Chapter 4: The Roar of Revival

Not far away, beyond the forest, amidst the ruins where mud and blood intermingled, the dark red blood cocoon that had been violently pulsating in the wind and rain had, at some point, stopped beating along with the rainstorm.

Crack.

A crack split open at the top of the blood cocoon.

Then, a hand that absolutely did not belong to the black-haired boy slowly extended from the crack, gripping the edge of the blood cocoon.

That hand’s skin was pale, nearly translucent, so delicate and tender that it seemed like it would break with the slightest force.

But this “delicate” little hand erupted with astonishing power at that moment.

Rip—!

The blood cocoon was forcibly torn open by that small hand, and the falling fragments transformed into a crimson mist that surged around the cocoon.

As the gap widened, a waterfall of smooth white hair cascaded down through the opening, spreading across the filthy mud, refracting an eerie yet holy light.

The surging crimson mist, as if drawn by some will, instantly began to contract and solidify.

It climbed up that pale little hand, in the blink of an eye turning into solid fabric, then like vines along the slender arm it spread directly into the blood cocoon.

That hand, wrapped in a lace glove, did not let go; instead, it tightly gripped the cocoon’s shell.

It seemed that something was preparing to break out of this old shell…

Break out of the cocoon.

……

[Servitius Alcat.]

I snapped awake!

My consciousness was still blurry, and for a moment I couldn’t grasp the situation.

My brain seized up for a while before gradually reconnecting with the world.

Am I… is this… still alive?

I remember at the end I made a deal with that riddle speaker who suddenly appeared in my mind, then I fell into slumber in the mental space. Am I alive now?

I sensed my body. I tried to open my eyes, but my body felt as heavy as lead, not even a single eyelash could move.

What’s going on? Did that guy trick me?

Hey! Old Monster! Profiteer! Old lady in the pendant!

Dead silence in my mind. I didn’t hear that guy’s mocking response. Something was wrong. He didn’t screw me over and run off with the goods, did he?

Damn it, refund! Wait, she hasn’t even collected the payment yet.

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

Since I could perceive my body’s existence, it meant I had indeed survived. But the problem was why my body wasn’t responding.

A thought suddenly came to me—absurd yet perfectly fitting the situation:

Could I be… sleep-drunk…?

That was actually possible. After all, I had just been on the brink of life and death. It was normal for my body to be in shock.

Can’t panic. The more I panic, the easier it is to mess up.

I forced myself to calm down. I tried to make small movements with my body, awakening it bit by bit with my will.

First, my eyeballs. I desperately sent them commands. Though faint, I felt the eyeballs move beneath my eyelids.

Next, my fingers. Because they were farther from my brain, this attempt was more difficult, but in the end, I managed to twitch a finger—actually two fingers.

Whoa, whoa. Good, very spirited.

Now I can be one hundred percent sure—

I survived!

I suppressed the ecstasy inside me. Couldn’t celebrate too early.

Danger hadn’t passed yet. I had to first assess my current situation.

Maybe these attempts worked, as I began to gradually regain perception of the outside world.

But due to a possible head injury, I could only hear a “buzzing” tinnitus.

Gradually, my sense of touch also recovered.

But what I felt under my head and back wasn’t the hard pressure of the ground—it was a soft, somewhat warm sensation.

I remember before I passed out, I was lying in a mud puddle. So that makes sense… Like hell it does! How could a mud puddle have temperature?!

Could it be that the mud puddle is filled with my blood?

Given my injuries, that’s possible, but I lean toward another more reasonable explanation—that damn Blood Demon.

Although I survived thanks to the deal I made with that guy, that didn’t mean I had escaped the clutches of that bloodsucking bat.

The thought that I was being held in that perverted woman’s arms like a toy sent an uncontrollable chill down my spine.

If I didn’t think of something immediately, I would only live on as her Blood Servant, humiliatingly, from now on.

The smell of blood began to spread.

Though it couldn’t cover the earthy scent after the rain, I still caught a strange fragrance—a woman’s perfume. But it felt a bit familiar.

Was that the Blood Demon’s scent?

Whatever. The priority is to come up with a plan—either lie low for now or fight to the death.

At some point, the strong metallic taste in my mouth grew stronger, stimulating my nerves.

I knew it was blood. Maybe my blood, or maybe the blood the Blood Demon used to Embrace me.

In the past, my first reaction would definitely have been to gag.

But now… I actually found the taste incredibly sweet.

I couldn’t even control my newly regained tongue, licking my lips greedily a couple times.

I’ve really become a vampire.

I had to accept this cruel reality.

Damn it!

All because of that damned Blood Demon, my five years of effort went down the drain!

What’s there to lie low for? I’ll just blow up with her!

The moment my body fully regained sensation, I would attack her directly.

Whether by scratching with my hands or biting with my teeth, I would make her pay for what she did!

Though I heard Blood Servants can’t attack their masters, I still had to try.

What if, because I had just been transformed, I could still find a loophole?

A person without dreams is no different from a salted fish—even if I’m no longer human.

The darkness before my eyes began to brighten.

I squinted quietly. Though my vision was still blurry, even unclear on outlines, I judged the thing in front of me was a woman for a simple reason:

The right side of my vision was vast, but the left side was blocked by something—I could only see half the sky and a faint golden hue.

It’s dawn. The sky is about to lighten. This is a godsend!

This damn heaven finally sided with me for once. Vampires must be weak to sunlight.

When she gets up to avoid the sunrise, I’ll catch her off guard and attack.

The “buzzing” tinnitus had disappeared. The rustling of leaves grew clearer. My body finally regained full control.

Just then, I felt the back of my head gently lifted by a soft hand.

Opportunity!

Heh, damn woman, get ready for my counterattack!

I suddenly burst upward, opening my mouth to reveal sharp fangs, raising my hands with extended claws, intending to use these new weapons to tear the woman in front of me to shreds!

“Gah—!”

A roar full of killing intent escaped my throat. (Or so I believed.)

My vision also fully recovered at that moment. But when I saw the scene before me, my entire body froze mid-air.

The golden hue wasn’t the rising dawn at all; it was a waterfall of light golden hair.

That soft touch wasn’t the embrace of the Blood Demon.

What met my eyes was a stunningly beautiful girl with cornflower blue eyes.

She wore an immaculate white robe, slightly tilting her head down, quietly watching me.

She was clearly startled by my movement. But she didn’t dodge. Her gaze swept over my hands suspended in midair and the corner of my mouth, then she revealed a meaningful smile.

That smile was incredibly familiar.

The golden-haired girl tilted her head slightly, her voice soft and cheerful: “Good morning, you little monster baring your claws and fangs.”

“…Huh?” A white-haired, red-eyed little girl let out a dumbfounded sound.