Just as Ezra – the creature that was neither man nor beast – opened his mouth to speak again, a wet gurgling escaped from Talia, who lay prone and still on the floor. Her robe was saturated with her own blood, and her breathing had become shallow. The noise made the armored figure's cold smile falter from his pallid face. His red eyes narrowed before he sprang forward. With one powerful kick of his hard leather boot, her head snapped back. He continued to aim merciless blows at her body until she lay motionless and silent. A low, plaintive scratching could be heard coming from the agitated lizard beast.
The ash creature's grip on Prometheus weakened as it felt its master die. Then, in a cloud of noxious black smoke, it vanished completely. Exhausted from the fight, Prometheus fell forward onto the lizard's cold back and lay panting, his strength sapped.
"First days in the living as a level 1 without a path, and you've already been assaulted by a demon."
Ezra leaped from the ground and landed atop the neck of a giant, scaly creature. His eyes shone with gentle compassion – discordant to his previous violent display – as he leaned forward, his head cupped in the palm of his hands as he spoke. "You've been through too much, new friend," he stated gently. "But fear not, I'm here now. I won't let anything happen to you ever again."
Ezra then noticed his state, his gaze fixed on the black blood that had pooled on top of the lizard's leather harness. The pale man seemed to think for a moment before removing his gloves, revealing like-wise pale hands with long, smooth fingers and sharp nails that glinted in the sun. Using the nail of his left index finger like a knife, he cut into the flesh of his right wrist.
Smiling, he held his wrist in front of Prometheus's face, an expectant, excited look on his face.
Prometheus looked at the dripping wound, then back at the pale man. A strange hunger began to make itself known in the pit of his stomach.
Right, that consume skill. Prometheus's entire body quaked with suppressed desire as his gaze traveled over the pale man's wound. His vision was tinted red with hunger, and his mouth watered as he watched. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and before he knew it, he was lunging forward, though he hadn't resisted it. His teeth sunk into Ezra's wrist, and the man let out a soft moan in return. A wave of forbidden euphoria washed through Prometheus, so intense that it sent shivers coursing through him, and he bit down harder. He felt as if time had stopped, the sensation of ultimate bliss radiating outward like a tsunami as he drank the blood like the sweetest ambrosia.
You have consumed the blood of Arch-vampire Ezra.
Consume is now at level 2.
Consume is now at level 3.
The blood of Arch-vampire Ezra has a restorative effect.
He felt the wound to his arm knit itself together, black blood clotting and writhing as it came together in a dark, complex weave. The blood was salty, like the sea. A metallic tang lingered on his tongue while a viscous warmth spread through his throat and chest like a heavy blanket. It was not the first time he had resorted to drinking blood. In fact, it had once been a reward. During the dark age, when the pantheons fought wildly, divine blood had run freely, like rivers, and drinking that natural elixir had been the fastest, most effective way of replenishing one's strength and vitality. He had feasted many times upon his fallen enemies with his titan brothers and sisters; it was the way of things back then.
Prometheus ushered a chuckle in his new undead body, which came out sounding more like Talia's death throes than anything else. "Thank you. You told me your name earlier, so it is only proper I tell you mine. Prometheus.
Ezra stared at him for a moment, then nodded and equipped his gloves, the gash across his wrist already a faint, white scar that was disappearing by the second. "We must depart at once; since she was here, others will come too."
"Who?"
The vampire shook his head. "No time. We are vulnerable in the jungle, and the road is long. Up."
Prometheus straddled the beast without arguing; trusting this man seemed like his only option considering how easily the young woman had captured and toyed with him. The beast stomped its three-clawed feet in agitation but calmed as he got in place on top of its back. The vampire then grabbed the reins and started walking, the giant lizard following behind with Prometheus on its back.
----------------------------------------
"Get down."
They had not traveled for more than an hour, making their way through thick vegetation, when Ezra stopped and pulled Prometheus down from the saddle. He unsheathed his sword and handed it to the black ghoul before removing his gloves and brandishing his long claw-like nails.
They were in a clearing with a snaking stream coursing through the high grass, small pebbles floating along without a care in the world.
Ezra growled, showing a mouth of sharp teeth, like a shark, as figures emerged from between the trees. And then the battle was in full force.
Hounds with barbed tails and two heads, frothing and spitting as they barked, charged toward them. There were five of them, three from one direction and two from the other, both going straight for the pair.
"Don't die," Ezra said and lunged toward the three on the right side.
Prometheus also sprang into action as the two hounds charged toward him, hurdling the stream in one single leap. He nimbly sidestepped one of them and brought Ezra's sword down across its legs. The second hound was on him before he could react, tackling him to the ground and snarling as it lunged for his throat, its tail piercing his thigh. Summoning all his strength and ignoring the pain, Prometheus managed to buck the hound off him, scrambling back onto his feet and gripping the sword firmly. He limped on one side but never took his eyes off the beasts.
Unfazed by the deep cuts it had sustained, the wounded hound and its companion charged again. This time, Prometheus was ready; with a flick of his wrist and a subtle downward arc, he sliced through the first hound's neck, but the sword got stuck, and he had to let it go. Prometheus felt a sudden jolt of pain as the second creature sunk its powerful jaws into his leg. He roared in agony and fought back, desperately trying to pry open the beast's maw. With one hand, he grasped at the creature's neck, and with the other, he drove his clawed fingers into its eye socket.
There was a sickening pop followed by a nauseating squelch as Prometheus forced his hand deeper and deeper until he felt the sticky warmth of the monster's insides.
You have killed 2x Chimera.
You have gained a level.
You are now level 2.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
You have unlocked the path menu. Would you like to access the path menu at this moment? Y/N?]
Prometheus quickly willed the blue boxes to disappear. He looked around for more enemies but saw none. The vampire had killed the other three and stood a little distance away, looking at him, that brilliant smile of his, completely unharmed. The black ghoul ignored him and limped over to the corpse of the first dog he killed. He pulled out the sword and began cutting away. Once he had removed enough meat, he chewed the strips of flesh diligently before swallowing. They were slightly acrid but edible
You have consumed the flesh of a chimera.
The flesh of the Chimera has a restorative effect.
It took several mouthfuls until the wound on his leg had regenerated enough for him to move unencumbered. Ezra had made his way over during this time and stood beside him, still smiling. Prometheus shifted his gaze up to the vampire, returning the smile with one showing bloody teeth. The joy of feeling alive had never tasted so good.
"I assume you reached level 2." the vampire said after a moment.
Prometheus nodded and answered. "Yes, it says I can now access the path menu."
The vampire gestured for his sword, which the black ghoul handed back. He wiped it on one of the corpses, then turned back to Prometheus.
"Very good. My suggestion is that you select a combat-related path. "He said as he tugged the reins of the unharmed lizard beast, leading it to the stream for a drink. Over his shoulder, he added. "That is, since these were just scouts, and they now know where we are."
"I see." The black ghoul turned away from the vampire and slumped down in the tall grass beside the half-eaten hound. The grass was irritatingly ticklish as it poked his bare feet, and through the simple tunic and trousers were given to him in the cave base.
No time to waste. He willed the prompt to re-emerge. Confirming yes, his whole view was covered in a sea of blue.