Episode 401

Following Carmilla, Bacchus and Nikki also knelt before Zeke, leaving him bewildered by their sudden display of submission.

‘What’s going on?’

Zeke recalled that the Blood King Caligula possessed the power to subjugate three races.

‘Vampires were part of the White Mask Clan. Could it be that by absorbing Caligula’s power, they now see me as their master?’

Looking at Carmilla, Zeke spoke, “Please, rise. I have no intention of becoming the king of vampires.”

Carmilla bowed her head even lower, her voice firm. “That is not possible. You must lead us, my king.”

Zeke turned to Bacchus, seeking his opinion. “Bacchus, do you feel the same way?”

Bacchus slowly raised his head and replied, “As a half-blood vampire, the compulsion is weaker for me than for my mother. Yet, I still feel an overwhelming urge to pledge my loyalty to you.”

“So, it’s a vampire instinct beyond your control?”

“All vampires likely feel the same.”

Zeke then looked at Nikki, who was now tense and had her head bowed deeply.

”…This is hard to get used to.”

Bacchus spoke on Nikki’s behalf, “Nikki is a powerful vampire with the blood of the progenitor. The subjugation effect is stronger on her.”

It seemed the vampire essence within Nikki was reacting to Zeke’s newfound authority as the heir to the Blood King’s title.

“Nikki, I command you to treat me as you did before,” Zeke instructed.

Nikki hesitantly lifted her head, her voice strained. “My king, that is a command too burdensome for me. Please, reconsider.”

Zeke shook his head at Nikki’s refusal. ‘This is troublesome.’

As Zeke pondered how to handle this unexpected situation, Icarus, who had been chained, suddenly crawled towards him, his expression one of utter confusion.

“Your Majesty! No! Why am I… Your Majesty, please, stop!”

Icarus, a high-ranking incubus summoned from the demon realm, was also affected by Caligula’s power, which extended beyond the physical realm to the demon realm itself. Despite his strong will, Icarus struggled to resist Zeke’s authority.

Zeke watched Icarus clutching his head in frustration and spoke with a hint of exasperation, “Decide whether you’ll submit or not. Just pick one.”

Despite Zeke’s casual tone, the natural authority in his voice was too much for Icarus to resist. He bowed his head, submitting to Zeke.

“This humble servant, Icarus, greets his master.”

Seeing even a high-ranking incubus like Icarus submit, Zeke was reminded of the formidable power Caligula once wielded.

‘When I was the master of Shambhala, I must have wielded even greater power. What kind of strength did the Godslayer possess to instill fear in such a Blood King?’

Contemplating the vampires and incubus now under his command, Zeke finally spoke, “First, let’s leave this place. I need to check on Carmilla’s condition.”

With his unintended followers in tow, Zeke exited Caligula’s tomb.

---

Arriving at a vampire hideout near Himonas, Zeke pondered what to do with the vampires and incubus who had pledged their loyalty to him.

‘The vampires were already allies, so there shouldn’t be any major issues.’

With the vampires, including Queen Carmilla, bound by an irresistible force of subjugation, betrayal seemed unlikely. Moreover, vampires were natural assassins and necromancers, making them highly useful.

‘But the real issue is…’

Zeke glanced at Icarus, who was now unchained and kneeling in a corner. Originally possessing an androgynous beauty, Icarus had transformed into a fully feminine form after submitting to Zeke, exuding pheromones that could seduce anyone.

Though Zeke’s will was strong enough to resist the incubus’s allure, the pheromones of a high-ranking incubus were more potent than any aphrodisiac in the physical realm.

‘I’m worried about the effect on the other knights.’

As Zeke’s gaze fell on Icarus, the incubus blushed and released even stronger pheromones.

Zeke frowned at Icarus’s blatant display. “You’re really laying it on thick. Maybe I should just seal you away…”

Icarus shook his head vigorously. “It’s the nature of an incubus, my king! It’s not my will!”

Incubi were a race that survived by entering others’ dreams and absorbing their essence. Their instinct to seduce someone stronger was unavoidable.

‘Should I just seal him in a ring?’

Seriously considering it, Zeke clicked his tongue and addressed Icarus, “I’ll think more about what to do with you. Stay put for now.”

Icarus paled at Zeke’s cold words but nodded obediently.

Leaving Icarus behind, Zeke entered the room where Carmilla lay.

As he entered, Carmilla, who had been lying in a coffin, attempted to rise to greet him.

“Stay where you are. That’s an order.”

At Zeke’s command, Carmilla lay back down. Accepting their loyalty, Zeke endured the discomfort of speaking down to them and asked Bacchus, who was tending to her, “How is Carmilla’s condition?”

“She’s recovering, but her powers as a progenitor haven’t fully returned, leaving her unstable.”

Zeke approached the coffin to examine Carmilla. Her already pale vampire complexion seemed even more ghostly.

Gently placing his hand on her forehead, Zeke focused his power.

“Ah…”

Carmilla’s lips parted in surprise as his hand touched her.

Ignoring her reaction, Zeke used his third eye’s power to assess her condition.

A red aura flowed from him into Carmilla.

With the power of the third eye, Zeke could clearly understand Carmilla’s state.

Having absorbed Caligula’s power, authority, and knowledge, Zeke’s understanding of souls had deepened significantly. As Caligula had ruled over the vampires, Zeke’s comprehension of the race had also greatly increased.

‘Her body and mind are out of balance, causing ongoing issues.’

Normally, she would need to remain dormant until her body matured. However, the circumstances forced her to awaken prematurely, and the backlash from breaking Caligula’s seal had worsened the imbalance.

After using the third eye’s power to put Carmilla back to sleep, Zeke turned to Bacchus.

“If left as is, the rift between her body and soul will widen, further damaging her spirit.”

Bacchus was alarmed. “A rift in her soul… Is there no way to save her? Please, save my mother!”

Bacchus immediately knelt and bowed his head to the floor.

“Stand up. As the ruler of the White Mask Clan, Caligula was also known as the White Mask King. With his knowledge and power, I can heal Carmilla.”

Bacchus’s head shot up at Zeke’s words. “Thank you! I’ll do anything you ask. Just tell me!”

“Then step outside for a moment. I need to perform a ritual to heal Carmilla.”

Though hesitant, Bacchus left the room, closing the door behind him.

‘There are things I need for the healing.’

Zeke summoned Richmond and Bane.

Emerging from the shadows, Richmond and Bane appeared.

“You called, Master!”

“At your service, Master.”

Zeke addressed Richmond first. “Richmond, return the Royal Vampire Dagger I gave you.”

Richmond flinched. “Wasn’t that a gift?”

“It was on loan. Hand it over.”

Grumbling internally about Zeke’s stinginess, Richmond reluctantly complied.

“I can hear you grumbling.”

“Eep!”

Richmond often forgot he was a summoned creature.

After receiving the dagger, Zeke retrieved an ancient blood magic tome from his inventory.

‘I kept it just in case, and now it’s finally useful.’

Holding the dagger and tome, Zeke instructed Richmond and Bane, “I’m going to mend Carmilla’s soul and accelerate her body’s growth. Ensure no one interrupts the ritual.”

“Understood, Master! Leave it to us.”

“Tch, got it.”

Despite their differing attitudes, both Richmond and Bane diligently set up a barrier around Zeke to prevent any disturbances.

After confirming his plan, Zeke approached the coffin where Carmilla lay. Having absorbed Caligula, he instinctively understood the ritual he needed to perform.

First, he drew Garin’s dagger and pricked the tip of Carmilla’s finger as she slept.

A few drops of her blood fell onto the surface of the ancient bloodline grimoire, which immediately absorbed it and began to emit a dark crimson aura.

Holding the grimoire and the dagger in each hand, Zeke activated the power of his Third Eye.

A crackling sound filled the air as Zeke extracted the essence of the royal vampire from both the grimoire and the dagger.

He directed this energy straight into Carmilla’s body.

A thunderous roar echoed as the royal vampire’s power seeped into her, triggering a transformation.

Carmilla’s body began to grow, maturing rapidly.

“Ugh…”

The forced growth caused her to stir, as if trying to awaken from her slumber.

Zeke used the power of his Third Eye to keep her consciousness subdued, knowing that the process would be less painful if her mind remained asleep.

As the royal vampire’s power took hold, Carmilla’s body soon matured into that of an adult woman, bypassing the passage of time to restore her to her pre-revival state.

‘Good, everything’s going smoothly so far.’

The next step was to mend the fractures in Carmilla’s soul and ensure her mind fully adapted to her newly grown body.

Zeke peered into her soul with his Third Eye.

He saw the cracks marring her soul and reached out to them.

The power of the Third Eye was potent enough to heal these fractures.

After restoring her soul, Zeke meticulously adjusted her mind until it was perfectly aligned with her body.

Having absorbed all of Caligula’s power, and with the Third Eye being an extension of his bloodline abilities, wielding this power felt natural to him.

The restoration of Carmilla’s soul was easier than he had anticipated. After a final check of her condition, Zeke slowly opened his eyes.

‘It seems to have worked.’

The dagger and the ancient bloodline grimoire, now devoid of their power, crumbled into ash and vanished.

Zeke flinched momentarily but decided to investigate later. He used the Third Eye to awaken Carmilla’s consciousness.

“Mmm…”

Carmilla opened her eyes, her body restored to its original form. Her vampire eyes, like precious jewels, sparkled.

As she regained her senses, she was startled to find her body had returned to its former state.

“My body… it’s back to normal?”

She sat up abruptly in the coffin, surprised by the newfound strength coursing through her.

“How is this possible…?”

In her astonishment, she noticed Zeke standing beside her and quickly bowed her head.

“I apologize, my king. I was so overwhelmed that I forgot myself.”

“It’s alright. How do you feel?”

Carmilla raised her head and summoned her energy. Like Garin before her, she now exuded the power of a royal vampire.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“I feel an abundance of strength. And… my mind is filled with ancient knowledge I never knew before. Lost bloodline magic and the summoning rituals of blood golems… knowledge only a royal vampire can wield.”

Zeke realized that the power of the dagger and the grimoire had transferred to Carmilla rather than simply disappearing.

“With this, you might surpass even the progenitors. Master all the bloodline magic, and you could become more powerful than any royal vampire.”

At Zeke’s words, Carmilla immediately knelt before him.

“I am grateful for the grace you have bestowed upon me, my king.”

She paused, then spoke with a voice full of resolve.

“I am your loyal servant, the closest and sharpest blade to protect you. I will gladly carry out any command you give. Please, command me.”

Zeke gazed at her intently and spoke.

“Very well, I shall give you a command.”

He slowly began.

“Tell me everything you know about Laura Agamemnon, my mother.”