Death Knights are extremely strong. There is no way they could be captured by the bunch I can easily deal with myself. I have not had any mock fights with Senri recently, but I still have yet to catch up to her. Well, she can fly up in case of an emergency so it can¡¯t be helped, but when you think about the physical abilities of vampires, this is not a normal thing.

    Thinking about Senri somehow made me miss her. It¡¯s a bit early but maybe I should go back¡­

    But there is a Death Knight prisoner here. If this is true, they might be Senri¡¯s friend and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be very happy if I help them out. Maybe she could even cheer me on with a little ¡°Good luck, End¡± and give me her blood. At that time I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll forgive me even if I was a bit rude to them. My fangs are aching. Besides, there is also a chance that this prisoner might have the same excellent quality blood as Senri. The possibility that they¡¯ll let me have a little taste if I save them isn¡¯t zero. It¡¯s still really low though.

    I follow Monica to go through the iron door that has been bothering me since I came here. Beyond the door lay the staircase to the basement. Apparently living prisoners are being held ahead. I can¡¯t see any prisoners yet, but the stagnant air makes me feel the strong presence of death.

    ¡°I had not thought that¡­ you would have interest in Death Knights, Lord End.¡±

    ¡°Well, they are my enemies, after all. I¡¯ve even fought them before.¡±

    Well, I was made to suffer one-sidedly though. I was subjected to the Solar Penalty by Neville¡¯s group and as for Ep¨¦e, it needn¡¯t even be said. Meanwhile, Senri won¡¯t let me catch her or drink her blood to my heart¡¯s content. ;

    But, perhaps having misunderstood me, Monica could only let out an astonished voice. Looks like she really couldn¡¯t imagine that I was Senri¡¯s lap dog.

    After we went down the stairs, we found brusque prison cells lined up. Several fully armed demi-human warriors were keeping watch nearby. The smell of death and despair permeated the air. I couldn¡¯t hear any voices from the prison. Perhaps they don¡¯t even have the energy to scream anymore. The withered prisoners, dressed in rags, were being treated much worse than Roux.

    The prison was divided into several sections. For women, for men and for elderly. They might have been divided by the popularity but the treatment in each section was pretty much the same. I saw some girls, who looked the same age as Senri, but now that I have tasted premium quality blood, they couldn¡¯t incite my appetite. I would be better off if I just released everybody and got blood from Senri instead.

    It was a tragic sight, but I didn¡¯t feel anything. ; The captives also didn¡¯t say much after seeing me. Maybe they thought that I was some kind of a humanoid demon. I lightly touched the ¡®Night Crystal¡¯ on my collar. While looking for a cute girl, who could provide me with decent quality nutritious blood, I grumbled.

    ¡°This is terrible.¡±

    ¡°We keep getting new additions and the taste doesn¡¯t seem to be affected much from what I have heard.¡±

    Seriously, this is why I don¡¯t like barbaric demons. Besides, if they¡¯re so skinny, hugging them wouldn¡¯t feel very good either. Their skin doesn¡¯t look healthy either and I¡¯ll need them to take a proper shower too¡­ I¡¯m too used to Senri¡¯s blood. Albertus¡¯ was quite delectable too, so I can¡¯t drink unsavory blood anymore.

    ¡°The women and children with soft meat are very popular. However, they are the most popular freshly caught, so there aren¡¯t any premium quality goods left here.¡±

    ¡°Monica, give them proper nutrition and put them in a cleaner cell.¡±

    Monica looks shocked at the words I said firmly, with all my heart. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a gourmet. I can¡¯t drink blood of this quality. Make them exercise moderately too, they¡¯re too skinny.¡±

    ¡°Umm, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°For us, feeding is not just a meal. I only came because you guys said that you wanted to apologize. Was it a lie? Or, will you be the one to provide me with your blood, Monica? Hm? Who do I need to beat in order for you to do as I say?¡±

    I don¡¯t just take everything in strides. I just want to drink blood deliciously and happily. It¡¯s a time of dizzying pleasure for me. It¡¯s not like I had my expectations set very high, but there is a limit to how much of a let-down this could be. ; Regardless if I have to fight that Man-Eater or not, I still want to suck blood. ¡­ Leaving Monica aside, I wonder if Senri would get mad if I drank prisoners¡¯ blood? Still, it¡¯s her fault for disappearing on me after promising to regularly give me her blood.

    ¡°I u-understand, Lord End. I will try my utmost best to think of something. Please have mercy on me.¡± Monica turns pale and takes a step back, but my sight stays nailed to her exposed soft-looking neck. The act of sucking blood seems to be accompanied by a strong feeling of pleasure that drives people crazy. This is the reason why vampires are feared and the reason why some humans voluntarily side with them. Wouldn¡¯t everything work out as long as I just bite her? There are cases when people aren¡¯t affected at all like Senri and Albertus, but those two are obviously abnormalities. Noticing my gaze, Monica hides her neck and her flashily exposed chest with her hands, but her gesture further arouses my feeding impulse. Judging from the fact that she has acknowledged Ogres for their strength, she won¡¯t be able to push me away.

    There, I strongly shake my head. No, I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯m a peaceful vampire. I can¡¯t do something as shameful as attacking an unwilling girl, and if by some chance it turns into a habit, I¡¯ll be exorcised by Senri. What if I turned into a dog to lick and chew on her? ¡­ Nono, that¡¯s not good either. I can¡¯t suck blood in my dog form.

    The place Monica led me to, while being wary of me, who was obviously obsessed with thoughts of drinking blood, was the prison cell at the very back.

    It was a particularly big prison cell. Three bored-looking fully armed ogres, perhaps acting as guards, were crowding together at a place where they could see inside the cell well. The moment I got closer, I felt the shining positive energy that set this person apart from other prisoners. My instincts were hindering me from getting closer. Something boiled up in the depth of my mind. This is probably¨D¨D my fighting spirit. While darkness is the enemy of the light, the light is also the enemy of the darkness. Senri rarely wrapped herself in light energy because she was often with me and when she did, maybe because we were allies, I never felt like this. This is something I¡¯m feeling for the first time.

    Monica warns me in a quiet voice. ¡°They have killed about thirty strong soldiers. We have bound their limbs completely but they still have some spare strength. Please be careful.¡±

    Not showing anything outwardly but still stroking my chest in relief, I reply.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ They¡¯re weaker than Neville.¡±

    They have a sufficiently strong energy, but they¡¯re weaker than any of the Death Knights I¡¯ve seen. It may also be because they¡¯re imprisoned and weakened, but they seem weaker than I expected. Looks like Senri, Neville and Lufry aren¡¯t as low-ranked as I thought. They¡¯re the subordinates of Ep¨¦e the Destroyer so it makes sense, I guess.

    Thus, I came face to face with the captured Death Knight.

    The Death Knight was hung up on the wall, both of their arms restrained with metal rings. Their legs were shackled, and giant metal balls were noisily rolling around the wide cell. Their trained body was full of scars, perhaps the result of torture, and stained with blood. However, from the fact that they were slightly moving. I could induce that they were still alive. No, they were probably exercising their power. Using blessed energy takes a high degree of concentration. Even more so if the caster is physically weakened. Their face that was pointing down, was raised up and their questioning gaze caught my figure. I could clearly see the smoldering blaze of fighting spirit behind those eyes, which belonged to the person who looked like they were on the brink of death.

    I instinctively retreated, opened my eyes wide and exclaimed. The voice I managed to squeeze out was quivering. ; ;

    ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ this a man?¡± ¡°Huh? Y-yes. We do think, that this is a man.¡±

    Monica says strangely. Nobody, nobody told me about that. I don¡¯t want to drink man¡¯s blood. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t drink it, I just absolutely don¡¯t want to drink it. Well, if I¡¯m close to death, I¡¯ll drink it hesitantly, but that would be my last resort. ;

    This is probably something all vampires would understand. It¡¯s one thing to lick the blood that got splattered on you, but if you have to bite somebody¡¯s neck, it better be someone of the opposite sex. And it would be even better if the other person has goodwill towards you. This probably has to be connected to that time when I felt my vampire urges and libido merging together. Tied up in the prison cell was a bulky young man. His abundant black hair was let down, and his trained body was overflowing with the same simplicity and elegance as the perfect sculpture. He was quite handsome and his face was full of vitality. But he was a man. If I were a female vampire, I would happily drink his blood, but I¡¯m a man. With this, even if I help him, I won¡¯t gain anything. And, I¡¯m so afraid of Death Knights that if I don¡¯t gain anything from saving them, I don¡¯t want to save them.

    I¡¯m almost in the mood to just turn back on my heels and find some delicious looking girl from a different cell. I thought it would be a girl because Monica made it a point to bring him up, but this is way too disappointing. ¡°I was tricked¡­ how cruel.¡± ¡°?! N-no, how could I trick you¨D¨D P-please quell you¡¯re a-anger, Lord End.¡± I had high expectations because it was the same Death Knight¡­ I even thought it would be a cute girl like Senri. Well, when you think about the gender ratio of Death Knights, it was unlikely, but this is just too much. Monica seems very scared, but Demon King Rainel¡¯s army is the worst. As I thought, Senri is really the only one for me.

    Well then, how can I get Senri to give me her blood in the most pleasuring way? I looked at the beast-like knight before me and started to ponder seriously.

 CH 70

    The Demon King¡¯s army is a good place.

    I also like that I can get combat experience by fighting various demi-humans. Demi-humans come in different forms and shapes, each with their own characteristics. Some of them can even use swords, and above all, the rule that forbids killing is just a cherry on top. Now, if only Senri was also here, things would be just perfect.

    A quiet knock comes from the lid. My time, the night, has arrived.

    I slowly rise up, use my strength and slide away the heavy lid. What enters in my sight is Monica¡¯s face illuminated by the moonlight

    ¡°Good morning, Lord End. Have you slept well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks. I feel really good, Monica.¡±

    I raise my torso in the black coffin that can be closed airtight and stretch grandly.

    This coffin was prepared by Monica. I did have prior knowledge about this, but apparently vampires really sleep in coffins.

    This feels like a black joke for somebody like me who has already died once before, but it seems like sleeping in the coffin has its purpose too, as I¡¯m feeling better than ever.

    I somehow feel very calm. I haven¡¯t slept because I¡¯m in enemy territory, but this might be the second best feeling after sucking blood. I wish I had a portable coffin.

    ¡°Have you improved the environment?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes. The location being what it is, I cannot immediately make it perfect, but I have done as you have willed¡­¡±

    Monica cast her eyes down and said in a small voice.

    My request concerned the improvement of the prison environment. There is no way delicious blood can be produced in a dirty environment without any proper meals.

    I doubt that at this point improving the environment can help produce the same quality blood as Senri¡¯s, but if I¡¯m kind to the prisoners, Senri might let me suck her blood later in a delicious way, so it¡¯s all fine.

    ¡°However, some visitors have come regarding that matter¡­ 15 of them.¡±

    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll see them.¡±

    I unhesitatingly nod at Monica¡¯s timid words.

    Improving the environment requires labor, and the ones used for it are the lower ranks of the Demon King¡¯s army.

    Today Monica was unusually dressed in plain clothes, hiding most of her skin. However, she still couldn¡¯t hide her great figure.

    If I get even more famous, Monica might change her opinion of me and give me her blood, so I¡¯m gonna try my best today too.

    Today¡¯s challengers are ogres. It¡¯s a race that makes up a large fraction of this army and has challenged me a lot after I defeated the Champion on day 1.

    They are blessed with an excellent physique and hard skin, along with a malicious visage worthy of being called demons, but now, the moment our eyes meet, their expressions turn tense.

    I unintentionally opened my eyes wide. Usually they only use their fists, but today¡¯s challengers had a sword with them. It was a darkened sword and its length was obviously small for the frame of its wielder.

    It might have been dark in color, but my instincts alarmed me. It was a silver sword.

    I knew that it would come one day. They would need to be as strong as Albertus in order to deal considerable damage to me without exploiting my weaknesses.

    Perhaps she also realized that the weapon¡¯s true identity, Monica moved her lips in panic. I stopped her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. But if I¡¯m on the brink of death, you have to save me¡­ Did you think that I would complain?¡±

    The expression on the face of the ogre opposing me contorted and his arm, so developed that it almost looked swelling, trembled. Hot breath leaked from his fanged mouth.

    My current body feels almost no pain. Not being able to feel pain is truly wonderful, but, at the same time, pain isn¡¯t something I should forget.

    If I keep winning without an effort, I will definitely become overconfident.

    According to Senri, pain is the weakness of vampires. I don¡¯t usually feel pain, so when I do feel it in an emergency, my body stops moving. The only reason I managed to survive until now is mostly because I didn¡¯t have this instinct thanks to the experience from when I was alive.

    Besides, how can this poorly maintained tarnished silver sword be of any threat to me?

    I have seen a silver sword in the shape of a perfect cross. I have seen a precious blessed holy sword made from silver. Those would definitely be able to kill me easily.

    In that case, I must learn how to overcome my weaknesses before I meet them again the next time. If I keep that in mind, it¡¯s not a bad idea to engage in a low stakes battle with a tarnished silver sword.

    ¡°It¡¯s troublesome so I¡¯ll take you all at once.¡±

    ¡°?!¡­ Wha- don¡¯t you mock us! You damn vampire!

    That being said, it looks like they really only have a single silver sword.

    The ogre closes the distance between us with one step and swings the sword with all his might. It is a slash so powerful that it almost feels like it has slashed the space itself, but the sword¡¯s size is ill-fitting for its wielder.

    I effortlessly avoid his wide swing and throw a jab at his open side.

    I only intended to make a light attack, but the face of the ogre distorts in pain and his flesh reddened. The swung down sword is slashed back with the same momentum.

    Slow. Too slow. Ogres are known for their strength, but their speed isn¡¯t anything special. I can easily follow them with my kinetic vision. Maybe it could be good to train my evading skills.

    I concentrate while evading him and activate ¡®Silhouette¡¯, the ability of ¡®Dark Stalker.

    The sound disappears and black spreads all over my body. I can see bewilderment on the ogre¡¯s face.

    This ability is primarily used for hiding in shadows, but seems like it¡¯s also effective in combat. Smell is one thing, but the fact that most of the sound disappears too makes it a very strong ability. It¡¯s a strong help for me, since I still can¡¯t use vampire¡¯s powers. I must master it.

    After repeating the same process and hitting him with a jab three times, the ogre fell to his knees. What an embarrassing display for somebody who has a better physique than me.

    But wouldn¡¯t an ogre-turned-vampire turn out much stronger than me? Even somebody as sickly as me, albeit I might¡¯ve had some talent too, ended up being able to fight so well. So, that possibility sounds plausible.

    Next I¡¯ll try to block the sword with my claws. This is something I would never do against Keeper.

    I took my eyes off from the ogre and looked at the next challenger waiting for me.

    After that I¡¯ll try my fist. It might be possible to break a silver sword with a vampire¡¯s strength.

    The executives of Rainel¡¯s army should be stronger than them. I must try to fill the gap between us as much as possible.

    At first, it was hostility. Then it changed to fear and gradually morphed into admiration.

    Within Rainel¡¯s army, those with power are held in high regard. Monica could only watch with a pale face as the situation changed.

    End Baron fit into the Demon King¡¯s army in a mere 3 days.

    She had already sensed it at the beginning, but this vampire was pretty strange. He was unusual, for the lack of a better word. The ancestor vampires were more arrogant and incompatible with living beings. They were not the sort to easily become acclimated to the Demon King¡¯s army.

    However, End was not like that. He would make selfish requests, but from the fact that he had yet to suck Monica¡¯s blood, it was obvious that he was an oddball.

    Still, his power was real. He could use the abilities of both Ghoul and Dark Stalker. He hadn¡¯t sucked blood in a while, but his power didn¡¯t seem to have diminished.

    Monica had yet to unveil his true nature.

    At this rate, he would soon rise to the executive position.

    Making the newcomer into an executive would be impossible in any other Demon King¡¯s army, but things were different with Demon King Rainel.

    She stuck with End today as well, accompanying him until his bedtime at dawn and stroked her chest in relief that the day ended with no mishaps.

    The improvement of the prison environment was processing at a rapid pace. The prisoners were given food, their cells were cleaned and they got the privilege to use the toilet. Nobody wanted to do the job that involved looking after the health of humans, but since End had won in duels and this was his request, there was nothing that could be done. The prisoners now lived better than poor low-ranked soldiers.

    The environment was changing drastically. End was trying to monopolize humans that had been shared before. There was no way complaints wouldn¡¯t rise up. Monica was different, but in Demon King¡¯s army, there were a lot of those who loved eating humans.

    Even a vampire wouldn¡¯t be able to suck all those humans dry. Most of those were probably spares, and once he was done with them, they would most likely be disposed of.

    Monica could only pray that somebody with blood good enough to satisfy this bothersome vampire would appear soon enough.

    Suddenly, an intense sound of footsteps rose and a large black shadow eclipsed the rising Sun, landing before Monica.

    It was Oliver Arbor. This werewolf, who was one of the most powerful figures even within Rainel¡¯s army, put his bright red tongue out and the moment he saw Monica, he inquired.

    ¡°I¡¯m b-back. How¡¯s, you know¡­ Lord End.¡±

    ¡°For now he seems to be quite satisfied. I¡¯ve already briefed Lord Rainel too. You sure found a troublesome person for us.¡±

    The hairs on the tail of the man, who had ripped countless veteran warriors to shreds, were standing straight up, his figure shrinking into himself. He was almost like a frightened dog.

    ¡°Never make him a-angry. If anybody challenges him to a duel, send them to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Haa. You¡¯re already late. He¡¯s beaten at least a hundred.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What?!¡±

    Moreover, not just regular hundred. They were hundred warriors that were confident in their strength and could easily overpower several human mercenaries.

    It was a matter that gave Monica, a member of the Demon King¡¯s army, a headache, but at least he hadn¡¯t killed anybody.

    ¡°Shit! I¡¯ll kill them! I¡¯ll rip them to pieces! Give me their names, Monica. How dare they disgrace me like this! N-no, this is a misunderstanding, my liege¡­ I, I, would never ¨D¨D¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eyes were glittering.

    It was already daylight, but he showed no signs of transforming into a human. The degraded werewolves could only change their form during a full moon, but Oliver, being the third generation, was different. Leaving aside the price he had to pay for his power, he could freely transform during the day and relatively maintain his sanity.

    However, Monica saw strong fear and madness in his eyes. Just how powerful was the vampire that turned Oliver into a werewolf that they instilled such fear in him?

    Hoping to calm Oliver down, Monica replied in a calm voice.

    ¡°Calm down, Oliver. Lord End has enjoyed himself greatly.¡±

    ¡°O¡­ o-oh, I s-see. Then, then I¡¯m glad. Really glad.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s voice was packed with strong emotions.

    However, they had a bigger problem. From what Monica could see, End Baron was trying to gauge his own strength.

    His initial forceful movements were gradually becoming more refined, as if he was testing himself. Today he even faced his weakness, the silver sword.

    The ogres, who would never retreat against any opponent they deemed superior, had completely shriveled up. End had said that he wouldn¡¯t stay at the Demon King¡¯s army forever, but at this rate, he would be nothing but poison for them.

    As the loyal servant of the Demon King, Monica felt compelled to do something.

    ¡°¡­ Oliver, Lord End will be fighting against ¡®Man-Eater¡¯. With that Death Knight as the prize.

    Oliver¡¯s ears stood straight and he opened his eyes wide.

    ¡®Man Eater¡¯ was the second most powerful being in this army, only falling behind Lord Rainel. While their personality left much to be desired, their combat abilities surpassed even those of Oliver. They were a monster in a different sense than vampires.

    Monica was initially intending to observe the situation a little more, but she decided to set things up early on.

    Shockingly enough, End was learning. Before he becomes even stronger and impossible to manage, before he devours their army, she wants him to suffer a defeat.

    Monica had a mysterious premonition that otherwise, Rainel¡¯s army would be torn to pieces from the inside and meet its demise.

 CH 71

    The war situation had gotten much worse in Romberg.

    One week. That is the time Senri allowed herself to wait for End and gather information.

    End seems to hit the limit of his thirst in ten days. Considering the strong will of that young man, he could probably bear with it for a little longer than Senri thinks, but since he has led a comfortable life so far, he has been told beforehand that pushing himself too much might result in his thirst overwhelming his instincts.

    Owing to the power of the Night Crystal that was obtained from the Keeper, the negative energy radiating from End is being suppressed. Hence, even as a former second-class Death Knight, it would not be easy for Senri to find his whereabouts.

    On the contrary, End should be able to track down Senri. He has in his possession the sense of smell he seized from Albertus.

    The reason Senri chose to stay put for a while was in order to wait for End to make his way back. Though the city of Romberg was quite heavily guarded, there are any number of ways through which her whereabouts could be found. If End was anywhere near, there is sure to have been some kind of commotion.

    However, there was no indication of End making his return. And the worsening war situation in Romberg put a grim look on Senri¡¯s face.

    Demon Kings can be separated into different types. The Demon King Rainel was the type with a popular nonhuman physique. Even his subordinates are made up of several different kinds of magical beasts and demi-humans with enhanced physical abilities.

    Such a type of Demon King is simply put, strong. Sharp claws that can easily pierce through armor made of steel and a tackle from that gigantic body could crumble any city wall. Thick skin capable of repelling even cannons, and humans cannot even compare to their stamina.

    Romberg that was long known for its impregnable defense was in a state of disrepair owing to relentless consecutive attacks. They seem to be holding up for now, the huge walls having become much less sturdy due to frequent assaults. Fatigue coupled with injuries has resulted in a decrease in the number of men available to be dispatched for guard duty. The state of affairs were so dire that no plans were being made to attack the enemy from their side.

    It could happen in a matter of months or years, but if the current situation were to persist, it would not be long before the city fell into the hands of the enemy.

    All things considered, it was fortunate that they were able to drive away Oliver. If the supply route had been cut off and Romberg had lost its assistance then its longevity would have been cut short even further.

    However, it was not a situation where one could easily intervene.

    One was because Senri had to lay low as long as she was on the run with End and the other more important one being there existed a code that the Death Knights were expected to uphold.

    The Death Knights are forbidden from taking up arms against non-undead demon kings or participate in any civil wars among humans.

    Their opponents were solely composed of the undead and necromancers. Their job was simply the eradication of the aforementioned and fighting demon kings would be outside the realm of their duties.

    Though unfortunate, it was merely a logical decision.

    Setting aside the fact that it would be out of the question to get mixed up in any fight between humans, if the Death Knights were too occupied dealing with demon kings to pay any attention to necromancers, it would result in a sharp increase in undead. Not to mention, there are several types of undead capable of creating more of their kind. Whereas there are only a limited number of Death Knights and moreover, there are only a few people capable of wielding the power of blessing in the first place.

    Most important of all, the Death Knights would be at a very unfair disadvantage when against a Demon King that is not an undead.

    The Death Knights are capable of overwhelming the undead due to the affinity the two share and their knowledge pertaining to the extermination of the undead. Though the Death Knights possess abundant powers and are capable of commanding said powers to utilize skills far surpassing humans, the power of blessing is finite and it has little to no effect on the living.

    That said, they would still fare much better than an average mercenary, but they would not be able to defeat a genuine non-human monster in the blink of an eye. Apart from the abundant knowledge of her master Ep¨¦e, his mighty and wide-ranged attack called Soul Release, would still not be able to harm a single fly.

    In the past, when clashing with demon kings was not prohibited, many Death Knights threw themselves into the war resulting in far too many deaths.

    As a result, there was a delay in dealing with several powerful necromancers. There was a time when the Order itself came close to being wiped out of existence.

    The first thing Senri and her fellow knights were taught in the Order.

    Do not intervene. No matter how dire a situation may be. It was simply too reckless for a few people to try and face off against a huge army of a demon king.

    An exception could be made if a powerful undead was affiliated with a demon king¡¯s army.

    The undead are foes of the Death Knights. In such situations, a number of units would be mobilized in an effort to exterminate it. This time however, the Demon King Rainel does not fall under that exception.

    Senri is not bound by the code as she has half a foot out of the Order right now, but she is well aware of the limit of her capabilities. A second-order knight though she may be, she is still one person. There is no way she could wipe out an entire demon king¡¯s army by herself.

    During her stay in the city, Senri gathered information from odd places, and felt she had to do the bare minimum by healing wounded soldiers.

    The location of the Demon King¡¯s base had already been established.

    They had brazenly set up camp out in the open, in the middle of a mountain in clear view. Demon King Rainel is up that mountain. And it was also highly likely that End who disappeared along with Oliver was also up there.

    The undead are evaluated in two ways among demon kings. They are either abhorred or their strength is put to good use. Considering the demon king in question already has a werewolf as his subordinate, it would not be too strange to assume that he would try to recruit End as well.

    I intended to wait. However, the fact that there has not been any news so far is likely because something has occurred.

    I was worried. This is the longest we have been apart since we began to travel together. I am sure End also feels as uneasy as me. End may be a powerful undead but his heart still remains human.

    I have prepared everything necessary for our journey. I have enough power of blessing and none of the fatigue remains.

    Senri had made her decision. That she would go to the demon king¡¯s base. Not to defeat the Demon King Rainel but to meet up with End.

    It was a plan rift with danger but Senri can fly in the air. There should be any number of ways should it come to her escape.

    She resolved herself and set off from the fortified city, Romberg with a suitcase in hand.

    The spoils of war in Rainel¡¯s army were bountiful in both quality and quantity.

    Looks like they ransacked quite a few human towns. Anything valuable had already been split between the soldiers and the only things left behind were sizable items like magical weapons or armor.

    I chose a dark indigo cloak for myself. The cloaks sold for travel purposes are usually of plain colors. The one I chose looked ordinary at a glance, but it was waterproof, warm and seemed capable of hiding the wearer¡¯s presence to boot. Bonus points for the cool design too. I need to take care not to rip it when I polymorph into a dog.

    Other things in the warehouse included a neat, gold magic knife and belt which came in a set that I saw fit to borrow. It had a spell cast on it wherein if the knife was thrown, it would return back to the belt in a while and the design was also incredibly cool.

    The reason nobody had claimed it was probably because the soldiers of Rainel¡¯s army lean more towards bigger, more gaudy and stronger weapons. Their aesthetic sense might be different from humans, but they really do not get it. I should show it off to Senri if we meet up.

    The match against the Man-eater was drawing near. I might call it a battle, but I have a certain degree of numbness to pain, and due to the fair share of battles I have had to face, I have accumulated enough combat experience.

    Not to mention, I have enough experience getting beaten to a pulp.

    Since killing is not allowed, the match would serve as a good opportunity to test my skills.

    Even if I were to lose to the Man-eater, it would not be a big deal as I have already proved myself to be quite strong. Although I would need to give up on the Death Knight prisoner, I am sure Senri would forgive me if I lose after giving my best.

    As I was in a chipper mood after having gained something new, Monica pleaded anxiously.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need to satiate your thirst, Lord End?¡±

    ¡°Nothing meets my standards¡­ you see, I¡¯d rather not destroy my palette by drinking insipid blood. Though I wouldn¡¯t say no to yours.¡±

    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±

    The living conditions of the prisoners were being made better and I have yet to come across anybody who sparks my thirst.

    There were a few girls who could shine provided they were polished, but they looked too weak and even if their living conditions improved, it does not change the fact that they are still prisoners, so they should carry quite a bit of stress. Moreover, I am being looked on as a frightful enemy probably because I am always seen in Monica¡¯s company and they tremble in fear at my sight. That does not bode well for a good feeding session.

    That said, I am sure I would have had no qualms feasting on them had I not known the delicacy that is Senri¡¯s blood.

    I have been practicing my magic, so I am capable of using a few spells now. I do not have an affinity to any particular element, so all I am able to do now is produce water or fire sparks, make wet things dry, only such simple daily use magic, but the effects were rather good since vampires possess abundant mana.

    My opponent is not an undead but one of the living. As long as they are not Ep¨¦e or Albertus, I should be able to put up a fight for more than five minutes.

    I have somehow managed to survive this long. I just need to do things as I always have.

    As I stood reassuring myself as such, Oliver popped up in his werewolf form, politely extending a crude longsword.

    It was a two-handed sword much bigger than myself and it seems to have originally been made for beastmen who are well-known for their excellent physical abilities. Naturally, it was too heavy for humans to handle, and although I did not weigh it, I imagine it should be at least a hundred kilos.

    Having been at the receiving end of multiple spells, it looked no more than a lump of iron at a glance. I gripped it using my right hand and lifted it up slowly. I tried a few short swings.

    It was neither light nor heavy. I am rather on the scrawny side, so I might end up getting launched in the air if I were to make any wide swings, but no matter how huge my opponent is, I doubt they would be unscathed after taking a blow from this. It is the best kind of weapon for someone with superhuman strength like me.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s see the power of the second in command in this army.¡±

    Maybe if I show off my cool side, Monica would let me drink her blood, so I better get fired up.

    The second in command in Rainel¡¯s army, Man-eater, seems rather unpopular. Maybe even more so than me, an outsider, who suddenly appeared uninvited.

    Arrogant, violent and a glutton, they seem to particularly terrorize the lower ranks of the army. If not for their overwhelming strength, they would have been assassinated a long time ago, was what the ogres I beat up had to say about the Man-eater. I wonder if that is the reason no one seems to call the Man-eater by name.

    Humans seem to be their favorite, with every single human of top-grade from the raids, all having been interred in their belly and they do not seem to know the concept of sharing.

    Demon King Rainel does not seem to partake humans, so it made the impression that all the resentment was directed towards the Man-eater.

    Though I am in a similar position, I do not eat humans, so the prison would not be emptied and I have no reason to do something mindless as to pick on the lower ranks.

    The match was not to be held at the usual warehouse, but out in the open, in a clearing a short distance away from the base.

    There were a lot of members gathered to watch the match between the second in command and the newcomer. Including those who had lost to me. They conversed as if my mere presence had them trembling in fear.

    ¡°Look, its appearance¡­ it could pass for a human.¡±

    ¡°Demon. It¡¯s a vampire. A demon born out of forbidden practice¡­ what a repulsive creature that discards its own birth type.¡±

    Sadly, full moon day was far away and thick clouds shrouded the moon.

    The ground was made of dirt. There were several small rocks scattered everywhere, making for terrible footing. A necessary amount of trees had been cleared away, but I have a trump card up my sleeve. I need to focus. There were several footprints on the ground and the scent of blood clung to it.

    My plan was to knock out my opponent.

    Since killing is prohibited, I intend to take care to control my strength, but the opponent this time is unlike any I have faced so far.

    The ogres and lizardmen had been blessed with strong physical abilities, but they do not possess any special powers. Even the other challengers only picked different weapons and all chose to fight me head-on.

    There were no mages among the challengers. That is most likely due to the fact that their civilization has only allowed the progression of individuals blessed with good physique and strong physical abilities.

    It was only natural that I could rise up as the victor given that I have gained different kinds of abilities owing to the power of the curse.

    According to the information that I had obtained beforehand, the Man-eater is known to be cunning. If their strength comes second only to the demon king, there is no doubt that they do not have just brute strength to their name.

    Does the opponent know anything about me? Are they wary of me?

    Looks like they have not had anyone challenge them in a while, so I would like to think that they would be a little careless at the beginning.

    I made a few light stretches, waiting for my opponent to arrive.

    Just then, I heard a short yell from Monica who was spectating from far away.

    ¡°Ahh¨C¡±

    A short sound fell onto my ears. However, I could not evade it in time.

    I had intended to not let my guard down, but that attack was completely unanticipated.

    The attack from above slammed my body against the ground. And, my body went up in flames.

 CH 72

    Those flames were jet black. I¡¯m hot. My body, my flesh is burning. I understand what happened. I fell prey to a surprise attack.

    The constant and indescribable pain and heat erodes my body and mind.

    This is a duel. This is a 1-on-1 duel. Other soldiers are watching too. I didn¡¯t expect to get ambushed even before I came face to face with my opponent. I didn¡¯t intend to do it either.

    I was na?ve. I was taking Man-Eater too lightly. No¡­ that¡¯s not it. This is not a matter of taking them lightly.

    Man-Eater turned out to be more of a¡­ scum than I expected.

    It would be one thing if we were enemies, but ambushing me before I even showed hostility towards them is just unbelievable. Even the actions of that Lizardman¡­ Selzard, when he attacked me out of nowhere, was more understandable than this.

    He had a killing intent. However, this time, Man-Eater has ambushed me for their own benefits despite recognizing me as their opponent in the duel for the spoils of war.

    I hear a voice. I can¡¯t recognize the words, but I understand that it¡¯s ridiculing me.

    Darkness spreads before my eyes. I can¡¯t tell my left from right. My senses are delayed. Sadness, fear, anger, I¡¯m being overwhelmed by all sorts of feelings.

    However, what I strongly remembered as I lay face down, were the words Senri taught me.

    It¡¯s hard to kill the vampire that¡¯s already dead. Neither flames, nor ice or lightning work against them. The second death is hard to come for those that are already dead.

    Magic doesn¡¯t work on vampires who possess strong mana. Fire magic, healing magic, mind control and even necromancy, they all have little to no effect on me.

    And finally, curses don¡¯t work on vampires born from the strong curses.

    A curse is both similar and very different from magic. It¡¯s a high-risk high-reward. One cannot receive several curses. The stronger one overwrites the previous curse.

    The curse of the undead, which fundamentally violates this world¡¯s rules, is the strongest curse amongst the numerous types of curses. Therefore, curses don¡¯t work on vampires.

    That¡¯s right. The only things that can enforce death on me are ¨D¨D the blessing and the sunlight.

    I won¡¯t let ¡®Man-Eater¡¯ kill me just like this. I already used all sorts of methods to survive. Even if what happened to Lord and Albertus was their own fault, I was the reason why Roux died and why Senri¡¯s life took a big turn.

    My soul isn¡¯t light enough to be destroyed with just this much. I still haven¡¯t been able to repay Senri.

    I have already decided that if I have to die, I¡¯d rather die by Senri¡¯s hands.

    My eyesight, that was shrouded in darkness, slowly returned to normal. The pain that was eating into my skin, my flesh, gradually subsided.

    It was a human language, but the one speaking wasn¡¯t a human.

    I¡¯m not sure why, but I can clearly declare this even just from the voice.

    ¡°Nuu¡­ to think that¡­ somebody, who could be exposed to my cursed flames and still move¡­ would exist¡­ and here I thought you were just a death-seeking fool who didn¡¯t know his place¡­ amuse me well, ¡®Living Dead¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I gathered information ¡®like usual¡¯ from Oliver and other members of the Demon King¡¯s army. That¡¯s why I also know the true identity of ¡®Man-Eater¡¯. I didn¡¯t hear about him launching a surprise attack before the duel even started though¡­

    It is a phantom with a face that looks like a human.

    It possesses the body like a lion and has a long tail covered in poisonous stings. Its crimson fur doesn¡¯t take damage from most swords and arrows and its attacks are powerful enough to crush the earth.

    I staggeringly stood up and glared at the ¡®Man-eater¡¯ for the first time.

    ¡®Manticore¡¯.

    That is the true identity of this phantom beast.

    ¡°I smell the strong scent of death. Kukuku¡­I don¡¯t even feel the desire to eat you.¡±

    A wrinkled, hideous face flashed me a deep smile. Something cold ran down my spine.

    The appearance of a human head on the body of a beast was eerie in all respects.

    He looked way more like a monster than me with my human appearance. Death Knights really ought to hunt Manticore over me.

    Man-Eater¡¯s body is smaller than Albertus but bigger than me.

    His face is human and I can sense intelligence from his voice, but there is no chance to negotiate with him.

    My vampire instincts are screaming at me that the animal before me is my enemy. Kill him, they appeal to me, bestow death to the Man-Eater who dared to attack you.

    I ignore them and slowly check my condition.

    The newly refurbished coat is in tatters after taking a hit from those cursed flames. It barely avoided burning down, but its previous cool look is nowhere to be found.

    The magic belt and the dagger are in a worse condition. The dagger completely melted away and the belt has also burnt down. Normal flames wouldn¡¯t have this kind of effect.

    Should I be happy that my body is fine?¡­ I was even thinking of showing it off to Senri, but it has already been ruined.

    I lift up the longsword that barely survived because I instinctually let it go.  The audience is in uproar.

    The flames of anger are smoldering deep in my mind. I¡¯m well aware that losing my calm would be foolish.

    I¡¯ll admit that I was overconfident. Even if I was really not expecting to be attacked, it¡¯s my mistake that I ended up caught off-guard.

    But I¡¯ll make him regret it. I¡¯ll make this cowardly phantom beast regret that he destroyed my favorite item, that he tried to kill me.

    Man-Eater narrowed his blazing crimson eyes.  Even after looking at the giant sword that looked more like a lump of metal, he showed no signs of concern.

    He had the dignity of the strong.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised¡­ You were hit with the cursed flames, that wouldn¡¯t go out until it burnt out, but it had no effect on you. How¡­ abominable.

    Killing was supposed to be not allowed, but Man-Eater obviously tried to kill me.

    I¡¯ll kill you. Every one of you, who¡¯ll try to kill me, I won¡¯t leave you alive.

    I¡¯ll eliminate all the obstacles. Everybody hates Man-Eater. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem if I accidentally kill him.

    The only abominable thing here is ¨D¨D you.

    I didn¡¯t respond. There was no reason to wait for the starting signal. The battle had already begun.

    I strongly kick off the ground while holding the longsword. My aim is ¨C his head. I¡¯ll ¡®accidentally¡¯ stick this lump of iron in his head.

    I closed in on him with a single step. My opponent is a phantom beast walking on all fours. I don¡¯t know how strong he is, but I should be better at making tight turns.

    Man-Eater¡¯s eyes open wide. I can see sharp fangs growing from his slightly opened mouth.

    And, I shield myself with the longsword against something that comes flying at me suddenly.

    A short sound echoes continuously. A dull impact is transmitted to me.

    It¡¯s a needle. He threw poisonous needles from his tail at me. Man-Eater roars. I can feel strong, not-before-seen irritation from his voice.

    ¡°So you can¡­ block this too. Hmm¡­¡±

    It¡¯s not like I blocked it with the help of my kinetic vision.

    I asked around about Man-eater¡¯s abilities beforehand.

    Cursed flames, and sharp claws and fangs. A long tail that attacks like a whip and poisonous needless, that will render you unconscious with a single hit. On top of that, the fact that he¡¯s capable of using human speech means that he can cast spells ¨D¨D He can even use the systematic magic created by humans and demons.

    The poisoned needles flying from the tip of his tail are pretty fast, but still not fast enough for me to have trouble avoiding them. However, his tail that bends like a whip doesn¡¯t let me read their trajectory.

    I use the longsword to block the ones he aims at my body with the force strong enough to crush the ground by holding it before me. A heavy impact is transmitted to me. I stand firm, but I¡¯m still being pushed back.

    Our weights are too different. If I lose my footing even for a bit, I¡¯ll be blown away immediately. The tail also follows up without a moment¡¯s delay before I take the next action. Its trajectory is complicated and from the looks of it, Man-eater is using his tail as a third hand.

    It¡¯s not just his power. He¡¯s strong. He has no gaps to attack. A blow from his claws deeply digs into the ground and the sword that fends off the whip creaks. I¡¯m a vampire so I can block his attacks, but the power and speed of each hit isn¡¯t something that ordinary humans can withstand. He¡¯s truly on another level from other members of this Demon King¡¯s army I¡¯ve fought ever since coming here.

    A hoarse voice, reminiscent of an old man¡¯s, lets out a loud laugh.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Vampire£¿Is this all the King of the Night is capable of!?¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­ ¡°

    This is bad. At this rate the situation will just worsen. I can¡¯t win if I don¡¯t go on offence.

    He¡¯s not as powerful and fast as Albertus. His durability isn¡¯t as good as him either.

    Man-Eater is a phantom beast, but there¡¯s intelligence in the way he fights. You could even say that Albertus was too violent.

    I¡¯ll deal a finishing blow before he gauges out the extent of my abilities.

    I know how to fight with the beasts. It would be hard to stop his front legs. My aim is ¨D¨D his tail.

    The frequency at which the Man-Eater is shooting his poisonous needles at me has fallen. I suspect he can¡¯t shoot them indefinitely.

    Poison doesn¡¯t work on me because my body is already dead. Since the poison doesn¡¯t work, the needles he keeps throwing at me don¡¯t do much damage.

    A flowing, continuous attack. I somehow endure Man-Eater¡¯s momentum driven attacks and look for an opportunity.

    My chance came soon.

    Man-Eater¡¯s scorpion-like tail swung flexibly. My kinetic vision clearly caught its movement.

    ¨D¨D Here.

    No matter how well he can manipulate it, there¡¯s no way he can take back the tail he swung with all his might.

    I¡¯ll pull out that annoying, bald tail!

    ¡°Nu¡­ !?¡±

    I show half my body from behind the sword that I was using to hide myself. I resolve myself and kick off the ground, then I stretch out my left hand and grab the tip of the bent tail ¨D¨D just below the poisoned needles that grow all over it. Shock runs through my palm, but since the tail has yet to build its momentum, it¡¯s not much of a problem.

    And the moment I tried to pull it out with all my might ¨D¨D something exploded before my eyes.

    I react reflexively. I cover my head with my left hand. Burning pain spreads through my whole arm and then, instantaneously it disappears.

    My field of vision rotates greatly and I crush into the ground with great force. I try to get on defense and get up, but I stagger.

    My body feels light. The left hand I was using to shield my head has disappeared.

    The surroundings were shrouded in the stench of burning flesh.

    My right arm is full of holes, as if it¡¯s been eaten by worms. It¡¯s the needles. The places where the needles stuck ¨D¨D are melting.

    I understood this a bit too late. The tip of the needletail exploded and countless needles flew at me.

    An unpleasant heat covers my chin. I lift my right hand that¡¯s about to tear off and look at its condition.

    The lower half of my face is gone. I couldn¡¯t shield it well enough with my left hand. I momentarily checked my body. Perhaps because the needles that chaotically flew at me stuck in, some parts of my body have melted down, leaving a giant hole.

    The longsword is rolling on the ground. The sword that was supposed to be bigger than me is bending in a strange way. Not even half of its original size is left.

    It can even melt metal ¨D¨D it¡¯s a corrosive poison. This is obviously not the first hit I got.

    The tail, that threw all that needles on me, is once again fully coated. Man-Eater himself should¡¯ve been hit by his own needles too but there are no injuries on his body.

    I realized his actual threat level a bit too late and got seized with horror. Man-Eater¡­ is a monster. It¡¯s a phantom beast that goes beyond common sense. It¡¯s truly levels higher than a regular magical beast.

    Perhaps my legs are also ridden with holes, as I rapidly collapse on the ground. Shit!¡­ this is bad. I¡¯ll lose. I¡¯ll be killed.

    I desperately scold my body, but even an immortal undead is helpless when he doesn¡¯t have a body.

    Looking at the pathetic way I fall, Man-Eater says as if exasperated.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re still conscious, huh¡­ Living Dead is a name truly well chosen.¡±

 CH 73

    I feel the rugged ground with my whole body. Its coldness is being transferred to me. I turn my face down and slightly shake my body.

    My brain is a mess. I desperately keep my calm despite the black emotions that swirl in my mind like a muddy stream.

    ¡°Kukuku, what¡¯s wrong? Are you done already, Vampire?¡±

    I don¡¯t move. I keep down, as if I¡¯m dead.

    It¡¯s not that¨D¨D I can¡¯t move. I still have some power. I just lack the physical means to move.

    I haven¡¯t lost yet. I can survive.

    I encourage my dispirited heart and look for a chance to win.

    Normally, poison doesn¡¯t work on the body of the Undead. Neither a paralytic poison nor a hypnotic poison. Even a deadly poison that can instantly kill living beings with a single drop does not have any effect. Whatever Man-Eater threw at me was closer to a digestive juice or an acid than poison, it¡¯s something that can physically melt an object.

    My arm that was hit with his needles was instantly numbed and disappeared. I suspect that this poison is quite toxic.

    How truly terrifyingly wicked. If he has enough power to melt a lump of iron, there¡¯s no use in protecting my head with an iron helmet. This is completely impossible to defend against for the first-timer. I wonder if Senri could deal with this.

    Defeating him from a long distance away might be the best solution. It¡¯s the means of attack I cannot use.

    The pain is already beyond my consciousness.

    When I close my eyes and concentrate, I can feel this strange poison progressively eat into my body.

    It¡¯s melting my meat little by little.

    Until now, I have lost my body several times.  The first time was when I was left as just a head, but I¡¯m already used to the feeling of my body regenerating.

    The damage caused by the poison is ¨D¨D ¡®slowly¡¯ surpassing the vampire¡¯s regeneration ability.

    The arena is quiet. ¡®Man-Eater¡¯s voice reverberates.

    ¡°How shameful of those under the command of Demon King Rainel¡­ to be defeated by a demon of this level.¡±

    His voice isn¡¯t scolding anybody. It is mocking everyone who lost to me.

    I ignore him and concentrate more.

    Power is swirling within me. It¡¯s the power I got from drinking Senri¡¯s blood.

    I continue thinking while feeling the power. Man-Eater is shouting something but his screams don¡¯t reach my ears anymore.

    I have always felt this faintly, but there are probably two types of vampire powers.

    The negative energy that accumulates by killing living beings and the power acquired from sucking blood.

    The former is the power that has become my base. It was because of that power that I was able to survive only as a head after I ran out of blood power and it has probably become the foundation of my physical and survival abilities.

    Senri has previously said that vampires that are overwhelmed by their urges to drink blood would gouge out their own heart and die, but the reason why they even have enough strength to gouge out their hearts even without having to drink blood is because of this power. Also, negative energy usually doesn¡¯t get consumed.

    Then, what exactly is the latter power?

    The power obtained by drinking blood ¨D¨D I call it blood power for convenience, but if I understand it right, it¡¯s the power that helps me utilize my vampire powers.

    My power is greatly strengthened by the blood power. The reason I was able to use enormous power the moment I sucked Senri¡¯s blood was probably because the ability of blood boosted my physical abilities. In addition, every time I use ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯, ¡®Sharp Fang¡¯ and ¡®Silhouette¡¯ I feel like I¡¯m using that power.

    And, above all¨D¨D the regeneration ability probably also depends on the blood power.

    When I was sentenced to the Solar Penalty, my regenerative ability didn¡¯t work. I stayed as a head until I received blood from Senri.

    That was probably because I had exhausted the blood power after being played with by Neville. No, it was probably the Solar Penalty that made me deplete blood power and exposed me to the sunlight.

    What¡¯s important here is that ¨D¨D unlike the negative energy, the blood power can probably be controlled.

    ¡°You can¡¯t move a muscle, huh. You¡¯re still a mere former human. I doubt you will be any use to Lord Rainel. I will¡­ put you out of your misery.¡±

    The ground shakes. Footsteps are coming closer. Right now, Man-Eater has his guard down.

    I stayed still as a corpse to save as much time as possible.

    Now that I¡¯m missing my body, I can feel that the blood power circulating around my body is concentrated around my wounds.

    The movement of the power that is hard to grasp usually because my wounds heal instantly, has become clear after my regeneration ability and the poison started to clash (with the former losing) with each other.

    ¡®Man-Eater¡¯ is approaching me probably because I still haven¡¯t disappeared yet. Technically, I should have melted down after being hit with the poison, but I¡¯m still fine.

    It¡¯s very slight, but there is a smell of fear mixed with the strong animal stench of ¡®Man-Eater¡¯. Despite boasting about his combat techniques before others, he¡¯s afraid on the inside.

    At this moment, I suddenly realized.

    ¡®Man-Eater¡¯ is most likely a coward like me.

    That¡¯s why he ambushed me. That¡¯s why he bragged about his power. That¡¯s why he¡¯s afraid of retaliation despite overpowering me so much and is trying to kill me.

    When I think about this, I feel a strong sympathy towards him. But I will not ¨D¨D forgive you.

    I already knew the way to control my power. I was always using it unconsciously.

    Now I just have to use it consciously. There¡¯s no reason I would fail.

    In the same way I use ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯ and ¡®Silhouette¡¯ ¨D¨D I concentrate the blood power circulating through my whole body on my wounds.

    Chills ran through my body. This is probably the side effects of the power that¡¯s usually filling my body being used up.

    But, in exchange, my wounds start to heat up and tremble.

    I prop myself up with my arms and get up.

    The surroundings that had become quiet turn noisy again. Man-Eater¡¯s footsteps stop.

    The sky is dark. Moon isn¡¯t out. The blood power is greatly reduced because I dedicate a lot of it to regeneration, but I¡¯m not scared.

    I feel chills. But, a killing intent much stronger than that is swirling inside my brain.

    Yeah, I feel like shit. I glare at Man-Eater.

    I¡¯ll kill him. I¡¯ll calmly kill this beast that threatens my survival.

    ¡°Shit¡­ Yeah¡­ Lord hasn¡¯t¡­ come¡­ out¡­ ye.. t¡­ ¡®Man-Eater¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­¡±

    Yeah, those eyes¨D¨D those red eyes that burn like flames are also the same as mine.

    Man-Eater moves back without saying anything. His tail warps greatly like a whip.

    Yeah, you would do that.

    Indeed, if the man you had supposedly killed, if the man with melted limbs and the jaw suddenly stood up, you wouldn¡¯t go forward even if you had a high chance of killing him by following up attacks. If I was in Man-Eater¡¯s place, I would do the same.

    On the other hand, the action I take is not to attack, but to instead activate ¡°Sharp Claw¡±.

    ¡°Kh¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ believe in anything anymore.¡±

    I won¡¯t believe in anything anymore, not the iron longsword, not the magic cloak. There are some observers around who have weapons with them, but I don¡¯t feel like borrowing those.

    The only thing I can believe in is my body.

    After I mutated into a Ghoul, I researched this power.

    10 centimeters was the limit to how long it could stretch. The Undead Encyclopedia also said that the ghouls had the ability to stretch their claws like knives.

    But, right now I¡¯m not a ¡®Ghoul¡¯. I¡¯m a Vampire, even if I¡¯m just Lesser. The power I can use is different from that time.

    I feel the sensation as if I¡¯ve crashed into a wall, but I ignore it and keep concentrating my power.

    I hear the sound of something snapping.

    My arm makes a creaking sound. I don¡¯t feel pain. I only feel itchy.

    The boundary between my fingers disappears as my skin turns white and hard, and grows sharp. Man-Eater¡¯s wicked face distorts and he takes a step back.

    A few seconds later, my right arm turned into a sword. No, maybe a spear is a better term for it.

    It is 1 meters long. This white and hardened object looked far more vicious after its change than the original Sharp Claw. Is this¡­ a bone?

    I feel satisfied. This is a vampire¡¯s bone. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s much harder than a steel longsword.

    I¡¯ve exhausted a lot of power, but this is pretty good for my first try.

    Man-Eater roars. Countless poisoned needles fly at me from the tail he swings towards me. I clear away those with the sword I had just created on my right arm.

    A hard sound echoes. The needles are flicked away and pierce the ground. My newly attained sword is still unblemished.

    Are those the types of needles that need to pierce the target to inject poison or have I overcome the poison¡¯s effectiveness by surpassing its corrosion? I¡¯m a bit curious, but well, that¡¯s not too important right now.

    I¡¯m no narcissist but my body really is the best.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. This is it. If it¡¯s this long, I can chop off that ugly tail. This is a bit inconvenient though¡­ since I lost my fingers.¡±

    Well, it¡¯ll grow back when I turn into a dog and I¡¯m sure I can revert it back too. In the worst case, I¡¯ll just have to cut off my arm.

 CH 74

    ¡°Impudent¡­ ¡®Living Dead¡¯!¡±

    Man-Eater roars as if trying to intimidate me. His fighting spirit doesn¡¯t waver even slightly despite having his trump card, the poisoned needles, repelled.

    No, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s not wavering. I can understand his thoughts well. He can¡¯t afford to waver.

    The reason why ¡®Man-eater¡¯ maintained his place as the number 2 of this Demon Lord¡¯s army despite using cowardly means was because he was strong.

    ¡®Man-Eater¡¯ is a coward and therefore he cannot retreat. If he moves aside now, he will lose his authority.

    On the other hand, I don¡¯t have as much strength to spare as I appear to.

    Still, my reach has become longer since I¡¯ve changed my arm into a blade and I have a strong regeneration ability, giving me enough leeway.

    Man-Eater stomps on the ground and rushes towards me.

    He has a large build. His strength is probably equal or greater than mine. It will be hard to block his ramming attack that has all his body weight behind it. He has sharp claws too, and the tail that he uses as his third arm.

    But, his charge is less scary than Albertus¡¯, who didn¡¯t care about the damage he would receive at all.

    I step back and wave the blade on my hand. The thick, sharp and pointed blade that extends from my right arm is the only one I have unlike the ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯, but it¡¯s very thick. I¡¯m sure it can even pierce a Manticore¡¯s sturdy fur.

    Man-Eater gets closer. Hatred and slight fear is rippling in his crimson eyes. His slightly opened jaw is lined with sharp fangs that can easily crush human bones.

    The bone blade and the claws collide with great impact. A heavy impact is being transmitted to me. Man-Eater opens his mouth wide before me.

    The next moment, the black flames that burnt my body the first time blaze up before my eyes. The Cursed Flames lick my body. The pitch black flames, as dark as the night, completely hide Man-Eater.

    A meaningless roar shakes the world.

    ¡°Are you¡­ that scared of me?¡±

    ¨D¨D However, by that time, I had already jumped sideways.

    Cursed Flame didn¡¯t do any harm to me, it just grazed my nose.

    I lived as a dog for a long while until just recently. I have personally experienced the weakness of four-legged animals.

    Before me is Man-Eater¡¯s defenseless body.

    Looks like Man-Eater didn¡¯t intend to trample me. No, maybe the Cursed Flame is also harmful for him?

    I dive in before he realizes that he had been evaded. I skillfully use my right arm to properly repel the tail and the poisoned needles that are swung down on me from the upper right side and I kick his torso with all my might.

    Man-Eater¡¯s giant body, several times larger than me, flies in the air.

    I feel the sensation as if I have hit something hard. A hard impact rises from the tips of my toes and runs up my spine. I feel incomprehensible pleasure, but I ignore it and kick off the ground for a follow up attack.

    While in mid-air, Man-Eater¡¯s eyes take in my figure. He adjusts his posture greatly and gets ready to land on the ground.

    He¡¯s sturdy. My regeneration ability is better, but Man-Eater wins in defensive power. Even a kick that would rupture an ordinary magical beast¡¯s body doesn¡¯t do much damage to him. Everything ¨C his skin, flesh and bones ¨C is just built differently.

    But it¡¯s not like he takes no damage. Every living being has a weak point¡­ my aim is his head. If the head doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll aim for his neck. If the neck doesn¡¯t work ¨D¨D I¡¯ll kill him until he dies.

    I aim for his landing. The power has turned into heat and is circulating my body. Right now my body temperature must be as high as a human¡¯s.

    Poisoned needles fly at me. I use the blade on my right arm to completely fend off those thick and long needles that are scattered widely.

    What a one trick pony. It might have worked if I were a human, but with vampire¡¯s kinetic vision, as long as I know that they¡¯re coming, I won¡¯t miss them.

    Oh, right. I¡¯ll cut off his troublesome tail just as I declared earlier.

    The moment I swung the blade with all my might ¨D¨D I lost all strength in my body.

    It was a far too sudden change. I lost strength in my limbs and fell forward.

    It was a sensation I had felt before. I looked at the ground. And at the same time, shock, as if I was dismembered, ran through my whole body.

    My body flew high up in the sky and I slammed into the ground head first. The bones in my neck broke and my point of view turned in a strange direction. Man-Eater¡¯s voice echoed from the sky.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Did you think that you, a mere Dead, who has only died once, can beat me, who has eaten ten thousand people?!¡±

    The damage is not a problem. But still, what a troublesome beast. Strong, intelligent, cowardly and cautious.

    I can¡¯t let him go against Senri even if by chance. Now I want to kill him more than before.

    I already understand the ¡®trick¡¯ of why I suddenly lost all strength. It¡¯s actually something that I already thought was somehow a possibility.

    The thing that entered my field of vision right before I was blown away. It was ¨D¨D water flowing on the ground.

    Vampires can¡¯t cross flowing water.  They lose strength if they¡¯re on it and their various vampire abilities are nullified.

    My neck is already healed. I get up and once again change my regenerated right hand into a blade.

    ¡°Still¡­ Still, you plan to fight. You do not seem stupid enough to not see the difference in our strengths¡­ foolish Dead.¡±

    The place where Man-Eater is standing.

    The ground is shining brightly with him in the center. It¡¯s so small that it¡¯s very hard to see in the dark, but it is flowing water. It¡¯s spreading more and more little by little.

    It¡¯s magic. He¡¯s creating flowing water with magic. It must be much easier than changing water into arrows and shooting them towards me.

    I did think that something would definitely appear after he experienced a hit on his weak spot, but I see, this is a pretty effective anti-vampire strategy.

    Although¡­ Something of this scale is just a stopgap.

    This is exactly why I wanted to learn magic. In the end, I didn¡¯t have an aptitude for any element, but it was still sufficient.

    Man-Eater was waiting for me to enter his territory. I kick the ground without reservation and chant a spell I haven¡¯t mastered yet.

    I can only use everyday magic that was written in the basic Grimoire Senri found.

    I can¡¯t really use it for attack. It only gives me some drinking water, creates some fuel, dries wet things¡­ originally, as its name suggests, it is magic that slightly improves livelihood, but everything depends on how you use it.

    Perhaps caught off-guard, Man-Eater¡¯s eyes are wide open. But it¡¯s already too late.

    I pass the Kill Zone without any difficulty and swing the blade with all my might. Man-Eater immediately sets afloat his body and tries to block me with his forelegs, but my long bone blade digs in the middle of his leg, avoiding his sharp claws.

    I can feel the sensation of having cut something hard.

    Man-Eater rages and flips his body to move back, but I can see a small, dark red pool of blood forming on the ground.

    What I used was one of the basic everyday magic, ¡®Dry¡¯. It¡¯s magic that¡¯s usually used for drying wet laundry.

    Its target is myself. Magic that was activated extremely efficiently by pouring a vampire¡¯s enormous magic power into it, instantly vaporized the small amount of water that was flowing under my feet. It was my first time trying it in real combat, but looks like things went well.

    It might be better to use this a lot during combat so I don¡¯t experience the same thing again.

    The horror of Man-Eater¡¯s face has grown so much that it could easily be seen even from a distance. I can see it well exactly because he has a somewhat human face.

    ¡°Well, do you have any more plans? Do you want to try creating garlic with your magic next?¡±

    As my lips naturally pull into a smile, I lunge at Man-Eater.

    The one-sided battle had left everybody speechless. Before they knew it, the fight had completely reversed.

    Leaving ¡®Man-Eater¡¯s¡¯ personality aside, his combat abilities were very high, as expected from a phantom beast. Physical abilities of course, he also possessed many other abilities and his power was equal to a single army.

    But Manticore, feared as a horrifying beast, was now being completely pushed back.

    After breaking through the cursed flames, that wouldn¡¯t burn out until its target was completely charred, from the front of all places, End¡¯s right arm, that had changed into a blade, shallowly cut into Man-Eater¡¯s crimson body.

    Man-Eater¡¯s face, that was usually arrogant, was right now distorted with fear and despair. Everybody might have hated Man-Eater, but nobody would laugh at his current pathetic appearance.

    His one-shot knockout poisoned needles definitely melted End¡¯s body and the cursed flames burnt his flesh. Man-Eater even broke End¡¯s neck bones. However, neither of those turned out to be effective.

    Oliver shrank down his big body and started to tremble. But, Monica right now couldn¡¯t even feel displeasure at that.

    He should have dealt the finishing blow when he could. When Man-Eater melted End¡¯s body, he should have followed it up with more attacks instead of showing off his might.

    The abilities that End was showing right now were different from what Monica had observed until now. She didn¡¯t know if he already had them before or if he acquired them in the midst of the combat.

    Man-Eater might have been smart, but whenever the opponent exceeded his expectations, his movements became slower.

    The needles already no longer hit their target and the flames didn¡¯t work either. While no one couldn¡¯t call them serious injuries, his body was still covered all over in wounds. And unlike the vampire, his wounds wouldn¡¯t heal right away. Man-Eater most likely didn¡¯t have any chances to win.

    But End¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t show any sign of stopping.

    His blood red eyes were shining brightly. He had cornered Man-eater, who was barely fighting back, and was merrily carving away at his body. His attacks were full of strong murderous intent at its max.

    She did think that he was a bit strange. It was undeniable that she had underestimated him. But, the vampire¡­ turned out to be more frightening beyond her expectations¡­ he was a monster.

    She shouldn¡¯t have set him up with Man-Eater. Even if the fight against Man-Eater was inevitable, she should have done everything in her powers to postpone it.

    Man-Eater is one of the executives of Rainel¡¯s army, an indispensable persona because of his combat abilities. He couldn¡¯t be allowed to be killed for nothing at this kind of place.

    But the current End looked like if somebody got in to stop him, he¡¯d kill that mediator too.

    ¡°Oliver, go stop him.¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­ asking for¡­ impossible¡­ I stopped him. Didn¡¯t I stop him!? I¡¯ll be killed¡­ if I step in now, I¡¯ll be killed¡­¡±

    Oliver shook his head at Monica¡¯s pleading words. This man was useless when he was actually needed.

    Now that things had come to this, Monica had no choice but to stop End herself. After all, it was her who had suggested the current fight.

    Having made up her mind, she waited for the right chance. Unlike Man-Eater, Monica¡¯s flesh was soft and unlike the vampire, her regeneration ability wasn¡¯t very high either. If she was careless, she¡¯d be killed with Man-Eater before she even had a chance to stop anybody.

    Finally, Man-Eater staggered and kneeled. End didn¡¯t get overconfident about his power, he silently stepped towards Man-Eater and raised his blade high.

    Here it is!

    The moment Monica tried to run out and shout, a voice suddenly came from the sky.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. The match has been settled. Both participants, stop.¡±

    Her heart skipped a beat. All the commotion was stopped by this magnificent voice that almost urged everybody to naturally prostrate themselves.

    End¡¯s blade that was swung down stopped perfectly just before beheading Man-Eater.

    A black mass crossed the moonless dark sky for a moment

    It was one of the great Demon Kings and the strongest warrior in this army. Demon King Rainel. Monica was so relieved by the appearance of her king that all power left her legs and she sank on the spot.

 CH 75

    Even inside the coffin, the black feelings whirling in my brain don¡¯t seem to settle down.

    I desperately take deep breaths inside the darkness, trying to calm myself down.

    This Demon King¡¯s army is the worst. It¡¯s unjust.

    The decisive match between me and Man-Eater was stopped by the intruder ¨C Demon Lord Rainel. Just where was he watching us from?¡­ it¡¯s pretty far away, but there¡¯s a chance that he was observing us from the castle.

    If he came just ten seconds later, I would have beheaded Man-Eater, who stabbed me with his poisoned needles and burnt me with his cursed flames.

    Still, what a terrible story. He didn¡¯t come out when I was on the brink of death, but he immediately came to stop us when Man-Eater got a few scratches¡­ Well, I¡¯m not a member of his army or his ally, but it¡¯s still too much.

    Monica also didn¡¯t tell me anything about Man-Eater. Well, she did tell me something, but that information was fatally lacking.

    As I thought, Senri is the only one I can trust.

    It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine that I let Man-Eater go. The match was already decided. The next time I go against him, I can definitely kill him.

    There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll forgive him. That bastard cannot be trusted. I¡¯ll kill him like the scum he is, in an ambush. I¡¯ll kill him and immediately forget his existence, as if he was something insignificant.

    The problem is Demon King Rainel.

    I can¡¯t beat him. In my current state, at the very least.

    Rainel, who appeared at the battle arena last night, was strong enough to convince me of that, and it only took a single glance.

    His thick legs that firmly trod on the ground, his giant body and his mane, all shone with a mysterious golden color in the darkness.

    Demon Lord Rainel ¨D¨D is a golden lion. He is the literal and legitimate great king of beasts.

    He looked like a normal beast. However, his figure far exceeded the physique of Man-Eater and Albertus, rivaling the giant black evil dragon that the Lord summoned at his end. Nevertheless, the moment he landed on the ground, his footsteps were silent.

    Even I, who was looking at him from close up, couldn¡¯t see his true form.

    His voice was calm and it didn¡¯t have the same mocking tone as Man-Eater. He didn¡¯t have a human face, but it made one think of his higher intelligence compared to Man-Eater.

    And above all¨D¨D the sharp claws on his front legs were made of silver, most likely intended for killing me.

    It¨D¨D wasn¡¯t just ordinary silver. It was holy silver, just like Senri¡¯s sword. It was made of the expensive and rare blessed metal, that was created in order to cut through everything wicked. It was a vampire-slaying metal that would completely seal away my regeneration ability.

    With that kind of physique, it would be hard to avoid his attacks. Albertus wasn¡¯t armed. Man-Eater didn¡¯t use a silver weapon either.

    I have no chance to win, as I have only now started to learn how to use my power. If I¡¯m alone, that is.

    His voice made it obvious that he was aware of his overwhelming superiority. He didn¡¯t even consider me as an enemy. And he was most likely right.

    As a King, he must be able to discern the difference in strength between himself and others.

    ¡®Hebram must also be reflecting. I want to officially welcome you into my army. I shall give you the reward you desire once Romberg is conquered.¡¯

    Zeal of beasts was contained in his eyes. Although his words were in the form of a proposal, his voice had the pressure that made one unable to refuse.

    Who knows what would have become of me if I didn¡¯t nod then.

    His voice was trying to bind me. It was belittling my life. That voice was the voice one used for somebody beneath them.

    That guy is my enemy. I will kill him. Conflict gives birth to more conflict and strong grudges. I¡¯m not happy, but it can¡¯t be helped.

    Demon King Rainel, Man-Eater and this unpleasant army ¨C I¡¯ll kill them all flawlessly enough so that all my grudges disappear. I might be a coward, but I¡¯m more spiteful than anybody.

    I will never forget the humiliation I have tasted.

    I feel a presence approaching. A quiet knock comes from the lid of the coffin. It¡¯s Monica¡¯s smell¡­ I also smell Oliver nearby. It must be night again, I guess.

    By this time, the feelings circling my brain had already settled down to some extent. It¡¯s just a little better, but right now I can even greet Man-Eater with a smile if I meet him outside.

    I open the coffin and get up. Monica, who¡¯s dressed in loose-fitting clothes as usual, says with a slightly trembling voice. Oliver is shrinking into himself nearby.

    ¡°Good morning. How are you feeling today, Lord End?¡±

    How I¡¯m feeling? ¡­ Just the worst.

    My fight with Man-Eater gave me a lot of things, but I lost some things too.

    The cool equipment that I wanted Senri to compliment, and my pride. I also used blood power many times for multiple large scale regeneration, so my power is also close to exhaustion. If we¡¯re talking in terms of losses and gains, I¡¯ve gained more because I learned how to use my power, but I feel the worst.

    But I deliberately answer with a calm voice.

    ¡°Well, not bad.¡±

    ¡°My deepest apologies for the happenings of last night. However, while this might sound like an excuse¡­ Oliver and I did not doubt that you would be victorious, Lord End.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, that¡¯s a done matter. Besides, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±

    Yeah, it¡¯s okay. The wounds heal. The only thing that doesn¡¯t heal is the wound in one¡¯s heart.

    Keeping calm is what¡¯s most important. I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the Lord if I lost my calm. I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Albertus either. That¡¯s why I will act the same this time too.

    I see Monica relax her shoulders in relief.

    Oliver lifts the box behind him and quietly puts it in front of me. Looking at him like this he really looks like an ordinary dog rather than a wolf.

    ¡°I have chosen a few items at my own discretion¡­ to replace the equipment you had lost last night. It also includes congratulatory gifts for Lord End who has defeated Man-Eater and joined our army.¡±

    There were a lot of items shining with the glimmer of magic in the box. There were also some things that I hadn¡¯t seen when I was looking for items in the treasure storage the other day.

    But, I bet they¡¯re softer than my flesh and can¡¯t regenerate as well as my body. I¡¯m sure that if I turn into a dog, they¡¯ll come off and if I turn into a giant dog, they¡¯ll rip. The items that still remain in my possession are the Lord¡¯s relics that are with Senri and the jet-black hatchet, ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯.

    To start with, magic doesn¡¯t work on me. The magical items that improve the wearer¡¯s abilities don¡¯t work on me either and I have no need for the items that block offensive magic or curses.

    I don¡¯t even need a sword. It¡¯ll be melted by the poison anyway¡­ After all, poison doesn¡¯t work on my right arm. I want the kind of clothes that won¡¯t come off or tear all the time. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m always fighting almost fully naked because I want to.

    Although disappointed, I chose the black clothes that seemed to be the most durable and the most well tailored.

    Monica, who was concerned about me, as I was excitedly choosing an equipment, confirmed in a hurry.

    ¡°A-are you sure you do not want anything else? Nobody wwill complain even if you take all of them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need them. Human items are too fragile.¡±

    Even inorganic items can¡¯t keep up with the endurance of the vampire. But if I live long enough, I¡¯m bound to find an item I¡¯ll like.

    Let¡¯s think positively. My time has yet to come. I¡¯m sure there will be both good and bad things, but all will be fine as long as good outweighs the bad.

    I forcibly convince myself and check with Monica.

    ¡°Well then, now that I¡¯ve become a member of the demon king¡¯s army¡­ I think that I should find out about this army as much as I can. Who¡¯s the most knowledgeable about that kind of stuff?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes. If you are wondering about this army, I can probably provide the answer to most of your questions.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s¡­ very helpful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m honored.¡±

    Monica smiles faintly for the first time. She must have a high rank in this army just as I thought. Well, even if she has a high position, it¡¯s probably because everybody else is only slightly better than a literal animal, but this is very convenient.

    Putting everything I didn¡¯t need in the box, Monica closes its lid. I stretch my arm and lightly catch her wrist.

    Monica gives a start and looks at me.

    ¡°?! Umm¡­ it¡¯s fine. I will not take them away. I will leave them in the room, so if you happen to change your mind, please feel free to use them at your¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need those anymore. But, there¡¯s something that has yet to be compensated for.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ perhaps talking about your weapon? In that case, there are several left in the treasury. ¡°

    ¡°Wrong. The weapon is not the thing that needs compensation.¡±

    ¡°? Erm¡­ that¡¯s¡­ ¡°

    Black flames are still smoldering in the corner of my mind. Monica¡¯s peace-at-any-price attitude is a bit strange.

    What¡¯s essential now is¨D¨D the replenishment of blood power. I used a lot of blood power in a battle against Man-Eater. My urge to drink blood is getting stronger because of that. I can still endure it for now, but I see no reason to stop myself. I need to replenish my power as fast as possible. I¡¯m busy.

    I laugh with tenderness.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about blood. I used a lot of blood because of you, Monica. I have to make up for it.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    The change was dramatic. Monica had a stupefied look for a second, but soon enough her eyes opened wide and blood drained from her face.

    She must take responsibility. It¡¯s not because of compassion that I didn¡¯t drink Monica¡¯s blood until now.

    I just didn¡¯t have a justification, a legitimate excuse of sorts. But right now, I¡¯m ready to make all of the demon king¡¯s army into my enemy and I even got in trouble because Monica didn¡¯t give me information about Man-Eater.

    ¡°P-please do not jest¡­ If¡­ if you need blood, we have the¡­ prisoners.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t suit my taste. I want to suck the nutritious blood of a succubus.¡±

    ¡°?! Lord End, I-I¡¯m not a succubus.¡±

    Monica says with a quivering voice and points at her loose-fitting clothes by looking down.

    She has a voluptuous body and when she had her wings out, she was wearing revealing clothes so maybe I misunderstood something?

    ¡°Oh, is that so? Well, whatever. I¡¯ve already made up my mind.  I will drink your blood. Right now.¡±

    I promised Senri that I wouldn¡¯t drink blood from any human other than her, but now that I think about it, Monica¡¯s not human, so it¡¯s okay, right?

    Did you think that I had forgiven you? Well, you¡¯re wrong.

    I¡¯m still angry. I thought of Monica as an ally, but I was betrayed. I¡¯m really irritated. This also serves as a punishment.

    Monica desperately tries to move away, but a vampire¡¯s physical strength is stronger than the physical strength of a demon. In a small pleading voice, Monica offers a slightly off-point resistance.

    ¡°Lord End, your stomach! If you drink my dirty blood, it will definitely upset your stomach! Have mercy, please have mercy!¡±

    The sweet smell, reminiscent of an overripe fruit jolts my brain.

    It¡¯s been a long time since I last sucked blood. I¡¯ll take my sweet time while drinking her blood.

    She seems to be familiar with vampires and she¡¯s probably sturdier than humans. Why don¡¯t I ask her to teach me the right way to suck blood?

    She could escape if she cut off her arm, but Monica didn¡¯t look like she would do it. How pathetic, when I almost got fully melted down because of her.

    I strongly pulled on her arm and dragged the struggling Monica inside the coffin. It was made to be a little wide so it had enough space for two people.

    As I was pressing Monica down with only my left hand, I glared at Oliver who was trembling in the corner of the room. Voice, so cold that it even surprised me, came from my mouth.

    ¡°Oliver, I¡¯m going to eat. Keep watch so nobody disturbs me. If anybody comes, make up an excuse and send them away. If you get in my way, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

 CH 76

    The blood-sucking for vampires is about more than just drinking blood.

    The reason why demonss like us, with various fearsome abilities like superhuman strength, regeneration and shapeshifting into a bat, wolf or mist (although I can¡¯t do this yet) are called ¡®blood-sucking demons¡¯ instead of mist demons or wolf demons, is most likely because that¡¯s the power that the common people are the most afraid of.

    As far as I have felt from sucking Senri¡¯s blood many times after I¡¯ve become a vampire, the act of blood-sucking is more than a means of replenishing energy. It is also a reproductive act that gives strong pleasure to me and the other person, a means of communication and also the violation of the soul.

    The anecdotes about pitiful people who have had their blood sucked by vampires and become enchanted by them have existed in all times and places.

    By sucking her blood, I have come to understand Senri well. When I drank Albertus¡¯ blood, for a moment I even felt like I was reliving her life.

    Senri and Albertus showed little to no visible change after having their blood sucked, but that¡¯s because they are humans with extremely strong mental fortitude, and not because that¡¯s normal.

    It¡¯s only natural that Monica is afraid of having her blood sucked by me.

    She is smart. And therefore, she knows that she is not strong enough to resist me.

    Three bites. That¡¯s all it took me to win her over.

    From my understanding, Fiends are generally stronger than humans, but looks like that doesn¡¯t apply to mental strength.

    The first bite was still followed by a strong resistance. By the second bite, the resistance suddenly weakened and by the third bite, she had already given in, turning into a pitiful being, who only twisted her body and asked for mercy.

    Monica is a useful teaching tool for me to correctly measure my strength.

    I can¡¯t always take her with me. I am Senri¡¯s ally, and Monica is her enemy. But even without that, I still wouldn¡¯t take her in.

    It¡¯s because that would be meaningless. Monica is too weak. If Monica had any worth, it would be as food. That¡¯s why, I should have bitten her with gratitude that she gave me an excuse to do it herself.

    Monica¡¯s skin and flesh were very soft, and her blood was as greatly delicious as I had imagined from its smell. Senri¡¯s blood was also delicious. But Monica¡¯s blood had the concentrated sweetness that felt like it would get caught in the back of my throat. The viscosity of her blood was the same as humans¡¯, but its taste reminded me of the jam made from sweet fruits.

    I shut off Monica¡¯s resistance by forcefully holding her down inside the dark coffin, hugged her twitching voluptuous body and took my time slowly sucking her blood.

    A Fiend¡¯s body is pretty much no different from a human¡¯s. She is plumper than Senri, but that¡¯s probably just their individual difference. The sweet smell that got stronger each time I licked her skin and drank blood and her skin, that was damp with excitement and pleasure wasn¡¯t any different either. And with regard to her blood ¨C there also wasn¡¯t much difference.

    Hugging her throbbing body hard enough to strangle her and sucking blood gave me the utmost pleasure. But the pleasure Monica was feeling was most likely much stronger than mine.

    The pleasure vampires felt was most likely closely related to death. The pleasure born from the fusion of the fear of death and sexual satisfaction is something you can¡¯t easily experience if you¡¯re alive.

    My only miscalculation was that Monica lied.

    ¡°Haa¡­ you lair¡­ it¡¯s not cursed¡­¡±

    I whisper to Monica, whose body is twitching from having her blood slowly sucked, with breaks, and experiencing unending slow pleasure.

    Monica¡¯s blood was quite delectable, but ¡®Curse Steal¡¯ didn¡¯t get activated. Well, I didn¡¯t really expect much from the start anyway, but I guess having cursed blood was her excuse to avoid having her blood sucked.

    To start with, the only curses I can absorb are the ones that have been placed from the outside. Fiends are born that way, it¡¯s not like they have been cursed by anybody.

    However, I¡¯m in a good mood because of blood that I haven¡¯t drank in a good while. I haven¡¯t been able to replenish my power like I did after drinking Senri¡¯s and Albertus¡¯ blood, but a Fiend¡¯s blood is still able to help me recover some of it. Maybe appearance played a role in it too.

    That¡¯s why, I spoke while sliding my tongue on Monica¡¯s neck and carefully searching for the next place to bite.

    Ultimately I¡¯m going to bite everywhere I can, but I don¡¯t want to suck Monica dry, so I need to make a choice.

    ¡°Hey, Monica, it¡¯s bad to lie. Aren¡¯t you going to apologize?¡±

    ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D Ah¡­ Ahh¡­ Uu¡­ kh¡­ please¡­ forgive¡­ me¡­ I¡¯m, sorry¡­ I¡­ am¡­ sorry. Please, please have mercy¨D¨DLord¡­End¡­ please¡­ forgive me¡­ please¡­ forgive me¡­¡±

    Breathless, Monica tearfully apologizes.

    The clothes that completely covered her body have already been torn by my claws, creating deep slits all over her. I unhesitatingly cling to her, skin to skin, restraining her. I was thinking that now that I finally had a chance I would do things that I couldn¡¯t do to Senri.

    Unfortunately, I can¡¯t have a so-called  intercourse with her. It¡¯s because I don¡¯t have that function yet as a ¡®Lesser Vampire¡¯.

    If I try hard enough, I can do it artificially, but I¡¯m only interested in sucking blood and I don¡¯t want to do things that aren¡¯t fun for me.

    The next thing I need to do is collect information.

    Monica most likely carefully selected the information she gave me. She would be adjusting the information so it wouldn¡¯t become disadvantageous for the Demon King¡¯s army while observing me.

    But right now, it would be a problem if she hid information from me. I have to save the captured Death Knight, kill both Man-Eater and Rainel and stop the attack on Romberg while I¡¯m at it.

    It¡¯s my first time interrogating somebody, but in Monica¡¯s current absentminded state even a beginner like me could get decent results. It¡¯s a little exciting.

    Drinking Monica¡¯s blood and seeing her writhe in pleasure, I feel truly blessed to be a vampire.

    I feel a bit reluctant, but since I¡¯ve already bit Monica, there¡¯s no meaning in hiding my rebellious thoughts.

    The time limit is also approaching. Given her personality, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if Senri came after me. The situation is becoming strained.

    Well, if in the worst case, I failed, I can just leave everything and run away. The emotional knots will remain, but while there is life, there is hope. Everything will be fine as long as I and Senri survive. It¡¯s my first time, so there¡¯s no problem even if I fail. Let¡¯s take it easy. Let¡¯s have a fun interrogation.

    I sink the tips of my fangs in Monica¡¯s neck only by a few centimeters, and whisper straightforwardly.

    ¡°Monica, tell me Demon King Rainel¡¯s weakness from your point of view.¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­ Haa, haa¡­ Huh¡­?

    So I came up with a very interesting game. While rubbing her soft skin, I say to Monica, who¡¯s been trembling from a different thing than pleasure.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I¡¯m not the devil. While you¡¯re talking¡­ I won¡¯t bite you. Isn¡¯t this a special treatment for somebody who¡¯s been dragged away by a vampire? While I¡¯m at it, I won¡¯t kill you either. Despite my actions, I¡¯m still a man who keeps his promises so you can trust me.¡±

    Monica¡¯s upper lip was very stiff.  In order to gain information, I had to lovingly bite her stomach, chest and thighs.

    In the end, after being overwhelmed by the strong pleasure and writhing with fear she had never experienced before, Monica talked.

    Demon King Rainel, toughened by numerous battles, the Gamelyon King.

    His true identity is ¨D¨D a lion magical beast and dragon hybrid.

    There is a race called Dragonute ¨D¨D a demi-human race known as the strongest, who also have dragon blood, and Rainel is a magical beast version of that. Dragons never copulate with magical beasts to start with, so his existence can even be called miraculous.

    His extraordinarily giant body might be the result of his dragon blood. His golden fur outdoes Man-Eater¡¯s body and his claws slash through the castle walls like it¡¯s a piece of paper. His strength even surpasses those of the Dragon race and while he apparently might not be able to use Breath, one of the reasons that make dragons a threat, there¡¯s no way of knowing if that¡¯s actually true either.

    Apparently, if there¡¯s anybody who can wound Rainel in this army, it¡¯s the army¡¯s Number 2, ¡®Man-Eater¡¯.

    If the words of half-conscious Monica are true, Rainel has no obvious weakness unlike vampires. If I want to defeat that Demon King, I either have to outperform him with pure power or set him up.

    I get up from the coffin and take in the precious fresh air. Turns out I was too concentrated on sucking blood, the crimson light is now shining through the gaps of the window.

    Is it¡­ evening? It¡¯s a bit early for a vampire, but it¡¯s not bad.

    Inside the coffin, Monica is sleeping as though she is dead with tattered clothes wrapped around her body.

    Perhaps noticing that I had woken up, Oliver quickly got before me and prostrated himself. He reverently gave me the clothes I chose yesterday.

    Was Oliver perhaps actually keeping watch all this time like I told him to?

    ¡°G-good morning. Here¡¯s your clothing, Lord End.¡±

    I speechlessly accept the clothes. Well, I don¡¯t mind being paid respect, but Oliver¡¯s reverence is not towards me, but towards the vampires. I can¡¯t trust him.

    Well, I have to do what I need to do before meeting Senri.

    My first target has already been decided.

 CH 77

    At first, there was only a single strange lion.

    The oldest scenery in his memories was a sacred mountain devoid of life and his roaring self at its summit.

    The powerful dragon blood flowing in his body made Rainel ¡®aloof¡¯.

    By the time he had become self-aware, there was nobody except for the preys around him. It wasn¡¯t until after a while that he found out that lion magical beasts lived in packs.

    The trigger was the lone Demon King that had wandered into Rainel¡¯s territory.

    It was probably the weakest of all Demon Kings. Rainel ripped apart the intruder who violated the borders of his territory.

    And he became the new Demon King. This was a title for someone who ruled over those that were not human. Weak monsters gathered under the powerful.

    The only thing needed was overwhelming power. For Rainel, who was born a King, creating his own pack was pretty much instinctual, and eventually, Demon King Rainel became one of the major forces.

    Now that his family had become much bigger, it was impossible to keep the pack alive just by protecting their territory.

    The pack already was so big that Rainel alone was unable to look after all of them. Next, he had to create a country. Conquering the fortified city, Romberg, was the first step towards that goal.

    But more than that, Rainel was thirsting to fight somebody strong.

    The dragon race was a species that became bigger the longer they lived. Rainel, who was their descendant, also grew stronger with each year.

    He hadn¡¯t experienced a battle where he had to go all out in a long while. When was the last time that he had a desperate battle? Maybe when he fought a powerful magical Beast, Man-Eater Hebram, or perhaps when he went against Oliver? Still, even then, Rainel wasn¡¯t seriously wounded.

    One day, even the challengers disappeared. The Death Knights in Romberg couldn¡¯t reach him either.

    At this rate, even if he got stronger, his soul would rot away.

    That vampire was the first promising fighter in a good while. Truly wonderful. He beat the Number 2 of the army, Man-Eater, who was always greedy for victory. His power, will and even his growth potential was outstanding.

    And his eyes, shining like blood¨D¨D those were the same eyes his archenemy used to look at him with a long time ago. Right now, he was still weaker than Rainel, but that man would definitely challenge him in the not too distant future.

    It was said that Demon Kings, who had taken vampires as their subordinates, would be targeted by Death Knights. But that was also fine.

    Rainel was a King. He stood on top of everything that had a connection to the demons. Therefore, he would pride himself in his power and take on all challenges.

    As long as End Baron was here, taking over Romberg would be just a matter of time. The more power Rainel gained, the stronger the enemies. The greater the swarm of humans and Demon Kings that would challenge him. Just by thinking about it, he was tingling with excitement. His rotting fighting instincts were thrilled.

    The time had come. Although they couldn¡¯t cut off the supply route, they obtained something more valuable. Stagnation wouldn¡¯t be allowed for Rainel¡¯s army.

    They would crush Romberg as soon as possible. They would destroy that nuisance of a wall, trample down the city and continue forward, beyond its border.

    A rugged castle standing on the mountainside. Deep inside, as he was repressing his overwhelming emotions with the chilly air of the night, a shadow appeared, mixed in with the darkness.

    It didn¡¯t have a presence. Nor a smell, or sound. Rainel growled quietly at the petite figure wearing a crimson cloak.

    The shadow was a guest. It looked like a human, but it was something else.

    A nauseating smell of blood suddenly assaulted Rainel. That person¡¯s skin was sickly white, with no signs of vitality. Their hair was red and was glossy, as if it had been wet.

    It looked androgynous. Rainel couldn¡¯t discern a person¡¯s age or sex from their faces, but the guest smelled like a woman. Her corpse scent was hidden by the strong smell of blood.

    Perhaps vampires were ¨D¨D those kinds of creatures.

    The woman was a messenger from another Demon King. She was a retainer of the ¡®Stake King¡¯, one of the most powerful forces even within the many Demon Kings.

    Their army was made of abominable Undead.

    While they weren¡¯t Demon King Rainel¡¯s ally, they weren¡¯t his enemy either. That Demon King¡¯s territory was far away.

    Their retainer was sent to observe the situation and depending on the situation, to join hands.

    The woman slightly opened her mouth. Her voice, which had been unimpressed ever since she arrived in Rainel¡¯s army, was now quivering, albeit slightly.

    ¡°There is no mistake¡­ he¡¯s a vampire¡­ and a True Vampire at that. Unbelievable, there was still somebody like him who didn¡¯t align with any group¡­ ¡°

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there plenty of those under your King, Sable?¡±

    Rainel wasn¡¯t the only one watching Man-Eater¡¯s duel.

    Somebody, who didn¡¯t have even a sliver of interest in the powerful magical beast, Manticore, was now trembling with excitement. Her original purpose was to check on Oliver¨D¨D the werewolf that was created by a certain vampire, but that matter seemed to have already flown out of her mind.

    ¡°Demon King Rainel, we shall transfer a certain part of our army to you. An army made up of ten 4th ranked werewolves, and 5th and 6th ranked werewolves, all 200 of them faithful to the King.¡±

    ¡°What do you want in exchange?¡±

    He already knew the answer, but Rainel still asked in a small voice.

    The vampire, named Sable, answered immediately. Her eyes were shining quietly.

    ¡°In exchange¡­ we¡¯ll take that vampire.¡±

    Rainel rose up slightly. The tips of his sharp claws, made of holy silver, scraped the floor.

    Indeed, the werewolves were powerful. They were powerful and few in numbers. If he had an army of 200 that could transform into humans, taking over Romberg would be an easy matter.

    However, it was out of the question. He had no intention of going along with the negotiation ever since the beginning. Rainel didn¡¯t allow her into his territory just so he could give her somebody he fancied.

    He looked down on the shadow that was much smaller than himself.

    ¡°Get lost. Before my claws pierce your body.

    ¡°Tsk¡­ you¡¯re just a slightly unique beast.¡±

    As Sable clicked her tongue, Rainel swung down his forefeet. The silver claws ¨C the weakness of the vampires that he had specifically made, cut her body diagonally without giving her enough time to evade and following its course, pierced the castle¡¯s floor. The whole castle trembled from the power of a lion with the dragon¡¯s blood flowing through his veins.

    However, he didn¡¯t feel any resistance. Sable, who he definitely tore to pieces, was a few meters away, standing near the window. Neither her cloak, nor her slender body had as little as a scratch on them.

    The vampires¡¯ abilities were bottomless. Even after having Rainel¡¯s piercing gaze on her, Sable¡¯s expression remained the same. She may have been wrapped in a strong smell of blood, but perhaps there was actually no blood circulating in her body.

    ¡°You will regret refusing this deal.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Make me.¡±

    Sable¡¯s expression strongly distorts. And almost at the same time, her body burst forth.

    Inside the darkness, countless bats flew away, squeaking.  This swarm, dense enough for each member to bump into each other, went out of the window as if they were competing with each other. Eventually, there were none left.

    ¡°What a crafty power. I¡¯ll rip you to pieces one day.¡±

    He could chase her, but she didn¡¯t have any intentions of properly fighting against him. Even if he went after her, she¡¯d just keep running away. That would dampen all his excitement.

    Right now, he didn¡¯t have enough time to mind a single outsider vampire.

    As he stood up, Demon King Rainel roared loudly.

    It shook the air, shook the castle and spread to all the troops that had been positioned on the mountain. Roars came back to answer him.

    Well then, the time has come. Sharpen your claws and polish your fangs. Show the humans, show the retainer of the ¡®Stake King¡¯, who came to scrutinize Rainel¡¯s army, your might!

    It was easy to hide in the darkness. Nobody saw me and nobody seemed to have noticed my presence either.

    ¡®Silhouette¡¯s¡¯ strength lies not just in erasure of sounds and smells, but also the concealment of visual signs. If you pour more blood power into it, you¡¯ll be able to deceive the sensitive 5 senses of the magical beasts and move like the shadows. It doesn¡¯t last for long, but for the time being, that¡¯s not big of a deal.

    My mind is hot. I can feel my combat instinct stirring up. Perhaps I drank a lot of blood, or it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been too stressed lately.

    There would be no problem if this was just a matter of my mood, but I must not allow my ego to be taken over by the instincts of a vampire. It¡¯s fine during the battle, but when everything is over, I must return to my original self.

    For the time being, there is nobody in this army that could defeat me. While they may be big in numbers, that is of no significance to vampires.

    Just as I expected, the only ones I have to look out for are Demon King Rainel and Man-Eater. If we¡¯re talking about abilities, Oliver seems to also be strong, but he¡¯s unstable enough that he could come to my side depending on how I act. Don¡¯t really need him though.

    The problem is Rainel. His physical abilities are most likely stronger than Albertus and since I haven¡¯t seen him in a battle, he¡¯s unfathomable.

    If I want to kill that Gamelyon, I will need outside help. The power to pierce through his fur and wound him.

    Man-Eater¡¯s house is close to the castle, in a mountain cave. Two annoyed-looking ogres were guarding the misshapen wooden door.

    The door was obviously made in a rush. It was just a few random wooden planks casually put together, full of gaps, not even fulfilling its significance as a door. There was a strong smell of caution leaking from the gaps along with the air.

    The door was obviously a countermeasure against me. Vampires cannot enter other people¡¯s houses unless they¡¯re invited in. I bet Man-Eater thought that the cave where he always spent the night in didn¡¯t fit the requirements of a house so he hurriedly made the door. He is right though. My instincts are whispering to me that I shouldn¡¯t enter this so-called house.

    As expected, that guy¡¯s ¨D¨D I think the Demon King called him Hebram¨D¨D a shrewd magical beast.

    I assume he also doesn¡¯t use guards usually. The ogres looked obviously dissatisfied.

    Looks like I¡¯m hated a lot¡­ Did he perhaps think that I would ambush him as revenge?

    As I hid in the shadow of a tree and licked my lips, I decided to think about how I would request his help.

 CH 78

    Dell Gordon, the third-class Death Knight held captive, had his eyes closed in an effort to scan his surroundings.

    Almost a month had passed since he had been caught. During the time, Dell received all of the scornful looks pretending to be emancipated.

    All members of the Death Knights are humans. The blessing dwelling in their bodies grants them superhuman powers.

    The power of blessing that he had almost exhausted when he was strung up in the prison, had already been replenished.

    He was in a rather malnourished state owing to no proper food given to him, but it was nothing new as he has had to go without food or water while on missions before, not to mention there are techniques followed by the Death Knights that use the power of blessing to forcibly move one¡¯s own body when it is unable to do so.

    His hands and feet were bound by chains of a special make, and even the physical strength of Death Knights that enabled them to break through steel did not work on the chains. However, the same could not be said for the wall they were connected to.

    At present with my power replenished, I can break the chains, wrench the bars open and make a run for it. The iron balls attached to my legs are a bit of an issue but with my strength enhanced through blessing, it should barely pose an impediment.

    Rainel¡¯s army is taking Death Knights too lightly. The only reason I pretended to have grown weak and had not broken out sooner was because I was waiting for the right opportunity.

    The army of the Demon King Rainel had surpassed Romberg in terms of military strength.

    Romberg was in danger of being crushed by the mighty existence that is Rainel¡¯s army which had grown considerably in size and strength of each individual member.

    The only reason that city had survived thus far was due to the strong outer wall that had taken years to build. Nevertheless, its strength was on the decline owing to all the abuse it had endured over the years. There was no other way to save the city but by defeating Demon King Rainel.

    Once he falls, his army would be reduced to no more than a swarm of beasts. Hence, even the soldiers stationed in Romberg should be able to take care of them.

    He never thought he would be a match for them by himself. And yet, he still had to challenge them.

    Romberg was Dell¡¯s hometown.

    He did not have too many happy memories of the place. Romberg is a stronghold. Majority of its residents make a living through their swords, and it is a rough town to grow up in.

    His family was no more. Even old acquaintances have probably long forgotten about him, who left town after being picked up by the Order.

    That said, he was still born and raised there. Several of the battle techniques ingrained in Dell were ones he once learned from the soldiers of this land.

    ¡®This is all fate¡¯ Dell thought. It was probably no coincidence that had brought about Dell¡¯s visit to Romberg, which had been pushed to a precarious state after being exposed to fierce attacks from the demon king¡¯s army.

    Dell was strong right now. It was the strength he had fostered through fierce battles against beings of darkness.

    His fellow knights had tried to stop him. He had been admonished by his master who had looked after him all along.

    With power comes responsibility. It was by code that the Order never involved itself in battles against demon kings. The Death Knights use their strength only to fight beings of darkness.

    However, Dell refused to submit. And after seeing how determined he was, his fellow knights gave up on holding him back.

    As to what the Order would do if he were to break the code and intervene¡­

    He would not be excommunicated. Nor would they try to stop him against his will.

    The right answer is¡­ they would turn a blind eye.

    This is Dell¡¯s battle. And the Order would respect that.

    They would not provide him with manpower, nor would they try to stop him. Exert your strength to accomplish your will. Heroes are that kind of people.

    He did not think the Order had treated him poorly. For it was simply him being wilful.

    No one would come to the rescue. His fellow knights had already departed Romberg. If Dell were to not return, he would probably be considered missing in action.

    It was his good fortune that had kept him alive, but it was not in the least convenient to have become a prisoner.

    Rainel is a gigantic Demon King.

    He has a tough body which is said to have deflected a shot from a catapult, also immune to power of blessing, he is completely different from all the opponents Dell has faced thus far.

    Even the Death Knights might find it difficult to win if they take him head-on. Besides, when it is a large army one is facing against, the level of difficulty simply shoots up.

    Dell may have had a small victory in getting captured and placed among the troops. He could probably find a suitable spot to launch a surprise attack.

    Even if defeating Rainel may not be possible, he might be able to take out a few of the top brass.

    Right around then is when the circumstances changed.

    The behaviour of Dell¡¯s guards was stranger than usual. And, that appeared.

    It had the appearance of a young man.

    Its energy was suppressed but Dell could tell.

    In front of him was¡­ a being of darkness. The enemy of the Order, a powerful undead, the archenemy of all things living, a vampire.

    Considering it had made its way all the way over here, it must be a guest of the Demon King Rainel.

    ¡®How foolish of him¡¯, thought Dell.

    The undead loathe all living beings, be it humans or even their own kind.

    When evolved into a vampire, they grow intelligent and are less driven to blindly follow their instincts to prey on any living beings they come across, but it does not make them any less dangerous.

    That said, this might not be bad news to Dell.

    If an undead were to join their ranks, Demon King Rainel would become an enemy of the Order.

    Once they receive a report of this, they would swear on their dignity as Death Knights to bring down Demon King Rainel at all costs. The code was also meant to serve as a warning to discourage Demon Kings from ever associating with powerful undead.

    By letting in a foreign body, an undead, the army was thrown into chaos.

    Just as how the undead prey on the living, the living instinctively avoids the undead. It takes time to get used to the death energy they radiate.

    I shall carry out my plan tomorrow, when the vampire cannot make a move, and the guards exchange shifts.

    As I held my breath, circulating the blessing around my body in an effort to improve my condition even if by a little, I suddenly felt a chill down my spine. I slightly raised my head and put strength into my arms, ready to break out of my chains at any time. I donned on armor made with the power of blessing that I had kept on the reserve.

    The warning bells went off in my head. A strong aura of darkness was approaching. The ogre guards seemed to have not noticed it.

    There was no sound. No scent. It was simply an evil aura closing in.

    It was not magic. It felt like a skill peculiar to a vampire evolved from a fleshman.

    Everything was silent. Soft groans escape the lips of the three ogre guards. Their eyes merely grew wide before losing all light the next moment and they collapsed on the ground.

    Dell stared, eyes wide as he got up to his feet. Vampires are monsters, even if Death Knights are equipped to deal with them, they cannot be taken lightly.

    His body trembled. From excitement.

    From the shadows emerged a pair of blood red eyes, veiled by a small curtain of hair, peering at him. The skin that appeared to be dyed dark, returned to its original color as if by a wave of corrosion.

    The monster¡¯s appearance remained the same, but it felt a whole lot more daunting than before.

    For a moment, Dell even forgot the Demon King, his original target. Even for him, who held no particular grudge towards vampires, it was apparent that this monster before him had to be killed no matter what.

    As Dell glared at him silently without masking his murderous intent, the monster spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill Rainel. I¡¯ll let you out of here. Work with me.¡±

    I killed too many. I am burning up. My vision keeps flickering.

    My head is practically on fire. I take a deep breath to regain my composure.

    The origin of the heat is probably my vampire instincts. It is also the reason why vampires are considered fearsome monsters. As I am still a lesser vampire, my instincts should not be as developed, however, it is furious as a fire or a storm, and a few moments seem to be necessary to completely shut it down.

    Though I had just had my fill, my throat felt totally parched. I had made a mistake.

    I messed up the order of execution. Before drinking Monica¡¯s blood, I should have invented an excuse to look for Senri. I would have kept my cool if Senri had been by my side.

    It is incredibly easy to let my impulses control me, but that would only take me one step closer to becoming a monster. Even if I had caught them off guard, having taken out three ogres in an instant only proves how powerful I had become. It is going to be touch and go from here on out.

    I grabbed on the iron bars, yanked it out of place and threw it aside. I stepped into the cell that was now open wide.

    Despite my gracious attempt to save him, the Death Knight glared at me, murderously.

    Slender body covered in wounds. Strong-willed pair of brown eyes. He was clad in an armor of blessing in an effort to keep me at arm¡¯s length. However, as I am now, I could most likely punch him through the armor and all.

    My vampire instincts screamed at me to kill the man in front of me. But I cannot do that. Even if he looks upon me with killing intent, I cannot respond in kind. As long as Senri places her trust in me, I cannot betray her.

    I want to knock myself down for thinking, that before Senri got here, I should free the Death Knight, take down Rainel and ask for her blood as reward.

    The Death Knight said nothing. However, I proceed to clear things up.

    ¡°Ah. I understand your reluctance. I don¡¯t really want to do this either. But the enemy of my enemy is an ally, right? We can put off trying to kill each other until after. Rainel¡¯s pretty strong and to be honest, I might be in over my head by myself. And the same goes for you too probably.¡±

    I do not really expect us to become real allies. That is obviously impossible.

    That is why, I shall point him towards a different target. This Death Knight was caught after a strife with Rainel¡¯s army. So, it stands to reason that Rainel should be his target.

    The iron balls on his legs spelled nuisance. I grabbed onto the huge chains and lifted it up. As I was about to pull on it with both hands, it suddenly dawned on me.

    ¡°Ahh, dammit¡­ it¡¯s not the full moon today.¡±

    This was a mistake. If I decide to strike back, it is best to wait for the full moon day on which I am at my strongest. I would have normally realized that way earlier, but it looks like I was thirstier than I had imagined.

    I put all my strength into it. The chains seem to have been custom made for they were pretty sturdy, but after pulling on them with all my might, I heard a snap. I heard an even louder sound escape my arms followed by a dull throb, but I ignored it. After wrestling with it for some time, the chains made a dull sound and popped out of my hands.

    The Death Knight said softly.

    ¡°¡­ There should be a key.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah, you¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t think of that. Shit¡­¡±

    My instincts screamed at me to use my strength. My reason was being corroded.

    I am in a very excited state right now. You could even call it impatience. I felt as if I had been sunk under water for a few years.

    I patted down a dead guard to find a bunch of keys that I threw to the Death Knight.

    Dreadful. Vampire instincts are completely dreadful. What made it dreadful is that I might not even realize if it merged with my own.

    I almost wanted to drop everything and take off after coming this far, but I cannot do that. I have taken several risks. The die had already been cast.

    If I run away right now, it will turn into a habit. And it is not the kind of freedom I seek.

    The Death Knight got to his feet. He was more built and blessed with a better physique than me, who had grown taller after becoming a lesser vampire.

    Even though he was supposed to have been bound for long, he did not look unsteady on his feet. What possessed Rainel¡¯s army to capture a Death Knight of all people? Should I call that daring or foolish¡­ I would have killed him instead had I been their position.

    The Death Knight spoke.

    ¡°I need a weapon.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a treasury. You should also get some proper clothes.¡±

    I may not be one to talk, but it is not right for such a macho man to move around in rags.

    Well then, before the sun rises and Rainel¡¯s army realizes what¡¯s up, let us get this over with.

 CH 79

    ¡°Wha-, you¡¯re¨D¨D¡±

    Dell Gordon¡¯s weapon could be classified as a sturdy sword, unlike the one Senri had. A single swing could cut through the ogres along with their armor.

    His body was overflowing with the power of blessing and his every muscle was throbbing erratically. His movements were like a storm and in the blink of an eye, he subdued the 3 demi-humans we accidentally met in the treasury.

    Dell alertly holds the wide sword he found in the treasury. It goes without saying that I¡¯m also somebody he¡¯s wary of.

    Having seen his ferocious way of fighting, I thought.

    ¨D¨D He¡¯s not that big of a deal.

    He¡¯s strong. He¡¯s certainly strong. Dell could defeat most members of Rainel¡¯s army and if we fight 1 on 1 there is a chance I could lose because of the compatibility between us.

    But he¡¯s too weak for the duty I wanted to give him.

    If we forget about compatibility for a moment, Dell is weaker than me. A long time has passed ever since my tag with Senri at the waterside. My strength right now is different from what it was back then.

    If we tested our strength one-on-one, I¡¯ll definitely come out victorious over Dell, who has been strengthened by the blessing. Right now, I can instantly slay demi-humans like Dell, and while I¡¯m at it, I can do it fast enough to not even give them a chance to make a sound.

    I didn¡¯t expect that much from him, but this is definitely not enough to defeat Rainel. I wanted to use him to distract Rainel, but it¡¯s doubtful whether he¡¯ll even be useful for that.

    That beast is definitely very strong. His overwhelming power meant that no small tricks could work on him. He is probably a bad match for Senri too. Even if I used explosions to destroy the castle, that Demon King still wouldn¡¯t die.

    Or perhaps, could Senri¡¯s ¡®Photon Delete¡¯ the skill that blew away the Lord¡¯s evil dragon, defeat him?

    ¡­Well, that would be the last resort. If possible, I want to finish everything before Senri arrives.

    Dell seems to be extremely motivated, but he doesn¡¯t seem to intend to take on the whole army by himself.

    I suppose my betrayal hasn¡¯t been exposed yet. I leave the other prisoners alone, leave the treasury before Dell and check the surroundings.

    The camp is much noisier than usual. Black smoke is rising from the direction of the mountain. An obviously non-human voice enters my ears.

    ¡°There¡¯s an intruder! ¨D¨D Don¡¯t let him escape!!¡±

    I suppress my whispering instincts telling me to fight with reason. The high-ranked demi-human warriors of Rainel¡¯s army are passing me in a hurry. I see them off expressionlessly. Some of them are surprised at my appearance, but perhaps they have seen my fight with Man-Eater, as nobody tries to attack me.

    The fight was just two days ago. It¡¯s not a full moon yet, so I don¡¯t think Demon King Rainel could imagine that I would make my move so fast.

    From here on, it¡¯s the race against time. I don¡¯t know the structure of Rainel¡¯s castle. I did hear about it from Monica, but I don¡¯t have a map.

    Fortunately, the castle is very close to the treasury.

    Demon King Rainel is the strongest in this army. He¡¯s different from a human king. The castle shouldn¡¯t be very heavily guarded and what little guards there were present should have gone towards the ¡®source of the fire¡¯

    I make sure that nobody is paying attention to us while we are running towards the castle. Dell, who has covered himself with a heavy coat, follows after me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have a plan¡­¡±

    ¡°A plan is useless against that thing.¡±

    The words Dell spat out sounded exasperated. If I was in his position, I would think the same thing too.

    However, while it cannot be said that the current rebellion is unrelated to my personal feelings, some things have been properly planned out.

    I thought about quietly taking out the small flies from the inside, but in the end, it¡¯s meaningless if I don¡¯t defeat Rainel. I don¡¯t have time for it either.

    ¡°Rainel is planning to attack Romberg soon. We must strike before he is done with the preparations.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Why is a vampire like you protecting a human city? Romberg is your enemy.¡±

    ¡°I have my own circumstances. Just like¡­ how you have yours.

    Dell doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m allied with a Death Knight. I don¡¯t intend to tell him either.

    This matter is complicated. My actions are carried out because of my personal feelings, because of Senri, and ¨D¨D because of the merchant group that gave me sweets.

    I can say for sure that protecting the city or risking my life is not my intention at all.

    However, I could never imagine that Undead like me would end up working together with a Death Knight other than Senri.

    Even when we¡¯re like this, the Death Knight is still trying to see through my actions.

    ¡°I went out of my way to save, so you better work well to repay me. Don¡¯t betray me during the decisive battle.¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­ I don¡¯t remember asking for your help!¡±

    Looks like getting along well is not an option here.

    Rainel¡¯s castle is made of smooth stone. I wonder if it was made with magic?¡­ I go inside through the unguarded wide-open entrance. Dell follows after me stealthily.

    There¡¯s a bestial smell in the air. It¡¯s the unforgettable familiar odour, the scent of Demon King Rainel. It seems to be coming from far above. No, ¨D¨Dwait.

    I can smell the faint smell of Senri mixed with the horrible stench of Rainel¡¯s army. It¡¯s coming from behind me¨D¨D from the foot of the mountain. It¡¯s still far away, but she¡¯s definitely heading towards me.

    Did she come to pick me up?¡­ Now I have even more reasons to hurry up.

    At this moment, I heard a familiar voice from the back of the castle.

    ¡°End¡­ why are you in the castle?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Selzard.¡±

    Who appeared from the front was the Lizardman warrior that landed a heavy blow to me on my first day in the army ¨D¨D Selzard. Lizardmen, impossible to differentiate from each other except for their weapons, were bustling behind his towering, large body.

    I instinctively click my tongue without showing it on my face.

    Selzard and his underlings were fully armed.

    He was holding a long spear, wearing a helmet that¡¯s been tailored for his body and glaring (then again, I can¡¯t really read the emotions of lizardmen) at me.

    I opened a giant hole in his body just the other day, but he seems to be doing fine. I can¡¯t underestimate the regeneration ability of living beings.

    Can I kill him? But the reason I was able to so easily open up another hole in Selzard¡¯s body was because he had his guard down. This time, while he might not have the strongest warriors with him, they still far outnumber me. He¡¯s looking at Dell, who¡¯s sneakily hiding behind me.

    I hesitate a bit and try not to put much emotion in my voice.

    ¡°There¡¯s an intruder in the camp. You better get moving if you want credit, Selzard.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no wonder it¡¯s so noisy.¡±

    Selzard didn¡¯t show any reaction to my words.

    His nostrils twitched and his eyes rotated. Do lizardmen also have a good sense of smell?

    ¡°I smell the cursed flames. That is some troublesome intruder we have on our hands.¡±

    ¡°Then go. If you are loyal¡­ retainer of Lord Rainel, you must go.¡±

    I first met Selzard outside. He probably doesn¡¯t usually come to the castle.

    Why is he getting in my way at such an important time?¡­ Hearing my frustrated voice, Selzard glanced at his underlings and said.

    ¡°Yesterday¡¯s fight was truly admirable.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks. Man-Eater was more formidable than the rumours suggested. I only won by chance.¡±

    ¡°If Lord Rainel didn¡¯t stop you, you would have killed ¡®Man-Eater¡¯.¡±

    ¡°No way. I was going to stop at the last minute. After all, killing is forbidden. Even vampires follow the rules.¡±

    Hurry up and get lost. I don¡¯t have enough time to stand here and make small talk with you.

    Unlike the first time we met, Selzard¡¯s eyes are very calm. He¡¯s calmly looking at me.

    I smell something. It¡¯s not the scent of fear. What I¡¯m smelling is not the fear ¨D¨D It¡¯s the excitement.

    Selzard hands his trident to his underling and pulls out the sword hanging from his waist.

    At this moment I finally understood the situation.

    Selzard hasn¡¯t heard any of my words. He had no intentions to listen. But he knew the real reason why I was here.

    Strictly speaking, it was not just any sword that this lizardmen, known to have one of the strongest combat abilities even within the army, pulled out.

    It was a single-edged sword that shone with silver luster. The sword was made of holy silver¨D¨D it was Dell Gordon¡¯s main weapon that we couldn¡¯t find in the treasury.

 CH 80.1

    The tip of the blade that was meant to exorcise darkness was pointed towards us. His subordinates also held their swords and spears ready. Selzard stuck out his tongue for a second and said in a grating voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re late, End Baron. I have been¡­ waiting.¡±

    ¡°¡­ How did you know?¡±

    There was no way he could find out. Oliver is watching over Monica and while I might have made a few detours, I came here without taking any breaks.

    In the first place, I only talked with Selzard once. As I stood ready, Selzard said.

    ¡°The cold rage you had¡­ would be impossible to appease otherwise.¡±

    ¡°¡­You got me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect somebody that¡¯s mostly a lizard to read my course of actions¡­ Am I that easy to read? I guess I am¡­ Even Man-Eater was fully prepared for me.

    Dell readies his rugged sword while still wearing his thick coat.

    ¡°Selzard, I have no grudges against you. You pierced through my heart, and I opened you a new hole. Let¡¯s call it a tie.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Selzard doesn¡¯t respond. I pour blood power in my right arm. My arm makes a creaking sound, and it changes into a white blade.

    Dell gasps after seeing my power for the first time.

    A weapon made of holy silver, huh¡­ the blade made from ¡®Sharp Claw¡± might be a part of me, but I wonder if it¡¯ll still be okay if we clash?

    Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have other weapons with me for a reason.

    ¡°Move, if you don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to kill you all like the ¡®King of the Night¡¯ that attacked your hometown.¡±

    I want to avoid exhausting my powers even by a little bit. I don¡¯t need a holy silver sword either. It won¡¯t work on Rainel anyway and if Dell gets back his original weapon, he might try to kill me, so I¡¯d actually prefer it to disappear.

    There was no resentment on Selzard¡¯s face.  But there also was no hesitation in his answer to my advice to surrender.

    ¡°Lizardmen warriors know no retreat!¡±

    ¡°¡­ You guys must have families too.¡±

    ¡°All for! Our King!¡±

    Selzard roars and his troops spread around. There is readiness to die, conviction, in his eyes.

    What a pain in the ass. Time is the most important right now, and we¡¯re already weaker than Rainel as it is. We don¡¯t have time to fight in a place like this.

    I¡¯m relatively strong. Even if Selzard, who¡¯s physically weaker than me, uses a weapon made from holy silver I won¡¯t lose easily.

    At the very least, it¡¯s easy to annihilate Selzard¡¯s underlings. I do like him better than ¡®Man-Eater¡¯ because he doesn¡¯t use cheap tricks, but if he¡¯s insistent in getting in my way, I won¡¯t hesitate to kill him.

    ¡°You might not care but your underlings will die in vain. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you at least let your allies esca¨D¨D¡±

    At that point, Selzard¡¯s underlings attacked me from all sides.

    That¡¯s some amazing fighting spirit they have.

    The fear they showed when I overpowered Selzard on my first day here has completely disappeared.

    How can they jump at me without any regards for their lives when they have no chances to win is beyond even me with my reputation of being unreasonably stubborn.

    Is this¨D¨D what it means to be a warrior?

    Their attacks are sharp and their physical abilities far surpasses that of a human. I avoid the slashes and stabs from all directions by stepping back.

    If I take them head on, somebody with a small stature like me will be easily blown away. There are too many of them ¨D¨D it¡¯s like a wall. Some of them have shields too. While melee is the best I could ask for, Selzard, who¡¯s in possession of a weapon that could fatally wound me, is more troublesome.

    Holy silver deals a lot of damage to demonic beings. That weapon can probably easily cut off my extremely hard ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯. Just when I thought that I got my hands on a good weapon, I already found its weakness.

    ¡°Dell, go ahead. I¡¯ll take charge here!¡±

    ¡°Wha?!¡±

    I repel the blades with my claw. Each strike is heavy, but they¡¯re not on the level of a vampire¡¯s power. I can instantly heal any wounds. The only one I have to look out for is Selzard.

    But this swarm is troublesome for Dell. I¡¯m sure he couldn¡¯t handle them all alone.  Even if he managed to do it, he would probably not escape unscathed.

    When Monica first told me about Dell, she mentioned that he killed thirty elite warriors, but he most likely didn¡¯t have to take them on all at once. Besides, a single cut could become fatal for a human.

    I lightly flicked away the attacks and shouted while moving back.

    ¡°They¡¯re only after me! You can get away if you¡¯re alone! We don¡¯t have time to spare! I¡¯ll finish up soon and follow after you!¡±

    Selzard is looking only at me. I¡¯m sure that even if Dell slips through, Selzard wouldn¡¯t chase after him. In his mind, a single Death Knight wouldn¡¯t be Rainel¡¯s match.  And he¡¯s trying to kill me at all costs. Did I do something in my fight with Man-Eater that made him think that way?

    ¡°If you don¡¯t hurry up, reinforcement might catch up. If there¡¯s an ally nearby, I can¡¯t go all out! Go ahead, please!¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­¡±

    He gnashed his teeth for a moment, but Dell ran ahead. He slipped behind the lizardmen that were surrounding me. Just as I expected, Selzard didn¡¯t even pretend to chase after him. While retreating from the rain of blades and dealing with them forcefully, I asked.

    ¡°Did I do something horrible enough to make you hate me this much?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. This is¨D¨D respect. You¡¯re strong. That¡¯s why, I will use all my might to destroy you.¡±

    Sheesh, why do Undead have so many enemies? I click my tongue and go on the offense.

    I change my left hand into a blade too and push forward with all my might. I repel the blades, the spears, and pierce the Lizardman that was guarding his left through his shield. Blades graze my body from all sides, but that¡¯s not a problem. Lizardmen are like pieces of paper.

    Perhaps thinking that others wouldn¡¯t be able to hold me back. Selzard also joins the offense. It¡¯s my first time fighting against a single edged sword, but it¡¯s no different from any other longsword. I evade the beautiful arc-shaped slashes by retreating, kick the Lizardman next to me and take the spear with my left hand that I¡¯ve changed back into fingers.

    As expected, Lizardmen won¡¯t use garlic bombs or crosses against me. While the lizardmen in front of me are noble, they¡¯re far inferior to their master as warriors.

    I block another slash by swinging the spear. But, as expected, the quality of this weapon is considerably poorer. If I¡¯m careless, its handle might split in half.

    Selzard shouts. His voice is full of strong fighting spirit.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you afraid of death?! Your friend went ahead!¡±

    Am I afraid of death, you ask?

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    But letting my ally go ahead was according to my plan.

    Even if Selzard didn¡¯t appear, I was thinking of making up an excuse to send him ahead.

    After all, I don¡¯t know Demon King Rainel¡¯s true power. I know that he¡¯s powerful and I¡¯ve heard stories, but I don¡¯t know exactly how powerful he is.

    I don¡¯t plan to die in vain. I needed a touchstone.

    If the veteran warrior, Dell Gordon gets killed in a second, I will

    ¨D¨D gallantly run away. That would mean that it¡¯s still early to take on Rainel.

    Here, I switch over my thoughts. I can¡¯t just let him keep talking. I block the silver blade with a newly stolen sword and smile at Selzard.

    ¡°Still, I¡¯m shocked. I didn¡¯t expect to fight soldiers who were fully prepared to lose.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Selzard doesn¡¯t reply. But his agitation is transmitted to me through his blade.

    I understand it instantly. A swarm of subordinates. A lineup with many shields. A silver sword.

    At a glance, it looks like they¡¯re attacking me with all their might, but this is not a battle formation that¡¯s aimed at victory.

    When you are fighting against a vampire, what you need are elite warriors. Small fries without silver weapons do not pose any threat to me.

    They¡¯re stalling. Selzard is sacrificing his life to buy more time. The fact that Selzard didn¡¯t attack until I went on offense is the biggest proof of that.

    I don¡¯t know the definition of a warrior but blocking somebody¡¯s way without any readiness to win or will to survive is insane, to say the least.

    ¡°Are you waiting for the reinforcements? Who are you waiting for? Monica? Oliver? Or perhaps the champion ogre?¡±

    The number of wounded keeps growing. Their shields and spears break. Blood is splattering everywhere and many warriors fall. But there is not as much as a scratch on my body.

    My brain, my body is hot. The flames of the combat instincts smouldering in my brain course through my body, exciting me. I open my eyes wide and look at Selzard. My fangs itch. I entrust myself to my urges and scream.

    ¡°That¡¯s not right, is it¡­ Selzard? The one you¡¯re waiting for, the one you called for is ¨D¨D ¡°Man-Eater¡¯. The cowardly beast and the only one who managed to heavily wound me.¡±

    Selzard doesn¡¯t respond. But silence is as good as confirmation.

    Oh yeah, that beast could definitely kill me.

    It¡¯s because Hebram is smart. He has enough intelligence to analyse why he lost and come up with a countermeasure and he¡¯s cowardly enough to instantly put it in action. That beast is quite similar to me, so he must have felt my killing intent too.

    Selzard¡¯s choice was absolutely correct. It¡¯s not easy to seek help from somebody you hated before.

    If he made a single mistake, that would be¨D¨D

    ¡°Hebram¡­ won¡¯t be coming. I already killed him.¡±

    If you want to kill someone, you must do it before they can do anything.

    There was no way somebody as fearful as me would leave that terrifying, strong, wise, cowardly and cunning beast alive. I would naturally kill him right away.

    Our swords clash together. The blades, that haven¡¯t been blessed, piece my body from all sides.

    The face of Selzard, who has been unresponsive to my words until now, distorts greatly for the first time.

    I blow slightly towards his protruding chin, a peculiarity to lizardmen.

    Small black sparks mixed with my breath burn his scales.

    Selzard¡¯s eyes open wide in shock. That¡¯s the only thing he can do.

    The black sparks don¡¯t go out. The fire magically spreads,

    enveloping Selzard¡¯s head and lighting up his body like a black torch.

 CH 80.2

    I released the captured Death Knight because I had already taken that into account, and since my ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ was weaker than Hebram¡¯s, I would have a tough time in a fight against Rainel.

    I wanted to increase my power even a little bit before challenging Rainel, but I¡¯m sure that even if I sucked up all the blood from those around me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get more powerful. Considering that I was able to gain some power by sucking blood from Monica, who¡¯s not a human, it¡¯s very important whether the target of blood-sucking is of the opposite sex.

    If there was an enemy I could suck blood from, I¡¯d be the first one to attack them, but Monica¡¯s the only cute girl in this army¡­

    As I was having those thoughts while engaging in escapism, suddenly the castle shook. I could vaguely hear Dell¡¯s roar mixed with the sound of destruction.

    Looks like he charged in without waiting for me. I think he was obviously led in though. Are Death Knights so simpleminded or should I call them pure?

    I can¡¯t rely on my regeneration ability against an enemy with silver claws. If Dell dies, my chances of winning will become considerably lower.

    I hurriedly left the castle.

    According to Monica, Rainel doesn¡¯t usually use the entrance. It must be inconvenient to use a human castle with a lion body that big.

    When I and Man-Eater were fighting, Rainel also dropped from above.

    If I look up at the stone castle, I can see an entrance made for Rainel at the very top. Climbing up would be hard for an ordinary human, but it¡¯s no tough feat for the current me. As I strongly kick off the ground and jump up a dozen or so meters in one breath, I grab the foothold with my hand and got up.

    The entrance was shaped almost like a balcony, without any windows or doors.

    The sound came right below me. I used ¡®Silhouette¡¯, hid my presence, and looked down at the throne room,

    There was a battle reminiscent of a showdown between Senri and the Lord unfolding before my eyes.

    ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Dell swung his iron sword with a loud shout.

    His body was brimming with the power of blessing that once made me shirk away just by its mere presence.

    Looks like he was preserving a good chunk of it before this battle. The steel blade shone with the life energy and its slash, while not as graceful as Senri¡¯s, was imposing enough, worthy of a hero.

    No one would have guessed that he was stuck in prison all this time. Its brilliance, shining as if it was burning life, made me step back.

    That thing¡¯s a problem. That blade has been polished in order to kill me. If I¡¯m careless enough to get cut by it, I might be erased with a single slash.

    However, even after getting hit by it ¨D¨D Reinel remained the same.

    Rainel wasn¡¯t roaring. He wasn¡¯t, but I could still feel tremendous pressure.

    The golden lion was bigger than Albertus and all humans looked like ants before his imposing appearance. It was regardless of how much they trained themselves. The blows dealt by his silver claws were heavier and sharper than any of the slashes I had seen until now, slashing through the castle walls and the floor like a piece of paper.

    His forefeet crushed the floor and was most likely the main reason behind the shaking of the castle. The throne room was already in ruins.

    I was involuntarily fascinated by their battle. I might be a vampire now, but it seems like I still maintained some admiration towards heroes. Just like I had in the past.

    I narrow my eyes, observe their movements in detail and look for a chance to strike.

    Rainel is fast, heavy and powerful. Everything coming from his giant body is an attack and if he gets serious, he can easily demolish this entire castle.

    He¡¯s not doing anything unusual like Man-Eater. He has neither the poisoned needles, nor does he spit fire but even with just his inborn power, Rainel is strong. Absolutely strong. I can now understand how he subdued Man-Eater.

    Dell was entirely avoiding Rainel¡¯s attacks. He used his sword to repel everything that it could and evaded Rainel¡¯s claw attacks. Even after Dell¡¯s power was boosted with his blessing, he still couldn¡¯t match Rainel. And the Death Knight seemed to be well aware of that fact.

    Monsters and humans. The strength of humans lies in manoeuvrability. He was using that to his full advantage.

    His movements were the extension of what Senri had shown me once in a mock battle.

    He¡¯s good. But as expected, he has no chances of winning alone.

    Dell¡¯s sword struck Rainel many times, but the latter showed no concern. He might be having problems unleashing his full powers while evading constant attacks, but even if he did slash at Rainel from the front, it would still be considerably hard to kill Rainel. He¡¯s just too sturdy.

    Does he have no weakness?¡­ At that moment, an impact assaulted my body suddenly. A terrifying sound shook my whole body with a delay.

    Rainel roared. It was as if the world had exploded. The castle shook and the walls cracked.

    While I was confused, Rainel swung his forefeet down towards Dell.

    Dell avoided it.

    Despite the fact that he should have been subjected to a larger force from that roar than I, Dell¡¯s expression was very calm.

    The floor shattered and the castle shook. By that time, Dell was already stepping on top of Rainel¡¯s forefeet that had just swung down.

    Holding the sword with both hands, Dell ran. I could see the power of blessing concentrated beneath his feet.

    I reflexively opened my eyes wide. Claws weren¡¯t the only weapons Rainel had. His jaw was big enough to crush Hebram in one bite and was lined with fangs. Running towards it took some steel courage.

    As he dashed up in a few steps, Dell readied the blade with both hands, and he leapt. At this moment I finally realized Dell¡¯s objective.

    Rainel¡¯s fur was hard enough to repel the sword. His head, protected by his bones, was even stronger.

    Dell¡¯s aim was ¨D¨D his eyeballs.

    His objective was the golden eyes that made one shrink themselves when Rainel¡¯s gaze laid upon them. If Rainel is a living being, beyond his eyeballs lay his fatal weakness that he would have no possibility to train ¨D¨D or it should be.

    For Rainel¡¯s giant body, Dell¡¯s sword was probably no different from a tree branch. But that¡¯s exactly why the former could aim for his eyeballs.

    The Demon King stopped his movements. The black blade approached. Rainel narrowed his eyes at its tip.

    ¨D¨D and he closed his eyes.

    ¡°?!¡±

    I could not believe it.

    The swung down blade slid over his eyelid and grandly bounced off. Dell lost his footing, he was strongly thrown to the floor and barely managed to land.

    Rainel slowly opened his eyes. Neither his eyelids nor his eyes had as much as a scratch. Perhaps Dell couldn¡¯t put all his strength into it because he didn¡¯t have solid footing, but the enemy was¡­ just too sturdy.

    Here, the Demon King opened his mouth for the first time. A somewhat aged voice resounded in the half-destroyed throne room.

    ¡°Is that all you can do¡­ human? So, the famous Death Knight is just worth that much, huh? You dare challenge me when this is all you are capable of? How foolish¡­ ¡°

    Damn it! He¡¯s going to be killed.

    Rainel hasn¡¯t gotten serious yet. Dell might be strong but he¡¯s a human. He¡¯s exhausted. I¡¯ve no choice but to go.

    I¡¯ll finish everything with a surprise attack. I¡¯ll erase my presence with ¡®Silhouette¡±, stick to his head and unleash ¡®Cursed Flames¡¯ from a close distance.

    I made up my mind instantly and jumped off towards Rainel.

 CH 81.1

    ¡°Will anyone ever forgive me?¡±

    Senri would occasionally reminisce about the day when they were ambushed with ¡®Soul Release¡¯.

    Ever since End somehow endured the life-threatening light by sucking Senri¡¯s blood, he hasn¡¯t cried. He didn¡¯t seem to be angry either.

    End was aloof, but it was obvious to Senri that his attitude came from resignation.

    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t attack anybody, I¡¯m sure others will still come to kill me. Even if I run outside of human territory, they will follow me until the end of the earth.¡±

    Senri couldn¡¯t say anything back. After all, his words were true.

    Her teacher was eager to kill the weak young man in front of her. It was impossible to persuade him anymore. And Ep¨¦e, the Destroyer, wasn¡¯t soft enough to let his prey get away.

    Would her teacher think that he had killed End with his ¡®Soul Release¡¯?

    No, Ep¨¦e would most likely act with the prerequisite of End being alive until he confirmed End¡¯s death. The complete annihilation of the darkness was the reason he had the nickname of ¡®Destroyer¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­ Senri. I¡¯m scared of being killed, but the thing I¡¯m most afraid of is losing myself. At this rate, I will¡­ become a monster. I¡¯m not strong enough to maintain my humanity even after being hated and attacked by everybody. What¡¯s more, I¨D¨D don¡¯t want to die even if I become a monster.¡±

    It was a confession of his true feelings.

    Those eyes looking at her were blood red, as a proof that they belonged to a monster, but they still retained strong sanity within them.

    Considering the time that had passed after he revived, this level of sanity was astounding. He had overcome the urge to drink blood many times, making her think that it could be possible for him to maintain his humanity until he died.

    But, for that, he required a leeway, an ally.

    Whenever the curse changes someone¡¯s appearance, their form would be affected by their true nature. End was lamenting about it, but the white puppy that couldn¡¯t be more different from Albertus¡¯ transformation, was most likely the embodiment of his inner world.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, no matter who becomes your enemy, I will always¡­ be your ally.¡±

    She had to protect him. Senri once again strongly resolved herself.

    Even if the whole world became his enemy, she alone would remain his ally. Otherwise, End would have existed to simply suffer at the hands of the world.

    This is¡­ bad.

    Looking up at the base of Demon King Rainel¡¯s army that was spread out on the mountain, Senri frowned.

    She had heard about the size of the army. To start with, even if they were called the Demon King¡¯s army, each of them were different depending on the Demon King at the top. If the Demon King was present, the whole army would be crammed inside their base. It would be impossible for Senri alone to take on the whole army that could overpower a single city.

    The Sun had already set and only the half-moon was illuminating the mountain. The wind brought with it a strong bestial scent. The camp in the distance was lit with fire, not showing even the slightest intention to hide.

    But the biggest problem was the strong presence of darkness that she could feel even from a considerable distance from the camp.

    End was using the power of the ¡®Night Crystal¡¯ to conceal most of his negative energy. While this method wasn¡¯t fool proof, it was enough to make Death Knights unable to sense his presence from some distance away.

    However, what she was feeling from afar was definitely the sinister aura peculiar to the Undead. Moreover, it was far more ominous that End¡¯s presence she had felt before.

    She shouldn¡¯t have waited in the city. She should have immediately come to pick him up.

    Her was repenting a little too late, but this was not the time for regrets.

    Senri took a small breath, changed the power filling her body into the form of threads and released it.

    ¡®Thousand Light Threads of Vision¡¯. It was an exploration technique that involved expanding one¡¯s senses through thinly stretched waves of power to observe the movements within a certain range. It was an advanced technique that lets one know not only the presence of the Undead, but also the state of the creatures and the terrain of the area. It used up a lot of energy, so it was hard to use it for examining a wide area.

    End¡¯s presence was coming from the top of the mountain, in the depth of the rugged castle. She felt a beastly presence, Demon King Rainel, near him.

    Presence of countless demonic beings could be felt in the camp. Some of them could probably fly and some of them could have superior senses of smell and hearing. It would be difficult to head towards the castle while avoiding all of them.

    But she had no time to wait for that opportunity.

    As Senri unhesitatingly pulled out the sword from the sheath on her waist, she strengthened her body with the power of blessing. Her body shone lightly with life energy.

    ¡°Wait for me, End. I¡¯ve come to pick you up.¡±

    He¡¯s huge. He¡¯s way too huge.

    I already knew this since we first met, but this golden-haired lion king boasted of unparalleled majesty from a short distance.

    The size of his body and his strength were proportional of each other. Demon King Rainel was truly on another level of existence. And this ¡®another level¡¯ couldn¡¯t just be filled with hard effort.

    So, Dell didn¡¯t budge an inch in front of a monster like this?

    I¡¯ve only now realized how strong third rank Death Knights are. I was stupid to have thought that he was the weakest from all the knights I had met until now. He might be my enemy, but he¡¯s undoubtedly a hero.

    I¡¯m grateful for the chance to fight alongside a hero, somebody I admired ever since I was on my sickbed. My aspiration. Even if it¡¯s temporary¨D¨D

    Rainel wasn¡¯t wary of me. No, even if he was wary, the ¡®Silhouette¡¯ that concealed one¡¯s presence, sound and smell worked the best on magical beasts with keen senses.

    There are a lot of places to grab on his giant body. I grab his mane and stick to the back of his head. When Rainel does take notice, it would already be too late.

    As I firmly grab his wire-like mane and take a deep breath, I put all my blood power into ¡®Cursed Flames¡¯ and exhale.

    My body trembled, and my field of vision turned over. A strong impact strikes me. The squeaking sound of my flesh and bones being crushed, along with a dull pain that makes it hard to breathe. The bones in my arm broke. Rainel had slammed his body into a wall with all his might.

    This is okay, it¡¯s fine. This is a minor injury. The back of the head is a blind spot. I pour power in my broken fingertips and endure it. It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t die just from being crushed.

    As my field of vision heads up, as my body was once again crushed by another strong impact. My body was lifted up high and Rainel was standing up on his hind legs. He then strongly slams into me with his forelegs.

    What power. The speed of my regeneration ¨D¨D can¡¯t keep up with it.

    No, that¡¯s not right. This Demon King is making his move after calculating everything. By the time I realized that, my body was assaulted by the third attack.

 CH 81.2

    The air explodes. The sound explosion coming from a short distance finally made me lose my grip and my body was blown away.

    It¡¯s a roar. I should have been ready for it, but I wasn¡¯t allowed even a single second to resist. My body slams into the wall and falls on the ground. My broken body starts to regenerate.

    Rainel didn¡¯t follow up his attacks. He was looking down at me while I was regenerating. His field of vision didn¡¯t contain Dell.

    ¡°End Baron! Who would have expected that you would turn against me so soon¡­ I have sure been belittled.¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­¡±

    The effects of ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ are ¨D¨D null. The black flame that burnt Selzard to death with its sparks is useless. There are no signs of his mane burning. The flame from a curse cannot be extinguished just from rolling around, so this is most likely due to his high resistance.

    After regenerating, I stood up. I expected this ever since the beginning, but this is going to be a tough fight.

    To start with, ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ didn¡¯t flare up that much even though I poured all my power into it.

    Then black sparks scattered. That was it. Do I have to fulfill some kind of condition, or¨D¨D

    Dell goes around Rainel. However, Rainel keeps looking only at me. It¡¯s not as if he doesn¡¯t notice Dell¡¯s movements. He¡¯s ignoring him while being fully aware of his actions.

    Rainel looks at my eyes and laughs.

    ¡°That spirit is¨D¨D good!¡±

    There is no time for a conversation. Rainel steps in and approaches me.

    The sense of oppression was as if a wall was approaching me. Rainel has an extraordinarily large body, but his is also amazingly agile.

    But I was already prepared because I had seen Dell¡¯s fight beforehand. If the flame didn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll have to deal with him with a blade.

    I changed my right arm into a sword and face the forelegs that were swung down at me. The silver claws weren¡¯t pointed at me. I sink the blade into the paw dropping on me.

    My body creaks under tremendous power, cracks appear on the floor and it shatters.

    I understand it instinctually. This won¡¯t work. I¡¯ve completely lost in terms of power. At this rate, I¡¯ll be crushed.

    I immediately made a big leap back. The forelegs I had fending off crushed the ground with great force.

    Rainel lets out a faint groan.

    ¡°Muu¡­ to think that you would be able to¡­ wound my body. What a terrifying power.¡±

    Rainel raised his forefeet. He was bleeding faintly from the place where the blade had stabbed. Rainel licked that wound and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°That power is really a pity to let go.  Surrender now, End Baron. You still can¡¯t beat me yet.¡±

    No way¡­ is this, really it?

    It was a shock. ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯ had definitely cut into his body, and in addition, Rainel¡¯s own might was added on top of it.

    I look at my right arm. My bone blade is riddled with countless cracks. It¡¯s only natural. After all, he can even crush my body.

    He¡¯s strong. Way too strong. So, this is¨D¨D what it means to be the Demon King.

    I focus the blood power to my right arm and repair the cracks.  But it doesn¡¯t solve the fundamental problem.

    He¡¯s a monster. As expected, I can¡¯t win alone. I glare at Rainel, who¡¯s waiting for my reply.

    But¡­ surrendering? That¡¯s out of the question.

    This Demon King will definitely respect my decision to the fullest. It might have been worth considering if I was alone.

    But, I have somebody waiting for me. Somebody, who has declared that she would always be my ally. And, Senri¡¯s presence is gradually getting closer.

    Besides, my defeat isn¡¯t set in stone. There¡¯s a chance that Dell is hiding his trump card, and even if my claws can¡¯t pierce him, my fangs might break through his thick fur. Or, unlike Dell, I might be able to pierce his eyelids.

    Rainel laughs.

    ¡°Heh¡­ you won¡¯t give up, huh? Well then, I will have you entertain me.¡±

    Thus, the stampede began.

    The swung down holy silver claws easily cut off ¡®Sharp Claws¡¯. Just having manoeuvrability isn¡¯t much of an advantage. Even without having to compare how strong we are, he can break me into pieces just by slamming into me. He possesses more physical strength and agility than Albertus and is bolder.

    In addition, contrary to his beastly way of fighting, there is intelligence behind his movements.

    Rainel didn¡¯t block ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯ with his paw again, nor did he give me a chance to attack his eyes.

    Even if I hid my presence or smell with ¡®Silhouette¡¯, his eyes could always see me. I was made to learn just how terrifying a beast with human intelligence is.

    He¡¯s strong. Compared to the power of the King before me, Man-Eater is almost like a baby.

    He¡¯s basically a living calamity. Any human would only be able to shrink into themselves and tremble in front of this beast.

    It took me all my powers to take on this storm-like violence. Since I¡¯m against claws made from holy silver, my weakness, I can¡¯t fight while relying on my regenerative ability just like before. It¡¯s not like I wouldn¡¯t be able to heal wounds made by holy silver with blood power, but that would take a lot of time. When that happens, it will be the end of me.

    Dell tries to reduce the attacks directed towards me by attacking Rainel himself, but the latter is concentrated on me. He seems to be trying to kill me, the one who can wound him even just by a little, first, and then getting rid of Dell later.

    I concentrated my power and restored ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯, more than half of which had been cut off. This weapon is also problematic.

    ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯, which was supposed to be harder than iron, had no resistance towards the holy silver claws. It¡¯s probably due to it being a curse.

    I can¡¯t block holy silver with ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯. I thought I¡¯d have to verify it one day, but this is just terrible timing.

    I can barely see his movements, so I¡¯ve been avoiding getting cut by the silver claws until now, but my blood power is being sucked dry.

    If I don¡¯t do anything, I¡¯ll definitely lose.

    Despite completely overpowering me, there was no negligence in his eyes.

    Does he perhaps know some other powerful vampire? Rainel takes a long swing with his right front foot. Getting close to him ¨D¨D would be a bad idea. I¡¯ll be crushed.

    My posture. I must at least regain my posture.

    I try to retreat and bump into something hard.

    Before I realized it, I had been cornered to the wall. I hurriedly slammed my elbow into the wall to break it, but it was too late.

    The shining silver light falls on me from above.

    Oh no. I can¡¯t avoid it! The sign of death makes my thoughts slow down.

    I must avoid having my brain destroyed at all costs. I¡¯ll take the hit from the side. I direct the blood power from the top of my shoulders to the bottom.

    I brace myself for severe pain, and the moment I glare at the claws, a shield of light manifests before me.

    It¡¯s Dell. This is a technique used by Death Knights. The wall of light and the claws furiously clash together. Rainel opens his eyes wide.

    ¡°Nuu.¡±

    There is no vying. The wall of light is like a piece of paper before Rainel¡¯s attacks.

    But, for a very short time, a fleeting moment, his movements stop. That is enough.

    What lay beyond the destroyed wall is the outside world. Chilly wind strokes my cheeks.

    I escape from the hole in the wall by falling backwards, entrusting myself to gravity.

 CH 82

    I¡¯m completely outmatched.

    This was the first impression of Dell Gordon, the 3rd class knight, after crossing swords with Demon King Rainel.

    Their poor affinity and Dell¡¯s poor condition probably played a part in it too, but more than that, Demon King Rainel¨D¨D the gamelyon, was on another level of existence.

    Even after Dell boosted his physical abilities with the power of blessing and attacked his eyes with all his might, he was unable to even scratch him. Rainel had terrific durability.

    Generally, it¡¯s only natural for Death Knights to win. To that end, they were always prepared, moved as a group and utilized the enemies¡¯ weaknesses. However, the gamelyon before him would most likely be hard for Dell to beat 1-on-1 even if he was in perfect condition.

    He survived the earth-shaking roar with an armor of blessing.

    He was able to take it. Death Knights learned the technique of receiving first. He understood how to fight against someone stronger than him. But that alone couldn¡¯t help him overcome this situation.

    The vampire fell from the hole in the wall. Rainel didn¡¯t chase him and instead glared at Dell who interrupted him. Contained in his gaze was not killing intent.

    ¡°Why are you letting that vampire escape¡­ aren¡¯t Death Knights the enemies of dark beings?¡±

    Hearing Rainel¡¯s inquisitive tone, Dell gripped his steel sword again and concentrated to let the blessing spread out on the surface of his body.

    He couldn¡¯t exorcize Magical beasts but the abundant positive energy would become a physical barrier. It could even repel attacks if he let it coat around his body. Though he didn¡¯t know how well it could work on somebody as strong as Rainel¡­

    He wanted a weapon. The single-edged sword he always used.

    The weapon made of holy silver was not only highly effective against dark beings, but it was also very suitable for transmitting the blessing. Would he be able to wound the gamelyon if he had it?

    Dell narrowed his eyes and glared at the Demon King.

    ¡°Death Knights ¨D¨D always do their utmost.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t like they had become buddies. If the one here instead of Dell was the Death Knight with a grudge against the undead, they might have first killed End and only then confronted Rainel.

    However, the biggest priority for Dell was to defeat Rainel. Therefore, he would do his utmost to achieve this goal.

    That vampire ¨D¨D the young man by the name End, was a ¡®True Vampire¡¯. An extremely unique and rare specimen that continuously evolved from Fleshman to Vampire.

    The vampires, who possess superhuman strength, are prideful to the point of arrogance and the ¡®True Vampire¡¯ that slipped under the radar of Death Knights will keep evolving. They not only have excellent survival ability, but were also extraordinarily more troublesome than the vampires that had been created by others. And, even when cornered, that kind of vampire still would not lose their fighting spirit.

    The reason why Dell helped End was because he thought that it was the shortest way to victory.

    Rainel was strong, however thanks to a vampire¡¯s exceptional strength, ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯ was slightly, albeit surely, wounding Rainel¡¯s body. In that case, it would be better for Dell to stick to the role of the bait that he was the most suited for.

    But, it would be impossible for Rainel to not realize Dell¡¯s scheme.

    Rainel turned from the hole in the wall to Dell. His claws that he got from god knows where, shone with the glimmer of holy silver and scraped against the floor, sounding bizarre.

    ¡°Very well¡­ Death Knight, show me your strength I have heard so much of.¡±

    What a terrifying level of self-confidence. Facing the enemy head-on even after understanding everything was truly different from the way puny humans acted.

    Coming face to face with the tremendous pressure that could crush him just by being in his presence if he relaxed even for a second, Dell realized that the King before him wasn¡¯t serious at all until now.

    He concentrated his power in his abdomen, manipulated the meager amount of blessing still coursing through his body and arose it.

    It was a technique devised by the 1st class knight Dell was studying under.

    Dell¡¯s master was the 1st class knight specialized in defense. Naturally, Dell¡¯s power also gravitated towards defense.

    He couldn¡¯t use this technique perfectly because he was still inadequate at everything, but it was still enough.

    ¡ºHeavenly Aurora Garb¡»

    The overflowing positive energy filled each of his cells and his body became lighter. His body heated up, as if burning. The steel sword in his hand brimmed with energy and white light gathered around it.

    He could only keep this state for a short while, but the current Dell was as close to being immortal as possible.

    The Demon King attacked. Making use of the giant physique he was blessed with, his claws easily slice through steel. Dell blocked the claws that were swung down on him, from the front with his steel sword.

    ¡°What a strange technique¨D¨D¡±

    Rainel groaned a little and twisted his body. The golden body got close tremendously fast and sent Dell flying.

    Dell¡¯s body flew high in the air. But, he didn¡¯t take any damage.

    The essence of ¡®Heavenly Aurora Robe¡¯ lay in the energy that usually rapidly spread on his body surface. The power released by overcoming its original limiter was a perfect shield that warded off all sorts of powers.

    As he was falling, he pointed his sword towards Rainel¡¯s defenseless torso. But, just as its tip was about to pierce its target, Rainel stood up on his hind legs and turned himself over.

    After being hit by the thrust out forefeet, Dell¡¯s body pierced through the wall. He wasn¡¯t wounded, but he exhausted a lot of blessing. His blade hit Rainel, but he didn¡¯t feel any resistance. It was completely blocked by his flexible and hard fur.

    Good. This was fine.

    Dell¡¯s role was to buy more time. He got up from the rubble.

    He didn¡¯t despair. Dell had gained power as the Death Knight for this moment. He roared and jumped towards the powerful Demon King.

    I fall grandly from several meters high and a strong impact runs through my body. I hit my head hard.

    However, the only thing in my mind is an urge to kill. I¡¯m only thinking about how to kill Rainel.

    That was close. I was saved by Dell. Now I owe him. I have a reason to go back now.

    Rainel didn¡¯t chase after me. I only hear the sound of fighting. Is Dell slowing him down?

    I get up and immediately check my condition. I didn¡¯t really get hurt. I¡¯m not tired either. I have some leftover blood power too. But, I still can¡¯t beat him.

    I can¡¯t think of a way¡­ to kill Rainel.

    Should I recruit more allies?¡­ Do I take Oliver? No¡­ that¡¯s not good. He¡¯s useless. He might betray me.

    Should I look for a weapon¡­? No. My sharp claw was easily cut off by Rainel¡¯s holy silver claws probably because of the poor affinity between us, but any other steel sword wouldn¡¯t be hard enough. Besides, I couldn¡¯t find anything stronger than a steel sword in the treasury. Using a weapon that can¡¯t even wound Rainel would be meaningless.

    I don¡¯t have enough attacking power. As expected¡­ it¡¯s the ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ that I stole from Man-eater that¡¯s the key.

    According to the information I got out of Monica, Man-eater¡¯s ¡®cursed flame¡¯ wounded Rainel. He couldn¡¯t beat Rainel, but he solidified his status as the Number 2 of the army, so that injury probably wasn¡¯t minor.

    What I lack is¨D¨D momentum. The flame is too weak.

    The sparks that burnt Selzard to a crisp couldn¡¯t even roast as single hair on Rainel¡¯s body.

    I have heard that the scales of the dragons are the best material for armor. It¡¯s highly resistant towards magic, blades, impacts and curses. The heroes in fairy tales also sometimes wore armor made from the scales of dragons.

    I try to use ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ again with the blood power, but as expected, I can only create sparks.  The amount of sparks has somehow increased but that¡¯s it.

    Despite that, I still got hungry.

    Don¡¯t tell me¡­ I can¡¯t use it at full power because I haven¡¯t eaten humans?

    It¡¯s not¡­ impossible.

    The price of the curse is to eat a lot of humans. In my case, I¡¯m already dead, so not eating humans won¡¯t kill me, but if I can¡¯t replace the source of the energy with the blood power, it makes sense that I wouldn¡¯t be able to use it.

    It makes sense¡­ but I can¡¯t do anything about it. I can¡¯t eat humans. Just drinking their blood wouldn¡¯t be fatal for them so Senri has been letting it go, but if I start to eat humans, I¡¯ll completely become the enemy of humanity. I can¡¯t complain about being killed.

    Damn it¡­ What a useless curse.

    The news about the riot at the castle should have gone around, but there are no signs of reinforcements coming.

    The lower area is noisy. Did something happen? ¨D¨D No, right now I have to think of how to defeat Rainel.

    The sound of the battle is getting more intense. The presence of the mighty light of positive energy is flickering, but it¡¯s getting weaker little by little.

    Looks like he can¡¯t use the ¡®Destruction¡¯ Senri was using.

    There¡¯s no time. I can¡¯t abandon him. He didn¡¯t help me to let me escape. He helped me in order to win.

    I can¡¯t rival him in power either. Sharp claws also don¡¯t deal much damage to him. Neither magic nor curses have an effect on him. At first glance, this looks hopeless, but¨D¨D

    No¡­ wait.

    At that moment, I came up with a stratagem.

    The scales of the dragon repel everything. Rainel¡¯s fur should be even better than that, but I can only use everyday life magic and the momentum of the ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ is too weak to work on him.

    But¨D¨D what if I avoid his fur?

    For example, inside his mouth. There is no fur inside his mouth. ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ won¡¯t be put out by the saliva either.

    I¡¯ll burn him from the inside.

    Rainel¡¯s jaw is lined with sharp fangs, but in my current state, I can still survive with just a head. Rainel is big enough to swallow me whole. If everything goes well, I should be able to get in. If I avoid his silver claws, I should be able to regenerate right away. Even the Demon King Rainel, veteran of hundred battles, must not have fought the undead who jumped into his mouth.

    Even if he swallows me, I should be able to regenerate inside his body. I¡¯m not sure what would happen if my head got crushed though¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I furrow my eyebrows and look up at the hole of the wall where I fell from.

    A half-moon that couldn¡¯t be more different than the full moon was climbing up the sky.

 CH 83

    The human body is fragile. No matter how well one can manipulate blessing, it is impossible to make up for the difference in the innate physical abilities.

    It was obvious that the enemy was an excellent warrior. His unbreakable spirit in a desperate situation like this and his capability was of the top class amongst the humans Rainel had met until now.

    However, even if he wouldn¡¯t have problems against an ordinary magical beast, when compared to Gamelyon Rainel, who was born to be a ruler, his power was a bit too weak.

    Dell¡¯s attacks were powerless against Rainel¡¯s impregnable fur. Neither sharp slashes, nor the rushing energy of light could wound Rainel¡¯s body.

    So this is a human, huh¡­

    ¡°Weak, too weak. I could have enjoyed myself more if you had brought the Dragon Slayer sword¡­¡±

    Dell didn¡¯t reply to Rainel. He just desperately came to grips with Rainel¡¯s attacks.

    He fended off the attacks that could smash him along with his weapon and quickly came around into his blind spot. He endured the roar and boldly aimed for Rainel¡¯s eyes.

    At first glance, his movements weren¡¯t abating, but the dazzling light that filled his body was starting to fade away.

    Blessing¨D¨D the power that Death Knights use is finite. There was also a difference in the endurance of the two. it was obvious that Dell would eventually collapse if things continued this way.

    But that kind of battle wasn¡¯t what Rainel was looking for. It was meaningless to defeat a warrior that wasn¡¯t at his peak.

    After crossing each other countless times, Rainel finally retreated. Dell readied his sword that was now pretty much fully blunt with countless chips in its blade and glared at him with blazing eyes.

    ¡°Death Knight, there is no killing intent in your attacks. Why won¡¯t you charge in and kill me?¡±

    ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡±

    Dell was an excellent warrior. His skills, power and courage were exceptional for a human.

    However, he was boring. Dell¡¯s attacks lacked the intent to kill. That was exactly why he wouldn¡¯t pursue retreating Rainel. Perhaps there was a reason for that, but that would be too boring.

    The attacks of End Baron had an intent to kill Rainel at all costs. It had a sentiment close to a curse that he¡¯d kill Rainel even if he had to die to do it.

    The way he pushed forward even in face of his weakness, holy silver, despite still not being on par with Rainel, was admirable. And his determination didn¡¯t change even as he was escaping from the hole in the wall.

    Race didn¡¯t matter. He was the true monster. One had to be a monster to kill another monster.

    It was too much of a pity to expend the warrior in front of him just to buy some time.

    Rainel gathered his power. Strong heat rose inside his body. As he took a deep breath, his golden mane bristled up.

    ¡°Try to take this, human warrior. My power¨D¨D¡±

    Perhaps sensing the change in the air, Dell¡¯s expression distorted. All the light power in his body gathered on the tip of his sword.

    Unlike before, he focused on attacking. As expected, the warrior before him had experienced countless battlefields, Rainel thought and laughed.

    Rainel was a hybrid of a lion magical beast and a dragon. Bestowed to him by the dragon blood flowing in his veins was not just his sturdy body.

    His energy became concentrated. A burning pain ran through his throat. His fur started shining golden.

    ¡®Dragon Breath.¡¯

    It is a secret technique of dragons that transforms one¡¯s power and releases it. It is also one of the reasons why dragons are considered to be the strongest.

    It had been a really long time since Rainel had last released this. Until now, most of his battles ended before he could use it. He might¡¯ve not used it even once after he got the title of the Demon King.

    Rainel wasn¡¯t a pure-blooded dragon, but the power of Breath released from his trained body surpassed that of an ordinary dragon.

    Dell didn¡¯t need a warning. As weak as he current was, the Death Knight fully intended to receive the ¡®Breath¡¯.

    A sword made of steel meant nothing in front of the dragon breath, but the knight himself had no fear.

    A quiet light whirled around the sword¡¯s blade. Fatigue was irrelevant. Right now, the power of the Death Knight in front of Rainel was at its peak.

    And, this was the end.

    Taking a deep breath, Rainel roared. Dell roared back.

    Then, the golden light was released.

    It was truly a power befitting of somebody known as the strongest.

    There was no impact. The sound disappeared along with other sensations. The surge of a powerful energy temporarily paralyzed Dell¡¯s five senses.

    He couldn¡¯t avoid it. If he turned his back, he¡¯d be instantly burnt to black. Overcoming this situation would require him to concentrate his power.

    ¡°Uooooooooooooooooooooh!¡±

    He mustered up all his spirit and roared in order to gather all his power. He focused all his blessing on the sword. This strain made even more cracks appear on the steel sword.

    The spiral of power that whirled around the sword¡¯s blade looked far too powerless against the enormous energy in front of him.

    However, Dell wasn¡¯t afraid. Death Knights had fought a lot of things over the years.

    Naturally, one of those also included the strongest creatures in this world, dragons.

    ¡®Photon Break.¡¯

    That was the name of this technique.

    Death Knights are offense-oriented knights. Techniques like this are naturally being taught.

    The technique to block dragon breath isn¡¯t exactly possible for a 3rd ranked knight to use.

    In that case, he¡¯d open up a way. He would break through his fate of death from the front.

    The whirling light pushed its way through the destructive energy from the front. The air burnt and he felt strong heat on his skin.

    He lost all his sensations, only controlling the energy with sheer determination.

    It was a tremendous energy that was hard to believe came from a pure-blood dragon. However, ¡®Dragon Breath¡¯ wasn¡¯t something one could use continuously.

    ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡±

    He didn¡¯t even know what he was shouting anymore.

    The tip of the thick steel blade shattered, and the cracks spread to its base, corroding it. A dull impact was transmitted to his arm.

    ¡®Photon Break¡¯ wasn¡¯t the kind of technique that would drown out ¡®Dragon Breath¡¯. It was a technique for parrying it. It disturbed the flow of the energy with the positive energy and warded it off to the side.

    The released power certainly pierced through the centre of the far more enormous power.

    However¨D¨D

    For a second, within his slowing thinking, Dell Gordon realized that he had lost.

    No, the breath is too powerful!

    The power that was sharpened and over concentrated, was completely pushed back. He wouldn¡¯t be able to fend it off at this rate. And, Dell would surely die in the aftermath.

    Rainel¡¯s power was undoubtedly being showcased at its peak. Breath was still continuing. It was long. It would most likely be quite a strain on Rainel himself too.

    Demon King used all his power against Dell, an opponent that he would be able to defeat easily if they kept on fighting.

    Because of the nature of his technique, it wasn¡¯t possible to evade it by moving to the side. He bent forward and stood firm. The heat burnt his bare skin and face.

    The golden power in front of his eyes that could end the world was frightening, yet beautiful.

    He remembered the figure of the vampire that escaped.

    Damn it¡­ I at least made him use his Breath¡­ The rest, is up to¡­ you.

    To think that the Death Knight, who had spent his life slaying vampires, would think of one in his final moments; Life could take strange turn sometimes.

    The moment he thought this, the pressure suddenly disappeared.

    When he came to himself, Dell was lying on the floor.

    He could not feel his body at all. But what he saw was definitely the ceiling of the same castle where he was fighting a moment ago.

    He was completely out of power. In Dell¡¯s current state, he could be killed effortlessly even by the lowest ranked magical beast.

    But ¨D¨D he was alive.

    It wasn¡¯t that he withstood dragon breath. It stopped midway.

    He used all his power and slightly tilted his face. That was when the sound finally came back.

    He couldn¡¯t understand the meaning. Then, his heart trembled. Rainel had already stopped paying attention to Dell.

    The one Rainel was looking at was that vampire.

    But his entire body was wrapped in sinister black flames.

    As his limbs and head, even his transformed blade was being burnt by black flames, End Baron declared.

    ¡°I made it in time. If I can only produce sparks, I can just come back after I make it flame up. With this, with this I can kill you. I can kill you. I will kill you¡­ Demon King Rainel.¡±

 CH 84.1

    Translator: Nonon

    Editor: Silavin

    ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ is a terrifying ability.

    I felt as if it was eating away not only at my body, but also at my soul. The continuous pain and heat made my vision flicker.

    Nevertheless, the black flame only burnt layers of my skin, a few millimeters of my flesh. The skin regenerated the moment it burnt. The fire would continue to burn as long as I had blood power.

    Blood power is amazing. Manipulating it could be said to be the essence of the vampires.

    I got this idea from the power of Death Knights. Senri strengthens her physical abilities by circulating blessing through her body. What I¡¯m doing is similar to that.

    Being subjected to continuous pain is very painful¡­ yet a very nostalgic feeling. But this time I won¡¯t die. I won¡¯t die. As long as I kill Rainel, I can concentrate my power on making the ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ disappear and revert to my original form.

    This is a decisive battle. I can¡¯t rely on Dell¡¯s help anymore. I put my burning leg forward and advance ahead. At this moment, the only things I¡¯m conscious of is myself and the Demon King Rainel.

    Demon King Rainel looked unharmed at a first glance. The same mane, shining with yellow hue and sharp silver claws. But, to the undead like me, it was obvious that his power had declined a lot compared to before. The reason was probably the ejection of the super-high energy ¨D¨D ¡®Dragon Breath¡¯ a moment ago.

    If I hadn¡¯t interfered in the middle of it, Dell would¡¯ve definitely been erased. Still, Dell was heroic for resisting that energy even for a short while.

    I don¡¯t have much time. Even when I¡¯m idling, my head is throbbing with pain.

    I¡¯m using the blood power to regenerate myself in order to resist the ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯. I can last for a while, but my power isn¡¯t bottomless. I should¡¯ve drunk more blood from Monica.

    Rainel narrowed his eyes and glared at me, as I was wrapped in cursed blaze.

    ¡°Nuu¡­ that power is ¨D¨D ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯, huh. Did Hebram betray me?¡±

    ¡°Is that what you think?¡±

    ¡°What bloodlust¡­ you monster.¡±

    It¡¯s hot. But neither my bones nor my flesh is burning. That¡¯s why I can still stand.

    I reorganize my thoughts that are being eaten away by the pain. I concentrate on thinking. Rainel ¡®resisted¡¯ me when I attacked him from above. He resisted even if it meant stopping attacking Dell. In other words, if I have this much force, ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ will be enough to work against Rainel.

    The black flame definitely burnt his fur. It damaged him. But one hit wasn¡¯t enough to get rid of him like Selzard.

    Rainel was carefully watching my movements. I must absolutely avoid his silver claws that can kill me with one blow. It has a long range too.

    I point the sword in my blazing right hand towards him.

    I¡¯ll kill you. Definitely kill you. Completely kill you. That¡¯s all I will think about right now. I have no leisure to think about something else in front of this dreadful King.

    ¡°The only monster here¡­ is you!!¡±

    Look for a chance. Rainel¡¯s voice is hoarse. ¡®Dragon Breath¡¯ burnt his throat.

    Touching him wasn¡¯t enough to defeat him. It was only to be expected since even Hebram, who used the perfect ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ couldn¡¯t beat Rainel. My opponent had already experienced the ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯.

    I tear away at my flesh with the sword. This way, I might be able to damage him by burning him with the fire from the wound. I might be able to burn him from the inside.

    ¡°UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±

    I hide the fever and pain with a scream and charge at him. Rainel also roars, but I break through with just my vigor.

    The silver claws swoop down on me from above. I evade it by making a sudden stop and breaking my ankles. Calm down, keep your composure. The moment I tell this to myself, Rainel¡¯s snout mows down on me and sends me flying.

    I¡¯m slammed into the wall. The impact makes my flesh burst and my bones break.

    I¡¯m made to acknowledge it once again. Having a heavy body meant more power. He should have touched the flame, but Rainel still doesn¡¯t stop. He charges at me.

    His fighting spirit is unbelievably fierce for somebody who¡¯s always reigned as the King. As expected, Demon Kings and human kings are different.

    I was desperate. The moment I ducked; the wall I was thrust into fell apart from the power of silver claws.

    Rainel was using his full might. He was miles apart from himself while ago when he was still trying to keep me alive.

    But now I have the low ground. Rainel¡¯s stomach is right before me.

    Blood from my head is dripping into my eyes. I stab his stomach with a momentum strong enough to rip off my arm.

    The sword created by ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯ is also a part of me. A dull impact is transmitted to me.

    Heavy and hard, yet also flexible. Is this ¨D¨Dthe skin of the dragon that¡¯s used for the armours of countless heroes?

    Rainel didn¡¯t choose to crush me. As soon as he got hit, he jumped away with a speed unbelievable for his giant body.

    I reprimand my body and stand up.

    I look down on my right arm. There is a crack in the bone blade. The crack instantly disappears, but the shock remains.

    I couldn¡¯t¡­ pierce through. I attacked his completely unguarded stomach, but I couldn¡¯t deal any damage.

    I just need a little more. I can feel that I just need a little more push, but the bone blade was blocked by Rainel¡¯s fur.

    It¡¯s the fur. His fur is too sturdy. The first thing I managed to wound was his forefoot. There is no fur on the soles of his feet.

    His paws. His paws are the only things I can wound. Maybe the reason why Rainel took the first hit there is because it¡¯s his weakness. My sword was wrapped in flames, but it was still almost completely ineffective.

    Rainel repelled the rubble without making a single sound, maintaining the posture of being ready to jump on me. His fur was still shining gold.

    ¡°What a terrifying power¡­ so this is Undead¡­ What a formidable enemy you are.¡±

    Rainel most likely chose to retreat because if he chose to crush me, he¡¯d have been impaled through his stomach. There¡¯s only so little gap left between us.

    But it doesn¡¯t get filled. I can¡¯t think of a way to fill it. Even if I tried to use the momentum of his attack against him like before, he¡¯s already cautious of that.

    My hand is shaking. Should I run for now¡­? I can¡¯t do that. If I run away, Dell will die, and even without that, Rainel won¡¯t let me escape.

    I had a premonition. If I think about running away ¨D¨D I will lose. I¡¯ll change this fever that¡¯s burning me into the fighting spirit.

    I glare at Rainel, who still hasn¡¯t dropped his kingly fa?ade and force a smile on my face.

    ¡°¡­ If you want to run, I won¡¯t chase you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ kukuku¡­ What foolishness. A coward cannot become the King!¡±

 CH 84.2

    The impact runs through my body. My field of vision shakes violently. I don¡¯t know just how many times I¡¯ve rolled on this floor already. The power I replenished by sucking Monica¡¯s blood is abating very fast. My perceptual ability, enhanced after I learned how to manipulate blood power, is precisely gauging the countdown until everything ends.

    It¡¯s not like my opponent doesn¡¯t get tired either, he¡¯s just too tenacious.

    I¡¯m not strong enough. I¡¯m just a little short on power¡­short on pure muscle strength. I felt this during my fight with Albertus too, but I should¡¯ve become much stronger since then. Does this mean that the world is just that wide?

    I move my body and evade his furious attack. At this point I¡¯m just relying on my instincts. I might be fighting a monster, but my fighting spirit hasn¡¯t died yet.

    Power. I need more power. Dell is rolling in the corner. Looks like he¡¯s completely used up all his powers, there¡¯s no signs of him getting up even after some time has passed. Would she be able to bounce back if it was Senri? Such meaningless thoughts start to go through my brain.

    However, Dell¡¯s eyes are at least open.

    The blood. I need to replenish blood.

    ¡°So, you are still not giving up. You truly are the best enemy I have ever faced!!¡±

    Rainel roars. Frighteningly enough, contained in his roar was an emotion closer to happiness.

    Should I attack him from the inside like my initial plan? But although I don¡¯t know how it would be if it was Man-Eater¡­ Rainel isn¡¯t stupid enough to eat me while I¡¯m on fire.

    Both the blade and the fire are repelled by the fur. I somehow manage to ward off the attack by twisting my body, but the impact still adds on.

    How did I win against Albertus? ¨D¨D Oh, right. I drank blood. I avoided the crisis by drinking blood.

    But this time, the situation is different. Albertus had a weak spot. Having had curse placed on her by a vampire, she had some leftover fear of them. Rainel doesn¡¯t have that.

    And, to start with, Rainel¡¯s power isn¡¯t from a curse. I can¡¯t steal it with ¡®Curse Steal¡¯. Even if I somehow managed to drink his blood, beast¡¯s blood won¡¯t increase my power by much. I¡¯ll just be killed.

    It¡¯s at times like this that the Lord doesn¡¯t come out. Argh, he¡¯s so useless.

    The silver claws that he swiped at me shallowly hurt my left hand. Overriding the pain of ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯, sharp pain passes through my arm. I immediately cut my arm off at the shoulder. It takes some time to heal the damage caused by the claws. I have no choice but to do this. I grow a new arm fast enough, but the power exhausted by it isn¡¯t a little.

    Heavy. Fast. Rainel¡¯s movements are still as strong, almost as if he¡¯s not even a living being.

    The King¡¯s room is now pretty much different from ruins. This a perfect place for the current Rainel.

    There is nothing I can use as a weapon nearby. There is no useful terrain either. I can¡¯t fine good materials.

    No, on the contrary¨D¨DRainel¡¯s power is even recovering. The energy he used a while ago for ¡®Dragon Breath¡¯ is being refilled.

    Is there nothing else? I need something to overcome this situation. I desperately make my mind turn.

    I don¡¯t want to drink Dell¡¯s blood, and even if I did, I doubt it¡¯ll help me recover much strength.

    My throat is parched. Rainel doesn¡¯t let his guard down much. He¡¯s getting used to my movements. If he can accumulate his power, I will be burnt to a crisp by ¡®Dragon Breath¡¯. I have no means of dealing with it.

    The power. I need more power. Vampire¡¯s physical strength isn¡¯t enough. I need it. The power to cut through Rainel¡¯s fur.

    I was way too focused on his claws. A body slam coming from his giant wall-like physique sends me flying and the impact that almost shatters my whole body is transmitted to me.

    I can no longer afford to just be on defensive. My head is strongly slammed into the floor and my field of vision shakes violently.

    At this moment, I realize that there is something else I haven¡¯t tried.

    ¡°!!¡­ Kuku!¡±

    Maybe it was thanks to hitting my head. I should thank Rainel. I find it slightly funny and end up letting out my voice.

    Rainel, who tossed me about like a storm, didn¡¯t chase after me. I prop myself on my hands and get up.

    The flame that¡¯s eating into my body still hasn¡¯t disappeared. What an annoying fire when it can¡¯t even burn Rainel. It¡¯s troublesome whether it¡¯s using it and having others use it against me.

    I don¡¯t need words anymore. What I need is a fighting spirit and bloodlust.

    That¡¯s why, this is not a conversation, but rather a ritual to resolve myself.

    I declare to Rainel. An unrecognizably cold voice comes from my throat.

    ¡°I will kill anybody who tries to kill me.¡±

    I pour in blood power.

    And I¨D¨D transform.

    My arms stretch and grow greatly. My sharp claws scrape against the stone floor. The flame didn¡¯t go out, but there is an even stronger heat gathered in the centre of my body.

    My field of vision becomes higher. I get on all my fours. I feel bizarre coldness behind my ears. My view changes and instead my sense of smell conveys the information about the world.

    Rainel was just looking at me, astounded.

    I hear a creaking sound from inside my body. Growth doesn¡¯t stop.

    It¡¯s the blood power. The blood power made the curse grow. My body is heavy. My forelegs that I can see on the ground are surprisingly huge, and ¨D¨D black enough to be recognizable even seen through the ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯.

    I remember the monster I¡¯ve faced before. But I don¡¯t feel moved.

    The heat I feel inside my body is incomparable to that of when I was a vampire. I¡¯m not a white dog. Right now, I¡¯m a dog monster.

    I did it. This is it. This is the world Albertus saw, the murderous intent she felt.

    My breath is hot. I let out a hoarse voice.

    ¡°Ye¡­ ah¡­ I¡­ will¡­kill¡­ you.¡±

    ¡°That is¡­your true form, huh?¡±

    I¡¯m filled with power. The urge to destroy and the feeling of omnipotence almost make me lose my sanity.

    But I can¡¯t win against this Demon King if I stop thinking. That slight judgement and reason are what keep me as a human.

    The holy silver claws are shining. My current body is as big as Rainel¡¯s but that only means that I have become a bigger target,

    The claws on my forelegs are black and sharp, drawing an ominous arc. They¡¯re definitely made to kill. This form is the embodiment of bloodlust.

    With those claws and this power, I can definitely tear apart Rainel¡¯s body. But Rainel also knows that. He¡¯ll try to evade.

    I won¡¯t be able to keep this form for long. My blood power will run out in a few minutes. I don¡¯t know what will happen if the origin of the vampire¡¯s curse manifests while I¡¯m in this form.

    ¡°Are you, not going to attack me?¡±

    Rainel is saving up power for his trump card, ¡®Dragon Breath¡¯.

    I¡¯ll decide everything with a single hit. I put all my strength in the next attack. I won¡¯t leave myself any leeway. The next time I fail, I¡¯ll die. I will die. That¡¯s why I have to kill him.

    And, I kicked off the floor, following my instincts.

    The whole floor collapses with a single kick. I reach a terrific speed. For an instant, Rainel smiles at my suicidal attack.

    Rainel jumps at me. Even after seeing my desperate attack, he still attacks me without an ounce of fear.

    The holy silver claws are illuminated by the half-moon, shining with dull lustre.

    It¡¯s impossible to stop the blow. I knew this since the beginning. I won¡¯t evade it either.

    The movement of the claws slightly slow down as I move forward. He¡¯s agitated. Did he think that I would evade it?

    The claws that were swiped down to the side shallowly cut the base of my forefoot. Intense pain runs through me, but I don¡¯t slow down.

    He didn¡¯t target my throat and head because he thought I¡¯d avoid it. I was ready to receive the attack. As long as at least my arm remains, it¡¯ll be fine.

    It¡¯s my turn now. For the first time, strong agitation runs through Rainel¡¯s eyes. I swing my right foreleg wide.

    Unlike the holy silver claws, black claws are crooked and ominously swallow the light.

    My target is¨D¨D his weak spot. His neck.

    ¡°Kh!¡±

    An instant felt both like a second and a minute. Black claws sink into the golden fur. A heavy sensation is transmitted to me from the claw.

    I put all my power into it. My claws bury themselves in Rainel¡¯s neck. I hear a tearing sound. Rainel¡¯s giant body shakes.

    However, I open my eyes wide.

    ¨D¨D It¡¯s shallow.

    I understand it instinctually. I can¡¯t kill Rainel like this. It¡¯s the difference between our experiences of fighting with the body of a beast. The ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ I¡¯m wrapped in didn¡¯t transfer over either.

    Rainel doesn¡¯t have the same regeneration ability as an undead, but he has his dragon¡¯s blood. I¡¯m also wounded. I can¡¯t afford to attack the next time if I move away now.

    I meet Rainel¡¯s golden eyes from a short distance. He has lost control of himself. I take a deep breath. The inside of my lungs tremble with heat. Rainel¡¯s eyes were shaking.

    And, I spit our cursed fire towards him.

    My field of vision is dyed black. The jet black flame is far more intense than when I was in a human form, wrapping around the Rainel in a second.

 CH 85.1

    ¡°Be careful. Vampires are cruel and immoral monsters. Humans who have been changed after being bit by them, turn out the same. I¡¯m sure¡­ it¡¯s instinctual for them

    The conversation I once had with Senri crosses my mind. Yeah, that¡¯s exactly right.

    My blood power is close to running out and my sides, torn by Rainel, hurt as if I¡¯ve been hit with hot iron. The same goes for my body that¡¯s been scorched by the ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯, but there is still dark bloodlust whirling inside me.

    I¡¯m sure this urge won¡¯t go away even if I were to be on the verge of annihilation.

    I suppose this is the true reason why vampires are such terrifying monsters. I think such thoughts in the middle of rampaging urges and pain.

    Vampires wouldn¡¯t retreat no matter what kind of formidable enemy they faced. They wouldn¡¯t cower like Oliver.

    There are no vampires that hate fighting. To fight until they die, that is the curse of the vampires.

    Rainel is on a rampage. His giant body destroys the walls, and his roar collapses the ceiling. However, even after doing that much, the black flames that surround him don¡¯t go out.

    Looks like ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ completely started working. I don¡¯t know how it managed to flare up. Is it perhaps connected to lung capacity? Was it the power that could only be used in the body of a beast? I can analyse it later.

    The sky is collapsing. I have no time to chase after him.

    I¡¯m almost completely out of blood power. I can¡¯t even discern left and right because of the hunger and pain. I squeeze what little power I have left, erase the ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ on me and return back to human form. My forelegs, covered in black fur, creak, and shrink.

    The armful of rubble in front of me collapses. The ground shakes and I fall on the floor.

    Even after I regained my form, the wound I had received meanwhile didn¡¯t heal. A white smoke rises, and I stop myself from bleeding out. I want to gouge out the wound, but now I can¡¯t even spare the power to use ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯ anymore.

    Falling rubble might not be a problem normally, but if I get crushed now, I might actually die.

    Dell crawled to the wall, setting his back against it. He¡¯s come this far so I¡¯d like to help him out, but I can¡¯t really afford to do that right now. And it looks like Dell can¡¯t move properly either.

    We make eye contact. A large rock board falls between us.

    Looks like I don¡¯t have enough time to escape. Now that things have come to this, I can only resign myself to fate. I shrink into myself as much as I can and cover my head.

    I wanted to meet Senri for the last time at the very least.

    I wonder how much time has passed. It probably hasn¡¯t been that long.

    The shaking stopped, and I finally moved away the hand I was using to cover my head.

    The ceiling has completely collapsed. I can see the shining half-moon in the sky from the collapsed ceiling.

    Unlike before, the surrounding is silent.

    Looks like I managed to avoid getting crushed. But the situation hasn¡¯t improved.

    I want to drink blood. I rebuke my powerless limbs and stand up while staggering. I wipe away the blood that flows down and gets into my eyes.

    I¡¯m on the verge of death. If I weren¡¯t an undead, I¡¯d be dead long ago.

    Rainel¡¯s army is still here. I got to run away fast. But what happened to Dell?

    My head is throbbing, and my thoughts can¡¯t seem to settle down. First of all, I have to gouge out the wound Rainel gave me no matter what¡­

    ¨D¨DAt this moment, a large mountain of rubble a few meters away suddenly exploded.

    Pebbles pour down on me. I immediately cover my face.

    No, wrong. This is¨D¨D not an explosion.

    A large black mass stands up and the bits of a hoarse voice resound quietly in the darkness.

    ¡°Oh, what a, terri¡­ fying¡­ monster¡­ you, are. To¡­ think that¡­ you would have¡­ the same power¡­ as He¡­ bram¡­¡±

    No way¡­ this is impossible.

    Rainel was clearly heavily wounded. His formerly golden fur covered body was burnt black, no part of his body left fine as far as I could see.

    But he was alive. The flames that had burnt his whole body were fully extinguished and he was standing on his limbs.

    He was half-dead. There were no traces of power left in him.

    Nevertheless, his eyes were shining brightly. I thought the pain caused by the ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ was supposed to be on the level that living creatures couldn¡¯t endure. Is this the blood of a dragon?

    No, it¡¯s probably not because of his dragon blood that Rainel is standing up right now.

    It¡¯s because he¡¯s the Demon King. Rainel is only standing because of his pride as the Demon King.

    ¡°Do you still intend to fight¡­ Rainel?¡±

    He does. He hasn¡¯t said anything, but there is still a fighting spirit in Rainel¡¯s eyes. And while he called me terrifying, he shows no signs of being afraid.

    I don¡¯t have any more spare energy. Even getting up is a hassle. But I raise my arms and somehow manage to stand ready.

    Rainel¡¯s fur is charred. I wonder if I can pierce it even in my current state? Would it be hard? Rainel¡¯s movements are sluggish. He¡¯s also on the verge of dying. But the holy silver claws, equipped on his forelegs, are unharmed.

    I cannot¨D¨D see the chance to win.

    Rainel¡¯s big eyes suddenly narrow.

    ¡°End Baron. I am, proud to have, fought against you. Monica brought, something good back.¡±

    Looks like he¡¯s seen through that I don¡¯t have enough power to fight either. But I don¡¯t have enough power to run away either so I have no other choice but to fight.

    I overwrite the pain with the urge to kill.

    I¡¯ll kill him. I have no intentions of letting myself get killed.  I¡¯ll murder him. My fingertips creak, as if in response to my bloodlust and my five fingernails sharpen a few centimeters.

    I don¡¯t have the leisure to go on offense. I will somehow manage to evade his attacks and open up a hole in his stomach. That¡¯s the only way.

    His right foreleg is raised slowly. Seeing his imposing appearance that doesn¡¯t seem to have changed a little bit from before, I feel regret.

    I shouldn¡¯t have reverted. I shouldn¡¯t have reverted before confirming Rainel¡¯s death, even if that cost me to be stuck in the form of a beast forever.

    My senses are out of control. Silver light is slowly falling down. I feel like I¡¯ll be crushed just by its pressure. I can¡¯t raise my arms. Even if I use my bloodlust as fuel, my legs don¡¯t move.

    ¨D¨D Oh no, I¡¯ll die.

    The moment despair invaded my mind, I heard a strange creaking sound.

    Unable to endure the wind pressure, I fell to my knees.

    I¡¯m¡­ not dead. The silver claws have stopped right in front of my eyes, just a few dozen centimeters away. The forefoot that was about to be swung down was creaking.

    ¡°So¡­ you¡­ will¡­ get in¡­ my way¡­ too¡­¡±

    A red thread was wrapped around Rainel¡¯s pillar-like foreleg. Thin thread wrapped around him in layers, completely stopping his stout arms.

    A soft and pleasant voice resounded. It was an unfamiliar voice.

    ¡°I would have never imagined¡­ that I would be able to meet ¡®The Ancestor¡¯¡­ in a place like this.¡±

    I desperately search for the owner of the voice.

    They were in the shadow of the rubble. The voice belonged to the androgynous looking woman wrapped in jet-black coat. She¡¯s probably a bit older than me. She¡¯s approaching Rainel, who has still maintained his majesty even after being burnt entirely without making any sounds.

    There is a several meters high red cone-shaped pillar behind her. No¨D¨D it¡¯s not a pillar. It¡¯s blood.  The intense scent of blood that would make one choke.

    The thread stretching from there is stopping Rainel¡¯s movements.

    The arm, that was right in my face, is slowly lifted up.

    ¡°Demon King Rainel, he is not just a ¡®True Vampire¡¯. He is ¨D¨D the king of the vampires, the ¡®Ancestor¡¯. The one who will become the origin, just like my King. I didn¡¯t intend to interfere, but¨D¨D fufufu¡­ I cannot exactly let you kill him.¡±

    Those words changed my suspicion to conviction.

    This woman¨D¨D is a vampire. She has a wicked presence, as if the crystallization of the night. Not to mention, she¡¯s not Lesser like me. She¡¯s the complete darkness.

    Should I be rejoicing or lamenting at her appearance?

    Rainel¡¯s target seemed to have completely changed at the very least.

    ¡°So, you were still here, Sable. You underhanded walking corpse! I already warned you, that the next time I meet you ¨D¨D I will kill you!¡±

    I hear a tearing sound. Rainel¡¯s arm tore off the blood thread and swung down on the female vampire called Sable.

    I involuntarily open my eyes wide. Who¡¯d think that he¡¯d be able to move this well after being burnt entirely¨D¨D.

    However, Sable laughed.

    ¡°And I must thank him. I didn¡¯t expect for him to weak the famous golden gamelyon to this extent¨D¨D¡±

    Rainel¡¯s giant body slightly floated up. A low sound, similar to something moist being pierced, sounded several times. Rainel opened his eyes wide in astonishment.

    Before I knew it, there were countless ¡®Blood Stakes¡¯ piercing Rainel¡¯s body. There were countless stakes cutting through his burnt fur from below and from sides, partially digging into his flesh.

    Rainel roared. Even after being pierced by the stakes, his claws were mowing down towards Sable. And the moment he tried to tear her delicate body into pieces from above ¨D¨D her body turned into mist.

    The claws slash away at the air and pierce the ground. Sable materializes a few meters away. Naturally, she¡¯s unscathed.

    ¡®Atomization¡¯. It¡¯s one of the vampires¡¯ abilities.

    Rainel coughs up blood and writhes intensely. His roar turns into vibrations, blowing my body away.

    Sable ignores Rainel¡¯s rampage, turns towards me and kneels.

    ¡°O the great ancestor of vampires. This is the power I have inherited from my Lord¨D¨D ¡®Blood Pain¡¯. Our army welcomes you with open hands.¡±

    Rainel is raging.  But the match has already been settled. Countless more blood threads that were released additionally are restraining Rainel.

    He was already half-dead when he was fighting against me, it was the worst timing for him.

    Bloody red eyes like mine. I can see sharp canines from the sides of her blood red lips.

    What should I do?

    No reason to even consider it. I refuse.

    Since she mentioned her lord, her master must also be a vampire. And most likely, he¡¯s an ¡®Ancestor¡¯ just like me. Becoming his ally would mean becoming Senri¡¯s enemy.

    Above all else, I don¡¯t like the attitude of this female vampire.

    Sable¡¯s words sounded polite on the surface, but they were not ¡®inviting¡¯. She didn¡¯t ask for my intentions. Just like Rainel.

    That being said, I can¡¯t fight. I don¡¯t have the power for that.

    Sable¡¯s negative energy is enormous. I can see this exactly because we¡¯re both vampires. It¡¯s doubtful if I could even defeat her in my best condition, not to mention my current state.

    Looking at me as the gears in my mind were desperately turning, Sable smiled.

    ¡°You are¡­ very wise. That is right, o Ancestor. You are far weaker than me as of now. You have no other choice but to oblige. Please rest assured. My lord is gathering the Kings of the Night. It will be more comfortable than living a solitary life alone.¡±

    That¡¯s not true. I¡¯m not alone. I have Senri, that¡¯s why I can¡¯t come with you.

    Sable casually raised her index finger.

    It¡¯s a slender and beautiful finger, white with no blemishes. Suddenly, blood spouts from its tip, creating a small black sphere in the air.

    The moment I see that, all the hair on my body stands up.

    This is¨D¨D bad.

    Sable says in a cold voice¡­

 CH 85.2

    ¡°I shall put a wedge on you. I will not harm you, but¨D¨D this is a blood contract. My blood will stay inside your body and kill you, depending on the situation. There are no ways to resist it.¡±

    There¡¯s no mistaking it. This is an anti-vampire ability.

    Curses and magic don¡¯t work on vampires. But this is not that kind of ability. It¡¯s also different from the absolute obedience the Lord put me under.

    Sable¡¯s ability is most likely the manipulation of blood. Just like how she restrained Rainel¡­ If she moves blood and uses it to crush my heart and brain, it will be fatal. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t go against her. This contract is way too violent.

    The ball of blood is approaching,

    I can¡¯t run away. I can only kill her. But Sable has her guard up. If I focus all my power, I should be able to move my body a little, but counterattack probably wouldn¡¯t work. She¡¯s already expecting it.

    The ball of blood changes its form and sharpens like a needle. Its tip approaches my head.

    The alarm bells in my head are torturing me. My hands, my arms, my shoulders are trembling. Breathing becomes harder. I open my lips that are the only things that can move right now with no idea of what to do.

    And, with my blank mind, I shout desperately.

    ¡°O dead, prostrate thyself¡±

    ¡°Kh?!¡±

    Sable¡¯s face distorts in astonishment. Her blood needle suddenly stops.

    My voice is hoarse. The words I half-consciously blurted out weren¡¯t said in the language I was familiar with, but strangely enough, I understood them.

    My hands are trembling. This is not because I¡¯m tired. It¡¯s the fear. But this is not the fear towards Sable.

    Right now¨D¨D I am afraid of my own self.

    ¡°I am the one who defies the underworld, the King of the Dead. The ruler of the dark realm. Rejoice. Bow thy head and transform into my servant.¡±

    ¡°I-impossible¡­ this is¡­ Necromancy. Y-you¡¯re¡­¡±

    Confidence had already disappeared from Sable¡¯s face.

    The blood needle melted down and Sable agilely retreated a few meters back, as if running away. Her pale appearance turned even paler, and her fingertips quivered slightly. Only her blood-red lips remained as vivid as before.

    ¡°I-i-i-imposs¡­ible. You¡¯re¡­ no, you are¨D¨D not a mere vampire. ¡®The King of the Dead¡¯! No way, the new vampire. King of the Dead?¡­ ¡±

    It was repelled. I can feel it.

    The magic of ¡®subservience¡¯ didn¡¯t work. It was repelled by the resistance of vampires. But it wouldn¡¯t be weird even if it worked. I felt that I touched the origin of Sable¡¯s curse, its heart.

    This is¡­ the power of the Lord. It¡¯s the power Horus Carmon attained over many years.

    The Lord hasn¡¯t come out, but he¡¯s certainly living inside me.

    It¡¯s horrifying. It¡¯s also different from the everyday magic I learned over many days.  Is this the power of dark magic?

    She should have been aware that she resisted successfully, but Sable¡¯s trembling doesn¡¯t stop. Her pupils are completely dilated.

    The female vampire in front of me is currently at the mercy of the fear that¡¯s even surpassing her urge to kill.

    ¡°That power¡­ are you a¡­ newborn? I must report¡­ to my Lord¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Stop thy feet.¡±

    ¡°Kh?!¡±

    Sable, who starts running, is stopped in her tracks by my words and almost falls forward.

    Should I call this an ¡®incantation¡¯? Necromancers control the dead. With the mana of a vampire, it¡¯s possible to do this even if the other person isn¡¯t their creation.

    I was only able to stop her for a second, but that was enough.

    Sable, who was about to start running away again, was attacked by the silver flash.

    It was Rainel¡¯s claw. Perhaps she ended up releasing the blood restraints from agitation. The side slash from the Gamelyon cuts Sable diagonally from her shoulder.

    A small scream resounds. Sable¡¯s slender body is split into half and falls on the floor.

    Rainel, who was pierced by blood stakes, was truly on the verge of death. His eyes were clouded, and I could see how he¡¯s losing vitality.

    Yet, he¡¯s still standing. His eyes are firmly piercing through Sable, who¡¯s collapsed on the floor.

    Clots of blood overflow from Rainel¡¯s mouth and his giant body collapses. All signs of life disappear from him.

    Bravo. We couldn¡¯t exchange words at the end but he had an admirable end.

    ¡°Tsk¡­ You just don¡¯t know when to die¡­ I¡¯m not done. Not yet!¡±

    Sable propped herself up on her hands and got up. Threads of blood stretched out soundlessly, stitching up her torso that was separated from her lower half. That ability is too convenient. I want it too.

    White smoke rose from her wound. However, while Rainel¡¯s attack did indeed damage her, her power mostly hadn¡¯t decreased.

    I¡¯m also a vampire so I know. The characteristic of holy silver is that it inflicts an injury that cannot be healed, but it cannot directly decrease the blood power.

    Who would have thought that I would find the strong invulnerability of vampires troublesome? I instantly put power in my words.

    ¡°Submit.¡±

    ¡°Guukh¡­ It won¡¯t, work anymore. It won¡¯t work anymore, End Baron. If I¡¯m prepared, it¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡±

    Still pale, Sable smiles faintly.

    Shit¡­ she builds up tolerance too fast. Looks like Sable is quite high-skilled. According to Senri, vampires are weak to pain, but she hasn¡¯t been weakened even though she was split in half just a second ago.

    That being said, it looks like I managed to buy enough time.

    Hesitation flashes across Sable¡¯s eyes. She¡¯s probably thinking if it¡¯s better to kidnap me or to run away. That hesitation will be the end of her.

    ¡°Kh?!¡±

    White light cut Sable¡¯s body from the side diagonally. The pure light that makes my body tremble, gives me a mysterious feeling of comfort.

    Stepping over the rubble, the holy knight arrives. A familiar white traveling outfit. A nostalgic smell. The silver sword is shining, reflecting the moonlight.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, End¡­ I¡¯m late.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s fine. I just¡­ got here¡­ too¡­¡±

    Senri, who I saw for the first time in a while, was still as beautiful. Is her face slightly tired because she had to pass through the Demon King¡¯s army? However, her clothes are impeccable, not a drop of blood on them.

    As Senri ran up to where I was collapsed, she glared at the person she had just slashed.

    She¡¯s perfect. Beautiful and terrifying. Dell was strong, but the girl in front of me is on another level.

    ¡°No way¡­ A Death¡­ Knight?!¡±

    Sable¡¯s face distorts with astonishment.

    Having been hit with the holy light, Sable¡¯s body has already mostly disappeared. The lower half of her body that she was somewhat holding on to with her blood threads, disappeared and her upper body also only remained until her chest. In that condition, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.

    Sable glared at Senri and at the time checked on me behind her back.

    ¡°????! Why is a Death Knight siding with an Ancestor?!¡±

    ¡°¡­ End is different from you.¡±

    ¡°Kuh¡­¡±

    The pillar of blood rotates violently, sending countless needles flying. Senri blocks those needles with a wall of light.

    The moment blood needles touch the light, they disappear, as if they never existed. Even if Senri has an upper hand because of the compatibility, she¡¯s too overpowering.

    Small amount of blood flows from Sable¡¯s lips. Did she bite herself?

    And, Sable says, as if spitting out the words. Her voice is full of strong resentment.

    ¡°¡­ So, this is it¡­ damn you, Death Knight¡­¡±

    Senri didn¡¯t move. It¡¯s because I¡¯m here. She can¡¯t move because she wants to protect me from the blood needles.

    But the match has already been decided. Throwing blood needles also needs power. All Senri has to do is wait for that power to run out.

    Blood red eyes turn towards me, as I¡¯m kneeling on the ground. Her tongue licks the blood flowing from her mouth.

    ¡°Let us meet again, End Baron. But as allies next time.

    It¡¯s pathetic but I can finally say this while hiding behind Senri. I compose my breathing and glare at the female vampire.

    ¡°I refuse. I¡¯m fine with the way things are right now.

    To start with, Sable has no means of escape.

    The barrage of blood needles stops. Senri doesn¡¯t run out. She keeps standing in front of me as if protecting me.

    With an almost mocking smile on her face, Sable mocks.

    ¡°Vampires cannot live with humans.¡±

    The pillar of blood suddenly turns black. Sable¡¯s remaining body abruptly expands and blows up. But, it¡¯s not a suicide.

    The next moment, both the pillar and Sable¡¯s lower half of the body turn into countless bats. The colony of bats gives out a cry and disperses in all directions. Eventually, there is not even a single article of Sable¡¯s clothes left.

    Senri sighs slightly and focuses her power on her sword. She glances at me.

    There is strong regret in her eyes. It makes me want to drink her blood.

    ¡°End, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I missed you.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­. Me too.¡±

    And Senri grandly thrusts her sword forward, releasing power towards the moon.

    ¡°¡¶Photon Delete¡·¡±

    The light erases the group of bats in the sky and disperses in all directions.

    A band of light is shining in the sky. As I burn this beautiful scenery in my brain, I completely let go of my consciousness.

 CH 86.1

    The base of Rainel¡¯s army was burning. The order that had been established under the absolute rule of the law of the jungle crumbled in a single night.

    To start with, the army was founded with the strongest man, the Demon King, as its pillar. Now matter how big the army itself was, once that pillar was pulled out, the troops couldn¡¯t keep themselves together.

    The news of the death of Demon King Rainel spread in a second. What assaulted the Demon King¡¯s army after that, was chaos.

    Chaos spread from the low-ranking combatants with barely any intelligence.

    Rainel, who boasted of his absolute strength, had died and Man-Eater Hebram, who was both hated and feared, had disappeared.

    Some of the soldiers run away in fear, some comprehended the significance of their king¡¯s death and started plotting how to replace him and some turned to looting. The camp, that had been set up to some extent, burnt down and the stench of death whirled in the darkness.

    Uniting various species required a symbol with an undebatable strength.

    The army that had been functioning as a single entity until yesterday, had split into race-based factions and the treasury was already being invaded by the ¡®thieves¡¯ that were formerly the members of the army.

    Oliver Arbor, the executive of the Demon King¡¯s army and the werewolf who was once assigned an important position because of his abilities and strength, quietly peeked out from the room in his human form.

    The chaos had yet to spread to the houses near the castle. Perhaps the place where executives lived was hard to approach for the lower-ranking soldiers.

    However, peace wouldn¡¯t last long. After all, the high-ranking soldiers with intelligence were now also eagerly looking for the opportunity to take control of Rainel¡¯s former army

    Demon King Rainel¡¯s army was finished.

    Even if it got back on its feet, it would be impossible to conquer the fortified city, Romberg, with an army that lacked the pillar and the order. Oliver was relatively confident in his own strength, but he didn¡¯t think that he could become their King.

    He had to hurry up.  He shivered for a second and went outside while carrying Monika over his shoulder.

    Demon King was strong and grand. However, he died.

    Oliver didn¡¯t think that Rainel would lose. He was instinctively afraid of vampires, but even from his point of view, Gamelyon Rainel was overwhelming. Still, looking at the current state of the army, it was obvious what had happened.

    The reason why Oliver was shaking wasn¡¯t because of the rampaging remnants of the Demon King¡¯s army. The only thing Oliver Arbor was afraid of was a vampire.

    Right now, Oliver could only run away. He would run away and conceal himself.

    Monika, who had her blood sucked slowly, had yet to open her eyes, still unconscious. Though, she was alive.

    She would be a hindrance, but he couldn¡¯t just abandon her. They had undertaken a mission together, and above all, he was asked by that terrifying End Baron to watch over her.

    Blood-red, cruel eyes. The sharp sign of death coming from his thin body wasn¡¯t much different from the vampire that had once changed Oliver.

    The chances of him coming back was extremely slim. His presence was already fading far away. Just like the Ancestor who had killed Oliver¡¯s master, End Baron also didn¡¯t choose the option of ruling over Oliver.

    However, if there was even the smallest chance of him coming back, Oliver couldn¡¯t do anything but run away.

    The residents of the fortified city, Romberg, would sooner or later hear about the demise of Demon King Rainel. And would undoubtedly join the hunt for the remnants to vent their anger.

    Suddenly, countless shining eyes appeared approaching from the foot of the mountain. Those were the lower ranking soldiers of the former army of Rainel. Now they were just a swarm of magical beasts.

    As soon as they noticed Oliver and Monica, who looked like humans at a first glance, they surrounded them. Saliva was dripping from their jaws lined with sharp fangs out of excitement.

    This would have been impossible when the absolute strong Demon King Rainel was alive. In this chaotic situation, all had lost their reasons. They would only calm down after entering under the rule of a new charismatic Demon King.

    How pitiful, he thought for a second. He had no time to bother with small flies.

    Oliver looked at the sky that was about to turn into dawn and transformed with a roar.

    ¡°¡­ Miss Senri¡­ What happened to Baron? Are you okay with just any dog?¡±

    ¡°¡­ T-that¡¯s¡­ ¡°

    Senri¡¯s face was unusually stiff in front of Katerina¡¯s pure eyes.

    One night after my fight with the Demon King Rainel, we were returning to the fortified city, Romberg.

    In truth, it was a bad move to go back to the city. But we had a reason why this had to be done. It¡¯s because of Dell.

    Dell was on the verge of death. The rubble had broken some of his bones and his blessing was extremely close to running dry. It was highly likely he would die if left like that. I¡¯m the one who had heavier injuries, but Dell¡¯s not an undead.

    Dell is an enemy, but we¡¯ve fought together once. It¡¯s not like I hate him. It was natural for me to propose to Senri to rescue him. It¡¯s not like I proposed this to butter her up. Though, I knew that she¡¯d rescue him even without my advice. This was also not because I wanted to see the city or anything.

    Infiltrating the city wasn¡¯t hard.

    Senri seemed to have treated the soldiers when she was staying in the city and Dell was also well known for subduing the Demon King¡¯s army alone. He and Senri had built up so much trust within the city that they would be let in even if they brought a strange dog with them at night. Thus, we came to Katerina just to say goodbye.

    Right now, I¡¯m a black dog. I was able to change my size, but I couldn¡¯t change my colour.

    Unlike the utter ball of fluff I was before, I look plenty more dangerous. My claws and fangs are all sharp, and my form packs style too. Before, I was a ball of cuteness, Now, I¡¯m a ball of coolness. I¡¯m so cool and strong-looking that mercenaries asked to purchase me whenever they see me walking in the city

    I barked confidently and approached Katarina while wagging my tail.

    As I got close to Katarina who shook with fear, I channelled my desire to please and sat down. Katarina was frozen for a while, her eyes open wide, but she still hesitantly patted my head.

    ¡°¡­ What a well-behaved boy¡­ Miss Senri, where did you find him? What is he called?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, he was outside. I haven¡¯t¡­ decided on the name yet. He looks strong, he also very smart and is a good boy.¡±

    ¡°Also¡­ only his tail is white, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ it turned white.¡±

    Oh I see. So only my tail is white right now? Unfortunately, it¡¯s hard to see my own tail when I¡¯m in the form of a dog and because of the characteristic of Lesser Vampires, I look semi-transparent in the mirror, so I can¡¯t check myself out readily, but this isn¡¯t too bad either. It¡¯s not as bad as a charming attribute.

    Katarina takes out a biscuit from her pocket and holds it out to me. I thankfully accept it and lick her hand. Katarina¡¯s eyes narrow and she says happily.

    ¡°In addition, he¡¯s very friendly¡­ like Baron.¡±

    To think that I¡¯d charm children even with his cool appearance, I¡¯m such a sinful vampire. I¡¯ve no need for a Fascinate Eye, do I?

    As I happily wag my tail in response to the compliment, Senri looks at me with eyes so cold, that it seems to freeze life itself. It makes me doubt her expression during our reunion.

    ¡°Baron, will you go with Katarina?¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    No way¡­ I¡¯m only devoted to you, Senri. Is she jealous? Is this co-called jealousy? Being popular sure is tough.

    I left Katarina and leaned in close to Senri. Here, I noticed that the tips of my forelegs had become white.

    How strange¡­ they were definitely black a moment ago.

 CH 86.2

    Demon King Rainel died. His army still remains, but I killed the strongest person there, Demon King and Man-Eater so the rest will take care of itself. Dell is here too.

    To start with, in most cases, the Demon King¡¯s army will apparently collapse if you kill the Demon King. Senri said this so it must be true.

    It seems that everybody from the merchant group who gave me food was mostly safe, so I¡¯m glad to hear that.

    I thought I would die many times, but the battle with Rainel brought me a lot of things.

    I more or less understand how to use my power and I obtained ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ too. I don¡¯t want to do it again but fighting against a strong enemy was a very good experience.

    There are a lot of things I have to think about, like an encounter with new vampires, but it should be okay to take a rest for a bit.

    As expected, Senri¡¯s the best. Being close to her makes me feel very relieved.

    In my opinion, what the vampires lack are people who trust them. That is what turns monsters back into humans.

    I¡¯m hungry. I received the minimum required amount of blood from her right immediately after we reunited, so I recovered to an extent, but it wasn¡¯t close to enough.

    Apparently Senri was worried about me the whole time we were separated. She also seems to be feeling guilty. I say¡­ won¡¯t she give me her blood? My expectations rise all the more. I feel like sleeping in a cozy coffin for many days and relaxing with Senri.

    Looking at my wagging tail, Senri sighs quietly and smiles so slightly that only somebody who knows her well enough would notice it.

    ¡°Baron, we¡¯ll be leaving the city right away. We can¡¯t stay here. Dell¡¯s comrades are also in the nearby city.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I see. Not to toot my own horn, but right now I can become bigger. I can even properly let Senri ride on my back. I should be able to go anywhere with no flowing water.

    I¡¯m pretty fast in my dog form. We¡¯ll be in the next city right away. Though it¡¯s also hard to give up on giving her a piggyback ride¡­

    It¡¯s dusk, the best time. I¡¯m always ready to go. I won¡¯t have a thing to complain about if I get a little bit of blood, but I¡¯ll save it as something to look forward to later.

    ¡°Once we reach a faraway city, we can take it easy for a while. You need to rest. Specifically, you will rest for a while until your body turns white.¡±

    Looks like Senri prefers a cute fluffy white dog over a cool black dog. I¡¯m quite fond of the things as they are right now, but if Senri¡¯s saying otherwise, it¡¯s unavoidable.

    I reflexively ask Senri, who has her face close to me and is looking into my eyes.

    ¡°Will you give me blood too?¡±

    ¡°I will. So, don¡¯t talk. It will look suspicious.¡±

    Certainly, a speaking dog is out of line. I shut up and follow Senri, who¡¯s going through the leaving procedure, while wagging my tail.

    Blessing is life itself. Death Knights, who excel at manipulating it, possess a far superior regeneration ability and endurance compared to ordinary humans. If they focus their powers, they can heal broken bones and they can fight day and night too. The 3rd class knight, Dell Gordon was heavily wounded, but even that was nothing compared to the injuries he usually received.

    End was outside the room. There were only Dell and Senri inside.

    Dell was lying on the bed, glaring at Senri without moving an inch.

    ¡°cough, cough, don¡¯t heal me¡­ Senri Silvis. If my wounds are healed, I would have to, chase after you two.¡±

    Death Knights also have a wide social network. They move in groups with the 1st class knight as their leader, but Senri had met Dell Gordon before.

    He was a member of the squad led by ¡®Heavenly Garb¡¯, known for their consistent mission accomplishment rate.

    ¡°I owe that vampire. As unacceptable as it is for a Death Knight. Besides, I have no chances of winning while I¡¯m injured. That¡¯s why¡­ while I hate to say this, I have no choice but to let you two get away.¡±

    Dell¡¯s expression was grim the whole time. It was understandable.

    Rather, the reason he was letting them go so easily was that the man called Dell Gordon, was not the victim of the tragedy caused by the undead.

    However, there was animosity in his eyes.

    Though, that was not the animosity towards End. It was animosity towards Senri. Dell declared with a groaning voice.

    ¡°But the next time we meet, staking my pride as the Death Knight, I swear towards all the victims of past tragedies, that ¡ª Senri Silvis, I will kill you. No matter what the circumstances may be.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Senri¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change.

    She was already a traitor. For the Death Knights, she was somebody to be avoided even more than the undead, their enemy. She was the traitor, who despite being a Death Knight, changed sides towards the undead.

    Her master let her go once, but others wouldn¡¯t be so forgiving,

    But she was already prepared for all this. It¡¯s not like Senri decided to take End¡¯s side without thinking.

    Seeing that Senri didn¡¯t react, Dell frowned. His voice didn¡¯t contain the same anger as before.

    ¡°Senri, this is a warning. Kill that man¨D¨D End Baron. Bestow salvation upon him while he still can be saved. You¡¯re a genius Death Knight, but that man has the talent of a monster. I¡¯m not talking about him having strong abilities. End Baron will become a terrifying King. Sooner or later, he will become the greatest enemy of the Death Knights.¡±

    Dell¡¯s words were strongly emotional.

    Senri understood it. End¡¯s ¡®Curse Steal¡¯ contained with itself a terrifying possibility.

    They didn¡¯t even know what multiple curses could do to End.

    Once, Senri speculated that End¡¯s transformed self represented his heart. Now, End had become able to transform into a black dog.

    It showed that this slightly easy-going young man didn¡¯t remain unchanged.

    But, even so, Senri simply looked at Dell and said.

    ¡°¡­ I won¡¯t let it happen.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kill him. As long as you still have the pride as the Death Knight.¡±

    Dell turned away and closed his eyes.

    Dell¡¯s worries were justified. End¡¯s escape would become even harder from now on.

    The word of Senri¡¯s withdrawal would spread through the whole Order of Death Knights and the retainer of the Stake King, an Ancestor known for his might, would find out about End¡¯s existence.

    Senri used ¡®Photon Delete¡¯ but if she missed even a single bat, they would regenerate. She most likely didn¡¯t actually get them all.

    Maybe purifying End would be a salvation for him. But End would definitely not want that.

    Thus, Senri could only take his side.

    Senri reignited her resolve without letting it show on her face, turned her back on Dell and left the room.

 CH 87.1

    I feel like it¡¯s been quite a long since I¡¯ve gained a new life as an Undead.

    Of course I understand that the actual time that has passed isn¡¯t that long. But for me, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that that time is comparable to my previous life, where I was bedridden alone my whole life.

    At first, I was a Fleshman. After gathering the power of death, I turned into a Ghoul and by taking in the Lord¡¯s remains, I have become a Lesser Vampire.

    After finding Senri, somebody who understood me, she shared her blood with me and I became stronger. I learnt combat techniques. I became able to use magic, albeit slightly. After a mortal combat with Albertus, I stole her ability to transform into a dog, I realized how to use the ability ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯ and awakened my dormant special ability¨D¨D ¡®Curse Steal¡¯.

    And now, I have gained even more power after a fierce battle with the Demon King.

    I learned how to use blood power, stole the ¡®Cursed Flame¡¯ ¨D¨D I haven¡¯t mutated into the next rank, but my powers are not the same as they were when I first turned into a Lesser Vampire.

    Looking at me, as I stood in the middle of the room imposingly in a human form, with my arms folded, Senri said while frowning,

    ¡°I see¡­ What are you trying to say, End?¡±

    Senri is beautiful even when she¡¯s scowling. Even without the wonderful fragrance of blood coming from her porcelain-like skin ¨C if I was in my dog form right now, I¡¯d be going crazy wagging my tail.

    Senri looks exasperated every time I wag my tail, but it¡¯s something I cannot stop even if I wanted to. It¡¯s an irresistible destiny as a dog.

    Senri Silvis is emotional support for me now.

    I have confidence that I¡¯ll be fine even if the whole world becomes my enemy as long as she¡¯s by my side. If she¡¯s ever gone¨D¨D I don¡¯t have confidence that I won¡¯t turn into a monster.

    To this very important person, I say with a serious expression.

    ¡°I want revenge, Senri¡­¡±

    I gather the blood power in my limbs. If I concentrate the usually slowly moving power, my already monstrous physical abilities reach another level.

    ¡°Re¡­venge¡­?¡±

    Perhaps the Death Knights can see the flow of blood power, as Senri¡¯s expression grows stiff. But it¡¯s already too late for her to realize her blunder.

    I point my finger at her and say.

    ¡°Senri, I¡¯m challenging you! I want to redo the game of tag we had before, when you toyed with my pure heart with underhanded tricks!¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    ¡°If I can catch you, I will do whatever I want to you, just as you said last time!¡±

    I was inexperienced then. I didn¡¯t know how to use my powers and I didn¡¯t understand the strengths and weaknesses of vampires either. I¡¯m different now.

    Whatever the result, I still survived a deadly fight with the Demon King Rainel.  Even if I can¡¯t beat Senri, I should be able to catch her. No, I¡¯ll definitely catch her. And I¡¯ll also end the thing I¡¯ve been postponing for so long.

    Senri meets my bold declaration of war with an exasperated face. And, actually does voice her feelings with ¡®I¡¯m astonished¡¯.

    But I¡¯m serious. Senri at that time was way too cruel. Even if it was for the sake of training, for her to play with the pure heart of a vampire, she¡¯s an even more devilish woman than the actual Demon, Monica.

    Senri and I are facing off in a room in the inn. Although it might be a double room, the room itself isn¡¯t that big.

    Naturally, there is no oasis nearby like last time either. I can evaporate some water with magic and knowing Senri, she¡¯ll be careful to not hurt me, so this place with a few spaces to escape to is extremely beneficial for me.

    I was eagerly waiting for the right timing. It has been more than a week since the last time I received blood from Senri, so it¡¯s not like I have a lot of blood power to spare, but the reason I chose this moment was because blood tastes the best when I¡¯m thirsty. It was a very natural decision.

    I will take the best blood in the best way at the best time.

    Senri lets out a small sigh.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe I was surprised.¡±

    ¡°You can only keep saying that now, Senri. I¡¯ve matured while I was away from you.¡±

    Of course, I won¡¯t use Cursed Flame. I won¡¯t lengthen my claws and fangs either. It¡¯s only natural because my objective isn¡¯t to injure Senri.

    But, I have confidence to catch her even without those.

    Senri touches the finger I am thrusting at her and makes me lower it.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t remember saying that you could do anything you wanted.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ve lost your nerve now, Senri!? How unfair!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t say that. Besides, if you want blood, I¡¯ll just give it to you. It¡¯s a bit early, but I was expecting it to come soon.¡±

    Senri brushes up her hair a little.  I reflexively swallow, but I turn my head away with iron will.

    Wrong! What I want is not just blood. I want a victory drink! I know the way to drink Senri¡¯s wonderful blood even more deliciously.

    ¡°Senri, this is a¡­ vampire instinct. I want to catch you and drink your blood!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Once I catch you, we will take a shower together. Once we¡¯re done cleansing ourselves, we¡¯ll dry off properly and go to bed naked. Then, I will spend the night slowly sucking your blood! I want to hold your soft and slender body down and drink your blood! This is a vampire¡¯s instinct! Thus, I swore to god on the day I lost that game of tag that I would take revenge one day! And that day is today!¡±

    Listening to my heartfelt outcry, Senri¡¯s cheeks uncharacteristically stiffen. Her neck is slightly dyed red and a dizzying wonderful smell of blood wafts about.

    However, the smell of Senri¡¯s excited blood, twisting from the pleasure of Feeding, is no match for me. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve practiced on Monica, so I should be able to hold back to some extent.

    ¡°¡­ End, vampires don¡¯t have that kind of instinct.¡±

    ¡°Then what is it that I¡¯m feeling?!¡­ Is this perhaps love?¡±

    Needless to even think about it, I love Senri, who took my side from the beginning. That¡¯s why, I want to suck her blood.

    Feeding is also one of the ways of expressing affection for me. Thus, when she¡¯s so against it, I feel a little sad. She already gives me blood regularly so does it really matter how she gives it to me?

    ¡°Stop it, End. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re gradually turning white, but I can¡¯t keep up with this feeling of tension, so stop it¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to play tag! If I catch you¨D¨D I¡¯ll have you say ¡®End, I love you¡¯ instead of keeping your voice down while I suck your blood. And what¡¯s more, it won¡¯t be just once, but many times.¡±

 CH 87.2

    I¡¯m starved of love. It¡¯s only natural because I¡¯ve mostly only had bad experiences when I was alive. I¡¯m sure that if I could drink blood then, I¡¯d be able to live for a month with one drop.

    Senri is trembling. This is something that hardly ever happens. Her torso is slightly shaking and her legs are unstable too.

    This is all part of my plan. Senri is always acting like a level and calm veteran, but on the contrary, if I¡¯m able to make her lose her cool, my chances of winning go up astronomically.

    This is my resolve. I will get rid of my pride and devote my best to fulfilling my greatest wish.

    I say to Senri with a resolve not inferior to the one I had while fighting Rainel.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, Senri, if you thought that you¡¯d be okay with having your blood sucked while saying ¡®I love you, End¡¯, I want you to obediently let me catch you.¡±

    ¡°kuh¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t particularly want to show her the results of my training. I don¡¯t want to win against Senri either. I want to suck her blood. I want to drink her blood while she tells me that she loves me. My fangs are tingling. This is undoubtedly a vampire¡¯s instinct.

    Senri staggers grandly, as if dizzy, but somehow recovers. And raises her face.

    Her amethyst colored eyes are quietly glaring at me. I also resolutely glare back at her in response to her indescribable intimidation.

    As expected from the former Death Knight. Her dignity as the Hero still remains. My body almost starts trembling in the presence of my natural enemy, but I can¡¯t win if I lose in fighting spirit.

    Senri is not flawless. She¡¯s kind. My words are working. This is the best opportunity. And, also my last chance to win.

    Senri¡­ are Death Knights and Vampires destined to fight each other, after all?

    Senri says with a quivering voice.

    ¡°¡­ Okay. If you insist so much, I¡¯ll play tag with you. But¡­ this will be the last one.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    I didn¡¯t really get it, but I still decided to agree for the time being. I won¡¯t think about the future. The present is the most important.

    Life is short. I have a strange premonition. If I don¡¯t do my best right now, I will definitely regret it for the rest of my life.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make the conditions fair. I¡¯ll definitely not lose, but if I do¡­ you can do anything you want to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Unfortunately, Senri doesn¡¯t seem to have any intentions of losing to me. I can feel an enormous amount of blessing filling her slender limbs.

    It probably follows the same principle as blood power. Of course, her proficiency can¡¯t be compared to mine.

    But I¡¯m confident that I¡¯ll win. Senri¡¯s better at using her powers, but my base physical abilities are much better than hers. And, even after strengthening their bodies with blessing, physical abilities of Death Knights still fall behind the physical abilities of vampires.

    A fight with Sable, the vampire I met at Rainel¡¯s castle, gave me a lot of information. I¡¯m still a lower rank, but my physical abilities are definitely better than those of an ordinary vampire.

    For a second, Senri touches the handle of the sword hanging from her waist, but she immediately lets it go. Sure enough, Senri is kind.

    I see it. I can see the flow of Senri¡¯s powers.  Blessing as powerful as a large river fills her whole body, but is mostly focused on her feet.

    ¡°End, you have lost your calm. You need to cool your head a little.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m calm. Today I will defeat you and go even further!¡±

    I¡¯m calm. Senri intends to run away.

    I only have advantage in physical abilities. It would be hard to catch up to her in the town with a lot of buildings where she wouldn¡¯t be limited to just the ground level. To begin with, I¡¯ll have to hold myself back in the town to not destroy buildings, so I can¡¯t use all my powers. I don¡¯t want to destroy the buildings. I don¡¯t want to be hated by Senri.

    In addition, she can fly.

    I¡¯ll catch her before she leaves the inn. My advantage is unwavering inside this narrow inn. I swallow and track Senri¡¯s thoughts.

    But, being the experienced fighter she is, Senri must¡¯ve already foreseen my train of thoughts. How will Senri run away after predicting my thoughts?

    I read through Senri¡¯s thoughts in a second.

    ¨D¨D The window.

    Knowing how heroic Senri is, she¡¯ll try to find a way out of this desperate situation. There is a window behind me, but Senri will probably try to run away from there instead of the door behind her, which leads to the corridor. Senri¡¯s sudden charge will surprise me and create a momentary opening for her, which she¡¯ll use to break the window and run away.

    It¡¯s a terrifying strategy that uses the fact that I understand Senri and know that she doesn¡¯t want to destroy the building to its advantage and subverts that expectation.

    But that plan is a double-edged sword. In order to bring that plan to fruition, she must slip next to me. Its prerequisite is that I¡¯m not aware of this plan.

    This match is mine.

    The moment Senri tries to slip next to me, I¡¯ll catch her. And even if she tries to slip away from the door, I should be able to reach her before she escapes from the inn if I chase after her with all my might.

    Senri made the blessing circulate through her body, but she didn¡¯t cover herself with it like armor.

    It¡¯s fair. Even this late in the game, she¡¯s unbelievably fair. And that¡¯s exactly why she¡¯ll lose to me, as I¡¯ve abandoned all my pride.

    Ever since we met until now, Senri¡¯s weakness has always been that ¡®kindness¡¯.

    ¡°No need to feel shy, Senri. I¡¯ll also suck your blood while saying ¡®I love you, Senri¡¯ the whole time.¡±

    ¡°¡­Save the sleep-talking for the bed, End. You might think that you¡¯ve already won, but I know Vampires well.¡±

    Senri¡¯s words didn¡¯t feel like a lie. Does she have some kind of plan?

    I have countermeasures against flowing water and there¡¯s no water in this room in the first place. There is no silver and garlic either and even if they were here, Senri wouldn¡¯t use them to not hurt me.

    It¡¯s a bluff. Calm down, End Baron. If you can keep your cool, there is no way you¡¯ll lose.

    I manipulate the blood power as carefully as possible and amass the power.

    ¡°Senri, I don¡¯t need a signal. I¡¯ll move when you move.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    I lower my posture and devote all of myself to looking at Senri¡¯s every movement. Because of my extreme concentration, time becomes fragmented and I see each of her breaths in slow motion.

    And, the moment my concentration reached its peak¨D¨D Senri moved.

    Her movements were beautiful enough to enchant me. She turned around in a second, leaving only the streaks of light in her place.

    Senri chose the door that was behind her instead of the window behind me. It was unexpected, but maybe she grasped that I¡¯d already read through her thoughts,

    But it¡¯s still useless. I go forward with all my might without putting my feet through the floor.

    If Senri¡¯s the wind, I¡¯m a beast. Senri¡¯s back instantly gets closer and I stretch my hand towards it.

    And the moment my fingertips are about to reach her back¨D¨D she disappears like a smoke. Only a small slamming sound remains.

    I immediately understood the situation.

    Senri didn¡¯t disappear. She made a turn. I involuntarily open my eyes wide.

    Senri¡¯s retreat route. It was ¨D¨D neither a window nor the door leading to the corridor, but rather the door of the bathroom. This option, that I didn¡¯t even consider, makes me freeze in my tracks.

    The bathroom door was outside of my awareness. Why didn¡¯t I think about it, you ask?

    It¡¯s because the bathroom of this room doesn¡¯t have a window. Not only that, even if breaks the wall, she can only go to the room next door. She can¡¯t go outside.

    Is it perhaps water? Is she planning on using water to trap me like last time?

    What a vain struggle. I can use drying magic now. It¡¯s the kind of magic that ordinary people with a limited amount of mana can use in everyday life, but if I use the enormous amount of mana vampires have, I can instantly evaporate water. Even if I can¡¯t dry the river, water in the bathroom won¡¯t be a problem.

    In the first place, you can¡¯t exactly call the shower my weakness. While I can¡¯t walk on top of a flowing water, I¡¯m completely fine with water falling from above. Well, water will still end up on the ground because of gravity unless something gets in its way, so it¡¯s still a nuisance though.

    I¡¯ve won. I smile and open the door to catch Senri hiding in the bathroom¨D¨D

    ¨D¨Dor I try to, when my hand freezes.

    I can¡¯t enter. I really don¡¯t want to move my hand. I don¡¯t want to touch the doorknob.

    This is a particularly unique weakness out of the countless weaknesses vampires possess.

    Vampires¡­ can¡¯t enter a house without being invited in.

    I comprehend the situation and hit the door in panic, protesting to Senri, who had barricaded herself inside.

    ¡°Senri, this is unfair! It¡¯s cowardly! This is too much! This isn¡¯t a game of tag!¡±

    ¡®¡­Shut up. End¡­ reflect on yourself.¡¯

    This is the first time I¡¯ve been told to shut up.

    It was a low voice, almost like she was deliberately keeping it quiet, with some sulking undertones. Perhaps Senri is reinforcing it from the inside, I can¡¯t make the door budge even if I put more strength into it. I endure my instincts and grip the doorknob, but perhaps because it¡¯s locked, it won¡¯t turn.

    I can only cry and beg Senri for mercy.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine to at least tell me that you love me?! This is too mean!¡±

    ¡®End, I love you so please be a good boy.¡¯

 CH 88

    Vampires are terrifying demonic creatures that cannot be dealt with ordinary means by Death Knights.

    Their physical strength, regenerative ability and special powers are all powerful, but the worst thing about them is the fact that those Undead possess the body of a human and the heart of a monster.

    Vampires are strong. And they¡¯re cunning. Therefore, they are still deeply rooted all around the world despite being burdened by countless deadly weaknesses.

    ¡®True Vampire¡¯, the vampire mutated from the corpse revived by a Necromancer¨D¨D as well as the ¡®retainers¡¯ created by that vampire are already demons.

    Unlike the Undead created from the corpses, there are times, when people who have been changed into vampires after being bitten, retain the memories of their previous lives. But their hearts have already been swallowed by their monster instincts. They become drunk on power, merrily attack people, and drink their blood. And sometimes, they pretend to be victims to deceive Death Knights.

    Senri Silvis once gave her blood to End, who was just a head. At the time, End was on the brink of disappearing and didn¡¯t have much time, but¨D¨D it wasn¡¯t like she gave him her blood because she was caught up in the moment.

    Senri was prepared to protect End and see his future with her own eyes. That included a possibility that End would be consumed by his monster instincts, in which case, Senri would at least exorcise him while he was still human.

    However, sometime later, End, who had grown exponentially despite still not mutating into the next rank, was now drawing a blueprint at his desk.

    ¡°I will¡­ become a coffin craftsman! I will make the comfiest coffin in the world!¡±

    Perhaps because End was always bedridden, he was full of curiosity. In addition, he was still supposed to be a terrifying vampire, albeit of a lesser variation, but he thought of himself as a human with a somewhat useful body.

    Senri was always worried about End, who looked like he¡¯d wander away to somewhere like a puppy. Those weren¡¯t End¡¯s words, but this throbbing of her heart wasn¡¯t love.

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed¡­ that Vampires belong in coffins.¡±

    Apparently, he really liked the coffin he slept in while he was in Rainel¡¯s army.

    Those words made Senri feel like she understood why there were often coffins found in the bases of vampires.

    Vampires surely liked being inside coffins just like how cats liked narrow spaces. It seemed to also have improved his strength, but that alone wouldn¡¯t be able to explain End¡¯s enthusiasm.

    End told Senri that he wanted to pull the coffin along in their journey. Senri answered that it would be impossible.

    Senri left the Order of Death Knights to help End and her feelings hadn¡¯t changed even now, but there were things she could and couldn¡¯t do.

    Coffins weren¡¯t sold as beds, and she couldn¡¯t have one custom made either. Even finding something dog-sized would be hard. Above all, people would definitely feel suspicious if they saw her traveling by pulling a coffin along. Because coffins weren¡¯t meant to be used that way. But End wouldn¡¯t understand it.

    End had been through remarkable battlefields until now. Horus Carmon, Keeper and Rainel were all stronger than him.

    End, who had overcome many fierce battles with trial and error, was fully intending to come up with a way to overcome this situation too.

    Saying things like, ¡®what if we build wheels on it?¡¯ or ¡®what if we made it into the style of a bag and carried it on our backs?¡¯. It sounded like a joke, but Senri, who had spent a considerable time with End understood it. End was serious.

    ¡°Senri, the coffin is nice. It gives you the best feeling of peace. Its narrowness is also good¡­ it makes you feel like you¡¯re fitting in the place you¡¯re supposed to fit.¡±

    Well, End¡­ that¡¯s because you¡¯re dead¡­

    Or so Senri wanted to answer, but she couldn¡¯t put a damper on End¡¯s excited monologue.

    ¡°It would be better if I never learnt of this feeling. Right now, I want to get into a coffin so much that I¡¯d immediately enter one if a coffin suddenly appeared here! I¡¯d instantly be dead if they put a trap inside that coffin!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°An ordinary coffin isn¡¯t enough. I¡¯ll obviously make the insides fluffy. As for the rest¡­ right, I¡¯ll make it so I can open and close it from the inside. Modern coffins are really inconvenient¡­ they don¡¯t think about the people inside. They don¡¯t pursue comfort.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll carry it during the day¡­ but what about the night?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get inside, and I¡¯ll carry it.  I think it¡¯s unexpectedly cozy enough for humans too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll make it so it will be comfortable for humans too. I have human sensibility too so I should be able to create a coffin that fits both humans and vampires! No, it¡¯s something that only I can do!¡±

    End declared vigorously. It was a scene that made Senri wonder if he¡¯d probably be fine without her too.

    End was planning to make a coffin himself with the same steel will with which he defeated Rainel. End¡¯s eyes were lit up with the new goal.

    ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯m strong against monsters. I should be able to somehow get my hands on the ingredients from the powerful monsters that are usually hard to obtain.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°For now, I want quality. I¡¯ll think about mass production later. Senri, you¡¯re a human, so¡­ I want you to be in charge of the distribution. Is that fine?¡±

    It was good to have a dream. It would help with forgetting murderous instincts. A coffin craftsman wouldn¡¯t cause troubles for others.

    As for Senri, she couldn¡¯t help feeling relaxed.

    ¡°Right, what if I made it self-propelling? I¡¯ll make it so it¡¯ll be possible to move wheels from inside. It might be hard at first, but conveniently enough, I don¡¯t need to sleep so I¡¯ll have enough time. I¡¯m itching to put my skills to work. What do I do if I become famous?¡­¡±

    He even had some strange worries. His train of thoughts was easy-going, but the scary part was, End could actually accomplish it.

    End was a quick thinker and wouldn¡¯t be easily disheartened. Senri thought this at the time when he bought the book about magic too, but he was probably also good at studying. If he hadn¡¯t died, he¡¯d definitely become a big shot.

    ¡°¡­End, there¡¯s a single problem.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already considered the living. I¡¯ll make a hole for air in the double coffin bed so you can sleep with me too, Senri.¡±

    Senri ignored the nonsense End told her with a serious face and said.

    ¡°No¡­ coffin craftsmen have no future. Because coffins have stopped being used over the years.¡±

    The Order of Death Knights was thorough. Their main job was to exorcise the darkness, but they also worked on indirectly weakening it by enlightening others.

    There were already a few places where they practiced burials that could lead to undead to begin with, and even cremations didn¡¯t see coffins be used as of late.

    Perhaps it was unexpected for him, End¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    ¡°Eh¡­? Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Because you guys will end up using it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    If every vampire was like End, the world would be more peaceful.

    Seeing End¡¯s pitiful expression, Senri could only sigh.

 CH 89

    When I use ¡®Silhouette¡¯, it becomes exceedingly hard to find me at night. This ability, that makes my presence, odor and even the sound disappear, provides an extremely high level of concealment.

    If anybody sees me running, they will only think of me as a fragment of their imagination.

    It makes sense why ¡®True Vampires¡¯¨D¨D those who possessed power before becoming vampires by continuously evolving from lower ranks, would be considered more terrifying than people who were turned into vampires after being bitten by them.

    I avoid the main street and the street lights, running through the city at night.

    Meanwhile, nobody paid attention to me. Nobody is chasing after me either. My five senses are keen at night. I¡¯ve realized that I¡¯ve become able to use the abilities that were too overwhelming at first to some extent.

    When I reach a desolate inn, I strongly kick off the ground and lightly land inside the open window.

    There¡¯s a single lamp lit in the room, leaving it mostly dim. The light won¡¯t really hurt me unless it¡¯s sunlight, but she must be keeping my extremely keen eyesight in mind.

    ¡°It was no good, as expected.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ any injuries?¡±

    The one waiting for me inside the room was Senri. Her somewhat cold beauty hasn¡¯t changed ever since we first met.

    Looks like she has taken off her fake glasses. I get up and turn around.

    ¡°It¡¯s as you can see. Look, no holes anywhere, right? I wasn¡¯t discovered.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m glad.¡±

    Senri¡¯s expression doesn¡¯t change, but I can feel from her heartbeat that she¡¯s relieved.

    I¡¯m unharmed. They didn¡¯t have silver weapons, so even if they pierced my body, I would still be completely unscathed, but in reality, there aren¡¯t even holes on my clothes.

    Bullets were fired at me but I evaded everything, I¡¯ve become used to it.

    Though, if I¡¯m careful, I can more or less evade bullets, arrows, knives and slashes. In some cases, I can even grab them. I can¡¯t do anything about transforming, but I can suppress most enemies without having to turn into a dog.

    At first, there were many times when I got cut and there were times when I was spattered by blood too, but now that I have crushed plenty of mafia groups, I¡¯ve become able to evade most things.

    But¡­ Sable was different. When she transformed into bats in the end and ran away, she didn¡¯t leave her clothes.

    I wonder if there¡¯s a way to do it. Senri doesn¡¯t seem to know how to do it and Albertus was also naked. And, while it¡¯s beyond my understanding at the moment, the vampire curse is really profound.

    The fierce battle with Demon King Rainel¡¯s army gave me various things.

    There were both good and bad things, but the most important was ¨D¨D the existence of the person chasing after me.

    The Stake King. Sable, the retainer of the vampire Demon King, was looking for an outsider vampire. In addition, she also had the means to control me.

    This is a fact that can¡¯t be overlooked.

    We were heading for the fortified city, Romberg. One of the reasons for that was running away from the human controlled territory to hide ourselves from the Order of Death Knights.

    I also had the ¡®Night Crystal¡¯, although it was small, so it wasn¡¯t an impossible feat. Even if I didn¡¯t have the ¡®Night Crystal¡¯ I might still have been okay if the Order of Death Knights was my only pursuer. But everything is already a meaningless imagination.

    Senri said that she couldn¡¯t finish off Sable. It¡¯s too risky to run beyond the land inhabited by humans while we¡¯re being chased by non-human pursuers.

    The ¡®Stake King¡¯ seems to be a mighty Demon King. Just how mighty you ask? He¡¯s mighty enough that he still hasn¡¯t perished to the Order of Death Knights despite being a vampire.

    He has countless demonic beasts under his control and their numbers seem to be incomparable to the scale of Rainel¡¯s army.

    I was able to guess that Sable was a vampire with a single glance. Her wicked presence must be what the Order of Death Knights use to find us.

    I never intended to always live out in the wild in the first place. I was going to return to the city once things calmed down.

    I mean, Senri wouldn¡¯t get enough nutrition out in the wilderness and the strain on her would be big too. Besides, I also want to go sightseeing in the city.

    That man-eater, Hebram, completely destroyed all of my plans. Ah, why didn¡¯t I just take off the crystal during our duel?¡­ I want to punch my past self.

    As I sit on the bed, Senri whispers to me.

    I look at the large suitcase to the side. I can only stay a human for a few more hours.

    ¡°End, as I thought, it¡¯s better to run away. It¡¯s impossible to keep living this way.¡±

    ¡°I know. I know, Senri. Anything more than this will come with a higher risk. The Mafia is no good, they¡¯re useless. Same with the bandits. But just running away isn¡¯t enough. That option has no future.¡±

    Senri is right.

    Defeating humans isn¡¯t hard, but information is spreading. If it spreads even more, someone will definitely realize my true identity. No matter what, a single ordinary human crushing many organizations is unnatural. After all, this is not a fictional story.

    And while it might not be easy to kill an uncovered vampire, it¡¯s still not impossible.

    Things seem peaceful at a glance, but the situation is tense.

    I¡¯ve realized that I can¡¯t get a hold of ¡®Night Crystal¡¯ with ordinary means. The Mafia hasn¡¯t even heard of it before, so it would be useless to ask the merchants.

    If there was a chance of somebody knowing about it, that would be a vampire specialist.

    A ¡®vampire hunter¡¯ like Keeper or the Order of Death Knights. Or Huck¨D¨D

    If it¡¯s Huck, who had a deal with Horus Carmon and delivered corpses to him, if it¡¯s that man, who could even procure a fang of the giant evil dragon, there¡¯s a chance of success. No, there¡¯s even a chance that he¡¯s the one who obtained the crystal the Lord had.

    But, I don¡¯t know where he is. I might have combat abilities, but I don¡¯t have the ability to find people that are far away. I can¡¯t use magic either and I also don¡¯t have the ability to change my body into bats yet.

    Senri gently grips my hand. This faint warm and soft sensation somewhat calms my thoughts.

    My fangs ache, but I received blood just the day before yesterday. I have to endure it.

    In fact, my fangs will start aching even if I¡¯m touched right after receiving blood, so I must hold myself back or Senri will end up being anemic. I¡¯m so thirsty because Senri¡¯s blood is so delicious, but also partly because I¡¯m in my growth period.

    ¡°End, it would be better to not think about it too much. You¡¯re doing well.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m fine. The murderous urge hasn¡¯t gotten worse. I¡¯m already used to it. At least, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°You are¡­ very strong.¡±

    I¡¯ve already built up tolerance against things that I can¡¯t do anything about when I was alive.

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not impatient, but I wouldn¡¯t call meaninglessly wasting energy smart. In particular, taking it out on Senri is the action I¡¯d like to avoid the most.

    Fortunately, what I don¡¯t lack is the time to think. I¡¯ll think about it while I¡¯m being carried by Senri during the day. About the way to survive together with her.

    Senri says.

    ¡°But, if you evolve into a Vampire, the urges will become stronger.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ thanks. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±

    I¡¯ve become a lot stronger compared to when I was just a head, but Senri¡¯s gaze towards me is still full of concern.

    Right now, I can somehow understand people¡¯s feelings from their scent and heartbeat. It¡¯s amazing how Senri, even if she¡¯s still overwhelmingly stronger than me, isn¡¯t afraid of me as I continue to evolve into a higher level monster. That¡¯s why I must never betray Senri, who¡¯s been on my side since the beginning.

    This is a secret from Senri, but I have a suspicion about why I don¡¯t evolve into a Vampire no matter how much time passes.

    And if my thoughts are right, at this rate, I¡¯ll never turn into a Vampire.

    But, that¡¯s fine. If the power isn¡¯t necessary for survival, I don¡¯t really need it.

    Sure, vampires are powerful, but the body of a Lesser Vampire isn¡¯t bad either. In my current state, I don¡¯t have many weaknesses and I¡¯m even able to walk under sunlight a little bit.

    I love the Sun, so I haven¡¯t been able to get rid of my regrets towards it. And if possible, I¡¯d like to walk under sunlight once more with Senri¡­I haven¡¯t been able to try it because it¡¯s scary, but I wonder if using a parasol would work?

    It¡¯s been a long time since Epe¨¦¡¯s attack, but there haven¡¯t been any follow-up attacks. I doubt that terrifying Hero would be content with just 1 attack, but he must¡¯ve really been pushing himself.

    And, if there was another attack, if it was on the same level as the previous one, it most likely won¡¯t be a problem.

    If I put a hand over my heart, I can instinctually sense that my soul continues to fall even at this moment.

    Compared to that time ¨D¨D I¡¯ve become a deeper, even more abominable monster.

    My power became stronger, my regeneration ability has strengthened, I can control blood power and I have countless special abilities. That¡¯s the kind of monster I¡¯ve become.

    Senri, who¡¯s sitting next to me, suddenly turns forward.

    Beautiful ¨C featured face. Purple eyes, reminding one of amethyst. Smooth straight hair. Brilliance of soul reminiscent of moonlight. Senri opens her mouth with rare hesitation.

    ¡°End¡­ it doesn¡¯t have a high chance of success, but I do have an idea.¡±

 CH 90

    We had enough funds to aid our travel. A small fraction of the loot I got from the mafia and bandits were precious metals of manageable sizes that could be easily liquidated in any country.

    I could not possibly carry all of it with me, and the loot I found was probably only a small portion of the treasure they had stashed away. I don¡¯t really care about what happened to the remaining treasure. Money was never my main priority.

    The ¡®Cursed flames¡¯ that I stole from Hebram is perfect for destroying evidence.

    I am still yet to master the ability. And it consumes a lot of energy.

    One of the reasons has to be the fact that I do not meet the set conditions for its activation (that is, to eat humans), the flames were able to engulf Rainel was either because of my sheer physical strength in animal form or because I had retained a little of Hebram¡¯s remaining power.

    That said, since humans are easily combustible unlike Rainel or vampires, the smallest spark should be enough to reduce humans to ashes in a few seconds.

    It is not my intention to mete out justice. Even if they were to be left alive, they probably would be up to no good anyway and it is always better to dispose of any witnesses.

    Regardless, dreadfully enough, the news had still spread.

    I changed into the plain black clothes Senri had bought for me. It was made of soft leather.

    I donned on the water repellent overcoat meant for travel and the weight of the ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯ hanging off my hip gave me heart.

    With the final addition of sunglasses meant to hide the blood red eyes unique to vampires, I (should) be looking like a pretty cool mercenary.

    In this age, it is not uncommon for people to be armed and ordinary folk cannot sense the negative energy that emanates from me. Owing to the ability to extend my canines called ¡®Sharp Fang¡¯, I am able to shrink them to a normal level and hence nobody should be able to discover my real identity.

    Moreover, though my body is tough and I don¡¯t really need them, I even have a pair of gloves on to protect my hands. Maybe I have developed a longing for clothes since I end up naked more often than not.

    As I stood ready to leave at any time, Senri walked into the room and stared at me, eyes wide.

    ¡°¡­ What would you do if someone asked you why you¡¯re wearing sunglasses at night?¡±

    ¡°Well, obviously¡­ I¡¯d tell them because it looks cool.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like there aren¡¯t any people with red eyes.¡±

    Of course, there is the option to put on color contacts instead. And I probably have a better chance of not getting found out if I were to do that, but contact lenses are not exactly cheap or easily available. And we could not possibly keep replacing them every time they get destroyed in battle.

    In other matters, we have traveled around quite a bit, but I have barely come across any Death Knights in our journey.

    In fact, the only Death Knight I encountered was Dell Gordon. I imagine that is not really unusual as they do not stay put in one place but are constantly on the move.

    Also, it is not really possible even for Death Knights to detect the presence of dark beings over a distance. It would be a different story if I were within eyeshot, but they would need to employ some skills to sense my presence from afar. And owing to Senri¡¯s knowledge from having been a Death Knight, I have been able to narrow down when such a skill would be employed.

    ¡®Silhouette¡¯ is really the best skill ever. The ability does more than conceal my scent and movements.

    It is capable of temporarily suppressing the emanation of negative energy. Though not perfect, as there are still ways for Death Knights to detect my presence, it succeeds in hiding my identity as a vampire. My skin turns dark as night and though it cannot be employed for a long period as it consumes a lot of energy, I should be fine if I only need to use it during early morning and late night, which is exactly when the Death Knights apparently use the detection skill.

    Of course, I cannot completely depend on the ability, but there is not much else I can do either.

    And all that is left, is to run off with my tail between my legs if I sense them closing in on me.

    I have ripped through my fair share of clothing so far. It has been a while since I got to put on such proper clothes that also look cool.

    As I stood thrilled at the prospect of setting off on a new journey, Senri looked unusually downcast as spoke apologetically.

    ¡°End¡­ turn into Baron.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I admit you do look very cool right now, but it¡¯s a lot harder to find you out in your dog form. Not to mention, you entered this town as Baron. It would look odd to leave as something else.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides, once morning comes, you¡¯d have to take refuge in the carry case anyway. And your current form won¡¯t exactly fit into that.¡±

    Senri is absolutely right. Even I would never imagine a vampire could turn into a dog that cute.

    Be that as it may, if this keeps on, I will be no more than a dog that can transform into a vampire at times. Moreover, I cannot even wear any clothes when in my dog form.

    Because dog clothes are not really sold. And even if I were to wear any, I would probably end up ripping them.

    I tried using my puppy dog eyes on Senri, but she would not budge. I need to get my hands on a night crystal immediately¡­.

    ¡°¡­ Would you carry me in your arms?¡±

    ¡°¡­ End, there¡¯s no need to turn more white. You¡¯re already rather¡­ quite unusually white.¡±

    Senri¡¯s eyes were cold as she answered in riddles to my small favor.

    Placed on a bespectacled Senri¡¯s head, we left town. There were a lot of people leaving the town late at night, but it did not seem like anyone suspected us.

    Senri may appear dainty but even a layman would be able to tell that the sword swinging from her hip was top-tier. They would probably think she has her reasons. The only problem is that I lose my strength and almost slide off Senri¡¯s head whenever we have to cross the ¡®running water¡¯ encircling the town walls.

    I slapped the back of Senri¡¯s head with my tail as I spoke to her.

    ¡°Senri, you need to take a look in the mirror. The fake glasses aren¡¯t really a proper disguise. They are nothing more than an accessory on you.¡±

    ¡°Baron, be quiet.¡±

    ¡°I have on the perfect disguise. I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t like riding on top of your head, but you¡¯re being a bit of a worrywart. Remember, I did survive a battle with Rainel. But the most I can do is some light sweeping in this form. Since my fur is pure white, you can tell right away when it gets filthy, and I can¡¯t even get a good look at my own tail. You may not be able to relate with that since you don¡¯t have a tail yourself though¡­¡±

    Senri quietly listened to me grumble. I tried tickling her nape with my tail but could not elicit a response out of her.

    My fur is pure white right now. And my paws and tail are both as fluffy as they were when I first transformed. There were no traces left of the cool form I had transformed into after my battle with Rainel.

    I held that dark sleek form for a while even after my reunion with Senri, but as time passed I returned to my original color for some reason. Maybe I should not have let my guard down after experiencing Senri¡¯s unusual kindness. It seemed to have made Senri happy somehow, but I had mixed feelings since I did not want to lose that smart look.

    After sensing no human presence nearby, I jumped down from atop Senri¡¯s head.

    We had decided to leave the town at night despite the fact that it could invite suspicion, because we could cover more distance at night. Also because it is better to take in the sights of a town during the day.

    I looked up at Senri and let my blood power flow through my body.

    My bones and muscles groaned. However, there was no pain.

    I may not be able to turn into a black dog anymore. But there are things I can do as a white dog as well.

    Senri looked grumpy for some reason. I had to keep craning my neck to look at but soon she was at eye level.

    I had become a huge, fluffy, adorable dog in a flash. I am probably twice as big as a trained warhorse right now.

    Fluffy fur that is soft to the touch, one which naturally offers the maximum possible comfort to the rider, and even with our luggage strapped to my back, there was still a lot of room for Senri to even stretch out.

    Not to mention, I can still use my vampire abilities in this form. I have grown used to walking on four feet, and without getting exhausted I can run at a tremendous speed for no matter how long. You could even call me the best ride ever. All I need is to overcome the hurdle that is the Sun, and I can lead a happy life.

    Senri made her usual comment at times like this.

    ¡°Canine beasts of your size do exist but your appearance would raise a lot of doubts, Baron.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to change my appearance. Come on, giddy up.¡±

    And of course, I can use the cursed flames. Maybe they can sense the disparity in our strengths, for no beasts dared to approach me.

    Since Senri carried me around on her head inside town, it is my turn to return the favor, now that we are out.

    Senri stood still for a while, seemed to make up her mind and clambered up. She thoroughly fastened our luggage to my back with the help of a cord. The soft sensation of her riding on my back made me wag my tail in spite of myself.

    I heard Senri whisper into my ear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Baron. I¡¯ll lead the way.¡±

    I could feel the power welling up inside me. And thus, I dashed through the night at full speed.

    Once upon a time, there lived a fearsome Demon King who was an undead.

    That Demon King lived in an old castle. With a myriad of apparitions under his command, he fought a long and heated battle with the Death Knights, at the end of which he was purged.

    It is just a cliche heroic tale. But according to the old records Senri had read back at the Death Knights¡¯ stronghold, the battle had needed 90% of their force to be deployed.

    And I heard that that was an extremely rare occurrence.

    It was not because the Demon King was strong. He was not as overwhelming as compared to the other Kings. Regardless, one thing set him apart and it was that he had a peculiar trait.

    That Demon King, despite being an undead, never once got could be detected through the wide-area sweep skill of the Death Knights. And as fate would have it, he was able to pass down that ability to his retainers.

    Hence the Death Knights had no other choice but to crush him and his forces completely.

    Senri was sure that the Demon King¡¯s castle would surely provide us with a lead.

    ¡®The Mirage King¡¯.

    That was the nickname of the Demon King whose castle had become a famous spot at the dead center of a human country in the present time.

 CH 91

    ¡°It was¡­ most likely created just recently.¡±

    Senri said quietly.

    Death Knights and the Undead have always been on hostile terms. The scales were tilted towards the side of the Death Knight for a long time, because they had the absolute authority to deal with the undead.

    One of the reasons for that is their probing ability. Death Knights can sense where the undead are by using only a small amount of power, even if they¡¯re quite far away. This ability is the reason why Death Knight almost never let the target of their subjugation get away.

    Senri allowed Sable to escape because she prioritized my rescue and because unlike the original way the Order of Death Knights did things, she was alone.

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s natural that Death Knights were wary of the ¡®Mirage King¡¯ who had the troublesome ability to block his presence.

    ¡°Your ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯ abilities and ¡®The Stake King¡¯s¡¯ powers can also suppress the presence, but those are not perfect.¡±

    But ¡®the Mirage King¡¯s¡¯ blocking of presence was perfect. And the same could be said about the power of ¡®Night Crystal¡¯.

    In retrospect, the ¡®Night Crystal¡¯ is not a widely recognized item. Senri¡¯s senior knights¨D¨D Neville and the co didn¡¯t seem to be wary of the possibility that the presence could be hidden.

    It¡¯s hard to think that the Death Knights would overlook the item that could overturn common sense for such a long time. Senri¡¯s words make sense.

    And, so far those two have been the only things to completely shut down the probing ability of the Order of Death Knights. It¡¯s understandable for somebody to question the connection between them.

    If it was discovered only recently, that crystal must be more than just a mineral. Now that I think back on it, it¡¯s doubtful whether or not it even was a mineral in the first place.

    How did the Lord really get that crystal?¡­ It¡¯s really a pity that he hasn¡¯t come out at all recently.

    I run on the highway like the wind. I have fur and I¡¯m extremely resistant to the changes in temperature, so I¡¯m fine. My back is fluffy so I¡¯m sure Senri¡¯s good too.

    I¡¯m not lonely either. I might really get into letting people ride on me. I think I really do like this kind of thing.

    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯ll be bad if somebody saw me.¡±

    ¡°Right now you¡­ don¡¯t really look like a monster.¡±

    I¡¯m just an outlandishly big dog, after all. They might get startled, but my current form doesn¡¯t look the least scary.

    The body of a dog is really good. I can run more than 10 meters in one leap with my robust limbs and if I build momentum, I can even cross a small river. The flowing water can steal the vampire¡¯s power, but it can¡¯t steal inertia.

    I immerse myself in the sea of my thoughts while moving my legs.

    For me right now, the power of the Mirage King is something to kill for. And with my ¡®Curse Steal¡¯, there¡¯s a chance that I can steal it.

    It doesn¡¯t have to be from the Demon King himself. The power of the Ancestor is transmitted to their retainers too. It doesn¡¯t seem to be inherited perfectly, but that power would be reassuring for me even if it was weakened.

    ¡°¡­ If the Mirage King was still alive, I might¡¯ve been able to steal his ability.¡±

    I unconsciously voice my thoughts and immediately realize my blunder.

    I shouldn¡¯t have said something so thoughtless. For Senri, the power of vampires is something abominable. She wouldn¡¯t think good of me unnecessarily using it, even in a hypothetical situation.

    However, words that left Senri¡¯s mouth after some silence weren¡¯t laced with disappointment in me.

    ¡°That would be impossible.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Why?¡±

    In reply to my question, Senri clung tightly to my back and said with a voice, so chillingly cold, that it was unbelievable to be coming from that warmth.

    ¡°According to the legends¡­ The Mirage King ¨D¨D wasn¡¯t a vampire. He was the Skeleton King, so he didn¡¯t have blood in his body.¡±

    A small country town. The men wrapped in silver cloaks were walking on the street of a not well known medium-sized town.

    They were a duo, but their conduct was too unsuitable for this town. Their unfamiliar appearance got the attention of the townspeople, but the duo didn¡¯t seem to care about their curious gazes.

    Without hesitation, from the main street they entered the narrow alley where people hardly passed.

    The two stopped in front of the old, two-story apartment. The iron stairs were rusty, creaking with just a little bit of weight put on them.

    ¡°Ah¡­ does he really live at this kinda place?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what the investigation at HQ deduced.¡±

    In reply to the man with blue hair and alert eyes¨D¨D namely Neville, ¨D¨D the brunette in the lead, third-class knight Lufry Radhutt, shrugged.

    It took them a lot of time to find this place. As expected from an experienced fighter, he sure knew how to do things, as evidenced by the fact that he sent the results via a letter.

    They only came to talk this time, but they couldn¡¯t let their guards down.

    They headed towards the innermost room on the second floor.

    It felt like there was no presence on the other side of the door, but after Lufry used a little blessing and deployed the web of sensations, he noticed two lifeforms in the room.

    It was just as described in the report. And from the looks of it, the other person had also noticed their visit.

    He knocked lightly on the door but there was no reply. The door was made of metal, but it was made for ordinary people. Death Knights could easily break it.

    But, he avoided violence first and called out.

    ¡°Leno Choros. We know that you¡¯re in. It¡¯s the Order of Death Knights. We need to talk.¡±

    There was no reply. There was only a sign of a living being moving inside the room. Neville said mockingly.

    ¡°Ain¡¯t no way he¡¯s coming out! We should break in and catch him before he runs away.¡±

    ¡°Neville, you¡¯re too violent. He¡¯s a human, do you get it?¡­ Hm?¡±

    Gripping the handle, Lufry frowned.

    The door wasn¡¯t locked. He scowled and carefully turned the handle.

    The moment the door was about to be opened, the presence inside the room moved. A body blow from the inside made the door flung open.

    What appeared was a small shadow. No, ¨D¨Dit was a girl. She was probably still in her early teens. Her limbs, extending from her black dress, seemed to be trained, but she was absolutely thin.

    However, her sharp black eyes were reminiscent of an injured beast,

    In her hands was an axe the same size as her. Lufry avoided the swung down blade by taking steps back.

    Being as thin as she was, the girl¡¯s swing wasn¡¯t that strong. But since it had momentum, he¡¯d be in trouble if he took the hit directly.

    The girl swung the axe by rotating her whole body. At first glance, it looked like she was swayed by its weight, but she was definitely doing it on purpose.

    She had thin arms with no blessing and she was short too. There were only a few choices she could make to utilize her power, but she didn¡¯t seem to be very experienced at what she was doing,

    Lufry didn¡¯t pull out the sword and evaded the axe by only moving his right leg back. Its thick blade hit the stair handrail, making a shrill sound.

    Lufry realized that the blade was slightly chipped. If one looked closer, they¡¯d see that the blade of the axe was missing parts here and there.

    Apparently, the blade was made of silver. Silver was a soft metal, to the point that it would be unusable in a battle even if it was used as alloy.

    ¡°Stop. We only came here to talk!¡±

    But the fighting spirit simmering in the depth of the girl¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t change at all. She was clearly younger than Senri, but her fighting spirit was much stronger than Senri¡¯s.

    It would be easy to beat her up, but Lufry felt reluctant to suppress an amateur like her.

    At that moment, the girl threw the axe. Neville in the back easily caught it with a single hand.

    Then, despite being unarmed, the girl threw herself at Lufry without a hesitation,

    ¡°?!¡±

    Her unexpected actions made Lufry open his eyes wide. The girl had her mouth open wide. Her sharp silver canines shone bright.

    And the girl bit Lufry¡¯s right arm.

    Her fangs collided with the thin hauberk he was wearing under his clothes. Naturally, it was the hauberk that won. There was no way a child¡¯s bite would work on a Death Knight.

    But the girl didn¡¯t open her jaw. She desperately kept biting even when Lufry shook his arm. She was like a crocodile¡­ or so he wanted to say, but because of her looks, it would be more appropriate to call her a snapping turtle.

    As expected, even the veteran Death Knights didn¡¯t have the experience of being bitten by humans.

    As Lufry was at a loss at what to do, she was stopped from the back of the room. It was a deep voice that sounded like it was echoing from the depth of hell.

    ¡°Alber, stop. These people¡­ are guests. They¡¯re uninvited guests, but¡­ kukuku¡­ looks like they have some business with me.¡±

    The girl called Alber finally let up her bite after hearing that voice and agilely moved back. She seemed to be wary of them.

    In the back of the room was a man dressed in all black. His limbs and half of the face were bandaged and there was a silver cane set against the wall near him. But he had the presence peculiar to somebody who had tenaciously survived over the many years,

    Leno Choros. One of the vampire hunters. He was the man known as ¡®Keeper¡¯ in this neighborhood.

    Lufry frowned at the strong herbal scent.

    ¡°So you¡¯re injured¡­ but why didn¡¯t you report about it in the letter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not shameless enough to ask for additional compensation after failing to finish the request. You see, the trick to being a vampire hunter ¨D¨D is to be humble.¡±

    ¡°You sore loser¡­ you sure have balls to spout that nonsense after hiding at this kinda place.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m honored to receive the compliment. But I¡¯m not on the level of Lord Knights who barge into the house of a good citizen. In addition, I was even called by the name which I never gave¡­  I can¡¯t help admiring you all the more.¡±

    Keeper shrugged at Neville, who had veins popping out on his forehead. Alber unleashed her killing intent, glaring at Neville.

    And Keeper said with an exaggerated gesture. His cloudy eyes were looking at Lufry.

    ¡°Oh, I can guess what you¡¯re here for. The ¡®Night Crystal¡¯, right? Due to my occupation, I¡¯m quite tight-lipped, ¨D¨D but since it¡¯s between us, I¡¯ll tell you for a cheap price.¡±

 CH 92

    The castle of The Mirage Demon King. It seems to be on top of the mountain, just like Rainel¡¯s castle.

    Most Demon Kings have many enemies. They¡¯re usually on hostile terms with not just humans, but also other Demon Kings.

    When you become the hated Undead Demon King, you make every living being into your enemies. It¡¯s natural that this Demon King would build a castle on top of the mountain that would be easier to protect. He perished though.

    The MirageDemon King and his retainers were all annihilated by the Order of Death Knights of that generation and all that was left was a sturdy castle.

    The Order of Death Knights tried to destroy the castle, but apparently, the nobles who supported them in subjugation of the Demon King at that time stopped them.

    Back then, the area around the castle was controlled by the monsters, so losing the sturdy castle that was already there must¡¯ve been a pity.

    In fact, the nobles from that time made good use of the Mirage Demon King¡¯s castle, settled the surrounding area and established their country. After that, the inconvenient castle was abandoned, but it wasn¡¯t destroyed. That¡¯s the reason why the castle of the Mirage Demon King is still standing even after hundreds of years.

    Now, the old castle is known as the symbol of humanity¡¯s victory.

    I love traveling. I won¡¯t be disappointed even if we don¡¯t find anything.

    A few days after carrying Senri on my back, we reached a nearby town without any incident.

    Throughout our journey, nobody suspected us. Looks like this country that was at the front lines until hundreds of years ago has become known as a fairly safe country now.

    I¡¯m put in the suitcase and we enter the town. I lay quietly in the bag where sunlight doesn¡¯t reach.

    I lose strength all at once. We¡¯re approaching flowing water.

    I hear the sound of water flowing. The fact that it makes sound means that this town has perfect countermeasures against vampires.

    Most towns use flowing water as a countermeasure against vampires, but the extent of it depends on each town. For example, the countermeasures of Romberg, which was under Rainel¡¯s onslaught, were almost perfect, as they were surrounded by deep canals. But this town also feels like one of the top-class strongest out of all the towns I¡¯ve visited.

    In peaceful towns, measures against vampires tend to not be taken seriously, but this place seems different.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to¡­ look at the sights.¡±

    ¡°Did you come to see the castle too?¡­ There have been a lot of people recently. Is anything there?¡±

    I hear the voice of a young man. Damn it, if I was riding on top of her head, I¡¯d be able to get his attention¡­

    Looks like a delicate woman like Senri on a journey alone stands out a lot. She was often called out for no reason during our journey. It¡¯s good that people aren¡¯t wary of her, but that doesn¡¯t make me feel good as her pet dog.

    On the other hand, when I¡¯m riding on top of her head, Senri changes from a beautiful maiden into a maiden with a dog on top of her head, so their gazes mostly gather on me. If I act charmingly, they sometimes give me food too.

    But right now, I¡¯m powerless. No matter how long I wait, my strength doesn¡¯t come back. I can¡¯t even move my tail.

    We¡¯ve visited various towns until now, but this is the first time we¡¯ve had to undergo an entry inspection on top of the water. As expected from the place where the Undead Demon King stayed, or so I should say. Skeletons aren¡¯t supposed to be weak against flowing water, but they definitely dug this waterway thinking about having countermeasures against vampires while they were at it.

    ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry¡­¡±

    Perhaps sensing that I was having a hard time, Senri finished up the conversation.

    At the same time as my strength returned, I tapped the insides of the suitcase with my tail, protesting that I wanted to be let out as soon as possible.

    Senri walked a long time around the town with me in her suitcase. This was a first.

    She¡¯s kind. Senri always thinks about me first and whenever we arrive at a new town, she usually immediately looks for an inn where she can block out the sunlight.

    My strength came back, but for some reason I don¡¯t feel well today. The occasional smell of garlic that gets through is only making me worse.

    Garlic is the natural enemy of vampires. If it gets inside my body, things will get really damn bad, but even just the smell doesn¡¯t feel good. On top of that, there seem to be many rivers in this town.

    In the end, Senri stops after more than an hour. I wait patiently.

    I listen to the voice booking the inn and we enter the room. The swaying of the suitcase stops, followed by the sound of curtains shutting. Since I have nothing to do, I keep protesting with my tail during that time.

    I hear Senri¡¯s voice from outside of the bag.

    ¡°Baron¡­ I can¡¯t get rid of the sunlight in this room.¡±

    ¡°Ky~un¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ve been looking for an inn for a while but they all have thin curtains. This town¨D¨D ¡®Dessend¡¯ has almost perfect countermeasures against vampires.¡±

    ¡°kyuuun¡­¡±

    What a terrifying town we have arrived in. I jump out of the suitcase without caring.

    The faint sunlight spilling in from the gaps of the white curtain hurts my body and I immediately hide in the shadow of the bed. Senri hurriedly takes out a cloak from her luggage and puts it on me.

    ¡°Kyu~n¡±

    The room was the worst room I had ever seen.

    The sunlight coming in from the thin curtains was on the level harmful even to a Lesser Vampire like me. But that wasn¡¯t the only problem.

    ¡°There are¡­ too many crosses¡­ in this room¡­ Senri¡­ it¡¯s full of crosses.¡±

    The ornaments are inlaid with the design of a cross here and there, just to the extent that it¡¯s hardly noticeable. Moreover, those crosses are extremely close to what the vampires are weak to.

    Crosses are one of the weaknesses of vampires, but it¡¯s not like they¡¯re weak to all crosses. The ratio is what¡¯s important. So I might be okay if I accidentally come across something in the shape of the cross in the town, but the design of the cross that¡¯s been casually inlaid everywhere in this room accurately struck my weakness.

    A cross isn¡¯t something that kills vampires just by existing and it¡¯s also not something that could make me lose my strength. But when I¡¯m near it, my mood might worsen a bit and I¡¯ve learnt from my fight with Keeper how troublesome a cross-shaped silver sword might be.

    ¡°Why did you choose this inn¡­¡±

    Replying to my complaints, as I lay under the cloak trembling, Senri apologizes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But every inn is like this. There were crosses on the gate too so I couldn¡¯t let you out.¡±

    ¡°?! Does this town have a grudge against vampires?!¡±

    ¡°Probably, yeah.  No, they probably had a grudge in the past. This is a phenomenon sometimes seen in towns that fought against the undead. Garlic and silver products are the specialty of this town. Their burial rites involve cremation on top of the water. There are many rivers flowing inside the town.¡±

    This is the worst. It must¡¯ve been a few centuries since this country had to fight against the undead, but it stuck around as the culture.

    If I was a genuine vampire, I would be in a much worse state. This is terrible¡­

    I was struck with a single fear and asked hesitantly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ the Sun is always out here?¡±

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s no town like that.¡±

    Looks like I was able to avoid the worst case. I made up my mind and lifted my dogification.

    My body hurts. But when I control blood power and cover my whole body, the pain is alleviated. This is the kind of pain I don¡¯t want to experience for a long time, but it¡¯s not unbearable. I can¡¯t stop trembling because of the crosses, but I can endure that too.

    I turn the luggage over with my trembling hands and put on my clothes.

    ¡°End, don¡¯t push yourself too much. It¡¯s not like the castle is in the middle of the town. You just have to leave right away.¡±

    Senri is right, but I haven¡¯t enjoyed this town yet.

    It would be impossible to go out as a vampire, but I should be able to figure something out as a lesser vampire. I should be able to cut off the garlic stench to some extent by wearing a mask.

    I appeal to Senri while lying on my back.

    ¡°Senri, let¡¯s go to the bathroom. I want some blood.¡±

    I feel like hugging Senri¡¯s body tight and drinking her blood. If I replenish a lot of my power, I should be able to endure going outside too.

    Senri almost unhesitatingly disregarded my weak request.

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s a window in the bathroom too. So that¡¯s impossible. Besides, everywhere in this room seems to be decorated with silver so be careful.¡±

 CH 93

    ¡°End, your growth is pretty quick.¡±

    Senri says while looking at me with sincere eyes. It almost sounds like she¡¯s in a bad mood, but I already understand her character well enough.

    As the former Death Knight, Senti Silvis is kind to her allies. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help nodding to her words.

    ¡°But Dessend has excessive measures against the Undead. It¡¯s dangerous to go outside. I¡¯ll scout out the situation¡­ so stay put.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Okay, Senri. Be careful.¡±

    Senri leaves the room while worryingly stealing glances at me. I lean against the wall, where the light hardly reaches.

    My hearing loses the sound of Senri¡¯s footsteps.

    Perhaps because of my dogfication, my sense of smell is sharper than any of my other senses. Tracking her down would be easy.

    But, I shouldn¡¯t do anything that would undermine her trust. While gaining trust might be hard, you can lose it in a second. Besides, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s nothing I can do in this room.

    I wait for a while and when I¡¯m sure that Senri isn¡¯t coming back, I slowly close my eyes. I focus my consciousness on the image that¡¯s been buried inside me.

    My aim is the memories and knowledge of Horus Carmon inside me.

    Ever since becoming a Lesser Vampire, I¡¯ve become much stronger. But I need the Lord¡¯s knowledge, if I¡¯ll have to cross paths with a lineup of true vampires from now on.

    Senri has a secret.

    She doesn¡¯t want me to become stronger. She taught me the basics of combat. But she didn¡¯t teach me how to apply this knowledge.

    Well, there¡¯s of course a chance that I just missed it, but¨D¨D while Senri looks the same age as me, she¡¯s a veteran Death Knight who climbed to the rank of the second class knight. She must have killed various vampires until now and should have more knowledge about how to fight with them.

    For example, she should¡¯ve obviously been aware of the fact that it was possible to extend ¡®Sharp Claws¡¯ like a sword by pouring power in it and improve regeneration ability by controlling the blood power. She might¡¯ve not known how to do those, but she should have seen those as phenomena. However, Senri didn¡¯t tell me about them.

    Now that I think about it, Senri didn¡¯t tell me that I was classified as ¡®Ancestor¡¯ until I asked.

    I appreciate the thought, but things can¡¯t keep going this way. Senri¡¯s disappearance would be a very unfortunate thing for me.

    And surely, the calamities appearing before me will eventually be too much for her to handle.

    Senri has a secret. And so do I.

    I still haven¡¯t told Senri that Horus Carmon is inside me.

    This is both a cause for concern and a power. It was the Lord¡¯s knowledge that saved me from Sable¡¯s clutches after my battle with Rainel.

    Did my strong survival instinct awaken the Lord¡¯s knowledge? ¨D¨D Now I can do it consciously if I wanted to. And if I fish through his memories a little more, I should become able to control Skeletons just like him.

    Of course, I have no intentions of controlling the dead, but that abominable knowledge should also be a way for me to protect myself.

    As I chase out my surroundings from my mind and concentrate, my consciousness gradually sinks.

    I was definitely standing on the ground, but I felt like I was floating.

    Somehow I can feel the mass of energy that revolves around me.

    It¡¯s blood. We suck blood. The Lord modified Feeding and created ¡®Curse Steal¡¯. We are the blood monsters.

    I, as the Undead created by the Lord, can understand it. Horus Carmon is here.

    There is a connection between us. He¡¯s definitely inside me. However, his presence is very subtle. I don¡¯t know where exactly he is.

    Looks like the seal on the Lord¡¯s knowledge is much stronger than I thought. Is it because I¡¯m a coward or because that¡¯s just how dangerous his knowledge is? I thought I¡¯d at least get a hint, but this doesn¡¯t look like something I could dig out overnight.

    I desperately search for a way.

    Maybe I could dig up something again if I ended up on the verge of death? But that would be too late.

    It¡¯s ridiculous to come up with a counterplan after something has already happened.

    It was a miracle that I was able to survive Sable. If Senri arrived a little late, I might have been already dead and it¡¯s not guaranteed that the next time something similar happens, I¡¯ll still be able to come out alive.

    And above all ¨D¨D the opposite could happen. I can¡¯t die in peace in case something happens to Senri because of my lack of power or knowledge.

    Perhaps because I¡¯ve been concentrating so much, dull pain runs through my head. Nevertheless, I still persistently seek out the core.

    I feel something squirming in my body. It¡¯s my vampire instincts that I usually try to hold back. My head heats up and my fangs ache.

    Then, something comes up in the darkness.

    It might be just an illusion. It¡¯s hard to judge.

    However, the thing that oozed out from the darkness was a ¨D¨D human skeleton. A black robe and empty eye sockets. For some reason I was able to recognize that it was the Lord.

    He¡¯s almost dead. His boney body is full of holes as if worm-eaten, looking ready to collapse at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D¡±

    I can¡¯t hear his voice. But his intentions are transmitted to me.

    There was no grudge there. The absolute ruler won¡¯t hold a grudge against his subordinates no matter what.

    Now¡¯s the time. There are many things I want to verify. How to use my powers. The reason why I don¡¯t evolve. Where to obtain the Night Crystal. But the question that I voice immediately is different from any of those.

    ¡°Lord¡­ what did you intend to suck out with this ¡®Curse Steal¡¯?¡±

    The black eye sockets are looking at me.

    ¡®Curse Steal¡¯ is a powerful ability. But it¡¯s too peaky. At the very least, it¡¯s not the ability that the strongest king of undead should have.

    A curse isn¡¯t just a convenient ability. Curses have their demerits. Even I might have a hard time tolerating some of them.

    There are reasons why things happen. Lord wasn¡¯t stupid. He must have known that this ability is unreliable.

    The skeleton didn¡¯t reply. Just, it felt like he was laughing.

    A strong impact runs through my brain, as if I¡¯ve been hit. My consciousness resurfaces.

    ¨D¨D And I open my eyes. Before I knew it, I was kneeling on the floor.

    I hold my head. My heart is drumming in my ears and my hands are trembling.

    The light shining from the curtain had turned vermillion unnoticed to me and the hour hands of the clock had advanced far more from what I remembered.

    The presence of the Lord I was feeling just a while ago had already disappeared.

    Vampires don¡¯t experience physical fatigue. But I just sprawled on the carpet right there.

    I look up at the ceiling and think.

    I couldn¡¯t get any information. But, I found out that the Lord¡¯s will still remains inside me.

    The power dynamics have already been established. I¡¯m much superior and that fact cannot easily change. But Horus Carmon still hasn¡¯t given up.

    My power keeps increasing even when I¡¯m not doing anything, but Necromancers are really something else.

    It¡¯s about time Senri returned. I wanted to roll around a little more, but I prop myself on my hands and get up.

    But I¡¯m glad I gave it a try. There¡¯s one thing I found out.

    The information Lord sent when he parted.

    The reason why I can¡¯t evolve is just as I thought ¨D¨D it¡¯s because the Lord placed a lock on me.

    No, that must be wrong. The Lord was definitely confident that he¡¯d be able to do something even after I got stronger.

    What a terrifying man¡­ even though he¡¯s already on the brink of disappearing.

    As expected, it¡¯s dangerous to dive in carelessly. But I can¡¯t not do it.

    As I take a deep breath, footsteps approach from outside the room. It¡¯s the rhythm of Senri¡¯s footsteps.  After loosening my stiff face muscles, I decide to go to the corner of the room and hug my knees.

    ¡°An earthquake¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes. A part of the castle seems to have collapsed. It happened 5 years ago.¡±

    Senri says with a somewhat dissatisfied face. She must find it hard to believe that this information didn¡¯t reach the Order of Death Knights.

    But it¡¯s been peaceful since the castle was brought down a few hundred years ago, so I think it can¡¯t be helped that the Order of Death Knights didn¡¯t notice anything.

    And from the looks of it¡­ something definitely happened there.

    ¡°Apparently, the number of tourists has increased ever since. But I couldn¡¯t find anybody¡­ who could tell me more in detail. We have no other choice but to go and see.¡±

    I don¡¯t get the causal relationship between those two events. But it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be losing anything even if it ends in failure.

    Let¡¯s go sightseeing in that castle that was built by another undead. Maybe it¡¯ll be a good reference for when I¡¯ll live as a recluse someday¡­

    Seeing that I nodded strongly, Senri maintained silence for a short while and said with a harder expression than usual.

    ¡°End¡­ I feel the presence of the undead near this town. You better be careful.¡±

 CH 94

    Supported by Senri, I walk through ¡®Dessend¡¯ at night in my human form.

    This was my selfishness. Know thy enemy, know thyself, and know the earth. That¡¯s how I¡¯ve been surviving ever since I was revived by the Lord.

    The townscape of Dessend was clean and beautiful even at night, and had a historical atmosphere.

    This town probably shone the brightest when it was fighting against the undead. The waterways and the symbols of crosses inlaid all over the place must be the remnants of that time.

    There were many doors at the inn too. Wooden doors are unreliable enough that even slightly strong humans can break them down. Though, it¡¯s different for vampires.

    The door symbolizes a boundary. I¡¯m a lower rank, so I have a few restrictions, but this down is really hard for vampires to live in. The Mirage Demon King was said to be a Skeleton, so I really can¡¯t understand why there are so many measures against vampires here.

    It¡¯s been a while since the Sun went down, but there are still many people on the main street. The lined up street lights repel the darkness and look peaceful at the first glance.

    I mingle in with the crowd while walking around, but nobody realizes my identity. Sometimes people would look at Senri, but they wouldn¡¯t even spare a glance at me.

    Only those who have undertaken training can identify an undead that closely resembles humans. People with good intuition might look at me and be instinctually struck with fear, but when I was going around and crushing the Mafia and bandits, nobody realized my identity either.

    When it comes to sensing me from afar, only Death Knights and Necromancers are capable of doing that. Due to blood power, the negative energy I give off is considerably repressed.

    I took a quick look around the town and didn¡¯t see anything strange. There are no mercenaries around, and of course, neither are there undead.

    Just like Senri, I can also sense negative power. There¡¯s also a way to discern them by the smell. If anybody¡¯s walking around smelling like a corpse, they¡¯re undead. But I can¡¯t feel either of those.

    After patrolling the town for a while, we entered the least garlic smelling fancy restaurant.

    We¡¯ve only walked for a while, but I¡¯m already feeling pretty sick. It¡¯s because of the garlic, the crosses and the flowing water. It¡¯s far better than what I was feeling when I was alive, but since it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had to experience the long-standing pain, I have to put up with it.

    As we go to the table in the back of the restaurant, I verify with her while checking the surroundings with caution.

    ¡°Any chances that the undead you sensed were strays?¡±

    ¡°No. There has been no information about a war occurring nearby recently.¡±

    Senri replies immediately in a whisper.

    The undead can be broadly classified in two categories; those created by Necromancers and those created naturally.

    But, as long as there aren¡¯t many casualties in a large-scale war, it¡¯s unlikely that a lot of undead will appear naturally.

    The undead Senri sensed seem to be of a remarkable scale. They aren¡¯t very strong, but they seem to be dispersed in all directions.

    I ask while twisting the seafood pasta (without garlic) with a fork.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re targeting this town?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No.¡±

    Senri seemed to be puzzled, but she still answered with conviction.

    I agree with her. It would be quite hard to crush this town with how many undead countermeasures it has. If these undead have been created naturally, they would instinctively avoid this town and the undead with high intelligence would understand this town¡¯s vigilance at a glance.

    If anything, I think that there¡¯s a higher chance that their destination is the same as ours, the castle of the Mirage Demon King.

    We must act with caution. But the situation is definitely not that bad.

    Half of the reason why we arrived in this town was Senri¡¯s intuition. I was considering about the possibility of not finding anything, but if there are other suspicious creatures appearing, something might really turn up,

    I ponder for some time while gazing at Senri¡¯s silky silver hair.

    I was thinking that it would be better to investigate the castle in the morning. The Skeletons won¡¯t turn into ashes even if they¡¯re hit by the sunlight, but it¡¯s not like they won¡¯t be weakened at all.

    I can¡¯t exactly explore without Senri, who had abundant knowledge and experience, so it makes sense that I¡¯d choose an advantageous time for her.

    But if there are other undead, who are also aiming for the castle, we can use other means too.

    ¡°Senri, between you and those undead, who do you think is stronger?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Senri frowned as if offended and sipped on the orange juice. No, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m doubting your strength Senri, so please don¡¯t make that kind of face¡­

    ¡°Between me and those undead, which one would be stronger?¡±

    ¡°¡­ you would probably be¡­ slightly stronger.¡±

    ¡°Slightly¡­?¡±

    Just who are those undead that are just slightly weaker than me? Someone who survived a fierce battle against the Demon King, Rainel?

    The enemies outnumber us, so my strategy might end up being useless. Looking at my expression, Senri uncharacteristically rephrased herself.

    ¡°¡­ You will probably not lose.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A strange silence falls. Looks like I really wounded her pride.

    Feeling like running away, I no longer touch on that topic anymore and continue.

    The number of customers is increasing. But, nobody is eavesdropping on us.

    ¡°So, about your detection ability, can it still feel presence even if it¡¯s been erased by the Night Crystal?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I wouldn¡¯t know if they are undead or not.¡±

    It was an expected answer. Once at the merchant group, Senri detected the movements of Monica, who was looking for a chance to attack from far away. If the Night Crystal only suppresses the emission of the negative energy, there¡¯s no reason why a ¡®body¡¯ without it wouldn¡¯t be caught in Senri¡¯s wide-area detection.

    We have two options.

    All of these come with a certain degree of risks. After hesitating for a second, I suggested.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go hunt down those undead. I want to accurately understand the situation.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    ¡°Naturally I¡¯ll also come with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I know.¡±

    It would be easier to steal their gains, but Senri still has the spirit of a Death Knight. It goes against her conscience to leave the undead alone while aware of their presence.

    To start with, we don¡¯t know what will happen if we leave them alone.  In case of an emergency, we can just run away.

    Senri looks straight at me with her bright eyes and nods.

    The gate was closed. Unfortunately, it seems like this town doesn¡¯t accept nighttime walks. We¡¯re forced to walk along the tall town wall.

    Now that I¡¯ve seen it for myself again, it really has amazing defensive capacities. Vampires could pass over it but the big rumbling water canal waiting beyond it can¡¯t be so easily dealt with. If I was outside andI jumped high, I could overcome it with the help of inertia, but it would be difficult to detect the existence of the canal from the outside.

    However, it looks like there¡¯s only a minimum amount of guards on top of the town wall. The light is also faint.

    Considering that they were perfectly equipped, they still feel slightly pathetic. I poke the shoulders of Senri who¡¯s walking in front.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think we can do anything with just us two?¡±

    Vampire who¡¯s invincible at night and a former Death Knight who¡¯s invincible even during the day. While we might not be able to save a nation together, we can definitely run away to the world¡¯s end.

    The journey while escorting the merchant group was fun. I don¡¯t hate humans, but thinking about all the ties of obligation arising with them, I can¡¯t help thinking about the merits of traveling with just us alone. If we weren¡¯t with the merchant group back then, I wouldn¡¯t have separated from Senri and got taken away to Rainel¡¯s army.

    Senri stopped and stared back at me with an exasperated expression.

    ¡°¡­ Baron, turn into a dog.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    Again?!

    Sure, it¡¯s easier to jump while holding a dog, but it¡¯s such a pain to change clothes. I¡¯ve been in dog form since noon as it is. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m being forced into it like Albertus¡­

    Perhaps because of the pitiful expression on my face, Senri smiled for the first time in a while.

    ¡°Just joking. End¡­ hang on.¡±

    Senri holds my shoulders. Senri¡¯s body is slender and supple, it¡¯s also soft and smells sweet. When she gets closer, I feel the urge to drink her blood, but if I bring this up, I feel like she¡¯ll tell me to stay in my dog form forever so I¡¯ll refrain.

    I can feel Senri¡¯s heartbeat through our touching skin. Blessing is exploding in her body, but it¡¯s not reaching the part of her skin that I¡¯m touching. Her mastery over blessing is perfect. Maybe this could be a good reference for controlling blood power.

    And, holding me, who¡¯s much bigger than her, Senri strongly kicks off the ground.

    A faint sound. The ground instantly becomes distant, followed by me losing strength. And we immediately landed on top of the town wall. Senri bends her legs to absorb the sound of her footsteps.

    Her power is definitely beyond human. No mercenary would be able to pull off such a stunt. A tall town wall is meaningless to a Death Knight.

    When I think about it, it seems only natural that the Order of Death Knights decided to only use their powers against the undead as an ironclad rule.

    This power is just too terrifying, if it¡¯s not used for justice.

    Senri wasn¡¯t even out of breath. The guards also didn¡¯t seem to have noticed us.

    Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve fought alongside Senri.

    When we were escorting the merchant group, I was Baron and we breezed through the journey. When I was fighting with bandits and the mafia, Senri and I acted separately.

    This might be a good opportunity to show my current power to Senri.

    ¡°?!¡±

    I turn in front of Senri and pick her up without a warning. Senri startles.

    She¡¯s as light as always. Well, for vampires, even a large man fully wrapped in armor would be light, but when I¡¯m in close contact with a delicate body, my fangs ache.

    Senri isn¡¯t wearing armor. She has also taken off the gauntlets she was originally wearing. It¡¯s because since the armor of the Death Knights is mixed with silver, it would be harmful for me.

    I¡¯m already used to the urge of Feeding. Even if I don¡¯t get to suck her blood, I¡¯m invigorated just from being hugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve last carried you on my back in human form. I want you to put your hands around me firmly.¡±

    ¡°End¡­ I can run too.¡±

    Looks like she¡¯s too used to riding on me in my dog form, she seems to have reservations about riding on a person.

    I protest to Senri, who¡¯s whispering into my ears.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been hugging me at all recently except for when you¡¯re giving me blood, Senri. Plus, I should do half of the work too.¡±

    Senri keeps saving me. I¡¯ve not been able to repay her this debt at all.

    Because of the circumstances, this debt can¡¯t be cleared, but if I don¡¯t repay what I can when I can, I¡¯ll be abandoned one day.

    Senri stayed silent for a while at my words but she firmly put her hands around my neck and entrusted herself to me.

    I run through the moonless night.

    It was towering from the peak of a very steep mountain, a remarkable distance away from Dessend even with a full power sprint.

    It was a huge castle, enough to see even before climbing up. In terms of scale enough, the simple castle Rainel was using as his stronghold couldn¡¯t even come close to it.

    It would probably look better in daylight, but the old castle seen from the darkness looked like a monster even to the eyes of somebody like me, who could see well in the dark.

    But the path it¡¯s built on is so steep, it looks like they didn¡¯t think about the convenience at all.  Wouldn¡¯t living in this castle be too inconvenient?

    Senri on my back explains.

    ¡°The Demon Kings usually build their castles at places that are hard for the human army to attack. If they¡¯re Undead, they wouldn¡¯t need food either¡­¡±

    ¡°I see¡­  I thought it was a waste that they abandoned the castle they so painstakingly stole, but I guess it was only natural that it was abandoned.¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t be able to live here. As expected, human town sounds like the best place for living in hiding after I get a Night Crystal. It would also be abundant in nutrients for Senri.

    ¡°There¡¯s a presence of a single undead in the castle. The rest are all around the castle. Their movements have stopped. They probably have ¨D¨D the same master.¡±

    Did they send in one of them, letting the rest be on the lookout?¡­ I don¡¯t know who¡¯s controlling them, but their movements are well organized.

    The Lord was selling Skeletons to Hack. It¡¯s not like only necromancers can make use of them.

    I don¡¯t know who¡¯s their master yet, but it looks like whoever¡¯s using the undead doesn¡¯t have much clue about this castle either.

    So they¡¯ve already infiltrated the castle, huh. Even if we had to check the situation in the town, we were still a step behind.

    Would it be dangerous to follow them inside? According to the information Senri gathered, nobody had gotten lost inside the castle¡­ Now that I think about, being able to use the undead as disposable pawns for watching the development of the situation is really convenient for the necromancers

    ¡­ Maybe it¡¯s better to wait for them to come back?

    I don¡¯t understand the situation at all. Staying safe is the highest priority. If I die in order to obtain a Night Crystal, all will be in vain or if Senri was wounded or died, I wouldn¡¯t be able to die in peace. Well, I¡¯ve been dead for a long time now though.

    Perhaps thinking that it wasn¡¯t necessary anymore, Senri got off my back, even though she didn¡¯t have to. I would be happy just carrying her on my back all day long¡­

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s start by carefully checking the surroundings first.¡±

    ¡°¡­ End, pull yourself together.¡±

    I even kept a serious face on purpose. How did she find out?

    Senri said with a deep sigh.

 CH 95

    ¡®Silhouette¡¯, the ability of ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯, dyes one¡¯s body black and conceals any type of presence.

    The presence of the undead is already milder than a living person, but when I use this ability, my presence becomes so weak that it even surprises me.

    ¡®Silhouette¡¯ is a very fuel inefficient ability. It might be even more fuel inefficient than the ¡®Cursed Flames¡¯ I stole from Man-Eater.

    I can only activate it for a short time even with all the considerable power I have as a Lesser Vampire and I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll ever be able to keep it activated all the time in the future either.

    Nevertheless, if I pour even more blood power into this fuel inefficient ability¨D¨D I can completely become a ¡®shadow¡¯.

    The amount of power required for it is probably too much to be provided by ¡®Dark Stalker¡¯. But this ability is well suited for assassination.

    Even with my senses as a vampire that far surpasses those of a human, I wouldn¡¯t be able to notice if I was attacked with this ability.

    It¡¯s understandable why ¡®True Vampires¡¯, who inherit the abilities from their previous evolutions are so feared.

    The undead Senri senses are huddled together right below the steep cliff where the castle was built.

    They¡¯re wrapped in black outfits and their presence is so weak that they¡¯re almost melting into the darkness, but my eyes can¡¯t be deceived.

    We approach from the leeward. Perhaps Senri¡¯s using some kind of ability, her presence behind me is weak. The undead are usually sensitive towards the presence of the living, but this way, we don¡¯t have to worry about being noticed.

    The group made little to no noise but I sense the negative power that¡¯s hard to hide.

    This is  ¨D¨D Sympathy. I can feel my kind. Maybe I¡¯m sensing the same thing Death Knights use to find the undead.

    They¡¯re probably Skeletons. But I¡¯m calm. They outnumber us, but judging from their strength I¡¯m feeling, they pose no danger.

    The Lord and Death Knights who I faced at the beginning held the power I could do nothing against. It was only by luck that I was able to defeat Albertus who I faced next and Rainel was also a threat worthy of his Demon King title.

    Compared to them, this group is far inferior. It¡¯s ridiculous to even try comparing them. They might even be weaker than the mob I fought at Rainel¡¯s army.

    When I was under the Lord, I couldn¡¯t take on multiple Skeletons at the same time. When did this power gap open up between us?

    Of course it¡¯s not bad that they¡¯re weak.I turn back and put my index finger in front of my mouth before Senri.

    The undead are hostile towards the living, but I might be able to talk with them. Of course, this is under the assumption that they can understand language. Killing them wouldn¡¯t be too hard so trying wouldn¡¯t hurt.

    Perhaps understanding my intention, Senri frowns and moves back. We have a tacit understanding.

    After I purposefully make a sound, I reveal my presence and walk in front of the skeletons.

    The group hiding their faces with black coats raise their heads. As expected, they¡¯re Skeletons.

    A hard sound of bones rubbing against each other. An eerie red light is illuminating the depth of their dark eye sockets.

    The most common undead that appear naturally are Zombies, followed by Wraiths. For Skeletons to appear, there needs to be a certain amount of bone left, so they have an unexpectedly high hurdle for being created naturally.

    Everybody in the Skeleton group was covering their bodies with black leather armor. This, included with the fact that they were moving in a group made it obvious that they were not a natural phenomena.

    Well then, how should I communicate with them? I had the experience of interacting with Skeletons when I was with the Lord, but I was completely ignored there. Now that I think about it, I¡¯m not very good at communicating.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, so for the time being I raised my right hand while fiddling with my sunglasses.

    ¡°Hi there, nice night we¡¯ve got here. What are you doing, my skeleton friends?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Skeletons didn¡¯t attack me. They only looked at me and rattled their teeth.

    Skeletons are also the undead. They¡¯re envious of the living. They¡¯re not attacking me because most likely they¡¯ve realized that I¡¯m their kin. In other words, I can say that my expectation was correct.

    I observe them with a smile. Skeletons are 10 in total. They¡¯re all armed, and on top of that, they also have a leader.

    It¡¯s a Skeleton with black bones. ¡®Black Bone¡¯, the result of the evolution of the Skeleton.

    From what I know, perhaps because Skeletons don¡¯t have skin, they have a hard time accumulating negative energy. The fact that it has evolved means that it¡¯s a relatively strong enemy.

    I check the weapon of Skeletons close to me. Most Skeletons are holding a rugged, dark grey sword.

    The length of its blade is long, but it¡¯s not silver so it won¡¯t be much of a problem. Only the leader is holding something long but it¡¯s not made of silver either.

    The fact that it¡¯s somebody that managed to evolve means that it has a considerable intelligence.

    ¡°We¡¯re all dead here so let me join your guys too.¡±

    When I talked to them in a friendly manner, Skeleton in front nodded strongly and opened the way. Looks like they¡¯re gonna let me join them.

    Until now I¡¯ve always been hated by the living except Senri and my father but it looks like the dead are kinder. Skeleton the Lord was keeping (by the way, I dubbed him Jack), was unfriendly but maybe he was just similar to his creator.

    I triumphantly join the enclosure of Skeletons. I felt indescribable familiarity from their dark eye-sockets.

    ¨D¨D And, I catch the sword that¡¯s swung down on me by rotating my body.

    ¡°Sorry, please spare me from having my clothes torn.¡±

    I haven¡¯t bought any spares. If my clothes get ruined, Senri will once again demand that I turn into Baron.

    Skeletons start rattling at once. It¡¯s an eerie scene, but it doesn¡¯t induce any fear in me.

    It¡¯s useless. I¡¯m alert. Even without the scent or the sound, I can feel the slightest movement in the wind. I can¡¯t afford to be taken by surprise each time forever.

    The skeletons swing their blades down at once. I crouched and cut the white, smooth and sturdy femur in front of me with a machete.

    A hard response. Skeletons are made of human bones, but their sturdiness is much higher than the former. But the thick blade of ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯ easily cuts it apart. I shake off the blade and leave the broken enclosure.

    I frown at the response I felt.

    By the way, this is the first time I¡¯ve cut the dead except for the Lord¡¯s ghost with this weapon.

    The sensation transmitted to my hands was very obviously different from when I cut living monsters.

    The thick blade that cut Skeletons off had a wet luster. It was an already dignified machete, but I don¡¯t think it had this kind of brilliance?

    Looks like the Lord was intending to fight with his friends. He didn¡¯t give a hint of that when he was alive. What a truly two-faced man.

    Skeletons slowly made a big circle around me. Although I could see proficiency in their footwork, their abilities on an individual level were not on par with Jack, who the Lord commanded. Since they¡¯re the same kind, it must¡¯ve been the quality of the materials that was different.

    ¡°That was self-defense. Let¡¯s talk it out.¡±

    I talk to ¡®Black Bone¡¯, who has a larger build than others.

    In its hand is a weapon known as a halberd. It¡¯s a powerful equipment with a good reach that can be used for cutting, stabbing or scything down enemies. It¡¯s difficult to handle, but it¡¯s said to be unrivaled in close combat in open places and battles between humans.

    Its heaviness is supposed to be its weakness, but since my enemy is an undead, that weakness might as well not exist. It looks like even its handle is made of silver, but Black Bone is lifting it easily.

    The black Skeleton is stepping in. A blade with a sufficient force behind it comes down at me with the speed of a whirlwind.

    He¡¯s strong. He has mastered it. I barely evade that strike by moving back.

    The blade that looks like an ax cuts the ground shallowly and the soil scatters. Only the sound of cutting the wind echoes through the moonless night sky.

    The slash is sharp and smooth. At the very least, it¡¯s not just an ordinary soldier. If it was a human, it would be called a veteran soldier.

    But unfortunately I¡¯m not a human and neither is Black Bone.

    That series of attacks was the technique allowed only to the veteran fearless fighters, but it was too fragile to be used in a fight between monsters.

    I completely saw through the flowing onslaught. I forcibly block the sideways slash from above that utilized gravity and centrifugal force, with Blood Ruler.

    A high-pitched metallic sound echoes. The halberd is flung away with great force. This slash that would be impossible to properly receive by humans is nothing in front of a Lesser Vampires like me.

    The opponents I have fought so far have all been huge in size. Size is strength. The jet-black Skeleton is bigger than me, but he lacks muscle and he¡¯s too light.

    I catch the halberd that draws the arc in air with the momentum of being flung away and swoops down on me by grabbing it with my left hand.

    An impact runs through my whole body and my feet creak a little. But that¡¯s it. That alone stopped the continuous attacks. It didn¡¯t have any effect on me. I haven¡¯t received any wounds even as little as a scratch, so I pretty much haven¡¯t used any blood power.

    I put more strength in it and steal the halberd. Black Bone is strong, but my physical strength is stronger.

    I¡¯ve surely gotten stronger. As I¡¯m earnestly engrossed in my thoughts, Black Bone, who had his weapon stolen, rushed at me without hesitation.

    It was completely unexpected. I¡¯m not sure where he got it from, but hanging around his waist was a knife with a relatively long blade. But it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary knife.

    It had a silver sheen to it. Judging from its vigour, it wasn¡¯t concerned for its body. He trampled the ground, his attack full of killing intent unimaginable to be coming from Skeleton.

    ¨D¨D I ¡®lightly¡¯ knock away that surprise attack with the handle of the stolen halberd.

    The sound of bones breaking. Black Bone that¡¯s bigger than me is lightly blown away and pierces into the cliff. The silver knife rolls on the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that surprise attacks will keep working. I¡¯m learning too.¡±

    No matter how strong I am, they immediately try to burn, cut, stab me with surprise attacks. It¡¯s unbearable to have my clothes ruined so many times.

    The only thing that could make me let my guard down right now is Senri¡¯s seduction.

    The surrounding Skeletons perceived their leader¡¯s defeat and dispersed in all directions. Looks like they don¡¯t intend to take revenge. I pick up a stone rolling at my feet and throw it at one of the fleeting Skeletons.

    A stone the size of a fist flies in a straight line, crushing the skulls of the Skeletons. A Skeleton flies high in the air and falls down on the ground. I haven¡¯t practiced throwing, but it looks like the athletic ability of vampires is generally excellent.

    I rush out and cut the fleeing Skeletons in order with Blood Ruler. I¡¯m faster than them and I can feel their presence too. Now that I¡¯ve come this far, this is my job. I haven¡¯t accomplished my goals, but it wasn¡¯t the kind of atmosphere where I could negotiate so it can¡¯t be helped.

    After I properly kill all of them, Senri appears.

    It hasn¡¯t been long since the fight. Plus, I ended everything without ruining my clothes. I wonder what she thought about how I fought.

    As I¡¯m excitedly waiting for my evaluation, Senri says with a chilly look.

    ¡°End, signs of the undeads inside the castle have disappeared. All the undead around are heading towards the castle. Something happened¡­ we should hurry up.¡±

 CH 96

    For vampires with strong bodies, physical strength and 5 senses, climbing a steep cliff is no trouble.

    Even if it¡¯s mostly uneven, even if it¡¯s slippery, they can climb smoothly by stabbing with their extended claws. Death Knights can fly, but they¡¯re no match for vampires in terms of stealth.

    Neither darkness, nor cold weather or flames can stop me. Only silver, garlic and flowing water can stop the vampire from advancing.

    I carry Senri on my back and climb the cliff. The castle of the Mirage Demon King from a close distance looked ridiculously huge compared to the Lord¡¯s mansion and even compared to Rainel¡¯s castle that was also built on the mountain.

    Both its height and width were on another level. Rainel¡¯s castle was built on the surface of a mountain but this Demon King¡¯s castle was built on top of a cliff.

    I unintentionally opened my eyes wide. The castle walls seem to be made by stacking up stones, but I can¡¯t imagine how much time it would take to finish such a huge structure. Some parts of it have collapsed, but that¡¯s also quaint in a way.

    There¡¯s no light around and the surroundings look desolate. We heard from the nearest town Dessend that it was used for sightseeing, but it¡¯s probably mostly abandoned.

    The negative signs are approaching from all directions. Some of them seem to have already entered the castle, I can feel some of them inside too. I can¡¯t tell exactly how many there are because there are too many presences, but their quantity aside, their quality is definitely not worrying. Both Senri and I can easily massacre them.

    Several Skeletons appear, climbing the steep cliff. I immediately use ¡®Silhouette¡¯ while carrying Senri on my back and jump onto the stone wall surrounding the castle.

    I didn¡¯t make a sound. A pebble rolled down and fell on the ground, but Skeletons don¡¯t seem to have noticed. Their senses aren¡¯t dull, but they can¡¯t be compared to those of a vampire.

    I regretfully put Senri down, crouch and inspect the situation below. The Skeletons are entering the castle without discussing it among themselves, only making noisy sounds of the armors grazing against each other.

    Skeletons that appear from a different direction also enter from the main gate with the same efficient movements. It almost feels like I¡¯m watching a flowing river.

    Even though, just a moment ago they were observing the situation around¨D¨D

    Senri answered my unspoken question.

    ¡°They have a commander. They¡¯re probably linked.¡±

    ¡°Linked¡­?¡±

    ¡°Necromancers can make a connection between the undead they¡¯ve created. They can communicate through that.¡±

    I see¡­ I did certainly think that their movements were remarkable. It couldn¡¯t be a result of a single order.

    I don¡¯t remember feeling that kind of thing when I was the Lord¡¯s undead, but I was a special undead so I can¡¯t be used as a frame of reference.

    Then I realize something important.

    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ does this mean that my cover was blown because I defeated that thing?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You should have told me that beforehand.¡±

    ¡°? They can¡¯t share their vision so your face hasn¡¯t been uncovered.¡±

    Senri says wonderingly, her eyes open wide.

    Looks like there is no word for ¡®wait and see¡¯ in the dictionary of Death Knights or it has a very low priority. As expected from the Knight Order that¡¯s focused on offense. They would definitely rather make the first move, rush in and annihilate everybody instead of letting them roam free.

    Senri adds.

    ¡°But their behavior probably didn¡¯t change because you defeated one of their groups¡­ or so I think.¡±

    ¡­ It¡¯s hard to judge.

    A while ago, Senri said that the presence inside the castle disappeared. There is a possibility that that could have been the trigger.

    If we assume that everybody who was on standby started moving because the individual inside the castle disappeared ¨D¨D why did it disappear? Did it die? Or there¡¯s also a chance that it found the ¡®Night Crystal¡¯ inside the castle. If that was used to repress the negative power that the undead release, from the perspective of Senri, who was looking for the signs of the undead, it would almost seem like the presence had disappeared.

    But there is a way to look for it even when the emission of the negative power is being repressed. Night Crystal can only erase the presence. My nose can¡¯t be deceived.

    Here, I hesitate. Should I¡­ turn into a dog?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Vampires have a keen sense of smell, but it gets much better when I turn into a dog. I should turn into a dog if I want to be absolutely sure.

    But if I turn into a dog, I¡¯ll lose clothes again. If I get bigger, my clothes will be torn. If I turn back into a human, I¡¯ll be naked and it¡¯s also troublesome to have to get dressed each time.

    Senri was silently looking at me. She probably wanted to chase after Skeletons as soon as possible, but she always patiently waits for me to finish thinking.

    Even when I¡¯m wasting time here, Skeletons still continue invading the castle one after another. I wish I could transform into a humanoid form like Oliver¡­

    Then, a revelation dawned upon me. It¡¯s crazy, but still worth trying.

    ¡°Senri, watch.¡±

    I fire myself up, pour in the blood power and use the dogification ability.

    As usual, an eerie sound of my skeletal structure changing rings right by my ears.

    However, I¡¯m only pouring the power on top of my head. I remember how to control blood power. If I can adjust its strength, if I can improve the regeneration ability in some of my parts by concentrating, I should also be able to restrict its range.

    The transformation ends as smoothly as usual.

    I look below. I have legs and arms. I¡¯m still wearing clothes. Nothing¡¯s torn.

    I check my face. The back of my head is bushy. My protruding nose is clearly perceiving the scent of the dead. My field of vision is wider than usual.

    I picked up the sunglasses that had fallen on the ground. I unfortunately can¡¯t put them back on because of the ears growing on top of my head, so I put them in my pocket.

    I did it¨D¨D I really did it. Transforming only a part of my body. It needs some knacks, but since I was able to do it once, I¡¯ll be able to do it the next time too.

    This way I can chase after them with the strengths of a human form while using the strengths of a dog form. I proudly smile at Senri. Because I have a dog¡¯s head, I end up panting and my tongue pops out.

    ¡°Thanks for waiting, Senri. Let¡¯s chase after them.¡±

    ¡°End¡­ umm¡­ you always keep surprising me.¡±

    The expression of Senri, who was always calm and composed, was stiff. Her lips were trembling.

    I wonder what happened?

    Senri took a step back and said a little apologetically.

    ¡°But it¡¯s really scary¡­ so please revert back.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    I unintentionally roll back my tongue from too much shock. For Senri, who has fought so many monsters so boldly to be scared ¨D¨D

    ¡°Am I perhaps¡­ black, right now?¡±

    ¡°End, can you remain calm if my head turned into a dog without any warning?¡±

    Senri says uncharacteristically fast, in a very natural manner.

    If Senri¡¯s head suddenly turned into a dog, I would feel much sadder than if my whole body turned into a dog.

    I see¡­ the looks, huh? I overlooked it. I can¡¯t see my face and I¡¯m a lesser vampire so even if I look into a mirror, I¡¯ll only appear translucent¨D¨D.

    But if even Senri says so, I must look really unbalanced. Just as I thought I had a good idea¨D¨D

    With a slight hope in my heart, I ask.

    ¡°¡­ Will you give me blood?¡±

    ¡°End¡­ don¡¯t get carried away.¡±

    A cold voice hits my ears. Then, I move my nose.

    I look down on the main gate. It smells¡­ It really smells. This is ¨D¨D

    ¡°It¡¯s the smell of the living¡­ Senri, there¡¯s a human inside!¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    It¡¯s the smell of excitement. Senri was preoccupied by the undead so she probably didn¡¯t notice. I jumped down from the rampart.  At the same time, I pour in the blood power and expand my jaw.

    I know it. I know how to use the power. I could never learn magic properly no matter how much I studied, but this power is instinctual.

    At the same time as I jump down, I open my jaw towards the head of Skeleton that was about to invade through the main gate.

    My fangs crush its skull together with the helm. An indescribable smell of metal spreads through my mouth and I spit it out. By that time, other Skeletons had already reassembled their posture, but even then, there¡¯s no way ordinary Skeletons could be a match for me.

    There was no mutated individual here. I steal a spear and destroy all the Skeletons that had assumed a defensive posture with a single swing. That¡¯s when Senri finally jumped down.

    I throw away the spear. It¡¯s decently sharp and has a nice reach too, but my hatchet is even more powerful, and it¡¯s not made for swinging indoors.

    I suppress the blood power and revert the size of my head.

    ¡°End, sometimes I can¡¯t keep up with you. Revert back.¡±

    ¡°I can smell a human. I can¡¯t smell blood, but we should still hurry.¡±

    ¡°End¡­ revert back.¡±

    ¡°It might be dangerous so I¡¯ll be going ahead. Follow me, Senri. Woof Woof.¡±

    ¡°End¡­¡±

    It¡¯s a little lonely that I don¡¯t have a tail to wag.

    Perhaps because this is a tourist spot, my curse didn¡¯t seem to have any effect when entering the castle.

    Most traps wouldn¡¯t have an effect on me. Neither poison nor magic will work on me and I also have my regeneration ability. To start with, I can¡¯t imagine that there would be traps in a castle that¡¯s used for sightseeing ¨D¨D I made up my mind and ran inside the castle.

    The inside of the castle was as desolate as its outside. It looked better than the Lord¡¯s mansion, but there were no furnishings inside, no lights and there was a giant spider web laid on the ceiling. I felt indescribably melancholy exactly because it was built so splendidly.

    Some vampires have made their own castles. Maybe if I survive long enough, I could have a castle too¡­ It might be hard legally, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be impossible if I exploited the loopholes in the law. If I had stolen all assets of the Mafia I¡¯ve destroyed, I would¡¯ve been able to build a small castle at least.

    The air is damp and chilly, but I don¡¯t feel cold. Senri doesn¡¯t seem to be cold either.

    I move my nose. Right now, my sense of smell can differentiate scents to an unbelievable degree. Albertus could find me more than a hundred kms away with just the smell. At this point, this sense should be called a paranormal sense instead of the sense of smell.

    I can smell things in chronological order. I can smell both the dead and the living. Following it, I move ahead without stopping.

    I meet a group of Skeletons here and there, but I destroy them with a single blow. Senri¡¯s swordsmanship is precise even in darkness. Destroying only the insides of the group of the Skeletons, Senri says.

    ¡°End¡­ revert back.¡±

    My ears twitch. I can hear a sound. It¡¯s the sound of a sword fight. I can hear a voice. A human voice. I can hear their breath.

    Mysterious pleasure is aching in the depths of my head. My instincts are pleased to display vampire abilities. It¡¯s a dangerous sensation.

    ¡°This smell ¨D¨D is coming from the basement, Woof.¡± // ¡°This smell¨D¨D is coming from the ¡®bark¡¯sment¡±

    ¡°End¡­¡±

 CH 97.1

    His attacks were swift and heavy, and without a hesitation. A swarm of the armed Skeletons collapsed in the blink of an eye.

    There was no need for Senri to help. End walking in front of her was already strong enough. His unenthusiastic appearance was evidence that he had changed a lot ever since they had first met.

    After experiencing many hard fights and victories, End had obtained confidence and the power worthy of that confidence. The current End had enough power to make Senri, a 2nd class knight, struggle a little (he would never get that opportunity though, of course). It was a deeply emotional fact for Senri, who knew End from the time when he was wary of all directions.

    End said with a serious tone.

    ¡°Just what in the world are these guys after¡­¡±

    But, he had fluffy ears and charming small round eyes. He didn¡¯t have a tail, but human words coming from a dog¡¯s head far surpassed the realm of uniqueness and instead felt uneasy.

    End was strong. He was strong, but he was also funny. Even if he said something serious while in his transformed form, she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep being on her toes.

    But this was most likely End¡¯s way of communicating. Everybody in the Order of Death Knights was serious, so this was a bit unfamiliar for Senri, but as long as it didn¡¯t go too far, something like this was fine too.

    End¡­ your tongue is out.

    Unaware of Senri¡¯s thoughts, End nonchalantly continued advancing through the castle.

    Even if he was a lower rank, it was still amazing that a vampire was able to hold back his fighting instincts so much. This would be considered impossible according to the know-how accumulated by the Order of Death Knights.

    Recently he had started to ask for blood more often, but it wasn¡¯t like he was trying to drink blood by force, so it was proof that he had let his guard down. He also never directed his killing intent towards her.

    End¡­ Your ears are twitching. They¡¯re almost like real dog¡¯s.

    As she kept looking, Senri felt like she was going to lose focus.

    If her old comrades were shown her current state, they might have felt so exasperated that they would stop chasing after her.

    The vampire in front of her was so unfettered, that even she ended up thinking about such stupid things.Darkness is the ally of all undead. My physical abilities and five senses are far superior to those of ordinary humans, but even when I was a Fleshman I could see through the dark. Even the Skeletons guarding the mansion could also calmly walk through complete darkness. For abominable creatures like us, night is like daytime.

    From the looks of it, Skeletons had been invading from all sides. The castle was full of them.

    We were told that the castle was used for sightseeing so those shouldn¡¯t have been here since the beginning. Skeletons were all moving in groups together and each group was heading towards the same place.

    ¡°There¡¯s a dungeon. A part of the wall there collapsed during the recent earthquake.¡±

    Senri said while walking calmly through the complete darkness despite being a human.

    She¡¯s probably keeping track of the surrounding situation with senses other than vision. It wouldn¡¯t be funny if the Death Knight, who¡¯s supposed to confront the darkness, was rendered immobile by that same darkness.

    I didn¡¯t know the internal structure of the castle, but we arrived at the appropriate looking place by following the sounds and the smell.

    There were no signs of a strong enemy, so I cut the Skeletons that were at the place before me with a hatchet and descended the stone stairs.

    The dungeon probably hadn¡¯t been used for a long time, it smelled of mold. There weren¡¯t many rooms, but the iron bars were stronger than expected and the rust was also within acceptable levels.

    As I was scrutinizing it, Senri told me.

    ¡°Looks like ¡®Dessend¡¯ is maintaining it for the purpose of sightseeing.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Humans sure are tough.¡±

    However, if the town is the one maintaining this place, they should have noticed the effects of the earthquake fast enough. I can¡¯t imagine something like Skeletons gathering up being left out¨D¨D

    We found the collapsed wall quickly. It was the 3rd prison wall. The rubble had been cleared to the side and beyond the gaping hole lay the staircase continuing down to the basement.

    I can hear the small echoing sounds of a sword fight. I can also smell a faint scent of blood but it¡¯s probably from scratch.

    Senri purifies the vanguard of the Skeleton party that comes up behind us with a single blow from her silver blade. Then, advances forward and gets rid of the 5 attacking Skeletons in the blink of an eye. Her movements are fluent like art, but I notice that she¡¯s a little impatient.

    If I were alone, I would wait and see what happened, but it can¡¯t be helped.

    I stop Senri from trying to go to the front and take the lead. There¡¯s a narrow passage in the basement of the dungeon. Its width is about 2 meters and its ceiling is low and very oppressive. There seems to be a vent, so the air shouldn¡¯t be a problem. There seems to be a hole here, perhaps for drainage.

    Is this a secret passage? But not only was it blocked by a stone wall, there didn¡¯t seem to be any gimmicks at the entrance either. I don¡¯t know what kind of battles have been fought in this castle, but this might have been an escape route in case of emergency.

    I frown and look for the information about surroundings through the sense of smell and the flow of the wind.

    True darkness. Perhaps they have the lights on, air is mixed with the smell of fire.

    Then, I feel some discomfort. Vampires have resistance towards all types of attacks. But that only means that they can endure them, it¡¯s not like their senses are numbed.

    This is¡­ something is here. They¡¯re not strong, but something is definitely here. It¡¯s hard to describe ¨D¨D but I feel like I¡¯m being pulled a little.

    Senri, who was following me, didn¡¯t say anything. Looks like it didn¡¯t get caught by the detection ability of Death Knights.

    Maybe it¡¯s something that only the undead can feel.

    The continuous sound of the battle was an indication that a considerable number of Skeletons had already invaded.

    But the human side was dominating the fight. They were breathing roughly and I could smell some blood, but the hard sound of something hitting the ground was the sound of Skeletons falling.

    Negotiations with the Skeletons failed, but a human should be willing to hear me out. They won¡¯t necessarily be on my side, but it doesn¡¯t seem like they use blessing like Senri. (I mean, if they could use blessing, they wouldn¡¯t be struggling against Skeletons.) So, they shouldn¡¯t be Death Knights. If I help them out, they might at least hear me out. I want to investigate the reason for this discomfort I¡¯m feeling, but that can wait.

    I might¡¯ve been suspected if I were alone, but since I¡¯m with Senri, who¡¯s wrapped in pure energy, it¡¯s unlikely for them to suspect me for being a vampire.

    It¡¯s a bit of a pity, but I turn my head back. Beastmen exist, after all. They are members that have heads of beasts. They rarely descend to human villages and they¡¯re not very friendly with humans, so I can¡¯t exactly appear with the head of a dog in front of somebody who I¡¯m trying to talk to.

    I can feel Senri sighing with relief. After I put on the sunglasses I¡¯m quite fond of, I tell Senri with trust.

    ¡°Senri, I¡¯m leaving my back to you.¡±

    A violent sound of something hard hitting against each other echoes through the narrow underground passage.

    A pile of human bones, casually piled up on the ground, is reflecting the hazy light of a candle. Inside the narrow passage, five men are confronting the Skeletons that have rushed in, blocking the way.

    Skeletons aren¡¯t human though they originate from human bones. Even veteran mercenaries wouldn¡¯t feel good seeing the ruins of what were once humans.

    However, if a dozen of them appear at the same time, that¡¯s a different matter, you won¡¯t have the luxury to feel aversion or fear.

    The men were mercenaries. They were neither vampire hunters, nor Death Knights. They were jacks-of-all-trade hired for fighting.

    One of them, Deck, who was dressed in a somewhat dirty outfit, complained while swinging a mace.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear about so many of them appearing!¡±

    ¡°Stop bitching and kill them properly! They¡¯re not that strong, don¡¯t forget to crush their heads!¡±

    Lazar, who had technically settled into a leader-like position within this mercenary group, warned.

    Skeletons inherit the qualities from when they were alive. Skeletons, who had rushed in, could hardly be called powerful even as a flattery. The fact that none of the 5 men that had accepted this job got seriously injured was the biggest evidence of that.

    The attacking Skeletons were many in number, but the pathway was narrow, so they could deal with several of them at the same time. Their opponents were undead who did not experience fatigue. However, thanks to the environment, the humans could take turns fighting. Unless they really messed up, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about dying.

    Hunting undead at the old castle is a delicious job known to every mercenary visiting ¡®Dessend¡¯.

 CH 97.2

    Generally, hunting undead isn¡¯t profitable unless the enemy is a bigwig.

    You can¡¯t sell their meat or bones and the lower ranked undead don¡¯t hold any treasure on them. It¡¯s a job people won¡¯t take the initiative to take unless they¡¯re from the Order of Death Knights.

    And, since only Death Knights can deal with those bigwig undeads who stock up treasure, mercenaries don¡¯t get a turn.

    However, it¡¯s different if there¡¯s a private client.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting paid and there¡¯s not much risk of dying so stop complaining.¡±

    The client this time was ¡®Dessend¡¯ itself. The reward was guaranteed.

    The only undead appearing were the lowest ranks like Skeletons, so it wasn¡¯t a bad job, except for the fact that they had to be on duty at night. The truly wonderful thing above all was that they¡¯d definitely get paid even if the undead didn¡¯t appear.

    The most important thing for mercenaries is their life and second most important thing is money.

    This job has a lot of undead so the situation could get frightening sometimes and if they were careless, they could get injured, but this was a relatively easy job compared to what mercenaries, who were fighting on the front lines against Demon King¡¯s army were doing.

    ¡°Still, just where in the world are these guys coming from?¡­¡±

    ¡°Who knows. I¡¯ve not heard of a war happening nearby¡­¡±

    Lazar obeyed the gravity and swung down his mace. Having crushed the Skeleton¡¯s head along with its thin helm, he frowned at Deck¡¯s question.

    ¡®The undead have started to sneak into the castle at night, so please get rid of them.¡¯ That was it.

    Lazar and the co were stationed at the end of the underground passage that was discovered 5 years ago.

    This underground passage was already investigated by ¡®Dessend¡¯ and it was known that nothing was there. Lazar and his group thought that there was a reason why the undead were coming, so they investigated the place several times, but they couldn¡¯t find anything. The underground passage turned many ways and it felt like first time visitors would get lost, but it wasn¡¯t wide enough to be called a Labyrinth.

    One of his comrades said with a bitter smile while fending off with his shield the spear that the Skeleton swung with great difficulty.

    ¡°They should¡¯ve just asked the Order of Death Knights.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way the Order of Death Knights would bother with small flies like these. No¡­If they get the info, they might actually come. But in that case, our job would be gone. After all, they don¡¯t take rewards.¡±

    Lazar and the co were laidback mercenaries. They weren¡¯t aiming to be heroes and they wouldn¡¯t go to the front lines where they wouldn¡¯t know if they¡¯d live or die. Their skills were also at their limits, but it had to be said that they didn¡¯t understand the battle at all, as they were using spears in this narrow passage. In addition, they were unwisely moving in a group and had to be careful to avoid hitting their allies. Therefore, they looked like they were having a very hard time moving.

    Lazar was surprised when Skeletons started to appear one after another, but it looked like they would be able to finish the job with no problems today.

    At dawn, he would have to go back to the town and rest for work again tomorrow night.

    Exterminating the Undead in the basement of the castle every night might¡¯ve been a hassle, but it wasn¡¯t like the undead could appear endlessly. He didn¡¯t know when this profitable job would disappear.

    The moment he mechanically crushed the Skeleton before him while thinking of such things, one of his allies, who was keeping watch on what was beyond the hazy light of the candle while squinting, shouted.

    ¡°There¡¯s an evolved one! It¡¯s ¡®the Black Bone¡¯!

    ¡°?! Is it the commander?!¡±

    A Skeleton, who was only protecting its important parts, appeared from the darkness. The only thing that differentiated it from the Skeletons they had defeated so far were its black bones. However, that was the proof that the creature before them was on another level from the ordinary Skeletons.

    Lazar knew because he had researched the undead before taking the job.

    Most of the Skeletons were small flies, but ¡®Black Bone¡¯ was different. Skeletons accumulated power and evolved by killing living creatures and taking in the bones of their kin, but the weak never reached that level. A naturally evolved individual would become a strong enemy.

    His allies became obviously nervous. It was just a single enemy, but it was probably comparable to the dozens of Skeletons they had defeated until now.

    The narrow passage limited the number of the enemies, but at the same time it meant that they couldn¡¯t surround the enemy either.

    Lazar had been told by the client that they could run away in case of an emergency, but he shouted. He had to, before everybody ran away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s attack together! It¡¯s just one enemy! Let¡¯s finish it in one go before reinforcement comes!¡±

    In response to his voice, his allies readied their weapons. In the hands of ¡®Black Bone¡¯ was a massive scimitar. If anybody got hit by it, they could easily lose an arm. Since its wielder was an evolved individual, they couldn¡¯t hope for its strength to be weak.

    Lazar¡¯s decision to engage in combat didn¡¯t come from courage. He had reserved his retreat route if push came to shove. He could leave the castle if he used a byway. But, if this Skeleton chased after him, he¡¯d absolutely not be able to run away. On the contrary, he¡¯d be killed without being able to do anything.

    It was fine, he told himself. After all, the enemy was alone. And it had only evolved once. They had killed Skeletons until they were sick of it. Their opponent was just a stronger version of those and it wasn¡¯t like it had any unique abilities like a vampire. They should¡¯ve been able to defeat it.

    He encouraged himself with baseless thoughts and lifted his barely silver-plated long mace.

    A blood-red light was quietly shining in the middle of ¡®Black Bone¡¯s¡¯ skull. The enemy¡¯s face was expressionless. But its dark and cold killing intent was clearly transmitted.

    Cold sweat slid down Lazar¡¯s cheeks. He focused on each of its moves. Lazar wasn¡¯t an undead. He only had one life. He wasn¡¯t allowed even a single mistake.

    Then, the black Skeleton soundlessly stepped in.

    It was a simple swing. But that single slash had the speed of a whirlwind. Lazar intended to receive it. But by the time he came to himself, he had already retreated a long way back.

    The blade passed a few centimeters before his eyes. A few strands of his bangs scattered and the air stroked his forehead.

    He didn¡¯t even have enough time to feel death before the blade turned over. Time stretched. Skeletons were fragile. If his allies took the chance to attack it, they might have succeeded in drawing its attention. But his teammates didn¡¯t move. No, they probably couldn¡¯t move. Lazar might¡¯ve also frozen stiff if he were in their position. That¡¯s how powerful this attack was.

    It was far too different from the Skeletons they had defeated until now.

    This is bad. I¡¯ll die. He was wearing armor, but cheap armor would mean nothing in front of a single slash like this.

    He didn¡¯t even have enough time for regrets. He could only open his eyes wide and stare at the raised blade.

    ¨D¨D And, a black line suddenly dashed in front of him.

    A high-pitched sound shook the air and the skull that was looking at him disappeared from his front.

    His thought process couldn¡¯t keep up with what happened. He kept staring stunned at ¡®Black Bone¡¯ that had lost its head. Its arm, still holding the scimitar, crumbled down as if it had just remembered to do so.

    ¡°Alright¡­ we made it just in time.¡±

    A voice without a trace of nervousness called out to the frozen Lazar and the others.

    A girl with glasses and beautiful silver hair, who was unsuitable for this place, appeared from behind where the black skeleton stood, along with a very suspicious man who was wearing sunglasses even though it was night.

 CH 98

    The morning gave way to noon which in turn brought on night. I woke up to Senri¡¯s knock as I lay inside the closet of an inn in Dessend.

    The inns in ¡®Dessend¡¯ are not kind to vampires. There are no curtains, the closets are peppered with the right crucifix symbol and the room was full of blatant anti-vampire measures.

    The weakness of vampires to the crucifix is rather subtle. We are weak to a specific crucifix but it is not as fatal compared to our other weaknesses. That is the reason I, with few abilities then, was able to hold my own against Keeper, the vampire hunter and also why Senri¡¯s sword is not in the shape of a crucifix.

    I looked up at the clay crucifix once again and sighed. The gradual increase in annoying weaknesses and their countermeasures are a little different from the image I had of vampires. Naturally, as long as my life depends on it, I could not possibly be lazy in dealing with them¡­.

    The silver haired ex-Death Knight looked at me and smiled ever so slightly that nobody except me could have noticed it.

    Senri looked as pretty as ever. Even after all the work of locating the castle last night and taking to the streets during the day, she still looked full of life.

    ¡°Morning, End.¡±

    ¡°Morning. They should really consider human proportions when making a closet.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯d have all the space you want if you turn into a dog.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay put if I did.¡±

    Lately, I have been limiting the number of occasions I transform into a dog. The ability is rather convenient and I did take a liking to both forms of fluffy white dog and cool, sleek black dog, but that is precisely why I feel like I would get careless and take things too far.

    Besides, I am mostly in my dog form while on the road, so I would rather not continue to stay that way once inside town.

    I felt fine. I do not need to check to know that my body is in tiptop shape. Unfortunately enough, I still have a lot of blood power.

    I hesitated for a bit, then opened the drawer, pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on.

    And finally, I felt around my pocket for the Night Crystal the size of the tip of my little finger, that we snagged last night.

    The signs of life from the tunnels ended up being a couple of mercenaries.

    It was no more than a coincidence that we saved their necks in time. Though I did pick up signs of life, I could not tell that they were struggling to fight off the skeletons.

    Five men between twenty and thirty years of age. They did not seem too competent. They all looked rugged and pretty built but they were probably only as strong as the weakest soldier in Rainel¡¯s army.

    Strong people are often ones with a tenacious life force (although they do not need to have complete control over it like Senri). And these people do not have that.

    They do not seem to be able to wield magic and the leader of the group who introduced himself as Lazar was someone I could take on with both my eyes shut.

    Either way, I do not intend to work together with or fight them, so their strength is really not a matter of concern.

    The mercenary group was perfect for the purpose of gathering information. They did not seem to doubt that I was an undead and were all captivated by Senri. Well, I also found it hard to tear my eyes away from her when we first met and still cannot, so I can¡¯t really fault them.

    If they ever try to lay hands on her, I shall beat them to a pulp, but I shall allow them to gawk for a bit.

    To sum it up, we could glean no new information from them.

    Looks like they were hired to deal with the undead that invade the castle. Their employer being the town of ¡®Dessend¡¯. Their job was to hole up in the castle and take down the undead that occasionally infiltrated it.

    They readily coughed up details only because they had nothing to hide. Did not seem like they were lying either.

    That was the extent of their job and they were not ordered to protect anything. From what I hear, they have taken up similar jobs many times before.

    I did not learn what I thought I would. However, I did learn that they knew nothing.

    They were no more than your typical mercenaries. Mercenaries never question their employers unless there are extenuating circumstances. Although I do think it is rather crazy to stick to that rule when they have to put their lives on the line exterminating undead, it is their choice and I cannot do anything about it.

    And so, the biggest achievement from yesterday¡¯s castle raid ¨C was the Night Crystal that we managed to obtain.

    Senri shut her eyes for a few moments after which she opened them and nodded.

    ¡°There¡¯s no mistaking it¡­ I can¡¯t feel your presence.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I can tell too.¡±

    I started sensing blood energy and began channeling it during the battle with the man-eater ¨C after I lost the Night Crystal. So, I only had a vague understanding of it, but now I can grasp it fully.

    Energy was flowing through the small stone. I could distinctly see the path of flow.

    I found the stone in the corner of an unassuming passageway way past the tunnel the mercenaries were guarding. It was not in any treasure chest nor on any shelf, but just lay there out in the open, ignored like any other pebble.

    It was also only as big as the tip of my little finger and it probably went largely unnoticed by humans. Even if someone had noticed it, the thought of picking up a pebble in the dark would not cross their mind.

    Even the Death Knights would probably not have noticed it. I was able to barely sense its special nature because of my ability to sense the flow of negative energy .

    Either way, after all that is said and done, we had successfully accomplished what we set out to do in this town.

    However, to be honest¡­ everything went a little too smoothly that something did not sit right with me.

    I never imagined Senri¡¯s proposal would directly connect us to our objective. I was only hoping to find a clue or two, but given how even Senri looked flabbergasted, I guess we were of the same mind.

    Nothing made sense. I have followed my head so far, but everything that happened at ¡®Dessend¡¯ has been a very odd series of events. Everything has gone off without a hitch. Almost as if we are following someone¡¯s script page for page.

    We have gotten what we wanted. Nevertheless, I have no idea why this was rolling around on the ground there, why the skeletons attacked me or who is the mastermind pulling the strings from behind the curtain.

    First of all, what exactly is a ¡®Night Crystal¡¯? Appears to be no more than a mere pebble at a glance. I am aware that it can sparkle like a gem when cut and is actually more fragile than it looks.

    Why was it lying there of all places? Was Senri right in that the Mirage Demon King is the origin of the crystal? But it has been ages since he was felled. Why was this left intact there? And conversely, why was there not more of it?

    I heard from the mercenaries that they did a customary sweep of the tunnels. The reason why they did not discover the crystal is probably because of its simple looks as I mentioned but the undead should be able to instinctively sense it. Even if one were to argue that the tunnel was only exposed because of the wall around it crumbling down, it has been a few years since that happened.

    Logically speaking, it makes no sense for it to be there.

    Oh, I guess the presence of Night Crystals cannot be detected from too far away¡­.

    We got our hands on a Night Crystal. The only reason we did not leave this town right away is because the series of events have been too strange.

    Moreover, if this is where crystals are created, it would be a shame to leave after finding just one tiny crystal. I have already had two of them destroyed, so might as well find a spare and then some.

    I did consider swallowing the crystal, but thought it a little too hasty, taking into account that the crystal actually erases one¡¯s presence. Placing an object that absorbs negative energy in my body might greatly reduce my own strength and not to mention I, quite unfortunately, tend to lose large portions of my body from time to time, so it would not really be the safest place to hold the crystal.

    Fleeing this place should be our last resort.

    Senri looked up at me and her eyes saw right through me, just like they did the first day we met.

    ¡°Got our meeting place fixed. Baron, even with your presence concealed, this town is far too harsh on you. Let me know if anything¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can tolerate it to an extent.¡±

    I have been through a lot since I was revived, but they still do not compare to my previous life.

    Senri sidled closer to me. Because the flowing water here and there in this town could take me unawares and steal my strength. I let my tongue graze over my throbbing fangs as I took hold of her cold hand.

    A high-end bar was chosen to be our meeting place. Senri looked for and found it to be one of the few places that did not add garlic to their food.

    ¡°There¡¯s taxes levied on garlic-free food in this town.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I want my father to take down the guys who decided on this rule.¡±

    I uttered my umpteenth complaint since we entered this town, to a bespectacled Senri. Vampires have an acute sense of smell, so a simple dish with garlic cannot kill us. This is no more than mere harassment.

    That said, Senri¡¯s blood, sweet as ever, should make me feel elated as usual. She has not partaken any food with garlic for my sake. Just for my sake.

    The entrance was under ground level. Down a white staircase we went and through a fancy door.

    As Senri had mentioned, there was not a whiff of garlic inside the bar. There were quite a few patrons, all of them well-dressed.

    I guess, there are a few who would like to dine on garlic-free food in this town.

    The mercenaries we had rescued last night stood in a corner looking very ill at ease. I would have expected them to be swimming in alcohol but there were only small glasses on the table.

    I raised my sunglasses and put an arm over Senri¡¯s shoulder and called out to them excitedly as I walked over.

    ¡°Heyy! Sorry you guys had to come in so late. We were a bit occupied during the day.¡±

    ¡°N-No worries, you two saved our lives. Let us pay you back at the very least.¡±

    He sounded brusque but that is probably because of the life he had led. His face held no hostility or fear.

    I have not really had many dealings with others apart from a fight to the death, but I do possess the knowledge I gained from books. You need to put on a strong front when dealing with mercenaries.

    I plopped down on an empty seat and ordered a jug of the bar¡¯s strongest liquor. The bartender looked a bit surprised but said nothing.

    The mercenaries looked nervous. They seemed surprised yesterday too, and probably wondered about the circumstances that brought together the strange duo of a strong man much younger than themselves, who wore sunglasses at night and a beautiful silver-haired girl, who did not look ordinary in any way. All the more so, as they had met for the first time in a castle at night.

    I flashed them a friendly smile.

    ¡°Let me reintroduce myself. I¡¯m Baron Silvis, a vampire hunter. This is¡­ Roux, Roux Silvis.¡±

    ¡°Vampire hunter?! Is that why¡­¡±

    Senri eyes widened. Well it might be a bit too late, but it is better to not use Senri¡¯s real name since the Death Knights could still be on our trail.

    Her name is not all that rare but we stand to lose nothing by taking precautions.

    My impromptu introduction created a buzz and the mercenaries looked at each other.

    Vampire hunters seem to be a rarer species than Death Knights. And from what I have seen of the Keeper, they also seem to be oddballs. It is probably the best disguise in this town. Albertus was hunting down vampires despite being a cursed one herself, so it should not really be odd for me to do the same.

    I peeked at Senri before declaring brazenly,

    ¡°We have the same last names because I married into her family. And we are totally head over heels for each other. You had better be prepared to get socked if you ogle at my wife.¡±

 CH 99

    ¡°Are you sure you want to let them join us? Sure, they saved our lives, but ¨D¨D they¡¯re obviously suspicious. Also, they¡¯re ¡®Vampire Hunters¡¯ of all things.¡±

    Lazar answered his teammate with a silent, disappointed look.

    Mercenaries also fought against the demons sometimes, but ¡®Vampire Hunters¡¯ were a group of madmen who even mercenaries feared.

    The way those small humans confronted monsters despite not having any special powers like Death Knights might¡¯ve been interesting inside a story, but seeing it in person was the most frightening thing ever. They were different from Lazar and his teammates who were happy enough with just crushing Skeletons.

    There were only a few vampire hunters. Many named themselves as ¡®Vampire Hunters¡¯ to make use of their prestige, but these two were obviously no ordinary mercenaries.

    The air around them was different. Coming in without any light and defeating ¡®Black Bone¡¯ in the darkness with a single blow is impossible for ordinary mercenaries, and if it was possible, they most likely wouldn¡¯t think of doing it.

    They also looked strange. The man, who named himself as Baron, was wearing sunglasses even though it was midnight and the woman was dressed unbelievably lightly. It wasn¡¯t like Lazar and the co. were heavily equipped, but her outfit wasn¡¯t suitable for visiting the basement of the old castle of the former Demon King.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Just be happy that you¡¯re still alive. Besides, that Baron guy. His power is nuts. You saw it, right? He can crush a copper coin. That¡¯s not something a human can do.¡±

    Lazar had seen plenty of people bragging about their strength, but this was the first time he had seen a man crush copper coins with just his fingers. What¡¯s more, the person involved didn¡¯t seem to be boasting of his strength, so it felt extremely strange. While it wasn¡¯t a humanly possible deed, it was understandable if the other person was a vampire hunter. Vampire Hunters were strange in a head and they also had strange powers.

    ¡°Besides, they said that they didn¡¯t want the reward. We, on the other hand, can work more safely than usual.¡±

    He continued as if trying to convince himself.

    Asking to join their job without demanding reward was a strange request. Lazar would feel suspicious too, if the other party was in the same trade.

    But they were vampire hunters. The only purpose of vampire hunters was to hunt the vampires. Of course they probably received money too, but since they could earn money more easily as mercenaries, they were definitely focused more on hunting monsters.

    And, in the first place ¨D¨D it would be one thing if they were on equal grounds, but there was no way he could refuse in that situation. Lazar and others already owed them.

    Then, Lazar glared at one of his teammates, Boris, who got into many troubles because of his womanizing ways.

    They were too young to be a married couple. Lazar didn¡¯t know if those two were really in that kind of relationship, but Roux herself didn¡¯t deny it with words and Baron¡¯s eyes and tone were intimidating enough to think that he would actually beat them up.

    Perhaps Boris¡¯ instincts were sharper after going through a lot of painful experiences, he trembled with an unusually serious expression.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. Even I know how to choose my opponents.¡±

    ¡°Still, the fact that vampire hunters would come here on a business trip¡­ does it mean that this job is¨D¨D pretty dangerous?¡±

    Lazar was fully aware that things were getting fishy. He relayed the information about the appearance of ¡®Black Bone¡¯ to the employer but their reaction didn¡¯t change much. ¡®Black Bone¡¯ was a strong enemy, but it wasn¡¯t that rare. It was unbearable for Lazar and his teammates who actually encountered it, but it couldn¡¯t be helped that the client¡¯s reaction was weak.

    In the first place, it was common sense to call the Order of Death Knight if undead started to appear. From the fact that they hadn¡¯t done this, it was obvious that ¡®Dessend¡¯ didn¡¯t consider this matter to be of high importance.

    ¡°Yeah. Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re letting Baron join in? Besides, if you¡¯re worried, you can just put up a silver cross in the castle.¡±

    Why did an easy job turn into something like this?

    Lazar sighed and looked outside. The night was coming again. They had to keep defeating those abominable undead in the basement of the castle again.

    I decided to put the small, fragment size Night Crystal in the locket and hang it around my neck to not lose it.

    The locket that Senri bought for me is made of pure gold and it¡¯s not very strong, but it¡¯s originally just an accessory and we¡¯re in ¡®Dessend¡¯ that¡¯s known for its silverwork and to start with, even if this locket was made of steel, I¡¯d still lose it if I¡¯m not careful, so I have to compromise.

    If I hang it around my neck, I won¡¯t be detected to be a vampire. For some reason, Senri looks at my happy mood with exasperation.

    ¡°End, you¡¯re letting your guard down.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not End, I¡¯m Baron. And you¡¯re not Senri, but Roux. You¡¯re my wife Roux.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a simplistic setting. There should have been other better excuses.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than not doing anything.¡±

    Senri sighs deeply.

    I gave the setting I wanted to play. I have to regularly suck Senri¡¯s blood. During that time, we have to be alone mostly for self-defense. Thus, this is a reasonable setting. Besides, this way, if those gruff mercenaries try to lay their hands on Senri, I can beat them up without hesitation.

    To start with, it was Senri who said that she¡¯d always stay with me. In other words, she would be my family. And, in order to stay with an undead like me, we would need to have an even stronger connection than that. In other words, we would have to be a married couple. I say with a serious expression.

    ¡°There is clearly something in that castle¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ The Mirage Demon King was a mage.¡±

    Senri says expressionlessly.

    The information we got from asking mister Lazar and the others again was too little. But we did find out some new things.

    The undead started invading from outside quite a long time ago and several parties have already been involved in the mission to repel them. It seems like the higher-ups of ¡®Dessend¡¯ don¡¯t intend to report this situation to the Order of Death Knight at the moment. And, even when they were told about the appearance of an evolved undead, they didn¡¯t particularly show a strong reaction.

    In other words, this matter is not that unusual of a situation ¨C Evolved undead have appeared before this too.

    The ¡®Black Bone¡¯ that almost killed mister Lazar and his teammates isn¡¯t exactly the kind of monster that¡¯s impossible for humans to beat. It seemed like those higher up would change their mind if casualties appeared, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯d subjugate it without any problems at that time.

    And, now I can somehow guess why this town has so many anti-vampire countermeasures.

    Every nook and cranny of the basement should¡¯ve already been checked by ¡®Dessend¡¯, but there¡¯s a chance that they overlooked the Night Crystals and found something that only undead could identify.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go sightseeing if we have the opportunity. I couldn¡¯t look around Rainel¡¯s castle in the end and I wanted to go around it at least once.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Senri frowns lightly. But she doesn¡¯t say anything.

    Either way, Senri should also be curious about the castle, which we would need to check.

    The castle of the Mirage King stood calmly today as well. The old castle illuminated by the moonlight was somewhat devastated, but still looked hauntingly beautiful.

    I don¡¯t want to be a Demon King, but I want to build a castle like this one day.

    Mister Lazar and the others were waiting in front of the castle. I don¡¯t feel the presence of undead today.

    ¡°We¡¯re always ambushing them in the basement. Most undead come here aiming for the basement.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Why?¡±

    ¡°No idea. But, it¡¯s said that powerful undead usually live in underground labyrinths so maybe they just like basements?¡±

    These people really don¡¯t know anything.

    I look at Senri, but she¡¯s slightly shaking her head.

    I agree with her. I love coffins and I also love basements where the sunlight doesn¡¯t reach, but I¡¯m not drawn in like moths enthralled by the light. I¡¯m sure the other undead are the same.

    That being said, I also don¡¯t think that those Skeletons were aiming for the basement because they felt the presence of the Night Crystals. Sure, I felt the presence of the Night Crystals too but that was only after I went to the basement. Its power isn¡¯t strong enough to be detectable from above ground.

    The movements of the Skeletons had purpose. In other words, somebody gave them orders beforehand.

    Right now, I can defeat most Skeletons. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem even if on top of that, Mister Lazar and others betrayed us and attacked us. And, if the owner of the Skeletons from the other day came too ¨D¨D if I¡¯m with Senri, I should at least be able to run away.

    I wanted to look around the castle too, but I followed Mister Lazar and his teammates who have already been hunting the undead for two weeks and headed for the basement.

    The moment I took the first step towards the basement while following Mister Lazar and others, I stopped.

    Senri, who was walking behind me, stopped immediately.

    ¡°¡­ Is anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I frown, close my eyes and sharpen my mind.

    I don¡¯t take much time. I thought it was my imagination for a second, but it wasn¡¯t. Neither Mister Lazar¡¯s group, nor Senri seem to have realized it.

    I can feel the presence of Night Crystals.

    I squint and look into the darkness. There is no sign of life in the underground passage that was most likely built by the Mirage King.

    ¡°The Night Crystal¡­ seems to be a part of the undead. The Ruler of Darkness ¨D¨D The Skeleton King who once led ten thousand Skeletons ¨D¨D ¡®Night Closer¡¯. Kukuku¡­ I don¡¯t know how true this is though.¡±

 CH 100.1

    We are exterminating undead in the castle of the Mirage Demon King today as well.

    It¡¯s been more than 10 days since we started to secretly help the mercenaries. The castle of the Mirage Demon King seemed to be the focus of the undead. While they weren¡¯t flooding us every day, some undead appeared out of nowhere at least once in 3 days.

    There were several patterns to the way the undead acted. Mister Lazar and his teammates said that all the undead were coming to the basement, but this knowledge was based on the fact that they were ordered to wait underground, and while most invaders seemed to be coming to the underground passage immediately, a few of them went around the higher floors of the castle.

    Most of the undead were Skeletons. A lot of them were the lowest rank undead that hadn¡¯t evolved even once, but there were ¡®Black Bones¡¯ mixed in, along with zombies and wraiths. Mister Lazar and his group that were having troubles with a mere ¡®Black Bone¡¯ definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to overcome this wave.

    Of course those are no match for me and Senri (who¡¯s now using Roux¡¯s name).

    It was my first time fighting Wraiths so I was surprised at first, but ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯ could cut wraiths, who had no body, as if they had physical mass.

    As I thought, this blade could take undead as potential enemies. Furthermore, the body of lower vampires repels the mind manipulation wraiths use, so fighting them was much easier than dealing with Skeletons, who have no substance. Meanwhile, In order to kill a second class knight like Senri, they would need a horde bigger than the army of undead created by the Lord.

    On the other hand, there was something to learn from the way Mister Lazar and his teammates fought.

    No, even if there wasn¡¯t ¨D¨Dtheir guts for fighting the undead in darkness as ordinary humans was commendable. Frankly speaking, I was quite envious of the way they fought while cracking jokes with their weak comrades to overcome fear.

    ¡°What kind of training enable you to get so strong?¡±

    ¡°I do a lot of muscle training.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t really look like you have a lot of muscles.¡±

    ¡°Quality over quantity. Besides, if I¡¯m not at least this strong, I¡¯d have trouble fighting vampires.¡±

    I reply to Mister Lazar while cutting Skeletons in two.

    Senri says to me, who has completely fit in during these few days, with an accusing tone.

    ¡°Baron, try to be more nervous.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m alert.¡±

    Right now I am hiding my presence with three ¡®Night Crystals¡¯.

    They¡¯re all small so I can¡¯t hide a lot of my negative energy with each one, but with all 3 of them together, even Death Knights wouldn¡¯t realize anything if they saw me. In fact, Senri has already certified that.

    I¡¯ve already fully explored the Mirage Demon King¡¯s castle. There was no light source inside the castle, so it must¡¯ve been pitch black for humans, but it wasn¡¯t an obstacle for a vampire with eyes that can see through the darkness.

    There was nothing novel inside the castle. There were no expensive items and while I was very attracted to the existence of the old castle itself, I couldn¡¯t find anything more than that. The information that this castle was abandoned a long time ago must¡¯ve been true.

    If that was all, I¡¯d decide that there was nothing here and leave this place quickly. However, the basement was what was stopping me from making that call.

    I naturally searched every part of the basement too. The underground path is intricate like a maze, but its range isn¡¯t very big, and I already have the map ready too.

    I wonder if it was an emergency escape route, the rugged underpass feels old, but it¡¯s not infested with creatures. It itself is just an ordinary passage.

    However ¨C Night Crystals seem to ¡®appear¡¯ in this basement.

    The crystal that I collected while helping Mister Lazar and others in the beginning, were already back two days later when I came back together with them.

    At that time I thought that it was the crystal I had forgotten on the first day. After I saved Mister Lazar and his group, I withdrew right after without being able to inspect the whole basement so it¡¯s not impossible that I left it behind.

    But, two days later after that ¨D¨D when I discovered a Night Crystal again, my doubts turned into conviction.

    I definitely didn¡¯t leave it behind. To start with, Night Crystals have a peculiar presence that only undead can feel. No matter how small it is and no matter how much its color melts into the darkness, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d miss it.

    We decided to hunt here for a while.

    The principle behind the formation of the crystal is unknown. But, Night Crystals are valuable.  The more we have, the better. It does bring me an indescribable feeling of discomfort, but it¡¯s better to collect as many as I can.

    At this point, it¡¯s clear that the purpose of the undead that appears every night is the crystals. Senri can¡¯t overlook this either. I also wouldn¡¯t be concerned about the safety of the other undead.

    I leave the lookout job to Mister Lazar and the other mercenaries and sit down to take notes in the notebook Senri bought.

    ¡°What are you writing down?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Maybe it was good that I showed my strength at the beginning. Mister Lazar and his group seem to be respecting my will. There have been no signs of anybody trying to lay their hands on Senri so far either.

    What I¡¯m writing down is the cycle in which the Night Crystals appear.

    First day. It had already fallen when I was helping Mister Lazar and the others. I didn¡¯t go the next day. It seems that Mister Lazar and his group also took breaks after getting permission from their client.

    Third day. When I came with Mister Lazar and the co, it had already fallen. There was nothing on the day after that. There was nothing on the day after that either. There was one on the next day after that.

    I organize this information in chronological order with a pen in one hand.

    At first, it came back after a day, then it came back in 2 days. It doesn¡¯t necessarily revive every other day.

    First day. Appeared. I saved Mister Lazar and his group. Fought with and subdued a lot of Skeletons and Black Bone.

    Second day. Unconfirmed.

    Third day. Appeared. Fought with Skeletons.

    Fourth day. Didn¡¯t appear. Undead didn¡¯t appear.

    Fifth day. Didn¡¯t appear. Fought with Skeletons. Subjugated Black Bones.

    Sixth day. Appeared. Fought with the Skeletons.

    Seventh day. Didn¡¯t appear. Fought with Wraiths and Zombies.

    Eighth day. Didn¡¯t appear. Undead didn¡¯t appear.

    Ninth day. Didn¡¯t appear. Undead didn¡¯t appear.

    Tenth day. Didn¡¯t appear. Undead didn¡¯t appear.

    The undead haven¡¯t appeared these last few days. There¡¯s a chance that they gave up, but according to Mister Lazar and the others, it¡¯s common for attacks to not come every day.

    There, I noticed something.

    ¡­ Maybe¡­ they¡¯re made the day after we defeat evolved undead¡­?

    I¡¯ve not had enough trial runs, so I can¡¯t say for sure, but if this is true ¨D¨D it will be very troublesome.

    After all, I¡¯m not the one who decides whether evolved undead appear or not. I¡¯m also wondering what would happen if we can¡¯t beat them.

    However, if this hypothesis is true, it¡¯s highly possible that the power emitted by the undead is connected to the regeneration of the Night Crystals.

    Maybe I could somehow create it myself too. After all, now I have the foundation needed to use necromancy.

    Of course, it¡¯s quite doubtful whether Senri would allow me to do it not¨D¨D

    As the Lord¡¯s masterpiece, I have the potential to become stronger. I also have enough room to increase my power. The fastest way to get stronger is to make allies. There are demonic beings that unconditionally obey the vampires like Oliver.

    As I¡¯m immersed in my extravagant worries, Senri, who was patrolling together with Mister Lazar and others, calls out to me.

    ¡°Baron, a big one is coming.¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­ another ¡®Black Bone¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Higher than that.¡±

    There are no emotions on Senri¡¯s face, but as I have already mastered her character, I can see that she¡¯s a bit nervous.

    Higher ranking than ¡®Black Bone¡¯, huh¡­ that¡¯s a first. Even Skeletons haven¡¯t appeared today.

    I stood up. By that time, all my previous worries had already vanished. To start with, I have no intention of ever leaving Senri. And, after attaining multiple Night Crystals, that goal has become more realistic.

    As I concentrate my consciousness, I can feel that the air is slightly shaking.

    No, that¡¯s not right. This is ¨D¨D footsteps. It¡¯s still far away, but it¡¯s quite ¡®big¡¯.

    ¡°Are they letting it in the underground passage?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t enter.¡±

    Senri answers immediately. She has a far better detection ability and knowledge about the undead.

 CH 100.2

    Looks like the mage who¡¯s been sending Skeletons over has lost their patience.

    Are they telling us to come out or are they planning to forcefully bury the underpass?

    We ask for the permission from Mister Lazar and the guys, who haven¡¯t noticed anything, and go upstairs together. They would only be a hindrance since they had troubles even with ¡®Black Bone¡¯. Their presence wouldn¡¯t make much difference, so it would be better if they stayed where they had less likelihood of dying.

    The closer we get to the surface, the greater the shaking becomes. Senri says.

    ¡°It¡¯s most likely a Skeleton Giant.¡±

    ¡°Do Black Bones get bigger when they evolve?¡±

    ¡°Wrong. It¡¯s made from the bones of the giants. It¡¯s stronger than Black Bone.¡±

    Giants, as their name implies, are a minority race that look like humans, but are said to be several times larger.

    Because of their size, they have their unique culture and rarely appear in human towns. Of course, I¡¯ve never met them, but from what I¡¯ve heard, all of them are excellent warriors. They¡¯re much bigger than humans so they must be strong.

    However, I see¡­ things like them exist too¡­

    It¡¯s a race known for their herculean strength. I don¡¯t intend to compare strengths upfront, but I¡¯m slightly interested in which one¡¯s stronger, them or the Lesser Vampires.

    We run through the dungeon and go outside. At that moment, the ground shakes extremely violently.

    ¡°Kh?!¡±

    My eyes open wide. I didn¡¯t have to look for it.

    It was just huge.

    It looked like Skeleton with golden bones. But each of its bones were much thicker than my torso and shone with dull light in darkness.

    I couldn¡¯t see it fully with a single glance, as its eye sockets, from where sinister red light was spilling, kept looking down at me from above the partially-destroyed ceiling.

    Demon King Rainel was huge, but he was always walking on four legs and he pretty much never stood up on his hind legs so this thing here should have advantage in pure height.

    In addition¨D¨D my opponent wasn¡¯t alone.

    There was only a single big one, but I could feel the presence of multiple Skeletons around. It was not just ten or twenty.

    ¡°A Black Bone is here too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an all-out war, huh?¡±

    Maybe they haven¡¯t charged in despite having gathered so many troops because they have great discipline.

    But even so, this amount of fighting power is too much no matter how I think about it. Mister Lazar and the guys wouldn¡¯t be able to hold off even the 10th of them.

    The Skeleton Giant doesn¡¯t roar. It¡¯s just quietly looking down on us.

    It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a giant, but as its name suggested, it¡¯s awfully huge. It¡¯s very intimidating even with a hollow bone body.

    I gave up on comparing my strength with it. No matter what, our physiques are too different.

    How are you supposed to fight with Skeleton this big?

    If Skeleton of this size had an appropriate size sword and swung it generously, this half-destroyed castle wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. No, it looks like it could destroy the castle wall with a single punch.

    But it¡¯s fine. The enemy is huge, so it doesn¡¯t have maneuverability. And, with my jumping power, I should easily reach its head.

    It¡¯s armored but because of its size, it¡¯s full of openings. I¡¯ll cut its neck bones. I just have to break it first before it breaks anything.

    It¡¯s a good opportunity to show my power to Senri.

    I lick my lips at the sign of a strong enemy I haven¡¯t faced in a long while and say to Senri.

    ¡°Senri, I¡¯ll take on the big guy.¡±

    ¡°Photon Delete.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that was the best solution.¡±

    Senri replies somewhat apologetically to my words. And her expression makes my heart bleed even more.

    It has a terrific power no matter how many times I see it. The beam of light that Senri released blew off the Skeleton Giant without letting it do anything.

    It wasn¡¯t even a battle anymore. If that light was directed at me, even I, having gotten stronger as a Lesser Vampire, would be vanquished in a single blow.

    Even I could probably, maybe, definitely defeat Skeleton Giant but it would most likely be impossible to defeat it in one hit. In the battle against the undead, Senri is the closest to being invincible.

    The most terrifying thing is that Photon Delete isn¡¯t Senri¡¯s original creation, but rather Epe¨¦¡¯s specialty. Even though I¡¯ll have no chances of winning against Epe¨¦, as expected, I¡¯m doomed for the fate of always running away.

    Contrary to my dejected self, the mercenary bunch were in high spirits for some reason. Maybe they¡¯re happy that we annihilated all the undead. They¡¯re sure easygoing despite the fact that they¡¯d be killed if we weren¡¯t here.

    ¡°Cheer up, Baron. If you¡¯re so narrow-minded, your wife will leave you.¡±

    ¡°Even I have my own pride¡­¡±

    Well, I knew that Senri could defeat Skeleton Giant, but even so, this is just too much. Just where should I put down my raised fist?

    ¡°Well, cheer up. You defeated a big-shot. If we report it, we¡¯ll get extra money. We lucked out, so I¡¯ll treat you to a drink.¡±

    ¡°Why, thank you¡­¡±

    Please choose a place that doesn¡¯t serve garlic. I¡¯ll empty out your wallet, don¡¯t you underestimate a vampire¡¯s power.

    Just as my thoughts went this far, a sudden question appeared in my mind.

    Mister Lazar and the others can¡¯t be called strong mercenaries even as flattery. They can defeat Skeletons, but they lose to Black Bone and would most likely flee without being able to do anything against Skeleton Giant.

    But ¨D¨D they¡¯re definitely not weak mercenaries either. They have enough skills to defeat monsters that appear on the highway and they have spent way longer than me fighting with their swords.

    ¡®Dessend¡¯ is a peaceful town. There hasn¡¯t been a war in a long time, so the level of visiting mercenaries must¡¯ve naturally fallen.

    ¡°¡­ Mister Lazar, when mercenaries here exterminate the undead ¨D¨D does anybody end up dead?¡±

    ¡°Dead¡­? Nah, nobody seems to have died on the mercenary side. To start with, usually only weak undead appear. Usually¡­ we are just unlucky.¡±

    Mister Lazar says while frowning.

    As expected¡­ huh. Mister Lazar and the co are mercenaries, and because they don¡¯t have much ability, they must have carefully selected their job.

    It would be good if being ¡®unlucky¡¯ was enough to wrap up this situation¡­

    Senri also seems as though she¡¯s not convinced. Something¡¯s strange. Everything¡¯s strange.

    We can¡¯t withdraw. I know we can handle it. The power of crystal is too alluring for us to go without confirming anything.

 CH 101

    Imagine this. A suspicious duo appears at the site of the old castle every night. One of them is a peerless beauty and the other one has superhuman physical strength.

    You split up with them every night when returning after finishing the job and never meet them during the daytime. You¡¯ve met them in ¡®Dessend¡¯ only once, at an unusual bar that doesn¡¯t serve garlic at night.

    It¡¯s strange for me to say this but, Mister Lazar and his group must have something wrong with them as mercenaries. How can they act together with such an extremely suspicious duo and not even feel suspicious.

    At the very least, if I was in their position, I¡¯d have immediately cut off the relationship or reported to the employer.

    In the first place, they still haven¡¯t withdrawn despite being attacked by the undead they couldn¡¯t handle numerous times. I¡¯m so speechless from their stupidity, I can¡¯t even sigh.

    But, I quite like Mister Lazar and the others, the mercenary group, who are neither useless nor helpful. I can sympathize a lot with their compromising attitude that everything is fine as long as they¡¯re benefitting from it and as long as it¡¯s not hurting anybody.

    Looks like Mister Lazar¡¯s group is getting a cash bonus according to the number of undead that appear. I gave them all my rights to claim that amount in place of keeping us secret. It¡¯s pretty nice when interests align. It¡¯s ideal if we¡¯re fighting together temporarily.

    But it looks like I¡¯ll need to make another move soon. There are too many things we don¡¯t know, I can only check things one by one. If things start to seem dangerous, we just have to hurry up and run away.

    After finishing today¡¯s work, Senri and I were sharing information at the inn in ¡®Dessend¡¯.

    ¡°I think that ¡®Dessend¡¯ is hiding something.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I agree.¡±

    To start with, regardless of whether this matter concerns the undead or not, it¡¯s kind of strange that they didn¡¯t contact the Order of Death Knights.

    The Mirage Demon King was an enemy of the Order of Death Knights, defeated a long time ago. It wouldn¡¯t be strange to contact them after undead started to appear again and the Order of Death Knights wouldn¡¯t ask for the reward so it¡¯s not a money-related problem either.

    I nodded strongly, while making my line of sight crawl on Senri¡¯s white skin that was highly exposed to her shoulders, satisfied at us having the same opinion

    As I put my arms around her delicate back, Senri doesn¡¯t resist the movements of my hands and changes the direction of her body. The softness and warmth of her flesh, the hardness of her bones that I sometimes touch, her shiny hair and of course the blood flowing through her body, everything is first-rate.

    We¡¯re on a single-person bed. There¡¯s nobody around. On the long-awaited feeding day, I¡¯m thinking with all my might where to bite today.

    Senri¡¯s voice is calm. But her heartbeat is slightly faster than usual and it¡¯s also taking her longer to continue the conversation. Also, although it¡¯s difficult to see in the darkness, her skin is also slightly dyed crimson. The five senses of a Lesser Vampire won¡¯t miss even the slightest change.

    It was kind of different from what I expected, so I slightly pushed Senri, who was facing sideways, to lie face down. I hook my finger around the collar of her thin nightgown, slide it slightly down and evaluate. I still don¡¯t know everything about Senri, but perhaps because of her great blessing, there are no wounds on her body no matter where I check, so it¡¯s hard to choose where it¡¯s better to bite.

    I continue while holding back my aching teeth by licking them with my tongue.

    ¡°There has to be a reason why the Night Crystals are multiplying. I want to check the moment of its appearance once.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Night Crystals give a special kind of discomfort to the undead. At the very least, there¡¯s no trace that the crystal appeared while I was hunting the undead together with Mister Lazar¡¯s group. In other words, something happened after we were gone ¨D¨D between the morning and the night.

    That¡¯s a big problem. Sunlight doesn¡¯t reach inside the underground passage, but the vampire¡¯s powers still decline at noon unrelated to that. It¡¯s a bit dangerous to hide in the basement. Of course, I¡¯ll do it if it¡¯s needed. But is it worth going through so much risk?

    I have my nose close to Senri¡¯s neck like a dog, as she¡¯s lying face down, but as expected, it feels kind of different, so I lightly grab Senri¡¯s shoulders and turn her sideways. After being turned sideways, Senri¡¯s eyebrows twitch. The glimpse of her collarbone hopelessly entices my urges.

    ¡°Or I could try to investigate the higher-ups of¡®Dessend¡¯ who hired Mister Lazar¡¯s group¡­ but if I reveal my identity they¡¯ll find your location, Senri, and I can¡¯t exactly threaten them so¨D¨D it¡¯s difficult.¡±

    I¡¯ve heard that powerful vampires have the power to manipulate the hearts of their targets, but I don¡¯t have that.

    I¡¯ve been making some various suspicious actions and if I¡¯m careless, this town might be more dangerous than attacking undead. After all, they even have perfect vampire countermeasures.

    The bosom wrapped in a loose nightgown is moving slowly.

    ¡°¡­ Indeed, we need to act cautiously. But, before that, End¨D¨D¨D¨D¡±

    Senri says with a little sigh.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to drink blood, do it already.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m choosing where to bite. You already said that you¡¯d allow me that much, Senri.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I said it. But I¡¯ve been turned over for the third time already. It¡¯ll be morning at this rate.¡±

    She¡¯s right. But it¡¯s hard to decide.

    Once I sink my fangs in, I just have to suck from there. The pace at which I can suck blood is up to me, but since Senri is delicate, there¡¯s only a limited amount of blood I can get from her without causing any problems and no matter how much I try to prolong the feeding time, there¡¯s a limit to it.

    She¡¯ll mostly overlook me touching her skin while sucking blood, so I can endure it to some extent, but the most fun thing for me is the timing at which I sink in my fangs. And that¡¯s also when Senri has a nice reaction too.

    Her reaction is different depending on the location of the bite, so I can¡¯t help but put my effort in choosing carefully,

    ¡°It¡¯s because you only allow me to bite once, Senri. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll increase the amount of blood I suck anyway¡­¡±

    Senri glares at me as I complain.

    ¡°I allowed it to some extent at first. But then, how many times did you bite me, ¨D¨D End?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t remember. But there are no marks left.¡±

    ¡°You kept biting me through the whole night no matter how many times I asked you to stop.¡±

    Isn¡¯t it fine? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s losing more blood. It¡¯s just play-biting, a proof of my trust! It was the best, to say the least.

    I protest while staring at Senri¡¯s neck.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. You never told me to stop.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ you were covering my mouth with your hand.¡±

    Did something like that happen?¡­ There¡¯s no way Senri would lie, so most likely it did happen.

    But, I¡¯m also compromising to some extent.

    When I experimented with Monica, I bit her more than I ever did Senri, the place where I got the biggest reaction from after biting was the base of her leg. But I¡¯ve never asked Senri to let me bite her leg.

    I¡¯ve been heartbreakingly holding back on sucking her blood while showering together or taking off her clothes.

    I don¡¯t mean to toot my own horn, but there is definitely no other gentlemanly vampire like me. If cutting my guts will make her forgive me, I¡¯ll cut my stomach as many times as needed.

    Besides, it¡¯s because I knew that I¡¯d take a long time selecting that I¡¯m choosing while consulting about the future. Is there anything wrong with my actions? No, there isn¡¯t.

    Senri narrowed her eyes, laid on her back and asked me with a solemn voice from below.

    ¡°End, can you swear that you¡¯re seriously doing this for nutrition replenishment and not for your personal enjoyment?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve decided. As expected, I¡¯ll do it from the front. Thank you for the meal.¡±

    As I thought, it¡¯s better to suck while looking at her expression.

    Senri caught my arms that I had stretched out to get into the main dish, and said with an almost reproaching tone.

    ¡°Also, stop saying ¡®thank you for the meal¡¯ too.¡±

    ¡°? What¡¯s wrong? Did you guys have a fight?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a delicate problem so I¡¯d appreciate it if you don¡¯t ask anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re sure frank.¡±

    Mister Lazar stares in wonder. Senri glares at me.

    The old castle was quiet. Today I¡¯ve been here in a suitcase since the evening, but nothing out of the ordinary seemed to have happened.

    Just a few tourists came by. ¡®Dessend¡¯ also seems to be pushing for this castle as the sightseeing spot and no strong monsters seem to be appearing around, so things like that happen too.

    And, looks like today is a ¡®miss¡¯.

    I go to the underpass like usual and wait for the attack of the undead.

    ¡°The guy who gave us the job is suspicious. ¡®I didn¡¯t think you guys were so capable¡¯, he said.¡±

    ¡°Kuh¡­ well, we¡¯re nothing, compared to Vampire Hunters.¡±

    Unlike the undead, humans can¡¯t kill living creatures or monsters to gather death energy, however, in my experience ¨D¨D strong enemies have an aura of strongness around them. All the people I¡¯ve faced until now were veteran warriors.

    Among them, only ¡®Keeper¡¯ was a pure human who didn¡¯t amplify his power with blessing or curse, but that man also had a mysterious air about him.

    I don¡¯t feel that with Mister Lazar and his group. I don¡¯t know what the gap between them is, but I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a huge wall.

    Albertus resented the undead enough to turn into a black dog, but I¡¯m sure Keeper¡¯s resentment wasn¡¯t weaker than hers.

    I received blood so I¡¯m overflowing with power. And today is the full moon. My power is stronger than ever.

    Perhaps that¡¯s the reason I was able to notice it before Senri.

    It was probably not something I caught with my five senses. There is probably some kind of connection between me and my kind.

    I declare to Senri, who looks surprised perhaps because she has noticed it, in advance.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it today.¡±

    It¡¯s the presence of a closely related kin. Their strength even surpasses that of the ¡®Skeleton Giant¡¯ from the other day. They haven¡¯t shown themselves yet but I could see that they were serious today. Looks like the enemy ran out of patience before we could make our move.

    There¡¯s even a chance that the caster will appear too. If we can capture them, we could hear their plans.

    Senri whispers, as if putting a damper on my enthusiasm.

    ¡°I won¡¯t give you a reward even if you do your best.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I¡¯m working for free, but I¡¯ve already gotten more than enough payment, Sucking blood isn¡¯t the only instinct vampires have.

    Perhaps sensing what was happening from our attitude, Mister Lazar and the mercenary bunch had frozen up. As I regained my fighting spirit, I shrugged and ran upwards.

 CH 102.1

    An acutely dark presence is approaching. It¡¯s an indescribable feeling.

    If I must say it¨D¨D it¡¯s as if darkness itself is closing in on us. For an undead like me, who¡¯s exempted from the rules of death, that presence is something I¡¯m very familiar with, but I think that the Order of Death Knights and the mercenaries, who confront this with living flesh are really amazing.

    I escaped from the basement. Although they¡¯re not visible yet, there are an unbelievable number of the undead surrounding the old castle.

    To start with, Necromancers are good at suppressing with numbers.

    If there¡¯s no mage who can launch wide range attacks, the difference in numbers can determine the tendency of the battle. And, that¡¯s the reason why the Order of Death Knights, who can annihilate the undead on a wide scope, are considered their natural enemy.

    I left Mister Lazar¡¯s group in the basement. The difference in numbers can be somewhat mitigated inside the narrow underground passage. It¡¯s pretty doubtful whether I can finish things without letting a single undead slip by, but their chances of survival aren¡¯t that low.

    I thought for a while and decided to check the difference in our military strength. The undead neither run nor hide and since I¡¯m the same kind as them, it¡¯s not hard to read their presence, but when there are so many of them here, as expected, the processing ability of my brain can¡¯t catch up.

    In that case, it¡¯s better to act flashy and let them attack first.

    ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous plan.¡±

    Senri says with a rebuking expression, but this is not a plan for a human with limited stamina.

    And, this is the safest. It¡¯ll be perfect if I leave Senri to guard the basement.

    The undead are strengthened by gathering death energy. It¡¯s only a tiny amount compared to the power vampires get by ¡®Feeding¡¯, but it¡¯s better than nothing.

    There¡¯s no meaning in actively hunting them because the amount of energy the undead release after their second death is insignificant compared to the living beings, but with so many of them here, they should be able to fill my stomach to some extent.

    I confess to Senri before heading into the battle.

    ¡°Every drop of your blood is mine, Senri. I won¡¯t give it to them.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see.¡±

    I thought she¡¯d be moved, but Senri¡¯s reaction is extremely lukewarm. However, judging from her smell, she doesn¡¯t seem to hate me, so I should retreat now. I know. Men, who keep pushing without thinking about the other person, are hated. It was written in a book.

    I go outside alone and jump along the castle wall to the center of the castle ¨D¨D on the crumbling spire, with Blood Ruler in hand.

    Cold wind strokes my skin and the moonlight is giving me power.

    I can see the dead crowding in the darkness even through my sunglasses. What a quantity. They¡¯re truly worthy of being called an ¡®army¡¯.

    But I¡¯m not afraid. I only feel excitement. The mafia was weak. It¡¯s the first time since Rainel that I¡¯m fighting so many monsters. The dead deployed around the old castle surpass the ones Lord Horus controlled at least in numbers.

    It arouses my fighting instincts as a Lesser Vampire. I have no hatred for them, but I can kill as many of them as I want.

    I feel countless eyes on me. I¡¯m being watched. The hatred and killing intent is bringing me a tingling good sensation.

    ¨D¨DAnd, without any signal, the dead all rush into the castle at once.

    Senri has given me a lot of information until now. Including how to fight, common sense, the tricks of Necromancers, and the basics of the battle against the undead.

    The first thing I checked was whether they had realized my true identity.

    What you need in a fight against a vampire is how to use their weakness. Keeper I fought once is a good model for that.

    I¡¯m strong. I¡¯m still a lower rank, but I have enough power to somehow corner the Demon King and because of the regular act of feeding, my power right now is stronger than it was before.

    If they realize that I¡¯m an undead belonging to the vampire class, they will undoubtedly bring abominable crosses and garlic (silver weapons and the blessed holy water will also have a strong effect on them as they¡¯re also the undead so I think they won¡¯t use those).

    I observed the undead that were surging forward for a while and confirmed that they were using the brute force approach. The decayed castle wall no longer maintained its form as the castle wall, but it was spectacular to see countless Skeletons climb it in a straight line aiming for me. Of course, they were also rushing in from the open gates too.

    ¡°Amazing¡­ so something like that¡¯s possible too.¡±

    Skeletons were riding on top of each other¨D¨D Looks like a body without any skin or flesh is very convenient for coordinated group gymnastics.

    But, it¡¯s sheer stupidity to challenge somebody like me, who doesn¡¯t feel any fatigue or exhaustion and has high regeneration ability, with numbers.  Even Rainel¡¯s mighty army could hardly match up to me, so there¡¯s no way Skeletons could be worth anything regardless of how many of them were gathered.

    I got bored of observing, so I quickly slid down the half-destroyed roof of the spire. I jumped into the swarm of bones, possibly numbering over several hundreds, who were running towards me.

    Skeletons really were just skeletons. I¡¯ve heard that the capabilities of the Skeletons reflected their talents from when they were alive, but these guys were probably the bones of ordinary people.

    Their combat skills were far inferior even to the Skeletons that were protecting the Lord¡¯s mansion, but at least they had advantage in numbers.

    The Skeletons only had a single crude sword and weren¡¯t even wearing armors. I even felt some pity for the sloppy way they were treated.

    With a single swing of a hatchet, I blew away several Skeletons. The bones that had been hardened with magic are meaningless in front of the physical strength of a Lesser Vampire.

    Just like that, without running out of breath (though not breathing wouldn¡¯t affect my actions at all), I destroyed the tower of Skeletons.

    The bulky wreckage of Skeletons and their crude swords, collide with the stone pavement, making a loud sound. It doesn¡¯t seem like the swords of hundreds of skeletons would even graze me.

    Anyway, just how many Skeletons did they prepare? What are they, Skeleton enthusiasts?

    The moment I frowned at the fact that their numbers didn¡¯t decrease no matter how many Skeletons I cut down and yet they didn¡¯t prove to be of any challenge, my keen vampire hearing caught a sharp wind noise.

    I rotated my body and avoided the thing that came flying at me.

    It was an arrow. An iron arrow. It miraculously avoided the horde of Skeletons and pierced the stone floor.

    On top of the castle walls, beyond the dead that were still single-mindedly rushing in,

    I could see the figure of the Skeleton that was wearing splendid armor. It was carrying a bow that was as big as its body and its bones were as black as night.

    I¡¯ll call it Black Bone Archer. There were Skeletons equipped with a slightly inferior bow and armor around it in the same way.

    I see. So this is their favorite.

    I realized something a bit too late and clicked my tongue.

    I wasn¡¯t the only one observing the situation. They were also investigating something.

    What were they investigating?

    Well, of course¨D¨D my identity.

    To say even more, they were probably dispatched under the assumption that they would be destroyed, in order to make sure that I wasn¡¯t a Death Knight.

    Death Knights are the apostles of light. If I was a Death Knight, I couldn¡¯t be dealt with by ordinary means and even if they maintained their distance, they could¡¯ve been purified from afar.

    And, after looking at the way I fight, they were convinced that I¡¯m not a Death Knight. Thus they dispatched their favorite.

    I¡¯ve sure been underestimated.

    I accurately cleared away the only arrow that was released by Black Bone Archer, the powerful arrow that was hard to see, out of the downpour of arrows. The arrows released by other archers were slow and not very powerful.

 CH 102.2

    Blood Ruler left by the Lord is a wonderful machete. Its reach, strength and sharpness are just perfect.

    Fulfilling my duty of stalling them, I destroy the Skeletons that are rushing in, while avoiding the arrows and sometimes slicing them apart.

    The Skeletons attacked like the waves. Even if they¡¯re the bones of ordinary people without combat skills, the tombs are finite. The night is still young. Since they¡¯re also undead, they surely don¡¯t intend to fight until sunrise. Time is on my side.

    I hear the sound of trampling the ground from countless sounds.

    I jump over the Skeletons and block the jet-black blade that was swung down, with the machete. After I force it back by pouring in more power, the Black Bone knight that launched the attack jumps far back and lands while trampling its allies.

    ¡°They¡¯re really generous.¡±

    I involuntarily stare in wonder.

    It¡¯s a magnificent ¡®Black Bone¡¯, towering at 2 meters. It was undoubtedly a famous hero in its lifetime.

    Without saying anything, Black Bone raises the giant sword the same height as his body. It truly has a terrifying physical strength, the privilege belonging only to non-humans.

    But, not as much as me.

    If they could open their mouths, they would surely exclaim ¡®That¡¯s impossible!¡¯ in disbelief.

    The single slash that was most likely swung with its full power contained strong force that I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear when I was a newly turned Lesser Vampire. Still, they¡¯ve only evolved once. I have gone through a number of evolutions.

    Before I knew it, the number of surging Skeletons had decreased. They were replaced by more powerful variants.

    Bone wolves, bone monkeys and bone bears. When I look at them like this, I end up thinking about strange things, like how different animal bone structures are. It¡¯s very fresh for me, because the Lord used animals other than Skeletons as they were.

    In addition, before I knew it, countless semi-transparent humanoids started flying in sky and a large chorus that sounded like screams echoed at night.

    It¡¯s almost like the end of the world.

    ¡°It¡¯s a full-course meal. Aren¡¯t they going to great efforts?¡±

    Taking all the killing intent and hatred around on me, I lick my lips and raise my machete high up.

    Dozens of kilometers away from the old castle. On top of a remote mountain, a man with a fiendish expression was looking into a crystal ball with eyes open wide.

    It was a man with dry ashen skin. He was around thirty years old. He wasn¡¯t tall, but his stagnant eyes were so unhinged, any sane human that saw them would run away screaming.

    In fact, the man was an existence that despised the world and resented humanity. A Necromancer. A dark mage who freely manipulated the dead and disgraced the souls.

    However, his expression that almost always remained unchanged, was now distorted in astonishment.

    ¡°I-I¡­ Imposs,ible.¡±

    A scene that seemed unearthly was unfolding inside the crystal ball.

    Countless dead were flowing into the castle where nobody had reigned in a long while. Most of the undead were Skeletons, but among them were also evolved Skeletons ¨C ¡®Black Bones¡¯  and ¡®Skeleton Wilds¡¯ that moved in shape-shifting ways that were structurally impossible for humans. There were also many spiritual type undead that couldn¡¯t be damaged with ordinary weapons mixed in. They had enough military strength to destroy a small town overnight.

    However, the army of the dead the man was proud of¨D¨D couldn¡¯t even kill a single person.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that human?¨D¨D¡±

    It was an unbelievable sight for the Necromancer, who had barely met any obstruction until now.

    The target of the dead was a single young man. He was probably in his mid-teens. He was wearing sunglasses despite the fact that it was night and he was swinging an obviously unordinary big blade.

    But that was it. He was neither a Death Knight nor did he use combat magic. He didn¡¯t have any allies nearby either.

    However, a single blow from his machete easily blew away the undead that were swarming around him. He repelled a hit from Black Bone Knight, who boasted of extraordinary strength, accurately cleared away the arrow from the archer that was hard to even perceive and top of that, even though he was fighting all this time, he showed no signs of exhaustion

    ¡°Is he really a human¡­? Or is it the power of some kind of a curse?¡±

    The force dispatched by the man tonight was enormous. Unlike the Skeletons that he had sent to wait-and-see, the man had sent almost everything, ignoring the benefits, in order to eliminate everything that stood in the way of his domination.

    Numbers are power. Even if the opponent was a mighty warrior, all he had to do was send in an army of 10 000.

    It would be one thing if the enemy was a part of the Order of Death Knights, but it was out of the man¡¯s expectation that they couldn¡¯t kill what looked like a single human.

    The sight inside the crystal ball was always disadvantageous. Calmness came back little by little to the man¡¯s excited thoughts.

    ¡°Neither poison nor miasma seem to be working at all¡­ No, what¡¯s up with his injuries? Damn it, I can¡¯t see.¡±

    He was extremely skilled. But that didn¡¯t mean that no arrows hit him from the rain of the arrows. The Skeleton Archers the man had gathered were elites. He had used the bones of people who were excellent archers in their lives.

    While neither of them seemed to have accurately wounded his body, several of them had grazed him. And those arrowheads were coated with powerful poison that would render any human unconscious just from a scratch.

    ¡°How can he be okay? How?¡±

    There were some other mysterious points too.

    Due to dark magic, the undead were coated with powerful miasma. Miasma changed the air. Even if a single one had no effects, with all of them gathered together, any human would have problems even moving.

    Nevertheless, the young man didn¡¯t even change his expression. Even the scream of ¡®Banshee¡¯ which shook the human hearts, or the sleep-inducing mist that he had used at the same time as the charge of the undead, didn¡¯t seem to have any effects.

    His treasured Skeleton Giant, made after hard effort, broke down the castle walls and attacked. However, Skeleton Giant was already defeated once. The man couldn¡¯t imagine it defeating the young man without dealing any noticeable damage.

    The man clenched his fists hard enough to draw blood and whispered with a trembling voice.

    ¡°Kuh!¡­ You monster. I misjudged. Who could have imagines that ¡®Dessend¡¯ had left such a skilled fighter like that in the old castle¨D¨D¡±

    He should have prioritized the retrieval of Night Crystals instead of choosing to eliminate the foreign enemy. Even the Crystals, that the Necromancers wanted at any cost, couldn¡¯t be weighted against the army that he had painstakingly created over many years.

    No matter how strong the enemy was, he was just a single person. All the man had to do was use a decoy and find the crystals during that time.

    He still had another move. But, regardless of how annoying it was, he had to avoid more losses.

    He had remembered the young man¡¯s face. The next time they met, he¡¯d definitely kill him. The man would make him forevermore regret that he had made the enemy of a Necromancer.

    Using their connection, the man gave the order as if spitting it out. In that moment, a refreshing voice echoed inside the room where nobody else was supposed to be.

    ¡°Wait, Necromancer, Roman the ¡®Butcher¡¯.¡±

    Black mist gathered and took the shape of a person. Appearing from the darkness was a woman wrapped in a black garments. She had a cold gaze, but her irises were red as blood and her skin was so translucent it was hard to imagine it belonged to a human.

    A vampire. One of the most famous and feared species of the undead in this world.

    The man called Roman frowned and shouted at the unexpected visitor.

    ¡°So it¡¯s you! I don¡¯t remember even welcoming you. How did you enter here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why you¡¯re third rate. There are a few secret paths. This mountain was already bought out by my Lord and bestowed to me. The trespassers have no rights.¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­ What does a single vampire need here?¡±

    The retainer of the ¡®Stake King¡¯, Sable Bloodpain, smiled faintly at Roman, who, despite the fact that his army was on the brink of extinction, still maintained his arrogant attitude.

    ¡°My Lord is interested in him. I won¡¯t let him get away anymore.¡±

 CH 103.1

    I thought this when I was hunting the undead with Mister Lazar¡¯s group too, but it seems like the person who¡¯s been sending in the dead this time is devoted to Skeletons. Wraiths also appeared in the second half, but their numbers were obviously different.

    Though, neither of them pose any obstacle for me currently. Since it was my first time fighting Wraiths (Not counting the Lord¡¯s ghost, of course, but that was an exception) so, I was a bit worried, but I¡¯ve learned about them too.

    The various abilities that the Wraith species possess are aimed at living beings. They won¡¯t work on me, who¡¯s already dead.

    Even if I hear the repulsive cries that terrify the living beings, it won¡¯t cause even a slight disturbance in my mind. And, the Lord¡¯s heritage can cut through ghosts as if they were real.

    I avoid the big swing attack from Huge Skeleton and run up on its smooth arm bones.

    I¡¯ve already gotten used to my ridiculous athletic abilities. My opponent is strong, but because of its size, it lacks flexibility. While its big frame might be suitable to scatter countless soldiers, from my point of view, it¡¯s a good target.

    I strongly rotate my body and swing my machete with all my power. The flesh on my arms squeaks and the jet-black blade conveys a dull impact.

    ¨D¨D It¡¯s hard.

    Perhaps because its bones are harder than a human¡¯s, the blade that I swung down at its neck has stopped at the middle.

    The Skeleton Giant strongly shakes its body, trying to shake me off.

    But it¡¯s useless resistance. I use ¡®Sharp Claw¡¯ to sharpen my claws, pierce its bone body and endure. I can already use power as easily as breathing.

    And, if I can¡¯t cut it off at once, all I have to do is slash it as many times as needed.

    I pull out the machete by force and hold it aloft.

    The blade that I aimed and released properly hit at the neck of Huge Skeleton ¨C where I had cut till the middle a while ago.

    As soon as I jump off its shoulders, the towering giant body crumbles down. The ground shakes strongly, probably because even if it¡¯s just bones, when it gets to that size, it acquires an appropriate weight.

    Looks like the core of the Skeletons is in their heads.

    They¡¯re already moving without a brain, so I think it¡¯s better if their core was at the side of their body, but I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to move with just a body either so that¡¯s probably the way it is.

    The number of the Skeletons has considerably been reduced. The remains of countless Skeletons are rolling around the site of the old castle.

    I also buried a countless number of them too, but most of them were dragged into the broad attacks of Skeleton Giant.

    I guess I already took care of the big gun?

    I sigh quietly while warily keeping an eye on the surroundings and calm my uplifted spirit.

    ¨D¨D They¡¯re only at this level, huh?

    I was wondering how strong a regular Necromancer was, but the Lord must¡¯ve been a fairly high-ranking caster.

    This time, the opponent was careless. They didn¡¯t know my identity. But if the average Necromancer is only at this level¨D¨D I won¡¯t have any problems.

    I can win. I can attack them first. I can steal their knowledge, techniques, and power. Senri surely wouldn¡¯t stop me from defeating a Necromancer either.

    As I finished my silly fantasies, I frowned.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s time to end things.¡±

    I stayed for too long. I didn¡¯t see the caster among the undead. Necromancers are cautious, I¡¯m sure that person is watching this battle too.

    I should leave the town before they come up with a countermeasure, before the Necromancer¡¯s main force arrives.

    And I¡¯ll travel with Senri again. I have Night Crystals this time. I don¡¯t have to worry about the pursuers as much as before. We¡¯ll go to a town where there isn¡¯t much garlic and live in hiding there.

    Things have been going so well lately that I can¡¯t help thinking about reprehensible things. But I shouldn¡¯t forget that I¡¯m on the hunted side.

    Night Crystals are attractive to the undead. You can never have too many reserves. But no matter how you look at it, if a Necromancer starts attacking with all their forces, there¡¯s too much risk. I should consider myself lucky this time.

    The problem is Senri. Would she accept the option of leaving the town while knowing that a Necromancer is here?

    Senri is on my side, but her core is still undoubtedly that of a Death Knight. If she chooses to stay behind, ¨D¨D I will have to fight.

    As I was heartlessly swinging my machete while thinking about such things, there was nothing left moving around me before I knew it.

    The ruins of the castle at night, with broken bones and armor scattered around, was like a scene from hell.

    If they¡¯re not purified by Death Knights, the corpses of the undead usually stay where they are. According to Mister Lazar and his group, the town will hold the memorial service for the corpses of the undead. The townspeople will surely be surprised tomorrow when they see this scene.

    There won¡¯t be any more attacks tonight.  Its quality aside, they not only released such a big army, they even put out the irreplaceable ¡®Black Bone¡¯ and ¡®Skeleton Giant¡¯ which take time to evolve or need special ingredients. As you¡¯d expect, I don¡¯t want to think that this was a test trial.

    I¡¯ll go back to Senri.

    The moment I decided to turn on my heels, I suddenly heard a familiar voice.

    ¡°As expected from you, Ancestor.¡±

    I open my eyes wide and reflexively ready my machete. I search the surroundings.

    I can feel the negative energy that the undead emit. Even without that, I can even discern the undead from their scent.

    But for some reason, I couldn¡¯t catch this presence. The presences of the undead that I just fought are permeating, but it¡¯s not like they¡¯re indistinguishable either.

    It was the same last time too. She suddenly appeared.

    The cold voice was praising me, but it didn¡¯t sound happy at all. She couldn¡¯t have appeared at the worst time.

    ¡°We do indeed not feel fatigue, but to think that you¡¯d destroy it so beautifully¨D¨D it¡¯s hard to imagine that you¡¯re still a Lesser.¡±

    ¡°Hiding and peeking? You sure have bad hobbies.¡±

    Sable. The retainer of the Stake King, the vampire Demon King. The vampire who tried to control me and was supposed to be burned by Senri.

    She was alive¡­ just as I expected. It might be conceited of me to say this, but the toughness of the undead is abnormal.

    During our journey, I heard the information from Senri.

    Stake King seems to be the longtime enemy of the Death Knights. He¡¯s one of the most terrifying Demon Kings in this world, who has a myriad of dark armies and many former Demon Kings as his subordinates.

    That Demon King¡¯s power is already understandable from the fact that he still maintains his might even now, when absolute heroes like the Order of Death Knights exist. According to Senri, the battle between the Stake King and the Order of Death Knights has been going on for a long time and it hasn¡¯t concluded yet.

    The power of the Death Knights is something that the undead cannot resist. Even if a powerful vampire fought them head-on, they wouldn¡¯t be a match for them, but I can understand the reason why the fight hasn¡¯t been settled yet.

    The Order of Death Knights is weak against the living army. Just like how 3rd class knight, Dell Gordon, was captured by Demon King Rainel, in an extreme case, if you can gather some monsters of that level, you will be able to fight with the Order of Death Knights.

    Various thoughts pass through my mind in an instant.

    Sable is strong. First of all, she has evolved more than me. She can use the special abilities of vampires that I can¡¯t use yet and she most likely also has a lot of combat experience.

    Senri failed to shoot her down. It¡¯s pretty unlikely that I¡¯ll be able to kill her. She¡¯s genuinely above me.

    My heart beat hard. Cold heat runs through my whole body.

    But Sable is an enemy. She tried to control me by inserting her blood in me. I don¡¯t feel like it, but I must get rid of her.

    I don¡¯t know how she followed us or why she appeared just now, but it¡¯s too bothersome. It was the same with Rainel too, is she not satisfied unless she butts in?

    It¡¯s not her vampire abilities that I should be wary of. It¡¯s this hiding of her presence.

    Sable is a vampire that was changed by the Stake King, she¡¯s not an ¡®Ancestor¡¯. In other words, she shouldn¡¯t have the abilities of a Ghoul and Dark Stalker¨D¨D and she¡¯s hiding herself with a power other than Silhouette.

    Luckily, my weapon is special. There¡¯s no way a weapon made for killing the undead won¡¯t be able to kill a vampire. I have a chance to win.

    I ask cautiously.

 CH 103.2

    ¡°Why are you here? Did you come in search of Night Crystals?¡±

    What I got in a reply was something that sounded like a chuckle.

    A mist of darkness, that couldn¡¯t be seen through even with eyes of a vampire, gathered from who knows where and took a shape.

    Jet-black coat that resembled the night itself and porcelain-like white skin without any vitality. Blood red eyes, just like me, and cold yet somehow arrogant smile.

    The appearance of the female vampire hadn¡¯t changed even slightly from when I first encountered her. Neither the wounds from Rainel¡¯s attack when he was on his deathbed nor the traces of Photon Delete Senri used have remained.

    Even though she¡¯s in front of me, she still doesn¡¯t have any presence. I can¡¯t smell her either. But she¡¯s not an illusion.

    This shouldn¡¯t be the ability that ordinary vampires have. It¡¯s not magic either. Night Crystals can¡¯t erase the scent, so it shouldn¡¯t be that either.

    Sable holds out her arm.  She doesn¡¯t look any different than me, but for some reason I can¡¯t think of her as the same human as me.

    ¡°No need to be afraid. Today ¨D¨D I only came as a scout. My Lord has ¨D¨D shown interest in you. I would very much like you to accompany me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sorry, but I already have a wife. I appreciate the invitation but I can¡¯t come with you.¡±

    Would Senri be able to detect the presence of the vampire in front of me?

    ¡­ It would be difficult. What Senri uses to detect the undead is the negative aura that leaks out of them, it¡¯s the same thing I¡¯m using for detection.

    Are there any ways of hiding it other than with the Night Crystal?  Unfortunately, even if I ask her here, she wouldn¡¯t tell me.

    But there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about even more.

    As I¡¯m staring at her, Sable continues almost like she¡¯s trying to convince me.

    ¡°The Lord has spoken, that if it is possible, we would like to welcome you in our army with the same treatment as an executive. The same rank as me, most of your wishes will be fulfilled. If you desire human women, you can get as many as you want. And ¨D¨D power too. You are strong, but you are still inexperienced, you don¡¯t know how to use your vampire powers.¡±

    Those are pretty good conditions but it¡¯s out of the question.

    I don¡¯t intend to leave my beloved Senri and I¡¯m sure even Senri wouldn¡¯t come with me if I tried to go to the Stake King¡¯s side.

    As long as Senri is on hostile terms with the Stake King, I¡¯ll be the enemy of Sable and her group. It¡¯s what one would call the weakness of being in love. Besides, I also have a lingering attachment to human society.

    ¡°What if I refused?¡±

    ¡°Then, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Sable shrugged with a faint smile still on her face. But she doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s going to give up.

    Good grief, this is why I don¡¯t like monsters¡­ be it Man-Eater, Rainel or Albertus, they¡¯re all so selfish, it¡¯s troubling.

    They should take a lesson from Senri, who always listens to my selfishness.

    However, that aside ¨D¨D I asked something that I couldn¡¯t help wondering about.

    ¡°By the way, why did you show yourself?¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Sable looked puzzled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. I don¡¯t know how it works, but I can¡¯t read your presence. If you launched a surprise attack on me, there¡¯s not a very high chance that I¡¯d be able to avoid it. Why did you show yourself so boldly?¡±

    No, I get it. I get her rationale even without having to ask.

    I understand it and it¡¯s pretty convenient as it is, but¡­ when she comes out this unreservedly, my feelings can¡¯t accept it.

    ¡°It was obvious that the negotiation would have failed. If you still insist on taking me with you, you¡¯ll have to do it by force. Judging from the way you attacked Rainel, it¡¯s not like you hate surprise attacks, right? Why did you appear in front of me all fair and square?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I understand your intentions. I¡¯ll listen to your nonsense later. Sorry but I can¡¯t let my Lord wait for long.¡±

    Sable says as if finding it bothersome and points her finger at me. It¡¯s a white finger without any blemishes. A blood thread slowly stretches out from the gap of her index finger on her right hand and sways to and fro in the air.

    It¡¯s a special ability of the Stake King. I¡¯ve already seen it before so I¡¯m not surprised. It¡¯s delicate, but bundled up it has terrific power enough to restrain Rainel. It moves in erratic ways and it¡¯s also hard to avoid.

    I strongly grip my machete, take off my sunglasses with my left hand and put it away in my pocket. I squint and say clearly.

    ¡°I understand it, Sable. I understand even without you having to say anything. You think that it¡¯s easy to restrain me. You don¡¯t consider me an enemy.¡±

    That¡¯s why she appeared upfront. That¡¯s why she talked so peacefully despite what happened in Rainel¡¯s castle last time. This all despite the fact that suppression was her prerequisite.

    When I put it in words, it¡¯s nothing special. Whether to take this as a show of her self-confidence or as her belittling me is up to the interpretation.

    But I wonder why. I feel a little ¨D¨Dgloomy.

    All the enemies I¡¯ve fought until now were strong, but they still looked at me as their enemy. Even Rainel, who was overwhelmingly above me, didn¡¯t look down on me this much. I¡¯m surprised.

    Sure, Sable is above me. She has the same characteristics as me, but she¡¯s superior in everything.

    It¡¯s impossible¡­ to go with somebody who doesn¡¯t acknowledge my power or dignity.

    Sable frowns and says as if placating me.

    ¡°I won¡¯t run away. I¡¯ll be troubled if you lump me together with the Skeletons you¡¯ve defeated.¡±

    I don¡¯t say anything anymore.

    Sure, that time I could only stall. Pathetically enough, I had no other choice but to be saved by Senri.

    I was on the brink of death at that time, but it¡¯s different now.

    Right now I¡¯m unscathed. I have plenty of blood power too and I¡¯m not exhausted either. In addition, right now I¡¯m stronger than I was then.

    My soul continues to fall. I also had Senri share her blood with me.

    Fighting with somebody stronger than me is the usual thing. I¡¯ve beaten up every single enemy who tried to control me.

    Is it because she¡¯s also a vampire?  Is it what people call the hate for the same kind?

    I can feel a fighting spirit, strong enough to surprise me, boiling inside me. For some reason, my fangs are aching so much it¡¯s unbearable.

    No¨D¨D that¡¯s wrong.

    Then, I calmed down for a bit.

    I took a deep breath and licked my lips.

    This is surely¨D¨D the Lord¡¯s will.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been exercising enough lately. Show me the power of the famous ¡®Stake King¡¯s¡¯ retainer, senior.¡±

    I get it. I understand it. I can understand it now. It¡¯s a feeling that perfectly fit the expression of being convinced.

    The Lord was surely planning to kill a vampire.

    The reason why Horus Carmon gave me the ability, ¡®Curse Steal¡¯, was because the person he wanted to steal blood from was ¨D¨D a vampire. There¡¯s no mistake.

    The Lord¡¯s obsession is in my body, in my soul.

    I don¡¯t intend on going along with the Lord¡¯s delusions, but I have to brush off the sparks that fall onto me.

    I can¡¯t escape anyway. Turning my back on a vampire that can freely manipulate blood is suicidal.

    Right now our goals are matching. It¡¯s not really a lie that I wanted to properly see this so-called vampire power.

    I have a chance to win.

    ¡°Senri will surely praise me if I tie you up and take you back.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s way too foolish to be so engrossed with the Death Knight.¡±

    Thread-like blood gathered and turned into a crimson sword.

 CH 104

    Being observed makes me stronger. The Stake King¡¯s army is so huge, it¡¯s too much for me to handle. But Sable is alone.

    I¡¯m not one to talk, but perhaps because they¡¯re very strong, vampires are too careless. It¡¯s natural that they¡¯d be hunted by humans.

    Amidst the darkness illuminated only by the moonlight, my eyes could clearly see the surroundings.

    Sable comes forward with a sword in one hand. Perhaps hiding her presence required concentration, her presence that had been completely erased until now has slightly come back.

    The sword¡¯s reach isn¡¯t that long, but it¡¯s originally made from blood. Distance might as well not exist for it.

    ¡°I will enjoy the power of the King of the Dead, the power of an Ancestor!¡±

    Her eyes were narrowed with the pleasure of trampling down on me. Mysterious chills rose from my feet and spread to my whole body.

    I already know how to fight with vampires. I just need to do the same things I hated my worst foes would do to me. Sable is careless.

    I take a step back. Sable looks at me, smiles faintly and moves forward as if showing off.

    At that moment, I stepped in with all my power.

    Blood sword? Caution? Measuring the distance? Nonsense. I¡¯m not a human.

    I¡¯ve learned.

    What can defeat a vampire ¨D¨D is a power that¡¯s stronger than them.

    The blood wedge shouldn¡¯t be that easy to use anyway. If it had such lenient conditions, she wouldn¡¯t have so much trouble with Rainel.

    ¡°?!¡±

    If I can¡¯t use her weakness, if my opponent is stronger than me, I¡¯ll suppress her before she can use her full powers.

    Sable¡¯s eyes distort with astonishment. The blood sword bursts open, turns into arrows and flies towards me.

    Several arrows pierce my body. Dull pain and impact shake my body. But I was already prepared for all this. There was only a single thought in my mind.

    ¨D¨D My only good clothes are in tatters again.

    I immediately shook the machete and cut off Sable¡¯s right arm from the shoulder.

    Sable¡¯s graceful face distorts for a second. But I won¡¯t give her the opportunity to counterattack.

    Vampires have high regeneration ability, but it uses power and healing something as big as an arm takes time.

    I won¡¯t let my guard down. I¡¯ll do everything I hated when they were done to me.

    Blood flowing from the shoulder I cut off squirmed and instantly formed a shield.

    I see, that¡¯s a troublesome ability. It changes freely. The speed of its forming is also fast. Making a part of one¡¯s body transform isn¡¯t much different from Sharp Claw or Sharp Fang, but they have different degrees of freedom.

    Then, I realized something. It felt like I had received a revelation.

    It wasn¡¯t particularly advantageous. But I¡¯m in a fight with somebody stronger than me, yet I still feel very good. My feeling of wanting to study the unknown is something that I couldn¡¯t satisfy at all when I was alive.

    ¡°I see¡­ I get it. The power of the Stake King ¨D¨D is a variant of Sharp Claw and Sharp Fang.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    Just like how my Curse Steal is a modified Feeding, the Necromancer who created the Stake King definitely modified Sharp Claw and Sharp Fang to create Blood Pain.

    What a discerning eye. Any vampire can use Feeding, but strictly speaking, Sharp Claw and Sharp Fang are the abilities of Ghouls and can¡¯t be used by those who were directly turned into vampires by the power of creating the kin.

    The reason why Stake King became a big force is probably because the power inherited by his kin was very convenient.

    I strike her with Blood Ruler and break the shield of blood. The blood shield could only hold up for a moment against the single strike that had the physical strength of the vampire behind it.

    But that was enough. Sable, who was close enough to be in my arm¡¯s reach, literally ¡®dispersed¡¯.

    It¡¯s the Atomization ability. I was on guard for it, but I couldn¡¯t do anything. There is no power amongst my abilities that could deal with Atomization.

    ¡°Kh¡­ I¡¯ve been underestimating you, Ancestor! I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come at me without hesitation!¡­¡±

    Sable appeared a few meters away.

    Black outfit that melted into the darkness. Arm that I had cut off at the shoulder was healing at the speed visible to the naked eye.

    Her bloody red pupils were dilated. My body shook from her strong killing intent.

    ¡°To be honest ¨D¨Dmy power isn¡¯t anything special.¡±

    I see. So she can¡¯t regenerate when she¡¯s in the form of mist. And the time she can stay in the mist state isn¡¯t that long.

    It probably uses a lot of power. Even Silhouette, which hides my presence, uses an amount of power that can¡¯t be ignored. It makes sense. This has been very informative.

    I strongly kick off the ground and rush straight towards Sable. The female vampire narrows her eyes.

    ¡°Kh¡­ don¡¯t think that the same move will work forever¡­!¡±

    The flowing blood swirled and instantly created a triangular pyramid¨D¨Da giant blood arrow.

    What great skills she must have to make it in time for a vampire¡¯s full power leg strength. But it¡¯s not like I rushed towards her without thinking.

    I had already finished transforming my left arm. The reason I made it in time wasn¡¯t because I was very skilled, but because I had used the ability at the same time as I stepped in.

    The ability I used was Sharp Claw. But I poured in blood power and made it transform excessively.  Sable¡¯s face distorted.

    ¡°!?¡±

    During my fight with Man-Eater I turned my whole arm into a blade. But what I created this time was ¨D¨D a bone shield with a smooth streamlined surface.

    Although it¡¯s not on the same level as creating a sword from blood, if they created Blood Pain by evolving this power, there¡¯s no reason why I wouldn¡¯t be able to do something similar.

    Looks like, Sharp Claw and Sharp Fang are, strictly speaking, not the ability to transform claws or fangs, but rather ¨D¨D the ability to transform bones.

    A white shield and the crimson arrow collide. Bone shield and blood arrow, I don¡¯t know which one¡¯s stronger. But, I didn¡¯t create the shield for receiving.

    The arrowhead slides off the surface and flows behind. Sable immediately raises her remaining left hand. I mercilessly strike it with the machete.

    The sensation of the bones, the flesh being crushed is conveyed to me. I continuously shake the machete, but as expected, the protection around her head is hard.

    ¡°This feels! Amazing! Rainel¡¯s probably satisfied too.¡±

    I survived, so as a result, Sable¡¯s interruption turned out to be advantageous for me, but that aside, taking revenge on a strong enemy is pretty tasteful.

    Sable disappears. Atomization again? That ability is really a nuisance.

    The black mist moves at a high speed. It would be difficult to distinguish black mist in the dead of night.

    ¨D¨D For a human, that is.

    ¡°?!¡±

    I follow the black mist without hesitation and kick off the ground.

    I¡¯m pushing her. I mustn¡¯t give Sable leeway. Atomization is a powerful ability, but no matter how powerful an ability is, it has a weakness.

    The mist climbed the wall. At the same time as I ran up the wall and followed after her, I blew on my single best pair of clothes, which was unusually still intact.

    Black sparks spread and instantly covered my whole body. Dull pain and heat torment my body.

    I won¡¯t let my guard down. I don¡¯t know if I can burn the mist with the flame, but even if this turns out to be the declaration of war on the Stake King, I¡¯ll finish Sable here.  While I still have blood power, I won¡¯t have to worry about my body burning down.

    ¡°Hahaha, teach me how to stop my clothes from disappearing!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Are you sane¡­? Ancestor.¡±

    I stretch out my left arm that¡¯s wrapped in black flames. The flame touches the mist, but I don¡¯t know if it worked or not.

    But even if it doesn¡¯t work on the mist, it should at least be able to evaporate the blood that she¡¯s manipulating.  It¡¯s not a bad strategy. It would be even more perfect if I didn¡¯t lose my clothes.

    Black mist rises to the sky. Even I could not chase her up that high. I can jump, but that would be too reckless.

    The mist gathers in the sky. Sable¡¯s tattered appearance takes shape, with the moon behind her.

    Sable says, while I¡¯m looking up at her with faint hopes.

    ¡°Haa, haa, I¡¯m surprised. Looks like you¡¯re ¨D¨D more used to fighting than I assumed.¡±

    Sable didn¡¯t fall down. Two crimson wings grew from her back, stopping her mid-air.

    The wounds I went through so much trouble to inflict, are slowly healing.

    She¡¯s not using the power of bats. Those are blood wings growing from her back.

    Thinking calmly, blood moving freely is magic itself. I¡¯m only changing the shape of my bones, but Sable¡¯s curse has completely reached the realm of ¡®manipulation of liquids¡¯.

    Her wings didn¡¯t move. Rather than flying like a bird, it¡¯s like she¡¯s floating mid-air by affixing her in place.

    ¡°Come down, you coward! Do you not have your pride as a vampire!?¡±

    ¡°Say what you will. I will not ¨D¨D let my guard down anymore.¡±

    I opened my eyes wide and looked up at Sable, who had turned pale.

    But the feeling I was overcome with wasn¡¯t anger.

    ¨D¨D I want it. I want that ability.

    If I had Blood Pain, I could fly.

    I¡¯d be able to catch the cowardly Senri who escapes to the sky ¨D¨D and it seems to have uses other than this too.

    Sable said that she wouldn¡¯t let her guard down, but I still haven¡¯t shown Curse Steal to her.

    You can¡¯t take countermeasures ¨D¨D against something you don¡¯t know about.

    Then, Sable, who had completely healed her wounds, sighed deeply.

    ¡°It¡¯s annoying to retreat while I¡¯m being pushed, but unfortunately I¡¯m here on my Lord¡¯s order.¡±

    Suddenly, I heard howls of beasts. And not just one or two.

    I noticed several presences of living beings around only now. They definitely weren¡¯t here just a while ago so Sable must¡¯ve called them somehow.

    A few giant shadows appeared without making a sound. A big frame that towers over me. Well-developed limbs. Sharp claws and golden eyes.

    It¡¯s a smell I¡¯ve smelled before¨D¨D strong animal odor. It¡¯s the Werewolves.

    Land of the dead, huh. I don¡¯t know what in the world they desire. I¡¯m not interested in it either.

    But¡­ as expected, Sable¡¯s faction doesn¡¯t suit my nature.

    I manipulate my power and change back my left hand that I had turned into a shield. I extinguished the Cursed Flame and dropped Blood Ruler that I was holding on the ground.

    Sable¡¯s eyes relax for a second. A vampire, who¡¯s stronger than me, has taken air superiority and I¡¯m surrounded by elite werewolves. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that I¡¯ve been driven into a corner.

    And I pour in power without any hesitation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll follow the example of the strong foes I¡¯ve fought so far. Right now ¨D¨D I¡¯m definitely stronger than Albertus and Rainel.¡±

    After all, it is a full moon today ¨D¨D and I received blood full of love from Senri just yesterday.

    I feel an enormous power that seems to tear my body apart. It¡¯s not a power from outside. It¡¯s power that comes from inside me.

    My skin tears and black needle-like body hair pops out from the inside. My bones creak audibly, my bone structure changes and my muscles expand. My field of vision rises in a twinkle.

    If I stretch out my arm, I might reach Sable, who¡¯s floating in the sky. But, unfortunately, right now I can¡¯t grasp anything.

    My body is hot. It¡¯s like the inside of my head is burning. Power wells up inside me. It was worth pouring in more blood power than necessary.

    The werewolves that were twice as big as me just a second ago are almost like children now. Right now I¡¯m even bigger than I was when I transformed during the fight with Rainel.

    I can hear it. I smell it. It¡¯s the fear. It¡¯s something that those who I¡¯ve fought until now didn¡¯t have. The werewolves are agitated.

    As I thought, being big is good. You can crush anybody you don¡¯t like with a single swing of your front legs.

    Even though she should have already known that I could transform into a dog, Sable¡¯s face distorts.

    ¡°This power¡­ your ability is¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Just between you and me ¨D¨D it¡¯s to become a fire-breathing dog.¡±

    As I narrowed my eyes and answered, I roared with all my might.

 CH 105.1

    I¡¯m overflowing with power. I can understand why Albertus went on such a rampage.

    With this power, I¡¯ll be stronger by entrusting myself to the wilderness boiling up from the depth of my soul, rather than playing petty tricks.

    All my vampire weaknesses have remained as they were, so I have to be careful, but the other party is also a vampire. She wouldn¡¯t have been prepared.

    In a battle without any tricks, I, who have received the seal of approval from Senri, that ¡®with only the power alone, I¡¯m stronger than an ordinary vampire¡¯, should be at an advantage.

    Looks like, you can only get special abilities from the evolution to the Lesser Vampire, while your physical abilities don¡¯t change that much. Well, you can get such a variety of abilities with a single evolution, so it would be unfair if it also greatly improved your basic abilities.

    Werewolves spread out and surrounded me. When I¡¯m in my transformed state, my field of vision is slightly different from a human¡¯s, but even if they were in my blind spot, I¡¯d be able to know where they are from their scent.

    Perhaps Albertus and Rainel felt what I¡¯m feeling right now when they were fighting me.

    I howl towards Sable, who¡¯s floating high up in the sky. If I jump with my current physical abilities, I¡¯d reach her, but for me, with no ways of properly moving in the air, that would be a bad move.

    I stand up high with my hind legs and stretch my front legs towards Sable ¨D¨D or rather, I act like I do and spring at the nearest werewolf.

    The werewolf hurriedly tried to stop the attack, but I trample him without caring. My hands are scraped, but ordinary claws can¡¯t injure me. And, werewolves can only be injured with silver weapons, but perhaps because of the grief of being the kin, they take attacks from vampires as an exception.

    ¡°Kh¡­ surround him! Restrain him from all sides!¡±

    Sable issues an order. She¡¯s underestimating me too much. Even if they attacked me from all sides, they¡¯re nothing to worry about.

    In the first place, would Sable herself lose to the slightly trained werewolves, while they¡¯re even holding back to not kill me?

    She would be able to come up with as many countermeasures as she wanted if she imagined herself in my place, so I can only laugh.

    Werewolves attack while showing impatience on their faces. I blow away the stout arm that¡¯s swung with the full force by shaking myself.

    This body can¡¯t hold a sword, but I have claws. And I have no reasons to hold back.

    As long as I get rid of Sable¡¯s underlings, it¡¯s all over.

    If nothing gets in the way, it¡¯s unlikely that I¡¯ll ever lose when Senri is waiting behind me in case of an emergency.

    The more I kill, the easier things will get later. A vampire with an ability can somehow manage to create werewolves, but they need training to master the curse they¡¯ve received.

    ¡°Kh¡­ shit!¡±

    Perhaps because she sensed that she was at the disadvantage or because she read my mind, Sable spat out.

    And ¨D¨D it started raining blood.

    This is not a metaphor. It was a rain created from blood. Each drop of blood that was fired with great force turned into a bullet and rained down on me without leaving me any ways of dodging them.

    The still remaining outer wall of the old castle collapsed beneath the downpour of the blood rain. The werewolves who were stuck to me, were struck with the bullets and were violently blown off. It was truly the work of a monster.

    I¡¯ve heard that the wide scope high-power combat magic is something that multiple mages cast over time by working together.

    In that sense, Sable, who can release the attacks with almost no time lag that can scatter even robust werewolves is worthy of being called a great fighter.

    But, my body in this form is sturdier than the werewolves and the outer wall of the old castle.

    The blood rain stopped. I raised my head and intentionally looked at Sable.

    ¡°Did you do something¡­ ?¡±

    ¡°Guh¡­ curse you, Ancestor¡­¡±

    There was a heavy impact. A few blood bullets dug into my flesh, but that was it.

    My wounds had already healed. Very few wounded werewolves, who had barely endured the attacks from blood rain, moved back as if wary.

    Sable¡¯s face obviously lacked composure compared to before. She seems to still have her fighting spirit but she can¡¯t hide her exhaustion.

    Why is she so tired even though she hasn¡¯t fought that much yet? I slowly digest the question that suddenly popped up in my mind.

    I look at the pools of blood on the ground. I see¡­

    ¡°So you can¡¯t move ¨D¨D the blood that you shot.¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have enough blood, do you? This is¨D¨D your blood.¡±

    Rather than not being able to move it, I should think that there¡¯s some condition to it. I can¡¯t use Sharp Claw on an arm that¡¯s been cut off either.

    And the reason why Sable¡¯s face looks so exhausted is probably because she used most of the blood in her body.

    ¡°Rather than it being a defective ability¡­ it¡¯s more like you just didn¡¯t use it well.¡±

    If it has demerits, she should have used it without letting it leave her body. While the blood rain might be suitable for killing a large number of humans, it¡¯s not powerful enough to kill monsters like Rainel.

    I take it, this woman¨D¨D has never fought in a battle where she had to put her life on the line.

    Sable¡¯s eyes narrowed and I could see sharp fangs from the corners of lips that were meshed together. Then, I sighed and said with exasperation.

    ¡°So this is all you¡¯re capable of, after all¡­  judging from this, the Stake King shouldn¡¯t be a big deal either. I¡¯ll spare you, you can return.¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­ what an obvious provocation!¡±

    I said it while thinking that it was obvious too, so having it pointed out made me feel embarrassed.

    But Sable released her blood wings on the spot and landed on the ground.

    Why now¡­? She knows that I was provoking her.

    I unintentionally start thinking about her unexpected behavior. By that time, her transformation had already started.

    Sable¡¯s thin arms became swollen and her chin stretched greatly. The silver fur, a different shade than mine, grew on her while making creaking sounds.

    Her robust limbs crushed the ground that was full of holes.

    Sable transformed into a big beautiful silver wolf. Her height surpassed 3 meters and her red eyes, the only things that stayed unchanged, were looking up at me.

    ¡°So be it. I¡¯ll show you what a real vampire is like.¡±

    ¡°A wolf and a dog, huh¡­ the wolf seems stronger.¡±

    I exhale my breath mixed with Cursed Flames for intimidation and let my real thoughts out.

    Senri said that vampires who turned into wolves gained more fighting power. Perhaps the essence of this dogification ability is in strengthening the searching ability. Looking at that, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s at a disadvantage.

    ¡°Well, only if they were the same size, of course.¡±

    The wolf Sable transformed into is huge, but she¡¯s only half my size.

    She doesn¡¯t understand. Bigger is stronger than shorter. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve had so many struggles until now.

    Sable jumps at me, baring her fangs. In response, I kicked her with my front legs with all my might.

 CH 105.2

    The air trembled. Beneath the glowing full moon, two huge beasts were rampaging.

    While observing the two from a distance, Senri had a complicated expression on her face.

    The black dog that End had transformed into was overpowering the silver wolf.

    The silver wolf itself wasn¡¯t weak at all, but the physique of the two was too different. It was said that the size of the vampire after their transformation was proportional to their power. In other words, this meant that End Baron¡¯s basic abilities already surpassed the abilities of the Stake King¡¯s retainer. Even if his opponent was already exhausted from their previous exchange and even if she hadn¡¯t used her full powers yet, it was abnormal that End had reached this level after only a few months of changing.

    He¡¯s strong. Way too strong. He doesn¡¯t have vampire abilities yet, so he wouldn¡¯t be a tough opponent from the perspective of Death Knights, but if he obtained powerful special abilities of a vampire, he¡¯d instantly metamorphose.

    Senri trusted End, but if it was her blood that gave him that much power¨D¨D she couldn¡¯t explain what she was feeling.

    End hadn¡¯t changed much since they had met. No, the more composure he gained, the more lenient he became.

    That was probably his ¨D¨D core.

    He already had a talent as a warrior. His handicap sickly body disappeared and after a lot of experience, it blossomed.

    Great power often attracted demons. Now that a large force had found out about his power, it would become harder to live peacefully. It¡¯s also impossible to seek refuge with the Order of Death Knights. No matter what, they wouldn¡¯t forgive a vampire.

    Senri had absolutely no idea how much peace the Night Crystals that the vampire had acquired would bring to him.

    Claws dug deep in her flesh and Sable let out a frightened howl.

    But End didn¡¯t let her guard down. The big lustrous black dog continuously bit into the wolf that he had blown away without giving her any time.

    The undead had already been mostly destroyed by End.  It was unlikely that the clutches of evil would reach the mercenaries.

    Senri advanced forward while paying attention. She wanted  to be able to help them out at any moment if they ended up in trouble.

    Countless bones were scattered on the ground. Most Undead were created by Necromancers. There weren¡¯t many cases where many undead were created from the corpses of the undead, but when there were this many of them, they couldn¡¯t be ignored. They would need to be purified later.

    Cold wind stroked her cheeks. It would take a little longer for the permeating presence of the undead to disappear.

    Then, Senri caught the glimpse of the knight that was waiting in the shadow of the castle walls. It was a knight equipped with an ominous jet-black armor.

    A pulsating sword, with a clearly strong curse cast on it was in his right arm. And in his left arm¨D¨D

    ¡°A Dullahan¡­¡±

    A dry head held in his left arm looked at Senri. Its eye sockets, reminiscent of the abyss, were extremely eerie in a different sense than the eyes of a vampire.

    Dullahan is the undead symbolizing death. As a variant of Skeletons, while it doesn¡¯t have many troublesome abilities, its pure combat abilities surpasses even those of a vampire. At its level, it couldn¡¯t be erased with Soul Release, so in some cases, it might be the Death Knight that ends up dead.

    Judging from the tendency of the undead that attacked so far, he was undoubtedly the trump card of the assailant. The black lips of the detached head slightly distorts. His sword was precisely pointed at Senri.

    The cursed sword of the type that sucked the owner¡¯s life in compensation of the power was the strongest weapon for the undead. Looking at his polished movements, Senri pulled out her sword without even flinching.

    A warm breeze blew. Dullahan stepped in as quietly as the breeze and as fast as the wind. Senri gently parried the swung down blade with her holy silver sword.

    She didn¡¯t take him on directly. She knew even without crossing swords with him that she was greatly losing in power.

    His large body tottered. By that time, Senri¡¯s sword had greatly flicked his left arm.

    The head he was holding flew in the air. She didn¡¯t make any unnecessary attacks. She had to kill him before he got used to her movements.

    She took a breath. Her third attack pierced the cross section of the head that was covered with the helmet.

    That was the end.

    The remaining body convulsed, kneeled and collapsed on the ground. Neither great durability nor the regeneration ability meant anything when his weakness was struck with the holy silver sword.

    Almost at the same time, Sable raised a loud howl. End, which was almost twice her size, crushed her head.

    Vampires are immortals, but the head and the heart are their weaknesses just like in the humans. If those are crushed, there will be a clear opening until they are regenerated.

    End¡¯s movements after that were frighteningly fast from Senri¡¯s perspective.

    The silver wolf convulsed. He was planning on pulling out her heart ¨D¨D the symbol of the vampire¡¯s power. If he pulled out her heart, her regeneration ability would drastically fall and her abilities would also be limited.

    But then End¡¯s expression changed.

    Clearly impatient, he pulled out his hand and stabbed in a slightly different place. He checked several times and muttered in astonishment.

    ¡°No way¡­ this is impossible.¡±

    Then, Senri moved ahead of End. The presence of Sable, who was thoroughly beaten up by End, was on the verge of disappearing.

    She looked so fragile it was hard to believe that she was an immortal vampire. With imploring eyes, End said to Senri.

    ¡°Senri¡­ she doesn¡¯t¡­ have a heart. She has no heart!¡±

    ¡°¡­ That method exists too. She¡¯s hiding her heart.¡±

    Only the heart is removed and stored in a coffin. The power drops greatly, but in case of emergency, they can avoid dying.

    Sable¡¯s crushed head slowly recovered. She didn¡¯t have a heart so her power must have been running out.

    Her regenerated eyes looked at Senri and End and said in a hateful voice.

    ¡°To think, that you have gotten this strong¡­ I have, underestimated you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cowardly to hide your heart! Are there only cowards within the ranks of the undead and the Necromancers?!

    ¡°Why do you pander to a Death Knight, who¡¯s your enemy, when you have that much power¡­?¡±

    She sounded truly vexed. She probably didn¡¯t even have enough power to change into bats and escape. It was End¡¯s power that had exhausted her so much.

    Though even if she had saved enough power to transform and run away ¨D¨D Senri would absolutely not let her go.

    ¡°Ancestor, I¡¯ve seen all your tricks. I won¡¯t let my guard down next time. Next time, I¡¯ll take away just your head.¡±

    ¡°S-stop¡­ it. It¡¯s my loss, please just leave me alone! I just want to leave peacefully!¡±

    End said with a face that looked like he¡¯d break out in tears at any moment and collapsed to the ground.

    A slight smile appeared on Sable¡¯s lips. At that moment, End extended his fangs and thrust them into the neck of the silver wolf.

 CH 106

    Thus, Sable Bloodpain regenerated inside her coffin.

    She lifted the heavy lid with the hand she had just regenerated and slowly rose up.

    Her pale skin was exposed in the darkness. Her unblemished skin was like porcelain and her well-balanced body, along with her features were so graceful, she seemed ethereal.

    But, her face was drained of all color and her wide open eyes were bloodshot. She held down her chest and yelled in a harsh voice.

    ¡°Shit! What¡¯s with that King¨D¨D!¡±

    ¡°What seems to be the matter, Lady Sable?!¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Aah, the troops were annihilated!¡±

    She shook off the retainer vampire that hurriedly arrived. The heart, symbol of the vampire¡¯s powers, strongly throbbed and produced blood power.

    Blood that seeped out from her body turned into threads and wrapped around her white naked body in the form of jet-black clothes. She tried to get up but strongly swayed as if she was anemic. She opened her eyes to the max.

    ¡°Impossible. And¡­he¡¯s still a Lesser?!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t believe it. Sure, Sable wasn¡¯t at her peak then. But it definitely wasn¡¯t like she held back.

    The power of Sable¡¯s main body currently was weakened like never before. It was only natural because she had lost everything but her heart. It would take some time until she recovered her power.

    Certainly, Sable was extremely cautious and extracted the source of her power to hide it somewhere for safety. However, that only contributed to greatly limiting the use of her blood power because its source was removed. Other than that, that body undoubtedly was Sable herself.

    From what she had observed in the battle against Demon King Rainel, that should have been more than enough military force. She also had her werewolf troops.

    But, she lost. He had overwhelming power. Sable had underestimated his growth rate.

    He was clearly stronger than when he fought Rainel. That King of the Dead was growing rapidly.

    It was difficult to believe right away. Normally, it¡¯s the Necromancers who were skilled enough to turn themselves into the undead that become Kings of the Dead.

    They would naturally know everything about the undead ¨D¨D and even if they had experience, it was hard to think that they would change this fast.

    And the most alarming moment was when  ¨D¨D  Sable died.

    Her clone, which should have had power remaining and also had a powerful regeneration ability, disappeared in an instant.

    She couldn¡¯t even identify what was done to her. Even if her head was crushed, she wouldn¡¯t end up like this.

    The power that should have been remaining in her body disappeared instantly. Sable wouldn¡¯t be able to forget that feeling for a while.

    The last thing her clone heard from the ¡®Ancestor¡¯ was him pleading for his life. She was terminated right after. He was completely mocking her.

    She punched the stone wall with force. The thick wall deeply caved in, but Sable¡¯s mood didn¡¯t improve at all.

    She sat deeply into the chair and scratched her head.

    She needed to calm down. Sable had already failed twice. She couldn¡¯t fail the third time.

    ¡°Werewolves are good. They¡¯re valuable, but those can still be replaced.¡±

    She glared at her own retainer that was waiting with a pale expression. He was a relatively powerful vampire, who she had created through Feeding ¨D¨D and who had also inherited the power of Blood Pain.

    But he wasn¡¯t good enough. He¡¯d be useless even if she took him with her. Someone ¡®relatively strong¡¯ wasn¡¯t even worth considering. Vampires are much stronger than werewolves, but that¡¯s not the case when the opponent is a Death Knight.

    Sable maintained her composure by continuing to think. In that moment, she had forgotten the death she had certainly felt.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The problem isn¡¯t the Ancestor. It¡¯s that Death Knight who¡¯s still keeping that man on the side of the humans.¡±

    It would be difficult to attack him with force and drive in the wedge, Even if she managed to do it, she¡¯d end up with a considerable loss on her side too.

    To start with, vampires had always been creatures of darkness. His current situation was abnormal.

    If other vampires were told that a vampire and a Death Knight were together, they¡¯d probably laugh it off. That Ancestor didn¡¯t avoid other vampires at the very least. If something happened, the situation would roll in Sable¡¯s favor.

    Then, Sable noticed something and smiled deeply.

    ¡°One person, just one person, huh¡­ hmm¡­ that¡¯s right ¨D¨D¡±

    Death Knights generally moved in teams. But that silver-haired Death Knight was alone the both times Sable had seen her.

    To start with, it was already rare that a vampire was allowed to be with a Death Knight, but a Death Knight not instantly vanquishing the vampire was even more unthinkable, knowing the policy of the Order of Death Knights. It would be understandable if she had kidnapped him to torture him and find his weakness, but that Ancestor wasn¡¯t restrained in any way,

    There was no doubt. That Death Knight was acting arbitrarily. In that case¡­ there were means Sable could take.

    Thus I was holding down my stomach inside the closet.

    The awful unending stomach ache and nausea were something I hadn¡¯t experienced until now, including when I was alive. I have found out for the first time that even Lesser Vampires can sweat if they reach their limit.

    I¡¯m already at my limit. But it would be useless even if I went to the bathroom. After all, vampires don¡¯t need to go to the toilet. It¡¯s because everything they eat gets fully digested. That¡¯s why this stomach ache isn¡¯t because I ate something strange.

    ¡°My stomach hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you drank something strong,¡±

    Senri¡¯s voice also sounded somewhat exasperated.

    Damn you, Sable. You torment me even in my body. What a formidable enemy.

    The change in Sable after I drank her blood was striking. She instantly turned into dust and disappeared. Looks like vampires perish when their curses are sucked out. It¡¯s surely because their whole existence is a curse itself.

    Her blood that I ingested tasted quite good, but it was very rich and lingered on. It was right after drinking her blood that something happened to my stomach.

    I¡¯ve had various things happen to me after being revived, like having my arms torn off, having my whole body burnt and being left as just the head, but this pain is worse than any of those. It feels like I might get turned inside out. I tried to throw up but I couldn¡¯t do it and even when I went to the toilet, nothing came out. I tried to cut open my stomach but that was meaningless too. It¡¯s hopeless.

    ¡°Senri, help me¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know a doctor for vampires¡­¡±

    It must already be a morning outside. But the pain doesn¡¯t show any signs of alleviating.

    My only saving grace is the fact that Senri¡¯s been my conversation buddy all this time from the outside of the closet.

    ¡°If I die¡­ douse my grave with blood every day.¡±

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s probably fine. Your power hasn¡¯t decreased at all.¡±

    Senri isn¡¯t gentle. Looks like my power hasn¡¯t decreased. In other words, it just hurts and I won¡¯t die.

    That means that the suffering caused by my stomach rebelling will continue forever.

    ¡­ It¡¯s better than dying, I guess.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ to think that something like that would happen.¡±

    Inside the closet. The Lord, who came out for the first time in a long while, said with great interest. I wanted to punch him. But even if I try to punch him, it¡¯ll go through him in the end.  Even Senri can¡¯t see the Lord, he¡¯s just an illusion.

    This guy always seems to pop out like this but he just won¡¯t help me. What¡¯s his deal?

    ¡°It cannot be helped. Failures are unavoidable. I cannot even attempt it. I have already failed once with that.¡±

    ¡°Was the reason, Sable¡¯s blood?¡±

    ¡°The curses of Vampires are stronger than the curses of Lesser Vampires, after all.¡±

    Say that beforehand.  It was completely a harm caused from sucking her blood. In addition, I didn¡¯t obtain Sable¡¯s power in the end.

    Damn you, Sable. Was it a high leveled tactic to immobilize me by making me suck her blood? To think that she used the weakness even I wasn¡¯t aware of, I underestimated the power of the Stake King¡¯s retainer.

    ¡°Well, if it is you, you will not die. If you were to die, you would die faster. Be glad that all you got was a stomach ache.¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    The Lord¡¯s phantom disappeared. He just said whatever he wanted.

    But, this is bad. I wanted to leave this town, but now I can¡¯t move even if I wanted to. Will I be able¡­ to fight?

    I held down my stomach, which started to protest with a ¡®no¡¯ and twisted my body.

    ¡°End, can you transform?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t, know.¡±

    If I transform into a puppy, Senri will carry me. I feel like I could transform if I gave it my all, but leaving aside whether I can even transform, it¡¯s really doubtful if I¡¯ll be able to control it with my current state of mind. I don¡¯t have the confidence.

    If Senri, who entered with a puppy left while shouldering a giant dog, she¡¯ll undoubtedly be stopped. An excuse that the puppy just grew up wouldn¡¯t work.

    ¡°I might get better if I drink your blood, Senri.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Do you want to drink the next portion?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I¡¯ll refrain. I¡¯m kinda not in the condition to enjoy Feeding.

    That being said, what do I do? Sable found out my location. It¡¯s quite dangerous to stay here. Senri is powerful, but if they find out that she¡¯s alone, there are plenty of ways of dealing with her.

    As I was thinking things like this, Senri whispered.

    ¡°End, it would be better if you stayed here until you got better. The vampire countermeasures at this place¡­ are almost perfect. Sable won¡¯t be able to enter.¡±

    ¡°There were, werewolves. All they have to do, is carry her, and climb the outer wall.¡±

    ¡°End, werewolves don¡¯t have absolute obedience and unless she has her heart, which produces her power, she can¡¯t cross the water.¡±

    I guess what she¡¯s trying to say from Senri¡¯s words.

    In order for the vampire to cross over the wall, they must borrow the help of the werewolves while having a heart. If they¡¯re wary of the betrayal, they might not even be able to choose the option of crossing over the wall.

    Flowing water drains us of all powers. Certainly, killing a vampire in a powerless state would be as easy as taking candy from the toddler for werewolves.

    Even Senri could easily kill me if she decided to do it. You can¡¯t enter this town without having mutual trust.

    Although, that doesn¡¯t mean that there aren¡¯t other ways. For example, destroying the wall from outside and filling the canal¡­ but if they go that far, that means war.

    ¡°Besides, because you burnt it without thinking about anything, we don¡¯t have spare Night Crystals.

    That¡¯s right. I entrusted Senri with only one Night Crystal and left the rest to myself. And everything I had burnt down when I used Cursed Flame.

    I¡¯m an idiot. I wasn¡¯t thinking about anything, By the way, I held onto a lot of those because there¡¯s a limit to the amount of power Night Crystals can conceal and I needed multiple to completely erase my presence.

    Right now I¡¯m hiding my presence with the Crystal I gave to Senri, but my negative aura seems to be leaking out to the extent that it can be discerned by Death Knights on sight.

    At this rate, I can¡¯t live as a good-natured mercenary young man who moved to the countryside with his beautiful wife and only goes out at night.

    I¡¯ll definitely won¡¯t forgive you, Sable. What should I do to you the next time we meet?

    As I was cursing in the darkness while shutting my eyes tight and enduring the pain, I felt Senri suddenly stand up outside.

    ¡°Mister Lazar and the others are here¡­ looks like they have some business with you.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t told them where we¡¯re staying.¡±

    ¡°There are ways of investigating that.¡±

    Well, we can¡¯t exactly hide it forever. ¡®Dessend¡¯ isn¡¯t that big of a town.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably about yesterday¡¯s case. You defeated a bit too many yesterday.

    Senri reasoning is fair.

    In addition, I collapsed with a stomach ache, so we didn¡¯t have time to purify things as usual.

    No matter how one looks at it, that amount wasn¡¯t something an ordinary mercenary would be able to deal with. Until now I¡¯ve had them make reports to the town while hiding our presence, but it probably got impossible to gloss over.

    What should I do? As long as my location is uncovered, the means I can take are limited. As I was thinking while enduring the pain, Senri said quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go talk with them.¡±

    It¡¯s dangerous. But, Senri is strong. I can¡¯t really go myself. I thought for a while but I couldn¡¯t come up with anything.

    I break the silence with a heartbreak.

    ¡°¡­ Roux, I can¡¯t move because I¡¯m exhausted from yesterday. There¡¯s something suspicious in this town, be careful. Come back soon¡±

    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry, Baron ¨D¨D rest.¡±

 CH 107

    ¡°Sorry, Roux. We couldn¡¯t sweep things under the carpet considering the number of undead that were defeated.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    Senri shook her head as Lazar said his apologies.

    Honestly, even fairly capable mercenaries would have trouble defeating that many undead. And for a couple of mercenaries to accomplish that feat without even the power of blessing that Death Knights wield would undoubtedly sound strange.

    End may have gotten really excited but he clearly went overboard.

    While it may have been better to purge the remains, if everything were removed, there would be no way to explain the destruction to the site, and even Senri was not skilled enough to leave only a portion of it and purge the rest. Soul Release is a wide ranged attack.

    Moreover¡­.

    ¡°I had been thinking of meeting your employer sometime.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯re quite the curious cat, I see. He¡¯s nothing but your usual big shot¡±, snorted Dick, who had come along with Lazar. End¡¯s strength was probably the reason, the guy who had ogled at her in the beginning, began to avert his eyes and avoid looking directly at her.

    However, something is not right. The employer is just a big shot he said but this town was obviously hiding something.

    First of all, it is entirely odd that they never contacted the Death Knights considering the number of undead that appear at the castle. The undead do a lot more harm than good. They have no practical use unlike magical beasts whose fur could be utilized or horns that could be whittled down to make weapons. The natural course of action would have been to get in touch with the Order.

    If the Order were to learn that the undead seemed to target a place that used to be the stronghold of an Undead King, they would never let overlook the matter.

    The mercenaries led me to the center of Dessend, and to the biggest building I had seen in town. It was probably the town hall.

    There were guards outside the gate, but since Lazar had already acquired permission beforehand, we were let in without further ado.

    I scanned the surroundings as it was my habit, but I could not sense the presence of any undead. In fact, just like the other buildings, the town hall was also adorned with silver, the weakness of undead, here and there.

    I cannot let my guard down, since something like the night crystal exists, but if there really exists an undead that could make this place its stronghold, then it would be a rather high-ranking one, or¡­.

    A few minutes after being led into the parlor, we were greeted by a well-built old man.

    Maybe he was neglecting his health for he had a pallid complexion but he was certainly human.

    ¡°Sorry to make you wait, Mr. Lazar. Is that who you spoke of¡­ though she doesn¡¯t seem to fit the description.¡±

    ¡°Appearance has nothing to do with purging the undead.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, yes.¡±

    Senri spoke matter-of-factly to which the man nodded and proceeded to introduce himself. The man appeared to be the mayor of Dessend.

    Senri felt something was off when she first entered the town. Because the undead countermeasures, more specifically the anti-vampire countermeasures were a little too extreme.

    That is why she investigated. Dessend has always had a strong defense against undead, but apparently, it had also extended to include vampires over the past few years.

    Meaning, the man in front of them was the one who put those superfluous countermeasures in place. However, the man¡¯s eyes did not reflect any resentment toward vampires that one would normally expect from someone who takes such measures.

    Senri casually tried to get a read on the mayor¡¯s emotions. Her senses that were enhanced by the power of blessing could even pick up the mayor¡¯s heartbeat.

    ¡°I must inquire as to your identity¡­ I never imagined that many undead would attack that old castle, but to think you¡¯d defeat them all singlehandedly¡­ simply unbelievable.¡±

    She sensed¡­ doubt, surprise, and slight¡­ fear. Usually it is relief that people feel at the thought that the undead have been taken care of, but for some reason she sensed none of that.

    ¡®As I thought¡­ not revealing End¡¯s existence was the right choice.¡¯

    Now, what to do with this odd mayor? Even if he were hiding something, the inhabitants of the town ought to be non-complicit. She could not ignore it. Senri had decided to side with End, but she had never intended to abandon her principles.

    At the very least,¡­ she needed to learn what it is that they were hiding.

    She glanced at the mercenaries with her and took in the guards at the gate.

    The Death Knights are immensely powerful against the undead but through carefully controlled power of blessing, they can display superhuman strength that is effective against other living beings as well.

    All is well- for even put together, they would be no match for Senri.

    And, Senri inhaled and looked the mayor in the eye.

    ¡°I¡¯m a vampire hunter and¡­ also an ex-Death Knight. So that level of undead pose no threat to me. The same goes even if they are stronger.¡±

    I am worried about Senri. But my stomach hurts. I wonder how much time has passed since Senri left. I am still writhing in pain inside the closet.

    Don¡¯t tell me that Sable entered my body and is wreaking havoc in my stomach by manipulating her blood?

    It was so painful that I was pushed to entertain such wild ideas. But at the same time, all it did was only hurt me.

    The fact that it would not kill me, gave me relief. The end result of the incurable illness, dead soul disease, that I suffered from in my previous life, was certain death. Compared to that, physical comfort aside, I also enjoyed mental peace in this body now.

    Furthermore, I have actually thought of a way to escape this predicament.

    The useless Lord¡¯s apparition had stated that the reason for my pain was because the vampires are under a stronger curse than the lesser vampires.

    Basically, all I have to do is evolve into a vampire. In that case, the curse cast upon me would overpower Sable¡¯s curse or at the very least, it would be able to stand its ground.

    Until a few days ago, I was not aware of why I was not able to evolve no matter how time passed or how to go about triggering the process. But now I do.

    The reason I have not evolved is because of the safety plug that the Lord had put in place.

    And the only way to pull that plug is¡­ through a word.

    If it were too complex, evolution would not happen as soon as he possessed my body, or conversely, if it were too easy, the plug could end up being pulled before he could take full control of my body.

    That time when I delved into my mind and confronted the vestige of the Lord in me, the last piece of information I received from him was the key to pull the plug.

    It was also proof that the Lord had acknowledged my existence to a certain degree.

    All it takes is one word. Crying out the word should probably enable me to evolve.

    Into an all-powerful, true demon of the night that is abhorred by mankind.

    The only reason I have yet to do it is¡­ Senri.

    Let me be honest. I am a little afraid of the change.

    One of the reasons being the increase in the number of weaknesses, but more than that ¨C I am afraid of how Senri will react when I have completely turned into a monster. If at all possible, I always wanted to keep things the way they are.

    After all, as I am now, there is still a chance for me to bask in the sunlight with Senri.

    Senri is kind to me at present, but there is no saying if that would not change once I transformed.

    Sable was shooed away successfully. But she was not killed. She is sure to take every precaution and come at me with everything she has.

    I am growing stronger and the ability to steal curses is undoubtedly powerful, but I do not know how long, just these abilities would suffice to fend off the opponents. They are an authentic evil group that can withstand long drawn out battles against those fearsome Death Knights.

    I curled up, shut my eyes and inhaled deeply. I could sense Sable¡¯s curse raging wild and tormenting me inside my stomach.

    However, I can bear with it. No, I must.

    Until now, I pushed it off convincing myself that I would do it when I was ready. Making an attempt to evolve, led by the pain, wanting an escape, is simply too pathetic.

    Even if all the internal struggle resulted in evolution being the answer, it still needs to happen through my own will.

    I am just being stubborn. However, my obstinate nature is what has kept me existing to this day.

    All is well. I can still fight. I can still get back on my feet. I sharpened my senses and accepted all the pain.

    This body cannot die. Even when I had my head cut off or was burnt by the sun, I survived. The fact that a vampire drank some blood and ended up with an upset stomach would not even make for a funny anecdote.

    And so, I slowly unfurled myself. As I tried to stand up, my toe got stuck in the closet and the pain made me choke, but I never did need to breathe anyway.

    ¡°Damn you, Sable. But this is nothing! It simply feels like my insides would come out of my mouth any second, just that, nothing more.¡±

    That is right. I do not need organs. I do not need them to exist. However, the curse was not actually tormenting my physical body. It is obvious that the pain would not dissipate even if I were to empty my body of all organs. I am in hell¡­.

    But I cannot let Senri carry everything on her shoulder any longer.

    Senri is smart, strong, beautiful with delicious blood and simply without flaw, that if the mercenaries were to learn of my indisposition, they might try to hit on her. I am the only one who is allowed to do that.

    I let such stupid thoughts rush through my mind, in order to boost my own morale. I told myself¡­.

    ¡°Okay, okay, okay, this is nothing. I just feel like I¡¯m dying. That¡¯s all. If you think about it, I¡¯m already dead, hahaha.¡±

    ¡°¡­ End, you seem quite relaxed.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    Looks like a lot more time had passed than I realized. I could see Senri¡¯s purple eyes peering at me exasperatedly, through the crack in the closet.

    I could have sworn it was still day out just until a second ago, but it was already completely dark. It was my time.

    I slowly moved my legs, pushed the door open and got out of the closet. The pain made me wince but my extremities were not shaking. I probably cannot put up a decent fight yet, and though I have not gotten used to the pain, I can do the bare minimum and walk around.

    Ever so kind Senri walked over and lent me her shoulder to lean on. Her silver hair. The sweet scent of blood emanating from her porcelain skin made me forget the pain a little.

    ¡°¡­ Are you really alright?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Yeah, I am. I¡¯m fine now, so tell me everything.¡±

    Nobody but me is responsible for drinking Sable¡¯s blood. Senri has always warned me against absorbing curses. I got carried away after taking in Albertus and Man-eater¡¯s curse.

    I clutched my stomach and looked up at Senri observing my expressions.

    ¡°Ahh, it hurts. My stomach hurts really bad. So be kind to me if you can. Talk to me gently. I welcome jokes and¡­ if you can, embrace me and whisper in my ear. The pain hasn¡¯t dissipated after so long. We can¡¯t possibly be at a standstill any longer.¡±

 CH 108

    I listen to Senri¡¯s quiet voice while enduring the stomachache. The story Senri heard from the Mayor was extremely suspicious.

    ¡°The holy ground that the undead is aiming for, huh¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    According to the Mayor, there seems to be something like a holy ground beneath that old castle that attracts the undead.

    Therefore, in order to exterminate the undead that appear frequently, Dessend is calling the mercenaries from outside and having them guard the old castle. The scale of the attack last night seemed to have been outside of Dessend¡¯s expectations.

    It was just too unnatural. Even I, with my scuffed concentration ability because of the stomach ache, can clearly tell that it sounds incongruent, as if they forcefully tried rationalizing it.

    First of all, that doesn¡¯t explain why they didn¡¯t contact the Order. It¡¯s possible for them to force an excuse that they wanted to contact the Order after seeing how things go ¡ª but, well, it¡¯s probably unlikely. After all, Dessend¡¯s side isn¡¯t losing anything by contacting the Order of Death Knights.

    Senri says with a serious expression.

    ¡°They¡¯re hiding¡­ something.¡±

    ¡°To start with, what I was attracted to¡­ was not a place.¡±

    If it¡¯s the holy ground that¡¯s attracting the undead, it should have worked on me too. But, I was going there because Night Crystals were dropping there often for some reason, and that Night Crystals¡¯ presence wasn¡¯t something that could be easily sensed from outside the castle.

    If we could capture the Necromancer that was controlling the army of the undead, we could get some information too¨D¨D but as long as that vampire with poison blood is involved, that would be difficult.

    Senri dangles a key in front of me. It¡¯s a big key, almost the size of my palm. It¡¯s very rusty and looks meaningful.

    I frown. Senri takes a slight breath. I look at her chest quietly move according to that action while enduring the stomach ache.

    ¡°That basement¡­ has even more room beneath it. It¡¯s the key for that. I received it from the Mayor.¡±

    ¡°..What¡¯s, in there?¡±

    Senri slightly shook her head.

    It¡¯s completely a trap. I don¡¯t know what could be further underground of the underground passage of the former Demon King¡¯s castle, but it¡¯s bound to be something worthless.

    But I could sense it. Senri has completely made up her mind. She is righteous. Level-headedness and stubbornness both coexist inside her.  It¡¯s way too dangerous, but I don¡¯t even feel like stopping her when I look into her quiet eyes, reminiscent of the surface of a lake.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I can at last, act like a wall. Even in this state, I¡¯m still much stronger than you, Senri.¡±

    Sure, my stomach hurts, but my regeneration ability is still working and even if lacking, hitting with all my might should take care of most monsters.

    Senri is strong, but she¡¯s a human. She has neither the durability nor the regeneration ability, so in case something happens, it would be too late. I hold down my stomach and declare to Senri who¡¯s so delicate that she might break if I hug her strongly.

    ¡°This is different from going out into town to gather information. I¡¯ll come with you even if I have to cling to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t have to cling to me.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let anybody bite me anymore.  I haven¡¯t forgotten what happened with Albertus. I¡¯ll be the one doing the biting one-sidedly.

    ¡°¡­ it¡¯s much more dangerous, to leave you behind. This town is too dangerous for you.¡±

    Senri evades my arms that I stretched out to hug her, with minimal movements.

    I¡¯m stronger, but I still can¡¯t match her delicate and flexible movements. But it¡¯s fine. When it¡¯s time to drink blood, she¡¯ll let me catch her.

    Still feeling the pain that almost feels like my stomach is on fire, I straighten my spine with willpower and act tough with all my might.

    ¡°This is it. Let¡¯s finish it quickly and leave this damn town.¡±

    There was a strange feeling behind her neck.

    Like numbness ¨D¨D or like chills. It was something unique one felt when they were about to enter a dangerous place.

    Senri looked up at the old castle that was wrapped in silence with no other signs of life and frowned.

    Just how many times had she visited this castle at night? ¨D¨D However, it looked obviously different from before.

    It was the day before yesterday that they defeated a great number of the undead. But, their remains that were piled up high were gone now without even a single bone left. If what Mayor said was right, they must¡¯ve cleared them up, but¨D¨D

    She felt somehow similar to what she was feeling right before invading the mansion of Horus Carmon. The strong traces of darkness were not the remains from the Demon King¡¯s era.

    Following behind her were Mister Lazar and the co, the mercenary group. While they didn¡¯t show it on their face, their attitude was clearly timid.

    ¡®It¡¯s natural¡¯, Senri thought. Even though Mister Lazar and the guys didn¡¯t come in contact with the swarm of the undead, they had seen the countless remains. They were the kind of troops that were not worth considering because they had been losing to a mere ¡®Black Bone¡¯, even if it was a fairly excellent specimen.

    Even so, had they taken the mayor¡¯s request with her and come this far because they were curious or because they felt guilty leaving everything for Senri who was much younger than them?

    One of the mercenaries talked. On the receiving end of his fearful gaze was the pale-faced End who was holding down his stomach.

    ¡°You also look pretty unwell today, Baron. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you went back?¡±

    ¡°I think the same too. But Roux will go even if she¡¯s alone. As her husband, I can¡¯t stay quiet. As her husband.¡±

    Senri felt slightly impressed by End¡¯s willpower to continue acting even in a situation like this.

    To start with, it was no ordinary thing for End, who didn¡¯t want to die despite being literally dead already, to come this far while feeling unwell.

    This matter started for End, but coming here right now was Senri¡¯s selfishness. And she had anticipated that if she moved, End would also want to come with her. She felt a bit ¨D¨D no, very sorry about it.

    ¡°It¡¯s love. I love Roux, so I followed her even though my stomach hurts this much. Because I love her.¡±

    ¡°O-oh. I got it. I got it already, Baron. But can you even fight like that?¡±

    End declared something embarrassing while glancing towards Senri. She had vaguely realized it a long time ago but, it looked like End¡­ was the outspoken type. Or rather, he must have not cared what Mister Lazar and the others thought of him.

    But leaving the content of his declarations aside ¨D¨D she wanted him to be a bit quiet. Even though it was unquestionable from the atmosphere of the old castle that the enemy was lying in wait, Senri couldn¡¯t keep the tension up.

    End emphasized with a face that was completely drained of all color. He was pretending to be fine, but she could see his body stop from time to time, as if it was cramping. It must¡¯ve hurt, as expected.

    ¡°Of course! But if you guys end up in danger, you should hurry up and run away, Mister Lazar. If you guys die, my beloved Roux would be sad! My beloved Roux!¡±

    End was strong, but Senri couldn¡¯t rely on him for this case. She sighed deeply and quietly rebuked End.

    ¡°Baron, be quiet for a bit. I love you.¡±

    The atmosphere of the old castle was clearly different from before. It wasn¡¯t a very bright place to start with, but if I had to say it ¨D¨D it¡¯s wrapped in such a terribly gloomy aura, that it almost made me feel better. If my stomach wasn¡¯t hurting, I might¡¯ve started humming.

    But even if I¡¯m tortured by the pain, I won¡¯t let my guard anymore. My Lesser Vampire instincts are already in combat mode.

    Senri¡¯s leading the way. Following her are Mister Lazar and the mercenaries, and also¨D¨D me.

    Mister Lazar and the guys will most likely be useless in this battle.  That¡¯s why they¡¯re a wall.

    A wall that protects me and Senri from traps. I¡¯d like to walk around in a way that avoids letting them die as much as possible, because Senri would be sad and I don¡¯t have any resentment towards them either, but our lives can¡¯t be replaced. They came this far while fully aware of the dangers, they must be prepared for the worst case scenario.

    Senri stopped in front of the main gate of the castle. Hesitation appeared on her face for only a second, but she instantly pulled out the sword at her waist and scratched the castle wall.

    Once horizontally, once vertically. The sharp scratches made in the form of a cross gave out a faint white glow.

    Perhaps I had a quizzical look on my face, as Senri looked at me and said slightly apologetically,

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a sign that I can¡¯t return alive. It will warn those that come after.¡±

    ¡­ I see. That¡¯s the heroic determination suitable for the Order of Death Knights, that put their lives on line to exterminate the undead.

    I¡¯d like to compliment it as admirable, but as I¡¯ve always loved reading, I know.

    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it. That¡¯s what we call a death flag.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Well¡­ I¡¯m already dead though.

    I look down on the heavy machete in my right arm. My stomach hurts, but I can at least swing it around to destroy death flags.

    I hesitate a bit, but I choose to simply shrug slightly.

    I will use every means possible to not let Senri be killed. That¡¯s it. I don¡¯t need a symbol of my determination. That already exists within me.

    I can hardly use my power. Sable¡¯s curse that I failed to absorb is probably connected to my bad condition.

    My physical strength and regeneration ability, my five senses and overall physical abilities are still the same, but the abilities that can be used actively aren¡¯t working that well.

    Dogification, cursed flame, sharp claw and sharp fang and silhouette are all impossible. I might be able to activate them if I risk my life and pour in all my power amidst the pain, but I really don¡¯t feel like trying it.

    Because of the constant pain, my concentration has also fallen. I take a deep breath and take my mind off the pain by only thinking about Senri. I¡¯m sure Senri will give me a reward if we find out the cause well. Considering that, this level of pain is a piece of cake.

    I walk along the passageway of the castle that I¡¯ve become so familiar with. Usually I walk in the front, but this time alone I¡¯ll only be a burden if I do that so I can only leave it to Senri.

    Everything smells the same as usual. But the air I feel on my skin is different. We pass through the collapsed wall and descend to the underground passage.

    I was slightly expectant, but I didn¡¯t feel any presence of Night Crystals. We go deeper and deeper while being wary of surroundings.

    We reached a dead-end pathway. It was a place with a few big wooden boxes that also looked like storage. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve started visiting here but no Night Crystal has appeared.

    By the way, I confirmed it when I first came here, but the wooden boxes were empty. I¡¯ve heard that those were brought by Dessend and then abandoned here. Senri checked the surroundings once and dragged the wooden boxes away.

    I peek at the stone floor that was exposed within illumination cast by the faint light of the torches Mister Lazar and the others were holding.

    Certainly, when I look at it carefully, ¨D¨D there¡¯s a gap between the slates. Anyone wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize it by looking at it a little bit. It doesn¡¯t smell either, so a vampire wouldn¡¯t notice it either.

    I can¡¯t exactly let Senri turn over the stone with her delicate white fingers. As I replace Senri and move to the front, I put it in my trembling fingers and forcibly turn over the slate.

    The stone audibly creaks. It¡¯s quite heavy, but it probably wasn¡¯t affixed. It might¡¯ve been hard with a human¡¯s strength, but if you turn one slate over and create a big gap, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to detach the rest.

    I detach each one by one carefully. Hidden beneath the stone floor was ¨D¨D an old black door.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a trap. No doubt about it.¡±

    Did Dessend fill in this floor? Or did cover something that was originally exposed, as one would put a lid on something that smelled foul? Either way, this is troublesome. The door is tightly closed and no smell is leaking out either. I look at Senri¡¯s expression, but she also shakes her head.

    ¡°¡­ They have taken countermeasures.¡±

    So the detection by the blessing also had a weakness, huh? Moreover, it¡¯s to be expected. We are in the basement of the caste of the former King of the Dead. It would be strange if it couldn¡¯t do that much at least.

    However, even if there¡¯s nervousness on Senri¡¯s face, there¡¯s no fear. She has surely always fought battles like this.

    In that case, I can¡¯t afford to be scared. I hold out my hand to her. Senri hesitates for a bit but soon gives me the rusty key.

 CH 109

    There¡¯s a sound of wind. A door in the floor. What we found after opening it was darkness.

    The faint light Mister Lazar and the others are holding can¡¯t clear up the darkness that¡¯s beyond the door. They most likely can¡¯t see what¡¯s on the other side of the door at all.

    But I, with eyes that can see through darkness, know. I feel the flow of the air while enduring the pain. Even further behind the door is a huge space. Moreover, it¡¯s a huge space that makes everything above the ground look like it¡¯s an add-on.

    It¡¯s deep. What¡¯s behind the door starts as a narrow passage for a bit and then widens into a vast space. It¡¯s a height that an ordinary human can¡¯t descend to without a ladder.

    Vampires have excellent spatial cognition. My five senses relayed to me a very foreign structure.

    Maybe calling it a three-dimensional maze would be more appropriate. The intense smell of dust lets me know that nobody has visited this place for a long time, but at the same time ¨D¨D  I can hear a ¡®sound¡¯ too.

    ¡°H-hey. What¡¯s in there?¡±

    Lazar asked fearfully. I had a thought, ¡®this¡­ isn¡¯t something ordinary mercenaries can handle.¡¯

    It¡¯s been said that powerful undead use labyrinths that lead into the abyss as their strongholds. I can clearly understand the reason for that.

    This is ¨D¨D the territory of an undead.

    Senri attained power beyond humans with the help of the blessing and training, but it would be quite difficult for her to continue fighting inside the dark labyrinth where she could be attacked from all sides.

    Senri, who had closed her eyes and probably stretched out the thread of her consciousness, shook her head with doubtful expression.

    ¡°There are no signs¡­ of undead.¡±

    I see¡­ as expected from the castle of the former King of the Dead. Looks like their anti-Death Knight measures are perfect. To start with, there¡¯s no way cunning Necromancers would always stay one step behind.

    But my senses can¡¯t be deceived. I use all my might to focus my concentration, that¡¯s on the verge of being distracted from the pain.

    ¡°I can feel the presence¡­ of Night Crystals.¡±

    Hm..? It¡¯s being¡­. sucked in?

    ¡°No way¡­ the power¡­?¡±

    Is it gathering it!?

    The moment I came to that thought, a noticeably stronger pain ran through my whole body.

    I crouched. And at the same time I felt Senri gasp.

    ¡°Don¡¯t-!¡±

    By the time Senri had shortly shouted, I was already moving.

    Since we¡¯ve always been together, we have a telepathic understanding of each other.  After I let Lazar, who was peeking in from behind, escape from being near the door by lightly pushing him behind, I threw myself inside the deep space beyond the door.

    ¡°Don¡¯t come!¡±

    I won¡¯t die even if I¡¯m slammed against a hard floor and turned into a blotch. I shout at Senri and focus on my consciousness.

    I immediately felt a presence. Something is climbing the wall at a high speed inside the darkness.

    It¡¯s not a living thing. But it¡¯s not undead either.

    Violent footsteps. The thing that was climbing the wall with the help of its long limbs was something I hadn¡¯t seen before.

    A black and smooth cylindrical body. It had no eyes, mouth or nose and was heading towards me with its sharp clawed limbs. It had a terrifying speed, despite being so strangely shaped.

    Its center of gravity was extremely stable. Using such acrobatic movements with no disarray would be difficult even for Skeletons who have no free will.

    From the looks of it, this object seems to know our location accurately despite lacking sensory organs. Behind me ¨D¨D Senri shouts from outside the door.

    ¡°Golem!¡­¡±

    I search through my memories while in pain.

    Golem. I¡¯ve heard about it. It¡¯s a living doll used by high-ranking mages.

    Even though it¡¯s getting closer and closer, I can hardly feel its presence. Neither the sound of its heart, the sound of its breathing and even its body temperature.

    I can only hear its footsteps. So the echoing footsteps from before came from this thing.

    I have confidence in my five senses, but I couldn¡¯t notice anything before it got close. Looks like¡­ the presence detection ability of the vampires is specialized in living creatures.

    I blocked the sharp claws that were swung down like a whip from high above with my arms. The scorching pain that immediately runs through me makes me choke up.

    Now that I look at it closely, both claws on the Golem are ¨D¨D made of silver. It has been discolored to black and it¡¯s not the blessed silver like what Senri¡¯s using, but there¡¯s no doubt about it.

    Pain transmitted from Sable¡¯s curse and the pain from the purification disorient me. But my body moved according to the orders issued by my brain.

    My trembling hands gripped the Blood Ruler that hangs at my waist and I held it aloft with all my might. Golem¡¯s black body and my blade clashed violently and we were both blown away.

    Golem slammed against the wall.  I¡¯m also thrown violently away. In desperation, I stab the wall with my fingers and affix myself to not fall down.

    It¡¯s pretty hard. Looks like it¡¯s made of metal. I might¡¯ve broken it if I was on the ground, I can¡¯t quite muster up my power mid-air.

    Golem hangs on the wall upside down, perhaps hooked with its claws, and jumps towards me with momentum. Its power and agility aren¡¯t anything special, but the pain is stopping me from moving smoothly. Also, silver is unfair.

    It probably won¡¯t be destroyed with a few blows, but it¡¯s far more troublesome than the army of the undead that only attacked relying on its numbers.

    I rebuke my soul, that¡¯s shaking from the pain, and move my arms, swinging it wildly like an amateur.

    A hard resistance. Golem got stuck in the wall with a high-pitched metallic sound. A violent sound resounded and shook the air.

    That was a critical hit. It had decent agility and stealth, but its skills and power weren¡¯t anything special. Even with a handicap yielded this result.

    I look down. A thick arrow with a diameter of a few centimeters is stuck in my stomach.  Senri calls my name.

    ¡°End!¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­ everything¡¯s fine, no problems. Don¡¯t come.¡±

    A sharp sound of the wind. The arrow came flying from the depth of the abyss ¨D¨D the labyrinth section. Looks like that Golem was not alone.

    Is this the defense system of the castle that belonged to the King of the Dead? I¡¯ll use it as a reference.

    I move my legs and knock down some arrows that come flying at me but several of them still pierce my lower body. My clothes are in tatters again.

    But it looks like arrowheads don¡¯t have silver in them. I feel a dull impact but the pain is canceled out by the pain from Sable¡¯s curse so I¡¯m not so sure.

    ¡°It¡¯s a dilemma whether to add silver to it or not.¡±

    But giving your own soldiers silver weapons can cause the worry of rebellion. That part¡¯s a delicate situation, I guess.

    I understand it after engaging with it in the fight. This Golem is assuming Senri  ¨D¨D a Death Knight as its enemy. If it had taken any measures against the undead, it would have added silver to the arrowhead.

    However, unleashing a long-distance attack just because its posture crumbled in mid-air is too nasty.

    I want to regain my posture once, but I¡¯ve fallen a lot. It would be difficult to climb the wall amidst the rain of countless arrows.

    I casually pull out the arrows that had pierced me and tell Senri.

    ¡°Look down for a bit.¡±

    I pull out my fingers that were stuck into the wall and entrust myself to the gravity without a moment¡¯s delay.

    It¡¯s not that hard to fend off the arrows even when I¡¯m in pain. In the worst case, I have to just avoid getting hit in the head.

    The bottom immediately becomes visible. As expected, it¡¯s quite a wide space. Stone walls and the floor that really make you feel their age. There are several Golems, similar to the close-range type Golem I just fought, at the bottom.

    However, there¡¯s a device attached to their hands that wasn¡¯t on the previous Golem.

    That¡¯s a ¨D¨D crossbow. It¡¯s a mechanical bow. It¡¯s a powerful weapon that¡¯s still actively used nowadays, even when guns have been invented.

    But, even if their arrows are enough to blow off a human¡¯s head, they¡¯re too weak to kill a sturdy Lesser Vampire. I periodically fend off the downpouring arrows, while sometimes taking the hit and land on the ground. My knees bend because of the pain from the curse. I make use of the power of the fall and accelerate.

    Absorbed in myself, I moved my body. By the time I noticed, the battle had already ended.

    There were countless Golem remains on the floor. Golems were full of metal on the inside. I have no idea how these things were even moving.

    I crouch and pull out the arrow that was still stuck in my body. Blood that started flowing for a second is instantly stopped by my regeneration ability.

    I¡¯ve escaped the predicament for the time being, but the numbers of the remains clearly don¡¯t match the numbers I¡¯ve fought. Looks like I let some of them get away.

    I sigh deeply. Apparently, if my fighting spirit rises to the point of forgetting the pain, I end up losing my rationality too. It¡¯s not a very good tendency.

    Anyhow, I got the rough idea from the first match.

    This is ¨C a trap. I don¡¯t think they can prepare Golems right away, so this is probably a trap that was prepared a long while ago. And this trap is made with Death Knights in mind.

    The arrowheads give out a strange smell. Seems like they were coated with poison.

    Senri shouldn¡¯t come out. There¡¯s a chance that she might die just from being grazed. The moment I tried to shout upwards, Senri came flying from the door above.

    Her silver hair swayed up and her amethyst colored eyes shone quietly in the dark. She looked otherworldly beautiful.

    Senri landed without making any sounds and looked around the remains of the Golems.

    ¡°I told you not to come.¡±

    ¡°I left Mister Lazar and the others behind.¡±

    Looks like she¡¯s going to come no matter what.

    On the contrary, I didn¡¯t mind if Mister Lazar and the others came. They might be useful as a wall¡­

    Senri held out her hand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end it quickly and go back, End.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a trap.¡±

    The door is still open. Senri can fly and if I¡¯m alert, I can deal with the attacks from the crossbow.

    The words I said with such implicit intentions were met with Senri¡¯s enchanting smile that I rarely saw.

    ¡°Then¡­ protect me, End.¡±

    High walls that were overly cautious against foreign enemies and a deep canal that was wrapped around the surroundings. Silver relief that¡¯s inlaid here and there.

    Looking at its exterior appearance, which had countermeasures one level above other big towns, the knight wrapped in silver armor groaned as if impressed.

    ¡°So this is where the decisive battle against that famous Mirage King took place ¨D¨D Dessend, huh?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s a weird place. Is the crystal really in a place like this, Keeper?¡±

    The boorish Blue-haired man standing next to him, Neville, turned around.

    The man who had spent his whole hunting vampires, still maintained his killing intent similar to a deeply rooted conviction despite losing the reason behind his nickname, said with the usual condescending smile.

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ I will only work enough for the pay I got. The crystal suddenly spread among the intelligent undead and necromancers recently. The power of the crystal is irrelevant to us, ordinary people, we can¡¯t sense its aura.  But, I can at least investigate its origin.¡±

 CH 110

    It most likely appeared in the world in the last few years.

    Just like how Death Knights form groups, ¡®vampire hunters¡¯ who generally move alone, also have a network. And this information network has a wider range than the Death Knights, who can directly sense the negative energy emitted by the undead.

    It didn¡¯t take much time for the rumors about the existence of a strange crystal that hid the presence of the undead to spread among ¡®vampire hunters¡¯.

    The trigger was when a lower ranked undead a vampire hunter had defeated had the crystal. Its power, confirmed from analysis, was enough to overturn common sense and its origin was immediately investigated.

    Lufry frowned and said with a reproaching tone.

    ¡°Why¡­ did you not immediately reveal the information to the Order?¡±

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ well, we had no¡­ definitive proof. We can¡¯t exactly give uncertain information to the renowned Order of Death Knights. After all ¨D we are weak.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­ don¡¯t make me laugh.¡±

    Neville turned his eyes, which held a glaring dangerous glint in them, towards Keeper.

    The Order of Death Knights and vampire hunters weren¡¯t hostile towards each other on the surface. However, they were not allies either. To start with, the Order was skeptical towards the existence of vampire hunters. For them, the general public is meant to be protected and the vampire hunters without the talent to control blessing are no different from the layman, no matter how much resentment they have towards the undead.

    And, the important part for vampire hunters, who seek their enemy solely using their knowledge, experience and information, because they can¡¯t sense the negative energy, ¡®Night Crystal¡¯ meant nothing to them. If they get their hands on a crystal, that brings a huge advantage to the undead, it can be used as bait to attract enemies.

    Taking all that into account, there was no vampire hunter who would give such information to their unmatched competitor, the Order of Death Knights..

    Nearby, Alber, who had lost her curse and most of her abilities, groaned, keeping Neville in check. Perhaps because of her natural disposition or because she spent too long cursed, Alber still maintained the fighting spirit of a savage dog. Her demeanor was also just like that of a beast and it probably wouldn¡¯t be long enough until she could resume her activities as a vampire hunter.

    Keeper walked through Dessend while tapping his cane. Neville, who was following behind, frowned at the waterways and the clean streets.

    ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s with this town? I¡¯ve never seen a town with such blatant anti-vampire measures.¡±

    ¡°To think that they¡¯d even have garlic gathered¡­ I¡¯ve heard that the Mirage King belonged to the Skeleton race, but¡­ even towns that have been heavily damaged by vampires won¡¯t end up like this.¡±

    Lufry also seemed to be feeling an indescribable feeling of incongruence. His face reflected his doubts.

    Looking at them, Keeper let out a chuckle.

    ¡°Well¡­ you are the ones who have instructed them many times to take countermeasures¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a limit to everything. People are shockingly dense to the invisible threats. That¡¯s why we warned them many times. But when I¡¯m shown a model answer like this¡­ I can¡¯t help feeling a strong sense of discomfort.¡±

    Countermeasures are costly. It would cost huge amounts of money to cover the streets with waterways, to dig deep canals outside the walls and of course to decorate everywhere with silver.

    Dessend isn¡¯t a small town, but it¡¯s not a big city either. A town of this size having countermeasures to this extent is unprecedented on the world scale. Strong passion, somehow similar to deep-rooted delusion could be felt here.

    Then, Lufry asked Keeper, who kept moving with a cane, without any hesitation.

    ¡°Where are you going? To the Mayor?¡±

    Certainly, if they wanted to hear what was happening in the town, going to the Mayor would be the best.

    The Order was a well-known organization. No matter how they might hate them, it was unlikely that they would be openly dismissed.

    But, Keeper raised the corners of his lips and said with a smile with his rugged boney cheeks raised.

    ¡°No. To a friend¡¯s place. Despite my appearance, I have a lot of acquaintances.

    Vampire hunting isn¡¯t a well-liked profession.

    They hunt vampires in exchange for a lot of money. They use all means, sometimes destroying buildings or letting ordinary people get injured in order to achieve their goals.  Among them, there are those who went too far and got arrested as criminals.

    Of course, one of the reasons why they¡¯re not well-liked is the fact that a heroic organization like the Order of Death Knights exists, but in order to kill a monster, one must become a monster themselves. It¡¯s a common unfortunate story.

    Therefore, vampire hunters all help each other. They have a network of people who have strong grudges against vampires and the undead.

    Keeper guided them to an inconspicuous underground bar.

    Its location wasn¡¯t very good, but its calm and chic interior somehow brought about the feeling of elegance and luxury. The lack of customers could possibly be attributed to the fact that it was still midday, but it was also probably because the prices of the alcohol and meals were much higher than average.

    But, the biggest characteristic of this bar was the lack of the smell of garlic.

    An elderly barkeeper with the calm atmosphere around him, raised his face at the sudden visitors and frowned after seeing Keeper.

    ¡°Having troubles, I see¡­ You¡¯ve sure made it big to have Death Knights accompany you, Keeper.¡±

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ don¡¯t scowl like that. I want information. And also, food without garlic. Garlic is enough as a weapon,

    A tavern that doesn¡¯t serve garlic, quietly standing in the town reeking of garlic.

    Vampire hunters are cowards. Unlike the Death Knights, they won¡¯t move openly.

    Lufry opened his eyes wide at their exchange. It was a well-known fact that vampire hunters were moving in an organized fashion, but it was unexpected that they would be even at the town which the Order had absolutely no interest in.

    ¡°When did you arrive in this town?¡±

    Keeper sat down and answered.

    ¡°Decades ago, Death Knight. We are everywhere.¡±

    What a formidable information network. Lyfry reevaluated the personal network of vampire hunters after his exchange with Keeper.

    Things wouldn¡¯t go this way with the Order. It was a matter of different suitability.

    The Order of Death Knights has authority, but at the same time it was also fair. The reason why vampire hunters haven¡¯t disappeared until now, is probably because there are a certain number of people who don¡¯t want to leave the enemy to third-party justice.

    Vampire hunters take a huge sum when they hunt vampires. Their clients pay a lot of money to have vampire hunters take revenge. Unlike, when making a request to the Order, the client would not be regarded as a bystander.

    As expected from having lived in this town for a long time, the barkeeper knew everything about it.

    The fact that the castle of the Mirage King had collapsed because of the earthquake and that it had unveiled what lay beyond the dungeon. The fact that the Mayor had suddenly started to take countermeasures against vampires. And, the fact that undead had started to appear at the castle ruins and even the fact that the town had started to employ mercenaries to deal with them.

    Neville, who heard about the situation, said as if spitting out,

    ¡°Sounds fishy¡­ why go to such an extent and not contact the Order of Death Knights?¡±

    ¡°The current Mayor is a mediocre man. He has some greed and ambitions, but he has no talent to fulfill them.¡±

    Lufry frowned at the barkeeper¡¯s words.

    Understanding what was happening needed an investigation, but this wasn¡¯t a very good trend. These kinds of people usually had a feeling of aversion towards the Order of Death Knights. If that was all, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but if the ¡®Night Crystal¡¯ was involved, it couldn¡¯t be overlooked.

    Keeper raised only his right eyebrow. There was the same unchanged darkness, reminiscent of emptiness in his eyes.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ if we shake up the Mayor, he might spill something¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, we should first ask him peacefully.¡±

    There was no way of knowing what a Vampire Hunter would do. The reason why Neville didn¡¯t look so interested was probably because he was thinking that Lufry was being lenient. Neville¡¯s temperament was closer to that of a vampire hunter¡¯s than that of a Death Knight.

    In response to Lufry¡¯s words, Keeper snorted and smiled.

    ¡°Lufry, looks like we are of the same opinion. Why don¡¯t we cooperate and peacefully shake him up?¡±

    Suddenly I heard the sound of the gears turning.

    A metal door that can be seen high above. The wall in front of it is slowly moving. Looks like it was a wall with a mechanism. It¡¯s absolutely a trap.

    While enduring pain, I check on Senri, who¡¯s as calm as usual.

    Not like it matters, but Senri is overcoming a bit too many obstacles. She¡¯s reliable but am I being selfish for thinking that I want to see her a little agitated too?

    The speed at which the wall is moving isn¡¯t that fast, but the ceiling is too high up. Even if I jump up now, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to pass through the gap. I shout at Mister Lazar and the others who should be above.

    ¡°Wait back at the town! We¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    ¡°Okay, got i-¡°

    The air trembles and the route to retreat is completely cut off. An almost complete darkness spreads around.

    The first thing I could think about is not what¡¯s deep in this underground palace, but rather, the route of retreat. I look up at the ceiling and calculate.

    No. Senri has Photon Delete inherited directly from Epe¨¨. That terrifying force accompanied by the physical destructive power should be able to accurately shoot through just the door.

    It¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s me, I can return Senri to the surface alive.

    My eyes can see through everything even in an almost perfect darkness. I ask Senri.

    ¡°Senri, can you see?¡±

    ¡°Somehow¡­ look, End.¡±

    Looks like complete darkness isn¡¯t a problem either. I can¡¯t help wondering about what kind of training they used to create a knight like this.

    Serni points at the Golem I killed. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s pointing out, but as I drop my gaze down like I¡¯m told, Serni says in a quiet voice,

    ¡°This Golem ¨D¨D is made from a mineral that sucks in blessing.¡±

    ¡°Eh?! Something like that exists?!¡±

    Apparently, holy silver transmits blessing well. So it shouldn¡¯t be surprising that a substance would exist that sucks it in, but it was completely unexpected.

    ¡°It¡¯s a very rare mineral. Even what Necromancers¡­ rarely have it. Look, this arrowhead too¨D¨D¡±

    They¡¯re completely going in for the kill. I don¡¯t know exactly what kind of power she has, but without blessing, Senri is just a beautiful kind girl.

    But the arrow had no effect on me. My wounds have already healed too. The living and the dead. A Death Knight and a vampire. It seems impossible to take countermeasures for both of us at the same time.

    Looks like¡­ I have to properly concentrate and protect her. Senri said to me, who had just resolved myself on my own, with a serious expression.

    ¡°Also, this Golem¡­ isn¡¯t that old.¡±

 CH 111

    Just as I could see even from above the door, the underground portion was surprisingly wide and intricate. Countless pathways were connected to a wide cavity.

    Golems seemed to still be here. There¡¯s the sound of the footsteps, but because we¡¯re fully enclosed, the sound is echoing, making it hard to tell the direction they¡¯re coming from.

    The constant sharp pain that ran through my whole body had somewhat subsided after I fell into the darkness. It¡¯s probably because being surrounded by darkness slightly raised my powers. This pain might be something like the result of a tug of war between me and Sable.

    That being said, just moving is still bothersome, but ¨D¨D I can¡¯t afford to get exhausted.

    Even in a desperate situation like this, Senri was calm. I can¡¯t show myself in a pathetic state in front of her and since she told me to protect her, I have to hold out.

    Senri¡¯s skin is faintly glowing. It¡¯s a quiet light that doesn¡¯t give out heat. The light is very faint because she¡¯s not wearing very revealing clothes, but maybe she¡¯ll be shining from the tips of her toes to the top of her head if she took off her clothes.

    Perhaps noticing my gaze, Senri says quietly.

    ¡°Oxygen is scarce¡­ in the basement. You might be fine, End, but ¨D¨D I¡¯m substituting it by circulating blessing.¡±

    As expected from an anti-undead specialist. She¡¯s thinking well about things I don¡¯t even notice.

    While impressed, I ask something I¡¯m the most curious about.

    ¡°¡­ Will it dissolve if I touch it?

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve made it so it won¡¯t dissolve. But you can¡¯t touch it.¡±

    It won¡¯t dissolve but I¡¯m still not allowed to touch it? ¡­ I see¡­

    I could see Senri frown at me, as I was nodding, ¡®convinced¡¯ while in the darkness.

    ¡°End, you are¡­ too curious.¡±

    I want to touch it¡­ the next time I¡¯m receiving blood, I¡¯ll definitely have her shine. I switch the direction of my thoughts.

    ¡°The fact that the Golem isn¡¯t old means that somebody has been going in and out of here.¡±

    I wonder how difficult is it to manufacture Golems?

    That would decide the enemy¡¯s capabilities, but if they¡¯re on the same level as the ones that have appeared this time, I¡¯ll manage somehow.

    To start with, it was expected from the presence of the trap that some kind of conspiracy was at work. The only question is, who exactly is this other person?

    According to Senri, the Mayor seemed to be just an ordinary human. Senri was called during daytime and the current Senri is also taking Night Crystal into consideration so I doubt she¡¯d make an error of judgment regarding that.

    But, this underground palace, this labyrinth-like space, is far too inconvenient for humans to make use of. And in fact, there¡¯s no smell of a human other than Senri coming from deep underground.

    There seem to be quite complicated circumstances.

    While looking down on Golems, Senri tells me, who¡¯s lacking in knowledge.

    ¡°It absorbs the power and tears it up. An evil-warding steel almost out of production¡­ at least currently. It¡¯s not entirely made out of it but still, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen one.¡±

    ¡°Now that I think about it, the undead that Horus controlled, didn¡¯t have it either.¡±

    If he had something as terrifying as a metal that devours blessing, he definitely would have used it. Even if It seems to be quite a rare object.

    And, how powerful must the owner of this labyrinth be to have even equipped not so strong Golems with it?

    Then, Senri added on. She said while pointing at Blood Ruler I was holding.

    ¡°End, your machete is made of a small amount of evil-warding steel and Adamant. That¡¯s why it can cut down wraiths and why it can remain unyielding even if you exchange blows with a weapon made of holy silver.¡±

    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s a good weapon?¡±

    ¡°It also has a curse on top of it. An ordinary human most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to wield it.¡±

    Now that I think back after being told so, the sturdiness of this machete is pretty remarkable.

    I¡¯ve gotten various things until now, but after surviving fierce fights with Albertus and Rainel, the only things that still maintain their forms are my body and this machete.

    As expected from the weapon the Lord had prepared for himself. I¡¯ll cherish it.

    After she stopped talking, Senri took a deep breath and closed her eyes. And, I unintentionally opened my eyes wide.

    Light emanating from her silver hair spread like a veil. It¡¯s a faint light I wouldn¡¯t be able to notice if we were outside with even a little light. It¡¯s because we¡¯re in complete darkness that I could barely notice it.

    The light undoubtedly originated from the blessing that undead hated, but even when it touched me, I didn¡¯t feel any pain or impact.

    I can hear the sound of her heartbeat, her pulse. Senri opened her eyes and said in a quiet voice. Her breathing was disordered to the point that I wouldn¡¯t be able to notice it if I wasn¡¯t paying attention to it.

    I see¡­ so this light is the true identity of Senri¡¯s perception. I didn¡¯t notice it until now, but she must¡¯ve released it frequently until now too.

    And if I look closely, I can also see that light is only distorted around the machete I¡¯m holding.

    Senri¡¯s words were uncharacteristically timid.

    She hardly changed her attitude even when she was seriously wounded in a battle with Albertus, can I perhaps take this as a sign of her trust?

    The pain that was slightly tormenting my whole body calms down. I¡¯m getting motivated.

    Darkness is my domain. The practical use of the blessing goes without saying, but it¡¯s not a good match for the monster that¡¯s targeting somebody who claims to be a former Death Knight.

    Senri carefully takes a step forward.

    I stretch out my arm and poke her glowing neck with my fingertip. Unusually enough, her small back trembles and Senri turns towards me. She wore a gloomy expression, as if reproaching me for my prank.

    ¡°¡­ What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a gimmick floor. There¡¯s something there.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    I can see it. I can really see it. I can feel that I¡¯ve gone another level up.

    No ¨D¨D I should say that I¡¯ve gotten more used to this vampire body of mine once again.

    I get on all fours and lie flat low on the ground. A carefully carved floor. Smell. Color.

    Darkness is on my side.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a different color. Senri, you ¨D¨D can¡¯t see it.¡±

    To me, the world looks like daytime no matter how dark it is. Even discerning colors is easy.

    But, Senri¡¯s eyes most likely don¡¯t see that much. She¡¯s only grasping the situation around us with the help of the power of blessing.

    The power of Death Knights is terrifying but it¡¯s not almighty. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t notice the door under the boxes until she was told by the Mayor. Well, I didn¡¯t notice it either though¡­

    There¡¯s a large hall before my eyes. I can clearly see that some parts of its floor are of a different color.

    There¡¯s some unevenness to it too. It¡¯s probably a switch.

    The light of perception by the blessing that Senri emits is in disarray here and there. Even if she might be able to grasp the rough outline of the space, she wouldn¡¯t be able to know the exact situation. My weapon and the evil-warding steel mixed in with the broken remains of the fallen Golems are hindering her perception.

    The switch on the floor is most likely also made from the same metal. I crawled closer to the switch and gently pushed it with my hand.

    The switch moved slightly. There was a sharp sound and an arrow came flying seemingly out of nowhere. I reached out and grabbed it by force just as it was about to pass over my head.

    The arrowhead is made from evil-warding steel. Now that it¡¯s been pointed out, its luster is slightly similar to my machete.

    I look at the strange smelling arrowhead and carefully touch it with my tongue.

    The taste buds of lesser vampires that evolved from a Fleshmen are quite tolerant. I feel a comfortable tingling sensation. I break the arrow in two and put the arrowhead in my pocket,

    I say, hoping to dispel the gloomy atmosphere.

    ¡°It¡¯s poison. Death Knights are too strong so countermeasures against them are also strong. From the perspective of somebody as fragile as me, it¡¯s a big nuisance.¡±

    ¡°End, you can¡¯t go scavenging for food like that. That¡¯s why you end up with an upset stomach.¡±

    ¡°?! It¡¯s because you don¡¯t give me much blood, Senri.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Your mealtime is just too long.¡±

    The labyrinth had such an odious shape that even Senri scowled.

    True darkness with not a single glimmer of light. There is pretty much no air around. There are even evil-warding steel that interrupted the perception through blessing.  Also, Golems that attack from within the darkness.

    It¡¯s just a mass of malice that ordinary mercenaries would never be able to resist.

    Dessend has taken relentless countermeasures against vampires. However, I can feel a strong determination to kill Death Knights from this castle.

    I was impressed with the ingenuity of my seniors. I see¡­ so I can protect myself from Death Knights if I build this kind of castle?

    But when I build my castle, I¡¯ll use more countermeasures. Countermeasures that would be able to repel a pair made up of a vampire and a Death Knight.

    The underground labyrinth could broadly be divided into countless pathways, rooms and doors.

    Thick metal doors were not only in front of the rooms, but also in the middle of pathways and hindered the intruders in their tracks. They weren¡¯t locked so they were probably more used for increasing blind spots for an ambush.

    The curse of a vampire is unique. I can¡¯t enter somebody else¡¯s home without permission.

    One of the criteria for determining that juncture is a door.

    Now that I think about it, the reason why I was able to enter the door to the underground space may have been because the master of this underground palace had invited me.

    The door of the labyrinth made me feel very much like I shouldn¡¯t go inside. Doors have a little effect on me as a Lesser Vampire, but without Senri, I¡¯d be very exhausted.

    However, Senri solved all that.

    After opening the door and checking the safety inside, Senri invites me inside.

    ¡°End, come in.¡±

    Curses are really unfathomable. For instance, when I¡¯m crossing flowing water, I lose almost all my vampire powers, but in a bath they only weaken.

    Maybe it¡¯s better if I don¡¯t look for too much logic in it.

    The pain that was eating away at my soul had changed into something that was accompanied by a fever. My head feels dizzy like how I felt long ago when I caught a cold.

    ¡°Thank you. Sorry for the trouble.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t worry about it. End, you¡¯re very helpful.¡±

    Senri¡¯s sure is nice. The fact that I¡¯m being relied on cheers me up.

    I cut the Golem that falls from the ceiling in two with my machete. I can now repel Golems that used to surprise me at first, like an assembly-line system.

    I wonder if Mister Lazar and the others retreated properly?

    The underground labyrinth is intricate and I don¡¯t know what¡¯s what but the destination is steadily getting closer.

    I open my eyes and glare at the wall, in the direction where I feel the presence from.

    ¡°I can feel it. We¡¯re almost there¡­ it¡¯s the presence of an extremely large Night Crystal.¡±

 CH 112

    Death Knights have transcended humanity.

    Purification with blessing is a deadly weakness for the undead, who surpass humans in all areas. However, even without that, Death Knights, who contain an extraordinary amount of blessing, which is life energy itself, are much more powerful than ordinary humans,

    Then, what about vampire hunters?

    Unlike Death Knights, vampire hunters don¡¯t have any unusual powers.

    They would undoubtedly have become Death Knights if they had the talent to control blessing. Thus, most vampire hunters are ordinary humans compared to Death Knights.

    However, that doesn¡¯t mean they cannot fight against humans as well.

    The driving force of vampire hunters is fanaticism. They need madness to hunt a monster as a human and they need diligent training as well as good luck to survive.

    For the Order of Death Knights, humans are meant to be protected. But for vampire hunters, humans are simply opponents that are easier to deal with than monsters they usually fight.

    ¡°We, vampire hunters, are avengers sent on behalf of the poor powerless victims. Of course, I cannot deny that there are some who take it as a hobby and business, though.¡±

    A room in the town hall. Keeper said, straddling the unconscious guards. In contrast to his joyful tune, his eyes were clouded.

    Being stared at by his eyes reminiscent of the abyss, the Mayor of Dessend, who was sitting on the floor, slid back.

    He was an old man with a good physique. One¡¯s appearance and their abilities aren¡¯t necessarily connected, but just like the collaborator from the bar had said, the Mayor didn¡¯t look like the sharpest tool in the shed.

    There was nothing special about the skills of the guards that were protecting the Mayor either.

    If the information given by their collaborator was true, there was no doubt that the Mayor knew something. But, he was way too poorly guarded.

    Neville, who was carefully observing him with narrowed eyes until now, admonished Keeper.

    ¡°Keeper, I¡¯m sure we said to go in peacefully.¡±

    ¡°That is exactly right, Sir Death Knight. I hold no grudge against this person.¡±

    The eyebrows of the Mayor, who couldn¡¯t even stand out of fear, twitched. Keeper leaned over to his side and met his gaze.

    Keeper was tall and lean. Even when he bent over, he still ended up looking down on the small statured Mayor.

    Mayor looked up at the quiet eyes that were directed at him and shouted while trembling.

    ¡°W-what is it!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why, this isn¡¯t due to my feelings. It¡¯s just my clients, who hold strong grudges against vampires that it scorches their souls. They are the ones who want this. So, don¡¯t resent me.¡±

    The cane Keeper held in his right hand fell to the ground. Boney fingers wrapped in leather gloves grabbed the Mayor¡¯s neck.

    Keeper had terrific power. A lean man lifting a large adult with a single hand was beyond the power of a human being.

    Lufry gasped and the beast-like girl stared at him attentively.

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ you see, what my clients desire is not to uphold justice. They want me to take as much time as possible and inflict as much suffering as possible! To kill vampires and those who side with them! I¡¯m getting paid for that!¡±

    ¡°Keeper!¡±

    Lufry grabbed his arm. Keeper slightly lowered his voice. But there was no change in the light shining in his eyes.

    ¡°But I¡¯m never able to sufficiently fulfill that request. After all, unlike Death Knights, if a human like me gives them leeway even for a second, I¡¯ll end up killed. That¡¯s why, Mayor, when I¡¯m against humans¡­ I¡¯m balancing the accounts.¡±

    The Mayor scratched the hand that was holding his neck, but the hand with the vice-like grip did not even budge. Keeper¡¯s whispering voice entered the ears of the Mayor, who opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°Spit it out. As slowly as possible if you like. I wouldn¡¯t mind if you want to die suffering. It pains my heart, a lot in fact, but¡­ that¡¯s right. My dear clients will surely be very satisfied.¡±

    ¡°You overdid it, Keeper.¡±

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ I wonder? I thought you all were my seniors in¡­ cornering the undead by any means.¡±

    The expert vampire hunter laughed at Lufry, who was rebuking him. However, dwelling behind his seemingly calm was true madness.

    Keeper was serious through and through. They had come to hear the Mayor out but Keeper was fine with killing him. Although he knew the possibility of the Mayor just being the victim, he didn¡¯t loosen his hand at all.

    Madness that turns vampire hunters into what they are. That was a human that had become a monster in order to hunt other monsters.

    If necessary, the man in front of them would attack without hesitation even if it was against Death Knights.

    Neville scowled and said as if spitting out.

    The Order of Death Knights would never abandon humans without a good reason.

    Among cunning vampires and high-ranking undead, there were those who would hide their identities and use humans as pawns.

    Death Knights would kill those who stood in their ways without hesitation, but they would save those who they could save. Death Knights would never kill humans for the sake of killing them.

    Keeper frowned at Neville¡¯s words and nodded seriously.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ to be expected. If the Order ended up like us, we¡¯d go bankrupt.¡±

    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve achieved our goal. The Mayor is alive. What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    Alber, who had been silent until now, raised a frosty voice at Neville, who clicked his tongue.

    Her adult-like tone, unsuited for her age, harbored dark emotions just like Keeper.

    Lufry looked at the town hall they had just exited.

    Perhaps because he was frightened by Keeper¡¯s words or because he was smart enough to feel the seriousness in Keeper¡¯s voice, the Mayor easily gave up the information before undergoing any proper torture.

    Lufry sighed while ruminating about the scene of the interrogation.

    ¡°The basement of the castle, huh¡­ it was the mistake of the old Order.¡±

    It had always been a known fact that the King of the Dead had an ace up his sleeve.

    The reason why they didn¡¯t destroy the castle was probably partly because they wanted to effectively use the building, but also because the Order of Death Knights from that time couldn¡¯t afford to spare that much resources.

    It was still fine in the present age, but Lufry had heard that in the past, there were a lot of Necromancers. That the Order¡¯s side wasn¡¯t as dominant as it is now.

    During the interrogation, Lufry and the rest were only watching from behind, but the Mayor¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look like somebody who was lying.

    However, they couldn¡¯t get all the information out of him.

    They found out that there was a Night Crystal in the basement. But the flow of the conversation was accompanied by an indescribable sense of incongruity.

    For example, they didn¡¯t get a completely satisfying answer to the question about why they didn¡¯t call for the Order. Not all humans think logically, but hiring mercenaries as a stopgap measure was a foolish decision, no matter how one thought about it.

    And, Keeper, who took extremely drastic measures, did not strongly pursue the matter.

    Keeper was looking at the air with hazy eyes, but he suddenly turned towards Lufry and asked.

    ¡°Well then, what are we going to do now?¡±

    Keeper was on the hired side this time. Vampire hunters generally don¡¯t move unless they take a request.

    It must be some kind of stopper for them, who use their hatred for vampires and their madness as weapons.

    ¡°Call for reinforcement.¡±

    Keeper furrowed his eyebrows at the young knight¡¯s swift decision.

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ not a bad move. So you¡¯re scared.¡±

    ¡°Either praise me or insult me, choose one! I don¡¯t intend to die but if I die before sending information to headquarters, everything will be over.¡±

    He would destroy them at any cost. Neville¡¯s eyes were blazing with fighting spirit, but his words were very calm.

    The Order of Death Knights had gradually refined its tactics over the course of the long battle against the undead. Its members were all weathered warriors, but that wasn¡¯t enough to beat undead who had no set life span.

    It was the castle of the former King of the Dead. Its basement was undoubtedly a death trap. In that case, they should challenge it to a battle with the same determination of turning it into an empty plot of land, like when they killed the Demon King in the past.

    ¡°Or what? Do you have a better idea as a vampire hunter?¡±

    ¡°Kuku¡­ I obey¡­ my clients. As long as I can get paid.¡±

    Keeper slightly shrugged at Lufry¡¯s straightforward question.

    ¡°Besides¡­ I went out of my way to give the Mayor some time. I must have him dance or¡­¡±

    There, Alber vigorously raised her face.

    She looked in one direction with a beastly gaze.

    Under the strong sunlight, on the other side of her gaze was a man that looked like a merchant.

    He was wearing a turban made for a long journey and a cloak. However, if one observed him for a little bit, they would be able to see that his eyes were too sharp to belong to a merchant.

    Lufry narrowed his eyes. The man exhaled violently, letting out a trembling voice.

    ¡°How easygoing. It¡¯s because, of your f-f-friends, that I¡¯m having, so much trouble.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What¡­ do you mean?¡±

    The man didn¡¯t answer Rufry¡¯s question.

    Instead of answering, the man¡¯s body trembled.

    His body that swelled up from the inside, tore the traveling clothes made from the durable cloth. His bone structure changed, bristles grew on his body in an instant and his mouth tore to his cheeks.

    His limbs swelled, ears appeared on him and his fiery tongue licked his fangs.

    By that time, Lufry¡¯s group had already assumed a fighting position and Keeper had moved to the back.

    ¡°A werewolf¡­ in the middle of town like this?¡±

    Werewolves. They are the underlings of the vampires and demonic beings, who are sometimes even more troublesome to deal with than vampires themselves.

    They aren¡¯t undead, therefore it¡¯s hard to detect them, they don¡¯t have any deadly weaknesses and can also move freely even during mornings. However, ever since Ancestor Lycus, who possessed the ability to create them, perished, their numbers had gradually decreased.

    The passersby who noticed the appearance of the monster screamed.

    The Werewolf told Lufry¡¯s group, who faced him with swords and maces in their hands, without attacking.

    ¡°S-s-since when, have Death Knights started to team up with v-vampires?¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­ at?!¡±

    The Werewolf kicked the ground with all his might. Not to attack Lufry¡¯s group. But to run away.

    His physical abilities were enhanced after transforming. It surpassed that of even beasts. They hurriedly chased after the werewolf, who had turned his back, but even the second-class knights would have trouble killing a werewolf intent on running away without any prior preparation.

    The werewolf disappeared in the blink of an eye, not even paying attention to the many prey around him. Glaring at his direction, Neville said with a trembling voice.

    ¡°A Death Knight with a vampire, you say!?¡±

 CH 113

    Almost there. I follow the presence and proceed cautiously.

    It was a lot of work to advance through the gloomy labyrinth while avoiding the assailants. Even more so, when I had to do it while enduring the pain from Sable¡¯s curse that¡¯s been tormenting my whole body.

    I somehow managed to keep my consciousness that was on the verge of disorganizing from the pain. The labyrinth was really vast, with many hidden traps.

    What makes this underground labyrinth actually kind of difficult is that it¡¯s 3-dimensional instead of 2-dimensional. There are secret openings and narrow passages here and there on the high ceiling and the assailants are also attacking from there. On the contrary, there¡¯s also a chance that at the end of those passages is what we¡¯re looking for. If I didn¡¯t have the ability to detect the Night Crystal, I wouldn¡¯t be sure if there even was a goal.

    The castle of the Mirage King was on top of a steep cliff. It would be hard to create a vast labyrinth in its basement unless you used the legendary space distorting magic.

    The multi-layered underground labyrinth must¡¯ve been the solution for that. It¡¯s not very convenient but Golems won¡¯t complain and well, ordinary undead wouldn¡¯t grumble about it either.

    But, it¡¯s the identity of this ¡®enemy¡¯ I¡¯m curious about.

    There¡¯s no way the defense mechanism from when Mirage King was alive would still be in place.  As expected, too much time has passed and we should think that we fell for a trap.

    If you think it about it logically, It¡¯s the Mayor of Dessend, the person who hired Mister Lazar¡¯s group and revealed the existence of this place to Senri, who¡¯s the most suspicious.

    However, as I also felt earlier, this trap and the underground labyrinth aren¡¯t something a human could make.

    Senri was silent for a while after my question and said quietly.

    ¡°The undead created by Necromancers ¨D¨D generally can¡¯t use magic.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­? But I can use it though? Besides, vampires do have mana.¡±

    I only learnt small magic that could be used in everyday life myself, but it¡¯s still magic.

    Besides, if I remember right, vampires are strong against curses and combat magic because of the enormous amount of mana within them. Senri answered my question quietly.

    ¡°They only just have it. It might be the source of their resistance and powerful physical abilities, but it can¡¯t be transformed into the phenomena of magic. You are ¨D¨D special.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see. For safety, huh?¡±

    Necromancers are cautious. And the advantage the masters have over the undead with strong physical abilities and immortality is magic.

    I did think that it was strange.  The definition of the ¡®King of the Dead¡¯ is a Necromancer that evolved into a special undead. Then, what exactly does that ¡®special¡¯ mean?

    Why isn¡¯t a powerful undead who grew through continuously evolving called ¡®the King of the Dead¡¯?

    At first, I thought it referred to the undead who had special curses like ¡®Curse Steal¡¯.

    But that probably isn¡¯t the only condition. If that was enough, there would be more ¡®Kings of the Dead¡¯.

    The answer to that is ¨D¨D necromancy. When we first met, Sable saw me use necromancy and her expression changed.

    I¡¯m sure ¡®the special undead¡¯ are the undead that can use necromancy. And I¡¯m also pretty positive that ordinary undead can¡¯t acquire necromancy later in life.

    Vampires are already resistant towards necromancy. There¡¯s no way of knowing how long the authority of absolute orders will work on them.

    If vampires, who have all the time in the world acquire magic, they would also be able to take off the shackles that had been put on them. There¡¯s no way their masters would allow that.

    ¡°Yes. Intelligent undead might bite at their masters, so ¡®Necromancers¡¯ limit their ability to learn magic.¡±

    I don¡¯t have those kinds of shackles probably because the Lord intended to use my body. With all kinds of fortunes overlapping, I¡¯m here right now.

    I cut off the arrow released by the Golem with a clear sound. In the darkness, the poisoned arrow rolls on the ground. Senri says with a serious voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s only released for ¨D¨D the most trusted retainers.¡±

    I¡¯ve already lost count of how many Golems I¡¯ve destroyed.

    Golems that attack in the darkness are neither strong nor weak. But that¡¯s only from my perspective. If these Golems teamed up and attacked the town, a small town wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with them.

    I¡¯m not knowledgeable about the Golems, but they would have to be quite a powerful spellcaster to create this many Golems and control them.

    ¡°In other words¡­ it¡¯s a troublesome enemy, huh.¡±

    ¡°The longer they live, the stronger and smarter the undead become.¡±

    I wonder if even undead can learn healing magic. As I was silently pondering, Senri added.

    ¡°You¡¯re already smart and troublesome enough though, End.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I want to drink blood. Despite my looks, I¡¯m walking while enduring the pain.

    Even I¡¯m surprised at the fact that I can move this well. I feel like patting my own back.

    It doesn¡¯t matter who the enemy is. I try and say it with a cheerful voice.

    ¡°Let¡¯s resolve this quickly and go back to the inn so I can get blood.¡±

    This is my driving force. I glanced at Senri¡¯s face and saw her sigh slightly.

    This means it¡¯s A-OK. I¡¯m suddenly more motivated. It¡¯s self-interested and when I¡¯m like this, even pain becomes somewhat enjoyable.

    I slightly straighten my spine and walk faster.

    Anyway, this is a really intricate labyrinth. No matter how wide it is, there should be a limit, but I can¡¯t seem to reach the Night Crystal that¡¯s supposed to be right around the corner.

    If the presence was behind the wall, I would destroy the wall to advance, but that¡¯s not the case either. Just how wide is this place?

    I¡¯m still fine because I love miasma, but it would be a heavy burden for the Senri, a human, to stay at this place with hardly any oxygen for long.

    I stop. Senri, who was following behind me while being cautious of the back, also stopped without bumping into me.

    And I strongly slam ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯ against the floor.

    I close my eyes. I ignore the pain and feel the sound, vibrations, the impact and the tremors in the air.

    My sense of smell is the best out of my five senses because I ate Albertus, but it¡¯s not like my other senses are dull.

    It¡¯s a hastily learned trick, but it has a high physical performance, so it¡¯ll work out somehow even if I do it casually.

    The information rushes into my brain that¡¯s writhing in pain. And I open my eyes.

    ¡°¡­ How strange. This Labyrinth doesn¡¯t seem¡­ that wide.¡±

    I roughly know its structure. The paths are certainly complicated but it¡¯s not wide enough to walk around for so many hours.

    No ¨D¨D to start with, it¡¯s absolutely strange that we can¡¯t reach the Night Crystal.

    As I frowned, I heard a gruff voice in my mind.

    ¡°The Labyrinth of Deterrance. There seems to be something¡­ something they really want to hide.¡±

    It¡¯s the Lord¡¯s voice. The Lord inside of me is speaking to me.

    The Labyrinth of Deterrance. The barrier of confusion. It¡¯s the magic the Lord used to conceal his base.

    If I remember right, its effect was to ¨D¨D make the intruders lose their way unless they had guidance. Hmm¡­ in other words, we were made to walk in circles?

    I was drawing the map inside my brain while enduring the pain. I was confident that I wouldn¡¯t get lost, but if there¡¯s magic involved, it¡¯s all over. The Lord is useful sometimes.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use, Senri. Looks like it¡¯s the Labyrinth of Deterrance¡­ and it had a barrier of confusion.¡±

    ¡°!! I see¡­ We need to either break the origin of the spell or find a guide.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s foolish to destroy the source of the barrier underground. It¡¯ll collapse.

    ¡±Foolish¡­ I see.¡±

    Senri¡¯s excitement slightly fell compared to before. I¡¯m not the one who said it. It was the Lord.

    But I also think that it¡¯s foolish¡­ I mean, if the basement collapsed, I¡¯d be fine but Senri would die and if I was the spell caster, I¡¯d prepare a trap to bury others alive if the source of the barrier was destroyed.

    ¡®Stop following the presence for the time being. Check the surroundings, End.¡¯

    Looks like the Lord has something on his mind. Did the Lord, who always only appeared when I was in trouble and disappeared after saying something useless, have a change of heart?

    Since I didn¡¯t have any hints, I checked the surroundings as instructed by the Lord inside my mind. Perhaps noticing that my demeanor changed, Senri silently went along with me.

    I open the door, climb the ceiling and check the stairs leading further back.  There are Golems and traps everywhere. But as I thought, I¡¯m encountering Golems the most when I¡¯m getting closer to the Night Crystal.

    I¡¯m sure I¡¯d reach it easily if not for the barrier.

    After a few dozen minutes of investigation, around the time when I was getting bored despite bracing myself, the Lord in my brain spoke up.

    ¡®Hmm¡­ I see. As expected from the ¡®King of the Dead¡¯, it is complex.¡¯

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I see. As expected from the ¡®King of the Dead¡¯, it¡¯s complex.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Did you find out something?¡±

    Looks like The Lord in my brain sensed something that the clever Senri can¡¯t understand. The only thing I understood is the fact that it must¡¯ve been very difficult to create this big underground labyrinth.

    As I blinked and waited for the next line, the Lord said with a somewhat amused voice.

    ¡®Fool. Just what have you been looking at? Have you not noticed? ¨D¨D this underground labyrinth itself is a ¡®three-dimensional magic circle¡¯ for rituals.¡¯

 CH 114

    Three-dimensional magic circle. I chow over those words inside my mind.

    I¡¯m pretty much an amateur when it comes to magic. I read the grimoire and somehow learned several magic that I could use in everyday life but none that I¡¯ve learned could be used for combat.

    Partly because punching is faster, but also because powerful combat magic is originally kept a secret.

    Also, there was no combat magic at the level that would make me want to go out of my way to learn it among the grimoires that Senri gathered.

    You can¡¯t learn powerful magic unless you ask a magician mentor to teach you. You also need to have a disposition for it. Therefore, despite the existence of the miracle that is magic, science and technology has flourished.

    The only magic I¡¯ve learned over many days is the most elementary out of all elementary levels, the magic that can be activated just by myself.

    However, magic is originally something that¡¯s exercised through the use of multiple tools, catalysts or rituals.

    Magic circle. I¡¯ve heard the term before.

    It¡¯s one of the rituals used to exercise powerful magic.

    It¡¯s my first time hearing the term three-dimensional magic circle, but judging from its name, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s¡­ three-dimensional.

    Because of Sable¡¯s curse, my head and body hurt so much it feels like I¡¯m being torn apart.

    The only reason I¡¯m not crying yet is because I¡¯m just acting tough. The Lord, who still doesn¡¯t relay the information clearly despite the situation I¡¯m in, deserves to be destroyed.

    Senri frowns at the Lord¡¯s words that pass through my mouth.

    ¡°Three-dimensional¡­ magic circle¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. Basically, it¡¯s a¡­ three-dimensional magic circle. It¡¯s, three-dimensional.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you mean?¡±

    Senri still doesn¡¯t know that the Lord is inside me. She¡¯s suspicious because the Lord isn¡¯t relaying the information properly.

    In order to buy time, I look around the surroundings and pretend to investigate.

    The Lord, who was freely bustling about in all directions, laughed.

    ¡®The spellcaster is quite strong. However¡­ Hmm. The Mirage King¡­ made a mistake¡­¡¯

    I want to split him in half with the machete.

    Looks like I have more studying to do¡­ I should think of some ways to improve.

    Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve been always fighting ever since I started traveling with Senri.

    I wanted to pretend to stagger and hug Senri to buy time, but I can¡¯t do that when Golems keep attacking us.

    Senri kept staring at me, waiting for me to finish my words.

    ¡°In other words¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­ In other words¡­ everything, might be, the Mirage King¡¯s, fault.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ ¡±

    Senri¡¯s gaze is chilly because of this worthless ghost. It was my mistake to try and earn her favorable impression by using the Lord¡¯s words.

    The Lord, who¡¯s all bones, cackles.

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ End, look carefully. There are already very few spellcasters who can put together a magic circle of this quality. This is ¨D¨D Necromancy that was once called ¡®Reincarnation¡¯¡±

    Reincarnation necromancy. What an indescribably eerie sequence of words.

    But, I was resurrected through necromancy in the first place. Wouldn¡¯t that also be called reincarnation (I¡¯m not alive though) in a way?

    If this underground passage itself is a magic circle, it¡¯s quite large. The Lord¡¯s mansion was wide, but it still doesn¡¯t come close to this place.

    ¡­ So, what do I have to break? Should I destroy the magic circle? Should I return Senri to the surface and destroy the basement?

    Hey? What should I do to go home quickly?

    ¡®Fool! This circle is already overflowing with sufficient power¨D¨D the power of the dead! If you destroy it carelessly, you might end up annihilated.¡¯

    ¡°¡­ Senri, you can¡¯t destroy it. The power of the dead is already gathered at this magic circle, you absolutely can¡¯t destroy it! You might be thinking that we should break it for the time being but you absolutely can¡¯t do it! Endure it!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Well then, I made sure to warn Senri.

    Senri cut off the Golem¡¯s arrow that was fired from who knows where with her sword. There was a lot of force put into it.

    But¡­ that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve thought up a quick solution.

    First, we return to above ground. We¡¯ll blow away the castle¡¯s basement with Senri¡¯s ¡®Photon Delete¡¯ from far away.

    The power of the dead might go rampant and explode, but we¡¯ll be doing it from far away so we¡¯ll be fine. The castle will disappear but Dessend shouldn¡¯t have any complaints either. All we have to do is act innocent and leave.

    It¡¯s a pity that I won¡¯t get a spare Night Crystal, but, well, I¡¯ll give up on it.

    ¡°Kh¡­ End, it is those who come with the brute force approach that are the most terrifying! Whatever the circumstance might be, have you no pride as somebody who has inherited my wisdom?!¡±

    Even I have an adventurous spirit, but right now I want to quickly go home and get blood from Senri.

    I can¡¯t reach the Night Crystal that¡¯s supposed to be nearby, my stomach hurts, my back hurts, my head also hurts and Senri¡¯s still in danger, so my excitement has dropped to its limits.

    To start with, the Lord¡¯s speeches are too long. In other words, he¡¯s self-righteous.

    He doesn¡¯t look at his surroundings and that¡¯s why he was betrayed by me and Roux. I want him to explain in a way that even idiots could understand.

    As I silently sent him my thoughts, the Lord sighed deeply, perhaps finally giving up.

    ¡®End, this is a ¨D¨D magic circle of reincarnation. It gathers the power of the dead and forcibly changes the curse of the undead. That¡¯s the kind of spell this is.¡¯

    The only monsters that have appeared so far are Golems, with no undead to be seen.

    As I frowned and measured the timing of relaying this to Senri, the Lord snorted amusingly.

    ¡®This is the formation¡­ for turning the curse of the Skeleton into the curse of the Fleshman. I would say that at present this castle ¨D¨Dis the place of the ritual.¡¯

    That is why I said it ¨D¨D that the Mirage King made the wrong choice. The Lord shrugged.

    But I can¡¯t understand what the Lord said.

    Changing Skeletons into¡­ Fleshmen? Why?

    Senri has certainly said before that the Mirage King belonged to the Skeleton race. But, would the undead, who evolved so much that he earned the title of the Demon King have any reasons to change himself?

    From the Lord¡¯s words, it can be inferred that the very purpose for why this castle was built was the ritual.

    I certainly did think it was strange.

    It¡¯s said that the Mirage King had the power to hide his presence from the Death Knights. In that case, even if he was targeted by the Order of Death Knights who found out the location of his castle, running away shouldn¡¯t have been that difficult. He¡¯s different from me, who¡¯s still being pursued despite continuously running away.

    Nevertheless¡­ the Demon King was killed in this castle. I don¡¯t know anything about that era, so it might¡¯ve been the matter of the Order of Death Knights being too strong, but it¡¯s hard to imagine that the Demon King that commanded an army couldn¡¯t even run away.

    However, before I could think more about it, the Lord looked ahead ¨D¨D towards the direction of the Night Crystal and said something unbelievable.

    ¡®And, End. The magic circle is still working. The ritual still¨D¨D hasn¡¯t ended. He¡¯s going to come back to life¨D¨D the dark king who reigned over the old world.¡¯

    That King truly had the divine appearance like the night itself.

    He had a jet-black body that devoured the light. His bone body, however, did not exude any sort of weakness and had the majesty similar to a large tree that had lived for millenniums.

    Far beyond the Skeleton evolution.

    The mage who acquired power in exchange for his flesh. The King of the Death, who swallowed the light and lived in a standstill time.

    ¡°Night Closer.¡±

    There is hardly anybody else left who knows that in reality, that mage, who was called the Mirage King and feared by all humans and demons alike, hadn¡¯t let go of his ¡®humanity¡¯.

    ¡°It was a mistake. No matter how much I despised humans, I should not have cast away my flesh.¡±

    His words were very dry.

    That was most definitely the side effects of reaching the realm of gods as a human.

    He lost his flesh, he lost his life and he lost his greed.

    His right arm, who had followed him for a long time. The Night Lich created from his power would also have no ways of understanding the heart of God.

    A created undead would have no way of understanding what lay in the heart of the demon God, that was once a human.

    ¡°I understand how you feel. However, you are as close to the night as possible.¡±

    ¡°There is nothing¨D¨D beyond. There is hate created by the curse, but I do not understand the reason for it. I cannot be fulfilled. Aah, there was nothing we aimed for¡­ in complete stagnation.¡±

    The army of the dead that was created by the enormous mana only existed to relieve that King¡¯s boredom.

    Even if he had memories, he had no feelings. The only thing remaining was power. The Night Lich could not do anything about the King¡¯s lament.

    ¡°I have no other choice but to ¨D¨Ddiscard my body and retrieve it. Before I¡¯m degraded into a mere phenomena¨D¨D¡±

 CH 115

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ how stupid. How stupid of them, Alber. That they would fall for such an obvious trap.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°The weakness of the Order of Death Knights is their nobility. They are¡­ strong against the enemies, but too soft on their allies.¡±

    It¡¯s beyond help, Keeper laughed. Alber, walking next to Keeper who was using a cane, didn¡¯t reply.

    The Sun had set and the sky was wrapped in a dim light.

    The undead became active at night. Even if neither of them would turn into ashes the moment they were exposed to the sunlight like vampires, the gap between their abilities during the day and night was quite large for the most demonic beings.

    The werewolf that appeared during the day. His words and the actions were clearly a trap.

    To start with, he had no intentions of even hiding it when he ran away without attacking properly. It was too obvious.

    Now that ¡®Lycus¡¯, the source of the curse that could create werewolves, was dead, demonic beings such as werewolves became rather rare. The fact that somebody is using him means that whoever¡¯s backing him up is quite powerful.

    But Lufry¡¯s group didn¡¯t chase after him. On the contrary, they even gave up on Night Crystal and switched over to dealing with the Death Knight teaming up with the vampire that the werewolf spoke about.

    Everything went as the enemy wanted. Furthermore, they were acting while aware of this so they were even more ill-natured.

    Next, Keeper remembered the young man he had fought once and laughed.

    ¡°Kukukukuku¡­ being the enemy of humanity¡­ must be truly hard, End Formet. To think that you would be treated as a nuisance even by your kin.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll kill him.¡±

    There weren¡¯t many Death Knight who would team up with vampires. Alber, who had her curse stolen, spat in a subdued voice at Kainushi which was laughing with his eyes narrowed.

    Keeper didn¡¯t know why End would be at a place like this, but he was almost sure that he had most likely followed the Night Crystal. What a strange coincidence it was.

    End was strong. The common strategy up to now wouldn¡¯t work on a vampire with a human rationale. In addition, that young man was still ¨D¨D immature. Now that some time had passed since then, he must¡¯ve gotten even stronger.

    Senri Silvis was ¨D¨D outstanding. She was already a bad matchup for Keeper from his perspective, but Keeper, who had killed all sorts of demonic beings until now, could only slow her down after using every possible means. And with regards to her spirit too, watching over a vampire, who emitted the negative aura that¡¯s the exact opposite of the blessing, from up close would be impossible without a tough force of will.

    But, no matter how much of a powerful pair they were, they were still only two. They had too many enemies.

    ¡°Looks like things are going to get busy.¡±

    The many Demon Kings are looking for powerful underlings. That werewolf is a groundwork for capturing End. It must be unbearable for a vampire with a human mind.

    While Keeper couldn¡¯t help him, he could at least sympathize with him.

    Alber frowned and looked up at Keeper.

    ¡°Leno, let¡¯s go too.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯d like to do that too, but¡­ he¡¯s not the target of our current job.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Leave the mutually destructive battles to those who want to do it. After all¡­ we are humans.¡±

    Alber frowned as if dissatisfied, but she didn¡¯t say anything more, silently following Keeper.

    By some providence, after having the curse stolen, the fighting power of Keeper¡¯s group had greatly decreased.

    Alber¡¯s grudge against the vampires hadn¡¯t diminished and she was also training anew, but an ordinary human wouldn¡¯t be able to manifest combat abilities she had before.

    In that case, all they could do was use their wits.

    After leisurely walking through the town, they reached the town hall that they had visited during the day.

    The Sun had already set but the number of the guards in front of the gate hadn¡¯t decreased. Keeper sighed slightly at the scenery that looked exactly like it was investigated.

    ¡°As I thought¡­ they are hiding something.¡±

    Dessend wasn¡¯t that big of a town and the Mayor hadn¡¯t incurred as many grudges from the surroundings. He shouldn¡¯t have a reason to keep the guards stationed day and night.

    And yet, he has lookouts, as if he¡¯s afraid of something.

    Keeper¡¯s experienced intuition was whispering to him that something was up with the Mayor.

    It was a heavy blow that Lufry¡¯s group had infiltrated the castle. It was the woe of the employees that they couldn¡¯t stop their employer¡¯s actions, no matter how ridiculous they were.

    If that werewolf hadn¡¯t come to lead them, Lufry¡¯s group wouldn¡¯t think about infiltrating the suspicious castle just with the two of them. They would¡¯ve been waiting for the reinforcement.

    How truly¨D¨D annoying.

    They turned around near the town hall, careful to not get noticed.

    The guards were standing, but they didn¡¯t seem very motivated. This must¡¯ve been a peaceful town.

    The last incident that happened was the wall of the castle collapsing because of the earthquake and nothing had happened after that.

    ¨D¨D On the surface, at least.

    Keeper tapped on the wall with his cane and laughed joyfully.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go and give a secret greeting¡­ to the Mayor.¡±

    They had been paying attention the whole time. The Death Knights made plans, but vampire hunters went beyond that.

    Humans, who held grudges towards the undead and didn¡¯t like the Order of Death Knights, the allies of the justice, were all the allies of Keeper¡¯s kind.

    And people like that were definitely a lot more than the Order of Death Knights thought.

    Information gathering had started from the time when the Night crystal had secretly started to circulate.

    Dessend was the town that once fought against the King of the Dead. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that they had cooperator here,

    They climbed over the wall, soundlessly broke the window and carefully infiltrated the town hall.

    They trespassed into the dimly illuminated corridor. There was nobody inside the town hall building.

    The quiet town hall was half-heartedly clean and well-furnished, making it look very eerie.

    ¡°Alber, can you recognize the smell?¡±

    Alber, who was crawling at Keeper¡¯s feet and was bringing her nose close, frowned and shook her head.

    ¡°It smells like the dead¡­ but, I can¡¯t tell.¡±

    Alber¡¯s abilities had declined after losing her curse.

    Her physical abilities and the sense of smell had been trained during the long period of being cursed, making them more powerful than an ordinary human, but it was incomparable to the time when she could transform into a dog.

    Keeper shrugged and took out the blueprint of the mansion from his chest pocket.

    There were various suspicious points in this town.

    A big earthquake which is said to have collapsed a part of the old caste.

    The fact that they suddenly started to take countermeasures against vampires to an abnormal degree. The fact that they started to hire mercenaries from outside in order to defeat the appearing undead.

    And ¨D¨D the fact that Dessend remained silent even when those mercenaries did not return alive.

    Mercenaries are generally wanderers. Even if mercenaries, who wander around in search of work, suddenly disappear, not many people will find it suspicious.

    But the story changes if scrutinized.

    According to the investigation of the collaborator, there have been more than 10 teams that arrived at Dessend and were hired to exterminate the undead.

    Some teams might¡¯ve not been able to complete the commission. However, they must have had something like a premonition.

    Just where had the mercenaries that disappeared without a track gone to?

    Keeper was careful to not make any footsteps and advanced forward.

    The undead are powerful. In addition to their high immortality, there are those with far superior intelligence among the undead who have evolved continuously.

    But even such undead have a hard time fully assimilating into human villages. There¡¯s a limit to how much they can act unnoticed, without making anybody feel uneasy.

    In the human town, you have to abide by the human principles. Keeper was a professional. He knew where to look.

    Keeper had a copy of the diagram that was used several years ago when the town hall was renovated. The contractor that had done the renovation was already gone, but the map cooperator had obtained at that time clearly had the writing about the newly built basement.

    ¡°Why do they like lurking underground?¡­  Is it their homing instinct toward the underworld?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Vampires prefer coffins. Other undead don¡¯t enter the coffins, but they often lurk in damp basements where the light doesn¡¯t reach.

    There were ordinary citizens in the town hall during the day, but there seemed to be nobody here at night.

    However, the Mayor hadn¡¯t come outside. He should¡¯ve still been inside.

    Today they had infiltrated for the sake of gathering information. Now that Lufry and Neville, the Death Knights, had arrived, the Mayor should¡¯ve taken some kind of action.

    Although, it wasn¡¯t very likely that the city hall itself had fallen in the hands of the enemy. Things were being carried out very carefully ¨D¨D quietly enough so that the Order of Death Knights wouldn¡¯t realize anything.

    There was probably no necessity to rummage each room. While wary of the surroundings, Keeper headed for the underground room that was created during the renovation.

    Then, he stopped mid-way.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the smell¡­ of blood.¡±

    Alber drew the silver dagger at her waist and held it at the ready. Keeper frowned and said,

    ¡°¡­ We were too late. They sure move fast¡­ I guess the stimulation was too strong.¡±

    Keeper didn¡¯t have the ability to detect negative energy like the Death Knights. But he had the experience that he had accumulated until now.

    He proceeded further. He unhesitatingly descended down the stairs to the basement that had appeared. Freezing cold wind stoke his cheeks but he didn¡¯t stop.

    Already ¨D¨D gone. The remains of the presence was still here. They were certainly here until just a while ago, but they had disappeared.

    They were one step too late. Was this a fortune or misfortune?

    Room in the basement. Lumps of flesh were scattered in a pool of blood.

    A minimalistic room underground. Pieces of flesh were sticking to the wall. Did he explode from the inside? It was most likely combat magic. Such marks couldn¡¯t be left without a considerable force.

    Alber started scouring the room without even batting an eye.

    A piece of cloth had sunk in the pool of blood ¨D¨D Keeper picked it up with his fingers and frowned.

    He shouldn¡¯t have brought the Death Knights, the natural enemies of the dark beings, at the time of their first discussion.

    Keeper would do anything to corner the dark beings, but it was better for people to live instead of dying.

    Dead men tell no tales. He would have to use forbidden magic if he wanted to make the dead man spill anything.

 CH 116

    Well then, what should I do¡­

    As it turns out, an evil ritual was steadily being prepared in the basement of the Demon King¡¯s old castle.

    When you think of Demon Kings, you think of rituals. Even in the books I¡¯ve read, demonic beings were creatures that quietly accumulated power.

    So, even if the Lord¡¯s words make sense ¨D¨D I¡¯d be at a loss if he suddenly sprang it on me.

    I am being chased. I can¡¯t ask for anybody¡¯s help. To start with, there¡¯s even a possibility that Dessend itself might be the mastermind.

    There¡¯s also an option of Senri reporting it to the Order of Death Knights anonymously, but the Order is dangerous. I¡¯d be also uneasy to ask Mister Lazar and the others.

    If I was alone, I¡¯d run away ages ago but since Senri¡¯s with me, that choice is out of the question.

    Let¡¯s imagine a hypothetical scenario. Would I be able to win if the Mirage King was hypothetically resurrected?

    I was able to come close to Rainel, who was also similarly called the Demon King, but I was only able to live because Sable interrupted.

    The Skeleton Lord answered my thoughts.

    ¡®¡­ It would be a disadvantageous match. The power of the King of the Dead, accumulated over many years, is the most troublesome out of all Demon Kings.¡¯

    It was an unexpected answer.

    A disadvantageous match, huh¡­ it¡¯s not guaranteed that I would lose. Do I unexpectedly have a chance?

    I, who have been an undead for only a year, can defeat the undead who has lived for decades, perhaps, even centuries?

    The dead have their strengths, just like the living have theirs. If my opponent is the same immortal King, he must have the same level of regeneration ability as me. If the battle of endurance won¡¯t work, I can¡¯t help thinking that I won¡¯t have any chances of winning¡­

    The Lord doesn¡¯t say much. Looking at his remains in the dark, I think to distract myself from the pain.

    And I easily reached the answer.

    No¡­ I see!

    At that moment, Senri, who was deep in thoughts after hearing the information from me, raised her head.

    ¡°End, I¡¯ll blow away the castle along with the magic circle from outside. The accumulated power of death wouldn¡¯t be a problem for ¡®Photon Delete¡¯.¡±

    ¡­ As expected, we¡¯re a match made in heaven.

    The Lord¡¯s remains turned his empty eye sockets towards Senri, but she continued with a serious expression so dignified and beautiful that it made my heart tremble.

    ¡°I want to avoid the destruction of nature as much as possible. But, the resurrection of the King of the Dead is too dangerous. It should be thoroughly destroyed before the ritual is activated.¡±

    ¡®You little girl with no understanding of wisdom¡­! What a simplistic way of thinking. You damn disciple of Destruction, who has no clue about black magic! End, I can¡¯t believe you would fall for such a muscle-brain wench, no matter how delicious her blood is!¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about that too, but is the area of effect of your ¡®Photon Delete¡¯ that wide?¡±

    ¡®End, you won¡¯t stop her?! You idiot!¡¯

    Shut up. If I had to choose which one I had to listen to, I¡¯d obviously choose Senri.

    I know that nothing good comes out from lending ears to a wicked creature. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing a puzzle. If there¡¯s a simple solution, I¡¯d rather go with that.

    ¡®Photon Delete¡¯ is a secret technique of the Ep¨¦e the ¡®Destroyer¡¯, which transforms the enormous power of the blessing and erases everything in its way.

    According to Senri, it¡¯s powerful because of its simplicity, it has no workaround either and it has blown away many powerful undead until now, but at the same time, it also seems to be extremely fuel inefficient.

    If you¡¯re wondering how fuel inefficient it is, the number of people who can use it, including Senri and Ep¨¦e, can be counted on two hands, even though it¡¯s a simple technique.

    In addition, blessing is the energy of life.

    Since they have to release it, the impact on the caster must be strong too. Senri was shooting it like crazy in the battle against the Lord, but she was only able to do it because she¡¯s special.

    I also want to have a big technique that could destroy the castle from far away. Isn¡¯t there anything?

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    If she means to rest well, I¡¯ll have to give up on blood for a while¡­ It can¡¯t be helped.

    I¡¯ve been spoiled by Senri recently, so it¡¯s about time I showed her my patient side too. I¡¯ll be fine with just getting a hug.

    The Lord told me hurriedly as I was about to make the decision.

    ¡®Wait, End! The ritual has not been completed yet. There is no need to destroy it now. It is an old spell, you can destroy the array if you follow appropriate procedures!¡¯

    ¡­Is that true? Even if it¡¯s true, you should say things like that first.

    I hate the mages because they like to put on airs.

    ¡®Look, End. You must take a look at this accumulated power of death. To start with, if you carelessly destroy the core with ¡®Photon Delete¡¯, the power of death might end up spreading!¡¯

    Is that true? I want to show Senri my cool side, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to show her my uncool side either.

    It¡¯s a bit too late for that after being saved by Senri so many times.

    ¡®Feel it. If the power of death accumulates, the array will activate. If the array is not active yet, the power of death is not enough¨D¨D.¡¯

    The Lord talked unusually a lot while I was reluctant.

    Either he really hates preventing the ritual with force¡­ or he has some kind of a trauma. After all, the Order of Death Knights seems to be full of muscle-brains¡­

    ¡­ It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ve put too much burden on Senri recently. It¡¯s better to not use ¡®Photon Delete¡¯.

    But if you deceived me¡­ I¡¯ll have Senri kill you.

    Perhaps reading my thoughts, the Lord looked at me. It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t read his expression because he has neither flesh nor skin.

    ¡°¨D¨D Senri, Photon Delete is fine too, but I have an idea.¡±

    ¡°Hey, what should we do, Lazar? Isn¡¯t this bad?¡±

    A strange door on the ground. Lazar and his group stood dumbfounded in front of the door, which had closed with a loud sound.

    The situation was clearly abnormal. The complexion of his comrades looked unwell. And Lazar himself surely had the same expression on his face.

    The castle of the former Demon King which was under the attack of the undead at nights.

    The door that existed despite having been told in the beginning that there was nothing else here.

    Lazar and the guys weren¡¯t adventurers. They were stingy mercenaries who disliked fighting on the frontlines in this time of war and turmoil and earned a small amount of money

    They didn¡¯t want to go through the door. To start with, it was already closed and they didn¡¯t have ridiculous power like Baron.

    ¡°Should we return to Dessend and report this?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Think about it calmly. They are hiding things from us. Damn it!¡±

    He was careless. That town couldn¡¯t be trusted.

    The employment of mercenaries was based on trust. Since they hid the information about the door, the reason why the undead were coming, Dessend was no longer a good client.

    To start with, they also didn¡¯t hear that there were Golems behind the door ¨D¨D to the holy land where the undead gathered.

    There was no way Dessend, that even had the key to the door, didn¡¯t know about the existence of those assailants. If Baron hadn¡¯t gone ahead and Lazar and his group had gone with him, they would have most likely died.

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s just run away.¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­ but Roux and Baron are still inside.¡±

    Dessend hid the danger. At this rate, the matter of no mercenaries until now having died must¡¯ve been a lie too.

    It was about time they threw away the commission by all rights and ran away.

    But those two were their lifesavers.

    They were told to escape in case of emergency, but he wouldn¡¯t be a mercenary if he failed in his duties.

    ¡°The wall in front of the door shouldn¡¯t stay like this forever. After all, Dessend should¡¯ve already investigated it.¡±

    The front of the door was completely sealed away by the moving wall. It was hard to imagine that it¡¯d stay like this forever. There should definitely be a way to return it to the previous state.

    What was beyond the door seemed to be quite high. In order for Baron and Roux to come back, they needed somebody to secure the exit for them.

    Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down. After Lazar resolved himself for the first time in his life, he said to his teammates.

    ¡°Get the explosives and a rope ladder. Prepare to blow up what¡¯s beyond the door.¡±

    ¡°Are you for real?¡­ explosives in a basement like this?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, let¡¯s do what we can do.¡±

    The underpass might collapse, but it was better than being trapped alive in the basement.

    He was prepared just in case. His comrades started to move sluggishly, reluctantly.

    Then, footsteps suddenly resonated from behind them.

    They looked at each other and looked back. What appeared was ¨D¨D a duo wrapped in eye-catching silver armor.

    The dreary air from the basement instantly turned cleaner.

    ¡°What a depressing place¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, Neville. There¡¯s Senri¡¯s mark. She¡¯s undoubtedly here.¡±

    ¡°Tsk. I know. We finally found a clue. Let¡¯s quickly bring her back ¨D¨D and finish this up.¡±

    The man with a ruthless face smiled ferociously at the thin man¡¯s rebuking words.

 CH 117

    I carefully explore the underground labyrinth with the Lord¡¯s support.

    According to him, magical circles are delicate and very dangerous rituals.

    Magic has always been something that only those with talents could use, but a magic circle is something those talented spellcasters use to cause large-scale phenomena they wouldn¡¯t be able to exercise normally.

    The array, assembled with multiple magic letters, is a lump of magic and a melting pot of powers.

    This ritual magic, which is prone to going out of control in ways sometimes unpredictable even to its caster due to the interference from the outside, was thus abolished long ago.

    Including the fact that the Evil-warding Steel, the metal which absorbs the blessing and is pretty much not produced nowadays, was used lavishly, it¡¯s certain that this underground labyrinth was built quite a long time ago.

    ¡®Look, End. It is put together in a way so that the power of death from the upper layer gathers here.¡¯

    The Lord¡¯s words are flowing. As it turns out, the walls that I can only see as a labyrinth, look different to him. I¡¯ve lightly thought about this before too, but the Lord might¡¯ve been a much more powerful spellcaster than I gave him the credit for.

    If I had lost and Horus Carmon had become the King of the Dead, there¡¯s a chance that the world might have acquired another terrifying enemy.

    Shouldn¡¯t the Order of Death Knights be thankful to me and let me join them? I¡¯ll do my job well, you know? I¡¯ll be a real hard worker. Necromancers don¡¯t really have the feeling of camaraderie.

    I follow the Lord¡¯s instructions and damage the walls and the floor in order. Senri, who followed me while repelling the assailants from the darkness, said something cruel.

    ¡°End, are you perhaps¡­ just winging it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. Has there ever been a time when I did things without a reason?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Senri fell silent with a sorry expression.

    The Lord isn¡¯t my ally, but a part of him is being absorbed by me. The fact that I was able to use Necromancy, even if only partially, is the proof of that.

    He wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to do something that would lead to my death. I still need to be alert towards him, but it should be okay to trust him for now.

    He can¡¯t defeat me even now when I¡¯m most likely weakened by Sable¡¯s curse that¡¯s eating into me. I have the¡­ upper hand.

    Following the Lord¡¯s instructions, I hit a part of the floor with the machete.

    When I look at it like this, it really feels like the whirling power of death moves a little with each strike.

    Still, they really did a good job creating an underground labyrinth this wide.

    Creating something this big underground means using a completely different kind of labor compared to building the castle above. I can¡¯t imagine that they¡¯d manage something with magic.

    ¡®They used Skeletons. Those are tireless faithful servants. That is also what I used to do.¡¯

    The Lord says earnestly.  Listening to that, Necromancy is pretty outstanding, if you don¡¯t think about the ethical parts of it.

    Only the sound of me damaging the pathway is resonating. Senri is giving me free reign for now, but it¡¯s scary that there¡¯s no end to this.

    ¡®Fool! This is a delicate spell. Destroying it would be one thing, but dispelling it requires taking specific steps. This was something that couldn¡¯t be dispelled before!¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯ll take a bit more time.¡±

    I want to hurry up and go home¡­ Anyway, I¡¯m surprised that you can dispel the magic circle made by the King of the Dead.

    The Lord answered my misgivings with exasperation.

    ¡®It¡¯s an old-fashioned magic circle. It stopped being used because it had a defect. The techniques have also advanced, I can¡¯t call myself the one who transcended death if I can¡¯t dispel something of this level.¡¯

    I dismantle the magic circle while silently confirming it with the Lord.

    I don¡¯t have much knowledge yet, but vampires also seem to have great aptitude for being mages. That¡¯s most likely the reason why the Lord chose the Fleshman for the start of evolution into the King of the Undead.

    Vampires have mana. They have a body resistant to magic. And ¨D¨D they also seem to have unique eyes.

    When Lesser Vampires evolve into vampires, they acquire many abilities. But the evolution doesn¡¯t stop at that.

    Even higher ranked vampires, who live for many years and accumulate the power of death, acquire magic eyes.

    The eyes of the Lesser vampires are incomparable to that, but even my eyes can see the flow of the power of the dead and mana.

    I don¡¯t really get it, but this seems to be the power that all mages desperately long for.

    Perhaps if I study more and gain more power, I might be able to live without having to fight with people?

    People abhor the undead because they are the threats to the humans above all else. I, who possess human consciousness, might be able to change that.

    If it¡¯s true, I don¡¯t want to do anything annoying, but if it¡¯s for the sake of living peacefully with Senri, there might be room for consideration.

    Thinking about things like that and distracting the pain, I destroy one more place. The Lord, who¡¯s floating in the air, says.

    ¡®Three more places left. The chain that confines the power will be cut and the pooled power of death will naturally disappear. A part of it might flow into you too.¡¯

    I see¡­ so that¡¯s why he cooperated. On the contrary, it makes sense.

    The power of death is also the source of my power. Having more power wouldn¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll gladly accept. If my power gets stronger, this pain might stop too ¨D¨D

    Would we be able to return to the town right before dawn?

    Just as I started thinking about something easy going like that, my instincts sensed danger.

    My sensory function is sensitive. As an undead, I half-reflexively look for the living beings.

    Usually I would have noticed it way faster. The reason why it happened so late is definitely because of the pain.

    I forcibly move my hurting leg and jump back. I hug Senri, who¡¯s behind me, and roll on the ground.

    And a ray of light ¨D¨DÒ» passes right above me.

    ¡°Shit! It was evaded.¡±

    It had a density incomparable to the light that Senri used to release, but it was undoubtedly made up of blessing.

    The familiar voice made pain run through my head. My undead instincts were warning me about the appearance of the my natural enemy,

    Shit, there¡¯s only three more places left. Just why did they have to choose this timing!

    The emitted voice was almost thug-like. But I already knew that this voice possessed a tremendous power.

    It¡¯s been a while since I became an undead, but they were the only ones who left me as just a head.

    The amethyst¨Ccolored eyes of Senri in my embrace are looking at me. There is no agitation in her expression.

    However, since we¡¯ve been together for so long, I can see her confusion very well.

    The grim reapers descended in the dark.

    Wrapped in the same faint light as Senri, their bodies glowed even in the underground labyrinth where the negative power whirled.

    A thin man with a sword and a man with sharp eyes and a mace.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Senri.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ly¡­fry¡­ ?

    Senri called his name. I evade the light mercilessly fired by the second person while still holding Senri.

    The bullet of light pierces through the underground labyrinth. There is not a scratch left on the stone walls and the floor but that¡¯s probably because this attack wasn¡¯t accompanied by a material force.

    Light exists to erase the power of death. It¡¯s a technique meant to efficiently exorcize me.

    It most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to scratch Senri even if it hit her.

    ¡°Tsk¡­ so it¡¯s as I thought¡­ shit! So you were still together. You goddamn vampire!¡±

    The other man who fired light. His eyes were blazing with killing intent and anger.

    I¡¯ve never forgotten him. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d ever forget him. The man who almost killed me once.

    I rebuke my body, that¡¯s trembling in fear. I slowly get up while holding Senri.

    In between my movements, I force my mind, that had turned dull from pain, run at high speed. Meanwhile, the Lord is looking down on us.

    Why are they here? Where did they follow us from? What¡¯s their objective? How many of the enemies are here?

    No, before all that, is that man, the man who tried to kill me from long distance, the hero of the light, Ep¨¦e the ¡®Destroyer¡¯ here?

    ¡­

    It¡¯s just two people. There¡¯s no other presence. The enormous amount of energy coming from that man stands out. There are only these two ¨C in the basement.

    It¡¯s okay, I can move. If I lose, I¡¯ll lose Senri. I can¡¯t afford to lose.

    Things are different from back then.

    Right now, I¡¯m¨D¨D a monster. I speak. I do my utmost to not relay my agitation. The words spilling from my mouth were coldly somber.

    ¡°Long time no see, Lufry ¨D¨D and Neville. Sorry but we¡¯re in the middle of something¡­ we¡¯re busy¡­ can you go back?¡±

    Think. About the way to get away from this situation. The conditions.

    I absolutely didn¡¯t want to meet them. Senri¡¯s spirit is that of a Death Knight even now. She¡¯s strong but delicate. If they meet, she¡¯ll definitely start to waver.

    But I also can¡¯t exactly kill Senri¡¯s former comrades. The only thing I¡¯m going to sever ¨C is their connection.

    I force myself to smile. Then, Lufry tilted his right hand upwards with a stern expression.

    There was no sound or any signs. I was inadvertently dumbfounded.

    Countless bullets of light appeared in front of Lufry.

    Their numbers ¨D¨D amounted to a few hundred. If it¡¯s going to be evaded, might as well make it the amount that can¡¯t be evaded. Is that what he thought?

    I feel like I can understand the Lord¡¯s feelings a bit.

    ¡°Let me guess ¨D¨D you guys must be muscle-brains?¡±

    Dell, who I fought together with in a fight against Rainel, was more intelligent! Is everybody in Ep¨¦e¡¯s troops like this?!

    ¡°Photon Rain.¡±

    As I let out a dry voice, bullets of light hailed down on me like a rainstorm.

 CH 118.1

    I remained calm in front of the purifying light that could destroy the undead far and wide.

    They¡¯re strong. I suffered the damages one-sidedly during our first match. When I went to Ep¨¦e¡¯s inn to return the sword, they were shaken up so they weren¡¯t in a perfect condition.

    But this time they¡¯re attacking head on. I don¡¯t know what kind of method they used, but they have perceived our existence and have come with a firm will to kill us.

    Even if they¡¯re third class, they can manipulate the blessing and are undoubtedly heroes.

    Looking at the light bullets that were pouring down on me like rain and Neville, who charged at me from the other side, I was convinced.

    They¡¯ve become stronger ¨C than when we previously met.

    They¡¯re planning on wounding me with ¡®Photon Rain¡¯ and using that opportunity to continuously attack me.

    In contrast to that, I didn¡¯t even have to worry, I only had one choice.

    The light was hailing down evenly. I resolved myself, rebuked my hurting body and jumped sideways.

    Lufry let out a small voice.

    ¡°Wha-?!¡±

    ¡°Kh?!¡±

    The light burns my flesh. The pain as if being scorched by the hellfire, a different kind of pain from Sable¡¯s curse, bursts forth like shock.

    I continued protecting Senri, hugged her and rolled.

    I understand that the light is trying to return me to the corpse I¡¯m meant to be, my vision is blinking because of the pain and I can¡¯t even scream, yet ¨C my thoughts are calm.

    But nothing has changed.

    The sharpened killing intent in their attacks is splendid, but that¡¯s it.

    They¡¯ve become stronger, but that¡¯s it. They haven¡¯t changed at all.

    ¡°Kuh¡­ He was hit by ¡®Photon Rain¡¯ but he took almost no damage! Be careful!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡±

    I feel a tingling fighting spirit from my back. I feel a strong power of light.

    My old self had almost no combat experience of fighting with enemies stronger than me so I could only desperately run around. Right now I have an index to judge them by. An index called Senri.

    Lufry and Neville have definitely become stronger. But I¡¯ve become even stronger.

    I know that even if I take a direct hit from all bullets from Lufry¡¯s ¡®Photon Rain¡¯, it can¡¯t fill my abyss.

    A beast-like roar rises from my back. A holy silver weapon, that¡¯s handed to all Death Knights, is swung down.

    ¨D¨D Senri, who slipped out of my arms, intercepted it.

    I rolled to the side, as if toppling over, and checked the progress of the battle.

    Senri¡¯s swordsmanship is elegant no matter how many times I see it. Her straight and quick continuous attacks are probably because force isn¡¯t needed to purify the undead.

    Her swift swordplay, so fast that it carved several flashes in a moment, is something that even I, with my superhuman abilities, can barely manage to match.

    A violent sound resonates. Neville roars.

    You¡¯re barking up the wrong tree. Senri¡¯s eyes ¨D¨D have never been clouded.

    Senri¡¯s blow greatly repels the mace. Neville¡¯s expression distorts.

    Senri and Neville have different physiques and gender, but for Death Knights, who can strengthen their bodies with blessing, that¡¯s irrelevant.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you kill him!¡±

    Do they think that Senri¡¯s unwillingly accompanying me because she¡¯s being threatened?

    There¡¯s no way that could happen. Senri isn¡¯t foolish enough to be manipulated by somebody of my level. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been doing everything possible to avoid betraying her.

    Just how are Lufry and Neville planning to kill me, while I¡¯m being protected by Senri who¡¯s stronger than them, the very same Senri they¡¯re trying to save?

    ¡°Are you okay, End?¡±

    ¡°Some¡­ how.¡±

    It hurts. It hurts so much that if I were a human, I¡¯d definitely be dead, but I¡¯m already dead so it¡¯s not a problem.

    Right now I¡¯m probably stronger than these two.

    After all, I have vast combat experience. I¡¯ve learned the tricks of the Death Knights through Senri.

    Perhaps instantly sensing the situation, Lufry shouted.

    ¡°Neville, hold her back! ¡®Photon Rain!¡¯¡±

    ¡°End!¡±

    How na?ve, way too na?ve. In that sense, Ep¨¦e¡¯s ¡®Soul Release¡¯ from a very far distance was an excellent tactic.

    Ep¨¦e most likely has a precise understanding of us.

    The Order of Death Knights is definitely not evil. That¡¯s why, time will heal the tragedy. Even if I¡¯m killed, Senri will eventually come to terms with it.

    But Senri¡¯s not the kind of person who will sit idly by and silently watch people who¡¯ve come to kill me in front of her.

    If I were in their position ¨D¨D I would have planned an assassination. It would be impossible to persuade the stubborn Senri head-on.

    I swung down ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯ towards the rain of light that had become denser because its range was narrowed down to me.

    My heart was groaning. The power of the vampire is the blood power and its source is the heart. The invasion of my natural enemy is making my vampire instincts roar with fighting will.

    Senri said that Blood Ruler was also made with the metal that sucked in blessing.

    The jet-black blade produced the exact results I was anticipating. The light that touched the blade disappeared, as if sucked in. Some couldn¡¯t be erased and passed through, but if I resolve myself, I can endure it.

    Good grief, the Lord really left something good.

    ¡°He erased it?! Impossible, why didn¡¯t he do it the first-¡°

    Yeah, that¡¯s right. I could do the same thing to the first shot. But Lufry doesn¡¯t understand it.

    ¡°I¡¯m madly in love ¨D¨D with Senri!¡±

    That¡¯s why, it¡¯s only natural that I would act in a way that made her stay with me. I¡¯m expressing that sentiment with my whole body, risking my life!

    ¡®Head over heels in love with your natural enemy¡­ I could never imagine that this would have happened.¡¯

    The Lord is lamenting for some reason. Immediately after, I strongly step forward.

    I pass by Neville, who¡¯s exchanging blows with Senri. My target is ¨C Lufry.

    His clean-cut face stiffens in astonishment for a second.

    Did they believe that I was still on the pursued side?

    The fear, engraved from the time when I was left as just a head, had already disappeared. If they knew the path I¡¯ve walked since then, they¡¯d surely be convinced.

    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you! Senri would be sad if I did!¡±

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    Think carefully. I don¡¯t kill innocent humans. I¡¯ve received blood from Senri, but I¡¯m still chaste.

    Vampire, who doesn¡¯t do anything and the Death Knights that are trying to kill him. For the public, Death Knights are in the right, but it¡¯s different for Senri.

    How ironic it is that, the virtue, that was surely one of the reasons why Senri was valued, is protecting a pitiful vampire.

    Lufry readied his sword. The light dwells in the sword that¡¯s slightly wider and longer than the one Senri has.

    It¡¯s the sword that cut my head. The wound from when I was once decapitated aches.

    I know it. The sword of the Death Knights is for evading and warding off. I¡¯ve fought against it many times.

    Lufry ¨C are you confident that you¡¯re stronger than Senri?

    The sharp pain is running through my brain.  It¡¯s Sable¡¯s curse. But I won¡¯t cut corners.

    I rebuke my knees that are about to shatter and slam Blood Ruler on the floor in front of Lufry who¡¯s standing ready.

    ¡°Kh?!¡±

 CH 118.2

    The broken floor turned into gravel and struck me and Lufry. But, no Death Knight can match me in terms of endurance.

    I fought with Senri. We fought and I confirmed the difference in performance between both sides. I¡¯ve even thought about how to fight.

    Even I am not naive enough to believe that I can have a lovey-dovey life with Senri forever, without enemies.

    Lufry moved back, reducing the damage caused by the gravel. Meanwhile, I moved forward without change.

    ¡°UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!¡±

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    The roar shakes the air.

    Lufry¡¯s body glows faintly. It¡¯s the light of purification, which would burn me if I make contact with it.

    The Lord who¡¯s floating in the air warns me. But, I continue to move forward.

    The gravel pierces me, but I don¡¯t care.

    The pain isn¡¯t scary. I¡¯ve already experienced it more than enough. The only thing that¡¯s scary ¨D¨D is losing her.

    I raise the machete. Despite losing his posture to deal with the gravel, Lufry turns the tip of his sword at me.

    But, there¡¯s no way he could win against the physical strength of a Lesser Vampire while moving back.

    I won¡¯t let him receive it. I won¡¯t let him ward it off either. I raise Blood Ruler overhead and forcefully strike the holy silver blade.

    His chest side opens up. Without a pause, I ram into the white armor, the symbol of the Order of the Death Knights.

    Lufry¡¯s body was too light for a vampire¡¯s power.

    A simple body slam strongly blew him away, making him slam against the wall. Perhaps it was an unexpected attack, as he wasn¡¯t even in a defensive posture.

    The light that dwelled in his body was transmitted from our momentary contact and burnt my flesh. The reason I didn¡¯t stop was because I had already experienced that pain once.

    I have already experienced everything, from the purification with blessing, to the pain from having my weakness taken advantage of, and the domination of overwhelming power.

    I can¡¯t see from my left eye. Looks like it was burnt by the light.

    The front half of my body is experiencing a strong searing pain. It¡¯s definitely in terrible shape.

    Damage from blessing inhibits a vampire¡¯s power of regeneration. I want to use the blood power to regenerate but it¡¯s being blocked by Sable¡¯s curse so it¡¯s not working out well.

    I lick my lips.

    ¡°I won¡¯t, kill you. After all, you guys, didn¡¯t kill me, either.¡±

    I was left as just the head though.

    Lufry got up unsteadily after being slammed against the wall and falling down. It shouldn¡¯t be fatal injury, but the damage he received wasn¡¯t something he could scoff at either.

    Neville shouts. There are strong whirling emotions in his voice. Did he perhaps think that Lufry had the advantage between the two of us?

    ¡°Shit! Impossible¡­ in just 6 months! ¨D¨D Senri, you created a monster!¡±

    ¡°¡­ End¡­ isn¡¯t a monster!¡±

    Only Senri is on my side.

    I respond to those words while still facing back.

    ¡°Kh¡­¡±

    ¡®Kukuku¡­ Death Knights will not fight with vampires one on one.¡¯

    The Lord is cackling.

    I see¡­ for them, the fight with a vampire is not a battle, but an extermination. Now that I think about it, they had a firm position with Senri as vanguard when fighting against the Lord too.

    Lufry made a swift judgment.

    ¡°Kh¡­ Neville, let¡¯s retreat for now. We should rethink our strategy.¡±

    It would be nice if you guys gave up. Run away, run away¡­ we won¡¯t be here anymore by the time you come back though!

    I won¡¯t give Senri to you. I will thoroughly pretend to be a victim.

    ¡°Gh¡­ shit!¡±

    Neville, who was crossing swords with Senri which they had come to save, glared at me with a furious expression.

    The reason why Neville was able to hold his own against Senri was probably because she was holding back. She doesn¡¯t intend to kill her former comrade.

    But Lufry and Neville have worsened their images even more today.

    They have to listen to us first¡­ Senri and I aren¡¯t naive enough to give up because of these muscle-heads. And I¡¯ll use today¡¯s attack as an excuse to get blood from Senri.

    ¡®¡­ if they could hear what you are thinking, they would certainly desperately attack you.¡¯

    Well, even if they attack me without regard for their own lives, I doubt they could do anything as long as the hostage is on my side though¡­

    Neville was looking at me as if I had killed his parents. But even for Neville, who abused me with one hand once, killing me with a single strike from the front was already impossible for him.

    I¡¯ve become convinced once again after exchanging blows with them, that there¡¯s a huge difference between third and second class knights.

    Both in terms of fighting technique and the amount of blessing.

    Even if the power of third class knights can easily defeat weak undead, it would struggle against the vampire class undead. Therefore, they work in groups.

    And, most likely, it¡¯s when they¡¯re working together that their true potential is revealed. I feel like if there was a mage that could pour water on the floor, I would struggle more¡­

    Lufry and Neville moved back. Neither I nor Senri followed them.

    The most important thing right now is to destroy this ritual, created by the Mirage King. The second most important thing is to escape.

    I have a general understanding of their power. With Senri and me, we should be able to manage even if the four of them attacked us. Naturally, as long as it excluded Ep¨¦e. It would be the end if Ep¨¦e was here.

    Lufry glared at me for a second and said seriously.

    ¡°Senri, I¡¯ll try to persuade you one more time. Come back, master is also hoping for that. You¡¯re in trouble ¨C but it¡¯s not too late.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Go back. End has never attacked a human and ¨C he has never been overwhelmed by the feeding urge.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re giving him your blood! Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh, I did think that you were a softie but I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d really do something ridiculous like this ¨C didn¡¯t you see it?! That fucking vampire is growing stronger from your blood! Soon, he¡¯ll be impossible to deal with!¡±

    I really don¡¯t know what to say anymore¡­

    That¡¯s right. The reason why I haven¡¯t been overwhelmed by the feeding urge is because I¡¯ve been receiving Senri¡¯s blood and also, I haven¡¯t killed innocent people, but I¡¯ve crushed several mafia to get money.

    But Lufry¡¯s words are absurd too. I¡¯ll try to persuade you one more time, he says.  Did the attack just now count as the first attempt of persuasion for them?

    Senri¡¯s amethyst colored eyes take in their words and don¡¯t waver. There¡¯s no way she wasn¡¯t expecting something of that level.

    She had been prepared for everything the second she decided to save me.

    Then, suddenly Lufry¡¯s expression changed. He opened his mouth with a somewhat cornered expression.

    ¡°Senri, you might not know this, but¡­ master is-¡°

    ¡®Kh!? This surge of mana ¡ª End, it¡¯s coming!¡¯

    ¡°?!¡±

    The moment the Lord¡¯s voice echoed, the ground shook violently.

    No, it wasn¡¯t just the ground. The floor, the walls, the space itself shook violently. Unable to stand with the body eroded by the curse, I collapsed, but the attack didn¡¯t come.

    Lufry and Neville, who were so hostile until a second ago, weren¡¯t looking at me.

    They were maintaining their postures on a violently shaking ground and glaring into the darkness.

    ¡°What¡¯s this power¨C?!¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­ it still should have been further ahead.¡±

    And, power exploded in the direction where the presence of the Night Crystals were coming from just moments ago.

 CH 119

    The underground labyrinth rumbled as if it was alive.

    For a moment, I forgot the pain from the curse. It was very obviously not a natural phenomena.

    The shaking might stop if I wait, but when I think about the possibility of Senri being buried alive, there¡¯s no time to waste.

    Looks like this was unexpected for Lufry and Neville too. They¡¯re wary of both me and the direction of the power while enduring the shaking.

    As I glared at the floating Lord, he said timidly.

    ¡®There was enough time. The array is already half-destroyed so, the ritual is not perfect.¡¯

    Well, you can¡¯t help something that has already happened. The ones at fault are the Death Knight duo.

    I can feel the power whirling. The power rising from the center of the underground labyrinth was stronger than anything I had seen before.

    Undead can absorb the power of death.

    A part of the erupting power is flowing into me, but most of it, the torrent of the power is gathering in one point.

    I have a bad feeling about this.

    Dessend had perfect vampire countermeasures. If the whole ritual was arranged, the resurrected creature will not be my ally. I must hurry up and do something.

    For the time being, I stressed that I was harmless.

    ¡°It¡¯s because of you two. Even though ¨C I was thinking about stopping it!¡±

    ¡°What did you say?!¡±

    Escaping is the priority. The exit is far above.

    I¡¯m confident that I¡¯ll be fine even if I¡¯m buried alive, but Senri and the others should be different. I can Leave Lufry and Neville alone, but I must make Senri escape at all costs.

    I hesitate for a moment. Severe pain runs through my body, as if it had just remembered to.

    I pour in blood power as hard as I can, ignoring my body¡¯s complaints about pain.

    Pain, as if I¡¯m being dismembered into small pieces, runs through my whole body. I can feel my soul tremble.

    Neville¡¯s glistening eyes perceive me and clearly distort.

    ¡°Gh¡­ what¡¯s, going on¡­?!¡±

    I became a vampire, fought with various strong enemies and attained the truth.

    The power is ¨C size. The overwhelming mass and physical abilities are what you can rely on the most when push comes to the shove.

    There¡¯s not enough time to return to the exit we used to get here. In that case ¨D¨D I¡¯ll force my way through.

    My skin tears and my bones are crushed. The clothes I am wearing are torn to shreds.

    Perhaps, using power while under the influence of the curse was too much as expected, the pain that ran through my whole body was on the level that it almost made me, ready to do anything in order to survive, cower for a moment.

    It was almost as if I was burning in the fires of hell.

    The black dog Albertus transformed into had a monster-like giant physique. But the amount of blood power I can pour in is incomparable to that.

    My body swells up to fill the underground passage that¡¯s not even very wide to begin with. I bump my head into the ceiling and my forelegs that enter my vision are like pillars.

    Lufry and the others take a few steps back. Death Knights, who once left me as just a head, look almost like ants. It¡¯s a real pity that I can¡¯t trample them like real ants.

    I have no physical sensation. All I have is pain.

    Only the most extreme pain, no less than the soul-consuming pain I once experienced on the verge of death, is about to engulf my consciousness.

    I rebuke my tangled tongue and say quietly.

    ¡°Uu¡­ Sen, ri¡­ under me-¡°

    I didn¡¯t have enough time to confirm her reaction. I shook my body, inhaled air in my lungs and roared with all my might.

    My body is about to burst. I can¡¯t perceive my own roar as a sound. The vibrations of the air swept over the underground labyrinth like an explosion and I saw Lufry and Neville be greatly blown away.

    The durable underground labyrinth is no match for a giant monster. Even Rainel could easily destroy his castle.

    The crumbling debris hit me, but while it could kill me when I was bedridden in the past, right now it¡¯s like dust to me.

    I entrust myself to my instincts. I kick off the ground, raise my forefeet high and jump straight up.

    The castle that stood there calmly for many years, shook.

    The walls and pillars, which had been protected by powerful magic, were showing a sign of deterioration from the rain and wind. The air was cold and there were holes in the ceiling.

    Everything was the fault of those damn humans. The castle where the great Mirage King ruled fell into the hands of the humans and turned into ruins.

    The army of the King that was once feared by humans and demons alike, was destroyed and was now only mentioned in fairy tales.

    The innermost part of the old castle. In the place which used to be a throne room, stood a single shadow.

    A black robe inlaid with golden decorations. A deeply covering hood.

    The long cane held in its hand resembled a bishop¡¯s staff and the black crystal ornament inlaid in it was exuding a somewhat suspicious aura.

    Hands were extending from its loose robes. Its fingers, grasping the cane, were black and dried up like a mummy.

    The figure raised its voice. The dried voice mysteriously passed well through the violent rumbling.

    The staff hit the floor. Mana went around the nearly collapsing array.

    Suddenly, its hood came off.

    The exposed head was jet-black enough to melt into the darkness. Its skin was dry and a faint red light was burning behind its empty eye sockets.

    It wasn¡¯t only bones. However, it wasn¡¯t a body with flesh and blood either.

    An undead species that accumulates enormous amounts of mana by remaining as close to death as possible for eternity.

    A variant of the Skeleton lineage.

    The undead that¡¯s rarely seen anymore due to the great efforts of the Order of Death Knights.

    A Night Lich, who was once the confidant of the Demon King, Avicord, looked up at the heavens with deep emotions.

    It was an almost unbelievable era.

    Many of the Demon Kings that reigned all over the world had perished and most of the Necromancers that once existed as many as the stars were exterminated.

    The warfare had decreased and magic that was once used even by ordinary people had become something that only very limited talented people set their aims on.

    And above all ¨C science. The power of science easily replicated many things that people once used to create with the power of magic.

    Silver jewelry became a commonplace and the holy water that repelled darkness turned into a mass-produced product. Dessend was the countryside but he had heard that darkness was on the verge of completely disappearing from even the capital.

    The years had greatly changed the world.

    The once rivaling forces of the Order of Death Knights had grown more powerful through generations of studying, the tragedies had decreased and the fear of the darkness had diminished in the people.

    Avicord was just an insurance. The King did not consider the defeat at all.

    It took time before he resurrected ¡ª before the earthquake woke Avicord up, who was sleeping underground.

    It took even longer until the preparations for the ritual were complete.

    Resurrection required an enormous amount of the power of death. However, there was no warfare in the vicinity.

    Who would have imagined that the era, so full of wars and death, would end?

    Things had to be done carefully. Even Avicord, who could use magic, could not fight against the Order of Death Knights.

    He took over a town. He lured necromancers by using fragments of his master¡¯s power as bait and gathered death.

    He was so close. One more year and he would be able to resurrect his master in perfect condition.

    It was probably not a coincidence that he was noticed by the Order of Death Knights at this timing.

    There is no light without a shadow. The Order of Death Knights and the Mirage King were two sides of the same coin.

    They will always appear at the time of the Great King¡¯s birth. That is how it was destined to be.

    But he made it in time. Avicord¡¯s duty was the resurrection of his King. Anything other than that was trivial.

    The whirling power of darkness was revolving around the castle that was once built as the place of the ritual.

    It was a close call. A part of the magic circle had been destroyed but it had enough power remaining to create a new body for the king. Now that the things had come this far, nobody could stop his resurrection.

    Avicord felt an unstoppable torrent of emotions. It was a rare occurrence for an undead with weak mental impulses.

    The vibrations were the first cry of the king. The dearest wish of the king, who possessed unparalleled power, and was therefore lonely, was fulfilled by the hands of Avicord.

    ¡°W-what¡¯s this ¨D¨D¡±

    At that time, a small voice reached Avicord, as he narrowed his eyes and shuddered, recalling his past glory.

    ¡°¡­ Just trash, huh.¡±

    Needless to even look back. That voice belonged to one of the mercenaries that Avicord had ordered the Mayor to gather.

    From the way they clung to the wall and stared at Avicord in dismay amidst the violent shaking, it was impossible to see the heroism of the mercenaries with whom he had exchanged blows with many times during the great era of war.

    The quality had greatly fallen. To cut the long story short, that¡¯s what it was.

    When the wars decrease, power becomes useless. The demons had been exterminated due to the development of human civilization¨D¨Dthe biggest offender being guns.

    There was no such weapon during the era when the Mirage King reigned.

    It was a terrifying weapon that enabled murder even without power. If they had a silver bullet that could exorcize demons, it might even be possible for an infant to kill Avicord.

    It was much weaker than magic, but surpassed it in matters of convenience.  However, for a powerful undead guns wouldn¡¯t become a threat unless they were very careless¨D¨D

    After thinking that much, Avicord sighed deeply.

    ¡°But ¨C trash like this is useful in their own way.¡±

    Avicord couldn¡¯t move carelessly. It was the power of the hired mercenaries that gathered the power of death.

    He didn¡¯t remember their names. They had been replaced many times ever since the preparations had started so he couldn¡¯t bother to remember the names of humans.

    The mercenaries finally talked.

    ¡°Kh¡­ who are you?!¡±

    Although he hadn¡¯t mastered necromancy, Avicord¡¯s magic was stronger than the magic of any mages of this era. The modern mercenaries that didn¡¯t possess the power of magic weren¡¯t even a competition.

    When his King finally resurrects, he would need a new army. Even the bones of ordinary people could be of some use.

    He lifted his staff. As he sharpened his will without saying anything, countless black arrows appeared in the air.

    It was the corrosion magic. It was also the magic that had once greatly contributed to the King, in a sense that it could corrode blood and flesh, producing beautiful bones.

    At that point, the face of the man in lead was distorted in fear for the first time.

    ¡°A mage?!¡±

    Such a late reaction made him feel irritation before derision.

    The men didn¡¯t even try to run away from the released arrows.

    The moment the darkness that came flying in was on the verge of eating the mercenaries ¨C the castle shook remarkably violently.

    The arrows were blocked by somebody who suddenly appeared from the floor. A huge piece of debris, flipped up by a giant, crushed right next to Avicord.

    By that time, Avicord had already released a second wave.

    He raised his staff high up and pointed it towards the black wall that had just appeared.

    A skilled mage could use magic as easily as breathing. The burning arrows that appeared pierced the black wall one after another.

    At that moment, Avicord¡¯s eye sockets distorted for a bit.

    The fire arrows, magic that manifested scorching heat that was impossible for humans to bear, disappeared on its surface.

    Avicord knew.

    It was a rivalry. Magic could be erased by stronger magic. Therefore, Avicord had ordered excessive measures against it.

    A monster that carried an ancient curse that could overpower all sorts of magic. The natural enemy of mages.

    Those who possessed many weaknesses yet still reigned as the symbol of the darkness.

    A burning emotion that surpassed the impulse he had felt before the King¡¯s resurrection moments ago, scorched Avicord.

    ¡°Vampire¡­ will you get into our ways again?¡±

    The giant black monster skillfully used its forefeet to climb up the half-destroyed floor.

    Its bloody red irises shone with fighting spirit. Its pupils constricted and it looked down on Avicord.

    A voice that sounded like it was echoing from the depth of the earth enveloped Avicord.

    ¡°That¡¯s, my, line. But¡­ this is the exact opposite of the usual.¡±

 CH 120.1

    It is said that the sources of the undead created by the Necromancers are roughly divided into 4 categories.

    Skeletons, which are created from bones.

    Fleshmen, which are created from flesh.

    Wraiths, which are created from souls.

    Zombies, which are created from moving rotten corpses.

    However, there is not just a single evolution destination from there.

    The rank evolution of the undead is the evolution of directivity incorporated by Necromancers.

    The body exposed after taking off the hood was made of dried bones and skin. Dried up dark skin and a suspicious light shining within his eye sockets.

    It was written in the undead picture book I once stole a glance at in the Lord¡¯s mansion. An evolution variant of Skeletons.

    Unlike Skeleton Knight that the Lord used, it was a form of the bones that once devoted themselves to magic, transcended death and attained even more power.

    Lich.

    Magic is powerful. It¡¯s a force to be reckoned with even if it¡¯s used by humans. What would happen if the undead got their hands on a power like that? ¨D¨D

    Their appearance isn¡¯t suited for hiding amongst the humans. The dangerousness of the vampires also takes into account the fact that they can mix in with the humans.

    When you think about it, they are the rulers of the abyss, who might even surpass the vampires in pure combat ability.

    I feel power. A powerful power of death that can even overwhelm me, another undead.

    The powerful magic surging up within his body is greater than that of any mage I have ever seen.

    Is this guy the Mirage King? No ¨C that¡¯s not right. He¡¯s a pawn, at best.

    If he could use Necromancy, he¡¯d use it right away.

    I shook my body and roared towards the night sky.

    He¡¯s the opponent that I would normally be wary of. Even running away would be an option to consider.

    But, I definitely caught it, while in sharp pain.

    A slightly different emotion contained within the killing intent oozing from the shining eye sockets of the terrifying transcendental of the death in front of me

    Low class undead have no free will or emotions. But, the monster in front of me is different. He has a high intelligence, along with great hatred for the living.

    I changed my standing position. I check my footing.

    Feeling Senri, who was clinging to the corner of my body, moved away, I narrowed my eyes and looked down at the monster in front of me.

    ¡°You were, afraid of me ¨C weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­ what nonsense!¡±

    ¡°Senri, I¡¯ll deal with this one, myself.¡±

    Blessing shows a powerful effect on the undead, but it can¡¯t neutralize combat magic. Powerful mages are a bit  troublesome opponents for humans.

    I don¡¯t need a reply. She knows what to do.

    ¡°My name is¡­ Avicord. I am the retainer of the Great King and the one who has received the blessing of the darkness. I will end you, youngster.¡±

    Lich, who introduced himself as Avicord, raised his arms. The space looked distorted from the whirling magic. I jumped inside it without caring.

    I feel uncomfortable, as if the skin on my entire body is buzzing. I can feel the flow of the whirling mana being disturbed by a foreign object like me.

    Avicord quickly moves back to avoid the swipe of my forelegs. His physical abilities also seem to be monstrous.

    The Lord¡¯s voice resonates inside my head.

    ¡®I am surprised you can move when you are in that much pain.¡¯

    Pain was my friend.

    I never wanted to experience it again, but when I was alive, that was the only thing which made me feel alive ever since I was bedridden.

    I just move my body forward. I rampage using my whole body and disturb the place. I just pay attention to not run my feet through the ground.

    Even if he¡¯s an undead, he¡¯ll die if his body is flattened. Or should I just bite him to death?

    Rubble hits my head but I don¡¯t care. Avicord¡¯s movements surpass human capabilities but not as much as me. He also doesn¡¯t seem to have much power.

    I¡¯ve definitely ¡ª  hold the advantage.

    ¡°Acro Gridade, darkness, come.¡±

    Avicord chanted while moving back. Magic requires mental concentration. Perhaps one of the reasons why undead demonstrate a terrifying power as mages is their numbness to pain.

    The change happened in a second. The whirling mana rushes. The darkness that seeped in from who knows where, filled the space.

    Even the moonlight, that¡¯s shining in, cannot dispel it. The Lord groans quietly.

    ¡®Hmm¡­ it¡¯s old magic.¡¯

    But, I can see it.

    The Lord didn¡¯t warn me to be on guard.

    The eyes of the vampire penetrate through the darkness. It wouldn¡¯t be funny if the lineage that lives in the night couldn¡¯t see through the darkness.

    Avicord avoided my full power swing once again, by  falling back.

    Not giving him any time to rest, I swing down my forelegs in succession. Swing down. Mow down. Rotate my body and slam into him. I open my jaw wide and bite down.

    The rubble is chewy but tasteless. I spit it out.

    Avicord stood calmly amidst the rubble.

    I¡¯m being evaded with minimal movements. It¡¯s not magic. Even Senri wouldn¡¯t be able to evade me so skillfully.

    I¡¯m not exhausted but my vision is flickering because of the pain.

    ¡°Fuu, fuu, you¡¯re pretty agile for your age.¡±

    ¡°Ag Gal Del Galm. O the King of the Underworld ¨D¨D the wind of corrosion.¡±

    The air explodes with Avicord in center. A terrible rotten stench spreads at once. The torrent of mana that fills the air reminds me of the flow of the large river that I crossed once while held by Senri.

    I keep moving forward without a care.  My body is tingling with pain but I took no notice and mow down my forelegs from the side.

    Avicord¡¯s reaction fell behind for the first time. His eyes distorted in astonishment and my attack hit his body directly for the first time.

    The recoil that came back to my hand was unimaginably heavy coming from hitting that skinny body.

    Avicord was blown away but right before slamming into the wall, he changed his posture and landed on it instead. He seemed to be mostly fine.

    But I saw it.

    It¡¯s evasion. He¡¯s evaded me by using mana. He¡¯s most likely sensing the flow of the air and pushing his own body with mana.

    My movements are somewhat fast and intense, but they¡¯re not breaking the laws of physics.

    Furthermore, my attacks are probably no big deal for him.

    Perhaps the unexpectedly heavy recoil was because he was protecting himself with mana.

    He doesn¡¯t seem to be invincible, but it feels like I¡¯ll end up breaking my bones. I¡¯m not a Skeleton though.

    However, the skilled mage who easily dodged my attacks, said as if spitting out.

    ¡°Guh!¡­ impossible¡­ he neutralized the wind of corrosion?! Don¡¯t tell me, his magic resistance is getting stronger?!¡±

    ¡®Of course. End here is¡ª the fruit of wisdom. It would be a problem if you lumped him together with antiques.¡¯

    It¡¯s all thanks to the Lord.

    Given that he was planning to make me into his new body, he must¡¯ve really done his best.

    ¡°It might be a coincidence. Try shooting again, senior.¡±

    ¡°Ghh¡­ Agra Gal Ede Raizel Logias Grissin¡ª¡°

    ¡°Not good.¡±

    Unlike the curses, magic is bound by rules.

    Generally, it¡¯s more powerful the more preparation you need. Therefore, the longer the spell incantation, the stronger the spell too.

    I put power in my four legs and jumped high in the air.

    Perhaps because I took an unexpected action, Avicord¡¯s chanting stops for a moment.

    Above. If he can evade me by reading the flow of the air, attacking from the side is a bad move. I just have to crush him from above.

    One arm would be easy, but if I attack him on a wider area, he shouldn¡¯t be able to evade.

    ¡®I am astonished by your fighting spirit, but¡­ are you an idiot?¡¯

    The Lord says with exasperation.

    I jumped up, breaking through the high ceiling and delivered an all-out body press from directly above Avicord.

 CH 120.2

    They somehow managed to escape the basement and returned to the surface.

    Unfolding before Lufry and Neville, was a match between two monsters trying to eat each other.

    The ground shook and the air trembled.

    A clearly abnormal deep darkness and the presence of powerful magic.

    A Lich, who had mastered countless combat magic and required the utmost vigilance as an extermination target for the Death Knights.

    Vampire, who possessed many unique abilities and couldn¡¯t be killed despite having clear weaknesses.

    The visage of two powerful demonic beings, who should have been almost extinct due to the activities of the Order of Death Knights, fighting, foreshadowed the arrival of the dark era.

    Light exorcised darkness. Death Knights wouldn¡¯t lose easily even to the opponent that outmatched them.

    However, as expected, it would be difficult to properly take the two of them on while also missing other members of the team.

    Lufry, who was controlling the blessing and hiding, shrugged.

    ¡°The power of death is too much. He is a pretty tough opponent.¡±

    ¡°Shit! Even though we finally reached them¨D¨D¡±

    It was unexpected that neither had Senri given up on him nor had End done anything that would make her give up on him.

    Even if his memories were intact, was his reason so strong that he could endure feeding urges for so long?

    End was strong. So was Senri. It would be impossible to proceed with force against the two of them.

    ¡°If that vampire dies, Senri will sober up.¡±

    Neville said as if spitting out. His stern gaze was turned towards End, who had turned into a giant monster.

    The match was equal. The life force of the undead surpassed all living beings.

    Magic didn¡¯t work on vampires, but it was also difficult to forcefully kill the Lich that was protecting himself with magic. Dawn was also still far away.

    The blessing attacks from Lufry¡¯s group should¡¯ve worked, but the accumulated power of the death was too strong to make purification possible.

    Then, Lufry, who was keeping quiet, opened his mouth.

    ¡°But, that¡¯s not what we should be thinking about now, Neville.¡±

    The power that swelled up before Lufry¡¯s group that was fighting in the basement.

    It was a huge power of darkness that even Lufry and Neville, who had encountered all kinds of demonic beings, had never seen before.

    Right now, the shaking of the ground had subsided, but the thread of sensations enabled by blessing clearly caught the stirring power right beneath the ground.

    Even the two monsters in front of them, added together, wouldn¡¯t be able to match just its total amount of power alone.

    If End¡¯s last words were true, he was trying to stop its resurrection.

    Lufry didn¡¯t think that a monster would try to uphold justice, but if Senri acted together with him, it sounded more credible.

    End himself was a problem too, but if Lufry only focused on him and ignored the other one, he would have failed as a Death Knight.

    ¡°The Mirage King, huh¡­¡±

    ¡°Undead are really tenacious. Just like cockroaches.¡±

    The power was on the verge of awakening any moment now. But it was incomplete.

    He didn¡¯t know what kind of magic had a hand in this resurrection, but the Mirage King should have been completely destroyed by the Order of Death Knights.

    No matter how tenacious the undead is, it was still in the process of resurrecting. Thus, they still have time. And, even if the Mirage King does resurrect, it wouldn¡¯t be perfect.

    The fact that his subordinate, the Lich, was still fighting against the ill-matched opponent on which magic didn¡¯t work, was the biggest proof of that.

    Lufry didn¡¯t have time to adjust his posture. If he let End go now, he would surely turn into a big calamity.

    Lufry and Neville just followed End, but this was a ¨D¨D once in a lifetime chance.

    He would take the advantage of the Lich being distracted by End and finish him while he wasn¡¯t moving.

    Each unit in the Order of Death Knights had a specialty. Lufry¡¯s group, led by Ep¨¨e the Destroyer, excelled in emission-type attacks.

    Its final form was Photon Delete, which obliterated everything that got engulfed by the light.

    Then, he heard a voice from behind.

    The voice that had been together with him for a long time and the voice he remembered every day those past few months.

    The voice of a girl, that sounded cold but was in fact gentle in every way.

    ¡°Lufry, Neville, I¡¯ll blow away everything. Gather power to me.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    He had expected it, so he wasn¡¯t surprised. She wasn¡¯t the kind of person to turn a blind eye to this situation.

    There was no need for extra words. He would also forget their feud for now.

    After all, the Order of Death Knights existed to save the world. While the upbringing and ideas of its members differed greatly, that was the only thing that remained the same.

    And there is a reason why Death Knights, who are powerful even alone, act together in groups.

    Some beings of darkness have overwhelming power that could surpass Death Knights.

    But, the light that exorcises darkness shines even more brightly when it¡¯s united.

    Senri unsheathed her sword and readied it. Lufry and Neville stood on her left and right side respectively.

    Blessing was poured in. Three people¡¯s worth of power gathered at the sword¡¯s tip. The power of blessing gathered in one place shone like the Sun.

    End¡¯s giant body was pushed away. The Lich crawled out from below him. But it was too late.

    End had smashed the Lich¡¯s staff, which swung up, perhaps intending to cast defensive magic, with his forelegs.

    ¡ª And, the light was released.

 CH 121.1

    Chills ran down my spine and I blacked out for a moment. That single blow was just like God¡¯s judgment.

    The released enormous light passed right by me. Its destination was ¡ª the floor. Or to be more precise, it was the direction where the power of death was abundant.

    The concentrated light silently pierced through the sturdy stone pavement and evaporated it.

    It was undoubtedly the strongest attack I had seen from Senri until now.

    The light made a deep crack in the floor. It probably penetrated all the way to the underground Labyrinth. That cross-section was so smooth, it was hard to imagine how much blessing had to be converted to cause this kind of destruction.

    Even powerful combat magic wouldn¡¯t be able to do this. It didn¡¯t even graze me, but my body is a little numb from the aftershock.

    If it was me when I had just become Lesser Vampire, I might have suffered great injuries just from the aftermath alone. Even now, when I have accumulated enough power to rival the Demon Kings, it would be hard to withstand a direct hit upfront.

    The old castle vibrated significantly louder. Cracks ran around the traces of destruction and spread in the blink of an eye. I hurriedly controlled my power, as my legs were on the verge of being dragged in.

    The sensation of my bones and my flesh shrinking is unique no matter how many times I experience it. Pain is making my vision blink, but I can¡¯t afford to worry about how I look.

    I somehow managed to return to my original form. The world becomes wider at once. I stretch my hand and put my body out of destruction¡¯s way.

    Ignore the pain. The battle isn¡¯t over yet.

    First.., I recover my balance.

    The ceiling fell and the floor, the thick walls collapsed, swallowed by the cracks in the ground. It¡¯s true that the destructive power of Senri¡¯s Photon Delete was tremendous, but this amount of destruction from a single attack is abnormal.

    Did she perhaps destroy the foundation? Was it already at its limit due to aging? Or perhaps it was made that way in the first place?

    But I don¡¯t have time to think. I shout at Senri, who¡¯s supported by Lufry and Neville at the entrance and somehow enduring the shaking.

    ¡°Kh¡­ got it.¡±

    I still have blood power remaining. I won¡¯t die even if my head is crushed. I don¡¯t care what happens to Lufry and Neville, but Mister Lazar¡¯s group should be here too.

    Besides, the enemy ¡ª is still here.

    Avicord stood dumbfounded. The body press must have certainly hit him, but neither itch nor pain showed up on his expression.

    His consciousness was no longer focused on his surroundings. Only his eyes, glowing with a blood-like crimson light, were silently staring at the target of Senri¡¯s attack.

    I caught Blood Ruler that came flying at me. I left it in the basement, but it looks like Senri retrieved it for me.

    The Lich was a terrifying opponent. He should have been a good matchup for me, but I couldn¡¯t kill him. Because of the difference in our techniques and the experience.

    But, I¡¯ll kill him here. I won¡¯t leave any roots of evil.

    My body has reached its limit a long time ago. Once I collapse, I don¡¯t have the confidence to get back up.

    I sharpen my concentration, my killing intent. A huge piece of rubble falls between me and the Lich.

    I step inside with all my might and swing ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯ widely.

    The ceiling and the walls collapse. The old castle, that maintained its shape even after many years had passed from the warring era, broke down.

    The materials making up the castle were swallowed underground, only the hill made from piled up rubble remaining.

    The ruins of the castle completely collapsed. A huge piece of debris stirred and Avicord crawled outside.

    After checking the surroundings dumbfounded, he staggeringly got up.

    The crimson light, lit inside his eye sockets, flickered with agitation.

    Necromancy gave immortal bodies to the dead. After bumping into the collapsed rubble, his outfit was torn, he lost his cane and ¨C- his right hand with it too.

    The Vampire had attacked him in the act of desperation just before the destruction. That single attack had penetrated through Avicord¡¯s magic defense and destroyed his right hand from his shoulder down.

    But, that wasn¡¯t the reason for his agitation.

    ¡°Im¡­ possible.¡±

    It was a blow of light comparable to the one unleashed by the Order of Death Knights he had fought against in the past.

    His countermeasures were perfect. The core of the ritual was protected by the many layers of the protective barriers that his King set up.

    But that single strike easily swallowed them all, blowing them away.

    The ritual had already started. If he had a few more minutes ¨C his King would¡¯ve been resurrected.

    Black dust danced in the air. The castle of the King was the site of the ritual. Its destruction meant that fulfilling his objective had become impossible.

    ¡°Im, possible. Why¡­ why is, a vampire, siding, with humans?!¡±

    The Lich¡¯s magic was powerful. If his opponents were humans, even if they were the Order of Death Knights, he would undoubtedly be able to stop them.

    ¡°Undead, it¡¯s your loss.¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­¡±

    Hearing the voice, Avicord finally realized that he was surrounded.

    Energy made of light ¨C Three Death Knights were surrounding Avicord, warily pointing the tips of their holy silver weapons at him.

    One person with a strong power and two lower-ranking knights. If the attack from a while ago was from these three, the techniques must have improved significantly due to the change of the era.

    He was so preoccupied with hiding himself and resurrecting his King that he had neglected to investigate his enemies.

    ¡°Damn, you¡­ Death Knight¡­¡±

    He felt his emotions that had been diluted after becoming the undead, awaken.

    This was ¨C anger.

    When the Order of Death Knights had invaded the castle in the past, Avicord was ordered to be on standby, not allowed to join the battle.

    However, if back then, he had been allowed to fight along with his comrades, he would have felt the same simmering rage that he was feeling now.

    The mission given to Avicord was the completion of the ritual. Now that it had been obstructed, there was nothing else he could do.

    He had three opponents. They were hateful, but their power was genuine. He understood that his long years of sleep had given new powers to the Order of Death Knights.

    But withdrawing now would be unforgivable for the subordinate of the Mirage King.

    He would destroy them. Even if he had to sacrifice himself for it. Otherwise, he would be unable to face his King, who had believed in him and had given him such an important mission.

    He raised his hand, making the mana flowing inside him explode.

    He had lost his arm and his staff, but for Avicord, who had obtained powerful mana by transcending death, any Death Knight was, after all, just a human.

    He could deal with humans sufficiently even without the magic that needed the staff.

    ¡°This power is¡ª¡°

    The mean-looking knight with a mace took a step back. But it was too late.

    Avicord had long since learned the weaknesses of the men. He would turn all the surroundings into the land of death.

    Would the Death Knights of this era be able to block this?

    ¡°¡®Photon Delete¡¯¡±

    The female death knight, with an exceptionally powerful aura, released the light.

    But that attack was very weak compared to the one just a while ago. It was stored too. It must¡¯ve meant that the attack from before would be hard to shoot in rapid succession.

    That was the limit of human species.

    He evaded the released ray of light by moving leisurely. The expression of the female knight distorted.

    And the moment he tried to release his power, a nostalgic voice reached Avicord¡¯s ears.

 CH 121.2

    ¡°I had a terrible ¨D¨D terrible dream.¡±

    The cold voice instantly made his anger disappear. Avicord certainly felt the pounding of his heart, which he should have lost long ago.

    There was no presence. However, that itself was the origin of the mirage.

    The king of the abyss. The perfect dead. That King, known as the ultimate zero, had no presence.

    Therefore, he was feared. That King was the hollow shadow.

    And, the troops that received his power were once called the shadow army.

    The Death Knights took distance all at once.

    The dancing black dust gathered and formed a shape. The shape of a small black skeleton.

    It wasn¡¯t a coincidence. Its eye sockets were clearly looking at Avicord and the Death Knights.

    The ritual had succeeded, after all. Avicord instantly calmed down.

    It must¡¯ve been because all power hadn¡¯t been poured in. His body was weak and far from a complete resurrection, but the King hadn¡¯t perished yet.

    Avicord was ready to die with the enemy but he couldn¡¯t stay like this. It took time to accumulate power.

    He had to run away at any cost. The expressions of the Death Knights changed.

    ¡°Aah¡­ my liege, I have been waiting for you. Please forgive me for meeting you while standing, as we are in the presence of enemies.¡±

    It would be easy to run away. Avicord still had power remaining. Even if he was up against 3 Death Knights, he could at least let his King escape.

    The King¡¯s gaze stopped on Avicord. That alone evoked an extraordinarily strong emotion ¡ª happiness in him.

    ¡°You have, done well¡­ ahh, the weight of this body, the pain, it is not¡­ a bad feeling.¡±

    After 10 years of hiding in the land of humans, his mission had finally been completed.

    The vigilance of Death Knight had completely switched over from Avicord to the King. Their positions had switched.

    They¡¯re planning on stopping the King with their lives. Before he would regain his powers.

    However, Avicord wouldn¡¯t allow that. He turned his back towards the King and glared at the Death Knights.

    That nostalgic voice seemed to permeate his body, his very soul. And the King said.

    ¡°However, this is not a complete¡­ resurrection. I will be taking your power, ¡®Avicord¡¯.¡±

    Avicord didn¡¯t even have time to understand it. Power left his body, that had transcended death.

    By the time he realized it, Avicord was looking at the ground. His left arm, outstretched on the spur of the moment, turned into dust.

    The enormous amount of mana he had stored disappeared ¡ª no, it was sucked in. His consciousness faded away, without even giving him a chance to resist.

    Avicord was created by the Mirage King. He was freed from the wedge of death, but that merely meant that his ruler had simply changed.

    On the verge of his consciousness disappearing, what the Night Lich, who had lived for eternity, felt was the long-forgotten fear towards the looming death.

    Death Knights referred to the evil mages that threatened all living beings and reigned over them as the ¡®Kings of the Dead¡¯.

    The Lich, which was so powerful, crumbled away. It happened in the blink of an eye.

    Even the contents of the Lich¡¯s tattered robe turned into dust.

    It was the restoration of power. Those who transcended death with a curse, however, also return to dust with the curse.

    Senri¡¯s nearly inexhaustible blessing was also temporarily depleted after several attacks. Having lent their powers to Senri, Lufry and Neville also had bare minimum left.

    But Senri reflexively concentrated the power and released it. The tip of her holy silver sword shone.

    Her Death Knight instincts were telling her that she had to absolutely kill this undead here.

    Before he could completely recover his powers.

    ¡°¡¯Photon Delete¡¯¡±

    She lost strength. Concentrated power, the power that turned everything into nothingness, was released.

    The magnum opus of Ep¨¨e the destroyer, which she had repeated many times and practiced until she had bled, activated perfectly even when exhausted¨D¨D

    And, just before swallowing the gathering fog, it ¡®refracted¡¯ grandly.

    Sometimes it was evaded. Sometimes she also couldn¡¯t destroy her target. But it was the first time that the light had been refracted.

    An emotionless voice echoed.

    The voice that was hoarse and faint until just a while ago, had clearly recovered power.

    ¡°The first necromancer is said to have created three ways of transcending death with his madness and wisdom.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    She gasped. Rebuking her powerless body, Senri pointed the tip of her sword at him.

    There was not a trace of impatience in his voice.

    ¡°Fleshmen are the demonic beings of blood, Wraiths are the demonic beings of the soul¨D¨D and Skeletons are the demonic beings of the earth.¡±

    A wall that didn¡¯t exist just a second ago appeared before her. The wall was so polished that she could clearly see her face. It should have received the Photon Delete but there wasn¡¯t a single scratch on its surface.

    The wall crumbled down. Appearing from the other side of it was a black-haired man.

    He was wearing the robe that Lich had just worn and gave a small sigh.

    A pale skin. The enormous amount of mana that could be felt from his body.

    It was obvious when you looked at him. His skin, flesh and blood were made from death. But no signs of his presence were leaking out at all.

    As if he was wrapped in a very strong shell.

    ¡°That castle¡­ was made by, me. Fuu¡­ Avicord, you good-for-nothing. I still lack  power.¡±

    ¡°A mage with the earth attribute¡­!¡±

    Photon Delete was a light charged with the power of destruction. It couldn¡¯t be reflected by a mirror.

    But this man did it. He refracted it. What¡¯s more, he did it in the middle of resurrection.

    Photon Delete was a technique created by her master. It should have been unknown for this man. At the very least, it wasn¡¯t something that could be dealt with in a second.

    From that fact, she could deduce that he had ¨D¨D an overwhelming sense and battle experience.

    The Mirage King was exterminated because of his very dangerous power.

    But, if one were to put it in another way, it also meant that until he built a castle on this land, he successfully fended off his pursuers and survived.

    Nowadays, the number of mages has decreased due to the development of science. But it was different in the era of the Mirage King.

    With the expansion of the Order of Death Knights, the number of mercenaries had also decreased.  But that wasn¡¯t the case during the era of Mirage King.

    The flow of time was cruel. Some things progressed, while some things declined.

    The Mirage King looking around. His eyes were red as blood.

    Nobody could move. His figure seemed to be full of openings, but there was something intimidating about him that didn¡¯t allow Senri and the others to attack carelessly.

    ¡°Well, it is fine¡­ let me try it. The body of the demon of blood¨D¨D¡±

    The ground shook and a single was formed, like a tree growing. It was a spear with a jet-black handle and the blade.

    The Demon King grabbed it with one hand, shook it lightly, then pointed its tip towards Senri and blinked his eyes.

    ¡°Do the mages of this era not engage in hand-to-hand combat?¡±

 CH 122.1

    That barrage was just like a black storm.

    The physical strength of a vampire already surpassed the physical abilities of Death Knights that were strengthened with blessing. A long-reaching lance swung left and right, brandished by that giant body, was the most difficult for Death Knights to deal with.

    A sword could be parried, but the same couldn¡¯t be done for the lance. There was no technique to his brandishing, but that itself made blocking it difficult.

    His poise was more of a beast than of a former mage, but it was backed by definite experience.

    Even if he was a mage, even if he hadn¡¯t learned any techniques, his powerful physical abilities surpassed everything.

    Nevertheless, Senri made the blessing explode at her feet and fell back. After all, if someone was at a disadvantage in close combat, all they could do is attack from a distance.

    Lufry and Neville immediately gathered at Senri¡¯s side and blocked the lance. The moment she concentrated her power in the sword, the Mirage King laughed.

    ¡°I know very well, let¡¯s see what tricks you lot use¡­¡±

    She stored the light of blessing for a second and released it.

    The moment the purifying light, albeit not as flashy as Photon Delete but still able to surely wound the undead, was about to hit the Mirage King, when a wall appeared in front of him.

    The light hit the wall of soil and scattered easily.

    As long as it¡¯s not converted into the energy of destruction like Photon Delete, the light of the blessing doesn¡¯t have a destructive ability.

    Out of the two that were guarding her sides, Lufry fired the light of purification to contain the enemy and Neville swung at him with his mace. In response to their simultaneous attacks, the Mirage King stepped back.

    Crystal grew from the ground with great force. The black polished crystal reflected the light and blocked Neville¡¯s mace.

    ¡ª He¡¯s strong. And he¡¯s used to fighting.

    The power of the blessing extinguishes undead on touch and defends against miasma. However, it was not tangible.cMoreover, the enemy was casting magic with no lag while moving.

    At that moment, the Mirage King suddenly looked down on his palm. The crystal shattered.

    ¡°Muu¡­ to think that the body of the blood demon would be ¨D¨D this weak. I lack ¨D¨D the power of death.¡±

    Those were unbelievable words.

    However, this was the enemy which the Order of Death Knights once destroyed with all their might

    He also didn¡¯t have subordinates, which the Mirage King would have been usually accompanied by, with him. He was undoubtedly not in perfect condition as well.

    And, the Mirage King thrust his spear into the ground, smiling quietly.

    ¡°However, what an air of tension ¨D¨D I have long since forgotten this too. This thrilling feeling of hatred for the living.¡±

    That voice was full of delight. A mysterious delight. It made Senri realize that a Demon King had resurrected whether she liked it or not.

    This was a genuine vampire. Different from End. In addition, perhaps because of the influence from before he reincarnated, he had absolutely no presence.

    Senri bit her lips.

    A vampire who looked like a human and didn¡¯t have the presence of death. If they let him go, he would surely cause enormous harm. He was undoubtedly ¡ª the enemy of all living beings.

    The mana of a powerful undead is incomparable to that of a living human.

    The vampire in front of her was out of gas. Probably because the ritual was interrupted in the middle by End, he still wasn¡¯t at his full strength.

    He was probably not even a vampire. If he was a vampire, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t use his powerful special abilities.

    ¡°Well, it is of no concern. I shall suck your blood dry, to sate this unbearable thirst.¡±

    The Mirage King laughed.

    After he hit the ground with a spear, a huge stake grew from the ground, attacking her.

    His fierce attacks were truly like a storm. He was undoubtedly top class among the undead Senri had fought until now and in addition, he was the worst matchup for her.

    Blessing is an extremely versatile energy, but it also has its strengths and weaknesses.

    Blessing excels in purification and healing. And it lacks defense against destruction and attacks with mass.

    The ground turned up like a tsunami and a large amount of rubble rained down like surging waves.

    It easily crushed the defense of the shield of light that Lufry had deployed widely, not letting Neville and Senri who tried to step in get close.

    ¡°¡­ Shit!¡±

    It was not a matter of skill. It was an overwhelming destruction allowed only to the strong.

    The Mirage King attacked, hiding in the rubble that soared like a living being. Senri parried his attack with hersword. She avoided the rubble that came flying from above by retreating.

    No matter how strengthened her body was with blessing, it wouldn¡¯t survive an attack with a large mass.

    ¡°Weak, so weak! This is the true level of Death Knight when they do not flock together!¡±

    If she hadn¡¯t had her perception strengthened with blessing, Senri wouldn¡¯t be able to properly deal with the continuous thrusts and surprise attacks.

    Countless crystal stakes were fired out of nowhere at Lufry, who had changed his standing position to be inconspicuous. The Mirage King laughed excitedly.

    ¡°HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA! If you cannot concentrate, you will be unable to shoot your big technique!!¡±

    His eyes were overflowing with the glee of fighting. His attacks were rough, but they weren¡¯t something you could deal with leisurely.

    All of the earth was the ally of the vampire in front of them.

    His attack range was too wide. The King wasn¡¯t at full strength either, but it wasn¡¯t like they could challenge undead in the contest of endurance and win.

    Three people weren¡¯t enough to beat the powerful king in front of them head-on.

    At this rate, the situation would get worse and worse. If Senri moved, he would follow after her without missing a beat.

    Determined, Senri stepped forward. His thrusts were faster than the sound. Pebbles assaulted her, along with the barrage of thunder-like strikes.

    Death Knights were also the experts of healing. What she needed was ¨C a resolve. As long as she had a resolve, she could move forward.

    Blood-like eyes widened in surprise for the first time.

    ¡°O-o-ooh!¡±

    Senri did her best to repel the spear that was swung widely, with a sword. The attack that couldn¡¯t be quite blocked by humans made strong numbness run through her bones. However, Senri laughed.

    Repelling would be impossible for Senri from a while ago. She was able to parry it now somehow thanks to her frequent mock-battles with End.

    ¡°Fuu, so you would laugh now! Death Knight!¡±

    Then, Senri moved one step further.

    The advantage of the spear is its long reach. But, at the same time, it¡¯s also a disadvantage.

    Once you get close to the enemy¡¯s chest, the spear is surpassed ¡ª- by the sword.

    The Mirage King was right in front of her eyes.

    She poured the power of the blessing in the sword. The sword took on a strong light, and the Mirage King¡¯s blood-colored eyes narrowed.

    Senri swung up her sword and stepped in.

    At the same time, a wall appeared on each side of the Mirage King.

    ¡°!?¡±

    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHA! Did you think that I would not notice?!¡±

    A bottle of holy water that Neville threw from a blind spot hit the wall of soil and shattered.

    Holy water is the weakness of the vampires. However, it¡¯s useless if it doesn¡¯t hit directly.

    It was a perfect surprise attack. However, it was noticed. The Mirage King blocked Senri¡¯s swing of the weapon with the spear¡¯s handle.

    A hard sensation came back to her.  But, the surprise attack being evaded came as a bigger shock.

    The Mirage King shouted.

    ¡°As if a bluff would work! Your sword lacks killing intent!¡±

    ¡°Kh!!¡±

    They failed. Pebbles grazed her cheeks, blood spattering around. Senri deceived the sharp pain with fighting spirit.

    It was because she had allies, and Death Knights were trained to definitely win.

    Her slacking was seen through. Was it because it had been a while since they cooperated?

    Regret ran through her brain for a second, but she didn¡¯t have the leisure to dwell on it. A sword and a spear clashed, violent sparkles flying around.

    But the blade barely didn¡¯t reach the King¡¯s skin.

    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHA! Good, this is a good tune! How long has it been since I had such a battle!¡±

    The Mirage King was also undoubtedly exhausted. However, his crazy laugh showed no signs of dying down.

    Blood splattered. But Senri¡¯s mind was calm.

    ¡°Fall back for now, Senri!¡±

    She heard Lufry¡¯s voice in the distance.

    However, Serni prepared for death. She focused. She threw the thoughts of survival out of her mind, only thinking about eradicating the enemy.

    She repelled the blade, the pebbles just with instincts. The expression of the Mirage King changed.

    He wasn¡¯t as strong as he looked. The difference between the two of them was miniscule. But the gap would widen the more time passed.

    She would move forward. This was the turning point.

    Light purified darkness. If she landed a hit, she would have a chance to win. Senri roared for the first time.

    ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    She stepped in recklessly.

    In response, the Mirage King ¨C retreated.

    His speed was almost as if he was flying. He retreated dozens of meters in a single step, his eyes wide open.

    ¡°Im, possible¡­ I was¡ªpressured?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lufry and Neville, who moved forward, supported Senri who was about to collapse, by her side.

    What she needed was an opening. She was still conscious.

    And ¡ª Senri flew.

    It was a movement technique that made use of the blessing. ¡®Light Wings¡¯.

    Flying with the help of blessing was a high level technique. Humans aren¡¯t made to fly in the sky.

    It needed reserves and it couldn¡¯t be used in a high-speed combat, but the ability to take aerial superiority is great.

    She could see the Mirage King, which looked like a speck of dust, far below. Even the power of the King of the Earth couldn¡¯t be utilised in the sky.

    ¡°Do it. Senri.¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­¡±

    She would end his life for sure this time. Lufry and Neville were also barely holding together. In addition, since they were devoting their powers to the flight, she couldn¡¯t expect any help.

    The energy, that felt like it was inexhaustible, concentrated on the sword. She would turn herself into sword.

    The power that Mirage King used to defend against Photon Delete. He didn¡¯t use that mirror crystal even once during combat.

    The enemy was exhausted. It was most likely not a technique that could be used continuously.

    No ¨C it was irrelevant whether it could be used continuously. If he could use it, all she could have to do would be to use ¡®Photon Delete¡¯ until she died.

    And, the moment she tried to release her power ¡ª the hill that the Mirage King was standing on collapsed and expanded.

    ¡°As if I would lose, little girl. You brat who hasn¡¯t lived tenth of my life!¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    The ground rumbled. The rocks rearranged and created ¡ª a giant arm.

    The enormous amount of mana that could make one cower reached the sky in an instant.

    A huge palm made of crystal loomed over Senri.

    There was no doubt. This was the last blow. The next attack would be the last for both the enemy and herself.

    A giant mass came down on her. However, she didn¡¯t rush.

    She took a deep breath and concentrated her power. She heard a voice ¨C from the back of the hand.

    She gently pointed her sword up. She had no sensation in her hands anymore.  But her hands weren¡¯t trembling.

    And, lastly, Senri apologized in her heart.

    End, I¡¯m sorry.

    What could it have been an apology for?

    And, the light was released.

 CH 122.2

    The rocks, the crystals, rained down on the ground. The thunderous roar shook the world and didn¡¯t cease for a while.

    The earth shook almost as if lamenting and then stopped abruptly.

    Moonlight illuminated the wasteland.

    Trees that had grown thickly around were swallowed by the earth, no traces left of the old castle that stood high for many years.

    Three swaying shadows descended to the ground and immediately collapsed.

    The most seriously wounded was Senri, who had used up all her powersl in her worn-out state, but the other two ¡ª Neville and Lufry ¨C were also almost entirely out of power.

    But, they were alive.

    Looking up at the heavens, Lufry said hoarsely.

    ¡°We, did it¡­¡±

    The light of Photon Delete that Senri released at the end. It indeed completely eradicated the Mirage King¡¯s attack.

    It really was close. If she hadn¡¯t succeeded, they would have surely been crushed and lost their lives.

    Lufry couldn¡¯t even move a single finger anymore. But Senri was even more seriously wounded.

    Blessing is the energy of life and to use it all up, even just temporarily, is very dangerous.

    She had to be carried to the town as soon as possible, but from the looks of it, Neville was in a similar condition. Looking at his comrade, rolling next to him, Lufry smiled bitterly.

    The reason why Lufry couldn¡¯t move a single finger, was because he kept sending Senri power while he was using light wings, only keeping the minimum amount for himself. The fact that Neville was in the same condition meant that his comrade had also made the same decision.

    Neville was probably frowning because he had also realized the same thing.

    They might have been only 3rd class, but Lufry and Neville were still Death Knights. If they rested for a bit, they would recover enough to be able to move.

    The moment the air relaxed, a dry voice echoed.

    ¡°Haa, haa¡­ A brilliant, blow¡­¡±

    No way ¨D¨D it was impossible. Senri¡¯s attack should have completely defeated him.

    Lufry couldn¡¯t feel the presence of the Mirage King, but the voice that echoed from seemingly nowhere certainly belonged to him.

    ¡°The Death Knights, from this era, are unexpectedly capable.¡±

    A shadow loomed over the trio. Lufry desperately tried to move his body but to no avail.

    The crimson eyes were looking at the three. The voice of the Mirage King was dry and his face showed obvious exhaustion, but no injuries could be seen on him.

    He laughed.

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ you look like, you want to ask me ¡®why¡¯, Death Knight. The one standing atop the hand, the one speaking, was ¨D¨D a mere rock puppet.¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t notice at all.

    No, he would have definitely noticed it at the time of peace, but in an extreme situation like this, he didn¡¯t have the leisure to notice.

    The Mirage King, however, frowned after looking at Lufry and Neville¡¯s expressions.

    ¡°It is cowardly, you say? I am not happy about it either. I would have never expected to end up forced in the soil in my first battle after reincarnating.¡±

    Senri still hadn¡¯t regained her consciousness, remaining motionless.

    Lufry couldn¡¯t move his body. His blessing was also exhausted.

    The Mirage King stretched his hand towards Senri, who lay down powerlessly.

    ¡°Be proud, for you have cornered the Mirage King himself with only three of you ¨D¨D and, have no fear. For you all will live for eternity as my blood and flesh.¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­. mother, fu,cker¡±

    Neville¡¯s voice was full of rage. But his hands were only trembling, showing no signs of moving at all.

    Blessing is circulating through the blood of Death Knights. Blood with the power of blessing is a deadly poison and under normal circumstances there would be no ways of sucking it.

    But Senri right now has run out of both power and the blessing.

    No. Lufry couldn¡¯t let Senri¡¯s blood be sucked.

    The power of the King in front of him was enormous. If he regained his power, he would cause a great calamity this time.

    The lifeblood is the only blood vampires can absorb the power from. But Lufry¡¯s group couldn¡¯t even kill themselves at the moment.

    Fingertips approached Senri, In front of Lufry and Neville, who were desperately trying to move their bodies.

    The moment those pale fingers tried to touch her nape, their movements suddenly stopped.

    ¡°What are you¨D¨D?¡±

    The Mirage King raised his face. Behind him stood ¡ª a tattered young man.

    His limbs were broken in unimaginable directions, his whole body was dirty with dust. There was no light behind his eyes, his white hair quietly reflecting the moonlight.

    It was strange that he was even standing.

    If he were a human, he would have certainly not been alive in that condition.

    But that young man was definitely alive. No, the expression ¡®alive¡¯ was wrong.

    He was dead but he was moving.

    Looking at End, whose appearance resembled a hellspawn, the Mirage King stood up as if annoyed.

    ¡°Vampire¡­ that was fighting, with Avicord¡­ so you, were alive.¡±

    The Mirage King was staggering, but End was even more unsteady on his feet.

    His eyes were unfocused almost like a dead man.. He showed no reaction to the Mirage King¡¯s words either.

    The Mirage King stretched out his arms and squeezed his neck. A damp sound resounded but End didn¡¯t stir an inch.

    The Mirage King¡¯s eyebrows distorted, as if having seen something eerie.

    ¡°¡­ What are you??? What in the world are you? Have you turned back, into a ghost? Why are you, moving?¡±

    Those words made End react for the first time.

    His spaced out eyes regained their focus and looked at the Mirage King.

    Darkness lay beyond the eyes red as blood. He raised his arm powerlessly and put it over the arm Mirage King was using to grab his neck.

    His throat, that was supposed to have been pressured, moved and a voice that seemed like it would disappear at any moment, resounded.

    ¡°I¡­ am¡­ Ki¡­o..ss. Hu¡­ nd¡­ y,you¡­ are¡­ mi¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°?¡­ Wh,at?¡±

    The Mirage King questioned the person who was obviously half-dead.

    End¡¯s eyes opened wide and his gaze turned towards the ground ¡ª or more accurately, towards Senri who was collapsed on it.

    And, End said with all his strength.

    ¡°The, palace, of, darkness.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ did you say¡­?¡±

    His broken limbs made a loud sound and returned to their original state. Power returned to his fingertips that he had laid down powerlessly and grasped the Mirage King¡¯s arm.

    Light returned to his eyes, but the darkness stirring behind them stayed the same.

    The Mirage King staggered. End¡¯s throat was still being grasped, but the voice that left his mouth next wasn¡¯t hoarse anymore.

    ¡°I am ¡ª the King of the Palace of Darkness. A name given by the Lord, so I would surpass, and rule over all darkness.¡±

    What was he even talking about? But the eyes of the Mirage King widened.

    ¡°A name is precious. Therefore, the Lord made it, into the key. Mirage King. ¡°

    Even Lufry, who had lost most of his powers, felt it.

    The presence of the death grew rapidly, as if some kind of shackles had come undone.

    It was a remarkable change, as if he had grown into a different being altogether.

    The Mirage King¡¯s arm, that was being grabbed, broke with a sound. He tried to step back but End didn¡¯t let go.

    Even a vampire¡¯s physical strength shouldn¡¯t be able to make him budge. Wariness crossed the Mirage King¡¯s face.

    And, End smiled. His blood-red eyes glowed with a faint golden light ¨C a demonic light.

    Perhaps he realized the true identity of End¡¯s existence, the Mirage King¡¯s expression distorted.

    Eyes glowing with golden hue were the symbol of noble beings. A terrifying undead, that drinks an enormous amount of blood even compared to other blood demons and accumulates power.

    A vampire aristocrat, the confirmation of whose birth is enough to alert all of the Order of Death Knights, and the one who¡¯s feared even by his own kind.

    ¡°A Noble Vampire¡­ im-mpossible. Why then Avicord¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°If possible, if only possible¡­ I wanted to put it off. I could even, endure pain. I missed the light. At least, for one more day¨D¨D¡±

    His face hadn¡¯t changed, but the atmosphere around him definitely did.

    His pale appearance, was so hauntingly beautiful, it even made Lufry, who was the same sex, shudder.

    Tears of blood dripped from his golden eyes. Perhaps it was because he had just evolved. But his voice was terribly calm.

    ¡°But ¨D¨D it¡¯s fine already.  You hurt my beloved ¨D¨D I don¡¯t want to use dirty words, but I will fuck you up.¡±

 CH 123.1

    I felt like I was reborn.

    The pain that was eating into my soul until just a while ago had disappeared, replaced by a strong sense of omnipotence, as if all of the night itself had become my ally.

    Lord Horus¡¯ technique was perfect. Apparently, the power I had accumulated during my elopement had long since reached the threshold needed for evolution.

    My body, freed from the shackles by the keyword, instantly evolved and swallowed Sable¡¯s curse that was torturing me all this time.

    And as long I¡¯m not in pain, there¡¯s nothing inhibiting my movements.

    There was the King in front of me. Jet black hair reminiscent of the darkness. His sturdy body was wrapped in metal armor and he was holding a thick metal spear in his right arm.

    The Mirage King.

    Perhaps because he has inherited only a portion of his powers from before his resurrection, I can hardly feel his presence of death. Even so, from his scent I can tell that he¡¯s my brethren.

    But ¨C in terms of the rank, I¡¯m higher.

    I have a lingering attachment to the sunlight. But it¡¯s fine.

    I¡¯m already fine. There¡¯s no need to think about the future either. The die has already been cast.

    The power of the curse that I had newly acquired from evolving was eagerly waiting for the time to manifest within my soul.

    The Mirage King who possesses immeasurable power and defeated Senri who I couldn¡¯t defeat.

    I don¡¯t feel even a sliver of fear in front of my greatest enemy.

    This is an instinct.

    The vampire combat instincts that were suppressed when I was the Lesser Vampire. The instincts of the dark beings that kill the living and drink their blood, which I regarded as dangerous.

    But ¡ª it¡¯s not as big of a deal as I thought.

    I¡¯m still calm.

    Senri, who saved me, is lying on the ground, not moving a muscle. This is the first time she, who always possessed brilliant life force, has weakened so much ever since she was heavily injured by Albertus long ago.

    A strong urge surges up inside me for a second. I hurriedly release the king¡¯s arm and hold my forehead.

    The Mirage King takes a step back.

    The liquid overflowing from my eyes and running down my cheeks wasn¡¯t tears but blood.

    It made me understand even if I didn¡¯t want to.

    I¡¯m not perfect. A sudden evolution must be quite a burden.

    Before, when I devoured the Lord¡¯s soul and evolved from Ghoul to Lesser Vampire, I also writhed in pain for several hours.

    This time could be said to be better than that.

    After all, unlike that time, right now I still have enough power to fight.

    ¡°There were multiple defects found¡­ in the resurrection spell. That¡¯s why it became weaker than intended¡±

    ¡°What did¡­ you say?!¡±

    The Lord¡¯s knowledge slightly pours into me.

    The eyes of the Mirage King, who¡¯s wary of me, widens.

    And, in that second, I swung my fist.

    My palm pierces through the air, leaving the sound behind.

    The Mirage King shows a frightening reaction speed at the completely unexpected thrust.

    He swings his spear, meeting my fist. My arm, which was supposed to have been broken, has long healed.

    The thick spear I blocked, breaks. The sensation of crushed flesh and broken bones relays an indescribable delight to my whole body.

    Time has stopped. I can clearly see the armor of the Mirage King shattering, his flesh distorting and him bouncing violently against the ground.

    Is this the frame-by-frame playback of the film projector I¡¯ve heard rumors about?

    Ah, I hate violence but ¡ª but I have to say that this feels amazing.

    My instincts are rejoicing. The curse that¡¯s eating into me is applauding.

    The Mirage King takes a defensive posture in the middle of bouncing, instantly creates a new spear and thrusts it into the ground.

    The ground is scraped and a deep line appears on it. By the time the King finally succeeds in braking, the distance between us has become ten-odd meters.

    The Mirage King stands up. His shattered armor regenerates and his crushed limbs that were pretty much just hanging off him are restored in the blink of an eye.

    Lesser Vampire. There¡¯s no doubt about it. It¡¯s the rank I was just a while ago.

    Despite being just attacked, the Mirage King¡¯s focus wasn¡¯t on me. He only muttered stunned.

    ¡°Defects¡­ you say?¡±

    The power of death that Avicord had gathered was enormous.

    Perhaps, according to his expectations, the King would be able to resurrect into a vampire at least. Lesser Vampire is an in-between form that¡¯s riddled with weaknesses but can¡¯t use the special abilities.

    He doesn¡¯t know. I won¡¯t tell him anything. There¡¯s one of the reasons why that spell went out of date a long time ago.

    You will die not even knowing the reason for your failure.

    Vampires are blood monsters.

    You can¡¯t become a true vampire without drinking even a drop of blood.

    The Mirage King creates a sword from the ground. It¡¯s earth magic.

    There was a time once when mages were at the core of manufacture. Apparently the users of the earth magic were unrivaled in smelting and processing metals.

    This is from much before I was born, but he was probably a spellcaster from that era.

    The Mirage King swung the jet-black sword, smiling fiercely. But his eyes were terribly serious.

    ¡°Youngster, magic doesn¡¯t work on vampires, but my spells are different!¡±

    I haven¡¯t seen the battle between Senri and the Mirage King.

    But those words made me understand why she lost.

    Looks like his title of being a King is not just for the show.  But if he won¡¯t run away, that¡¯s convenient in a way.

    My machete has disappeared somewhere. But I don¡¯t need a weapon.

    I declare to the king, who still kept his arrogant attitude despite understanding the difference between our ranks.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ old man, you already lost once. You¡¯re a sore loser, even for an undead. This time I¡¯ll make sure to properly put you back in the grave.¡±

    My arm creaked. The bones in my right arm transformed with a loud noise and turned into a spear.

    I¡¯ll settle things by dawn. Anybody who interferes with other people¡¯s love affairs should die.

    That attack was completely unknown to me.

    It was a terrific power, hard to believe that it belonged to somebody who had just resurrected.

    When the Mirage King thrust the spear into the ground, the earth rose and when he muttered a few words, pebbles rained down like a storm.

    Countless spears and swords were created from the empty rubble and fired.

    This is undoubtedly the power that completely destroyed the castle.

    It was almost like a natural disaster.

    Earth magic. According to my knowledge, it should have been a convenient supplementary magic but apparently, it can become a powerful attack in the hands of a skilled mage.

    The Mirage King¡¯s laughter echoes amidst the roaring.

    ¡°How about this?! And this, and this and this! Haahahaha!¡±

    What makes the constant continuous attacks possible is a terrifyingly enormous amount of mana.

    Mana is a power that differs from both the blessing and the blood power.

    When I was alive and bedridden, I regularly received treatment with healing magic.

    During my elopement with Senri, I¡¯ve accidentally been shot with combat magic from a mercenary.

    But the power used by the King in front of me is truly on another level from them.

    No matter how many riff-raff mercenaries there were, they wouldn¡¯t be a match for this kind of power.

    It was hard to believe that he had just been through a fierce battle with Senri, but my eyes realised the trick of his mana that seemed endless in a single glance.

    He¡¯s sucking up power, the mana, from the earth and using it.

    Vampire species already boast of a powerful mana, at this rate it would be hard to use the basics of anti-mage combat and aim for him to run out of mana.

    ¨D¨DWell, I never had the intention to aim for the battle of endurance though.

    I unhesitatingly run towards the enormous mass that¡¯s attacking me.

    I step on the moving ground, ignoring the cuts from the blades, only smash the huge rubble that¡¯s hindering my path with the bone spear and just move forward.

    Dagger sticking out from the ground pierces my foot and small pebbles pierce my body.

    The dull pain that runs through my body is immediately swallowed by the fighting spirit.

    Ah, this feels great.

    Earth magic certainly seems to work on vampires too. But, not enough, not enough, not enough.

    I am¡ª a monster. I¡¯m not a human. As if you can stop me with a half-hearted attack like this!

    Any damage will instantly heal. The only thing I have to be wary about is attacks with silver and having my heart pierced.

    However, it looks like the Mirage King cannot create silver, which is an anti-demonic metal.

    Regarding my heart too, if I consciously defend it and evade, I won¡¯t have any problems.

    I¡¯m already prepared for the pain.

    A 10-meter gap might as well not exist for a vampire.

    I instantly break through his defence. Hiding is useless.

    Eyes of vampires can see mana. I can smell it too. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t be able to trace the source when he¡¯s using such a huge amount of mana.

    My perceptive ability has reached its peak now.

    I block the slashing attack unleashed from my blind spot with the bone spear. Mirage King clicks his tongue.

    ¡°You bastard¡­ are you a fallen soldier?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m already dead.¡±

    Perhaps thinking that this way we wouldn¡¯t go anywhere, the Mirage King stepped in deeper.

    He can do close combat too?!

    It was a bizarre gait. The movement of his centre of gravity was unnatural. Even before it not being the range in which humans can move, it¡¯s just physically unpleasant

    But I soon realised the true identity of my discomfort.

    This guy is a Lesser Vampire like I was before. It¡¯s a pupa of a vampire without any special powers. If so, his attacks should rely on the powers he had cultivated himself.

    In that case, there is only one answer ¨C his bizarre movements are due to the earth magic.

    He¡¯s probably moving the ground he¡¯s stepping on with magic.

    The Mirage King¡¯s movements weren¡¯t something learnt overnight. He moved smoothly without moving his feet, unleashing swift slashes that surpassed even the speed of Senri¡¯s attacks.

    A newly created wall blocks the path of retreat.

    I snorted and repelled his straightforward attack that had enough power put into it to kill me surely, with the bone spear.

    The eyes of the Mirage King widen. He changes his position and strikes again, which I block more. I block and block.

    As I continue to handle him more, the Mirage King¡¯s face distorts in agitation.

    Do you not understand why it doesn¡¯t hit?

    It¡¯s too pathetic. You might¡¯ve been the strongest before, but that¡¯s in the past.

    ¡°You¡¯re an amateur. Your slashes are all about the force in the end.¡±

    ¡°Kh?!¡±

    His combat technique mixed with magic is impressive. There wouldn¡¯t be a problem if it was used against a human.

    It might even overwhelm Death Knights that are used to parrying.

    But no matter how fast and unpredictable his movements are ¡ª- his swordsmanship itself isn¡¯t anything special.

    It¡¯s foolish to challenge somebody with equal or greater physical abilities than you, especially me, who¡¯s had countless mock battles with Senri, with a sword that can hardly be called a sword.

    I was taught over and over again. Senri laughed at me, scolded and was fed up with me, as I learned the ways of how Death Knights fight with my body.

    In the end, my fighting style settled into something that relies on my physical abilities, but the teachings I¡¯ve received are definitely inside me.

    I strongly repel his sword and go on the offensive.

    As I take a step forward, the wall that was surrounding us¨D¨D the battlefield shatters.

    I chased after the Mirage King, who fell back perhaps after realising his disadvantage at the close combat.

    It¡¯s my chance to win. Too late to realise you¡¯ve miscalculated now.

    The Mirage King whispers something quietly.

    I lightly jump over the countless spears that suddenly appear from the ground.

    I jump in the air. The Mirage King¡¯s eyes open wide.

    It¡¯s a terrifying magic spell. It has almost no casting time, which was a huge weakness to mages.

    But my eyes can see mana. If I know roughly what kind of attack is coming, evading any surprise attack becomes easy.

    I¡¯ve already seen through his attacks. The experience of my death struggles until now tell me the best possible move.

    ¡°Kuh!¡­¡±

    The Mirage King falls back as if pressured. Because of that, the tip of the bone spear that I thrusted from the sky stopped at lightly cutting his cheek.

    The sensation of gouging something soft left a numbing pleasure in my hand.

    The face of the Mirage King is distorted for the first time.

    The damage I did to him couldn¡¯t be further from being lethal and the wound instantly healed but I did deliver a blow.

    I know about the regenerative ability of vampires by experiencing it firsthand myself. A fight between vampires is a messy fistfight until either of them runs out of power.

    ¡ª Normally, that is.

    ¡°I do not understand. Why do you, as the same dead as me, having undergone evolution to that extent, whittle down yourself to help humans?¡±

    The Mirage King distances himself. It¡¯s the distance for a mage.

    I didn¡¯t chase after him. It would be annoying if he ran away but the Mirage King intends to go for the kill with all his powers. My attack surely made him serious.

    And, apparently he doesn¡¯t intend to take a hostage.

    If the opponent was a human, he would use as many dirty tricks as he wanted, but with another vampire, is his pride getting in the way?

    The ground has been raised with the power of magic. I put my feet on a flat rubble and narrowed my eyes.

    ¡°Whittle myself down¡­? I still haven¡¯t whittled down anything.¡±

    Whittling down ¡ª is something like this.

    I grab my right arm that has hardened and transformed into a spear, with my left arm and twist it at the root in a single breath. It makes an unpleasant sound and loses sensations together with a numb pain.

    The Mirage King gazes at me dumbfounded. And the right arm I am holding ¨D¨D flares up.

    ¡°?!¡±

    I¡¯ve become stronger. The range of powers that can be used by Lesser Vampires and Noble Vampire is different.

    I¡¯m hesitant to use my new powers on this mighty King, but this is the power I¡¯ve used until now.

    Burnt by the Jet-black flames ¡ª the Cursed Flames ¡ª my right arm still maintains its shape.

    It hasn¡¯t lost its power even after being cut off from the main body. It hasn¡¯t returned to dust.

    Sable was still moving even after removing her heart. In that case, there¡¯s no way the current me wouldn¡¯t be able to do the same thing.

    Even if it¡¯s not attached physically, the magical connection is still here.

    It¡¯s already been cut off, but I can tell that the blood power is being transmitted to my right arm. It¡¯s enough to use it as a weapon.

    I widely swing the hardened spear on my right arm. The Mirage King shouts.

    ¡°Are you serious?!¡±

    Oh, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s a bit late, but there was another mistake in the words of the King in front of me.

    I don¡¯t act to help humans. I do it for Senri.

    I fight without asking for anything in return from her, who helped me without asking for anything in return, even though she knew of the consequences that awaited her.

    I don¡¯t expect to be understood.

    I step through the rubble with vigor, and at the same time, I throw my spear.

    Multiple layers of walls are instantly created between the Mirage King and me. However, the burning spear released by the vampire¡¯s power penetrated the thick walls like a piece of paper.

    The flames of the curse ¡ª coated in the power I stole from Man-Eater, burned the wall it penetrated through, and turned it into  sludge.

 CH 123.2

    Even a vampire wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid a fatal wound from the attack using all my force.

    In response, the action Mirage King took was ¡®evasion¡¯.

    The Mirage King jumped. A bone spear pierces the place the King was at just a few moments ago.

    Rubble bursts open as if there was an explosion, and a big hole opens up in the ground. The jet-black flames hadn¡¯t extinguished yet even though the spear had stopped.

    Looking at the spear sticking into the center of a small crater, the Mirage king looks at his own palm, dumbfounded.

    ¡°Im¡­ possible¡­ I, the Mirage, ¡ª no matter how much of a desperate attack it was ¡ª evaded a novice King¡¯s attack?!¡±

    Was he underestimating me? No ¨C that¡¯s wrong.

    Most likely the core of the reason for their existence, the existence of the Kings of the Death, is ¡®power¡¯.

    Even though the Lord was aware of the Death Knights drawing near, he still didn¡¯t choose to flee. The Necromancer that sent those undead after me at the old caste was the same.

    They kept seeking power. Whatever the reason.

    And, as a result, they overcame death and came to be feared as Kings after continuing to fight for a long time.

    The Mirage King lost to the Order of Death Knights. But, his pride hasn¡¯t changed.

    Perhaps it was too shocking, as the face of the Mirage King distorts.

    ¡°Im, possible¡­¡±

    No, it¡¯s possible. I¡¯ll definitely kill you here.

    His endurance ¨C if given time, and his immortality, he will soon be untouchable.

    The right arm I lost ¨D¨D the cross section of my right shoulder is complaining of numb pain.

    The right arm that I twisted off and threw isn¡¯t regenerating.

    The bone spear, which was formerly my right arm, is still stuck in the ground.

    Thinking back, the Sable I sucked blood from didn¡¯t have a heart.

    The heart is the most important organ for the vampires, but even though it¡¯s not like it never regenerates back, it remains missing.

    I didn¡¯t question it that time, but now I can understand it.

    The reason why Sable¡¯s heart didn¡¯t regenerate ¡ª was because she still had a magical connection to the heart she had hid somewhere. Just like how I do right now.

    Think. Make your mind churn.

    My physical abilities are better, he has more experience, and in addition, he has even mastered magic. At first glance it looks like I have the advantage, but if he doesn¡¯t stop, he would turn the table on me.

    How can I kill this guy?

    At that moment, the Mirage King raised his face. Blood red eyes like the ones I also had before.

    His voice was different from before. It was solemn.

    ¡°Looks like, I have no other choice, but to admit it, King of the Palace of the Darkness. You are, strong¡­  Maybe even stronger than the current me ¨D¨D Jet Nuumite Braklion.¡±

    Names are important for the mages.

    Just like how the Lord once tried to tie me down by naming me. And, therefore, when they challenge somebody to a duel, they always name themselves.

    Calmness returned to the Mirage King¡¯s ¡ª Jet¡¯s ¡ª face.

    He suppressed both his anger and sadness, declaring to me.

    ¡°I will kill you. On my name as the Mirage King, that has reigned over all since ancient times.¡±

    I felt his consciousness switch.

    The Mirage King until now was undoubtedly wary of me too. He was using his full powers.

    But, he wasn¡¯t risking his life. This time he will undoubtedly come at me, prepared to die.

    My expression naturally stiffened. Even though I wasn¡¯t afraid even a little bit just a while ago¡­ However, I can¡¯t exactly run away.

    I encourage myself. I change my stiff expression into a smile.

    I have somebody to protect. He doesn¡¯t. This is a big difference.

    Be proud, End Baron.

    During the fight with Albertus, I was the one being protected.

    Even though the fight with Rainel happened by chance, it all started with me.

    Until now, I¡¯ve always fought for myself. But this time is different.

    This time I am going to be fighting for my beloved, just like a human.

    It¡¯s fine, I can win. No matter how desperate he becomes, it¡¯s not like his abilities can change.

    I hold down the cross section on my right shoulder and glare at him, pouring all my killing intent into it.

    I transform my remaining left arm into a sword. I didn¡¯t name myself, but Jet¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change.

    Perhaps it was something like a kind of a switch for him.

    ¡°Thirsty. I am thirsty. Aah, you would not understand the feelings of somebody who had lost their desires for a long time.¡±

    I do.

    Jet is sucking up power from the earth.

    The rubble turned into sand and an enormous amount of mana gathered in one spot.

    That magic was clearly different from before.

    Darkness took a shape. A beautiful crystal sword formed in his hand.

    I noticed the power in that sword with a single glance. Its translucent polished blade was jet-black just like the darkness itself, sucking up the power of death from the surroundings.

    This is most likely the secret technique of earth magic. A line of blood drips from the corner of Jet¡¯s mouth.

    His regenerative ability isn¡¯t working. His blood power is running out.

    Jet swings his sword lightly. Its blade cuts through the darkness, through the atmosphere and makes a deep cut in the ground.

    It¡¯s too ridiculous. It¡¯s a repulsively sharp cut. It probably can¡¯t be blocked even with a bone sword.

    Daybreak. A word symbolizing dawn. It¡¯s a sword that¡¯s not very suitable for a vampire.

    Jet stepped in. He should be weakened, but his every move is as good as the last.

    He¡¯s not using any other magic anymore, but the pressure is stronger than before.

    I can¡¯t just optimistically think about it as just an ordinary sword. I transform the sword on my left arm into a longer one.

    There is a big difference between our reach. It¡¯s my blade tip that reaches its destination first. Jet blocks the attack from his sideways with a sword.

    There was almost no impact. A sword made from Sharp Claws that was far superior to the normal metal was soundlessly severed.

    I did expect this but what terrifying power. Just as I fell back, Jet stepped in, deeper.

    Continuous slashes. The blade of the crystal sword clearly reflected my face, that shouldn¡¯t be reflecting in the mirror.

    I blow Cursed Flames on him. I kick up the ground and block his view. But Jet¡¯s advance doesn¡¯t stop. He¡¯s stepping in without defending or evading.

    Even though he¡¯s not using cheap magic like walls and the gravel, his attacks are starting to slowly but certainly cut into my body.

    A sharp pain that¡¯s incomparable to the one I felt a while ago. I certainly heard the looming footsteps of death.

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m becoming timid. His advance just became bolder. He¡¯s stopped defending with magic, putting all his strength into the sword.

    Strangely enough, it¡¯s the same strategy I was using against the Mirage King earlier.

    The definite difference in our physical abilities is meaningless at this point.

    He¡¯s thirsty. But even if he dries up right this moment, Jet most likely wouldn¡¯t cease attacking.

    There¡¯s not even an opportunity to push back his advance.

    Unlike before, right now, I should be able to use my vampire powers. But the enemy knows that.

    In the extreme situation, the magic I chose was something I¡¯ve been practicing all the time.

    The magic I learned from reading the handbook of everyday magic. I thought that I could use it some day.

    I know the weaknesses of vampires. The sword cuts deeply into my side. I chant.

    ¡°Create Water.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    It¡¯s a very elementary and common magic that creates a small amount of water from the air.

    But, in my hands, that only convenient magic becomes a sufficient means of attack.

    The air dries all at once. The extracted flowing water attacks Jet ¡ª and is swallowed by the large amount of soil that rises from the ground.

    ¡°Idiot. As if you could beat me with spells.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    It was overwritten. I was the one who cast the spell first, but he caught up to me.

    I realize my mistake, but a sharp pain runs through my body even before I have time to feel regrets.

    I lose my balance. No ¡ª my legs have been cut off.

    As I fall down, Jet¡¯s blade mercilessly attacks me.

    The sensations in my body are divided at once. I don¡¯t even know where and how many times I¡¯ve been cut.

    When I regained consciousness, I was looking up at Jet.

    My body ¡ª doesn¡¯t move. No, I have ¡ª no body.

    My heart and the brain still seem to be fine, but as one would expect when your whole body has been severed into pieces, regeneration will take some time.

    Jet also seemed to be wounded all over. His pale complexion had already turned ashen and his eyes were tinted with the maddening light. He stood above me, holding the crystal sword in an underhanded grip. Its tip was pointed towards my skull.

    ¡°Fuu, fuu¡­ you are, quite capable. But, this is, the end.¡±

    ¡°Do you not, want to recruit me, as another vampire?¡±

    The Mirage King frowned at the question I asked with the sliver of hope.

    ¡°As if I would. You would, not accept.¡±

    He understands me well. Looks like he understood me deeply in the short time of the battle.

    I can¡¯t stand. I can¡¯t hold a sword either. Looks like my limbs have been severed. I can¡¯t move. I can¡¯t regenerate in time either. I stopped struggling and relaxed.

    I requested timidly.

    ¡°I have one last¡­ thing to say.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Say it.¡±

    I¡¯m not begging for life. I won¡¯t tell him to save Senri either. Because even if I ask, he probably won¡¯t listen.

    I¡¯m dizzy. After preparing myself, I say the words that might become my last.

    ¡°Woof woof¡±

    ¡°¡­ What did you say¡­ ?!¡±

    I heard howling. A dog wrapped in jet-black flames bit into the arm of the Mirage King that was looking down on me.

    It¡¯s my right arm that was still severed from earlier.

    The burning black dog leaned over him. Shaken by an unexpected surprise attack, the Mirage King tumbled.

    What I transform into is a dog, but it¡¯s not just an ordinary dog.

    I thought that I could do it.

    It¡¯s known that true vampires can transform into a huge colony of bats. I was able to change just my face into a dog.

    In that case, changing just my severed right hand into a dog is the application of the same principle.

    The flame burns the Mirage King¡¯s armor. A scream echoes in moonlit night.

    Even if he won¡¯t die, experiencing cursed flames for the first time must be painful.

    I won the bet.

    Having recovered from the pain, the Mirage King who slayed my loyal right arm, stands up.

    His anger, his feelings, crush into me.

    ¡°W-what a stupid magic trick.¡±

    Perhaps because the dog died, my right arm regenerated.

    Certainly, it¡¯s a stupid magic trick. However, I regained my rhythm. I calmed down a little bit.

    Jet is attacking me even more fiercely than before.

    I receive the attacks that are fired continuously like an inferno without striking a pose.

    His blade barely misses me, barely not reaching my stomach and my whole body is blown away by a big horizontal swing.

    But it doesn¡¯t make contact.

    Jet¡¯s expression stiffens and he steps in deeper, but it¡¯s already useless.

    Don¡¯t you know? This is the evasion spell ¡ª which Avicord was using.

    A spell that feels mana, fending off and evading the attack almost like a willow, not going against the flow of the air.

    No matter how powerful a weapon is, no matter how otherworldly sharp it is, it¡¯s meaningless if it doesn¡¯t make contact.

    I only learned by watching, did I pull it off reasonably well?

    In my opinion, the Mirage King was invincible. It¡¯s exactly because he was invincible that he knows very little about evasion. The fact that my attack made a direct hit is proof of that.

    A thick metal sword grows in the rear. Jet spits out a lot of blood.

    His flesh, that¡¯s supposed to be immortal, is screaming. It¡¯s no wonder.

    It¡¯s normally impossible to fight to this extent without drinking a single drop of blood. What a terrifying tenacity.

    And the insight to immediately see through the trick of the evasion from a slight incongruence.

    All traces of mana have disappeared from the surrounding earth. The rubble and the soil have turned into fine sand, perhaps a side-effect of losing mana, and whirled up.

    It¡¯s probably a temporary exhaustion, but this wall is the last magic.

    The Mirage King steps in desperately, perhaps unable to afford to even talk anymore.

    Maybe because the exhaustion took rid of his wasteful movements, his gait, his bearing, is very refined compared to his first attack.

    The strongest attack is unleashed from the strongest sword.

    On the other hand, my retreat route has been cut and I don¡¯t even have ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯ that¡¯s always been with me.

    I just focus single-mindedly.

    The scenery and the swung down blade flow in slow motion.

    Jet¡¯s distorted expression. I can see everything, even the joy that comes from satisfying his combat instincts, smoldering in the depth of his eyes.

    And, the moment that blade reached me ¨C the Mirage King was pierced all over by the pillar of blood that had appeared from all directions.

    His expression froze in that state of delight. He had been caught entirely unaware. The blood stakes had run through him, his head and heart cleanly pierced.

    ¡°I had forgotten to mention it. I have power too.¡±

 CH 124

    I am standing only with the help of my force of will. I have taken the position to start moving at any time, but I have absolutely no confidence in being able to move in case of an emergency.

    The man in front of me is a true monster. There is no way of knowing what kind of card he has under his sleeve.

    Moonlight is illuminating the ruins of the old castle that has turned into a wasteland.  The sound of the wind is the only thing I can hear.

    If I was alone, I would have definitely run away. I¡¯ve gone through life or death struggles many times until now, but the monster in front of me is different from those.

    He is the true monster which has survived for many years. The conditions were overwhelmingly in my favor. That¡¯s why I was caught in a trap.

    It¡¯s the opposite of what usually happens. This guy hasn¡¯t evolved as much as me, but he¡¯s stronger than me. I would have lost if I had gotten off the wrong foot.

    I desperately calm myself down. keep my composure.

    And ¡ª- the sword he was holding in his right hand fell, piercing the ground.

    The blood pillars that were skewering Jet from all sides lost control and vanished.

    However, even after regaining freedom, Jet made no more moves, falling to the ground.

    Looks like ¡®Blood Pain¡¯ I got from Sable also has a demerit.

    I lost too much blood, I¡¯m dizzy and this power was incomplete to start with.

    It¡¯s most likely because I stole it from a body that didn¡¯t have a heart so I could only half-absorb it.

    It was truly a miracle that I was able to activate that kind of incomplete power in an extreme situation and deal a fatal injury to Jet.

    But still, a win is a win.

    Jet had already lost his powers. The injuries all over his body showed no signs of healing.

    Evolution already consumes a huge amount of power to start with. Just how much power would be exhausted during reincarnation?

    Vampires can¡¯t regenerate without blood power. Even I, who became undead while maintaining my memories, would have died in that forest if not for Senri.

    The Mirage King had fallen on his back. His blood-red eyes were looking not at me, but at the moon floating up in the sky.

    His pale lips slowly mouthed.

    ¡°Ahh, so thirsty¡­ so this is, thirst, this is, pain, this is, hunger, this is ¡ª fear.¡±

    There were surprisingly no regrets in his voice. Was his body before the reincarnation, the immortal body, so abhorrent to him?

    When I was resurrected as Fleshman, I lost all my desires. But I still had a human mind.

    But I don¡¯t know what would have happened if I had lived like that for long.

    External stimuli are surely essential for human beings to live on as humans.

    His gaze moved from the moon to me as I was looking down on him.

    ¡°I would have never thought, that a day would come, when I would be defeated, by another undead¡ª¡°

    What decided the outcome was the presence of the allies.

    If Senri and the others hadn¡¯t fought first, I¡¯m sure my power wouldn¡¯t have reached this King.

    I could feel Avicord¡¯s end from under the rubble. If he had left his subordinate, this King¡¯s end wouldn¡¯t be like this.

    ¡°The King ¨C is solitary.¡±

    The Mirage King says with a hoarse voice.

    ¡°I am solitary ¡­ my only friend, is my enemy. Young King¡­ the dead leave, nothing behind. But ¡ª-you can take it, all.¡±

    It was a way of thinking that was too different from the living beings. His trembling fingers pointed at the sword piercing the ground beside him.

    People with a life span leave something to their children in anticipation of their eventual death. However, the King of the Dead with no life span has nobody to leave something to.

    That¡¯s why, surely, the only person who the King of the Dead can leave something to is somebody who brought him down.

    There was no resentment in his voice. If I were in his position, I would have at least cursed him, but that in itself is probably the proof that the King in front of me has lived an eternal life.

    Dawn is near. If I leave him like this, the Mirage King will surely turn into ash after basking in sunlight.

    There is no way to let Jet live.  This man is too dangerous.

    I lift up Jet, who¡¯s laying down like the real King of the dead. Our eyes met, but Jet¡¯s eyes aren¡¯t looking at me anymore.

    ¡°I will be ¡ª going ahead.¡±

    ¡°My long-cherished wish¡­ has been, granted. Ahh, a day will come¡­ when you too will, learn this, joy.¡±

    In that moment, I certainly forgot the fear of death that I had been feeling all my life.

    I unhesitatingly thrust my fangs in his neck. The ancient King. The power of the King, who has lived far longer than my great-grandfather, is flowing into me.

    There was hardly any blood left in the dying Jet¡¯s body.

    But I felt the power, the curse, engraved in his body being engraved newly in my body.

    Thus, the Mirage King, Jet Nuumite Braklion, completely disappeared from this world without uttering a single word of resentment until the very end.

    My heart is pounding. Pain runs through my whole body as if it had just remembered to. I stagger but I step firmly on the ground and endure it.

    I feel like I¡¯m about to lose consciousness. I feel strong heat, hunger, and thirst.

    Jet had exhausted all his powers. But he wasn¡¯t the only one who was depleted.

    Evolution consumes enormous amounts of power. There¡¯s nothing left from the blood I received from Senri.  I used up all my powers. If I hadn¡¯t, I would be the one to lose. It really was close.

    Blood ¡ª I want to drink blood. Fresh blood, right this instant.

    I looked at Lufry and the others on the ground. They were completely worn-out. They had exhausted the power of blessing and didn¡¯t seem to be conscious either.

    Senri had it the worst. I kneel next to her in panic.

    She¡¯s in a worse condition than I thought. She has a heartbeat, but I can tell that her life is fading away. Her life force has been depleted.

    She needs treatment as soon as possible. But, I, as an undead, can¡¯t use healing magic.

    I have to carry her to a human habitat ¨C to ¡®Dessend¡¯. If I leave her here, she will definitely die.

    Blood. I need ¡ª more blood. I can feel the fire smoldering in the depth of my thoughts try to swallow me up.

    It¡¯s probably an instinct. The instinct of a blood demon, similar to the desire I felt when I first started traveling with Senri in the forest, but dozens of times stronger.

    The intense instincts of a true vampire would undoubtedly be impossible to endure had I not had previous experience.

    I can¡¯t hear the Lord¡¯s voice anymore. As I reached out my hand, Lufry, who was lying next to her, suddenly opened his eyes.

    His eyes were out of focus. He was only half-conscious.

    Although not as bad as Senri¡¯s injuries,  the wounds Lufry and Neville had received also wouldn¡¯t heal in a short period of time.

    His shield of blessing is broken too. I can kill him anytime if I wanted to.

    Lufry spoke up.

    ¡°Do you¡­intend to, drink Senri¡¯s blood¡­ you monster?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Finishing what he wanted to say, Lufry¡¯s consciousness faded away. I averted my gaze.

    I¡¯m thinking. I need to think. I can¡¯t afford to spare my attention on something as useless as an old feud.

    The heat in me is burning my brain. My body can move, but I can¡¯t use vampire powers anymore.

    I can¡¯t drink Senri¡¯s blood. Feeding is absorbing one¡¯s power. If I drink blood from Senri, who¡¯s on the verge of death, I¡¯ll definitely kill her.

    I can¡¯t leave her alone either. Senri will die.

    But dawn is near. My senses are telling me that my natural enemy is right around the corner.

    Right now I can¡¯t endure the sunlight like I used to.

    I desperately make my hazy brain work.

    There¡¯s some distance to ¡®Dessend¡¯. In addition, I¡¯m surrounded by plains. Even if I somehow manage to get there until dawn, there¡¯s nowhere to hide.

    Not to mention, that town has perfect countermeasures against vampires. There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll help me even if I bring a wounded person with me.

    A moment felt like an eternity.

    I don¡¯t have time to hesitate for long.

    No ¨C I¡¯m not hesitating, but I need to resolve myself.

    The solitary king entrusted everything to me and went into eternal slumber.

    But, assuming there¡¯s life after death, what would he think if somebody who defeated him arrived to the same place right after him?

    I remember the old times. The times when I was bedridden and couldn¡¯t even move my fingers due to the pain.

    The body was heavy. Senri¡¯s body that I was carrying ¨C Senri¡¯s body that I could usually hold up with one arm felt like weighty.

    What little blood I had left in my body is dripping down and wetting the ground.

    Vampire¡¯s superhuman strength comes from the power of death. According to the book I read in the past, the power of death doesn¡¯t decrease unlike the blessing, but then, what¡¯s this heaviness about?

    I simply moved my body forward while thinking about silly things like that.

    The sensation in my fingertips, the sensation of moving my limbs is gradually disappearing. I can¡¯t feel the warmth of what I¡¯m carrying or the feeding urge anymore. I can¡¯t afford to feel them.

    And of course, I don¡¯t feel the fear of death anymore either.

    I will let her live. I will save Senri. The obsession I once had towards my own survival had already changed its direction.

    There should¡¯ve been monsters in the plains, but luckily they didn¡¯t come near.

    Wild animals instinctively avoid the undead. I¡¯m really glad to be a monster.

    Dawn is steadily approaching even when I¡¯m like this. I won¡¯t think about going back or hiding anymore.

    If I fall down, I might not be able to get back up. I take a solid step one at a time, and move forward.

    I feel like it¡¯s been quite a long time since I¡¯ve been resurrected as an undead. At least, the amount of my experience is incomparable to when I was alive.

    I saw various things. I survived through many fierce battles.  There were painful moments too.

    However, the memories with Senri are the only ones flashing before my eyes.

    Those were good memories. It was the best time. It¡¯s because I had Senri that I didn¡¯t become the enemy of humanity.

    My bones, my flesh is creaking. Sun hasn¡¯t risen yet, but it¡¯s already morning air. My body is about to turn to ash.

    ¡°?! W-what happened?! Are you alright?!¡±

    ¡ª And I somehow managed to reach ¡®Dessend¡¯ at the last moment.

    The town surrounded by deep canals and the flowing water that hates vampires. The guards that were adorned with only a miniscule amount of silver found us worn-out and rushed over.

    Thank god. With this, Senri will be saved. Her life hasn¡¯t disappeared yet. She can¡¯t die yet.

    I¡¯m being supported. Senri leaves my back. She didn¡¯t regain her consciousness until the end.

    Darkness fills my eyes. The eyes of a vampire should be able to see through various darkness, but I can¡¯t see anything.

    For some reason, I feel a strong familiarity with that darkness, instead of fear.

    ¡°H-hey?! What happened?!¡±

    I¡¯m being shaken, but it¡¯s already too late.

    My physical sensations disappear. Soon I won¡¯t be able to hear anymore too. I don¡¯t feel pain.

    Perhaps this is what Jet felt at the end too.

    I forced my unmoving throat to move.

    ¡°Two, more, the, castl¡ª¡°

    If this is the true end, if this is the disappearance, then being an undead isn¡¯t that bad. I wonder if it¡¯s because I¡¯m relieved that Senri¡¯s been saved so that I don¡¯t feel alone.

    Sunlight is coming. My body will disappear. I will turn into ashes.

    But I was able to save my precious person.

    Before I completely lost consciousness, I moved my face muscles and smiled.

 CH 125.1

    Thus, morning came and peace returned to Dessend.

    Not a single resident of the town was aware of the terrible plot that was quietly being carried out, nor the impending ending of the world or its prevention.

    Right now there was an uproar about the Mayor being killed, but a replacement will most likely be appointed soon.

    Once, Dessend used to be the frontline base in the fight against the Demon King. However, the fear that was engraved there and the spilt blood had become simple tales after many years.

    Human life is short. No matter how much they fear and prepare, their memories will eventually fade away. It was the most important thing to keep in mind while fighting undead with no life span.

    Judging from the situation, there was no doubt that the Mayor was deceived by the Mirage King¡¯s subordinate and contributed to his revival, but even that would have been impossible if it had happened right after the war.

    A room in the town hall. Keeper, who heard about the course of events from Lufry, let out a muffled laugh.

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ without the proactive Mayor, those vampire countermeasures will eventually disappear too¡­¡±

    Vampire countermeasures cost money. It cost money to run water too, and it was also quite difficult to gather silverwork and the right crosses that were effective against the vampires. Therefore, most towns didn¡¯t have perfect vampire countermeasures.

    To start with, even if they did, there were plenty of ways for sneaking in if one tried all possible means ¡ª yes, just like this time.

    Keeper seemed to have been searching the Mayor¡¯s mansion and the town hall to gather the evidence while Lufry and Neville were fighting.

    If he used the influence of the Order of Death Knights, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to accurately find out what had happened in this town.

    Memories and fear fade away, but retelling those step by step is a specialty of humans that are short-lived.

    What kind of monster the King of the Dead was and what kind of tricks he used too.

    ¡°Is that man¡­ really dead?¡±

    The sharp-eyed girl that stood still next to Keeper ¨C Alber glared at Lufry.

    She really had a sharp look in her eyes.  In the past, she seemed to have acquired power from the curse, but even after it was lifted, she hadn¡¯t lost her fighting spirit.

    ¡°There is no doubt. That guy ¡ª brought Senri to the town, was exposed to the sunlight and turned into ash. Right before the eyes of the town guards.¡±

    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±

    Neville clicked his tongue loudly with irritation. His sharp eyes were bloodshot, but he didn¡¯t curse.

    There was no way he could. If he saved Senri and died, how could Neville mock his death, even if the other person was undead, when he himself couldn¡¯t move when it mattered the most?

    It was obvious from seeing her fight with the Mirage King that Senri hadn¡¯t lost her power of blessing.

    End Baron ¨C formerly known as Lierre Formet, lived his life as a human until the very end despite being an undead.

    He was an abnormal undead. And, he was a frightening undead. That young man would be remembered by the Death Knights for a long time.

    ¡°You seem dissatisfied.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t need exceptions! Shit! At this rate, that guy ¨C will keep staying in Senri¡¯s heart.¡±

    Neville¡¯s expression was full of anger with no outlet.

    Lufry and Neville were only saved because the soldiers had heard the last words of that vampire and went to patrol the area.

    Although not as much as Senri, Lufry and Neville had also squeezed out the last of their powers. There was no way of knowing what would have happened if they were left alone for a long time on that land where the miasma spread by the Mirage King was whirling about.

    If a vampire appeared, they just had to kill it. But it was impossible to kill a vampire that was already dead.

    No matter how much of a human heart they had, as long as the Order of Death Knights killed them, they were an enemy. But what could the Order of Death Knights even do if they chose death themselves in order to protect humans

    That meant complete defeat.

    No exceptions could be made. Vampires were cunning, a lot of Death Knights had been tricked and killed by vampires that pretended to be humans.

    Even if 1 out of 100 vampires possessed a human heart, all Lufry and Neville could do was purify them.

    Keeper put his hand on his chin and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ in that case, would that not be a bigger reason to stay by the princess¡¯ side? That woman¡¯s qualities are too good for her to break like that.¡±

    ¡°She needs¡­ time.¡±

    Senri, who had received treatment and somehow narrowly escaped death, completely restored her strength in a short period of time with the help of her innate power of the blessing. But her heart was a different matter.

    After hearing the situation from Lufry, she only answered with ¡®I see¡¯, keeping a befuddled expression on her face ever since.

    Apparently, Senri and End got along better than Lufry and Neville had expected.

    Senri, who seemed to be out of it no matter what was told to her, was one of the reasons why Neville was irritated. But there was no need to worry.

    ¡°Besides, let¡¯s clear this up properly. Senri ¡ª won¡¯t break.¡±

    Senri Silvis was strong and benevolent.

    She would fight. Because she had powers and even if she were to be covered in scars. That was the reason why Ep¨¦e the Destroyer had recommended her to be a 1st class knight.

    End¡¯s death most likely came as a great shock to Senri. She would forever remember the young man, who saved her and died outside of the battle.

    However, she already had the strength to continue fighting no matter what tragedy struck her.

    Senri Silvis was a genuine Death Knight. That was something both too noble and too pitiable.

    And, sadly enough, this world wasn¡¯t peaceful enough for her to not need to fight.

    Then, Lufry¡¯s expression changed. He looked at Keeper with serious eyes.

    ¡°The age of darkness is coming¡­ now is the turning point. You will become busier too, Keeper.¡±

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ I¡¯m not a warmonger.¡±

    As is often the case, eras have their ups and downs and there are turning points in a battle against darkness.

    The Mirage King, who should¡¯ve been killed in the past, managed to come back to life, albeit in an incomplete form. The Stake King is steadily growing his power while still being under fierce attack from the Order of Death Knights.

    And ¨C their master, who had once been bestowed the title of the strongest Death Knight ¨C Ep¨¦e the Destroyer, would die in the near future.

    It seemed like he already had a premonition of his death. Hence, he was training his disciples.

    Lufry couldn¡¯t help feeling the change, whether he liked it or not.

    Ep¨¦e was a deterrent. Powerful and intelligent undead were eagerly waiting for his approaching death.

    There would most likely be a big battle.

    And, it would be impossible for that girl, which was kinder than anybody, to not be there.

    ¡°Let¡¯s return to the headquarters. We don¡¯t have time to let her mop around forever.¡±

    ¡°I will retrain anew. So that I won¡¯t need help from a vampire next time.¡±

    Neville declared strongly with dimly lit eyes in response to Lufry¡¯s words.

 CH 125.2

    Everything was gone from where the old castle had stood just 10 days ago.

    It was destroyed along with the entire hill it was built on, dragging in the surrounding forest and leaving only the desolate patch of the land that looked like the aftermath of a disaster.

    The night of the new moon.

    In that desolate land, where not even the insects could be heard due to the powerful miasma, multiple black things suddenly swooped down from the sky.

    They were ¡ª bats.

    Multiple gigantic bats, each with the over-all length of about 30 centimeters, gathered as if guided by somebody¡¯s will, solidified and transformed.

    ¡°Who would have expected that things would turn this way ¨C¡°

    A cold voice echoed through the silence.

    It was a girl with blood-red hair that had appeared.

    She was wearing a jet-black cloak and was wrapped in a somewhat supernatural atmosphere, but her expression was terribly resentful.

    Sable Bloodpain. The vampire that served the Stake King proceeded through the wasteland.

    Ahead of her was ¡ª a sword.

    A single sword was stabbing the center of the wasteland, as if it were a tombstone.

    Its hilt, guard and its blade were all black, as if carved from a giant crystal. A mysterious threat could be felt from the blade.

    It was clearly not just a sword.

    However, nobody took that sword which was stuck in the ground.

    Neither the soldiers that came to investigate after the battle, nor the onlookers who came to take a look after hearing that the castle had collapsed. And even the Death Knights¨D¨D

    The sword was releasing a powerful curse. Even if they had no knowledge about it, any living being would realize its dangerousness instinctually.

    A curse is a thought. It¡¯s a passion so intense it interrupts the world¡¯s rules.

    And the curse which that sword possesses ¨C is the curse cast by the King of the Dead.

    Even Sable, who was also a product of a powerful curse and had a strong resistance towards them, couldn¡¯t bring herself to touch that sword.

    Sable hadn¡¯t seen the actual fight. She hadn¡¯t been able to restore her powers in time.

    However, she could guess what had happened. She had also finished gathering the information in Dessend.

    ¡°To have tied with the ancient King, what a terrifying man End Baron was.¡±

    The situation had far exceeded Sable¡¯s expectations.

    For her, it would be enough to separate End and that Death Knight.  She used the newly appearing Death Knights for that.

    She had noticed that something was happening in Dessend, but she couldn¡¯t care less about that.

    She couldn¡¯t have imagined that the purpose of the ritual that was being carried out was the revival of the Mirage King and that End, who had shown such strong survival instincts would die like that¨C

    ¡°So the recruitment was a failure. But I guess I should consider it lucky.¡±

    End Baron was too much to handle. Most likely even Sable¡¯s master wouldn¡¯t be able to control him.

    In addition, End was completely in love with the Death Knight.

    Depending on the case, he might have ended up fighting on the side of the Order of Death Knights.

    Even though he was still inexperienced, he managed to defeat Sable¡¯s clone. If he would become her enemy, it was better for him to die.

    There was a bouquet in front of the sword. That female Death Knight must have left it.

    A vampire leaves nothing but ashes behind. The proof of the battle had become the tombstone.

    Years or perhaps decades later, when the curse of the sword would have weakened somewhat, those who specialized in curses would most likely come to collect it.

    ¡°Good grief, I¡¯ve failed to carry out his order. I will be chastised by master¡­¡±

    There were already signs of a big battle. They needed to increase their forces as much as possible.

    An instinct to keep fighting by any means necessary and desire to survive.  He could have become a strong ally. If they had fought side by side, maybe they could have even become friends.

    Finally, Sable looked at the sword and murmured.

    ¡°What a fool, to have fallen in love with somebody with a life span after attaining eternal life. Despite having so much power¡­ King. We will¡­ be going ahead.¡±

    She transformed her body into bats. After she instantly changed her bones, flesh and the cloak made of blood into bats, Sable disappeared into the moonless sky.

    Two shadows were quietly walking through the dark forest.

    A large shadow that easily reached 2 meters and a shadow one head smaller. There was no moon in the sky and the surroundings were wrapped in near complete darkness, but their steps were confident.

    ¡°So, how is it?¡±

    ¡°Well, be patient. Just how old do you think this scent is?¡±

    A man¡¯s hoarse voice answered the woman¡¯s impatient voice with exasperation.

    The bigger shadow brought his nose close to the ground and moved forward on his fours.

    And ¨C suddenly, the way opened up.

    A wasteland spread before them. The cries of the insects and the birds they could hear until now had disappeared.

    A single sword was piercing its center, a fence made of ropes ¨C a simple barrier ¨C wrapped around it in many layers.

    There were not even weeds growing on the ground and according to the information they had gathered at Dessend, it was caused by the sword¡¯s curse.

    After looking around carefully and finally turning towards the sword, the big shadow shuddered.

    ¡°¡­ Are you serious¡­ ¡°

    ¡°Come on, go already-¡°

    Nobody would touch the powerful curse that could be recognized with a single glance, even out of curiosity.

    In fact, the sword was wrapped in a powerful curse, but there were no casualties. It¡¯s because nobody had tried to touch it.

    The enclosure was just a precaution and that was probably why there weren¡¯t even guards around.

    But the scent led to the sword.

    The smaller shadow lightly kicked the waist of the bigger shadow.

    ¡°W-why am I the one made to go?!¡±

    ¡°Stop being such a big baby.  After all, an ordinary curse won¡¯t work on werewolves¡ª¡°

    ¡°If you¡¯re gonna bring that up, it doesn¡¯t work on demons either!  There¡¯s no moon out today so I can¡¯t muster up power!¡±

    The woman sighed at the man, who let out a pathetic voice unsuited for his large build.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also had my powers sucked out and haven¡¯t recovered at al¨C

    ¡°I got it already¡­ Shit, the scent is actually getting thicker ¡ª no way ¨C Ah, I can feel it¡­¡±

    He crawled along the ground. He forcefully pulled off the layers of the rope enclosure, brought the tip of nose close to the ground where the sword was stabbed and fearfully stretched out his thick arm.

    He said with a delirious voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s here¡­ it¡¯s here, I can smell it, Monica. It took three years. We reached it. We finally reached it.¡±

    His voice was shaking. His eyes, shining in the dark, contracted with fear and excitement.

    A furry beast¡¯s hands strongly shoveled the soil.

    ¡°O-Oliver, carefully, dig carefully¡ª-¡°

    ¡°Yeah, I know. Shit! I have to undo my transformation ¡ª¡°

    A rough, windy breathing. After digging for about 1 meters, his hands stopped.

    ¡°I found it¡ª¡°

    He carefully lifted it from the hole.

    It was the size of a fist. It was as dark as the darkness. It was cold and soft, and certainly pulsating in Oliver¡¯s hands.

    It was a heart. It was an immortal heart that continued living even after being cut out.

    ¡°Three years. It¡¯s been three years since the rumors of his death started circulating. This is impossible.¡±

    He didn¡¯t expect to find it, but he really found it.

    It was a miracle. Vampires certainly possessed high immortality, but it was impossible for them to continue living forever beneath the ground, that¡¯s not even a coffin.

    However, albeit he didn¡¯t feel any power from it, the heart was definitely alive. It couldn¡¯t move a single step or regenerate and was in a condition where it could easily be killed even by an infant ¨C but if Oliver and Monica hadn¡¯t come, it would probably keep living forever in the depths of the earth.

    His hands, his arms trembled. The ruthless gaze from when they met before.  The young ancestor that killed Oliver¡¯s master and single handedly led Rainel¡¯s army to its destruction.

    That fear was firmly imprinted on Oliver, who had become a werewolf with the power of a vampire.

    ¡°H-hey, this is ¡ª really ¨C¡°

    ¡°Kh¡ª¡°

    Monica, who had once had her blood sucked by that young man, the demon who had lost her powers and was abandoned, unhesitatingly slashed her own arm with a knife.

    Blood that was a little darker than a human¡¯s dripped onto the heart.

 CH 126

    ¡°How does it feel, being a vampire?¡±

    ¡°Huh? That was quite abrupt¡­¡±

    Moving my body is fun. Vampires don¡¯t gain muscles through muscle training and they don¡¯t get tired even when they move around, but maybe it¡¯s because of the experience from my previous life that I can¡¯t calm down unless I¡¯m moving.

    Today, when I was doing my daily routine of handstand push-ups as usual to confirm the joy of my body moving without pain, Senri, who was sitting in a chair and observing me, suddenly asked me something like that.

    I bounced up into the air strongly with the power of my arms, spun around and landed.

    It¡¯s rare for Senri to ask me something like that. She¡¯s always careful to try to make me forget that I¡¯m an undead as much as possible.

    I don¡¯t mind it at all, but ¡ª even though it¡¯s been quite a while since we started traveling together, for Senri, becoming an undead is still a tragedy.

    Still, it¡¯s hard to describe how it feels. If I was asked the same when I was a human, I would most likely have also felt troubled back then too.

    As I frowned and groaned earnestly, I answered timidly.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ if I had to say it¡­ it feels like I¡¯m moving even though I¡¯m a corpse.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see.¡±

    I¡¯m strong, I¡¯m not in pain, I get thirsty, but I don¡¯t get very hungry and I don¡¯t need to go to the toilet either.

    I have several deadly weaknesses, I have to hide from humans and I keep getting attacked by wild vampire hunters, wild Order of Death Knight and wild Demon Kings, but overall ¨C I feel incomparably better compared to my previous life. And Senri also provides me with blood.

    As I blinked in confusion out of the old habit, Senri eventually replied with a heavy voice.

    ¡°The Kings of the Dead that live for long lose their humanity. Eternal time ¨C is too long for a human¡¯s soul.¡±

    Isn¡¯t that¡­ because the kind of necromancer, who would become the King of the Dead would have a problematic human nature?

    I would certainly go crazy if I had to live alone for tens, hundreds or even thousands of years, but I¡¯ve only just become undead.

    The undead are immortal but right now I look my age, so I should still have some time until my immortal body becomes too much for me.

    I¡¯ve been a little worried about that for a long time, but there¡¯s no use thinking about it, so I decided to put it off for later.

    I said with a heavy tone to Senri, who looked like she wanted to say something.

    ¡°Senri, I¡¯ll¡­ work the night shift.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see.¡±

    ¡°Everybody hates the night shift, right? I¡­ I would definitely work the night shift if human society acknowledged me.¡±

    ¡°Night shift¡­¡±

    It¡¯s the perfect job for me. I¡¯ll be the guard or whatever.

    If you¡¯re not good with the sunlight, all you have to do is avoid it and if you can¡¯t eat garlic, all you have to do is live in a way that lets you steer clear from it. Once you get used to it, a body full of weaknesses is unexpectedly fine.

    I won¡¯t die even if I¡¯m left as just a head or set on fire, so some level of weaknesses should be forgiven. Well, I kind of feel like I wouldn¡¯t have to experience those if I wasn¡¯t a vampire, but this world is full of dangers.

    If I were to be reborn, I would choose to be a vampire again. I mean, won¡¯t I die if I run into werewolves as a human?

    ¡°I¡¯ll be a guard that only works at night. I¡¯m a professional who has the physical strength tens or hundreds of times stronger than a human and won¡¯t die even if I¡¯m only left as a head. I¡¯ve even fought against the Demon King. And, I¡¯ll provide for you, Senri.¡±

    I was praised.

    Though, even Senri, who says that, used to be bedridden, but she¡¯s a Death Knight now.

    Maybe feeling better than you used to¡­ is an incredible strength.

    That¡¯s why, Senri shouldn¡¯t ¨D¨D feel too obliged to me. I¡¯m not pitiful.

    I am feared as a monster, the Order of Death Knights is trying to kill me, I was chased around by the vampire hunters and I¡¯m a bit worried about immortality, but ¨C I¡¯m still having fun despite everything.

    I¡¯ve died once. Normally that would be the end. The fact that I¡¯m still moving like this is a bonus. Complaining would be unreasonable.

    I stood in front of Senri, took on a serious expression and opened my arms wide.

    ¡°Also, I have you too, Senri. I¡¯m¡­ not alone. So I¡¯m not lonely at all.¡±

    Perhaps I might have become depressed if I had to live as a vampire alone. There¡¯s a possibility that I would have attacked people in order to drink their blood.

    However, Senri prevented that with her own body. She has always been an understanding person.

    She¡¯s noble, thoughtful of me, strong and ¨C kind. It would be too much to ask for a higher status than this.

    Senri kept looking at me with her clear eyes, but then she stood up and opened up her arms without saying anything.

    See? ¡ª She¡¯s incredibly kind.

    I gently hugged Senri with a smile ¡ª

    ¡ª And pushed her down on a nearby bed.

    The power of the blessing of Death Knights is strong, but without it, Senri¡¯s powers don¡¯t go outside the realm of humanity. Once I¡¯m close enough to hug her, her swordsmanship skills become irrelevant.

    Senri opens her eyes wide in surprise. That expression on the face of Senri, who¡¯s always calm, is very age-appropriate, fresh ¨C and very cute.

    ¡°?! End?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so kind, Senri~¡°

    ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I meant! I just gave you blood recently!¡±

    A sharp kick flies into my stomach, but it¡¯s nothing for me, who can be relatively fine even if there¡¯s a hole in my stomach.

    As I approach her, I can feel a strong smell of blood under her pale skin. Her heart is beating hard.

    I hold down Senri¡¯s limbs and rub my head against her neck. I don¡¯t know why, but I feel strange. My vampire hunting instincts are being stimulated.

    Her white skin is smooth, her limbs are delicate and she¡¯s soft no matter where I touch her. Even in the dim darkness, illuminated only by a candlelight, my vampire eyes could clearly see her flushed skin.

    Senri voiced her protest.

    ¡°End, no! This is different from what you promised! You get blood once a week!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t drink your blood! But I¡¯ll snuggle you! According to the vampire knowledge I¡¯ve acquired, male vampires love beautiful girls!¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    ¡°¡¯Soul Release¡¯!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I will absolutely never trust you again.¡±

    Senri told me, who had lost my powers from the light of Soul Release and was rolling on the floor after being knocked off.

    ¡®Soul Release¡¯ is the weakest spell amongst the spells that use the blessing. Even if it could purify a low-level undead, it can only be a light punishment for me.

    I stand up while rubbing my stomach.

    ¡°I¡¯m hearing that for like the 5th time though.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s no need to worry. I won¡¯t give in no matter what happens, won¡¯t have regrets and will be happy. Do you understand me?

    Senri turned away in a puff.

    Perhaps because I¡¯ve become stronger from receiving blood regularly, I¡¯ve become used to the ¡®Soul Release¡¯ too.

    Next time. Next time I can definitely do it.

    Senri quietly turned her narrowed eyes at me, who had become convinced, and sighed a little.

 CH 127

    Something seems to be happening out there.

    An old, all white, hospital. On a bed inside a quarantined room that stood alone, Mirele Noah could clearly tell something had occurred.

    Sunlight quietly streamed into the modestly decorated room through the lone little window looking out into the courtyard.

    It was as if Mirele¡¯s room was frozen in time. Since it stood far removed from the other rooms, the silence and solitude almost drove her insane sometimes.

    Hence, the girl of such circumstances, welcomed any kind of change with open arms.

    Mirele had only the customary number of visits from doctors and nurses to begin with, but even that had greatly decreased as of late.

    The quality of the only two meals she had in a day had deteriorated, she barely had any assistance, the circles under her eyes had grown darker and she eventually came to have a smell of blood about her.

    The doctors kept their silence and so did Mirele.

    Her room was completely isolated from the outside world. No word of anything happening outside got in nor did she personally seek to find out herself.

    The staff were doing no more than their due diligence by visiting her room.

    Mirele was born and raised in a developed country and the fact that it would not let a helpless patient simply die may not have been a blessing to either the doctors or Mirele herself.

    Well, maybe there was a reason why they would not abandon the helpless Mirele, but she herself could not fathom why.

    At first, people thought of striking up a conversation with her.

    However seeing the doctors so obviously stiffen at a single glance from Mirele, put a stop to that thought.

    Change was happening slowly but steadily.

    She was curious as to what had brought it upon, but had no means to  ascertain the source. Of course, there was also the matter of what use that knowledge would be of to her.

    Mirele is going to die. Be it in a year, two years or three, she will die for sure.

    It is also a fact that something bad was afoot in the outside world.

    The extremely rare visits from her family had dwindled to none. The mages and priests who visited once every six months stopped coming by as well. Their absence was a bad omen no matter the day or age.

    She would be putting the doctors on the spot, if someone like her who already had one foot in the grave wanted to ask them about it out of curiosity just to confirm her suspicions.

    Today passed without much ado like any other day and the evening sun seeped through the small window.

    There was no clock in Mirele¡¯s room. The sun was the only way she could tell time.

    It was almost time for dinner. She did not feel any hunger. She was no longer capable of such a feeling.

    Be that as it may, forgoing food would mean death. Death was inevitable as is, but she did not have the courage to starve herself to death.

    It had been a full two years since she had been holed up in the hospital. Her body which had once moved as she willed, became too weak to move without assistance at some point.

    At the moment, she could prop herself up though it took all of strength, but sooner or later, she would become nothing but a living doll that is incapable of even doing that much.

    No one or anything could help bring peace to Mirele.

    No, there was no cure for Mirele¡¯s illness. She was made aware of that at the very beginning.

    As such, Mirele was shut away in the quarantined room while she could still somewhat walk. Everyone who visited her, be it the doctors, nurses, the healing mages who were a rare kind, no one ever had any hope for her recovery, and it even seemed like they simply awaited her death.

    An incurable illness. Something that forced a girl who had barely turned ten to face her deplorable fate which she cannot possibly escape from.

    That which even the priests do not offer few words of comfort for, is called a curse.

    First came the state of disbelief. Followed by anger at one¡¯s own fate. And finally came acceptance.

    The night crept upon her. She was not provided a light, even if she were, it would be of little use to her.

    The sun went down. However, it being a full moon day, her visibility was assured by the moonlight shining into the room.

    Dinner did not arrive. Neither did sleep. She sat up and looked out the window.

    Maybe they were no longer capable of sending her any meals? Oh very well then, so be it.

    Mirele felt the dull throb of pain from within her body and sighed.

    The pain of unknown origins gradually grew stronger. There was no doubt that it was the sign of death drawing near.

    Something was happening. Might as well let a war or something burn down the whole world for all she cared.

    As she sat, with such aimless thoughts passing her head, the sound of footsteps could be heard outside her room.

    It was a little later than usual, but was it dinner? But if it were that, she would have heard the sound of a trolley.

    The door was unlocked from the outside and it opened with protest. As tiresome as it felt to move her sluggish body, she turned and looked in the direction with much difficulty.

    In came a doctor clad in a tattered white coat and¡­.

    ¡°Mirele, you have a visitor.¡±

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    It was a young man dressed better than she had ever seen in her life.

    He had on a seemingly velvety black robe and gleaming leather shoes, polished to perfection. Moonlight bounced off his pure white hair. He carried a sword on his side, and though Mirele had never seen one, she wondered if this was how nobles carried themselves.

    Ignoring the dumbfounded look on Mirele¡¯s face, the doctor spoke animatedly.

    Dilated pupils. Eyes that gleam like that of a beast. Be it back when she was in good health or when the doctors were not able to pinpoint the nature of her illness, never had she been viewed the way those eyes looked at her right now.

    ¡°Mirele. I¡¯ve come bearing some good news after a long time. You¡¯re to be discharged from the hospital today.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­? What are you talking¡­ who is he?¡±

    Leaving the hospital? Impossible. Mirele was afflicted with an incurable illness.

    Which had a hundred percent mortality rate. The doctors, mages and the priests had all given up before they even made any attempt to treat her.

    And even if, a BIG IF, she had been miraculously cured, would the procedure for her to leave the hospital be carried out at this hour?

    ¡°Ah, introductions are in order. This gentleman right here, is a doctor. He has travelled far just for you.¡±

    It was entirely too bizarre. In the dark, without bothering to turn the lights on, the visitor was introduced.

    There was a very unusual glint in the depths of his eyes. She blurted out a question before she knew it.

    ¡°What kind of doctor?¡±

    Even if they were not on great terms, the doctor who had cared for her ever since she was admitted to the hospital, blinked.

    He scowled for a second but looked serene a moment after.

    ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What about his name?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t really matter. However, what matters is that this person is going to save you.¡±

    The whole thing clearly seemed too surreal, but there was conviction in his voice.

    He¡­ has taken leave of his senses.

    The doctor had a look of displeasure on his face as if his goodwill had been greeted with disdain. The young man who stood next to him showed no reaction as he listened to the conversation.

    He looked to be a few years older than Mirele and seemed a little too young to be a skilled doctor, but it was not his elegant attire or his age that shocked Mirele and made her gasp.

    For some reason, Mirele could tell from a glance.

    The reason why the doctor was clueless. The reason why they dropped by her room at this late hour and did not even turn on the lights.

    The visitor¡­ was clearly not alive.

    The death energy around him was something she was all too familiar with, however, it was unimaginably stronger.

    He was not¡­ human.

    ¡°Are you¡­ Death?¡±

    It was something Mirele had dreaded but wished for at the same time.

    He was the personification of how she imagined ¡®Death¡¯ to be.

    It had slipped out in spite of herself.

    The doctor¡¯s eyes opened wide at the hoarse voice that spoke spontaneously.

    ¡°What is all this nonsense¡­?!¡±

    ¡°Right you are. Oh, you can leave now. Thanks for showing me here.¡±

    Disappointingly quickly admitted the young man and ushered the doctor out of the room.

    The doctor scowled, nodded in agreement and left.

    Silence returned to the room. No words were exchanged.

    The young man neared her, but it had been quite some time since her body moved the way she willed.

    An illness that had existed since forever and whose cause was unknown. With a rare few casualties, it was a sickness that led one¡¯ soul to death.

    And it was called ¡®Soul Death Illness¡¯.

    The young man¡¯s movements were graceful, fully in contrast with the death energy surrounding him.

    Mirele could not gather her thoughts. She had nary an inkling that she would be in this situation today.

    The lad stared at her as if to size her up.

    Her heart thumped away as if in protest. With her thoughts completely in disarray, she managed to open her mouth.

    ¡°Why¡­ how are you still moving around?¡±

    ¡®Death¡¯ looked at her in surprise and made a friendly expression that made the scary image she had of him disappear.

    ¡°¡­ Because I want to?¡±

 CH 128

    The atmosphere was feverish in the tavern which had all its windows tightly shut.

    There were only a few patrons. Everyone whispered to each other albeit excitedly. All the booze in the air could make anyone¡¯s olfactory senses go crazy.

    The silver crucifix adorning the wall was not present in the tavern a while back.

    I sunk into one of the chairs and crossed my legs.

    The quiet sound of the clock ticking. You could sense slight gloominess in the voices of the intoxicated customers.

    The night is coming.

    Apparently, it has been two years now since those words invoked dread in people.

    The crucifix put up in the tavern, the water trickling around it and the tightly shut door are all byproducts of that fear.

    Continuing to survive as nothing but a heart buried in the ground was not all that painful. I could not even feel pain.

    I was simply suspended in a state of nothingness. I passed out after getting Senri to safety and before I realized, three years had passed.

    Absolutely absurd. The world that had barely changed in the past decade, now had completely transformed in the three years I was gone.

    Every pub and tavern had crucifixes put up and people stopped going out after dark and there was flowing water around almost everything in the town.

    Shops verified the identity of every customer and did not welcome any strangers into the fold. And of course, the proportion of garlic in dishes had also risen significantly.

    ¡°Sorry, but we¡¯ve run out of garlic.¡±

    The waitress who carried food and drinks to the patrons spoke apologetically to the person who walked in.

    That is a lie. There is a huge stock of garlic in the pantry behind the tavern. Moreover, this tavern had always added garlic to its food even before all the uproar.

    The customer looked taken aback at the seemingly absurd response.

    ¡°H-Huh?! You¡¯re open at this time of the night when you have no garlic? Are y¡¯all insane? Don¡¯t you know what happened to the bar next town over?!¡±

    Vampires bring fear with them. Though they pay a heavy price for it, they learn to live with it, as they wade through their lives as vampires.

    Being a vampire myself, I am well aware of all the limitations. I know that neither running water, holy water, crucifix nor garlic are weaknesses too crippling.

    Water can be made to dissipate or kept at bay using magic. As long as no direct contact is made with a silver crucifix, it has little to no effect. And while garlic is a weakness, that does not make the blood of someone who has ingested garlic off limits.

    Which brings us to the girl sitting opposite me, looking at me as she poked at bird fry, this town¡¯s local specialty.

    Platinum blonde hair that falls to her feet. Pale skin that makes you wonder if she even has blood flowing in her veins and dainty limbs that might break at the slightest squeeze.

    Mirele Noah. Senri was rather dainty as well, but Mirele is much thinner than others her age as a result of being bedridden with an illness for a few years.

    The girl who could barely stand up until just a few days ago, shot a look of scorn at the male customer, but seeing no response from me, she turned toward me.

    ¡°Brother, Oh Brother, what were you thinking?¡±

    ¡°¡­ That crucifix is not an official one. It looks a bit crooked, and crucifixes have no effect if they don¡¯t have the perfect proportions. Its only saving grace is that it¡¯s made of silver.¡±

    ¡°I see!! Brother, you¡¯re amazing! I¡¯ll work hard to become like you!! I need to write this down¡­ only official crucifixes are effective¡­¡±

    Mirele smiled looking like a pretty flower and moved the food out of the way and pulled out a pen and notepad (gotten through unknown means) and started writing.

    Maybe because Senri, who was much stronger than me, was my companion for a long time, Mirele¡¯s reaction makes me a little uncomfortable, but I am sure it is good that she has goals.

    Just then, the man who was quarreling with the waitress turned around to look at us and was taken by surprise.

    ¡°¡­ What the heck?! Why are there kids in a tavern at this time of the night?!¡±

    Our eyes meet. He trembles and reflexively takes a step back. And I gather my power in my eyes and whisper.

    ¡°Come on, calm down and take a seat. It¡¯s not too unusual for the tavern to have run out of garlic nor for kids to be in it.¡±

    ¡°¡­  You¡­ have a point.¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes went out of focus momentarily, he nodded vigorously and sat down obediently as unsteady as he was on his feet.

    This is the ability one gains when they become a Noble Vampire, which can be used to control a person¡¯s mind through their eyes, called ¡®Fascinate Eye¡¯.

    As an ability only gained by becoming a noble, it is rather a powerful one.

    Particularly, this ability allows one to disregard the basic rule of needing an invitation to enter someplace. Glass surfaces are no obstacle, and it can even be used when the staff identify visitors to the tavern through a brief peek through a small gap in the door as per the rule in place now. And they can be made to invite the person in.

    Naturally, Fascinate Eye is not absolute. Depending upon the opponent¡¯s willpower it can either fail or succeed and professional vampire hunters or Death Knights take care to never make eye contact willy nilly. However, it is impossible to be on their toes with every single person they come across.

    Even with the increase in the number of vampires, there being very few of the noble kind has probably contributed to the delay in setting up proper countermeasures.

    ¡°Amazing brother! Do you think I¡¯ll be able to pull off something like this someday?¡±, asked Mirele nervously.

    I drained the chilled glass of tomato juice in one gulp and smiled.

    ¡°Of course, you can. As it¡¯s my blood you¡¯ve received.¡±

    It was the descent of the dark age.

    The circumstances that set things in motion happens to be the collapse of the first-class knight, Ep¨¦e the Destroyer.

    Setting aside the fact that I find it utterly impossible to believe that the monster who almost erased me, from a distant at that, could collapse, all the demon kings who had only been involved in skirmishes up until then, gathered to attack the Death Knights in unison as if they had been lying in wait for the opportunity.

    Among them, the demon king who sent Sable to recruit me, the Stake King, was the strongest of the lot.

    With a main army of around a thousand vampires, who were only few in existence until then, they marched on towns, razing them to the ground with their overwhelming display of power.

    The reason the Death Knights had an advantage over the dark forces was not only because they were elite warriors but also largely because demons or powerful dark beings, especially vampires, have always been few in number.

    However, that premise has now been broken. Demon armies with numerous vampires in their ranks were too much for even the Death Knights to handle.

    The Death Knights are heroes. Albeit still human. They were not strong enough to face off against monsters with an inexhaustible supply of energy all the while protecting deadweights called humans.

    Thus, the Death Knights were eliminated.

    Well¡­ I suppose eliminated would not be the right word.

    They are still fighting. Under the command of Senri Silvis, the Destroyer¡¯s successor.

    That said, human settlements are unfortunately very dispersed. Even the Death Knights, after being backed into a corner, could hardly protect everyone.

    The world was engulfed in a whirlpool of wars. Despite the demon kings still focusing on the Death Knights, several towns have perished, countries felled.

    There are a number of towns that are still standing, but a demon king¡¯s army is too strong to be handled by a group of casually trained knights.

    The Demon Kings themselves are rather powerful, however the real opponents are their armies. It was different in the case of Rainel owing to his personality, but generally in a head-to-head battle with a Demon King, even a noble vampire would not come out unscathed.

    Also the only reason I was able to keep up with Rainel was because of Senri¡¯s blood of top-notch quality.

    After revival, I was pushed to face reality and admit that I had no viable options.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? You keep staring at me.¡±

    I blinked as I asked Mirele who had her eyes fixed on me.

    Mirele rested her chin on her hands and answered absentmindedly.

    ¡°Brother¡­ you¡¯re so cool.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see¡­¡±

    Saying I look cool when I am sitting here doing nothing, is this a side effect of turning her into my follower?

    Mirele had been afflicted with the same Dead Soul Illness as I had in the past. And now, she is my, End Baron¡¯s follower.

    Traveling from town to town, I looked for people ill suited to life or ones with the makings of an undead.

    It was all to make new comrades.

    In order to fight the demon kings, to be of help to Senri, and consequently help save mankind, I need strong comrades.

    I had promised Senri I would not make any followers, but if she were in my shoes, I am sure she would understand.

    It is a common misconception that a vampire bite can turn humans into vampires, but the process of vampirification is something else strictly speaking.

    Feeding is done through drinking blood, whereas vampirification is done through giving blood. There is no doubt that the curse of the felled ¡°Beast King¡± which helped him create werewolves was a derivative of this ability.

    Anyone who is given the blood of a vampire turns into a vampire.

    I wonder if that is the reason Mirele started calling me brother despite not being related to me.

    Mirele frowned. And her small nose twitched.

    ¡°Brother, I smell undead¡­ approaching this place.¡±

    Recently, towns in this neighborhood have been subject to frequent attacks from vampires who target taverns and shops with poor anti-vampire measures.

    Up until my resurrection, vampires were all but an illusion, oh what a dangerous world we live in now.

    The reason for my visit was to stop these occurrences.

    Suddenly, the door was smashed apart, and a huge rock came flying in, destroying the interior of the tavern. One of the drunks got caught in the crosshairs and was turned into a pancake.

    The tavern is filled with a strong scent of blood, the sound of screams follows a beat later.

    However, Mirele, who had been a human until a few days ago, looked unfazed.

    Her nose twitched and she smiled.

    ¡°Brother, do you mind if I take care of it? I¡¯ll make you proud.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure. Give it a try.¡±

    As my words reached her ears, Mirele¡¯s body swelled. The thick jacket she had on was torn from within and a silver pelt took its place.

    She was using her power.

    Vampires are only capable of creating lesser vampires, but as someone who received the blood of a noble vampire, she was born a vampire instead.

    And after becoming a vampire, her soul continues to descend into the depths of the abyss the same as mine.

    Mirele had transformed into a smart looking silver wolf.

    Though she looks no different from my past dog form, why does she look so much cooler?

    The wolf glanced at me with eyes which hinted at her intelligence, turned around, tore through the wall and took off.

    The debris scattered everywhere. I nibbled at the leftovers of Mirele¡¯s fried dish and sighed.

    If her instincts ever become too strong and take control of her, I may have to kill her.

    I would like to avoid that as much as possible, but if nothing had changed, she would have died anyway. I am sure she would have no regrets.

 CH 129

    I felt tranquil as I heard the clock ticking.

    My abilities have greatly improved since becoming a noble vampire. And it is not just all in my head that my fighting spirit has also been kindled by it.

    I used to practice prudence before. But just as I was no longer afraid of getting hurt soon after I became a vampire, there have been more distinct changes.

    That said, I welcome them.

    The opponent who has been pushing Senri and her team into a corner is a formidable one. I was not confident of being able to face off against such an insurmountable enemy without the fighting spirit of a vampire.

    I sat down at my table and counted them down. The score of new abilities I gained upon becoming a noble vampire.

    Only just recently did I become capable of wielding all those innumerable special abilities in quick succession.

    And I expect vampires who have existed for a long time are probably way more skilled at it.

    Speaking in terms of pure power, I should be stronger than most vampires, but a vampire¡¯s abilities come with a caveat. I cannot let my guard down for even a second.

    I evacuated any humans alive to the kitchen. Well, even if they did end up losing their lives, I doubt Senri would ever find out, but it is just common sense to minimize casualties as much as possible.

    Moments passed and something came flying through the hole that had been opened in the wall a while ago.

    It was a large man whose right arm had been bitten right off his body. He had blood-red eyes and large fangs sticking out the corners of his mouth. More than that, his scent made it obvious that he was not human.

    Man, here I was content being a lesser vampire for such a long time, but now every Tom, Dick and Harry is a vampire.

    His muscular biceps were twice the size of mine and he was deathly pale.

    ¡°S-Shit! It¡¯s just a freaking kid. Why is my brethren here of all places-¡±

    Tearing through the ceiling as if it were a mere piece of paper,  a wolf with a silver sheen descended into the tavern. Mirele¡¯s wolf form was not all that big, however, vampires do not just transform into an ordinary wolf.

    The man grabbed a bunch of tables in the vicinity, and flung them towards Mirele who lunged at him. Mirele countered by simply shaking off the onslaught.

    However, the man transformed in that split second.

    His huge body ripped and swelled. There appeared a dark brown wolf 1.5 times the size of Mirele.

    Its jaw opened wide and the huge wolf and Mirele butted heads. I watched beasts at action, feeling left out.

    Looks like the man had not even noticed my presence. I guess I owe that to the ability I absorbed from the Mirage King.

    The Mirage King¡¯s curse. Contrary to his alias, was the power of ¡°Condensation¡±.

    It helps absorb the negative energy that the undead naturally emit and condenses it. And the energy that is condensed and honed like that of a rock or bone, can escape even the Death Knights¡¯ detection abilities.

    That is precisely the curse the Mirage King possessed.

    And it is highly likely that my ability derived from the curse of Mirage King, a skeleton, is rather rare.

    All of my strengths as an ancestor are derived from the special abilities of vampires, with the exception of this one ability.

    I never had the opportunity to ask what it was called, but if I had to name it, it would be Compact Bone.

    That said, the ability is only capable of sealing in negative energy. It is totally possible for vampires to pick up my scent through the use of their senses, so I wonder if my scent got masked by Mirele¡¯s.

    The silver and brown wolf duked it out. Though the latter was much bigger in size and their stage of evolution about the same, the battle seemed to be leaning in Mirele¡¯s favor.

    A battle among vampires is never pretty. Vampires have super-regeneration abilities and practically experience zero fatigue, so unless they are taken by surprise and struck in one of their vital parts, it will only result in a long drawn-out battle.

    However, this particular battle was very one-sided. Mirele simply swiped a nimble limb in response to receiving the brown wolf¡¯s gigantic fangs, but her swipe easily tore through his brown fur.

    Blood spattered everywhere. The atmosphere reverberated with anguished howls. Wonder if he realized that something was off after all this time, for the brown wolf tried to retreat but Mirele gave chase without hesitation.

    Her fighting spirit did not feel like it belonged to someone who was an invalid just until a few days ago with no dreams or hopes for a future.

    The man was trifled with relentless attacks and cried out his voice all hoarse.

    ¡°What the hell¡­ shit, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re of a higher rank¡­?¡±

    Mirele¡¯s right paw trampled on the man¡¯s head.

    Vampirification is not an ¡®infection¡¯, but a transfer of power.

    Therefore, the purer the parent vampire is, the stronger the vampire created.

    The one who turned Oliver into a werewolf was the retainer of the retainer of the retainer of the Beast King, a third generation werewolf in other words.

    As I am an ancestor, a vampire of the highest rank, she who received my blood, the King of the Dark, would be the first ever ¡®dark vampire¡¯.

    The man who had stopped moving for a moment after taking a blow to his head was repeatedly bombarded with more blows. The floor cracked and the tavern shook as if an earthquake had struck.

    Eventually, maybe because he lost control of his power, the wolf shrank and turned into a man.

    It has been a while since I started hunting vampires, but it looks like Mirele has already settled into the role pretty well, despite being fairly new at it.

    After taking a look at the half-dead man who was spasming as he was sprawled on the floor, Mirele howled softly once and ran over to me.

    Her silver pelt, her body so monstrous it could never be equated to a human, shrank down in a moment. It is a strange sight no matter how many times I witness it.

    By the time she reached me, there was no indication of her having been a wolf just moments ago.

    The transformation had left her in her birthday suit but Mirele didn¡¯t look the least abashed and threw her arms around my neck.

    ¡°Brother, I did it!¡±

    Even I had been mindful of the ripped clothes when I first transformed, and yet what am I to think of this complete abandon of virtue?

    ¡°How many were there?¡±

    ¡°I killed two.¡±

    I guess she took them by surprise. Hmm¡­ I have no complaints.

    I patted her head for a job well done while she quivered and her red eyes, the mark of a vampire, were twinkling.

    Maybe this is how I seemed to Senri back in the past. Was that not enough head pats¡­ ?

    The convulsions of the man lying on the ground gradually died down. Stomping on his head would stop his brains from turning but nothing can stop it from regenerating.

    That said, the reason Mirele did not kill him is because I had ordered her to let one live.

    It was to gather information¡­ and if there are no witnesses, we would not be able to have information about us to get to the other side free of hassle.

    Though it is better to hide your cards for a surprise attack to do its job, Senri and her order are still desperately fighting as we speak. It would lighten the load on Senri¡¯s shoulders if the opponents were to split their forces.

    Mirele turned her head and held out a pale neck and purred.

    ¡°Brother, I want my reward. ¡­ Please help yourself to my blood.¡±

    I see. I wonder if Senri felt this way when I begged her for blood. Though the roles are reversed at present, it is apparently a stimulating experience for the host as well.

    Maybe because she was no longer alive, Mirele¡¯s face was not flushed but her voice sounded aroused.

    I used the ancestor¡¯s power and flicked Mirele on her forehead, she who has always been faithful to her desires. I walked over to the guy whose brain had finished regenerating.

    I have underlings now. I need to show how dependable I am to my capable underling.

    Eyeballs back in one piece. His unfocused eyes slowly cleared up and met mine. It is not necessary for me to bind him. As the difference in strengths between this vampire and me is day and night. Seeing as how Mirele beat him down in a rather one-sided fight, he is no match for me and moreover, he is aware of this himself.

    That is how vampires work.

    I grabbed him by his hair, lifted his head, looked him square in the eyes, grinned wide and growled.

    ¡°State your affiliation and objective. This island¡­ is my territory. If you spill your guts, I will consider letting you live.¡±

 CH 130

    ¡°Dammit! Every single place reeks of undead¡­ who would¡¯ve thought things would turn out this way¡­¡±

    Strolling in a deserted town someplace, Oliver Arbor sighed.

    Despite the sun still being up in the sky, there was barely anybody out and about.

    Once upon a time, daytime used to be the hour of the living. However, everything has changed now.

    The retreat of Death Knights, the longtime enemies of the undead, enabled them to expand their territories. And for ordinary humans incapable of wielding the power of blessing, even weaker undead who are capable of being under the sun, prove to be plenty dangerous. All the more so, when there is no one to protect them.

    Upon sensing the humans¡¯ drop in defense, even dark beings that had not allied with any demon king and kept to themselves, began to make their move.

    Oliver is also part of the second category if he had to be placed in one. In the time he spent as a member of Rainel¡¯s army, he slaughtered humans with glee.

    Not to satisfy his hunger, but because that was the wish of the wild nature instilled in werewolves.

    And even now, those instincts have not disappeared.

    ¡°¡­ Hmph¡±

    Oliver snorted.

    Humans have a much more inconvenient physique compared to werewolves. Owing to his curse, Oliver is quite strong in his human form as well, however he is in a totally different league once he transforms.

    Werewolf¡¯s curse comes with its own share of disadvantages. The fact that it makes them wild and also the fact that their wild side could overwhelm them and they could degrade into an ordinary beast if they stay in their wolf form for too long.

    However, for Oliver, who received the curse from a third generation retainer directly connected to the Beast King, as long as he stays careful, things could go either way.

    While in Rainel¡¯s army, where strength is all that mattered, he stayed in his wolf form as long as he could manage. But now, he spends most of his time in his human form.

    Probably because he had been lost in thought, he was surrounded before he realized it.

    Three people behind and three at the front. Humans in cheap armor, wielding cheap looking swords. Considering how they are able to mask their footsteps and aura, they seem to have some experience fighting.

    In other words¡­ they are small fry. Back in time of peace, they would not even make mercenaries. At best, they would have become¡­ bandits.

    Oliver looked up. His eyes met with one of the guys in the front.

    The man looked a head taller than Oliver in his human form.

    Despite being smack dab in the middle of town, he carried a well-used, large scimitar on his hip and his mouth curved into a crooked smile.

    The man stops a few feet in front of him. Oliver follows suit and also comes to a stop. He could tell the men in his rear quietly spread around to surround him.

    Undead were not the only things that became lively after the world order crumbled.

    Judging from their actions, Oliver came to a conclusion.

    They are bandits after all. Ever since the armies of demon kings became more active, a majority of the towns experienced a drop in their defense.

    In spite of the state of emergency, humans did whatever they wanted, which only makes them incredibly foolish.

    The men were all clad in black outfits.

    ¡°Hey, old fart, whaddya doin here by your lonesome? Surely you know it¡¯s not safe here. You must¡¯ve heard about the Head King that rules this place.¡±

    ¡°Head¡­ King¡­¡±

    The men looked a little puzzled at Oliver whispering to himself, but soon nodded in agreement.

    Two men at his side slowly spread out in both directions as naturally as they could.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Head King. Most of the soldiers protecting the town are dead. Of course, the King has no interest in a broken-down deserted town like this, but there are those that do show interest.¡±

    The man grabbed his scimitar in a flashy manner and got into a fighting stance. Sunlight bounced off the dull blade. And his supposed friends also drew their swords.

    Ridiculous. Simply ridiculous. Back in the day, there was no fear of being attacked by people like these even on the outskirts of a town.

    Well, I guess his perception might be a little skewed since he was always the aggressor¡­.

    ¡°The King told us, ¡®Do as you please¡¯. Our black clothes are proof of that! The more heads we take the higher the status granted to us by the King.¡±

    Such foolish thinking. The dead despise the living. No matter the ulterior motive, it makes no sense for them to show mercy to mere humans.

    All the more so when the humans in question are no more than small time thugs.

    Oliver looked around, assessing the situation and sighed.

    ¡°Head King¡±.

    Each day there are more and more Kings I have never heard of.

    The map is redrawn too frequently because of all the different power plays. Just where the heck was this Head King hiding until the Death Knights disappeared?

    I would have never imagined that there were humans who would choose to side with the undead, of course, that is not to say it has never happened before, however, the number has skyrocketed lately.

    End Baron lamented that the vampires had degraded in quality, but it appears they are not alone in that.

    All they took into account was their opponent¡¯s physique, whether they were armed, and the head count before they decided to attack them.

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re just being used. Because the undead can¡¯t use their powers under the sun. Unlike me¡­¡±

    Saying so, Oliver transformed.

    Weaker werewolves need to draw power from the moon, but a third generation werewolf like Oliver has no need for that.

    It has been many years since the Beast King was felled. There are barely any werewolves left that are capable of transforming without borrowing strength from the moon.

    Upon seeing Oliver grow humongous in a flash, the expressions on the faces of men who were very elated at finding easy prey, changed drastically.

    They could neither swing their swords nor scream out loud, but simply stand rooted to the spot. They left themselves wide open in front of a beast.

    ¡°Though this won¡¯t get me any reward, it¡¯s kill or be killed.¡±

    There is only one thing that could override the wild instinct of werewolves. And that is fear.

    Werewolves live in packs. They are brought into this world to serve their master.

    As long as it is the wish of the Alpha to not attack humans, the werewolves are forbidden from doing so.

    Blood blossoms bloomed. With a single swipe of his arm, three of the men were torn to shreds and thrown to the ground. And that is when, the men let out something between a yell and a scream.

    ¡°Never thought things would turn out this way.¡±

    One of the men raised his scimitar and rushed headlong at Oliver.

    After lamenting one last time, Oliver returned the favor beast-style.

    This is not working out.

    A castle that was abandoned after it was invaded by demons. With curtains and planks blocking out even the smallest ray of sunlight from seeping in, I sat in the cellar of the castle and sighed.

    Plopped down on the couch that was brought in, I tried to shake off the annoyance of unknown origin from settling in.

    All threats in the vicinity had been nullified.

    After defeating Rainel, I killed the Mirage King. Only ones capable of killing me are other Demon Kings, a fellow noble vampire or the Death Knights. Well, vampire hunters could also make tough opponents but as long as I do not screw up badly, I doubt I would lose.

    Nevertheless, the situation remains unchanged.

    We have saved several towns and killed many dark beings. Mirele has slowly mastered her abilities after extensive on-field experience.

    However, we still remain in the dark. With each passing day there are more undead surfacing. There were many who claimed to be Kings among the ones I killed, but they were all far inferior to Rainel in terms of might. Also, starting with the Stake King, the subsequent demon kings do not seem to have as much leisure to go around attacking simple human settlements.

    I am not sure whether it is by design or merely a coincidence, but there are too many obstacles to clear. Since each town has shut in on itself, there is almost no way to glean new information.

    It is unclear exactly where the Death Knights are stationed at this very moment. All that is known is that Senri is the one leading them. I would not expect anything less from Senri, she is perfect at keeping information from leaking out, but that does put me  in a bit of a pickle.

    After all, I am no more than a vampire who got a small power-up.

    Not being able to venture out during the day is also a legitimate issue. My bat form is really convenient for scouting but the fact that I can only do any real work after sundown really limits how much distance I can cover. The land is simply too vast.

    Moreover, if the Death Knights are holed up somewhere, it is sure to be set near a water body. Or worst case scenario, it could even be on a lone island surrounded by water on all sides.

    Currently, my only allies are Oliver, Monica and Mirele. Oliver is a mutt, and Monica can fly but she is not all that strong.

    And it is hard to say our plan of recruiting people with Dead Soul disease is going swimmingly. They are few in number to begin with and we are in the middle of war at the moment. Should I count my blessings for finding Mirele so quickly?

    First of all, the process of vampirification involves transfer of power. Meaning, the one facilitating the process will experience a drop in their power. Hence, I cannot make too many.

    With the way things are going, just when am I going to be able to see Senri? If this keeps on, Senri might forget me- not!

    Ahh, I feel like raining down flyers, announcing that I am alive. However, I cannot do that because Monica could get shot down from the sky.

    And Mirele is well, Mirele¡­.

    ¡°Brother! Take a look!¡±

    At that moment, my one and only retainer, Mirele burst into the dark room, all smiles.

    Mirele was stark naked. Because transforming into a wolf rips clothes apart.

    The ability she received from me is Curse Steal, so she cannot even manipulate her blood to cover herself up. That kinda reminds me of the past.

    Mirele was holding a huge wooden box. She looked all proud as she presented it to me.

    ¡°I made a coffin! And it¡¯s perfect!¡±

    ¡°Mirele, have some shame.¡±

    She looked very withdrawn even moments before becoming a vampire, but now she is all animated. It is daytime now, sleep time.

    Not to mention, she is too carefree. For an enemy of humanity.

    Carefree and naked. Just who does she take after?

    Mirele quickly hid herself behind the coffin after I pointed her nakedness out and slowly peeked out.

    ¡°But brother, there¡¯s no more clothes left to wear in this castle. Except for my best set, everything¡¯s ripped.¡±

    Not that they got ripped but you ripped them.

    ¡°Just stay a puppy all the time.¡±

    ¡°But I transform into a wolf.¡±

    Mirele stared at him, eyes all round, looking perplexed.

    Haha¡­ a wolf is a lot cooler than a dog! But I can transform into a wolf too now. A fluffy wolf with a long white coat! Just why?!

    Since there was no other choice, I bit into my right thumb. I manipulated the blood flowing out to surround her to form clothes.

    The ability Blood Pain I possess is weak. Quite possibly due to the fact that I did not steal it from the actual body of the owner, I cannot maintain the shape of blood once it gets too far from my reach.

    I need to quickly  find a vampire with the ability for Mirele to steal the curse from. Wait a minute, are all the vampires excluding those serving the Stake King, all nudists?

    ¡°Yayy! Thank you, brother!¡±

    Mirele followed me around like a chick, shouting excitedly. I do not remember raising such a shameless child.

    She is probably just starved for human relationships since she had been bedridden for a long time. In my case, the Lord was quite a character so I never particularly developed a bond with him. Suppose Senri had saved me in a similar fashion as I did Mirele, I cannot be sure I would not have behaved the same way.

    Mirele put down her handmade coffin on the floor, grabbed me by the arm and tried to shove me into it. As slender as her arms were, she was pretty strong since she was a vampire.

    Hold it, stop¡­ this coffin does not have a mattress. I am glad you made it just for me, but a plain wooden coffin just would not do! Not to mention there are some nails sticking out that poking holes into me.

    Dainty frame that crumpled up and bumped against me. Soft skin. Long hair tickled my cheeks. Mirele put her ear to my chest for a second, as if she could hear my heartbeat, she soon raised her neck to my face and purred.

    ¡°Dear Brother, I offer you this coffin and me as a show of gratitude! Please help yourself to my blood!¡±

    Really, I wonder who she takes after. I do not remember raising such a shameless child!

    I am devoted to Senri. I will not cheat on her.

    Mirele squirmed, rubbed against me and said all embarrassed.

    ¡°Brother, you pervert!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie! Who do you think put clothes on you?!¡±

    I need her to be the same, imposing Mirele, that she is on the battlefield.

    At this rate¡­ she might force herself on me. This will not do. This simply will not do, even if we are vampires.

    ¡­ Senri needs to learn from her! Be it a handmade coffin or offering herself, both would make the perfect present.

    ¡°I¡¯m back, Lord End.¡±

    And as luck would have it, Monica who had been sent on a scouting mission returned at that very moment.

    On top of being able to fly, she can also be out and about during the day. Though rather weak, she also possesses charm abilities and Oliver, who can fight and whiff things out, are very useful allies. Though, I am also capable of the things Oliver can do.

    Upon learning of Monica¡¯s return, Mirele¡¯s expression very openly changed. Apparently, she is not too fond of Monica.

    Maybe because she flew back without rest, Monica looked haggard. Demons have superior endurance compared to humans but it is still far inferior to vampires.

    She had dark circles under her eyes and her hair was all disheveled. I should make sure to not snap at her even if she has nothing to show for all that effort.

    I cleared my throat and promptly asked for a report.

    ¡°Welcome back, Monica. Have there been any developments?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Lord End. It¡¯s too late to gloss things over.¡±

    Monica held her head as if she was nursing a headache and with her voice sounding exhausted, she began her report.

 CH 131

    Monica is an excellent scout. From reconnaissance to gathering intelligence, the skills that she picked up while serving Rainel are something not even I can copy with the incredible powers I gained after transforming into a noble vampire.

    Above all else, she is my savior. If not for Monica and Oliver, I would probably still be six feet under. Though we were enemies once, I decided to consider everything water under the bridge.

    I had looked at them suspiciously, questioning their reasons for going to great lengths to track me down, but Monica simply stated that I¡­ had become Rainel¡¯s legitimate successor upon defeating him.

    Evidently, Monica and Oliver are rather duty-bound. Or should I say, the gamelyon, Rainel, was that charismatic to earn such loyalty from them.

    I guess even I could have ended up as Rainel¡¯s subordinate had it not been for Senri. His army was horrible in many ways, but Rainel himself was rather an old-fashioned soul.

    It¡¯s unlikely that Monica would ever betray me. Vampires have too many weaknesses, hence even Monica who isn¡¯t a fan of close combat could easily assassinate me if she so wished. And if she really wanted to betray me then all she had to do was not revive me in the first place. Worrying isn¡¯t going to get me anywhere, and now I also have a familiar who is excessively loyal towards me.

    Monica Ultivia is a dark being called a demon.

    I don¡¯t know much about demons, but what I do know is that not all demons are built the same and that Monica has the power to charm people.

    She can take on a human form, has command over a number of dark spells and flies over the clouds with a pair of black wings. And compared to Senri or Mirele, she has a more voluptuous body. Her charm magic is different from my magic and though inferior in terms of potency or immediacy, it¡¯s quite effective on men irrespective of their strength.

    I happen to think that Monica is a Succubus, but if she really isn¡¯t one, then it leads me to wonder just how much more powerful a real Succubus is.

    I reexamined all the information Monica brought back. With darkness spreading its wings everywhere, there¡¯s very little communication between towns, so the information that can be gathered has dropped in quantity and accuracy.

    The present world is dangerous not only to humans but also to weak dark beings. The few dark beings I came across, after being freed from the grasp of their mortal enemies, the Death Knights, were all living as they pleased.

    Goddammit, such monsters are the reason a harmless little vampire like me is always getting flak.

    Mirele pouted and said, ¡°I could also be of help to you Brother if I could use Fascinate Eye.¡±

    ¡°It would be troubling  if you happen to accidentally expose yourself to sunlight and dissolve while out on an investigation.¡±

    The disadvantages of the curse increase in proportion to the number of evolutions an undead goes through. Naturally, that applies to me, a noble vampire as well but Mirele can also not function under the sun for even a second.

    Monica and Oliver, who aren¡¯t weak to the sun, are valuable in that regard as well. Vampires need to stay indoors during the day. Just like back when I was traveling with Senri, as long as we keep a low profile, there¡¯s lower risk of us getting attacked, but if we intend to put ourselves in the front and center, then we need someone to protect us during the day.

    Any basement or cellar where sunlight can¡¯t get through is perfect for activity even in the day and considering the undead in the vicinity have been taken care of, there¡¯s no real need for protection either¡­.

    I flipped through the pages of Monica¡¯s notes and maps that she had drawn up.

    ¡°Looks like you were pretty thorough.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s too little information going around so most of it¡¯s just speculation¡­¡±

    I had entrusted Monica with investigating Senri¡¯s whereabouts and the degree of influence exerted by the Demon King near this area.

    Something that would have been simple before the world order changed has become complicated after communication has grown extremely difficult between towns. I have Olive hunting down those that don¡¯t belong in human towns, Mirele and I have been following hearsay and training at the same time as we wander from place to place, but we¡¯ve never happened upon any juicy tidbits of information.

    I guess the recent investigation didn¡¯t bear much fruit either and Senri¡¯s whereabouts are still a mystery.

    ¡°I think the only way to find out their location is to follow the trail of provisions delivered to the Death Knights. If rumors about them being at war are to be believed, then there ought to be a supply route.¡±

    ¡°I know! How about putting me in a box and shipping me off to the Death Knights?¡±

    Not to toot my own horn, but I can make myself as compact as can be.

    Monica sighed upon hearing my half-serious suggestion.

    ¡°¡­ Lord End, I think we¡¯re past the point of such shenanigans being effective. The trade network is in shambles. You¡¯d be hard pressed to find even a peddler in the vicinity.¡±

    ¡°Then, how about we become one?¡±

    ¡°In big cities, we¡¯d have to go through several layers of identity inspections conducted by humans. We¡¯d be found out in a second.¡±

    ¡°Brother, I wanna be a peddler!¡±

    Senri would have shot me down nicely, while Monica really doesn¡¯t mince words.

    I guess we are too small a group. Our forces only consist of four members and that¡¯s including me. Well, our combined strength is really up there but it¡¯s true that we¡¯re severely understaffed.

    I don¡¯t mind going with the flow and saving human towns, but with the way things are progressing, we won¡¯t be able to keep them safe forever.

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t find any leads. The fact that they¡¯re holding their own over the allies of Stake King must mean they have a  geographical advantage. And they also probably have the backing of a powerful country. If we take all that into account and slowly narrow down our scope¡­¡±

    Monica¡¯s words made sense. But it wasn¡¯t enough.

    The world is vast. Time is a non-entity to me but the same can¡¯t be said for Senri and in the three years I was asleep, I¡¯m sure she has grown up. If I take my own sweet time with things, Senri will become an old lady soon.

    I need to meet Senri who¡¯s blossomed into a young woman right now.

    Monica rambled on as if to admonish me. Mirele had no choice but to listen as she kept calling out to me. I put both of them out of my mind for a moment, closed my eyes and came to a decision.

    ¡°Okay¡­ Monica, go and bring Oliver. I¡¯ve decided on a plan. It¡¯s time we stopped playing defense.¡±

    The search for patients with Dead Soul disease and the investigation, not only take up too much time but also have poor returns.

    It¡¯s no good to over-complicate things. Thinking back, I¡¯ve always broken down all barriers in my path through sheer force. Then I should simply do the same now.

    Prudence is a virtue, but there¡¯s only a fine line between prudence and cowardice.

    There¡¯s no need to make more retainers, just like back when I dealt with Rainel, I can let my fist do all the talking.

    I examined the map Monica had drawn up on the Demon Kings¡¯ armed forces. With a rough outline of the neighboring area as reference, it¡¯s clear that there are several beings arrogant enough to claim themselves King in the vicinity.

    I¡¯ll beat every single one of them down and make them serve me. If I find any human settlements under attack, then I¡¯ll make allies of those humans while I¡¯m at it. I¡¯ll expand my influence and defeat the allies of the Stake King, reunite with a grown-up Senri and get my happy ending. This is the shortest route to achieve it.

    Did I become muscle-brain like Senri?

    As Mirele and Monica looked at me eyes wide, I solemnly declared, ¡°We¡¯re gonna beat everyone into submission. I declare that as of this moment, I¡¯m a Demon King.¡±

 CH 132

    The eyes of Oliver, who looked like a dog that had recently been soaked by the rain, lit up at my words.

    ¡°O-oh, boss, are you serious?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you work too, Oliver. To start with, vampires aren¡¯t suited for defending.¡±

    I have too many weaknesses. I also have to be careful when I¡¯m on offense, but once I go on defense, my enemy will attack me with all the vampire weaknesses like how Keeper has done.

    I¡¯m not going to call it cowardly. Vampires are unfairly strong, to start with.

    ¡°Of course, boss. With your power, you won¡¯t lose to most demons, let alone humans.¡±

    He was really cocky when we first met, but he sure has changed. He was terribly frightened right after he saved me too. Just how traumatized is he by vampires?

    His killing intent is too different from Albertus, who should have received her curse in the same way as him.

    ¡°Oliver, you¡¯re the vanguard.¡±

    ¡°?! Me?!¡±

    ¡°Well, you have no weaknesses and you¡¯re sturdy.¡±

    As expected from the species created by the Ancestor, werewolves cover most of the weaknesses of vampires. The necromancer who created ¡®Lycus¡¯ must have created them to somehow counter the many weaknesses he couldn¡¯t erase. They are weak against the vampires, but they have no other big drawbacks. Except for the silver weapons, I guess.

    He has no weaknesses compared to me, he¡¯s sturdier than Monica, and most importantly, it¡¯s wonderful that, unlike Mirele, if he accidentally died it wouldn¡¯t be much of a pity. On top of that, he¡¯s uselessly high spec, as he¡¯s even able to transform into a human. If he was a girl that I could drink blood from, it would be just perfect.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ well, I¡¯m the third generation, after all¡­ indeed, I have no weaknesses because I can transform freely.¡±

    ¡°Werewolves are at their best only when they¡¯re serving vampires.¡±

    I didn¡¯t praise him, but Oliver started laughing ferociously with his tongue out, while Monica let me know this in a quiet voice.

    Looks like werewolves have some level of loyalty too. So there¡¯s no need to worry about being decapitated in my sleep, huh. Well, I hardly ever sleep though.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this skillfully. We¡¯ll start with the weakest Demon King and ask them to surrender.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Are you not going to ambush them?¡±

    In response to my words, Monica advised me hesitantly.

    ¡°Lord End, demons won¡¯t surrender without fighting.¡±

    ¡°¡­ We won¡¯t know unless we try.¡±

    ¡°Well, I will do it if you tell me to¡­ it¡¯s a work that¡¯s a hundred times better than information gathering.¡±

    Looks like the work I had left to Oliver didn¡¯t really suit him. It¡¯s pretty hard being the Demon King.

    ¡°We will advise the enemies that we think we could take head-on to surrender upfront and take the ones that seem too tough by surprise. We will negotiate with human nations.¡±

    It would be bad if she found out that I destroyed a human nation when I reunite with Senri and in a situation when the Order of Death Knights can¡¯t move properly, the human nation would be in an absolute peril so if I gathered my troops and negotiated with them in a gentlemanly manner, they wouldn¡¯t refuse.

    Mirele applauded my flexible strategy. There is a bright smile on her face, as if she¡¯s about to play her beloved game.

    Although she lacks some ethics now after becoming a vampire, you can still catch a glimpse of her personality from when she was alive.

    ¡°How wonderful, brother¡­ So then¡­ what should we call ourselves?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Name?¡­ name, huh.¡±

    A name is certainly important. If I become famous, it might even reach Senri who¡¯s fighting somewhere. In that case, it¡¯s better to have a name that Senri would instantly recognize.

    I wonder if End¡¯s Army would be problematic¡­ Lufry and others already know my name. If possible, I¡¯d prefer it be a name that only Senri could understand.

    ¡°¡­Senri-loving Army¡­?¡±

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    Mirele¡¯s expression, which until now had been happy no matter what was said, instantly became clouded. Oliver¡¯s cheeks stiffened and he looked at me as if to ask if I was sane.

    After being silent for a while, Monica said with a voice she had barely squeezed out.

    ¡°Lord End¡­ that¡­ that name will cause problems for Lady Senri.¡±

    ¡°J-just kidding. Right, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°For a second I thought our army would end before it even began.¡±

    Indeed, if there was an army called ¡®Senri-loving Army¡¯ wreaking havoc in the outside world while Senri was desperately fighting, she would end up in a troublesome position.

    That¡¯s not what I want and the fact that I love Senri is something that doesn¡¯t even have to be said at this point.

    The Lord created me to be the Kind of the Palace of Darkness. So it¡¯s not a bad idea to use this name, but¡­ does Senri know that name?

    The battle with the Mirage King was fierce and on top of that, I was asleep for more than 3 years. There¡¯s a ¨C 50/50 chance whether Senri knows it or not.

    I nodded strongly, looked around and declared.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m the ¡ª ¡®White Puppy King¡¯. It¡¯s decided!¡±

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    ¡°?! Then, are we the army of the ¡®White Puppy King¡¯?!¡±

    ¡°Any complaints?¡±

    Senri will definitely recognize this. I probably won¡¯t have to worry about names overlapping either. Even if there¡¯s another white puppy within the ranks of the Demon Kings, they most likely wouldn¡¯t call themselves the White Puppy King.

    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s kind of¡­ cute.¡±

    ¡°Nobody¡¯s going to accept the recommendation to surrender from the White Puppy King¡­ to begin with, there¡¯s a clearly superior big name like the King of Beasts in the same direction¡ª¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to be naming myself all the time. Let¡¯s engrave this name into the minds of those who will oppose me, along with the fear. Do you understand Oliver?¡±

    ¡°A-at least, choose something like the White Dog King¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°No! That wouldn¡¯t be able to get my point across!¡±

    As I glared at him, Oliver¡¯s tone became weaker. Looks like he understood just how serious I was.

    Also, they wouldn¡¯t be able to imagine that the power of the White Puppy King is ¡®Curse Steal¡¯. War begins even before the conflict.

    ¡°However, brother, you sometimes turn black¡­¡±

    ¡°Monica, we¡¯ll start with the weakest demon king around us. I will give you the position of staff officer. Get it? One year. We will find Senri and the others in a year and end this damned era!¡±

    I grab the sword by my side that I inherited from the Mirage King and lift it up. The cursed demonic sword fit my cursed body incredibly well.

    If I hadn¡¯t been pushed to the limit during that fight with Mirage King, this era wouldn¡¯t have come. At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t have to separate from Senri.

    ¡°O-one year?! Y-yes. I u-understand!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Brother, what¡¯s my position?¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­ the princess, then.¡±

    It seems that the beginning of this era was the downfall of Ep¨¦e the Destroyer. Good grief, that man is always getting in my way.

    With a smile on my face, I took a look at the frozen up Monica, Oliver and Mirele, who was overjoyed at the title of the princess I had randomly made up, and gave the first order to the White Puppy Army.

    ¡°Pfft¡­ w-what?! What did you say?! The White Puppy King?! White Puppy? Did he come up with that himself?!¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s right. The name might be cute, but you can¡¯t underestimate him¡­ give this letter to the King.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re a dog of a doggie¡­¡±

    ¡°Kh¡­¡±

    Oliver gritted his teeth at the blatant ridicule.

    The soldier of the Demon King of the Evernight ¨C the male dark elf, who was patrolling the area, carelessly took the letter and snorted. The soldiers that were surrounding Oliver were also all looking down on him.

    It was the first time he had been belittled so much in his werewolf form. It was all the fault of that name.

    But he couldn¡¯t complain. He had imagined this very scenario even before the letter had been accepted. If Oliver were in their position, he would have also taken the same attitude.

    The name of the Demon King symbolizes their valor and should be the source of pride for their subordinates too.

    ¡®The Demon King of Evernight¡¯ was one of the powerful Kings in this area. He had gathered mostly fairy-type demons who could use powerful magic and with his annihilation power, he had already grown to a scale that no human kingdom in the vicinity could oppose.

    He was an up-and-coming force that was gradually encroaching the territories of other demon kings. To the soldiers, who have this in their heads, the White Puppy King¡¯s soldier that had delivered the letter single-handedly would be nothing but a joke.

    ¡°¡­ Four. Four people.¡±

    ¡°Four people? Four people¡­ is this a joke? Don¡¯t hide it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°A-are you ¡ª- actually serious?!¡±

    A burst of laughter enveloped Oliver. It was natural. After all, nobody would call 4 people an army. To start with, that number was even less than the number of soldiers that were surrounding Oliver at the moment.

    Oliver, who was a werewolf, had a resistance towards magic. Still, his chances of winning would be slim if he took on so many opponents at the same time. They were mages, but it wasn¡¯t like their physical abilities were weak either.

    He could manage to run away at least, of course, but ¡ª

    He said patiently to the underlings of the Demon King of the Evernight in front of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a recommendation to surrender. I need to take the reply back.¡±

    ¡°Pfft¡­I g-get it. I will certainly relay it to the king. That a crazy Demon King that calls himself a puppy king has appeared.¡±

    A flame lit up on the tips of his stretched claws and the letter was instantly turned into ashes. The mission had failed, but Oliver had no regrets.

    There was no away a recommendation to surrender would work without fighting.

    When asked about the weakest King, Monica had chosen the Demon King of Evernight as their first opponent.

    Countless soldiers that could use powerful combat magic would surely be a threat, however, magic didn¡¯t work on cursed vampires.

    The White Puppy King was a bit absentminded, but he was strong, brave and cunning.

 CH 133

    ¡°Hah¡­? White Puppy King¡­? Is this some kind of joke?¡±

    The consul of the small city, Fullnon, blinked at Oliver who appeared out of nowhere, through a pair of eyes with prominent dark circles under them.

    It¡¯s been a few years since the world changed completely after the demon kings all rose together in revolt against humans. The Death Knights who had always been deemed heroes, found themselves in over their heads and many towns were forced to fend for themselves.

    Apart from the strong forces that targeted the Death Knights, other demon kings also appeared and attacked towns at the worst times. This came like a bolt out of the blue for humans who had enjoyed a long reign at the peak of all races.

    Many towns that didn¡¯t have any organized military forces were brought to dust and even towns with properly trained soldiers were forced into tough battles.  Mankind was slowly on its way to extinction.

    Perpetuating despair only served to beckon more darkness. Many demon kings had shown up in the outskirts of Fullnon city.

    Though one of the reasons Fullnon was still standing is because it¡¯s well fortified, it was more due to the fact that the demon kings had no solid purpose in their minds.

    Domination of mankind wasn¡¯t their desire. They decimated towns as if they were competing with each other to score higher points in a game. In fact, many such attacked towns had lost all semblance of civilization and were nothing but ruins overrun by monsters .

    This town had already lost its liveliness. It can¡¯t hold out much longer and backup from other towns can¡¯t be expected either. Not that other towns had any time or resources to spare.

    Only option was to somehow sneak out of the town, praying they don¡¯t get caught by any of the demons with acute senses. Then again, even if they made it out of town ¡ª where would they go? The whole world was in disarray.

    The town hall was no more. The people who had a place to run to, had all left and there were only a few conscientious people left behind who did any work.

    ¡°This is the first any Demon King has sent a messenger to a human town. Is this even a Demon King to begin with? Why?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ this is why I told him. That calling himself White Puppy King would come back to bite him.¡±

    The man who identified himself as the emissary was hideous and small in stature. I don¡¯t mean to imply he looks weak but he doesn¡¯t look like a soldier. Not to mention, even if there existed a few demons that could comprehend the human language, it doesn¡¯t mean they would be willing to become our allies. Our values and motivations are too different.

    He turned to look at two guards armed with shoddy spears and shook his head.

    ¡°But if we don¡¯t do something, we¡¯re screwed. We stand to lose nothing by joining hands with them. Right?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­ let¡¯s say he¡¯s really the emissary of a Demon King, we have nothing to offer in return, do we? Something like gold is useless at this point.¡±

    It was impossible to know their purpose. The man didn¡¯t beat around the bush. Fullnon didn¡¯t have many soldiers left. They barely had enough food to get by and even that will soon run out.

    Public order was growing worse by the day, and more and more people were leaving town. The system had broken down to the point that the consul who was normally swamped with work went out of his way to accept an unscheduled visit from an unknown emissary.

    That¡¯s when Oliver sighed deeply and said something completely unexpected.

    ¡°Well, nevermind. For starters, our King said he¡¯d think things over after beating everyone up. You¡¯ll make up your mind after you witness that.¡±

    ¡°Beat¡­ everyone up?¡±

    They had no idea how to respond. They couldn¡¯t tell if he was serious or joking or it was a scam, but he didn¡¯t ask for anything in return for it to be the third option.

    Oliver¡¯s voice got low and he growled.

    ¡°Our King¡­ for reasons undisclosed, used to be a ¡®pet dog¡¯ in the past. Better think hard before you make your decision.¡±

    The atmosphere changed. The aura from the unknown presence made the exhausted consul¡¯s hair stand on end and he stepped back reflexively.

    Oliver¡¯s body creaked audibly and swelled up in size. His clothes ripped, he grew ears at the top of his head and his form changed.

    No one could wrap their heads around what happened. No killing intent was directed at him, but the guard¡¯s hands trembled and he dropped his spear.

    ¡°Werewolf¡­ White, Puppy King¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ugh ¡ª why, why do I¡­ have to be subjected¡­ to this¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ come by¡­ later¡­ to hear¡­ your response, human!¡±

    The monster howled and disappeared. No, it would be more correct to say it kicked off the ground. It¡¯s just that mere human eyes could not keep up with its acceleration.

    Even after Oliver had left, the consul and the two guards stood transfixed for some time.

    A while later, making sure that they were safe once more, the consul sighed.

    ¡°I- I see¡­ for god¡¯s sake, what¡¯s up with the security in this town?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s hard to tell humans apart from werewolves, but what a truly frightening mimic ability.¡±

    They were helpless in the face of such power. They might be able to distinguish humans from monsters if they posted guards at the entrance and made a thorough check of everyone who passed through the gate, but the monsters have crazy physical abilities. With this town¡¯s military force that could only rival a small village¡¯s vigilante group, there¡¯s not much they could do. The Death Knights who dealt with situations like this are all gone now.

    ¡°Just in case, I should report this¡­ not sure if they¡¯ll believe me. The previous owner¡­?¡±

    We can no longer put up a fight. If these beings are truly powerful enough to make the demon kings in the vicinity scatter, then all we can do is submit.

    But to think they would send an emissary over, what kind of King are they? Goddammit, even though this is a serious matter, it¡¯s hard to feel nervous given the name of the King. The consul sighed, half in exasperation, half in resignation and made his way back to the town hall.

    Aversion borne from irresistible instincts. That is the reason they were always in conflict.

    Monsters are often all lumped together into one category and in general regarded as enemies of mankind, but it¡¯s a very absurd thought.

    There¡¯s no existence more abhorrent than undead who have overcome the basic laws of nature. If the humans didn¡¯t boast an overwhelming military might, there¡¯s even a possibility the undead might have clashed with them.

    The senses of monsters aren¡¯t as dull as those of humans. And any species of monsters with superior olfactory and visual senses can pick up the scent of undead that is entirely different from the living, no matter the distance.

    Dead of the night when even the moon hid behind thick clouds. The campfire shone upon a slender figure.

    One of the human towns that had been restructured into a base was filled to the brim with monsters. All manner of dark beings in one place meant a lot of chaos but there was no doubting their strength.

    However despite several glinting eyes pointed at, stared down by several pairs of eyes from the sky, there wasn¡¯t a shred of nervousness in the face that was suspended in the dark.

    Nay, the one nervous ¡ª was the army instead. The aura around that petite figure, the scent emanating from her filled everyone with absolute dread.

    They weren¡¯t used to it. There¡¯s no way one of them could be in such a place. That figure which appeared to be a young girl was certainly not human.

    ¡ª Lone knight. It¡¯s inconceivable to think anyone would try to challenge this army all alone.

    The shadow clad in a black cloak was unarmed but held a flag in her arm.

    Eerily beautiful long silver hair, crimson eyes with a dubious glint. The suspicious girl planted the flag where she stood and her lips slightly curved into a smile.

    ¡°Brother forbade me from killing humans but said it was okay for me to cull a herd of monsters.¡±

    One of the subordinates of the Evernight King, a male dark elf, was able to discern her true identity, only because he¡¯d seen one of her kind before.

    A solitary existence that had driven the Death Knights to a corner.

    ¡°This place¡­ belongs to Brother from this day.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a vampire! Keep your distance! Grab all the silver!¡±

    Consecutive magic bullets that could easily burn down a human army made their impact. However, they were nothing more than a gentle breeze to a strong curse holder of immortal nature with high resistance to magic.

    Smoke arose in a cloud. There was no time to waste.

    ¡°Let the water run! Get the garlic and crucifixes!¡±

    Simple living beings without any sort of preparation shouldn¡¯t dare to oppose it. Even the mighty Death Knights always plan ahead.

    And thus, in the midst of the smoke, the slender figure grew enormous in a flash.

 CH 134.1

    Her small body instantly became gigantic, turning into a beautiful beast. It was a repulsive sight that could have easily fit right in some tale.

    The lone beast kicked off the ground, ignoring the countless magic bullets fired at it by the dozens of demons surrounding it.

    It had graceful limbs and the silver fur that was impervious to the most attacks, including magic, physical attacks, and firearms.

    Senri once told me that vampires are originally beings that not even Death Knights would take on alone. Especially, when the opponent is a skilled vampire, even a group of Death Knights might be in danger.

    Vampires with numerous weaknesses overpower Death Knights that are the experts in them. The strongest quality of vampires I can think of ¨C is their overwhelming physical strength. Infinite stamina and the muscle strength to easily lift several tons of the rubble. The durability to move just fine even with a hole in their guts and the regeneration. And, resistance towards magic and poison.

    In exchange for more restrictions, the performance of vampires is genuinely higher than that of most demons.

    I was watching the memorable first battle of Mirele Noah, my only blood-related kin, from above the sky in the form of a bat.

    I¡¯m sure she has a talent for combat. Even though she had a senior like me and even though she was able to become a vampire right away ¨C she didn¡¯t hesitate to fight right from the beginning. The first thing I made her fight was a monster that looked like a furry beast, but she killed it as if it was a matter of course. I got used to fighting after several battles under the Lord¡¯s orders, but she¡¯s different.

    Mirele likes transforming into a wolf, but her wolf form is very beautiful, with its huge and elegant body and shining silver fur. The first thing I transformed into was a dog, so there would be some differences, but the gap is too big even though our circumstances are the same. It¡¯s to the point that I¡¯ve been restraining myself from transforming into a wolf recently because it¡¯ll be sad if I look less cool than her after turning into a wolf.

    But still, she¡¯s a newborn vampire.

    Mirele is strong. She¡¯s far stronger than I was at the beginning. But this world isn¡¯t that easy on us.

    I¡¯m watching over her secretly from the sky just in case something happens.

    I¡¯ve been through hard times ever since becoming undead. I was left as just a head by Death Knights, had my weaknesses exploited by vampire hunters, was burnt by cursed flames, was wounded by silver claws and attacked by blood stakes. Now that I think back on it, I¡¯d be laid to eternal sleep if I had made a single misstep.

    The only reason I managed to somehow survive the battles was because I had Senri, somebody who understood me. Even if she wasn¡¯t by my side, her existence always supported me.

    That¡¯s why, I¡¯ll be the one to watch over Mirele next. I don¡¯t doubt her talent, but vampires have too many weaknesses and the vampire weaknesses are well¨Cknown so the enemies usually exploit those. You¡¯ll get hurt if you let your guard down and you¡¯ll get mostly hurt even if you don¡¯t let your guard down too.

    This is the first time Mirele is facing a big opponent. This time I¡¯m making her target the forces that are compatible with her to gain experience, but still, the other person is the Demon King, there¡¯s no knowing what kind of tricks he¡¯ll use.

    And just as I¡¯d worried, it was obvious from the first attack that Mirele was an amateur.

    Since the recommendation to surrender had already been made via Oliver and rejected, she should have attacked secretly and reduced their numbers, but she showed herself from the front. Flag should be the last thing you put up!

    Unaware of my feelings as I fearfully watched over her, the silver wolf attacked the soldiers of the Demon King of Evernight while taking the barrage of magical attacks head-on.

    She sent the opponents flying with a body slam, trampled them with her forefeet, bit their necks and swung them around. It¡¯s definitely effective, but it takes a lot of courage to do that in her first battle with no backup, even though flowing water could instantly disable her power and incapacitate her.

    As it was one of the opponent¡¯s bases, there were a lot of soldiers in the town. As we had previously discovered, most of the subordinates of the King of the Evernight were mages and they shot the flames and the lightning continuously.

    Even though they should be aware that the other person is a vampire and immune to magic, they probably still can¡¯t help but attack. They have an overwhelming advantage in numbers, but it¡¯s obvious even from looking from the sky who has the weakness.

    Mirele was too daring. And the subordinates of the Demon King of Evernight were being overpowered by her killing intent. With so many numbers, they should be able to do something about a single vampire, but the silver wolf easily trampled the hesitant soldiers of the Demon King of Evernight.

    And then, I noticed several dark elves with bows that had gathered on the roof more than 100 meters away from the plaza where Mirele was wreaking havoc.

    Dark elves are demons that excel in the bow and magic. They have good night vision and it is said that a skilled dark elf can shoot an apple several hundred meters away with a bow.

    The dark elves drew their bows with an enchanting motion. Their arrowheads had a peculiar silver shine.

    They don¡¯t seem to have been blessed so it¡¯s much better, but silver is the weakness of dark beings. Vampires aren¡¯t exempt from that. Silver weapons can easily pierce the tough flesh of vampires and inhibit their regeneration.

    The sense of pain of vampires is far duller compared to humans, but it¡¯s different when they¡¯re wounded by silver weapons. Some vampires apparently become paralyzed due to the intense pain they experience for the first time. If a vital organ like the heart or the brain is pierced, they might not die instantly, but they¡¯ll surely stop moving after that.

    So finally trouble came to Mirele¡­ She should be used to pain because of the Soul Death disease, so there¡¯s no need to worry about her becoming unable to move  ¡ª that¡¯s what happens when you don¡¯t set up a surprise attack!

    I could have gone in to save her, but it¡¯s better for her to get in hot water at least once. I won¡¯t always be with her.

    Mirele bit into the dark elf that was shooting magic at her from close range and stopped moving for a second.

    Taking advantage of that brief moment more arrows came pouring down.

    Countless silver arrows came flying in the dark night. Unlike the firearms, their attacks were almost soundless. I would have noticed them, but only because of the experience I have accumulated until now.

    The cowardly hail of silver arrows approached Mirele from behind.

    Most of the arrows in the silver rain were swatted away, while the rest pierced the body of the dark elf in her mouth in succession. The soldiers, who had been attacking from afar in an attempt to inflict as much damage as possible, were rattled.

    It¡¯s not ¨C a coincidence. Mirele isn¡¯t panicked at all.

    No way, did she anticipate this attack!?

    Discarding the dark elf that now resembled a hedgehog, Mirele strongly kicked off the ground. She closed the distance of several hundred meters in one leap, pulled down the dark elf mage that had stopped moving in panic and pulled him into her mouth, running like a gale towards the direction where the arrows were coming from.

    I can¡¯t help opening my eyes wide. She¡¯s even clearly aware of the direction where arrows are coming from.

    However, while a few hundred meters is no big deal for a vampire, there¡¯s no way the enemy will just take it silently either.

    Mirele blocks the new wave of the countless silver arrows using the new shield, not slowing down even a little. I always tell her to be watchful of silver weapons, but what¡¯s up with her courage?

    The transformation in a wolf should have changed both her body sensations and the perspective, making it hard to maneuver, but it¡¯s simply amazing how she¡¯s able to block and repel the coming arrows with the thing in her mouth. I might not be able to do that¡­

    One of the soldiers used a spell, made water burst out from the ground and created a small river a few meters ahead of Mirele. It¡¯s one of the weaknesses of vampires ¡ª flowing water. Its momentum would be nothing for humans, but it¡¯s fatal for vampires.

    Mirele, who should have been at a loss of what to do if she still had the same senses she had when she was alive, stepped on the ground, dodged sideways, and threw the ¡®shield¡¯ she had in her mouth toward the roof.

    Unable to deal with their comrade that came flying at them with great force, the archers lost their balance. Once you let them get close enough, you can¡¯t match a vampire unless you have great physical abilities.

    I was both impressed and stunned by how brilliantly she fought, despite only having become a vampire several months ago.

    Her field of vision still remained wide, even though she was rampaging so much. She stayed vigilant. Normally, during a battle, blood rushes to your head or your field of vision narrows¡­ In fact, I ended up in trouble each time too.

    ¡­Maybe Mirele won¡¯t have a bitter experience?

    My plan to swoop in and save her from the peril¡ª

    Perhaps sensing their defeat, the underlings of the Demon King of Evernight scattered in all directions. Even though the numbers are still on their side ¡ª Were they that scared of Mirele?

    Mirele tried to chase after them, but was stopped in her tracks by the muddy stream of water created by several mages.

    As a result, all that remained in the town were the remains of a tumultuous fight and the countless corpses of the subordinates of the Demon King of Evernight.

    In a moonless night that was as close to the true darkness as possible, the silver wolf howled in triumph, lit only by the bonfires that had flared up everywhere during the battle. She¡¯s really standing out.

    I frantically warned her in my head as I flapped my wings in the sky.

    That¡¯s not good¡­ if you do something like that, you¡¯ll stand out and it¡¯s dangerous¡­ It¡¯s really dangerous! Seriously!

    But, in the end, I didn¡¯t get to make an appearance, and as I was starting to have pitiful worries, Mirele made a big detour around the river to avoid it.

    And, after sniffing the ground, she started running in the direction where the underlings of the Demon King of Evernight had fled.

    In the basement of the mansion, which had its windows completely covered with boards and was remodeled to prevent any sunlight from entering, I was listening to Mirele¡¯s report on her return with a grim expression.

    Mirele was wearing a fluttering dress that reached nearly to her feet, perhaps obtained at the stronghold she had attacked. Although it must have been her first battle and she must have run through the battlefield, her expression showed no sign of fatigue, with only a slight flush in her cheeks.

    ¡°In other words¡­ you tried to sniff out the next stronghold before the scent disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was thinking of advising them to surrender after giving them a little scare, but¡­ even though there were a lot of them left, all of them got away¡­¡±

    Just to be sure, I kept watching from the sky the whole time, but Mirele¡¯s rampaging was really spectacular.

    She chased after the subordinates of the Demon King that had escaped, attacking one town after another, to the point that I even started to pity the enemy. Even I wouldn¡¯t have chased after the enemy so relentlessly.

    I cleared my throat quietly and frowned.

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t give you any instructions like that.¡±

    Or rather, even though we have a very clear limitation like the sunrise¡­ It¡¯s unbelievable that she managed to take down several towns in a single night.

    At the end, when the sunrise was approaching, even I, an observer, started sweating.

    The last enemies ran away without even fighting back¡­ I¡¯d probably do the same too. She¡¯s too much of a tomboy.

    Mirele shrugged at my admonishment and said with an auspicious expression that was hard to believe came from somebody who went on such a rampage last night.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ b-but I raised the flag properly! I¡¯m sure your prestige was properly conveyed, Brother!¡±

    No, I¡¯m sure the prestige was conveyed long ago.  It was conveyed so well that at this rate we might become the army of the silver wolf instead of the army of the white puppy.

    I want to scold her for disobeying the orders and taking risks. I want to scold her, but Mirele¡¯s unscathed and as far as I could see from the battle situation, she was calm and had no problems from start to finish. Considering that I might not have been so calm in the same situation, it would be strange to scold her here.

    It would also be strange to complain about her loyalty. It would be as if I were envious of her.

    ¡°¡­D-did you not think that it was dangerous?¡±

    ¡°I did not.  Brother¡­ they seemed to be mostly mages, they wouldn¡¯t be a match for you!¡±

    Mirele asserted clearly. Carelessness¡­ carelessness is the biggest enemy¡­ but¡­ was she careless?

    I want to punish her for making her senior vampire lose his face. I want to strip her off the princess title I gave her the other day and give her the title of captain of the shock corps instead.

    ¡°¡­ then, I think I¡¯ll leave defeating the Demon King of Evernight to you, Mirele.¡±

    ¡°!! Really?!¡±

    Mirele¡¯s eyes widened and she broke into a smile. Why does she look so happy when she¡¯s being forced to do something troublesome?

    ¡°Please leave it to me, Brother! I will engrave your majesty in them in three days!¡±

    Mirele jumped at me as if moved to tears. I let out a sigh while stroking her head with a feeling of helplessness.

    I might have turned a dangerous girl into my kin.

 CH 134.2

    In this world, there exist terrifying races that can rival an entire army with just a single individual.

    For example, dragons, which are compared to natural disasters. For example, high-ranking demons, who are representatives of the rebellion against God, and high-ranking angels who are said to be the representatives of God¡¯s wrath. Those beings that are often even mentioned in mythologies, are worthy of caution even for those that are called demons by the humans.

    And now, the faction of the ¡®Demon King of Evernight¡¯, that had taken down many human towns and was increasing its power, was being violently attacked by a single demonic being.

    An undead, a vampire. The abominable being that was both a human and a demon.

    The humans fear and loathe demons, but that doesn¡¯t mean that the demons themselves are on good terms with each other. However, it¡¯s originally impossible for vampires to attack demons.

    The undead instinctually seek out the souls of the same kind, and most of the vampires with high intelligence have long since been incorporated in armies led by the mighty undead Demon Kings, such as the ¡®Stake King¡¯, who have challenged the Order of Death Knights head-on.

    Even if there was a stray vampire, why would they attack the faction of the demons rather than the humans that are easier to hunt?

    The human towns that had been captured and put under their rule, were already taken back.

    The army of the Demon King of Evernight was powerful. A large number of dark elf mages, who had mastered magic, which was becoming more and more obsolete due to the development of science and technology and their tactics of destroying the enemies from afar while strong demons and the Golems placed in vanguard served as walls, helped them bring down several town without any remarkable losses. Their offensive abilities were powerful, but the power they displayed in defense should have been incomparable to that.

    However, the defenses that had been set up in the cities they had taken to serve as a foothold for the next invasion were of no use.

    And now, the stronghold of the Demon King of Evernight ¡ª the fortress that was built on the steep cliff ¨C was in the midst of a buzzing commotion like a beehive.

    Deep inside the fortress. Demons that formed the core of the army that was centered around the dark elves had gathered in the throne room.

    There were demon species like ogres and hobgoblins and low-level fiends like imps. Magical creatures created with magic, such as golems and artificial spirits. And   ¨D-dark elves who had been persecuted because of the dark mana in their bodies despite being superior to humans both in intelligence and appearance.

    A dark elf man was settled on the throne that was made of rugged stone.

    He had long, jet-black hair and sharp, slanted eyes. The tattoo of a strange pattern on his forehead was the product of an ancient ritual to enhance his magical powers.

    He was quite short for a dark elf, who were usually on a taller side, but his ears were pointed, as if to confirm which race he belonged to.

    A dark elf mage, who freely manipulated the magic of the night and led a great variety of demons.

    The Demon King of Evernight, Disel, grit his teeth and glared at his assembled subordinates.

    ¡°Impossible! ¡­ in just a few days they¡¯ve taken back the entire town we¡¯ve spent months chipping away at!?¡±

    ¡°Young master, I¡¯ve fought vampires before, but that one¡¯s impossible. That small town wouldn¡¯t even stand a chance. We have to at least dig a canal as the vampire countermeasure or else¨D¨D ¡°

    Hearing the words of his confidant, who had been serving him for a long time, Disel ruffled his hair, as if agitated. The obviously frustrated appearance of their King made the demons stir.

    ¡°This is our chance. Now that the Order of Death Knights is still holding out and their attention is focused on them! If they are defeated by the Demon King alliance, those who are only watching the situation now will come rushing in! If that happens, we won¡¯t be able to capture the town easily!¡±

    Their initial response was delayed. No ¡ª the other demons were late to take actions too. Nobody would have expected that the Order of Death Knights would be defeated. Even now, after three years had passed, the caution faction still hadn¡¯t moved.

    And at the same time, there were those who had grown impatient over those three years and had started to move. Some of them had even destroyed most of the human towns in the vicinity and had begun territorial disputes with other demons.

    The fortress at Disel¡¯s main base was too poorly located to be a foothold for the start of military rule.

    ¡°We can still make it in time, do everything to kill that vampire! Can¡¯t we just make them collide with other forces?! There have to be other Demon Kings nearby beside us!¡±

    ¡°The matter is¡­ they seem to be persistently targeting only our towns ¡ª¡°

    ¡°What in the world did we do?!¡±

    Unlike the town that only had half-finished walls, this was a full-fledged fortress. Dark elf archers were patrolling on top of the wall, which was so high that not even a vampire-turned-wolf could climb over it easily.

    The forest at the foot of the fortress was inhabited by various demons, which didn¡¯t let the intruders pass through alive. It was precisely because of this fortress, which had hardly been attacked for a long time that the kin of the Demon King of Evernight were able to survive even in an era when the humans were in an overwhelmingly superior position.

    However, even though they had retreated to the fortress in which they had their absolute trust, the expressions on the faces of the assembled subordinates were unwell.

    The fear brought by those who had been lucky enough to escape had spread to those who had been defending the fortress. The situation wasn¡¯t looking very good.

    ¡°Young master, here we have a river and spring water nearby. We can easily create flowing water. They are weak to sunlight. No matter how strong they are, if we can lure them, trap them and stop their movements, we can defeat them by stalling.¡±

    ¡°Gegya¡­ We have garlic too. And the crosses¡­¡±

    When he saw one of the imps under his command waving a garlic-studded necklace, Disel clutched his head.

    What a pathetic story it was. They were the same demonic beings, but he had to rely on exploiting the enemy¡¯s weaknesses like humans did.

    ¡°Do you really have no idea why we would be targeted?!¡±

    As Disel shouted with emotion, one of his subordinates suddenly replied with a small voice.

    The dark elf, who was guarding the town that was attacked first, reported falteringly to Disel, who immediately glared in his direction.

    ¡°C-come to think of it¡­  a summon to surrender was suddenly sent by another Demon King ¨C- apparently, they called themselves the ¡®White Puppy King¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The white puppy¡­ King¡­?!¡±

    That¡¯s ridiculous!

    ¡°We also doubted our ears. They said that they only had 4 members¡­ and we assumed it was some kind of a joke¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t even have the energy to glare back at the name that lacked all semblance of tension.

    He could also understand why the report hadn¡¯t come in. To begin with, if they accepted the sudden summons to surrender from an unknown Demon King, they wouldn¡¯t be fit to be soldiers.

    However, it was probably true. The one attacking was a wolf instead of a dog though¡ª

    ¡°So it was a trap! Shit, those damn living dead ¡ª their brains must be rotten! I¡¯ll kill them ¡ª I¡¯ll make them regret underestimating us!¡±

    This ¡ª- was a war. Only those who exterminated the other Demons Kings would become the main players of the next era.

    And it would be the King of the Evernight to stand at the top. The era of dark elves was coming. The die had already been cast.

    If he was going to fight for the top, he would have to go against the vampires eventually. He was facing a small group this time, so he could consider it as a rehearsal.

    His confidant told to Disel, who was desperately trying to keep calm by regulating his breathing.

    ¡°Offensive magic would be a bad move. They seem to be wary of silver too. They look like a child, but the child is a skilled and experienced fighter. With our current strength, there¡¯s nothing we can do but catch them off guard and trap them.¡±

    ¡°So that person is a veteran¡­ I get it. Use any means to get rid of them! Find the coffin they sleep in!¡±

    I will not be hindered in a place like this!

    Just as he gave the instructions ¡ª- the walls, the floor, the throne room, vibrated a bit. A scream came from the outside, and Disel instantly stood up.

    There wasn¡¯t even time to confirm what had happened. They were unbelievably quick. How had they sniffed out this base?! He reprimanded his agitated subordinates.

    ¡°Get to your positions and be alert! This fortress won¡¯t fall easily even if the enemy is a vampire! If we wait for the morning to come, it¡¯s our win! Don¡¯t take your eyes off the burglar, hold out no matter what!¡±

    This fortress was surrounded by a wide moat and the flowing water, one of the weaknesses of vampires.

    Behind it was a precipitous cliff that even beasts couldn¡¯t scale properly and it was possible to watch all directions from the top of the wall.

    If the enemy was a vampire, they could rest in the morning. Holding down the fortress was possible.

    The underlings regained their senses with the calm words of their king and ran out of the throne room to get to their positions. Disel left the throne room, rushed up the stairs and looked down at the forest that spread out from the tall moat to the bottom.

    Dark elves had good eyesight and could see well at night too. He quickly found his target.

    That vampire ¡ª was a girl with platinum blonde hair and an otherworldly air around her.

    She wore a thin, fluttering white dress. She had no weapons or comrades with her. Her limbs were unbelievably slender, and it was hard to think that she was the terrifying enemy that had single-handedly chased away Disel¡¯s subordinates.

    Vampires created by necromancers generally couldn¡¯t use magic. How in the world could she have attacked from such a distance without a weapon?

    In front of the eyes of puzzled Disel, the girl put her small hand on the large tree growing near her ¡ª- and pulled it out easily.

    ¡°!?¡±

    It was a scene that almost seemed like a joke. Even the ogres under Disel¡¯s command couldn¡¯t do the same thing. It was absurd.

    The guards gathered at the top of the outer wall stirred. The girl swung wide while still holding the large tree. Disel understood.

    It was a throw with nothing special about it, utilizing her great physical strength. A mass projectile. The guards unleashed a series of magic and arrows, but that vampire didn¡¯t care at all.

    The vampire girl simply threw the large tree happily.

    The large tree that came flying, pierced the thick outer wall, making the fortress shake greatly. Was she perhaps¡­ planning to take down the castle with just long-distance attacks?!

    There were countless things to throw. The moat was deep, but if she kept throwing, she would eventually stop the flow of water.

    Disel shuddered at the enemy¡¯s overly bold strategy and yelled as he snatched the garlic necklace that the imp was swinging.

    ¡°Kill her! Don¡¯t let that woman do whatever she wants any longer!¡±

 CH 135.1

    A castle siege is difficult, even for a vampire. For vampires with a number of fatal weaknesses, being waited for fully prepared is extremely hard.

    In particular, being unable to cross flowing water and losing their powers when they¡¯re above it is an especially troublesome weakness and it¡¯s also one of the reasons why vampires, who boast of great powers, haven¡¯t survived that much.

    Another peculiar problem that comes up when attacking fortresses, castles or mansions is the weakness of being unable to enter without being invited and it can be said that the success or failure of the mission I gave to Mirele this time depends on how she¡¯ll solve this problem.

    ¡ª And, Mirele dealt with each of those problems with brute force.

    She boldly pulled out the tree and used it as a bullet. The massive projectile fired at the velocity similar to a cannon ball collided with the firm wall, slightly shook the old fortress and fell into the deep moat filled with flowing water.

    Countless soldiers had gathered on top of the outer wall, stunned by her brutality. Unperturbed by the failed destruction, Mirele pulled out the next tree and resumed throwing.

    Even an ordinary object can turn into a weapon if it¡¯s fired with the physical strength of a vampire. I guess this is what they mean when they say that simple is the best.

    If I were to attack a castle surrounded by a moat, I would probably also take a similar approach after much deliberation, but she¡¯s really flexible.

    Looks like¡­ she really won¡¯t be having any problems.

    I make the bat that I¡¯d sent flying high up in the sky, descend and stop on Mirele¡¯s head.

    ¡°?! Brother?!¡±

    Mirele, who immediately realized the true identity of the strange bat, shouted with glee.

    After making it let out a quiet cry, I retrieved my consciousness, vision and attention from the ¡®bat that I had created by transforming a part of my body¡¯.

    I sigh in relief. The bat¡¯s vision is still flickering in the corner of my mind.

    Vampire abilities are useful and versatile. And, because of that, if you are going to fight another vampire, the results of the battle will be decided by who¡¯s more proficient at using their abilities.

    There would be nothing lamer if I went to save Senri and ended up losing. I can¡¯t keep losing to Mirele.

    That being said, the situation wasn¡¯t progressing. There is only one Oliver and I prefer attacking before sending the summons to surrender, but I won¡¯t be able to make excuses later when I¡¯m questioned by Senri.

    Even if I want to practice my powers, blood power is finite. Right now, I have no choice but to get blood from Monica, but its quality is too different from Senri. Human blood seems to be the best way for gaining blood power.

    Right now, the roles in the army of White Puppy King, which is involuntarily made up of a select few, are simple.

    Monica researches, Oliver negotiates and Mirele threatens. And I¡­ I?

    I can only do gymnastics.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless, Lord End. The humans are exhausted, but even they won¡¯t surrender without seeing our military strength.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll come with you for the next negotiation¡­¡±

    ¡°?! I-in this era, people don¡¯t meet people at night, Lord End.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s fearful yet exasperated gaze was telling me to not follow him because I¡¯d get in his way. If the other person was Senri, I¡¯d be able to easily accept that opinion, but I wonder what this feeling I have is.

    But at this rate, I will become somebody who makes his subordinates do everything without doing anything himself.

    In truth, I was planning on attacking the castle with Mirele, but if she can do it alone, it would be more efficient for her to do it by herself and for me to do something else meanwhile.

    What should I do to reunite with Senri as soon as possible? I folded my hands, thought for a while and nodded.

    ¡°¡­ Hmm. I have time so maybe I¡¯ll make some weapons.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon? What are you talking about?¡±

    Our goal is not only to absorb underlings under our command. It is the earnest wish of the White Puppy Army to make them fight and get to Senri.

    I know that those who would give in to threats aren¡¯t very strong, but even weak underlings might be better off if we equip them with suitable weapons.

    ¡°Weapons, you say¡­ it is true that there is a shortage of weapons in the world, but do you have any blacksmith in mind, Lord End?¡±

    ¡°Not a blacksmith, but magic instead.¡±

    I touch the jet black sword that was left by the Mirage King ¨C Jet Nuumite Braklion ¨C next to me.

    The sword of daybreak. It¡¯s a cursed sword with a history, which nobody could take when I was asleep because it curses everything that it touches. And it¡¯s also the sword that only I, who defeated him, can use.

    Jet created this sword with earth magic.

    I still find it unbelievable that a sword of this quality could be created with just magic ¡ªbut a weapon isn¡¯t the only thing I¡¯ve inherited from him.

    Feeding isn¡¯t just the act of replenishing nutrition. Putting the blood in your body ¨C is the inheritance of power.

    When I first drank Senri¡¯s blood, I inherited her positive presence and some level of the resistances she had. When I bit into the Lord¡¯s phantom, I wasn¡¯t even a Lesser Vampire yet, but I inherited his memories.

    The curse designed by the Lord, ¡®Curse Steal¡¯, is the advanced form of Feeding.

    The King of the Palace where all demonic beings reside. When his powers flew into me, I relived his memories. The soul of the Mirage King is still with me.

    I touch the stone wall with my palm. Even if I say that I relived it, I can only use about 10% of Jet¡¯s powers in my current state.

    But, 10% is enough. The stone wall wriggles like clay, creating a stone sword in my hand. Its shape and the strength are far inferior to the sword of the daybreak, but, well, it¡¯s better than nothing,

    The scorched color of the blade is the result of compressing the stone with a spell.  Oliver, who received the sword, looked at the length of the blade and hummed in admiration.

    ¡°Mmh¡­ it¡¯s a bit heavy, but demons shouldn¡¯t have any problem wielding it.¡±

    ¡°If I had metal, I could make metal ones too. I can¡¯t create weapons by sucking up materials from the soil though¡­¡±

    But I can use it as a bargaining tool. With a weapon, even worthless demons could become useful. A bigger reach is at least better than fighting with bare fists, and it¡¯s more elaborate than an ordinary stone sword.

    So, how about it?

    When I looked at him, Oliver was swinging the sword lightly with a thoughtful expression for a little while, but then he nodded strongly as if he was satisfied.

    ¡°¡­ What a terrifying power. If we show them goods, we can at least form a partnership. At the very least, we do need enough members to be called an army though.¡±

    ¡°So it depends on Mirele¡­¡±

    A human town is too weak to choose it as our first target, and there are only 4 of us. There¡¯s a high chance that we¡¯ll be underestimated no matter how strong we are.

    The army of the Demon King of Evernight is weak, but they have a fair number of soldiers. Controlling them would be the first stepping stone. On the other hand, if nothing comes out of it even when we corner them, we¡¯ll have to reconsider our plan.

    The time when vampires can move is too short.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go make some weapons¡­¡±

    ¡°In that case, I will make preparations to carry the weapons. It would be better if we had any horses¡­ Haa. Unfortunately, we are also short on horses, so for a while I¡¯ll be the one pulling the cart.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s shoulders deflated and he left the room with a pitiful expression. If the army of White Puppy King becomes big, I¡¯ll make him into a General.

 CH 135.2

    She moved her body as freely as she could before it was eaten away by the disease ¡ª no, even more freely. Her brother did gymnastics a lot, but Mirele understood his feelings well enough.

    Even Mirele, who had only been sick for a few years, couldn¡¯t stop feeling happy. There was no doubt that her brother, who had literally felt helplessness until the day he died, felt even more joy.

    She felt a tremendous exhilaration at the smell of blood and the presence of a battle. A towering fortress. She felt no fear for the countless murderous intents that were aimed at her from there either.

    The bat that her brother had sent was squeaking above her head. There was no full moon tonight. It wasn¡¯t the time when vampires could reach their full potentials but it was enough.

    The five senses of vampires can handle a large amount of information.

    They can see in the dark as if it were a day, but they¡¯ll never be blinded by a blazing fire. They can pick on the sound of a needle falling, but they will never have their eardrums rupture from a loud sound. They are sensitive enough to even feel the flow of the wind, but they¡¯re not weak to stimulation.

    In other words, they¡¯re perfect. They have countless weaknesses, but if they take in the information properly and pay attention, they will never have to worry about surprise attacks.

    It seemed that her brother had continued to fight without caring about his body being harmed, but Mirele didn¡¯t have such a philosophical view yet.

    And the aversion to being wounded was always in the corner of her mind when blood rushed to her mind due to her combat instincts, dampening them.

    She lightly dodged the incoming counter-attack of arrows and threw the wooden cannonball. The castle wall made of stone was solid, but if she kept at it, it¡¯d eventually collapse.

    The reason why Mirele wasn¡¯t transforming into a wolf was partly because a humanoid form had more maneuverability, but it was also to avoid killing the opponents too much.

    She crushed a few towns in search of their main base and killed a little too much. If their numbers were reduced, the profit from incorporating them into their army would also decrease. It was one of the things she had to reflect on in the strategy against ¡®Demon King of Evernight¡¯.

    If she kept on throwing trees, the moat would soon fill up, the enemy would despair and start making noise ¡ª there was still a while until dawn, but she wanted to go home as fast as possible.

    Flaming arrows were fired and pierced the trees. They were trying to buy time by burning the forest and reducing the number of objects she could throw.

    It was an underhanded move. Mirele pulled out the burning tree and threw it a little higher. The burning tree disappeared beyond the outer wall, followed by the screams carried by the wind.

    By now, the opponent should have become aware of Mirele¡¯s intentions.

    ¡°Brother, is it about time they tried using my weaknesses?¡±

    All of Mirele¡¯s tactics were based on the information she had gotten from her brother. Imagination was her specialty. That was the only thing she could do when she was bedridden ¨C but she never thought she¡¯d be able to use it in combat one day.

    The bat above her squeaked in response to her question. It was so cute, that Mirele couldn¡¯t help spontaneously breaking out into a smile.

    Transformation of separate parts of the body was something Mirele couldn¡¯t do yet. There was a rank difference between Mirele and her brother and there was also her lack of experience.

    It might¡¯ve been good to borrow a single bat after she defeated the Demon King of Evernight. Since she would only be borrowing a separate part of his body, her brother¡¯s main body would weaken, but even Mirele was able to attack the fortress just by herself. Her brother wouldn¡¯t have any problems.

    Just as she was thinking that ¡ª¨C a powerful flow of mana suddenly passed through her field of vision.

    The world that seemed like daylight was enveloped in darkness all at once, as if a curtain had descended.

    She didn¡¯t lose consciousness. She still had limbs and she could feel the wind caressing her cheeks. In other words, this was¨C

    ¡°The reason why the Demon King of Evernight is called so¡­¡±

    Ordinary magic didn¡¯t work on vampires. In other words, this was something that affected the surrounding environment itself rather than Mirele.

    They saw that the situation was becoming worse and made their move. The outside world being dark even though she had her eyes open, was a sensation from when she was alive and it somehow felt fresh.

    The hearing of Mirele, who had regained her spirits, caught the sound of the wind and footsteps.

    I see, so they can see their own troops. It was a spell she had never heard of, but magic was always something that was greatly influenced by one¡¯s own qualities.

    Mirele was looking down on him a bit, but he was a terrifying King. If she were a human, there would be nothing she could do. If she were a human, that is.

    She evaded the arrows flying at her with high speed only by using her ears and the signs of the wind. Even If her vision was blocked, it was easy to find the location of the enemy with her vampire five senses.

    Of course, she also had the confidence to engage in a close distance fight while unable to see. Mirele Noah ¨C was the first vampire of the King of the Palace of Darkness. She didn¡¯t intend to tarnish the name of that King.

    She sharpened her senses more than usual and sensed the location of the assailants. There were almost no footsteps. They were probably dark elves.

    But there was no problem. Mirele¡¯s hearing wouldn¡¯t miss even the sound of the needle dropping.

    Dark elves surrounded Mirele.

    Sound. Odor. Skin sensation. The moment she tried using everything to sense their movements ¡ª Mirele sneezed with all her might.

    That should have been impossible. Vampires didn¡¯t sneeze.

    She sneezed again right in front of the dark elves that attacked her almost at the same time. She couldn¡¯t endure it. She suddenly felt something lukewarm on her cheeks and touched it.

    It was water. No, it was¡ª tears. Mirele was crying at the moment. Furthermore ¡ª like a waterfall too.

    Mirele just barely evaded the sword that was swung down on her, despite being highly confused. However, a tingling pain ran through her skin which hadn¡¯t even been grazed.

    And, Mirele realized everything. This phenomenon was¡ª

    ¡°Garlic odor?!¡±

    ¡°You are the enemy of my brethren, vampire!¡±

    She ducked to evade the invisible yet sharp slash. Something flew from the sword and stuck to her skin, causing intense pain.

    Her brain was dizzy with a strange fever that differed from her fighting spirit. Her eyes hurt. For the first time, Mirele turned to evading with no regard to appearances.

    The sword was not made from silver. To begin with, such precious items like silver swords hardly existed in the countryside like this anymore. It wasn¡¯t a fatal wound.

    But, these people¡ª had coated their swords with garlic juice.

    She was completely taken by surprise. She had thought that the enemy would only use silver or the flowing water. To think that it would be garlic of all things¡ª

    She remembered something that her brother had said before with a serious expression.

    ¡®Mirele, all of our enemies will take advantage of our weaknesses. Be careful during combat. They did some unbelievable things to me, like using a cruciform sword. If you¡¯re unlucky, they might even use garlic cut in the shape of a cross as a sword.¡¯

    At that time, Mirele had thought that it was a joke and chuckled but it wasn¡¯t a joke.

    These men ¨C didn¡¯t have a shred of a swordsman¡¯s pride.

    She could understand a silver sword or silver arrows. But to put garlic on them ¨D¨D?

    Vampires had many weaknesses, but even if they were all considered to be weaknesses, there was a difference in so-called significance between them.

    Garlic was undeniably one of the weaknesses of vampires, but it was not fatal weakness.

    Even if she was cut with a sword that was coated with garlic juice, it would only cause her severe pain, but it wouldn¡¯t stop her from regenerating or kill her. It was different in nature from silver.

    But even so¡ª this was the worst attack. It was harassment.

    She evaded the attack while desperately trying to breath through her tears and runny nose. She couldn¡¯t concentrate due to the itchiness and pain that was assaulting her. She couldn¡¯t muster up strength.

    While her mind was a mess from her first experience, she instinctively sensed just the signs of the silver arrows flying at her and evaded them.

    ¡°It¡¯s working, it¡¯s really working! Keep attacking!¡±

    She felt like replacing her whole head. She felt like washing all of her insides with water. What had she even done wrong?

    At that time, Mirele understood for the first time why her brother had said that being a vampire wasn¡¯t easy either. She wished they fought her fair and square.

    Something with a terrible pungent odor fell from above. She sensed its shape from the sound and the air.

    It was garlic tied with strings. This was too cruel.

    As if encouraged, dark elves swung their pungent-smelling weapons at Mirele, who rolled around while sneezing.