As Kyron ushered us inside the castle, the surroundings struck me with a stark contrast – a blend of antiquity and neglect. Ixion, Kyron, and I settled into a discussion.
"Kyron-senpai," Ixion addressed, "meet Tatsuya Ryota, my new friend seeking recognition for his village. I've already approved of his proposal, and I believe your support is crucial."
Kyron turned his attention to me, questioning, "What would you bring to this world if I accept this letter?"
"I am determined to transform my city into a kingdom," I replied. "A place where everyone enjoys life, free from insults or discrimination. I will ensure equality, provide protection, resources, jobs, and homes. Putting the well-being of its inhabitants above all else."
Kyron, visibly pleased, declared, "This is what I've yearned for. Tatsuya-san, I approve your city's recognition," signing the paper to make it official. "What name will your city bear?"
Without hesitation, I responded, "City of Gale," earning Kyron's praise for its simplicity and elegance.
As we exited the castle, Ixion expressed interest in visiting my city. I welcomed him, and to facilitate the journey, I summoned Eto for teleportation. However, things took an unexpected turn.
Eto, misunderstanding the situation, unleashed his magic at full force. Panicking, I shouted, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING ETO? I DIDN'T CALL YOU TO CAUSE TROUBLE!"
Eto, realizing there was no imminent threat, relaxed. "What are you doing with a Demon Lord, Tatsuya-sama?!"
Ixion, amused by Eto's unfamiliar obedience, burst into laughter. "HAHAHA! ETO IS FOLLOWING ORDERS? THAT'S NEW!"
Eto retorted, "Shut up the fuck up before I break your spine, Ixion."
Curious about the situation, I asked Ixion, "What's so funny?"
Ixion explained, "Eto is the only Demon Lord who doesn't follow rules. The fact that he formed a pact, especially with a human, is hilarious."
Eto clarified, "Tatsuya-sama is not a human. He is a Vampire."
Ixion, realizing the dynamics, ceased laughing and turned to me, kneeling down, saying, "Oh lord, may I follow you until my last breath."
I firmly replied, "NO! YOU MAY NOT."
Ixion, intrigued by my refusal, asked, "Why don't you accept my pact offer?"
I explained, "I don't want to be knocked out for an entire week. Your mana energy is at least 2 times more than Eto's. A pact with you would mean a week of unconsciousness. I deny."
As Eto teleported the three of us to my city, I noticed that it had expanded a bit, and the population was now 322 people, not counting the workers and builders.
"Wow, even just as a city, it looks amazingly good. And you've got 300+ people already? That's a lot. But you've still got a huge way to go if you want to become a kingdom," remarked Ixion, clearly surprised.
"Thanks a lot, Ixion. I will count on you if I ever need help," I replied.
Ixion smiled and said, "You're welcome. Anyways, I will be taking my leave now. Bye, Tatsuya, and rethink about my pact offer," he added with a smile.
I replied with a sarcastic smile. After Ixion teleported away, I turned to Eto, "Why do Demon Lords want to form a pact with me? I don't understand. And you better not lie."
Eto replied with sincerity, "Fine, I will tell you the truth. If a Demon Lord forms a pact with a Vampire, nothing really happens. But if that Vampire takes the role of a Vampire King/Queen, the Demon Lord gets evolved into a 'True Lord,' and so far, there are no True Lords in this world."
"Why didn't you tell me the truth at first?" I asked.
Eto explained, "I didn't want you to think I formed a pact for my benefit. I actually only want to follow you because I was the one who summoned you to this world. So I wanted to take care of you."
"That's cute, Eto, but I know you're not doing this for your benefit. I believed in you since day one," I said with a smile.
As a few days passed by, new houses and buildings were constructed, and the population of my city had grown to 388. Despite the busy days, I hadn't leveled up, as I focused on helping people, assisting crafters, and gathering materials. Walking to Gulaino, I inquired about his plans.
"Gulaino, what ideas are on your mind?" I asked. He responded, "Lord Tatsuya, I am thinking of building jobs for people to rent, ensuring both you and they earn money. Additionally, I plan to create parks for children to have an enjoyable time. You've also earned 700 gold coins, which are in your home for you to use whenever."
I thanked Gulaino for the information and proceeded to find Eto, who was engrossed in reading ancient books on the ground. "Eto, what creatures are more powerful than Lava Ryots?" I inquired. Eto asked for clarification, "What exactly do you want, super stronger, or just stronger than Lava Ryots?"
I replied, "Something that I can take down and not die!" Eto suggested, "Try slaying dragons. I can help you if you want, but Noir is not coming. I don't care." Surprised, I asked about Noir's whereabouts, having not seen her since I met up with Kyron.
"Eto, where is Noir? I haven't seen her since the day I went to meet up with Kyron," I inquired. Eto explained, "She most likely went hunting. She has the same leveling system as you." Shocked, I exclaimed, "She has the same system as me?! That's so cool! When she comes back, I will ask her what level she is."
Deciding to hunt dragons with Eto, he readied himself and teleported us to a dragon's nest. Eto informed me, "This is a dragon's lair, so the mother should be near." Inside the cave, we discovered three massive eggs in the corner, and Eto explained, "This is a dragon's lair; that's why it's so big."
Suddenly, a roar echoed through the cave, and I turned to see a huge red dragon with two heads. I prepared myself, gripping my scythe, and sharpened my senses. Eto, however, calmly sat down and resumed reading his book. As the dragon launched a massive fireball towards us, I gripped my scythe and swung it vertically, creating a slash that cut the fireball in half.
I sprinted toward the two-headed dragon, skillfully dodging its attacks. The dragon slashed the air with its claws, sending three powerful slashes towards me. I narrowly evaded them, realizing the destructive force they possessed when one hit the wall, causing a massive explosion.
"If that ever hit me, I would have died right there," I thought to myself. The dragon then charged up a dark fireball in its mouth, and as it launched the powerful blast, I was determined to block it this time. However, just as the blast was about to hit me, Eto appeared in front of me and deflected it with his bare hands. The blast was sent outside the cave, causing the ground to shake like an earthquake on impact.
"I don't know if you can sense danger, but if that blast had hit you, your entire body would have disintegrated in an instant. The attack is called Black Blast; it's strong enough to erase a mountain with ease," Eto explained before returning to his reading spot.
Feeling somewhat foolish, I was determined to defeat the dragon. I raised my hand, creating a massive ice spike, I jumped and kicked it, launching it towards the dragon at high speeds. However, the dragon opened its mouth, creating a white circular vacuum that absorbed the ice spike, making it disappear. Shocked, I wondered, "Did the dragon just make magic disappear?"
"Well, I guess I'll have to rely on physical strength," I muttered to myself. Charging at the dragon, I deftly dodged its slashes, leaped onto its back, and slashed my way up to its tail. The dragon roar in pain, turned around, and unleashed a fiery blast. The impact sent me flying towards the cave walls, creating an explosion. Despite the injuries, I stood up, determined to take down the dragon on my own.
I once again charged at the dragon. Swiftly, I threw my scythe at the dragon's eyes, then leaped into the air, clenched my fist, and delivered a powerful punch to its face. The impact pushed the dragon back, allowing me to retrieve my scythe. In a fluid motion, I spun around and severed one of its heads. As I landed, the dragon retaliated by swinging its tail towards me. I strategically positioned my scythe to cut off its tail upon impact.
The dragon roared in pain, and I seized the opportunity to create another powerful slash that successfully beheaded the creature, causing an explosion upon hitting the cave walls. Triumphantly, I stood over the defeated dragon, a surge of satisfaction coursing through me.
However, my elation was interrupted as five notifications appeared:
[Successfully learned the skill: Magic Eater]
[Successfully learned the passive skill: Damage Absorption]
[New Title Unlocked: Dragon Slayer]
[You have successfully defeated The Two Headed Dragon Boss and recieved 1 SP]
[You have successfully leveled up]
The thrill of victory was accompanied by the acquisition of new skills and a title, marking a significant milestone in my journey.
I then opened my stats :
● [Title : Dragon Slayer] - 200%+ Stats
○ [Passive Skill : Vampirism, Predator, Cold Resistance, Fire Resistance, Breathless, Damage Absorption]
● [Race : Vampire]
[Level : 710] [EXP : 102/37,200]
• [STR : 2,838 (200%+)] - Strength
• [HP : 4,100/7,220 (200%+)] - Health Points
• [Defense : 1.5x less damage taken]
• [STM : 5,288/7,170 (200%+)] - Stamina
• [SP : 1] - Skill Points
• [MP : 1,170/1,320 (200%+)] - Mana Points
° [Skills : Trident Strike, Ice Manipulation, Aura sense, Aura Conceal, Fire Manipulation, Water Manipulation, The All Knowing - Daiki, Magic Eater]
° [Inventory]