Chapter 29: Vampire's Royal Snack
After throwing himself at one of the villain's servants, Bryce slashed through her whip, breaking it, and his sword seamlessly cut off her arm. He shoved his weapon into her chest, and his bloody thorns coiled around her heart. He then felt incoming attacks from behind and left side.
But Bryce didn't even look in their direction, standing still as though other servants were insignificant.
[You have lost -320 HP!]
[You have lost -325 HP!]
Continuously lashing Bryce with their whips, the other pig women strained to avenge their Master, then bring his body back to the castle alongside his killer. Still, no matter how many times they attacked Bryce, he remained on his two feet, with his back straight, at that.
The servants shrieked, their dominant arms undulating as they kept whipping. "Just die! Die! Die! Die!"
Ignoring them, Bryce drew back his right hand, his sword following. He took out the heart wrapped in thorny veins, but contrary to the villain's heart, the heart of the pig woman before him still beat; its sound drummed in everyone's hearts.
[You have used the Vampire's Royal Snack Skill.]
[You have turned a foreign heart into your royal snack.]
Bryce arched his head back, his left hand picking the heart, then as he hovered it above his face, the blood dripped onto his hair and face. The blood seemed to shine on those blond streaks, and as it slid down across his pale face, most of it went toward Bryce's lips as though the blood knew its destination.
He squeezed the heart for more blood, his face getting drenched in it, and licked the new portion of red liquid around his lips.
Before him, the heartless woman, not knowing what kept her alive to see the scene, gawked at Bryce with a horrified face. Trembling, with blood oozing out from a hole in her chest and her lips, the woman couldn't think of anything other than her fear of her killer.
And that fear stemmed from her heart!
Other servants also halted, frightened by the sound of their friend's heart, as though Bryce could manipulate it and sow it deep within their hearts. They wanted to push it aside, to free themselves from that, and yet, as Bryce took a bite, and some of his health points skyrocketed and his wounds closed akin instantly, the servants' souls collapsed.
"E stands for execution."
The heartless woman's head popped without a rose, for she was not worthy of such a grand death, was she?
The others' legs crumbled, and they dropped down.
[Your HP is full.]
[You have killed the villain's servant.]
Bryce wheeled to the fallen servants and gazed at them with blood trickling down his hair and chin. They sat before him like docile puppies, their loyalty to the demon lord gone, staring at him with hollow eyes. If he wanted them to bark, they would bark.
That's how much control Bryce gained through the way of the demon lord.
He wasn't a villain, he was a demon lord.
And not only he had the regalia of execution, but he was also the direct successor to his mother's bloodline. Therefore, when he made a killing as the vampire, the effects were beyond what villains were capable of.
[You can enslave the villain's servants through your demon lord's regalia.]
"They are better off as a nutrient."
The servants hadn't replied. Their eyes hovered on Bryce, waiting for his next move, and in their situation, they could only accept whatever he'd prepared for them.
[You have killed the villain's servant.]
[You have killed the villain's servant.]
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[Bryce E. Lars Lv. 41 HP: 25 000/25 000 MP: 35 000/35 000]
"It seems mom's blood won the race," Bryce chuckled after looking at his stats.
He leveled up like a monster, mainly because of the villain and his unique status. And his mana points were higher than his health points because he accepted vampire genes.
Bryce himself kept staying loyal to his belief, increasing stats in the same way.
After pouring water over his face and cleaning his hair, Bryce went on a route to pick up the masking totems he'd used to pave a path to the villain. Without them, he wouldn't have been able to hide from furious trolls, close up distance with the villain, and kill him.
Those were pretty useful, and though Bryce could buy them all around the world, for they were common, he didn't have the money yet. He'd rather gather them again and use them on his next adventure before taking a job.
Soon, Bryce ended up by the lake. Forest's trees didn't obscure the starring sky with the moon hanging above him, so Bryce could take a look at his face and changes to his body. He looked so different from his usual self, mainly because of his hair color and those red eyes; the pale skin also helped cover his identity.
A different mood swirled around Bryce; he thought of it as a selfish killer's mood.
"We have chosen the same, haven't we?" he recalled his short exchange with the villain.
Paths of demon lords were littered with dead bodies, blood, sacrifices, and selfish motives. Knowing that just from seeing Devin and his killing intent, Bryce took out the Sword of Dracula, believing it'd help him kill the villain the easiest, and it did.
It wasn't just because Excalibur was a flashy weapon, and so were the heroes' skills. It was because demon lords were known as bloodthirsty existences, and though Bryce knew nothing of vampires, he could imagine them as thirsty fellows, too.
Everything went more or less how he had planned.
Bryce stared at his reflection and clenched his hands, feeling a new strength. With that level up, he could aim higher and become even stronger, try more swordsmanship and get better skills.
He leveled up so easily because of hunts and killing.
"Would you kill Gengo to level up?" Bryce asked his reflection, dealing with the last bits of conscience within him. Those appeared even in the vampire's form, which reminded Bryce of his time dealing with the odd feeling.
Staring at the reflection, Bryce saw nothing transpiring on his face. It was as though he was looking at the idiot, and he swore he'd seen some disgust within his eyes, their red hues dimming.
Relieved and content with that, Bryce faintly smiled. He then closed his eyes, his smile slowly fading.
And then, he asked another question.
"Would you kill someone for your own gain?"
For instance, if there was a twin Sword of Dracula, would Bryce kill the owner of it just to increase his own strength? He pondered about that, hence asking the question.
And as his eyes shone red like two bloody moons, Bryce knew the answer.
"I'm glad I haven't started any moral talk with that guy. Seriously, I should ask for a name next time." Bryce scratched his head, shrugged those feelings off, then turned around to Sharla and Gengo's location.
His hair turned black, and so did his eyes. His skin also looked more healthy, and the casual mood of adventurer swirled around him.
No one would think of him as a demon lord or a hero.