AN:- I was whisked away by my best friend for a weekend-long slumber party. I didn't have my laptop as well, so there were no chapters.
There will be two chapters today to make up for the weekend.
And there will be a chapter tomorrow as well. And then from there, the alternate day schedule will be followed.
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Drac took the soldiers and Helen to the same village where they stayed before the Vampas invasion. Instead of staying in the inn, they all went to a house on the outskirts. There were no bodies lying around, and there was a chimney that they could use to light a fire. It was a perfect place to spend the night.
While Agatha and Helen stayed back and lit a fire, he and the soldiers went around now destroyed village to gather supplies. In the end, they were able to get their hands on cham chowder, and a dozen or so blankets. As the night fell, everyone ate their fill and then took one of the corners of the house to sleep. While he on the other and voluntered himself for the first watch.
As the moon rose up in the sky, Drac finally was able to step out of the house and sigh with relief.
It is getting rather difficult for me to control myself in their presence. Although I dont feel hungry at all, why am I being tempted to attack them?
He didnt know whether he was getting his feral feeling because of his true nature, or of something else. What he did know was that in order to stay in society, he had to not only fight his urges but at the same time learn how to control them.
As far as his hunger was concerned, he had some idea how he could satiate it, without attacking anyone. Because normal food dont cut for him anymore. He learned that the hard way when he tried eating clam chowder, only to vomit it out in secret.
After cracking his neck, he started running in the direction from where they came. He was after the blood orbs that were inside the Vampas that he killed.
Why the hell am I faster than I was this morning? He questioned himself, as he was at least three times faster than he was when the sun was out.
He figured that he must be susceptible to the sun like the rest of the Vampas. Usually, those creatures dont go out in the direct sunlight, or they would be burned. Old Vampas usually start to get immune to the sun's rays, so they could go out when the sun is just over the horizon or is about to set, like the ones that the soldiers encountered today. And looking at his speed, he realized that it might be the case for him as well.
With Drac's speed, it didnt take him long to reach the carcass of the Vampas in question. With the knife by his side, he ripped open the stomach of the creature. The white snow is then covered with light blue liquid, which is supposed to be the blood of the thing. As he had seen in the books, he ripped out the heart of the thing and took the blood orb out through the inner lining of the heart.
He cleaned the orb of all the blood of the creature and then sat down by a tree.
The million-dollar question is, can I eat or absorb this in any way?
Drac sat there, trying to come up with a way from which he could absorb this crystal, but the pea brain of his only told him to eat the damn thing. Which was not possible.
As he had no brighter ideas, he figured that he should just follow his instincts. He then took the first swipe at the crystal and tried to bite it, only for the orb to be easily crushed under the pressure of his teeth. It was like a hard candy, within a few bites he was able to eat the whole crystal. As he was eating, he could feel some sort of energy going towards his heart, like the time he attacked the Sumor family soldiers.
So, I can eat crystals. That is a good thing. If I can get my hands on the crystals that the Ulaspas had collected, I can probably sustain myself for some time.
With his food supply sorted, he now had to move to the most important aspect of his self-discovery, the changes that had taken place in his body.
He was stronger than before, very strong. If he had estimated, he was as strong as a warrior between the second and the third circle, during night. But as he has no mana in his body, the strength that he was showing was his pure physical strength. The energy that he was getting from the human and blood orbs, was not only satiating his hunger but was also nourishing his body.
It was a very slow process, but he could feel it.
Which meant, that if he walks on this path alone, he could eventually reach new heights. He might even get to a level where he might be able to go toe to toe with high-level mana wielders.
Also, he still doesn't know whether he has any organs left in his body that he could use to store or utilize mana. If he does, only time will tell what kind of height he would reach…
That night Drac soon returned to the campsite after his little excursion. Luckily no one seemed to be aware of the fact that he was going out. Soon, one of the soldiers woke up to take his place. Thus he went inside and sat down by the fire to get a shut eye. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
He tried for several minutes, but in the end, could not.
Drac was not tired at all. He could feel that the Soul Energy that he had been devouring, his body was using it up for everything that he was doing. But his body somehow just was not feeling the need to rest. It was like the things that used to make him human not too while ago were just not there.
Still, he just closed his eyes and remained sitting in his position till morning. He tried sensing mana in the air and tried to cultivate it. But it was fa utile attempt, as in the end to gather mana inside of him.
As the morning sun rose in the sky, the whole campsite started brimming with activity. Soon they decided to part ways from the campsite, as they needed to get back to the Sumor Camp.
"So what is this Sumor camp?" he asked while walking with the soldiers.
The woman leading the soldiers answered, "Lord Daniel brought a significant number of soldiers to look for Madame Helena and Lady Agatha. Due to the snow and the monsters, they decided to stay in a village. And they have been there ever since,"
"Oh," Drac then looked at Helen in the back, "Helen is a lucky gal. This Daniel girl must truly love her,"
"That he does," the woman answered, "Speaking of which… Tell me about the imprisonment. What exactly did happen to you,"
He knew that someone was bound to question him about his background, so he had prepared a script last night. He recalled his story to the woman with sadness, telling her how his family was killed in front of his eyes, and he was taken away just because he could wield mana.
Then he told the story about how those tall guys started experimenting on him. How they used to give him potions which were used to keep him alive, yet torture him at the same time. Slowly he lost his original skin color and became pale as he had been imprisoned in the dungeon for a very long time.
"But why would they want to do that?" one of the soldiers asked.
"Well, the butler guy did say something like they want to make something for a figurehead." Drac said while rubbing his chin, "My money is that those guys wanted to put all the blame that happened here on me. That way that they could avoid any unnecessary attention,"
"It feels like an absurd story to me," one of the soldiers said. Most of the soldiers including Agatha gave that particular soldier a very angry look. He understood at that moment that almost everyone in the group had bought his story, and they were now sympathizing with him.
"I get it," Drac said, "I cannot believe it either. Before, I was not even to raise a sword, let alone kill a beast with it. Now look at me.."
And then Helen came to his rescue as well, "It makes sense," she said, "Drac that I knew was although a very curious and intelligent person… he didnt seem like someone who could command this much power. Royal Family had it wrong, it is my sister-in-law and her comrades that are after the attack,"
Drac was surprised to hear that, he had forgotten about Mikaila, "What do you mean your sister-in-law? What has she done?"
"She attacked my father-in-law. If it weren't for my husband, she would have killed him as well,"
Drac didnt see that coming. He knew that Kaila and Mikaila hated their family guts, but to the extent of committing patricide, he didnt see that coming. "So how do you know that she might be behind all of this?"
"Because of you," Helen said, "You told me… The people that were torturing you, had the same features as the Bloodborne family of Mikaila."
This is good. Helen seems to be convinced that I am innocent, her word would be believed by her husband as well… That is good. Although getting a good rep with the Sumor family didnt help him in any way at all, it was still a bonus nonetheless.
"Mr. Dracula," Agatha said, making him look back, "Will you leave us after leaving us with my father?"
Damn.. Listen to the tone of the brat. The arrogant narcissist brat that I used to teach is nowhere to be seen… Also, I dont think that I have heard her voice since yesterday…
"Yes, dear.." He said, "I have to get out of the island. Run away from this place.."
"Can you do me a favor?" she said with a sweet voice. Drac stopped his advance, with a warm smile, he knelt down in front of her and asked, "What is it little one,"
"Can.. You.. Can you take my family with you?" she asked.
The warm smile on his face vanished, replaced by scorn, "Fuck no," he said and started advancing again.
Everyone in the group was stunned to hear his answer and remained glued to their place even as he started walking. But they soon followed his suit. While Drac looked unfazed from the outside, he was cursing himself inwardly.
Note to future self.. I can sometimes speak my intrusive thoughts out loud.
"But why?" he heard from behind. "Why can't you take us?"
Hearing the girl's voice a vein popped on his forehead, and he just simply replied, "A ship is not a place for small kids like you,"
As soon as words left his mouth, the vein on his head vanished, and his expression morphed into that of shock. He should have not said that.
"So you have a ship," Helen said, making Drac curse himself…