NOVEL WEB Chapter 6
“Blood magic? Are you a vampire or something?”
Her smile was a blatant disregard aimed directly at me.
As if she knew a lot about vampires, she kept letting out hollow laughs, then casually brushed her hair back with a relaxed expression.
“No wonder your skin looked so pale. I thought they were extinct, but I guess some still survived, huh?”
Her words were filled with contempt and mockery, going beyond simple disregard.
Normally, the moment I drew my spear, a relentless attack should have begun. But her actions, piquing my curiosity with her intriguing words, unexpectedly halted my movements.
“You guys can use that kind of magic too? It’s been so long since I last saw a vampire, I can’t really remember.”
“You seem to know a lot about vampires?”
“I may not look it, but I’ve lived a long life. I’ve faced many opponents.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“What, is that all you have to ask? Don’t you have more questions?”
Seeing my lukewarm attitude, she looked visibly flustered.
If I were a true vampire born in this world, I would have asked more questions. But I’m not from this world, and the vampire race is just something that happened to be entangled with my body.
“I’m not really interested. What does that have to do with me anyway?”
“…Are you serious?”
“Of course. The past is the past, and the present is the present.”
“Ha, typical of an inferior race to think in such an inferior way…”
Before she could finish her sentence, I swiftly moved, raising the tip of my spear without hesitation.
Her expression momentarily flustered by my sudden movement.
It seemed she was trying to unsettle me by talking about the vampires’ past. But to me, who has no connection to them, her words were just a waste of time.
– Swish─!!
As soon as I was within range, I swung my spear horizontally, aiming for her neck without hesitation.
Despite the surprise attack, she narrowly avoided it and quickly distanced herself from me.
“You crazy…”
– Swish─!!!
Another attack followed immediately, targeting the still-confused woman.
Every time I got closer, she kept moving further away, but I remained vigilant, closely watching her movements.
“Wait, you… do you really think such a brute-force attack will work?”
“Yes.”
Despite her mocking words, I continued to swing my spear relentlessly.
Even though I had the skill “Blood Transfusion,” I didn’t think such a basic long-range skill would work on a demon, not a monster. So, I had no choice but to rely solely on my level and stats, moving my body recklessly.
“For a vampire─!!”
Perhaps annoyed by my consistently calm demeanor, she finally began attacking using the tentacles sprouting from her back.
The tentacles shot out at a considerable speed, and I reflexively twisted my body to dodge, but they seemed to anticipate my movements, following me naturally and continuing the attack.
“You use some unique techniques, but in the end, a vampire is just a vampire. There’s a reason they were on the brink of extinction.”
“Your tongue has been quite sharp since earlier. Feeling relaxed?”
“Did you expect me to be flustered by an inferior vampire?”
“Maybe.”
“Well, thanks to you, I now know vampires still exist, so it wasn’t entirely meaningless.”
Even amidst the intense battle, her incessant chatter was starting to get tiresome.
Perhaps I could have gained some useful information about demons, but it seemed I was mistaken.
“After I kill you, I’ll deal with the remaining vampires hiding…”
“You really talk too much.”
“…What?”
Around me, grotesque pieces of severed tentacles were scattered.
Though the attacks were heavy and fast, befitting a demon, the level gap was apparently insurmountable.
“It’s about time to prepare the kids’ meal─.”
“Huh, huh…? Why are my tentacles…”
“I don’t think I can keep up with you any longer.”
With that final remark, I adjusted my spear and calmly thrust it into the stunned woman’s neck.
Her neck was pierced as easily as tofu, and not a single drop of blood spilled as it was absorbed directly into the spear, flowing into me.
“If you had known more, you might have lived a bit longer.”
“Huh, how… how could I… a demon… be defeated by a mere vampire…”
Despite the numerous attacks during that short time, not a single scratch was left on my body.
Realizing this too late, she gritted her teeth in frustration even as her blood was being drained, desperately denying the reality of being defeated by the very vampire she had so despised.
“You… what… what exactly are you…”
Just before her breath gave out, she gasped out her final question.
To her, I smiled faintly and softly replied.
“I’m a nun.”
Hearing my calm response, she let out a weak laugh and slowly slumped down.
I thought demons would be more troublesome, but facing her, it turned out to be surprisingly easy.
The tentacles, which I had been most wary of, were slower to regenerate than expected, making them nothing special beyond being wielded around.
“Amen.”
Her body had already withered into a dried-up husk, devoid of any life.
As soon as I pulled the spear from her neck, her body disintegrated into ashes, scattering into the air.
It was a fitting end for a demon.
After neatly wrapping things up, just as I was about to return to the church─.
────────────
【Levinia Fallen Grace】
[Race] Vampire
[Level] 87
[Active Skill] Blood Transfusion
[Passive Skill] Rapid Regeneration
────────────
Once again, a transparent window appeared without warning.
Wondering what had changed, I carefully examined the information written within.
Previously, the [Skill] section was simply labeled, but now it was divided into [Active] and [Passive].
“…Rapid Regeneration?”
Not only that, but a passive skill called “Rapid Regeneration” had been added without my knowledge.
Even without reading the description, the name alone made it clear what the skill did, but I couldn’t understand why it had suddenly been added to my abilities.
“Did I absorb her ability?”
Given the current situation, it seemed most plausible that I had absorbed her ability. However, it was so different from when I gained “Blood Transfusion” that it was hard to comprehend.
After all, “Blood Transfusion” had appeared suddenly before I started hunting monsters in earnest.
“……”
These questions left my mind in a state of confusion, but as exhaustion suddenly washed over me, my thoughts naturally cleared.
In any case, gaining a new skill was a good thing. Especially a passive skill directly related to survival─.
– Thud
With that, I dragged my tired body back to the church, not even having time to think about what came next.
Though the outcome left a bitter taste, what really made me sigh was something else entirely.
It was the fact that I had to prepare dinner as soon as I returned to the church. No matter how big the ordeal, I couldn’t let the kids go hungry.
“If I had known, I would have finished it quickly and come back…”
I regretted not realizing sooner that the demon I faced was just a low-ranking one with little knowledge.
.
.
.
“──!!”
“─!”
As soon as I returned to the church, the urgent voices of the children echoed loudly inside.
Among them, Aizen’s voice was the loudest, suggesting they were discussing a plan to rescue me.
“The nearest village from here is only that one…”
“No… it’s too far… even if we’re lucky enough to bring someone back, by then it would already be…”
“I’m sorry… it’s because of me…”
– Creak
The sound of rusty hinges as the door slowly opened.
As if reacting to the noise, I calmly stepped inside the church.
The first thing I saw was the three children huddled together on a long wooden bench, having a serious conversation.
“I’m back.”
“…?”
With a bright smile, I softly spoke those words.
In response, the children flinched and quickly gathered around Aizen.
“Le… Levi…?”
Aizen was the first to notice me.
Despite standing right in front of him, he couldn’t believe his eyes, continuously rubbing them in disbelief.
“Sister…?”
“S… Sister, is that you…?”
At Aizen’s bewildered words, Ellie and Iris cautiously raised their heads, flinching.
For a brief moment, an awkward silence hung between me and the children, but as soon as they realized the situation, they called out my name and ran towards me, bringing an inexplicable sense of relief.
“Sister…!! It’s really you, right…?!”
“Sniff… I’m so glad… you’re alive and well…”
The atmosphere had unexpectedly become quite heavy.
Since nothing serious had happened, I tried to lighten the mood with a cheerful demeanor, but it wasn’t as easy as I thought.
“I told you it would be okay. With Paellia by my side, no demon is scary.”
“But… but still…”
“Sniff…”
As I comforted Ellie and Iris, who had clung to me, I noticed Aizen standing a bit apart, looking confused.
“Aizen?”
Instead of responding, Aizen frowned and slowly stepped back, lowering his head.
“What’s wrong, Aizen?”
“N… nothing… it’s nothing…”
His suspicious behavior made my head tilt involuntarily.
Just moments ago, we had been talking normally, but as soon as I entered the church, his actions became unnatural.
“Are you doubting me?”