Chapter 32 - A What…?
I had never cared where the elixirs came from.
In the novel and game, they were simply a rare treasure coveted by countless people.
That was all I needed to know.
I had come here for one reason.
To restore my hand and I had succeeded.
My fingers had grown back.
That alone had made this trip worthwhile.
But now, leaving with my prize was no longer an option.
Not until I dealt with these two monsters.
As if that weren’t enough, the cracking sound from the coffin continued to echo through the chamber.
Each crack made the uneasy feeling in my chest grow stronger.
KRAAAAH!
The giant bat lunged at me.
Its mouth opened wide, exposing rows of razor-sharp fangs.
I wouldn’t deny it.
For a brief moment, I was genuinely afraid.
Fear, however, wasn’t going to save my life.
I swung first.
CLANG!
The bat’s claws slammed into my sword, and the overwhelming force sent me flying.
I crashed straight into a pile of wooden crates.
Crash!
Dozens of crimson elixirs scattered across the floor.
Ignoring the pain, I grabbed one, bit off the cork, and swallowed it in one gulp.
Warmth spread throughout my body as my exhausted muscles relaxed and the wound in my shoulder rapidly knitted together.
These things really were miraculous.
Unfortunately, the two monsters in front of me were just as absurd.
Neither of them seemed capable of rational thought anymore.
Normally, they should have been fighting each other, but now, they both regarded me as the one thing they needed to eliminate.
"I’m the common enemy now?"
I didn’t have time to complain as both creatures charged simultaneously.
"Shit!"
I dashed away at full speed.
Thanks to the improvements brought by my Aspect and training, my movement speed far surpassed that of an ordinary Bronze Hero.
But, they were even faster.
The vampire attacked relentlessly with Blood Magic.
The bat relied on terrifying physical strength.
Fortunately, I possessed one advantage they didn’t.
My sword.
Slash!
The crimson energy blade carved through the bat’s wing with astonishing ease.
KRRRAAA!
The creature shrieked as a large section of its wing fell to the ground.
Yet within seconds, fresh flesh began growing from the wound.
"Tch!"
It regenerated.
The same was true for the vampire.
Unless I landed a truly fatal strike, neither of them stayed down.
Still, without this sword, I doubted I could even injure them.
The laboratory weapon was simply on another level but there was also one problem.
Its energy wasn’t infinite.
Once depleted, it would need time to recharge using Monster Crystals.
So I adopted the only strategy that made sense.
Hit. Run. Drink. Repeat.
Whenever an opening appeared, I slashed at whichever monster came closest.
The instant they counterattacked, I retreated.
Whenever Blood Magic left another wound on my body, I grabbed another elixir and drank it without hesitation.
Fortunately for me, this place was practically a warehouse filled with the things.
The vampires had stockpiled enough elixirs to supply the black market for years.
Ironically, their own inventory was now keeping me alive.
Minutes passed.
My breathing grew heavier as the vampire became even more feral.
The bat’s attacks became increasingly frantic.
And all the while, the cracks covering the coffin continued spreading.
They were impossible to ignore now.
Each impact from our battle caused another fracture to appear.
CRAAAAACK!
The coffin exploded as wooden fragments blasted across the chamber.
The crimson magic circles beneath it flickered violently before shattering one after another like broken glass.
The remaining tubes connected to the coffin burst apart.
Blood erupted in every direction, drenching the entire room in a scarlet tide.
For a brief moment, everything stopped.
The berserk vampire froze.
The giant bat instinctively retreated several steps, its face turning toward the shattered coffin.
Even I found myself unable to move.
At the same time, I heard hurried footsteps approaching from the corridor.
’They’re coming.’
The commotion had finally alerted the remaining people inside the mansion.
But I couldn’t even prepare myself.
An invisible pressure descended upon the chamber.
My body became impossibly heavy, as though a mountain had been placed on my shoulders.
My heartbeat abruptly stopped.
Just for an instant.
A sharp pain spread through my chest before my heart violently resumed beating.
"Cough!" I spat out another mouthful of blood.
Then, every drop of blood scattered across the room began to tremble.
Everything floated into the air.
Watching the scene unfold, a chill crawled down my spine.
The blood twisted together like countless crimson serpents before gathering at the center of the room.
Slowly it formed a silhouette of a female figure.
The figure of a woman gradually took shape.
"You bastard! Who dares–"
Three people rushed into the chamber before abruptly stopping.
Their furious expressions instantly froze.
Seeing reinforcements arrive, I instinctively shouted.
"You three! Help me deal with thi–"
My words were interrupted.
"It’s him!" The guard from the front gate pointed directly at me.
"He’s the Mistress’s new toy!"
"What?"
A young man with light crimson hair turned toward the guard in disbelief.
"The Mistress’s what?"
"The new toy sir!"
The guard nodded with absolute confidence.
"He said we were at war, so I let him in!"
The crimson-haired man’s face twitched.
"You brainless idiot! You let an outsider into the estate because of that?!"
"I-I thought he was someone important!"
"I know almost everyone my sister keeps around!"
’Almost.’ The guard quietly swallowed those last words.
The man rubbed his forehead in frustration before glaring at me.
He was Patricia’s younger brother who always stood beside Patricia during important occasions.
I had never paid much attention to his appearance, because I thought he was somewhere else
’Shouldn’t he still be at the auction?’
I had no way of knowing that, after I killed the two Vampires, Patricia had sent him here.
The blood finally completed its transformation as the crimson liquid condensed into flawless pale skin.
A long scarlet dress materialized around the figure.
Silken red hair cascaded down her back.
She looked no older than twenty but she had an otherworldly beauty to her.
The instant she opened her crimson eyes, every vampire in the room immediately fell to one knee.
Even Patricia’s brother was no exception.
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
As for me, I remained standing.
The giant bat quietly lowered its head.
Even the berserk vampire, who had lost all sanity, instinctively backed away.
No one dared make another sound.
The woman ignored them all.
Her crimson eyes slowly swept across the chamber.
Finally, her gaze settled on me.
"W-What do y-you want, ma’am?" I asked as my voice barely escaped my throat.
I instinctively knew that the figure was intelligent, so I could escape this situation somehow.
But, she didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she tilted her head ever so slightly, studying me with visible curiosity.
Then, her nose twitched once as though smelling something.
A strange expression appeared on her face.
"A cock?"
My mind went completely blank.
A what?