Arthur compelled the Nightwalkers to kneel before him and drink more of his blood by using force. Gradually, their eyes began to regain a flicker of rationality, and their memories started to emerge in their minds as they contorted in agony.
Arthur's eyes gleamed with a sadistic glee as he watched the Nightwalker's dance of agony. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and the pungent aroma of demonic energy. The once-strong fighters were now reduced to writhing, screaming figures, their bodies twisted in pain as they took in the cursed blood.
Arthur stood at a distance, a bright smile playing on his lips. His demeanor was that of a little boy watching his favorite play, but this was no innocent show. This was a brutal display of power, a testament to the strength of the demonic force that had overtaken these once-proud warriors.
The Nightwalker, their veins now coursing with the infernal energy of their master, moved with a twisted grace. Their movements were fluid, almost hypnotic, but there was an underlying violence to their dance. They twisted and turned, their limbs contorting in unnatural ways as they fought against the pain that coursed through their bodies.
As Arthur watched, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the power of the demonic blood. It was as if he was watching a force of nature, an unstoppable tide that would consume everything in its path. He felt a surge of excitement and anticipation on the outcome.
It didn't take long before all the Nightwalkers collapsed. Their bodies had returned to their peak state- no, it's more fitting to say that they had just reached their peak at this moment. They were no longer ordinary soldiers, they are now mighty predators. Able to overpower anyone with the same rank and even fight toe to toe with those above them.
They gasped for air as cold sweats covered their bodies.
"How do you feel?" Arthur's voice was barely above a whisper as he approached the group, but everybody heard him. The Nightwalker slowly stood before him, but they were no longer the people they once were. Their bodies had transformed, and their once-familiar faces now looked deathly.
Their hair had turned as white as snow, their skin paler than death, but it was their eyes that were truly terrifying. They were blood red, glowing like embers in the darkness.
Old Roger, on the other hand, his already white hair now had a shine to it, and his face seemed to be slightly more youthful than before. But his eyes, too, glowed with the same eerie light as the others, and Arthur was pleased to see it.
Due to their connection through his blood, Arthur could feel the never-ending hunger for power that Roger was feeling right now. He was liberated from the weakness that bound him for far too long. He could now reach a new height and the cause of it was Arthur.
Roger was feeling awe, fear, and gratitude at the same time.
Arthur stood before his newly turned slaves, a small smirk playing at the corners of his lips. He had always known that vampiric powers were great, but seeing the effects of this dark magic on these men was truly satisfying.
"Answering my Lord's question, I, Roger, feel the immense power coursing through my body. I feel great!" He said as he kneeled with all his might. From Lower Rank C he had now reached Lower Rank B in a single night. He jumped in Ranks so fast he couldn't fathom it.
Roger, the first to speak, trembled with excitement as he described the sensations coursing through his body. Arthur could see the veins in his neck pulsing with newfound strength, and he knew that his power had worked its dark wonders.
"I- We feel the same" The others followed suit, each one describing the rush of power that now coursed through their veins. Memories of earlier times had greatly covered their sense of fear of being discovered by the Holy Garden. George, in particular, seemed to be struggling with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, he knew that what Arthur had done was an unforgivable heresy. But on the other hand, he couldn't deny the exhilaration of feeling stronger and more alive than ever before. He was already at the Lower Rank A, a stage he thought he would only reach after countless years, and there's also a great chance he might not reach it in this lifetime.
As Arthur surveyed his new slaves, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. He had taken these men and turned them into something greater, something more powerful than they ever could have been on their own. These Nightwalkers are not your typical turned Vampires, they're much more demonic, in strength and in nature.
With their loyalty firmly in Arthur's grasp, he knew that he could use them to hasten his plans.
"Ugh! "AHHH!"
A sudden surge of power coursed through the Nightwalkers bodies. They gasped in disbelief as they felt their muscles grow stronger and their senses become sharper. Then, with a low growl, they dropped to all fours, their eyes glowing with a fierce hunger.
Arthur watched the transformation with a sense of calm detachment. He knew that the innate hunger of Vampire kind had awakened and a deep and primal thirst for blood was unleashed, but he was not bothered.
The Nightwalkers gradually lost their reasons. Their senses were heightened to the highest level, and they could smell the blood pumping through Arthur's veins. But they made no move to attack him.
How could they?
Arthur smiled. He had created something truly powerful. With these Nightwalkers at his command, his rise was imminent.
Arthur's blood had the opposite effect on these new Borns, and Arthur knew this from the start. Instead of filling their thirst it only made them go crazy. But it was the only way to help them stabilize their condition quickly and give them the nutrients they need but it seems it overloaded them causing the demonic nature sleeping inside them to awake.
Arthur didn't dilly dally seeing his kin suffering in hunger. With a wave of his hands, he made them slumber temporarily. What they needed was blood that is flowing with life, not devil blood.
"Sleep, my children."
Dark chains sprang out from the magic circles he carved, binding them to the walls and preventing any mishaps or accidents from happening. It was too early for the world to witness the power of this newly formed Covenant, a Coven of dark origins.
…..
Arthur prowled around the estate to hunt and capture animals and beast to feed his thirsty kin. The mountain spanned hundreds of kilometres per square mile and was teeming with strong and venomous animals and low level beasts alike. And with each creature he caught, he performed mystical rituals that purified and enhanced the blood he had collected.
As he chanted and cast his spells, the blood began to take on a life of its own. It floated in mid-air, swirling and pulsating in the shape of a huge blood drop. Arthur returned to the manor's secret chamber and carefully separated the blood into batches, each one more potent than the last.
With a flick of his wrist, he wielded the batches of blood towards the slumbering Nightwalker. The blood flowed straight into their mouths, nourishing them and satisfying their insatiable thirst. It was a mesmerizing sight to behold.
After the feeding was done, Arthur allowed the Nightwalkers to rest, and headed back to his room. When he entered the room was already tidy, but the broken furniture still lay in pieces on the floor.
Arthur carved runes and began to chant a spell. With each word, the runes glowed brighter and brighter until they were pulsating with a bright light. Like magnets that attracted each other, mending the broken parts of the furniture, reattaching them together seamlessly.
As he worked, the room began to transform before his very eyes. The broken furniture was restored, and the room looked as good as new.
…
[Back in the Secret Chamber]
Dian woke up, she surveyed her surroundings and was shocked to see the unfamiliar place. But most of all she was perturbed when she saw the sleeping figures just a few meters away from her. They were hanging on the wall with pale complexions each having the same shade of hair strand.
At a closer look she realized that they were the Surveillance Team assigned to watch over Arthur.
'They are indeed alive, Young Master, what have you become?' She pondered with creased brows.
Dian inspected closer and sure enough, she could feel that they are no longer the same as they were before. They're physical change paled in comparison to the changes that had happened deep within. Dian's demonic constitution allowed her to sense the changes that had occurred deep within their bodies.
"You're awake"
Dian heard a soft whisper in her ear.
She was momentarily paralyzed from the realization that someone to sneaked up on her without her noticing. But after the voice registered into her mind she managed to calm down as quickly as she was surprised.
She turned slowly, and stared at the young man who was the cause of all this.
Arthur was still thin, but he was now standing tall and proud. He wore formal attire, a complete opposite of the dull and ordinary fit he always wore.
After cleaning his room Arthur took a shower and wore the clothes that he was originally provided with. Because of his condition Arthur previously didn't have the luxury to wear intricate and hard to wear clothes. He always garbed something easy to take off and comfortable.
After recovering, it was a sin to not look nice. It was his responsibility to himself to look presentable. At least in private, because he still had a role to continue, the role of mortal cursed with mortal weakness.
"Master, w- what happened to you?"
Arthur smiled with madness and then spread his arms open. "I received a revelation."