The carts and carriages ahead of us halted as we approached them, Instructor Tabbs taking the lead, as the doors of the carriages opened and a couple of people stepped out.

  Huh, looks like they had brought along two representatives, and each had their own carriage. During the Goldway Quest, we had three representatives and all of them were in one carriage.

  Two of their Adventurers stepped forward along with the representatives.

  The representatives included a young woman with silver hair that was tied up in an elegant ponytail, gray eyes, and a graceful silver dress, and a man in his early-forties who was slightly balding and had close-cropped black hair with gray streaks around the bald spot in the middle. Neither had any physical mutation to give away what their Anima was.

  The two Adventurers who stepped forward with them were two men. One looked like he was just out of his teens, wearing elegant silver armor, had medium-length straight silver hair that covered his forehead, and gray eyes, as well as a long and slender lizard tail, black with yellow spots.

  He kinda resembled the woman, must be related. He also had a rather sour look on his face.

  The other man looked more cheerful, appeared to be in his late-twenties, with wavy orange hair, orange sideburns and black eyes. He had mutated hands and hairless tail……some type of rodent Anima? It looked quite strong and dexterous, so probably not a rat or mouse……I later found out that it was a possum.

  He also had an interesting weapon on his back……a sansetsukon or three-section staff, basically a nunchuck but with three pole sections and two chains instead of two pole sections and one chain, and each pole was slightly longer than nunchuck poles too.

  He gave a small wave towards Einn……oh, I see, this must be the guy who taught him how to use nunchucks. There was a good chance that he had retained his previous life's memories.

  Everyone in their group was wearing a necklace with a Y symbol……it looked almost like a cross or something.

  "It is a pleasure to meet you, our host escorts from the Rustlands," Greeted the woman, with a graceful curtsy, "I am the first princess of the nation of Silvland, Princess Agatha Silvland. This is one of our nation's most trusted advisors, Lord Labo Haage."

  The balding man next to her bowed and smiled politely as she introduced him.

  "The pleasure is all ours, your highness. Please, allow me to introduce the group of us that shall be escorting you to the Rustlands from this point onwards," Replied Instructor Tabbs, "I am Cora Tabbs, the third placed S-Rank Adventurer of our nation. And this is Elina Fenegus, ranked second."

  "How do you do?" Elina greeted politely.

  Huh, the silver haired guy had a strange look on his face, he almost looked……insulted?

  "……and this is Ekai Zabel, ranked sixth……"

  "It is nice to meet you," He nodded.

  "……these two are Einn Olbaw and Zira Rufaim, ranked fifth and seventh, formerly of Goldway……"

  They both bowed politely in response.

  "……our ninth ranked Adventurer, Fuo Wesroh……"

  "It's a pleasure," She said respectfully.

  "……and this is one of our Student Adventurers, Kuro Black."

  "Yo," I responded.

  Maybe that was too informal……nah, they don't look particularly offended or anything……well, except that silver haired guy.

  "It is nice to meet you all……I am sure we are in good hands-," Began the princess with a smile, after the instructor finished introducing us.

  "This is an insult!" The silver haired guy finally spoke up, unable to contain his dissatisfaction.

  Don't tell me that this was the Vampire's 'surprise', had he manipulated this guy into becoming aggressive……no, his anger looked pretty natural and unforced, he's genuinely unhappy right now about……something.

  "Aguil, that is enough-!" The princess whispered sharply.

  "I still firmly believe we are humiliating ourselves by going to this lowly nation! If an alliance is truly necessary, they should be the ones who come to us, not the other way around! And now, this……mere bodyguard escorts deign themselves worthy of introducing themselves before Silvland royalty? I, as the second prince of our great nation, Prince Aguil Silvland, will not stand for this! And……you in particular……!" He exclaimed, pointing at me, "You, a mere Student Adventurer, dare address us in such a casual manner!?"……

  was he seriously losing his shit just because I said 'yo'?

  The princess and the advisor were both glaring at him furiously, but he paid no attention to them. As for the other Adventurers in their group, most of them looked fed-up, while one or two looked like they agreed with him.

  "Totally saw this coming," The orange haired guy sighed in quiet exasperation.

  Well, it looks like the majority of the Silvland group don't share his opinion.

  "Huh? I wasn't addressing you at all, so simmer down, Pretty Boy," I retorted in a condescending tone I borrowed from a certain someone.

  "Woah, that tone sounded just like Ragiu," Fuo muttered in surprise.

  Yup, I copied Misen's condescending tone……there were very few things in this world more infuriating than being spoken down to in this particular tone. I knew that from experience.

  "How dare you……," He growled, reaching for his sword on his left hip.

  "Cease this foolishness at once, Aguil!"

  "My apologies, dear sister……but I will not stand for this. They dare insult us by sending a Student Adventurer amongst our escort? You……I challenge you! If you are able to dodge my attacks, I suppose I can acknowledge your competence and overlook this."

  "Rescind that challenge at once, Aguil-!" The princess began in an outrage.

  "Sure, why not? As they say……'come at me, bro'," I smirked, taunting him.

  "You cocky little……," He growled, before dashing forward towards me as he drew his sword, flames spinning around it, "I shall not hold back, if you fail to dodge this, it will pierce through your abdomen and kill you!"

  Ekai began to make a move……

  "Stay back, everyone……don't you dare interfere!" I instructed with a smile of anticipation, as the silver-haired bastard shot towards me.

  He was pretty swift and agile, and the way his legs moved……I see, they must be mutated into lizard legs too, just like his tail.

  And the flames around his sword were fairly intense.

  Should I use Karma? No, there's no need……I'm going to let him think he has me beat, and then……

  He reached me within seconds, and as I didn't bother to move, he drove his flaming blade through my stomach, searing a hole through it.

  Good, now no matter what I do to him……I can justifiably say that it was in self-defense, since he struck the first blow.

  As a look of triumph began appearing on his face, I smirked and grabbed the top of his head with my right hand, while grabbing his sword handle with my left, preventing him from pulling back his sword.

  Yes, that's what I was looking for……the moment his look of victory turned into confused horror!

  Oh, I'm going to enjoy this……but first, a pun.

  "What's the matter, Pretty Boy?" I inquired with a sadistic chuckle, "You look rather……shocked!"

  As I said that, I streaming out lightning from my right hand, he let out a long scream of pain as I electrocuted his head, his body paralyzing as I ran a steady stream of lightning through him, just enough to keep from killing him, but more than enough to hurt like hell.

  With his body immobilized, I drew back my left hand and charged up my fist with lightning. Huh, come to think of it, this'll be the first time I use this move without Karma……

  I zapped his eyes a bit, boiling them slightly but avoiding affecting his eyesight. I had made sure to keep him conscious. I let go of his head, and as he stumbled back……

  "Now take this!"

  Shocker Punch!

  I slammed my fist into his abdomen, sending him flying back rapidly, one of the other Silvland Adventurers using Water Magic to catch him before he crashed onto one of the carriages. He coughed up some blood and fell onto his knees. My punch hadn't been nearly as powerful as the one I used against Neo, but it was still plenty strong, and he had already been more than a little dazed by my sending electricity right into his head.

  He painstakingly raised his head to glare at me, before his heavily bloodshot eyes widened in shock as I pulled out the sword and healed the wound, tossing the blade away onto the snow.

  "How……I am……I am the ninth ranked S-Rank of Silvland, how could a mere Student Adv-!?"

  "Seriously, you're an S-Rank?……wow, and I was holding back……so much!……you're pitifully weak," I snorted with condescending laughter.

  Putting people like him in their place felt……really, really good.

  Hm, I'm a little tired……I had to use my Healing Factor a fair bit after the fight against the Wyvern, so I was missing a chunk of stamina.

  "I-I sincerely apologize for the behavior of my younger brother, and I humbly implore you to overlook his actions and do not let it be a detriment towards our alliance negotiations!" The princess bowed her head towards Instructor Tabbs, before also bowing to me in apology.

  "Do not shame yourself, sister-!" He strained to speak, as he struggled to stand up.

  "Aguil……Shut. Up! You stupid little brat, stop trying to ruin this, do you have any idea how important this is?! I swear, if you act out on your narrow-minded ego one more goddamned time-!" She finally snapped, screaming at him in a fury.

  "Er, my lady……please calm down," Urged the baldie.

  Her face turned red as she cleared her throat and composed herself, turning back towards us.

  "I……apologize that you had to witness that unpleasant display. Our nation, and my father the king, recognizes the threat that The Valaque Empire poses and understands that an alliance with your nation is crucial. There is also the matter of the Vampires to consider. However, there are some in our nation that cannot see past their pride and ego, and are against this alliance……as you can see, my younger brother, the second prince, is one of them. I can assure you that this is not the view of the majority, so I once again humbly ask you."

  "Your highness, we are simply your escorts, we will have absolutely no bearing in the final negotiations, so rest assured……whatever occurred out here will have no impact, detrimental or otherwise, on the alliance," Replied Instructor Tabbs with a smile.

  "I am grateful. And you, young man……I apologize."

  Okay, I'll cut this off before it gets awkward.

  "No worries, I'm fine, see? Besides, I'm plenty satisfied with that last punch, no grudge or anything."

  Well, I was a little salty over the hole in the middle of my outfit, but it's not the end of the world.

  "Well, then……shall we-," Instructor Tabbs began.

  One of the other Silvland Adventurers then exclaimed out loud……

  "Wh-what's going on with my Mana Orbs!?" He cried, as two Mana Orbs in his belt shot up into the air, before shattering like glass.

  And as they shattered, a dense, black fog escaped from them.

  I got chills down my spine as I saw it……

  No way……is that……is that Karma!? It was the size of a storm cloud, a large mass of a black mist-like substance.

  Suddenly, from all around us, monsters began popping up. Snow Imps, Devilpenguins, Snow Serpents, Lesser Cyclops……a whole bunch of them.

  The only way I wouldn't have sensed this many was if they had been asleep and perfectly still or something……had Lazarus kept them dormant till waking them all up with this mass of Dark Magic?

  Now I get what he meant by 'planted a surprise'……he must have leaked out his Dark Magic through the crack in the barrier and then funneled it into two of these Adventurers' Mana Orbs. There was so much of it……

  As I began to draw out my swords, the mass of Dark Magic began descending.

  Hey, uh……

  Wait a sec……

  Is it……

  Is it heading towards me!?

  Sure enough, the dark cloud enveloped me before I could move, before forcing itself into the Mana Orb in my chest and into my body.

  Elina appeared next to me and put a barrier, before……everything went black……

  What……what was going on?

  "Just as I thought……my Dark Magic truly can enter your body!"

  Who said that!? I sounded like it was in my head, like the way not-God speaks, but……this voice was more sinister.

  "Wait……Lazarus?"

  "Indeed! Ordinarily, we Vampires cannot remotely control humans as we are able to with lower level monsters. Since human bodies repel Dark Magic, it would be like trying to force two magnets together. However, you are a human who uses Dark Magic through this……what do you humans call it……ah, yes, this Mana Orb. Meaning that I could transfer my Dark Magic into you through it, along with a portion of my consciousness. Now……I shall take over your mind, human!"

  So, this is what he meant by 'surprise'.

  Damn it, I'm screwed……

  huh? Nothing's happening.

  "Interesting, it would appear your mind is far too resilient to take over too easily. And your body is quite tolerant of Dark Magic for a human. This Dark Magic of yours……it must have come from a rather unusual type of monster, I do not recognize its energy signature……it is quite volatile and unstable. Hm, in order to control you, I shall have to……probe deeper into your psyche."

  As he said that, I felt an incredibly disconcerting feeling, as if someone was invading my memories and flooding something dark into my head. I quickly stopped thinking, shutting off my thoughts and resisting against that uncomfortable feeling.

  It was like……he was trying to force my mind into despair and then take it over while I'm vulnerable, but, while the amount of despair he was funneling into my head was pretty vast……it was far too weak to break me.

  "What……what is this, no human should be able to resist such despair! This is my despair, that I've accumulated over dozens of decades! A human exposed to it should have their mind crumble in a matter of seconds!"

  "Sorry, Lazarus, but you're in my head and body right now……allow me to show you what true despair looks like!"

  I focused my thoughts on the memories of my three years of torture, in great detail……

  Damn it, this was agitating me……but it was a lot worse for him.

  I could feel his consciousness inside me getting destabilized and weaker, as I exposed him to the deepest depths of my despair.

  "I don't care who you are, Vampire King or God himself, no one makes light of my despair! Before the Forbidden Zones were a thing, you Vampires were at the top of the food chain, right? In that case, I can't imagine that you've ever been through even a fraction of the despair I've been through!"……

  I cleared my thoughts and focused on more positive memories, as I reached the limit of how much I could bear without putting my sanity at risk.

  Had that been……enough?

  "Heh……hehe……I must confess……in my many decades and centuries of existence, no one, human or monster, has ever made me feel weaker or more hopeless than you just did. Truly……you are truly an interesting specimen, human Kuro! Trying to control you would be a waste, and……I do not believe that I will be able to, if controlling your mind and body means taking on all the despair you have deep inside you……I would prefer not to."

  "I see……in that case, mind getting out of my body? I really don't like not knowing what's happening around me."

  "All in due time. I have to say, I have never been so……impressed by another species like this. We Vampires have always reigned supreme, none have been able to seriously challenge us. However, that can be rather boring. As I said the last time we met, it is only a matter of time before we Vampires break free of our prison. When that time comes, we shall take our time subjugating the human race. However, I would certainly prefer to have it be a challenge. Therefore, as a sign of respect to how much you've impressed me with your mental resilience……I shall leave you a parting gift before I expel myself from your body……you should be grateful."

  Uh……I'm not sure I want a gift from a Vampire.

  "That's okay, you can just leave."

  "This is not simply for your sake……it is also for my own sake, I would like a worthy opponent after I break free."

  "Sure, but what if I die before you break-?"

  "That is certainly a possibility, however……I am confident that we Vampires will regain our freedom within your lifetime, it may happen a lot sooner than you think. Without this parting gift, I can almost guarantee that you will not stand a chance against me."

  "……so……what, you're gonna give me a power boost just so that I'll be strong enough to put up a fight against you?"

  "Indeed. Do not underestimate how utterly boring it is to be stuck in an enclosed space for several upon several decades."

  "……alright. What exactly is this……'parting gift' of yours?"

  "Allow me to explain. Do you know how we Vampires have stayed alive without any nourishment for all these years? This applies to other monsters as well. You see……we can convert our Dark Magic into a form of life energy that sustains us. We are certainly in relatively weakened states currently, however we are still more powerful than humans. If I were to convert this Dark Magic of mine in your body into Vampire life energy……it should have some rather interesting results."

  That didn't sound very encouraging.

  "Wait, what do you-?!" I began, before I felt his Dark Magic changing.

  It……didn't feel bad.

  It felt like I was inside my own consciousness right now, so I couldn't feel my body, but……I don't think anything negative was happening to it.

  Lazarus's mass of Dark Magic inside me continued to change at a steady pace, before stopping with a little bit left.

  "I believe that should suffice. Let us see what that did……hm, very interesting. It appears your physiology has improved a fair bit. You have also attained the Vampire ability to drain a human's life energy with a bite……you should be able to retract and extend your canines. And this healing ability of yours has combined with that ability……not only will you be able to kill with a bite, but you will also be able to heal others with a bite. To put it simply……you could temporarily share your regenerative power with another human if you wish to do so. Oh, wait……what is this……well, how interesting……"

  Okay, sharing my Healing Factor sounded really useful, and I certainly wasn't going to complain about a boost to my physical abilities……but the last bit of what he said was making me concerned.

  "What? What's so interesting?"

  "Well, how to explain it……it would appear that fusing my Vampire life energy with your body has resulted in an effect I was not expecting. Hm……I suppose you could consider it a kind of……Retractable Anima. Although that might be technically inaccurate."

  A Retractable Anima?

  "Huh, I don't quite follow? Are you saying your life energy made my Anima stronger?"

  "No, your original Anima remains unaffected. But it would seem that you have acquired the ability to activate and deactivate a certain……form. The physical mutations you undergo while in this form should somewhat resemble the appearance……of a Vampire. Like I said, this is technically inaccurate, but……I suppose you could call it a Vampire Retractable Anima! The power boost while using it is likely to be quite significant, I would estimate well over a tenfold boost, but it would seem your body will be unlikely to be able to use this form for more than a few seconds initially. Still, I never imagined this would be possible. This is truly fascinating!"

  A Vampire Retractable Anima? That sounded……really cool. Was it just me……or was I getting a great deal here?

  "Question……will I be able to control monsters like you do? Also, side note……you said your bites can drain human life energy……does that mean you don't suck their blood?"

  "Er, no……our most favored nourishment is the life energy of humans, but we do not……suck their blood or any other bizarre act. And no, you will not be able to control low level monsters. Do not misunderstand……allow me to clarify that you are not a Vampire now, or even half-Vampire, you are most certainly still human, most of you is anyway. You may have attained a few of our abilities, but you are by no means a Vampire to any extent of the imagination. You should also know this……while using the Vampire Retractable Anima."

  "Hey, since you said calling this form an Anima is technically inaccurate……let's call it something else, like, uh……let's see……I'll go with Vampire Mode for now."

  "Er, very well……ahem, while using this 'Vampire Mode', you will be unable to use the Dark Magic in the Mana Orb that is fused to your body. You see, each type of monster has their own unique energy signature to their Dark Magic. While using 'Vampire Mode', your body will not be able to extract any of this……volatile Dark Magic in your chest. I should also mention, your body will never be able to handle all of the Dark Energy in this Mana Orb……you are already quite close to the limit of how much of it your body can tolerate and control."

  At the back of my head, I had always figured this would be the case……right now I can barely manage twenty percent of my Zombie Karma for a handful of seconds, it's hard to imagine me ever being able to handle the entire hundred percent of it.

  "Now, then……I suppose it is time for me to leave your body. Oh, one final thing. I shall modify your Mana Orb with my Dark Magic before I leave, to prevent any other Vampires from infiltrating your body the way I did. After all I have done to your body, it would be a shame if you were to die by getting possessed by another Vampire after we escape that barrier……get stronger, so that I shall be the one to kill you with my own two hands."

  "Heh, I can't wait to see your face after I beat you with the powers you've given me……unless this was all just a messed up Vampire prank, and in reality, my body is now crippled or something."

  "You truly are an amusing one, human! Ah, and as I leave, I shall be taking some payment……this strange, volatile Dark Magic in your chest fascinates me……and like I said, your body will never be able to use all of it. Therefore……I shall be taking some of it with me."

  Huh……wait, no……

  "Hold on, you're not stealing my Karma-!"

  "Unlike the resistance of your mind……there is nothing you can do to stop me this time. Do not be greedy, it is a waste for you to have so much when you will never be able to use it! You may amuse me, human……but even I would not bestow all this power to a mere human for free."

  Damn it, there was only a speck of his Dark Magic left, and it was absolutely guzzling the Zombie Dark Magic in my Mana Orb. And like he said, there was nothing I could do about it.

  "Shit……"

  "I believe that should suffice. Hm, what an intriguing energy signature, what kind of monster did you get this Dark Magic from? Well, I suppose it matters not. I have still left you plenty of it, so do not fret. I bid you farewell for now, human Kuro, I thank you for amusing me with your conversation……when next we meet, it shall not be through indirect means like this……when next we meet, it shall be face to face as enemies!"

  "Hate to break it to you, Lazarus……but as far as I'm concerned, we were already enemies the moment we first met."

  "Hahahaha……in all my decades, no human has ever deigned to speak to me in such a fearless manner……I can sense that you are instinctively afraid of me, and yet……you do not cower. Do not disappoint me when we next meet……"……

  I let out a gasp as I regained consciousness, before violently coughing out blood, as more streaks of blood ran down my eyes and nostrils, while the remainder of Lazarus's Dark Magic, along with the Zombie Karma he stole, seeped out of my Mana Orb into the form of a large black cloud again, before flying away in the direction of the Vampire Forbidden Zone as it finished expelling itself from the Mana Orb.

  I coughed out another puddle of blood, my entire body feeling like it was falling apart.

  Damn, this is seriously painful, even for me.

  Wait, was I……was I bleeding out of my sweat glands? I was literally sweating blood.

  I felt like I was about to explode……

  and suddenly, the pain stopped. The injuries began to heal themselves, as I composed myself and regained my bearings.

  "Are……are you alright, Kuro?" Came a voice to my right, as I felt a small hand on my shoulder.

  "Hm? Oh, Eloli……never thought I'd see you showing me any concern," I laughed weakly, as my Healing Factor got to work.

  "Tch, I-I was not concerned! It would simply be a shame to lose a tool that brings me so many great spell ideas, that is all!"

  "Heh, sure. Looks like the others are still fighting, there sure are a lot of monsters. Wait, how long was I out for?"

  "I would estimate approximately fifteen minutes or so."

  Huh, so it looks like time passed normally during my conversation with Lazarus inside my own consciousness. Man, that had felt weird as hell, it was some shit straight out of Inception. It had almost felt like a dream, but a lot more real and vivid.

  As I finished healing my body……

  Woah……

  I feel stronger. My outfit felt just a little bit tight too……it looks like I had bulked up a bit, however, I didn't feel any less agile or flexible. My physical strength was definitely improved.

  And I could feel my canines as if their were my fingers……I pursed my lips so that no one would be able to see my teeth, and then tried extending them……

  Woah, it was just like Lazarus said……I could extend and retract my canines at will. I'll have to figure out how to drain or heal a person by biting someone with these teeth later.

  And I could also feel something else inside me……something that I felt like I could trigger……that must be Vampire Mode……I'll test that out later, somewhere no one can see me. It's been a while since I snuck out to the Goblin territory, maybe I'll head there after we're back in the Rustlands……

  And finally, my Mana Orb……

  I closed my eyes and focused on it, getting a feel for how much Karma was left in it. I mean, this orb had been a part of my body for about half a year already, so I was more than familiar with what it felt like.

  I estimate……that Lazarus had stolen a good three quarters of my total Karma, leaving me with just twenty-five percent. Or, I guess that's now my new hundred percent. What had previously been five percent would now be twenty percent, previous ten percent would be forty percent, previous fifteen now sixty, and the amount that was previously twenty percent was now eighty percent of the total Karma I had remaining in my Mana Orb.

  Man, this Vampire Mode thing better make up for the chunk of Karma I lost.

  "How did you expel all the Dark Magic that entered you?" Elina inquired curiously, sitting by me as the others began to finish off the last of the monsters around us.

  "Technically, I didn't……he left voluntarily after failing to take over my mind and body, though he did steal a massive chunk of my Zombie Karma, or Dark Magic, as he left."

  For now, I'll keep my Vampire power boost to myself……at least until I have a better understanding over them.

  "That does not sound good……would he be able to use it to turn humans into Zombies?"

  "Nah, I doubt it……the Dark Magic wasn't the only things the Zombies used to infect humans……there was also some kind of toxin or virus they injected into the bloodstream……my Healing Factor took care of that though. Anyway, without both the Zombie Dark Magic AND the toxin, it's unlikely that we'll ever see Zombies make a comeback in this world."

  "Hm, that is a relief, if nothing else. Wait……is it just my imagination……or do you look a bit more……muscular?" She suddenly stared at me closely, with a slightly confused expression.

  "W-well, I do train regularly, so it's only natural that I'd bulk up overtime! Quit staring at me like that, Eloli, it's uncomfortable."

  "I suppose I must be mistaken……," She mumbled, but still had a kinda skeptical look on her face.

  It wasn't long after that that the others finished off the monsters. After a short rest, we headed back, escorting the Silvland group. Why were we even doing this again?

  I mean, when we traveled to Goldway, we had to go all the way there by ourselves, they never sent anyone ahead to meet and escort us……that sure would have been useful when we ran into that large ambush.

  I was pretty fatigued and exhausted……my body had transformed slightly, which definitely would have used up some energy, not to mention that I had healed myself a bunch of times today already.

  Still, it wasn't slowing me down……I was too excited, and curious……to see what my new powers could do……

  _____________________________________________

  Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism! Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.