I Have Drunk Delicious Blood
Hit diamond fr.
ㄴ DiamondOrDieTrying) Bro where you live?
ㄴ Anonymous) Association folks supported her and rushed her out right away.
ㄴ Idiot, must've been a rating error on the gate.
ㄴ Ice haters finding shit to bitch about even after clear lmao Gonna lose my mind.
ㄴ Bad condition maybe? Rolled around Europe for a month then straight in.
ㄴ Still weird tho.
But aside from that, other sketchy shit.
This was a 2-person entry limit gate, right?
Association officially sent in just Ice Emperor solo.
So who took the other slot?
They say they left it empty, but weird, right?
From her state when she came out, she clearly needed backup but they didn't?
Something smells fishy.
Weirder: Buddy of mine, B-rank who went for on-site support, says system window popped saying entry limit full around late game.
If true, someone mighta stealth'd in.
ㄴ ActiveARankHunter) Just saying it's possible, not confirmed.
ㄴ Anonymous) Eunseol stan personality, she'd refuse help and solo it lmao
ㄴ But her state screams she got help fr.
ㄴ ActiveARankHunter) Wish that was it. But feels off.
ㄴ Gotta be top A-rank at least to help Ice Emperor.
ㄴ Never thought of it? What if they're all from one group lmao
ㄴ Eyes opened, come to Mystery Gallery.
Your familiar has subjugated the 'Pureblood Vampire Rakecis'.
Your familiar has acquired a large amount of experience.
Whoa... Katarina's seriously strong, huh...?
I gulped as I watched Katarina's returning view through her eyes.
To slice through a monster that even the S-rank Ice Emperor struggled against, just like that in an instant.
I knew she was strong, but not this strong.
That puts her at least 'ranker' level, right?
Siyeon was really strong too, but Katarina seemed on a whole other plane.
How high must her level be that slaying a beast like that didn't even bump it up by 1?
Hehe. Knew I picked a good familiar.
As expected of my first summoned familiar. I'll feed her all the premium hanwoo I want when she gets home.
Man, Katarina was so cool earlier too.
Especially dropping to her knees the moment she went in—what was that?!
Whatever ability she used, taking her down with a single word almost made me swoon a bit.
But the opponent wasn't a pushover either; it resisted right away and stood back up.
Then the fight started...
Honestly, I couldn't see much.
Her vision shook so wildly I couldn't even tell what was happening.
With Vision Share, I could kinda follow fights from powerhouses like Siyeon if I tweaked the settings, but for these ultra-elites, my Agility-4 trash eyes just couldn't keep up.
Couldn't even tell if Katarina was winning or losing.
So I got tense, worried, heart pounding, and just popped Tome of the Departed on impulse.
Ugh. Basically just the guy who ult-blocked at the perfect moment...
Embarrassing in hindsight, but damn, the performance was nuts.
Ripped off both arms instantly, fight over.
'Pureblood,' she said.
Then I suddenly recalled what that vampire had spouted earlier.
Pureblood. True blood. The great ones.
Words like that.
Do vampires have a hierarchy?
Even after awakening as Blood Lord, I didn't really know the vampire lore.
Vampires as real monster types? Learned that just now. Thought they were Hunter Gallery urban legends till then.
(Sure, I'm a vampire, but other vampires? News to me.)
One slight worry, though.
What that pureblood vampire Ra-ke... si-s? Whatever his name was, said before dying.
"I am a familiar who received blood directly from one of the great ones! You think you'll get away unscathed after killing a pureblood like me?!"
Hmm.
Sounded like he had some big backer.
What if that 'great one' comes after me?
Ended up making another enemy like with Black Cow.
Got Katarina and Siyeon, so probably fine, but I'm not my old complacent self anymore.
Safety first! Turtle mode!
For me and my familiars' safety, time to get even stronger.
And lastly, a quick thought about Ice Emperor.
Her state through Vision Share was straight-up tragic.
Complete ragdoll, shivering like a leaf.
TV and YouTube always showed her cool and badass...
She just looked so pitiful then.
Shocking that a famous S-rank got pushed that far.
But hey, she lived thanks to our Katarina, right?
Made me feel good again.
Not planned from the start, but deciding to send her at the right time was spot-on.
Net result: I saved one of Korea's top hunters.
(Ice Emperor has no clue who saved her.)
Katarina yapped about lord and vassal at the end for no reason, but that won't give away my identity.
Right then.
Beep beep beep—
Door lock chimed, door opened, shadow flickered, and Katarina appeared.
"My Lord. I have returned."
She dropped to one knee and bowed her head.
"I have knelt the impudent whelp who dared threaten the territory, executed him, and returned."
As expected, not a scratch, looking pristine. Even the blood on her clothes was cleaned up.
"Mmm, well done. Thou hast labored well."
I nodded with as much dignity as possible.
"However, my Lord... Might this lowly one presume to speak?"
"Hm? Speak."
"In the fight, at that final moment when the fiend thrashed desperately and nearly grew perilous—Your perfect timing in granting power let me tear the beast apart in one breath."
Katarina's eyes gazing at me shone with admiration and awe.
"As expected, you pierced the entire battlefield through this humble servant's eyes, did you not? Such flawless timing could never be coincidence."
Siyeon nodded slowly beside her with a serious face, like she agreed.
"As expected of Master."
...Uh, uhhh?
No, girls. What do I do, I'm sorry. Truth is, my heart was racing and hands shaking so I just used it?
But with both familiars staring at me with sparkling eyes. No way I could confess in this vibe.
Plus Noble Bearing passive wouldn't let me anyway.
"Ahem. Of course. No great feat for this true ancestor."
Ended up playing it cool, puffing my chest and tilting my head all dignified-like.
"Ooh...!"
"Indeed, Master."
Their reverent gazes stabbed right in.
S-sorry...!
"Siyeon. Thou hast guarded my side well in the meantime, yes?"
"Of course."
Katarina nodded, then turned back to me.
"My Lord. I bring spoils."
She extended her hand, and a bright red liquid orb floated up in the air.
It was the vampire's blood she'd collected post-fight.
"This is that lowly one's blood. Utterly unworthy offering for you, but it should hold some nutrition. Please accept it."
...Blood.
I stared hard at the red orb.
Since becoming a vampire, I'd only drunk 'real' blood once: when I used Bloodsuck on Siyeon.
But this is monster blood, not even human.
Can I even eat this?
Honestly, kinda grossed me out.
I'm a vampire now, but just weeks ago I was human.
But.
Gulp.
...Huh?
While I pondered, my throat swallowed on its own.
Couldn't tear my eyes from the red orb.
Even started salivating.
Brain says no, but vampire instincts screaming 'eat it' and revving my body.
Same as with raw meat back then?
Means I can eat it and it'll help. Let's try.
I steeled myself and opened my mouth in dignified tones.
"Hmmm. Well done. Bring it hither."
"I am honored...! May it suit your palate, my Lord."
Katarina fetched a glass and poured the blood carefully. Woulda been cool with a wine glass.
Can't handle even one beer can, so no such thing; it was my usual bunny-printed cup for juice or milk.
Gulp.
I squeezed my eyes shut and drank.
...Oh! This is freaking delicious!
Eyes flew open.
Sweet-tangy tomato juice flavor!
As tasty as Siyeon's blood before I turned her.
And.
Ding!
You have consumed high-grade blood.
You have acquired a large amount of experience.
You have reached level 22.
Ooooh!
Triple level up!
Drinking blood levels you up too? News to me.
But right as I cheered.
You have reached level 20.
A new skill has been unlocked.
Blood's Grace
...Blood's Grace?
A new feature unlocked.