The corridor was shrouded in darkness, but I had no time to dwell on it. My focus was solely on running.
The security spell on the third floor had been triggered. The implication was clear: someone had broken into the storage room where I kept the spoils of my explorations.
It could have been an unauthorized clan member, but considering the valuable items stored there, I couldn’t afford to be complacent.
I dashed through the dim hallway, practically flying down the stairs.
Just as I reached the third floor, a voice boomed through the corridor.
“How dare you lay a hand on me!”
There was a loud splat, followed by a familiar scream echoing through the hallway. I turned to see something flying through the air, tracing a graceful arc toward me. It was Vivian. Instinctively, I reached out my arms.
With a soft thud, I caught her, trying to cushion the impact. Her face was twisted in pain.
“Ugh! That hurt!”
“Vivian! What happened?”
“That damned bastard…! Let me go! ───! ───! ───!”
Vivian didn’t even glance at me. Furious, she scrambled to her feet and began chanting a spell.
I needed to assess the situation, so I quickly enhanced my vision. As I focused in the direction of the storage room, the intruder’s form gradually came into view.
‘That’s…’
He was about the height of an average adult male. His skin was so pale it seemed almost translucent, and his dark blonde hair blended into the shadows. His noble, Western features made it clear he wasn’t from the Northern Continent.
“Well… I had hoped to leave quietly, but it seems another pest has appeared.”
A slightly high-pitched but unmistakably male voice reached my ears. He calmly brushed back his shoulder-length hair, his cold, piercing gaze locking onto me and Vivian.
In that moment, I realized the truth. Though he appeared human, he was anything but. This was a…
‘Vampire.’
I wondered why he was here, but there was no time for curiosity. I aimed ‘Victoria’s Glory’ at him.
The important thing was that he was a vampire, a monster, and he held a bottle of golden liquid—an elixir. He was undoubtedly my enemy.
“Human, I shall grant you a warning. Let me leave peacefully, and there will be no unnecessary bloodshed…”
Before he could finish, I launched myself down the corridor with all my might.
Whoosh!
The pitch-black darkness brushed against my skin as the distance between us closed rapidly. Yet, the vampire remained unfazed, as if he had anticipated my charge.
He slowly raised his arm.
“Humans are always the same. So foolish.”
A metallic scent filled the air. The raised arm was encircled by a swirling mass of blood, moving between his shoulder and wrist. So that was the source of the unease I felt earlier—his ‘blood.’
His fingertips pointed at me.
“One warning should suffice. I won’t stop you from drinking the punishment you so eagerly seek.”
The swirling liquid concentrated at his fingertips.
“Prepare yourself! My blood will devour you!”
With a splat, it spread wide like an umbrella, rushing toward me. Vivian must have been caught by a similar attack.
As the blood maw closed in, I quickly summoned my magic.
‘I need to end this quickly.’
Despite my experiences, I didn’t feel particularly threatened. Yet, for some reason, my ears felt strangely burdened.
With a flash, I activated my teleportation spell, and in an instant, my view shifted, placing me behind the vampire.
His blood was now hungrily consuming the spot where I had just stood. His face, visible at an angle, was filled with arrogance.
Hoping to see that smug expression twisted in pain, I swung my sword with all my might.
Swish!
Did he sense the danger at the last moment? The blade, aimed at his crown, grazed his shaking head and sliced into his shoulder. I felt the sensation of cutting through something as it traveled down my arm.
Slice! Squelch!
I frowned slightly at the sensation. The feeling of cutting through flesh was mixed with a sticky unpleasantness.
I could have continued the cut, but instead, I channeled my magic. I halted the sword mid-swing and unleashed a burst of magical energy. My specialty—magical explosion.
Boom! Boom!
The vampire’s body erupted with bulging explosions, his scream of agony reverberating through the corridor. As the elixir soared into the air, I quickly reached out.
“No, you don’t!”
‘Still alive, are you?’
Despite having cleaved him in half and bombarded him with magical explosions, the vampire’s resilience was astonishing. But the elixir, a lifeline of sorts, was more important. I snatched the bottle from the air. It sloshed gently.
“This can’t be happening!”
Was losing the elixir that devastating? The vampire’s scream echoed through the corridor. Then, as if attempting to flee, the liquid from his body began to swirl like a vortex.
‘Not so fast.’
I kicked out with my left foot, feeling the sticky liquid splatter against my instep.
Splatter! Splatter!
The blood, like a fountain, scattered into the air before dissipating completely. At the end of the empty corridor, the vampire began to reform.
After a moment of silence, his voice, tinged with panic, broke the stillness.
“Huff! Huff! What’s happening…? Why can’t I regenerate? I was only struck by a human’s sword!”
That’s because of my power, I thought to myself.
Judging by his labored breathing, he seemed to have taken a significant hit. Yet, what surprised me was that he hadn’t fled and was still standing his ground.
‘Isn’t he trying to escape?’
Just then, Vivian’s clear voice rang out sharply.
“Come forth, Aranya! Web of Death, ruler of the 32nd Legion!”
Vivian had been preparing a summoning spell, it seemed.
“Kim Su-hyun! It’s done! I’ll handle this, so step aside!”
With a whoosh, several strands of silvery web surged down the corridor. Like living snakes, they gracefully bypassed me and enveloped the vampire at the end of the hallway.
“Got you, you little pest!”
Despite being ensnared by dozens of webs, the vampire didn’t move. He simply stood there, head bowed. His appearance was pitiful, with parts of his body blown open as if repeatedly punched by a giant fist.
Vivian approached, her gaze icy as she looked at him. Without even glancing at me, she stopped and gestured with her chin, indicating I should step aside.
“Kim Su-hyun. I’m sorry, but I can’t let this fight go.”
“Huh? But it looks like it’s already…”
“No, Kim Su-hyun. That bastard wounded my pride deeply. I’m furious. So, will you give me a chance to restore my dignity? Please.”
I wanted to tell her it was nonsense since I had already subdued him, but Vivian’s face was so earnest, her eyes almost brimming with tears.
”…Do as you wish.”
“Good. I’ll make sure he pays, right before my eyes.”
With a short sigh, I shook my head and stepped aside. Vivian rushed forward, standing before the vampire.
Watching closely, I could see he was barely clinging to life.
‘Come to think of it… there were vampires with particularly tenacious vitality. Ones that stored life force, perhaps?’
As I pondered, Vivian lifted the vampire’s chin with a delicate finger.
“Hey, you. You had the nerve to smack my behind earlier.”
“Ugh…”
“Ha ha ha. Look at you now. How should I kill you? Hmm? Tear you to shreds? Or maybe rip you apart?”
”…I don’t know the difference, but do it! Spare me no further humiliation, human who reeks of spiders.”
‘Oh?’
I narrowed my eyes at the vampire’s words. Could it be that monsters recognize each other?
Vivian laughed melodiously.
“Hahaha, hahaha! You don’t seem to be human either, do you?”
”…”
“No answer, huh? How about this then?”
Snap!
With a flick of her fingers, Vivian set the web in motion. It slithered around, and soon, with a sharp yank on the creature’s left arm, there was a loud, snapping sound.
“Aaaaargh!”
The vampire’s midnight torture was underway. I spoke calmly.
“Vivian, don’t kill him just yet. We need to find out who’s behind this.”
“Don’t worry. Torture is my specialty. Remember the Baek Seoyeon incident?”
Vivian replied curtly. It made sense, so I nodded in agreement.
Leaning against the cold wall, I let the creature’s relentless screams serve as a grim backdrop to my thoughts.
‘Why did he only try to take the elixir?’
There were several oddities about this break-in. The storage room was filled with various items, so why go for just one bottle of elixir? And why was a non-human creature here in the first place?
Thud, thud, thud! Thud, thud, thud!
The sudden vibrations sharpened my senses, and I could hear footsteps approaching. It seemed the clan members were finally catching up.
‘Tsk. I can’t figure it out.’
I slowly caressed the reclaimed elixir and activated my third eye. Whatever the situation, it didn’t concern me. I just needed to extract the necessary information and then dispose of him.
< Resident Information >
Name: Sasha Felix
Class: Vampire (Monster, Vampire, Master)
Nation: Felix (A now-defunct vampire kingdom)
Clan: -
True Name & Nationality: Heir to the Blood Lord • Hall Plain
Sex: Male (127 years old)
Height & Weight: 183.3 cm • 65.4 kg
Disposition: Chaotic • Fool
[Strength 53] [Endurance 67] [Agility 78] [Stamina 84] [Magic 93] [Luck 51]
‘Blood Lord…? Fool…?’
As I read through the details, the mention of a ‘contract with the user’ caught my eye. Suddenly, a part of the mystery unraveled in my mind.
‘Ah…!’
At that moment, a memory flashed through my mind, and I urgently called out to Vivian.
“Vivian! Wait a moment!”
“You understand? You can’t touch… Huh? What is it?”
I glanced at the vampire, who was now reduced to just a torso and a leg, but thankfully, he was still breathing.
I quickly sliced through the air with ‘Victoria’s Glory’ and moved swiftly.
If my memory served me right, this vampire would later be known as the ‘Shadow’ of the ‘Holy Queen.’
‘Yes, he died too early for me to remember.’
And if the ‘Shadow’ was here, then…
‘She must be here too.’
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hmm. The side story… 1, 2, 1, 2, 1. Based on my current plans, it should be finished by this week at the earliest, or by the 25th at the latest. I couldn’t serialize everything I mentioned before, so I’ve selected only the most promising parts. -_-a
Oh, readers, do you remember the cover vote from before? Ansol was chosen back then. I’m currently in touch with an illustrator now that I have some free time. A decision should be made in a few days, and I’ll let you know once it’s finalized. :)