Truthfully speaking, Arthur couldn't feel getting stronger even though his stats increased. Latif's elderly body felt more awkward than the dissected vampire. He was a hunchback and not even his empowered physique fixed that complication. Still, the acquisition of new skills, especially 'Medical Field' was a celebratory occasion. He had long forgotten about someone, his feelings remained unperturbed and, instead of remorse, he was eager to live his new life.
His past experience taught him a lot, including not to trust anyone, even someone as close as his wife. True, he didn't love her, but that didn't mean she could do that to him. Optimistic, he vowed to himself that he'll live freely and however he wants. If this was truly another world- and this was a fact that remains to be proved- he would not have to worry about what he had left behind. He could go wherever he wanted and gain the power to protect himself. Of course, that did not necessarily mean he would go around killing people and possessing them, however, if it was for his survival, he would undoubtedly not hesitate to kill.
Perhaps it had to do with what he went through, all that torture and isolation… whatever it was, it helped him cope with his new environment and do what he must to ensure his safety. Being a parasite wasn't as bad as he had initially thought, it was more like an extra safety precaution, now that he got a taste of his unique powers. In the body of someone else, he had to tread carefully, but that also meant that he was equipped with an extra life in case there was any mishap or fatal accident.
Before going any further, Arthur left Latif's body and tried entering the dead vampire, which turned out to be possible and inconsequential, much to his delight.
After the brief experimentation, he returned to the old man's body and stood up. He had a slightly curved knife holstered in a thin black belt around his waist. Latif was wearing a dirty and shredded grey robe with blood splatters around its sleeves and shoulders.
Feeling disgusted and mildly uncomfortable, he proceeded to switch his clothes with the vampire's, which were also bloodied but more respectable than the old man's. Actually, the vampire was clearly missing some of his clothes but, for now, what was left did the job for Arthur.
He wore medieval-like leather pants, a crimson jerkin, and a black jacket on top of it. He wished to clean the blood off of them but there was no water or anything of the like to do that, unfortunately.
Finally, when he was done, Arthur entered the room. It was smaller than the torture room but cozier, filled with parchments, books, and lots of discarded and nauseating old clothes all stuffed in a corner, forming a small mountain.
'Do I leave right away or…?'
Certainly, leaving this place would be the safest option. Excluding the guard, he still didn't know if there were more enemies, but the books and parchment could prove useful. After all, he could use a bit of general knowledge about this place and this world. Even were he to leave right now, he'd only wander around aimlessly, looking like a creepy old hunchback.
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Though a bit risky, Arthur didn't deign to leave. He toured the small room and inspected every little thing, even the clothes, which seemed to belong to Latif.
The books, fortunately, were written in a language that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar. It was definitely the first time he'd seen it but he could read and comprehend it, to the very last letter.
There was also some food and water, which he tentatively ate a bit from to quench his thirst and calm his growling empty stomach.
Hour after hour passed, Arthur sat on one of the chairs and read the books, especially. The parchments were all in the same language as the one used in the ones he found in the torture room. Maybe it was the Arman Language mentioned by the system, either way, he couldn't understand it.
The croaking and moaning guard from before did not return, thus Arthur was left alone in that room, which was way better than his last 'home'. It was warm and there was enough food and water to last him days, though it was not like he was going to stay here for long. There were a lot of books, more than twenty, but most were about Vampires and Werewolves, which wasn't something the parasite was interested in.
One book, however, talked briefly about the world, named Astria. Likewise, it was about Vampires but focused more on their habitats, their nature, and their behavior. It was also the only book that provided Arthur with a bit of useful and much-needed information.
To summarize, the world- or planet- he was in was called Astria. There was a Human and a Demon continent and Vampires were considered Demons and were loathed and feared by humans. There were dates on the book too, the period in which it was published: 4th Era, Year 56.
In total, Arthur spent seven hours inside that room, never disturbed by anyone or anything. When he was finally done skimming through the books and parchments, he ate more food to make himself feel full then exited through the door.
What met his sight wasn't a corridor but a large and dark gloomy cave. A distance away, he spotted a wobbly silhouette with its back facing him.
He didn't panic for he knew that he was in possession of Latif's body. He just had to act like the old man and everything would proceed smoothly.
And proceed smoothly it certainly did; The guard, who turned out to be a literal zombie with a scarred face, greenish skin, and rusty bronze armor, croaked like usual and bowed its head to Arthur.
"Don't move from here!" He angrily shouted at the zombie then flung his robe over and departed. Relieved, Arthur raised his head and stared at the sky. Coincidentally, it was dawn and the canopy was ever-so-slightly brightening, illuminating the parasite's surroundings.
'A forest?'
He expected a town or a city but it was the total opposite, he was in a peaceful forest. Thick trees rising up to ten meters in height, large and small bushes, green vegetation dominating his whole view. Although it was a happy occasion that he survived death and escaped from Latif's turf alive, Arthur still felt disappointed over his ignorance.
Not even the books he read gave a hint about where he might be in Astria. He had to figure that out himself by wandering around and hopefully finding a settlement.