Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Black Scale Mail and the Water Spirit
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Eugene, who had been sucking the monster's blood for a long while, finally stopped only after realizing, along with a sense of fullness, that his body was no longer changing.
The rain, which had seemed like it would pour endlessly, had already stopped sometime before.
Under the dim moonlight, Eugene stared blankly down at the monster's corpse—its once massive frame now pitifully shrunken.
Even after using this forest as his hunting ground for over ten years, his past self had been completely unaware of this creature's existence.
Prey was easy enough to find beyond the mountains, and the water was so filthy it couldn't even be used for drinking, so he had never approached the swamp.
But thanks to the mercenaries who had dragged him here, he learned of the monster's presence.
Of course, even the mercenaries hadn't known about it.
Anyone who had laid eyes on it before had been devoured, which was why its existence had remained unknown.
‘Originally, the swamp was smaller than this too.’
He later learned that the monster had expanded its range due to the monsoon and heavy rains swelling the waters, leading to its encounter with the mercenaries.
In any case, the nameless behemoth with six legs had torn apart seven mercenaries before suffering an injury that cost it one eye, then fled deep into the swamp.
That was when Eugene spotted one of its severed toes, and amid the chaos and excitement of the mercenaries, he managed to take a sip of the blood dripping from it.
The overwhelming power—utterly incomparable to that of ordinary beasts—sent shivers through him, and that was when he first awakened as a true vampire.
Of course, the amount he drank was too small, and the sun hadn't fully set yet, so he didn't gain its full strength.
But even that power was enough for him to snap the ropes binding his limbs, and under the cover of night as his vampiric senses returned, he easily took down a few mercenaries and escaped.
That marked the beginning of his six-month flight.
If he hadn't drunk that one sip of the monster's blood back then, even escaping would have been impossible.
And conversely, if he had been able to drain all of the monster's blood completely, everything would have changed.
“Like right now.”
Eugene scanned his body up and down.
He wasn't entirely sure, but he seemed to have grown at least a handspan taller than he had been during his escape in his previous life.
Well-defined muscles had formed along his elongated limbs, and his perpetually grimy skin had become pale and pristine enough for his veins to show through.
Moreover, he could distinctly feel vitality writhing throughout his entire body.
It was a power he had never experienced before—immensely strong.
A power that felt like it could accomplish anything.
Right now, he could probably even take on Yung Dirhit, the Holy Knight who had severed his head.
“No, I mustn't get arrogant.”
Dirhit was strong.
Moreover, he didn't wield ordinary weapons incapable of seriously harming vampires—he used ones plated in silver infused with holy power.
Eugene still vividly remembered the fiery pain transmitted the moment he was cut by it.
“I shouldn't fight battles I can't win. Until I'm certain, I'll focus solely on growing stronger.”
Getting swept up in emotions would only lead to the same end as his previous life.
And besides, Yung Dirhit wasn't the only Holy Knight in the world.
“One step at a time, methodically.”
Eugene calmly composed himself.
“The tattoos are still there.”
The dozen or so tattoos etched across his body like brands since childhood remained unchanged.
He had no idea who had put them there or when.
Perhaps he had been born with them.
“Someday, I'll learn about these tattoos too.”
Tearing his gaze from the strange letters and symbols, Eugene cleaned his dagger thoroughly and then examined his face.
Vampires didn't reflect in mirrors. But that applied only to their original flesh—clothing or accessories they wore would show normally.
A vampire could also see their own image in the mirror.
“At least I look human enough.”
Eugene had no standards for beauty or ugliness.
He had spent nearly his entire life alone, and during his escape, he had neither the time nor reason to distinguish between the pretty, handsome, or ugly.
So Eugene was simply satisfied that his face had properly formed eyes, nose, and mouth like any other human's.
“Still, I'll need to keep wearing a mask during the day.”
Muttering softly to himself, Eugene moved to toss the monster's corpse back into the swamp.
No matter how rarely people came here, there was always the chance someone might approach for water, just like those mercenaries from his past life.
As a vampire, he must never leave evidence of a kill.
It was one of the lessons from his fugitive days.
“Hm?”
Just as Eugene grabbed the monster's squishy tail, his eyes gleamed with interest.
The corpse was pitch-black overall.
Yet, right in the middle of its back, there lingered a faint red glow.
“That doesn't look like its natural hide color.”
Eugene closely examined the glowing red area.
“From inside?”
It seemed less like the hide itself and more like light emanating from within the body and shining outward.
Eugene stabbed his dagger into the corpse.
Its shell was something even this dagger would normally struggle to scratch.
But with all its vitality drained and Eugene now awakened as a member of the Night Clan, dismantling it was no trouble at all.
“This is…”
Having identified the source of the red light inside the corpse, Eugene's eyes widened slightly.
If it were the days when he had hidden in a shack doing nothing but cower, he wouldn't have known what he held in his hand now.
But the current Eugene, who had learned much about the world while on the run, could guess what the crimson-glowing stone was.
“A Mana Stone? So this guy really was a special kind of Roamer.”
Roamer.
Unlike monsters dwelling in labyrinths, dungeons, ancient ruins, and other mana realms, these were the ones that wandered mountains, forests, valleys, and such.
And unlike the monsters of mana realms, which all possessed Mana Stones, only the exceptional ones among Roamers had them inside their bodies—or so he had heard.
Such Mana Stones were treated as more precious than gold or gems in the human world.
In truth, Mana Stones themselves were merely pretty gems with no special qualities, and in some ways, harmful to humans.
But once purified by priests or mages, they restored one's vitality, slowed aging, and even extended lifespan with long-term use.
That was why humans—especially nobles—were obsessed with acquiring them.
“I thought all Mana Stones were green. And this big?”
All the Mana Stones Eugene had seen in his previous life were a vivid green and no bigger than a pinky nail.
Yet the one in his hand now was red and the size of his thumb.
“It seems special, but it's no use to me anyway.”
Eugene had no way to purify it right now.
Best to hold onto it and sell it to a human noble when the opportunity arose.
…That was what Eugene thought.
Until the sinister red-glowing Mana Stone spoke to him.
- Eat it.
- It's for you.
“...!”
Eugene's eyes flew wide at the intense emotion burrowing into his mind.
The Mana Stone itself hadn't spoken.
As he stared piercingly at it, something in his head had commanded him thus.
Thus, as if entranced, Eugene slowly lifted the Mana Stone.
Its red glow resembled blood—and his own eyes.
- It's yours. Claim it.
In that instant, Eugene unwittingly opened his mouth wide and swallowed the Mana Stone whole.
A hotter, fiercer energy than when he had fed on blood raced down his throat and surged into his right chest.
“Gah!”
Overcome by the agony radiating from his chest, Eugene instinctively clutched the spot and dropped to one knee.
But the sensation under his hand felt strange. Not soft skin, but something like cold, hard metal.
Eugene pulled his hand away and looked down at his right chest.
A black, rigid shell the size of his palm.
“Wh-what is this? Whoa!?”
Suddenly, it spread across his entire chest, then to his back and limbs.
In an instant, the exact same black shell as the Swamp Monster he had just slain enveloped Eugene's entire body.
“What the hell…”
Stroking the thin, hard shell that perfectly covered even his face, Eugene muttered in bewilderment.
Even his hair looked normal at a glance, but felt like the monster's shell to the touch.
Anyone seeing him would mistake it for a full-body scale mail.
“Disappear! Go away!”
Hoping against hope, Eugene shouted.
Amazingly, the shell covering his body sank into his skin in an instant.
“...”
Eugene examined his body in disbelief.
Imagining his body hardening, he cautiously said,
“Harden. Appear.”
The vanished shell reemerged, swiftly covering his entire form.
After testing it several more times, Eugene realized the ability manifested with focused thought and concentration.
Gripping his fists in uncontainable excitement, he thought,
“This will be an incredible weapon.”
It was the Swamp Monster's shell, which had only suffered scratches from the mercenaries' weapons.
Unless it was a Holy Knight's silver-plated weapon, it could probably defend against most ordinary arms.
And there was something even more important.
“It's black, so maybe it can block sunlight too.”
He would have to wait until dawn to confirm.
For the first time in his life, Eugene eagerly awaited morning, contentedly moving to toss the monster's corpse back into the swamp.
But then, from the water's edge overgrown with thick bushes, a bluish glowing orb floated up.
“A firefly?”
Thinking nothing of it, Eugene spun with all his might and hurled the corpse to the far side of the swamp.
“Serves you right, you filthy croc bastard! The fish'll love this! Kekekekeket!”
At the sudden flippant voice, Eugene whipped his gaze toward the sound like lightning.
But no one was there.
All he saw was the blue firefly swimming above the bushes.
“So you should've kept your antics in check!”
It seemed the voice came from the firefly.
And the talking firefly paid no mind to Eugene's approach, perching on the bushes and chattering away.
“You little shit rolling in the muck, thinking you're hot stuff just 'cause your head got a bit bigger—hey! Do you know how filthy you made my turf? Fixing this'll take…”
The firefly's excited babble trailed off.
The firefly—no, the tiny humanoid creature with two pairs of blue wings on its back—spread its wings wide, hands on hips, and locked eyes with Eugene.
“Hm? No way you're seeing me, right? Nah, impossible. How could a vampire punk see a spirit? Wait. Didn't this bastard just swallow the croc's Mana Stone…?”
Squinting suspiciously and muttering to itself, the self-proclaimed spirit looked up at Eugene again.
Then, in an instant, it erased its cheeky demeanor from moments ago, clasped its hands demurely, and said,
“Pardon, but can you see little old me, milord of the Night Clan?”
“Yeah.”
“...Then did you perhaps hear what little me said?”
“Everything. Even calling me a ‘vampire punk.’”
“...”
The spirit froze, then beamed and bowed its head.
“Ah, I see. Well, you seem busy, so please carry on. Little me has to get going.”
As it flapped its two pairs of wings to dart away like lightning—
But a vampire's reflexes in the dead of moonlit night were beyond the spirit.
The moment the spirit twitched its tiny wings, Eugene had already reached out, snaring it in his brutish grip.
“Kyaak! I'm tiny, got no blood to suck! Lived in the muck so I'll taste like shit! Spare me! They say even rolling in filth is better than the afterlife! Kyaaaaak!”
* * *
“So you're the spirit of this place, and originally, you were the master of this swamp? But fifteen years ago, that monster settled here, and you became its slave?”
“To be precise, not a slave but a strategic partner? If the water got completely filthy, no prey would come, so it let me keep the water's edge as my domain.”
Eugene spoke coldly to the spirit rubbing its palms obsequiously.
“If you have to do whatever it says, that's a slave.”
“Y-yes. If milord says so, then of course it is. Anyway, thank you! Now that the croc bastard's dead, this place'll purify itself. All thanks to you, milord.”
The spirit even bowed deeply.
It might look like genuine gratitude, but Eugene knew it stemmed from fear.
Even prostrated on his palm with its head down, it kept stealing glances, plainly hoping he'd leave as soon as possible.
‘I'll never come back to this forest anyway, so it doesn't matter.’
“I'll let you go, so fend for yourself.”
“Aaah! As expected of a true Night Clan lord—your magnanimity matches your dazzling beauty! You'll be blessed for this.”
The spirit sprang up and groveled.
Eugene shook it off his hand like swatting a fly and turned away without a second thought, saying,
“Over ten years with nothing but that monster to talk to—you must've had it rough. Anyway, take care.”
“Yup!”
The spirit, already buzzing excitedly toward the water before he finished speaking, suddenly halted and zipped back to Eugene.
“Milord.”
“What?”
“By any chance, need a portable spring or something?”
“Huh?”
Eugene furrowed his brow, wondering what this creature—desperate to flee moments ago—was on about.
“I'm a water spirit, after all. Need clean, pure water? I can make it right now. Like this.”
Without giving him a chance to reply, the spirit grabbed a broad lily pad and leaned back.
“Kaaack! Ptooey! Ptui ptui ptui ptui!”
Large water droplets spewed from the spirit's mouth in succession, quickly pooling enough for a couple sips in the lily pad's center.
“How's that? I can make enough for the whole day in no time. Super clean and tasty.”
Eugene stared blankly at the spirit, beaming proudly after hacking up what looked like phlegm, then promptly turned away.
“No need.”
“Ah! M-milord! Wait! I can purify water too! Turn any water drinkable on the spot! Or maybe my production speed's not to your liking? Instead of spitting, if I pee, I can do way more, way faster…”
“Scram.”
“Milord! Night Clan milord!”
(To be continued)