Ascending to Overpowered?

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"Jaden. Gather the men and prepare to head to the capital."

"The capital, Captain?"

"The 7 Abyssal Palaces have been updated. We must report this to the Subjugation Headquarters."

"Filing a false report is a capital offense, Captain. You know that. If we're wrong, we could all lose our heads."

Sergei understood exactly what Jaden was worried about without him having to spell it out. He, too, wasn't entirely convinced just by the word of a few scouts.

"If it's true, we won't have to risk our lives for a long time. It's one of the 7 Abyssal Palaces, Jaden. The bounty for reporting it alone is a fortune."

"But nothing is more precious than life."

"I know what you're worried about, so don't fret. As long as we cross-verify, we won't end up on the guillotine."

Before Jaden could say another word, Sergei turned his head. His sharp gaze made the expedition leader flinch.

"How many people know about this?"

"...Quite a few, actually."

"Any other subjugation groups?"

"None."

"You have my thanks."

Clink! A coin flipped from Sergei's fingertip spun on the table. Before it could even stop, the expedition leader's hand snatched it up.

A-a gold coin!

When the leader looked up at Sergei with a startled expression, Sergei was already drawing a finger across his lips. A silent command to keep his mouth shut. The expedition leader nodded quickly and mimed locking his lips.

"Guide us there, and I'll throw in another."

There was no reason to refuse. The expedition leader nodded eagerly several times. Shortly after, the subjugation group dragged out their drunken comrades and left the tavern.

The members, who had been completely wasted, sobered up instantly at Sergei's words.

"Even an unarmed expedition survived and returned from this dungeon. If we prepare well, we can make it back alive too. Remember, our goal is verification and survival. Leave anything that might slow down our escape at the village hall. We enter with one focus: making it out alive."

Still, entering a dungeon that might be one of the 7 Abyssal Palaces was a terrifying prospect. When it came to dungeon raids, they were incredibly experienced. They had even tagged along with the Imperial Subjugation Force to clear a Rank 30 dungeon. But the 7 Abyssal Palaces belonged to an entirely different league.

The silence of the members clearly stemmed from fear. Sergei understood their feelings completely. Even he was hesitating.

Sergei raised his voice, projecting it clearly.

"I am the leader of this subjugation group. Your lives are my responsibility. You've trusted and followed me this far—can you trust me once more?"

"Is that even a question, Captain?" one of the members chuckled. "We all owe you our lives. Who's going to chicken out when you've got our backs? Right, boys?"

"Damn right, Boss!"

"You said our goal is survival. If we want to live, we'll live."

"With that bounty, I can buy a house, right? I was planning to propose to my childhood sweetheart when I got back home."

"Forget just a house, you idiot, you can buy a gold ring too. Slip it on her ring finger, make a dashing proposal, and she'll swoon."

Sergei smiled faintly. It was obvious they were terrified but trying their best to laugh it off. Just as they always had, they trusted and followed him in this moment.

"Your lives are my responsibility. No one is dying ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠today."

They were still bickering over who gets to die for whom.

Don't they realize their companion is dying right next to them? She's going to kick the bucket at this rate.

Unable to watch the tedious melodrama any longer, I approached Isabella.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on my sister!"

He threw a fit like a protective younger brother, but didn't actually do anything to stop me. As if sitting there and yelling "Stop!" would actually make me stop.

Anyway, how do I trigger this evolution?

In games, it's just a simple button click, but I had no idea how to do it in reality. Usually, people describe evolution as "shedding one's skin." Testing my theory, I placed my hand on Isabella's forehead and spoke.

"Shed your skin, Isabella."

Wow, that actually worked?

It seemed that making physical contact and saying something related to evolution triggered the skill immediately. After the notification window vanished, the deep gash in Isabella's flank began to heal at a rapid pace.

Along with her recovery, small horns began to sprout from her forehead. Her face regained its vitality and color, and her fangs grew noticeably larger.

Since a vampire's strength is measured by their horns and fangs, this was an expected result. However, I hadn't anticipated her silver hair turning a vibrant crimson.

The gacha luck is insane.

Crimson hair was rarer than the top one percent in vampire society. And for good reason—crimson hair was the defining trait of a True Ancestor. My guess was that while Isabella possessed the bloodline of a True Ancestor, her blood had been diluted for some innate reason. In the end, she had almost died without ever awakening her fully charged potential.

...She's stronger than ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me now?

I had never seen a level triple from a single evolution. Was this actually good luck? I had just evolved a vampire who wasn't even completely on my side yet.

Isabella's tightly closed eyes slowly fluttered open.

"...Huh? It doesn't hurt?"

Isabella sat up and looked around. The other vampires, looking back and forth between her and me, burst into tears.

"Sister!"

"Chief!"

"W-what is this? Why am I alive...?"

They cried and hugged each other for a long time. Only after they calmed down did the vampires turn to look at me and bow their heads in unison. They were quick-witted enough to realize it was my doing without being told.

"Thank you. You saved our sister, Sir."

"Oh! How can we ever repay this debt..."

One of them explained the situation to the bewildered Isabella, and she immediately joined them, bowing her head. "Bowing" was an understatement; she practically slammed her forehead into the ground.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. You look terrifying, but you're incredibly kind."

Could you leave out the last part?

I liked taking credit, but they were showering me with so much gratitude it was becoming a bit overwhelming. The color of the vampires' level indicators shifted to a deep green. It meant they now held extreme goodwill toward me. After debating how to respond, I finally spoke.

"I merely saw a seed of hidden potential and allowed it to bloom."

Ah, speaking with the gravity of a Death Knight really sells the cool factor. Every man has a bit of chuunibyou in him, after all.

"...Potential?"

Isabella blinked. Then, as if sensing something, she raised a trembling hand to her head. Her fingertips brushed against the two horns, then traced down to her fangs.

"My hair color!"

Finally realizing her hair had turned crimson, Isabella's eyes widened to the size of saucers. She looked up at me, her gaze filled with silent questions. It was a miracle, but it was only natural to wonder how. How should I explain this? There was only one way: keep it vague.

"It is but a fraction of my power. You ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠need not know more."

"...I see."

She didn't fully understand, but she accepted it and thankfully didn't press further. Honestly, what caught my attention more was the way the corners of Isabella's mouth were slowly curling upward. She, too, seemed to know what her crimson hair meant. Her dream had become reality, and she was clearly ecstatic.

"To bestow such a grace upon a complete stranger... You are truly a merciful lord, Sir."

Since Death Knights were knights in life, they addressed me as "Sir." Suddenly, I grew curious about how these vampires had ended up in this state. When I asked, the answer came immediately, but the story dragged on so long I had to cut them off.

So they got caught up in a territory dispute and ended up like this.

I hadn't expected them to be defeated by other monsters rather than a human subjugation group. This meant the forest was teeming with monsters, which was a shock in itself. It meant monster factions were thriving despite a human village being nearby.

Well, no need to dig too deep.

I'll be leaving this place soon anyway. Probably to somewhere untouched by human feet.

"I want to repay this debt. Is there any way I can be of service?"

A Level 48 True Ancestor was offering her absolute loyalty. I appreciated the sentiment, but I didn't really need anything from her. Besides, who knew if a subjugation group would raid this place while we were wasting time?

"Hm? There are five or six humans approaching."

Holy crap. My bad feeling was spot on. No wonder she kept glancing outside. It was a good thing vampires had bat-like hearing. Thanks to that, we had a chance to escape.

"I hear the clashing of armor and weapons. It sounds like a subjugation group."

It was one disaster after another. The arrival of a subjugation group meant an unavoidable clash of force. Trying to resolve things through dialogue with armed humans was far too risky. Moreover, looking at my current appearance, they would swing their blades before I could even open my mouth.

My eyes fell upon Isabella and the other vampires. What goes around comes around.

"You said you wanted to repay your debt."

"Yes."

"Deal with the intruders."

I wanted to tell them not to kill, but I held my tongue. Showing mercy to an unknown enemy subjugation group without knowing their strength, strategy, or reinforcements was suicide. Isabella looked around and nodded.

"Intruders... So you truly are the boss of this dungeon, Sir."

Why is this a dungeon, and why am I the boss? But there was no time to argue.

"I am glad I can repay you so quickly. This will be over in a flash."

Perhaps emboldened by her evolution, Isabella led the pack as they rushed out. I felt relieved just knowing she was on it. She was a True Ancestor. A True Ancestor who could slaughter an average subjugation group single-handedly. Inside a cave—a vampire's home turf—she should easily be able to hold off even an A-rank subjugation group.

My only concern was the potential bloodbath. Having been human myself, I didn't want to watch other humans die brutally. If they had to die, I hoped it would be clean. But asking a vampire not to spill blood was probably asking too much.

......

Wait, why is this taking so long?

The battle, which I thought would end in an instant, dragged on without progress. Strangely, there were no screams of agony, only battle cries and the clashing of steel. Even the occasional scream that did ring out belonged to a woman.

Subjugation groups rarely employed female members for various reasons. On the other hand, half of the vampire pack was female. The source of my ominous feeling was clear.

I walked forward slightly to check on the situation. Actually, it wasn't a situation I could just watch. Contrary to my expectations, the vampires were losing. Even Isabella, whom I had placed my faith in, was purely on the defensive. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they were wiped out.

The moment I saw the man's level, I understood why they were losing. The man driving Isabella back was clearly the leader of the subjugation group. At Level 52, he was a powerhouse bordering on S-rank.

His companions were around Level 30—not quite on their leader's level, but still highly capable swordsmen. Saying they would "usually win" meant they were in deep trouble in any unusual situation.

Why the hell did such a high-tier subjugation group come here?

There's absolutely no way they can win.

I could guarantee that even if I joined the fray, we would lose. Yet, despite my realistic assessment, running away alone wasn't an option either. Trying to break through the front was terrifying to even imagine, and retreating meant hitting a dead end.

In the midst of this urgency, my mind went blank. There was no visible way out. If the vampires died, I was next. As a subjugation group, they would undoubtedly trample the corpses and march straight into the depths.

Fuck, what do I do?

I saw the man's blade catch a faint, shimmering light. For some reason, he was freely wielding Aura—a technique exclusive to high-ranking knights.

Gulp. I could vividly picture my own head being sliced clean off by that blade.

It was then that a status window notification popped up before my eyes.

"Ha."

I can enhance other people's weapons without even touching them? And if it fails, the cooldown resets...

...Which means as long as I keep failing, I can blow up every single weapon they have?