A few days had passed since Elysar's return to his private mansion within the illustrious Valthoren estate, nestled in the innermost ring of the capital city. Deep within the training ground premises, a realm of discipline and ambition, Elysar found himself engaged in a rigorous training session alongside Elara, his first subordinate in this world. Having completed their individual training regimens, they now stood face to face, poised to engage in a sparring session as they had done on few previous occasions during these days here.
Elysar wore a form-fitting tunic of deep navy blue, accentuated with silver trimmings that hinted at his noble heritage. The fabric, lightweight and breathable, allowed for ease of movement during their rigorous exercises. His pants, crafted from a durable black material, hugged his legs, while sturdy leather boots provided stability and support.
Elara wore a tight-fitting, jet-black bodysuit, her agile frame was accentuated, ensuring maximum flexibility for swift and precise movements. The fabric clung to her form, allowing her to seamlessly flow through the training routines with unparalleled agility. Her boots, crafted from supple leather, provided silent steps and ensured her footing remained steady.
As they stood facing each other, their training uniforms bore the signs of their intense training. Beads of sweat dotted their brows, evidence of the arduous exertion they had endured. Their chests rose and fell with each deep breath, their bodies glistening with perspiration, testament to the physical and mental effort they had poured into their individual sessions. The exhaustion was also apparent in their weary expressions and the slight tremor in their limbs. But, they still didn't stop for today as they were both people with clear goals.
"Are you done? Can you really fight now after those exercises, Elara? After all, you trained even harder than me today. Moreover, you also have a female's physique...", Elysar looked at her weary state and asked while gasping a little himself. Today they agreed to spar for the first time. She was now fully recovered and she even absorbed some new knowledge from him personally and from his family's manuals regarding physical exercise and training in general.
"Of course. What physique are you talking about? Did you forget that I'm a full, pureblood vampire? Physically, you humans are no match for us despite the gender difference. In fact, I stopped just because I saw that you were finishing up, so we could fight. In fact, I could've persisted for much longer. I feel pretty good today with all that nutrition and other mana-rich supplements I've taken from you during these past few days.", Elara looked at him strangely, almost with a half smirk on her face, because of his words, and replied calmly afterward.
However, inwardly she felt very amused for some other reason presently, 'The magical resources like potions, herbs, and elixirs, I've got and consumed during the past few days here are probably worth more than the entirety of the ones I consumed during the past year while I was moving alone. And there I was not realizing what a stroke of damn luck I hit by meeting him. I never knew about the disparity between high nobles and the rest of us until now after seeing it firsthand... This life is very enticing for a stray vampire like me, huh...',
'Maybe I should try and be a little more approachable and close to him in the future...', Elara suddenly thought. For her now, magical resources and strength were everything after all of the rest betrayed her. She was previously always envious of such nobles and even used to steal from them often during her earlier days, but now she was actually working for one, 'Oh no, maybe I could even become one...', She suddenly moved her hands to her face and pretended to be bashful, while moving her head left and right, while looking at confused Elysar standing in front of her. She didn't know why, but she felt like she could be more light-hearted in front of him. She felt like their personalities matched quite well during these days.
'What's up with this woman? She occasionally exhibits some strange behavior in front of me whereas she was completely cold and murderous toward everyone else she came into contact with after we met as far as I could see. However, I don't think she is plotting toward me, she might actually just be insane a little bit... Or is it her vampiric nature?', Elysar mused.
"Anyways, it's great to hear that you are so confident and improving. So, don't go easy on me now. I want to know what is my exact current level.", Elysar said as he moved into his fighting stance. Partial mana enhancement already crawling inside his legs, ready to burst out swiftly.
His close-combat fighting style nowadays relied on rapid buildups of mana inside of his legs to achieve maximum speed, catch his opponents off guard, and then eliminate them instantly with his spatial Twisting ability. However, he also knew that Elara's agile and broad fighting style might be too much for him right now. His only hope was his pseudo-invisibility trick.
"Don't worry, I will do as you say. But be careful then, If I get serious, it will be very hard for me to stop myself on time. Not to mention that I might be stronger than before now after reading so many high-level scrolls about close-range fighting. I feel like I might've broken through somehow to the peak of the Knight Captain level If I'm not mistaken.",
Elara stated plainly while her face turned serious as he also pulled her new top-grade fighting daggers she picked up from the weaponry storage inside these training grounds make of highest quality mana absorbing materials. She was ready to try out her new combined fighting style today for the first time. She was about to find out if she was successful. Could her past wild, and untamed fighting style be truly combined with nobles' clean and refined fighting style?
Elara spoke as she already began calling forth the Sanguine Core hidden inside of her body. And that crimson wing-like structure soon emerged from her back. The wing-like structure looked like an extension of her body, an organ made out of her vampiric powers. It was composed of hundreds of blood-red tendrils, each capable of independent movement, and each ending in a razor-sharp point. These tendrils, akin to bloody tendrils of flesh, moved with an eerie life of their own, waving and twitching in the air as if they were protecting her.
The bloody red tendrils, illuminated by the soft glow of the Sanguine Core beneath her skin, alongside her newly formed savage face, were a sight to behold to current Elysar, who was mesmerized by her for an instant before he activated his special invisibility trick by twisting the light around him, making him pseudo-invisible, 'Top of the Captain rank? No way, then she must have tremendous intelligence too. This girl is something else... Then let me check...'
With a decisive motion, Elara propelled her wing-like structure forward, unleashing a relentless assault of crimson tendrils toward Elysar. Yet, to her surprise, he seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving her momentarily perplexed. A mischievous grin played upon Elara's lips as she licked them with subtle anticipation, confident in her dominance over this encounter. Her tendrils, sensing the absence of their intended target, began to writhe and slash in a calculated frenzy, weaving a web of deadly protection around her immediate vicinity.
Elara knew that Elysar's trick of invisibility thrived on the element of surprise, catching his opponents off guard. However, she had witnessed the efficacy of his tactic firsthand, having been rescued from a dire situation by his swift and unseen strike against Rythe. Now, armed with that knowledge, she was prepared for any attempt he might make to breach her defense.
The crimson tendrils moved with uncanny coordination, a formidable display of her mastery over this arcane manifestation. Their sinuous dance formed a lethal barrier, ready to hack away at any foe who dared venture too close. Elara stood at the center of her crimson sanctuary, poised and deadly. Her heightened senses attuned to every shift around her,
'And my sensory abilities befitting a vampire would've sensed him in that time also had I not been totally exhausted both mentally and physically and had I focused my mind into it like now. But, he doesn't know that. I will use that to my advantage to strike him down but I hope he isn't that disappointing...',
Elara suddenly licked her lips a little while activating her senses to the maximum and focusing half of her attention and mana onto her ears and nose especially to try and track his scent and sound.
With heightened acuity, she strived to capture the faintest whisper of his presence, while her sensitive skin delicately gauged the subtle shifts in the surrounding air currents. At that moment, Elara stood poised like a predator, her concentration undivided as she relied on her innate gifts to grant her an edge.
'There he is!', Elara smiled victoriously as she directed her Sanguine Core to the specific position left of her.
"And that was what I was waiting for!", But, just then, Elysar exclaimed inwardly. Positioned on top of his left hand on the ground, with his other hand brimming with spatial twisting magic, he unleashed another partial mana enchantment. By channeling the enchantment through his hand touching the ground, he propelled himself for a second assault.
Despite the weariness that had settled into his legs from the initial catapult, his free hand still remained fresh and ready for action. Elysar's keen focus was fixed on the opportune moment when Elara would retract her Sanguine Core slashing barrier, presenting him with a precious opening to draw nearer. His strategy proved successful, and with his second propulsion, he found Elara completely exposed, her Sanguine Core still lagging behind him due to its size.
"Nice one, but did you forget about my lightning magic?", Elara acknowledged Elysar's previous move with a nod of approval, albeit it was a bit teasing still. However, her response was swift and formidable. From the palm of her hand, a colossal lightning orb materialized, hurtling directly toward the oncoming Elysar. A gasp escaped his lips as he beheld the sheer magnitude of the orb, momentarily taken aback by its power.
Determined to counter the imminent threat, Elysar summoned his strongest twisting attack, using it to deflect and parry the formidable lightning orb. As he strained against the overwhelming force, thoughts raced through his mind, acknowledging the immense potency of Elara's lightning magic in her prime condition now that she wasn't in that state that she was in against Rythe. Gritting his teeth, Elysar poured every ounce of his strength into his twisting attack, striving to break through the formidable barrier of Elara's giant ball of lightning and save himself in that way.
As Elysar's twisting attack made contact with Elara's lightning orb, a flicker of success resonated within him. He managed to twist a fraction of the lightning, causing it to subside slightly. However, before he could fully revel in his achievement, a surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins as he felt the chilling touch of Elara's dagger pressed against the back of his neck.
It was a stark symbol of her victory, a testament to her lightning-fast reflexes and mastery of combat. In that crucial moment, Elysar realized with a mixture of surprise and apprehension that Elara had also acquired knowledge of the partial mana enhancement technique in her past endeavors, 'No way, when did she learn the partial mana enhancement, I thought that she said that she didn't master it before. Not to mention that dagger technique, it was almost mystical...', Elysar opened his eyes wide in shock suddenly.
"I didn't lie, I never fully mastered the partial mana enchantment before. Or better said I couldn't use it effectively in battle. However, with the guiding material I got here, it wasn't that hard to figure out. That's why I think I'm on the top of the Knight Captain rank now...", Elara pulled her dagger and Sanguine Core back and created some distance from Elysar again, "You also saw my dagger technique? And then there are my naturally superior physical attributes. I feel that I'm even stronger than that head bodyguard of yours. I will protect you well, don't worry.", Elara smiled "sweetly" for a moment while looking at his stunned look.
Elara's victory over Elysar stirred a deep sense of satisfaction within her. Inwardly, she couldn't help but feel a surge of pride at her accomplishment. She had always relished the thrill of outsmarting her opponents, reveling in the joy of defeating them and proving her superior cunning.
It was a thirst she had developed over time, a longing to see the pity in their eyes as they realized their defeat. She had always relished the thrill of outsmarting her opponents, reveling in the joy of defeating them and proving her superior cunning. It was a thirst she had developed over time, a longing to see the pity in their eyes as they realized their defeat.
However, now it was even more exaggerated than ever before, she became more feral, more instinctual than ever before. She felt like she became more primal than ever before, due to all the betrayals she experienced during the last month, she felt like she became a "true" vampire now for the first time in her life. Completely living only for her desires and primal feelings. She yearned for the ultimate triumph, the ultimate feast. A true vampire would savor the opportunity to revel in the glory of victory, to revel in the taste of the fallen's flesh, a twisted celebration of dominance,
'Pity that I'm now working for this guy, not to mention his status. However, strangely, I don't have any urge to eat his flesh now in a true vampire fashion after defeating him as I would feel if he was somebody else instead...', Elara pondered something for a bit while looking at his young and handsome, but now very confused face. She felt like he was a very interesting person, one who isn't made to be eaten by her, but the one who was there to be the source of her amusement for a very long time in life and her personal source of magical resources. Or maybe she felt that way because he saved her and then believed in her. She wasn't sure.
Meanwhile, there was already a whirlwind of thoughts present inside of Elysar's mind after this short defeat, so he didn't even manage to see the various changes in Elara's expression, 'Is it just because of her intelligence that she improved so quickly? No... How could I forget her innate luck level? That probably played a key part! So, she isn't even a person that fate chose fully, but this is her reality... And then look at the original owner of this body, and me...',
'She is just two years older, with the status of a stray vampire criminal, but already this much stronger than the heir of the greatest noble house there is... And that is all because of fate...', Elysar suddenly clenched his fists while looking at the clear sky above them for a moment in indignation. But then he calmed down again. He wasn't a person to be easily irritated like that, moreover, he liked this kind of challenge. He liked the idea of fighting and even winning against the fate of this entire world and then conquering it. And moreover, Elara was now his subordinate, his sharpest sword, so it was even beneficial for him that she was so talented.
"Haha, you are really amazing, Elara. Saving and picking you up was my best move in life so far. Who knows how far would have you come had you had all those resources at your disposal, that you have now, during your childhood and earlier years like I did? But, it's never too late. I feel like only the sky is the limit for you now...", Elyar started flattering her up a bit.
"But, don't slack off, Elara. Ordinary human Knight Captains usually have full-body mana enhancement mastered and that's why they also generally become ones in the first place.",
"You don't have it, but you are at that level only because of your innate, biological, vampire characteristics. However, why would you settle for that? There are also materials for the full body mana enhancement in this manor as a matter of fact. You could then break through the Knight Commander level if you learned them too...", Elysar suddenly even smiled a bit while looking at her pretty face, exotic purple hair, and alluring figure. He felt like she was more and more pleasing to his eye. Her current state showed him the future that he would have as soon as he found a couple of suitable targets, he was looking for currently, and stole their lucks and fate. Then he would also become a natural "genius" like and even above her too.
Elara was taken aback by his sudden change in facial expression, 'What is happening with him?', She wondered, 'Why did he initially have such a gloomy aura around him, only to suddenly turn happy when looking at me? Could it be because of me? Is it because of my talent or strength? I struggle to understand him in moments like these, just like when he confidently mentioned my great potential then. It feels like he's concealing many things...',
She paused, reflecting on the situation, 'After all, I'm just two years older, yet already surpassing him—a true privileged noble—in fighting capability, something nobles take immense pride in. If I were in his shoes, I'd probably be consumed by anger and envy. However, he doesn't seem to harbor such thoughts at the moment. Therefore, he must be hiding something, be it his true strength or something of that nature... It's intriguing. I'm becoming more and more curious about this guy...', Elara mused, licking her lips once again.
However, before she could reply anything, they both suddenly heard two pairs of footsteps entering the training grounds in a hurry. They were Elara and Isabella, Elysar's personal maids, "Young Master, Lady Valthoren is here and waiting for you in the garden now.", They exclaimed as soon as they stepped in. They both also subconsciously looked toward the ravishing purple-haired woman standing really close to Elysar with a bit of hidden jealousy.
Not to mention her great strength and usefulness, even the woman's looks were way above them. However, ever since Elysar changed a couple of months ago, they got more and more enamored with him, hoping he finally "ate them", like he often teased them. But now, a few days ago, this woman came out of a sudden making them feel completely inferior in all ways. Even the usually mild and gentle Isabella felt a bit irritated inwardly. Not to mention how Elara's behavior toward them was extremely cold and dismissive as if they were ants to her.
'Mother!? So it is finally time! She really did find someone!', Elysar's mood suddenly turned even better. Since his mother now came after a few days of waiting, he knew that she really managed to find someone he was looking for at last. It was time for him to finally move and sail against his fate!