Chapter 11: Runaway Slave
Drip!
The first drop of blood landed in Ronan’s open mouth as his hollow eye sockets came to life.
At that moment, Ronan felt like a dried-up seabed receiving its first drop of water after decades of drought. His cells seemed to leap with joy as his gray skin brightened, turning slightly pale.
He felt as though his body had been craving this all along and had finally gotten it. Best of all, Ronan could feel a rhythmic beating, although quiet and steady. It was a sign that he was developing a heart.
Then more drops fell as he opened his mouth as wide as he could, not wanting to miss a single drop as the blood continued to pour.
Ronan’s eyes lit up as the crimson-red color became even more vibrant. He felt his body healing as his bones mended, his flesh pieced itself back together, and he steadily grew stronger.
From Mortal Stage Three...
To Four then Eight... ronan kept growing
Ronan didn’t even realize when he had fully healed. He stood up, grabbed the bucket, and began drinking the blood hungrily.
He didn’t stop until he had licked the bucket clean.
It was like the finest delicacy and wine combined.
He couldn’t stop.
His rationality seemed to disappear as he stared at the now spotless bucket.
His body trembled.
This was not enough...
Definitely not enough.
He wanted more...
No, he needed more.
Then his gaze shifted toward the collapsed buildings.
Most of the humans had been buried beneath the rubble and crushed, while those still alive were barely breathing.
His eyes glowed as he walked toward them with his mouth open. Two one-inch-long fangs emerged as they sank deep into the humans’ bodies, and he began to suck.
Meanwhile, the battle between the human forces and the creatures of the Abyss became increasingly intense as the ground cracked beneath them and a sea of blood formed.
Levit gritted his teeth as he coughed.
Although he possessed superior abilities and had lived far longer than his human opponent, he was lacking in terms of Realm.
Facing a Peak Sovereign Realm expert while only being at the Two-Star Sovereign Realm...
It was already a miracle that he was still alive.
Various deep gashes covered his body as he was forced back again and again.
His limbs hung limply, almost severed.
He tried to heal, but a trait-bound ability attached to the human’s sword prevented his regeneration.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t heal quickly.
It would take time for the effect to wear off before his regeneration returned, but in such an intense battle, being handicapped meant death.
Levit knew he couldn’t win.
The only thing he could do now was escape.
So while retreating, he constantly searched for an opportunity.
As fate would have it, he found one.
A Vampire Lord at the Peak Sovereign Realm appeared and clashed with the human, giving Levit the opening he needed to flee.
Levit ran as fast as he could, his heartbeat racing and his face covered in cold sweat, until he crashed into a hill at the edge of the battlefield, breathing heavily.
His injuries were severe, the most life-threatening being the wound that had nearly cleaved him in half through the torso.
"Damn those humans," Levit spat angrily.
He tried to move, but to no avail.
He knew he was still close to the battlefield because he could still hear the battle cries and feel the violent gusts created by the shockwaves of their attacks.
The only thing he could do now was use his slaves.
Command his Ghouls to carry him away from here.
Thinking of that, Levit opened his palm as a strange symbol appeared on it.
He summoned his Ghouls.
---
Far away, just as Ronan finished sucking the blood from the humans, he suddenly felt his body tremble.
His consciousness returned.
His rationality was back.
At that moment, however, he felt his body trying to move on its own as a direction appeared in his mind.
It was telling him to go somewhere.
No doubt...
His master, Levit, was calling him.
But this time, Ronan felt that he could resist it.
He could even break free from it entirely.
It was a new discovery, but he knew it came with his newly gained strength.
Host: Ronan
Race: Hybrid (Ghoul × Vampire)
Realm: Mortal • Eight Star
Trait: Blood Sucking Lv.0
Essence: 82/90 (90 needed to reach the next star.)
Effect:
Low conversion of blood into Essence.
Body enhancement.
Low-level regeneration.
Stronger senses.
Abilities: None
Inventory: Evolution Card ×1
This was one of the reasons Ronan could resist the command.
He had grown stronger, just one star away from the peak of the Mortal Realm.
He had not only drunk the blood of ordinary humans but also the blood flowing through the battlefield that belonged to Transcendent Realm humans.
However, because of his low conversion rate, this was as far as he could go.
His body was still too weak.
He could only absorb blood from those in the Transcendent Realm.
If he tried drinking the blood of a Sovereign Realm expert, his body would explode.
After all, he was still far too weak.
But even this was more than enough for Ronan.
He didn’t know why his master was summoning him.
Just a short distance away stood the portal leading to the Mortal Realm.
Freedom was so close.
But Ronan hesitated.
Not because he didn’t want to leave...
But because what if a human army was waiting on the other side?
Rushing through recklessly would be like delivering his head on a silver platter.
So after a brief struggle, Ronan followed the will inside him and marched toward where Levit was.
It didn’t take long for Ronan to reach the edge of the cliff, where he saw an almost unrecognizable figure.
For a moment, Ronan doubted whether this was truly his master.
Levit had been gravely injured, and his breathing was weak.
"Car...ry... me... away..."
Levit struggled to speak.
After summoning his Ghouls, he had been shocked to discover that only one was still alive.
His heart ached.
After all, he had spent so many resources training them.
Worse still, the only survivor was the weakest Ghoul he had almost killed just a while ago.
Levit felt a trace of regret.
But surviving came first.
So, he gave Ronan an order.
One second passed.
Then two.
Then three.
Nothing happened.
Levit was filled with confusion as he struggled to raise his head for a better look at Ronan.
If he hadn’t seen it himself, he never would have believed it.
The Ghoul that was supposed to have gray, decaying skin now had slightly pale skin like a Vampire.
But that wasn’t all.
He was stronger, almost at the peak of the Mortal Realm.
He had two fangs, slightly crimson pupils...
And Levit could even hear the faint sound of a heartbeat.
Everything pointed to one conclusion.
This Ghoul was actually evolving into a Vampire.
Impossible.
He knew better than anyone how difficult it was to evolve.
Even he had originally been a human who was transformed into a Vampire—a Lesser Vampire—by the bite of the Vampire Lord he served.
Yet this Ghoul was evolving on his own?
Greed, envy, and anger mixed together as Levit’s eyes widened.
After all, he knew exactly what he had sacrificed to obtain this power.
But an even greater horror awaited him as he watched Ronan slowly approach.
If this had happened earlier, he would have been relieved.
After all, he couldn’t move or heal, and his Ghoul could simply carry him away.
But now...
He wanted Ronan as far away from him as possible.
He knew this Ghoul was no longer under his control.
He had already suspected something was wrong when a Ghoul that should have been at least Transcendent One Star had instead appeared as a Mortal Realm creature.
Then, to Levit’s horror, he watched as Ronan picked up a broken piece of equipment from nearby.
Slowly...
He raised it above his head.
"No..."
But it was too late.
The sharp metal pierced straight through Levit’s heart.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Slowly...
He felt his life slipping away.
"Gotta run."
The moment Ronan confirmed that Levit was going to die, he turned and sprinted toward the portal.
Only a fool would stay.
A servant killing his master was nothing new among the Abyssal creatures.
But by doing so, he had become a runaway slave.
One marked by the Abyss.
One who would be hunted by every Abyssal creature.
Ronan ran with all his might as his heart pounded like thunder.
---
Elsewhere...
The instant Levit died, a being with emerald-green eyes awoke.
His deep voice reverberated throughout the lavishly decorated room.
"Who dares kill my clone?"