The Undead King of the Palace of Darkness

Vampire.

It happens to be one of the most well known among the undead, also referred to as the King of the night.

A genuine monster that possesses a number of special abilities that enable it to take on an entire army all by itself. Although I am still only a lesser vampire, I possess considerable strength. A human who possesses the same physical attributes as I would probably be referred to as a hero.

I landed on all fours. I could sense several pairs of eyes focus on me.

The wind caressed my cheeks and the smell of earth, grass and prey, tickled my nose. Reveling in a strong urge to destroy coupled with the feeling of invincibility, I licked my lips.

I can see them. The moonlight was very faint, but I could clearly make out black beasts crouching among the tall grass with their eyes on me.

However, the same goes for them as well. They were quietly watching me, who had plopped down all of a sudden. Unflinching and calm.

There were ten of them. They were twice as big as the night wolves that the Lord had kept.

I was never the overconfident type, but I did not feel like I would lose.

I do not possess any of the special abilities of a vampire.

The difference between a lesser vampire and a vampire is that the lesser vampire possesses the physique of a vampire while possessing none of the special abilities associated with the latter.

As the name implies, it is truly lesser than a vampire. However, I was completely fine with that.

I had inhuman strength and absurdly strong regenerative powers and a body that does not know the meaning of fatigue or pain.

The Death Knights, including Lufry, all carry weapons made of holy silver that are fatal against the dark forces.

Even in stories I have read, the Death Knights were always armed with such weapons. They exploit the weaknesses of dark forces, find strength in numbers and aim to prolong the battle until sunrise.

In other words, even the Death Knights blessed with a tremendous amount of positive energy may find themselves in a tough spot, if they do not aim for the weak spots of an undead that has been through several stages of evolution.

The Death Knights will band together and relentlessly chase after me. Necromancers are the menace of mankind. The vestige of the Lord had said that only a few people are capable of defeating me in the world.

I felt Senri’s arm around my neck loosen its grip. I touched her arm to stop her.

“Don’t get down. This should be a breeze.”

I have no battle skills. However, a monster has no need for that.

Senri’s blood from last night is blazing inside me.

All I needed was control. Just as how a rogue horse is reined in, I need something to stop my mind from being strung along by my body. Or I will end up becoming a monster like the vampires in tales.

It took everything to stop my instincts kicking in and extending my talons. I pulled out the Blood Ruler.

It was a calculated move on my part. Putting aside the fact that I did want to score more points with her, Senri is experienced in combat. I wanted to show her my fighting style just once.

I hunted mostly by myself in the woods and it usually all ended with a single strike. So this is the first time for someone to see me fight up close.

I calm my heart and squint in the direction of the beasts. Maybe they mean to warn, for they took a step forward. However, they lose to me in levels of monstrosity.

Kill. I will kill these beasts and prove that I am harmless. And… I will have her tell me their weaknesses. I will have her tell me what I need to do when the Death Knights or vampire hunters come after me.

The black beasts lunge at me. Their supposedly quick movements appear slowed down to my superior visual acuity.

I shift stances and swing the machete. The dark, heavy machete easily slices through the forelegs and lops off the head.

The sensation of slicing through the flesh appeals to the monster in me and is reflected in the form of unparalleled bliss. I push it down into the farthest recesses of my mind and swing around to a stop.

I kick at the beast that leaps at my side. The sensation of having kicked something hard spreads through my leg as the beast yelps and rolls over several times and plops down limp.

Its claws had slashed through my leg, however, by the time my leg got back to the ground, it had healed completely.

I do not need to stop to take a breath. Immediately, I lunged at the beast that was the closest to me. Fear flashes across the cold eyes of the beast. I swing my machete at its head with all my might. The beast falls down limp.

— It felt fantastic. The joy derived from an able body adds on top of the satiation of my violent urges being fulfilled.

I stopped there for a moment and brought my focus back to Senri who was still on my back and composed myself.

It felt a bit different from blood lust but a dangerous sensation all the same. I felt this irresistible urge to feed on Senri.

I was aware that I was swaying at the precipice.

It naturally feels good to act as your emotions dictate. However, that will not help me survive.

I felt several feet kick the ground in the blind spot behind me. There should be five beasts remaining. And they did not seem to be in the mood to retreat.

They were the footsteps of beasts that wanted to avenge its fallen brethren by devouring the demon that killed them. And they sounded ready to lunge.

Simple wild animals might have fled after having lost three of their pack. However, judging from their fighting spirit, they seem to be a type of monster.

If my death is what they wish for, then I must respond in kind.

I swung around to protect Senri from the line of fire.

It was close to impossible for me to lose. The only thing I need to be concerned about is not to get drunk on the pleasure of the kill and destroy them without getting my clothes filthy.

I can swing around my machete thrice in the time it takes for the beast to slash at me once.

Be it the tempered, massive body that nature has bestowed on them, or their fur and bones, none of it poses a threat to my body that has been strengthened thanks to Senri’s blood and this curse upon me. I do not even need to think about a battle plan.

I lopped off its head slashing through the skull and used the talons on my left hand to shred the flesh apart. I toyed with the beasts that quickly wanted to surround me by moving even faster than them and killing them effortlessly.

The blood that spattered from their bodies brought me indescribable pleasure.

I guess… I might not need to ask Senri for their weaknesses after all.

As the thought flashed across my mind, Senri exclaimed.

“End!!”

“?!”

I had completely led down my guard. I had totally not realized it. I intended to maintain my composure but I may have ended up losing control of myself.

Light blinded my eyes. It was a flaming arrow.

Countless bright, flaming arrows scattering sparks of fire flew towards us from all directions.

It was offensive magic. They were moving incredibly fast… and I would not be able to dodge them in time.

They were all clearly aimed at me. I quickly tore Senri off my back and tossed her to the ground.

Almost soon after which multiple flaming arrows pierced my whole body.

I did not feel any pain. The light grew bigger and blinded my eyes.

The flames licked at my body and the impact pushed me backward.

My whole life up to this point, flashes through my eyes.

The past life in which I was bedridden. The resuscitation from an evil curse. The days in which I acted like the Lord’s puppet, my resultant rebellion and crushing defeat.

The deal with Roux, the battle between the Death Knights and the Lord. The grave I built for Roux. The conversation I had with Senri then. The time I was reduced to nothing but a head, after which I fed on her blood.

The world grew quiet and was soon consumed by darkness.

I blinked in a daze. Absentmindedly, I checked the condition of my body.

There was no pain. I do not feel any heat either. My robes were scorched and had several holes everywhere leaving me exposed.

I brushed a finger over where the holes were. No pain. No wounds.

“End!…”

“Oh right… vampires are…”

It was a late revelation. What a fool I am.

A vampire’s body is very resistant to all kinds of magic.

The countless flaming arrows that had me prepared for death could only push me back a few steps. Looks like those flying lanterns made me leap to the wrong conclusion….

Senri rushed over.

Her eyes showed concern. It appears all the arrows found the target in me as Senri looked unscathed.

Thank goodness….

“I’m fine, not a scratch…”

I turned around in the direction where the arrows came from.

Before I had realized it, around ten silhouettes had us surrounded. Seeing as how they were armed lightly, they must be the guards I spotted earlier.

Two of them were men, who brandished a staff. They must be the ones who shot the flaming arrows at me. However, they looked dumbfounded now.

The magic was plenty powerful. Well, since I was unhurt, I am not sure exactly how powerful it was, but I dare say it could have reduced those black beasts from earlier to dust.

They may certainly be more in number, but none of them were clad in positive energy like the Death Knights. They were just ordinary mercenaries.

Simple mercenaries, who were not trained to take on vampires. Given how they were all trembling in fear and rooted to their spots, they do not seem to be much of a threat. They were obviously far inferior to Lufry, Neville and need I say, Senri.

The only concern is the fact that, despite my superior senses, I had become completely immersed in the hunt that I had not realized them approach.

The monster’s instincts in me that had not been satiated after hunting the beasts, constantly whispered to kill the humans in front of me.

“End…”

Senri’s voice trembled. However, she need not worry.

I put a smile on my face as I called out to the people surrounding us.

“Hang on! Sorry if you got the wrong idea. But I am a human being!”

“What…?”

I cannot blame them to have taken the preemptive after finding a single entity massacring all the beasts in a dark spot.

I wish they had called out to me instead, but there are plenty of monsters with a human appearance.

Well, considering both of us are uninjured, I shall be magnanimous and forgive them. I should forgive them. I need not be swayed by my instincts.

Maybe I am… a really nice person? Just kidding.

The thought made me laugh.

“ Hahaha. Sorry, but we’re in a hurry. We shall take off then.”

“Ahh!…”

It would be nice if we could talk it over and have them compensate us for any harm caused, but unfortunately, I am an undead.

I might slip up and end up exposing my identity if we converse for too long. I gathered some precious metals from the ruins of the Lord’s mansion, so I should have no problem with obtaining the currency in use.

I did not wait to hear their reply, as I quickly grabbed Senri and took off at full speed.

I did not sense any of them attack us, but I felt totally exhilarated.

Offensive magic does not work on me. I had forgotten about that.

Vampires have strong resistance to all kinds of magic. Mind control magic nor offensive magic work on them.

Furthermore, the resistance seems to be much stronger than I had imagined. This bit of news certainly bodes well for me who puts survival above everything else.

The offensive magic performed by mages is a kind of weapon in itself. Compared to a swordsman, the AoE and strength of a mage’s attack is much more powerful.

Mages are considered elite and are favorably received in any country. In war, the military strength of an army could greatly vary depending upon the number and power of the mages affiliated to it.

The fact that magic has no effect on me really changes things.

I cannot deny the possibility that the mages who attacked me earlier were simply weak, so I cannot let down my guard just yet, but I feel like the list of potential enemies suddenly went down.

If magic really has no effect on me, it opens up more options to defend myself in a critical situation.

I am glad I stumbled upon this bit of development at this juncture.

In the blink of an eye, I was out of their range. I continued to run at full speed, and when I was sure that I had completely lost them, I lowered Senri to the ground.

Senri looked a little unsteady on her feet but quickly regained composure and looked up at me.

She brushed a hand against the holes in my clothes that the flaming arrows had scorched open.

“End… are you okay?”

“Totally fine. I’m not hurt in the least. I didn’t retaliate either. Senri, offensive magic doesn’t work on vampires!”

“… I know. But only to a degree, they aren’t completely immune to it…”

I can become stronger. There are still a lot of challenges to tackle, but the results were not bad.

I am this strong when I have not been taught any combat styles from anyone. I can become even stronger if Senri teaches me.

That is right. I might… even become able to use magic. I am the vessel the Lord chose to transfer his soul into. I cannot imagine that he as a mage would choose a vessel that had no natural propensity towards magic.

I had never even dreamed of it in my past life. But if I become capable of wielding soul transfer magic like the Lord, then my chances of survival will greatly increase.

As I stood exhilarated at the thought, Senri let out an exasperated sigh.

☠☠ ☠

I have given them plenty of time. Epée stood by the window and squinted as he looked down at the town bathed in sunlight.

The hustle and bustle of carriages going back and forth. People lead a peaceful life in this place. And that should be protected by the Death Knights.

I have waited long enough for End who still had some humanity in him, to lose to the monster’s blood lust.

I gave Senri plenty of time to rethink her decision. However, she has not returned yet.

“Your time is up… Senri. I don’t know how he did it… but how dare you, End!”

His tone appeared calm, but one could see the dangerous glint deep in his eyes.

Senri Silvis is a rare talent as a Death Knight.

Even Epée, who is one of the strongest Death Knights would consider it a great achievement for Senri to have reached the first-class when she is only seventeen years old.

Had Epée been of the same age as Senri, he may have felt envious of her blinding talent. She is sure to eventually surpass him in strength.

The Death Knights are few in number. She needs to be brought back at any cost. It cannot be too late, there should still be a chance.

Even after all that happened, Epée did not consider the possibility that Senri may have already been killed. For the Death Knights, who learn the art of manipulating positive energy, it is second nature to always have a protective shield around their bodies. Epée did not think that End could get past that barrier.

However, if Senri is hopelessly under his spell, then I must give her a painless death. That will be my final act of mercy as her Master.

All the third-class disciples looked sharp.

They no longer continued to look haggard as they did soon after Senri had taken off. They are in the best of conditions.

The Death Knights are accustomed to disasters. They do not let personal feelings get in the way of their duty. Even Neville who had been impacted the most from Senri being snatched away, had already completely recovered.

Perhaps he had picked up on the change in Epée, for Neville walked over for a quick confirmation.

“Master… we’re going after them, right?”

“… Neville, do you think… you could take on Senri? There is a chance we will have to.”

“… That’s…”

Neville’s expression changed and he trailed off.

Third-class knights lose to second-class knights in almost every regard. Above all else, Senri is endowed with a monstrously huge amount of blessing even among the second-class.

Power of blessing or positive energy is fundamental to a Death Knight. It is used to purge the dark forces and is also used to fortify their bodies. At times, it can even be transformed to be used as destructive power. Not to mention, it can be used to magnify the range of detection as well.

That absolute quantity is one of the biggest talents of Death Knights. Purging, which is one of their forte will have no effect on Senri, as she is human.

There is a huge difference in strength between a first and second-class knight, and the same goes for the difference between a second and third-class knight.

“But if it’s you, Master…”

“ Yes. But… there is someone more apt.”

Lufry blinked at his master’s calm words.

Epée still had not given up on rescuing Senri. No way can she be abandoned when the opponent is a mere lesser vampire.

She is a precious talent, who is capable of bringing about the end of something of the highest rank, like a Dracula that could terrorize the world or even the King of the Undead.

End is keeping her shackled. Then, all we need to do is destroy him.

Killing him is simple. But if they were to corner and kill him as was the norm, it would sour their relationship with Senri.

If so, someone who is not one of us needs to kill him.

It is true that End is a singular type of undead, but at his current level, there are any number of people capable of killing him.

“I’ve been waiting. You may enter.”

The door opened. Neville’s brows furrowed at the figure that stepped into the room. Lufry’s eyes grew wide and Thelma’s face grew grim.

The one who had come into view was a huge man, clad in a black coat with his head far receding into the hood of his coat.

His arms were bandaged and almost no part of his skin was exposed. He wore a big leather belt which held a sword in a brown scabbard.

A huge silver cross swayed from his neck and it only added to his overall strangeness.

He was accompanied by a black dog that was big enough for a human to ride. Its intelligent, gold eyes looked around at the Death Knights and growled quietly.

The man looked as ominous as an undead. If the man was in fact human, then there is only one possible explanation.

“Vampire hunter… you’ve got to be kidding me, Master. Are you trying to pit scum against another scum?”

The man clad in the black coat chuckled at Neville’s stifled annoyance.