In a nearly perfect straight line, Vast rode that bear for several kilometers until inevitably reaching the point where the animal collapsed, and he had to continue on foot.
Several more kilometers. The Conqueror's Tower was undoubtedly closer, but he believed he was still far from making up for lost time.
12 days left... 12 days until the curse...
He shook his head and dismissed the thought. Dwelling on it was a waste of precious energy. For now, he would keep his focus entirely on what was happening around him. He was glad he made that choice.
After so long without seeing any living souls, a small village came into view. Climbing a small hill that preceded the entrance to the place, he could have a panoramic view of everything he needed.
A water tower, a small shop, and... is that a blacksmith?
He inspected the Crimson Shooter. Not a scratch, a weapon of truly impressive capacity and durability. Not even those huge mosquitoes — whose beaks penetrated even the walls — could scratch the item.
I guess I won't need to repair it. It's perfect. I can focus on the essentials and leave here in a few minutes.
It was his intention, but... THUMP!
A cloud of dust rose near the small shop. He would be unable to see everything even after the curtain fell, so he hurried to the scene immediately.
People were gathered but considerably spaced apart from each other. All attention was on the center of the commotion, and none of those present even noticed Vast passing among them, even considering the stark contrast between a prince and them.
What?! The cloud gradually lowered, finally revealing the unfolding scene. It made sense for no one to interfere now that the aura had finally been revealed.
Wandering Vampire
Strength 20/100
Agility 18/100
Intelligence 9/100
It looked like an ordinary civilian at first glance, but a second look would reveal the protruding fangs and an obvious thirst for blood in its eyes.
"What did you say, idiot?! I come here all peaceful, smooth, just to collect the weekly fees, and you tell me you're broke?" he said, kicking the innocent at his feet.
The man intended to speak, but the Vampire's shoe closed his mouth before he could. In turn, Vast advanced quickly toward the enemy.
The scene didn't make sense. Vampires — especially Wanderers — didn't usually act without the permission of their superiors, meaning Descendants. Furthermore, it was stupid to worry about money when they usually did as they pleased. There was some loose end in that story.
"Hey! Leave my subjects alone!" He pointed with the Crimson Shooter, ready to shoot. However, the Vampire's reaction upon encountering that noble figure was the complete opposite of before.
"Pri-Prince Vast?! Damn...!!"
In an instant diversion, he jumped away from the civilian and disappeared faster than Vast could adjust his aim. Shooting like that could end up putting an innocent in the middle of the fight.
Anyway, the one at the center of it all was saved — as much as possible.
"Citizen, can you tell me what was happening?"
It might be too much to ask for someone with 90% of his mouth destroyed to talk, but the man made an effort and, in the end, managed to convey the necessary information.
"A vampire collecting fees? I've seen Descendants do that, but never a Wanderer..."
He sought more information, but unfortunately, that was all the man in question and the rest of the village knew. From one day to the next, that vampire appeared and started charging absurd fees from each of the residents in exchange for not killing them.
As if that weren't enough, his reaction upon realizing Vast's presence also became a concern.
Do they already know what I'm doing? Could Carmilla have spread it? No, I highly doubt it.
Well, ruining a plan that would kill thousands of humans at once would certainly not go unnoticed, right?
The real problem was tactics. The Wanderer fled in a zigzag, meaning he knew Vast attacked through shots. A big problem. The next enemies could have a total understanding of how his weapons worked, but the reverse was far from applying.
Tsk! So many complications. At this rate, I might end up...
"Vast! Is that really you?"
That voice?! He turned suddenly, coming face to face with a figure more than familiar.
"Ru-Russisch...!"
Displaying that same youthful energy as when he left him for the first time, the skilled inventor approached with a more than energetic laugh. His wife followed close behind with a friendly smile.
"What are you doing here? I thought you would stay at home!"
"Hahaha!! How could I waste the chance the prince gave me? This young body needs to be used to its maximum potential before it ages again!"
His biceps were so big they could have a life of their own. If living that way was how Russisch found his happiness, then there was no reason for Vast to question anything else.
"Well, anyway, I have to ask you not to go much further from here. The vampires are finally paying attention to my progress, so it's dangerous to go farther. I recommend returning to Ormstade. I defeated that Vampire you mentioned, so the place has regained its peace from before."
"Oh ho! That's really great news; I'll do as you said. But before that..." He reached out, handing over an item that Vast only now noticed. "I was praying for you to pass by here so I could have the chance to deliver this. It will complement the Blood Cockroach."
Vast took it without a first analysis, but even if he did, he would still be unable to understand what it was. A pair of rods? That's what one would think. Both made of a black metal that the prince was unfamiliar with.
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To dispel the doubts stamped on his face, Russisch explained:
"Both have a hole at the base. Fit either one into the Cockroach and apply a bit of blood. The rest happens on its own."
With care, Vast did so. A slow penetration and a gentle squirt. Kind of cute, in a way.
Once the process was done, he took the rod out of the Shooter. At the opposite end, the magic began to happen. The applied blood molded itself, taking on the appearance of a gelatinous touch chain until it connected to the other rod. A familiar weapon for the prince.
"A nunchaku? It's been a while since I've handled one of these!"
Only brief memories still lingered in his mind, those related to the training he volunteered to do a few weeks after receiving his curse. Among the various weapons he trained with was the nunchaku — he knew how to use it, but far from being any kind of ninja master.
"Just like the Blood Cockroach, you can use this weapon in many other ways besides the conventional. Well, I guess I didn't even need to tell you that, right?"
Vast performed a few brief maneuvers with the item. Enough tests to determine that the weapon wouldn't pose any problems in his handling.
"It couldn't have come at a better time. Thank you very much, Russ..."
A brief fussh cut through his ears and his speech, no... cut much more than that.
Russisch fell to his knees as he called out to Vast. On his right side, some kind of living tentacle of a pinkish color pierced through his shoulder completely. It writhed like a skinned snake that had its head cut off.
His wife screamed, but not before using a knife she had hidden in her clothes to attempt a strike against that suspicious tentacle. A sensible action, she had to prevent that brutal scene from evolving into something possibly more grotesque.
The faceless snake recoiled immediately, disappearing into thin air before anyone could notice.
"Russisch! Don't worry, I'll take care of this!"
With a finger prick equivalent to that of a needle, Vast created a strong healing aura powerful enough to repair his companion in an instant. In return, the doubled pain from the [Mutter] effect made the needle look like a enormous pipe sticking through his hand.
What the hell is this? Where did this attack come from!?
He searched the surroundings, but there was no sign of the possible origin of that strange thing. It would have continued like this if it weren't for the strident and proud voice that dominated the field.
"Muahaha!! It's great that you're still here, Prince Vast! Now I can witness your death..." TSIUM!
The precise shot from the Crimson Shooter pierced through the individual's chest. Before he realized it, that same Wandering Vampire from before fell like a sack of garbage.
That certainly wasn't one of his abilities. Did he go to get reinforcements? But... where are they?
On the ground, in the air, under his feet... They were nowhere to be found! Where did that tentacle come fro... VUSH!
The living rope wrapped around Vast's neck. A force that immobilized him. His body was lifted from the ground easily, swung through the air, and brutally slammed back to the ground, almost already doing the work of burying him.
The doubled pain acted again, and his eyes whitened for just three seconds before regaining color at the base of pure hatred.
I blacked out?! Did this thing make me pass out with just that?
Reality hit hard. How exactly did he defeat the Zika Vampire (the big mosquito)? Several of the smaller creatures hit him, not to mention the tremendous blood loss that occurred during the fight. Concentration? No, not even a monk would be able to ignore the pain that [Mutter] provided.
The answer, though difficult to accept, was much simpler: that enemy was weak. The first Transformed, the Village Wandering, and even the Descendant... They were all nothing more than the weakest of their own kind.
Dammit... Are they trying to mock me?! The pink rope tightened, wanting to strangle him.
They were weak, but the elimination of each one only reinforced the danger that Vast posed to the Vampires in general. Right now, so close to the Tower, he found himself farther away as his vision darkened.
This... At the peak of his revolt, his hand grabbed that thing. This won't end like this!!
THUMP! Not a shot, but a piercing. The barrel of the Crimson Shooter served as a kind of improvised spear, tearing that limp rope and forcing it to release Vast.
The trail of blood traversed the air in a quick zigzag before disappearing into the air again. However, due to the pain, a new figure revealed itself out of nowhere. It was as if the very air molded itself into flesh and bone, one that the prince recognized from afar.
Transformed
Strength 43/100
Agility 15/100
Intelligence 19/100
It's begun? They're really quite fast.
Analyzing the creature, he easily summed it up as a chameleon that walked like a person. In fact, most of this association was due to the chic clothes it curiously wore.
Another person from the Kingdom? The castle incident came back to memory. Then they must be nearby, right?
At that moment, the Transformed backed off. Just as a Cursed hesitates when faced with a powerful vampire, it took steps back when confronted by the prince's hungry eyes.
"Forgive me, dear citizen..." Realizing his own attitude, he straightened up and took a deep breath. A Transformed, huh? They really underestimate me. Well, I have to take advantage of that foolishness.
His brief preparation served as a warning to the Transformed, who immediately became invisible again. Their light steps left no trace even on the dirt ground.
Vast was completely still. His gaze didn't wander around, nor did it show any concern. The attack could come from any direction, a force capable of slicing through his flesh like a sharp blade.
"It may be a more powerful type of Vampire, however..."
For the first time, he picked up the nunchaku. The blood he used for the test was still there, in the form of a chain, but it was little. Without hesitation, he connected it to the Crimson Shooter and applied more.
Everything remained in total silence. He felt the gaze of the people around him. They had reached a consensus to remain silent and observe the fight with their own eyes.
No attack came for a total of 19 seconds — specifically timed to generate tension. Suddenly, the chameleon revealed itself. The tongue came from behind, a more than precise attack on the prince's most sensitive points.
It didn't pierce the flesh of his left arm; instead, it infiltrated like a worm through the veins, making its way through the blood vessels to find a more vital organ.
My heart? Perhaps my brain? Does he want to try turning me into a Vampire too? What an idiot.
The tongue burned rapidly due to the cursed blood as it penetrated deeper into Vast's body. Typical of a Transformed, their animalistic instincts simply took over the body, inhibiting any pain that could interfere with carrying out the most absurd orders.
This weapon... Let's see how much damage it does.
He turned to the chameleon. It was still invisible, but the tongue gave away its position. At that moment, it tried to retreat with the attack, but Vast flexed his muscles to prevent such an action.
"In the end..." A quick flash of memory of the enemy from the castle. "A Transformed is still a Transformed. In other words, a dumb creature."
With the nunchaku in hand, he held the blood chain and began to spin until the rod became a propeller capable of making him take off. The vampire continued to try to break free, and the possibility of cutting the tongue didn't even cross its mind, because it was dumb. It only remained to accept its fate.
After a good push, he threw the nunchaku in a horizontal motion, like death swinging a scythe at a battalion in front of him. The blood chain wrapped around the Transformed's body, which finally dispelled its camouflage.
Just as he had done against himself, he used his strength to spin the enemy like a top, eventually using the immense speed to throw it to the ground.
A small crater formed in the collision area, but fortunately, no dust cloud rose.
Such great strength in such a body. What a waste. Vast retrieved the nunchaku, satisfied.
He wasted no time before approaching the motionless body. And, just like with the one from the castle, this one also began to disintegrate after its defeat. However, unlike last time, this one was still alive!
"Pr-Prince... Vast!!"
Unable to control the widening of his eyes at the familiar face, he kneeled right beside the man and began to listen.
"What did they do to you, Heleno?"
A brief smile formed on that pale face, probably because the prince remembered the name of some noble like him. Unfortunately, there was no time to express gratitude.
"Flee from here... my Prince! They... have arrived!!"
Who? He wanted to ask, but it wasn't even necessary. A short sound of the wind being cut came from behind him. With a sidelong glance, Vast found a total of four figures. The absence of an aura confirmed that they were all human.
"Who are you?"
The member in front answered: — You're already dead.
"What?" It felt like some sort of reference, but he didn't catch it. In this short distraction, chains sprang from the ground like a striking cobra, trapping the prince. Following this, one of the three men farther away suffered cuts of unknown origin, falling dead to the ground.
Vast finally found himself in what should have been the halfway point of the journey, but the complications only increased. The new figures in his way were the ones he had been seeking the most.