The silence following the king's revelation weighed heavily in the air, but Ras kept his serene expression, as if he were calmly processing the information.
—"It's a shame…" he murmured, resting an elbow on the table and supporting his head with one hand. "The elves were a wise and powerful race, weren't they? It's sad to think they've almost completely disappeared."
The king observed him attentively.
—"Indeed. Their loss was one of the greatest tragedies in our history."
Ras smiled slightly.
—"I suppose there's much to learn about this world. Its history, its geography… Your Majesty, could I have a map?"
The king raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
—"A map?"
—"Yes," Ras responded naturally. "I'd like to learn more about the world we're now in."
Meanwhile, Lili and Susan watched him in disbelief.
"Why is he asking about all this? Why isn't he going straight to the point and talking about the Lord of the Abyss?"
The king nodded, pleased with his interest.
—"I will have it ready for you tomorrow."
Finally, the monarch cleared his throat and took on a more serious tone.
—"Heroes, we have summoned you because the Lord of the Abyss is an imminent threat. He is the leader of the demons, and according to our spies in his territories, his goal is to subjugate all races. He believes that humans, dwarves, and any other species are inferior and that their only purpose is to serve the demons."
The queen spoke next, her voice solemn.
—"That is why we ask you to stay. And do not worry. You will be treated with the same respect and honor as the royal family. But we must act quickly."
The king continued:
—"Tomorrow, we will begin your training. There is no time to waste."
Susan gritted her teeth.
—"So you're basically forcing us…"
Lili shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
Ras, however, smiled and nodded.
—"I understand. If that's the situation, then we will prepare."
The king seemed relieved by his response.
—"Thank you."
The rest of the dinner proceeded with light conversation and little tension. Once finished, the heroes were escorted back to their rooms.
When Ras entered his room, he closed the door behind him and walked toward the mirror.
He stared at his reflection, analyzing every detail of his appearance. He looked the same… but at the same time, he didn't.
"The food had no taste at all."
He placed a hand on his abdomen when a deep, empty growl rumbled in his stomach.
"It must be because I'm a vampire now…"
Then, something strange happened. His red eyes began to glow intensely.
A shiver ran down his spine, and he shut his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, the glow had vanished.
He stood still for a moment, taking a deep breath.
"It's not just the taste… I'm still hungry. But hungry for what?"
He brought a hand to his mouth, feeling the presence of his fangs.
"Blood."
That thought made him shudder.
—"They didn't mention anything about vampires…" he murmured to himself, reflecting. "Are they considered part of the demons?"
He crossed his arms, analyzing the situation.
"If I were part of the demons, the king should have mentioned something. But… the god called me 'Vampire King.' Kings are supposed to have subjects, aren't they?"
He ran a hand through his hair.
"I don't know… I'll think about it another day."
Another growl echoed from his stomach.
Ras frowned.
—"Alright… let's see what my vampire form is like."
He focused, and immediately, his body transformed.
His nails grew sharp like blades, his muscles tensed and expanded slightly. His fangs lengthened, and his eyes glowed once more—this time with a deep, menacing red.
He turned to the mirror and examined his reflection.
His breathing grew heavy for a moment.
"They always said vampires had no reflection in myths… but I do."
He placed a hand on his face, feeling his cold skin.
—"Incredible…"
He admired his form for a moment longer before deciding he had seen enough for the night.
—"I need to acquire some magic for tomorrow…"
Returning to his human form, he left his room.
As he walked through the castle halls, he came across a young maid with light brown hair and green eyes. She wore an elegant uniform and seemed busy cleaning.
Noticing his presence, she stopped and gave a slight bow.
—"Good evening, sir. Do you need anything?"
Ras flashed his charming smile.
—"Good evening. No, I was just stretching my legs."
The maid nodded and returned to her task, but Ras didn't move.
—"By the way… what kind of magic do you use?"
The young woman blinked in surprise.
—"Me? I only know first-level lightning magic."
Ras raised an eyebrow.
—"First level? Are there levels of magic?"
—"Yes, there are five levels. First, second, third… and so on up to the fifth, which only supreme mages can reach."
"Interesting… I didn't know about magic levels. But that's not important right now."
He smiled and nodded.
—"I see. Thank you very much."
Bidding her farewell politely, he continued walking down the hall.
However, once he was sure no one was around, his expression changed.
He moved silently, following the maid.
When she bent down to pick something up from the floor, Ras moved swiftly.
In an instant, he was right behind her.
—"Huh?"
The young woman barely had time to react.
With precision and caution, Ras tilted his head and sank his fangs into her neck.
The maid let out a soft gasp before her body lost strength.
He felt the warm blood slide down his throat, and at that moment, something awoke inside him.
Power.
His body absorbed the maid's magical essence, feeling electricity course through his veins.
When he was done, he quickly stepped back, allowing the maid to collapse unconscious to the floor.
His breathing was steady.
With a single finger, he wiped away a drop of blood from his lips and smiled.
—"Interesting…"
Wasting no time, he swiftly slipped back into his room.
That night, Ras discovered something important.
Not only had he acquired the maid's lightning magic… but his hunger had lessened.
For now.
Returning to his room, Ras closed the door behind him and lay down on the bed with a satisfied smile.
He could feel it.
Magic flowed inside him, different from how it had before. It was a vibrant warmth in his veins, as if a new sense had awakened within him.
—"Incredible…" he whispered, staring at his own hands.
He had taken the maid's magic with just a sip of her blood. How many more abilities could he acquire in the same way?
Then he remembered the maid and wondered… "Is she okay? Does she still have her magic?… I guess I'll ask tomorrow… or… hear the rumors" then he smiled happily.
But before getting too excited about this discovery, there was something else he needed to understand.
His immortality.
He sat up and placed a hand on his chest.
"What does it really mean to be immortal? Does it just mean I can't die? Or does it mean I regenerate no matter what?"
He had read stories in his world about immortal beings. Some suffered eternally, unable to die but feeling every agony. Others felt no pain, as if death simply had no effect on them.
—"I suppose the only way to know… is to test it."
His gaze landed on a silver fork resting on the table.
He picked it up cautiously.
"This is ridiculous… but I need to know."
With a slight sigh and a strange tingling of anticipation, he clenched his teeth and stabbed the fork into his chest.
The metal pierced his flesh with ease.
—"Hng…" Ras felt a slight prick, but nothing more.
He looked at himself in the mirror. There he was, with a fork stuck in his chest, yet… he felt no pain.
"It's just an annoyance… a small stinging sensation. But that's all."
He pulled the fork out with a swift motion. A few drops of black blood fell onto his shirt… but within seconds, the wound completely healed, as if it had never been there.
Ras began to laugh.
—"This is incredible…"
He let himself fall back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling with a radiant smile.
"I never have to worry about my life again. It doesn't matter if I'm stabbed, shot, burned… none of it will kill me."
One less thing to worry about.
But then, his smile slowly faded.
"Wait… this could also be a problem."
If anyone discovered he couldn't die or feel pain, they would see him as a monster.
Perhaps even a demon.
He crossed his arms, thinking seriously.
"I still don't know what creatures exist in this world. I don't know what is considered a monster or which species can regenerate like me."
It would be best to hide it. To pass as someone normal.
But… how could he fake pain if he didn't feel it?
He slowly stood up and looked at the fork still stained with his dark blood.
—"If I'm going to fool everyone, I need to learn how to control it."
Without hesitation, he took the fork and stabbed it into his hand.
The skin broke, blood spilled… and the wound healed within seconds.
He felt nothing.
He did it again.
And again.
And again.
With each attempt, he focused his mind on trying to control the regeneration, attempting to delay it for even a few seconds.
"If I can control it, I'll be able to make it look like I get injured like any other human."
For hours, he repeated the process. His hand opened and closed, healing at different speeds depending on his concentration.
Finally, after numerous attempts, he managed to slow the healing down for a few seconds.
He smiled.
"This will be enough for now."
Meanwhile, in Lili's Room
Lili was sleeping peacefully, hugging a pillow as if it were a plush toy. Her breathing was calm, and her expression serene.
Unlike Susan and Ras, who seemed worried about the future, she simply wished to wake up and find that all of this had been just a bad dream.
But the world didn't work that way.
Susan, on the other hand, couldn't sleep.
She lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling with a deep frown.
"I need to change."
She had always been a stubborn, straightforward person, unable to hide her emotions… an angry attitude. But here, in this world, that attitude would only put her in danger.
Ras was different. He adapted to every situation with a smile, always reading the atmosphere before speaking.
Lili was open and honest, sometimes like a crying baby. But she knew when to yield and when to stand her ground.
"I, on the other hand, only react with anger. I just complain."
Her fists clenched against the sheets.
"I don't want to be like this. I want to be better. Not too harsh, but not weak either. Not like Ras, who hides his true feelings… and not like Lili, who simply accepts everything without question."
She had to find her own balance.
Finally, after much debating with herself, her eyes slowly began to close. And sleep took hold of her.