33
Chapter 33
Servant Vampire.
That was the name of the race the Ghoul woman had achieved Evolution into.
It turns out you can belong to the Vampire race even without an Elite rank.
The woman's appearance had drastically changed compared to when she was a Ghoul.
Her hair was dyed pure white,
and her once-bluish skin had taken on a snow-white hue.
Furthermore, as if turning back time, her previously mature face had rejuvenated into a youthful one.
Ah. She even felt a little shorter now.
However, her original facial features remained the same.
Even though her overall appearance had changed significantly, those familiar features kept her from looking like a completely different person.
It was enough that anyone who knew her from before would still be able to recognize her.
Anyway, congratulations.
You've achieved a massive success with your Evolution.
Meanwhile, I ended up with a massive failure.
"Bear Baby?"
The Servant Vampire woman had spotted me.
But that title feels way too long.
I'll just shorten it and call her Servam from now on.
"Master. It seems our Bear Baby has finished its Limit Breakthrough as well."
"A-Ahem."
At Servam's words, the Vampire also noticed me.
The Vampire cleared her throat and hastily distanced herself from Servam.
Then she quickly fixed her expression.
Returning to her usual cold face.
"It seems you have safely succeeded in your Limit Breakthrough as well."
Stop pretending to be so dignified.
I saw everything just now, hugging Servam and rubbing your face against hers in sheer joy.
"Congratulations, Teddy Bear."
The Vampire shamelessly maintained her poise as if nothing had happened.
It seemed she wanted to save face in front of me.
I already caught you acting like your true self, you know.
"Congratulations, our Bear Baby!"
Servam smiled brightly and approached me quickly.
I see your movements have gotten faster too.
And you can even speak properly now.
I'm so jealous.
Servam crouched down in front of me.
While holding the Baby Doll with one arm, she reached out with the other to aggressively pet my head.
Thud.
Bear-Bear Punch!
I lightly struck Servam's leg.
"W-Why did you hit me?"
Why even ask?
I hit you because you congratulated me when I actually failed my Evolution.
Are you trying to tease me?
Continuing to call me Bear Baby is pretty annoying, too.
Nope, you need to take another hit.
Bear-Bear Punch!
"Ouch... Did I do something wrong...?"
Servam frowned slightly as if it actually hurt.
What the heck, I hit her super lightly.
First of all, I'm sorry.
Filled with apology, I rubbed the spot I had hit.
Huh? Wait a minute.
More importantly, Servam's outfit has changed too.
Servam was wearing clothes similar to Miss Vampire's.
Does this kind of clothing get automatically distributed when you become part of the Vampire race?
As I looked her outfit up and down, she tilted her head and asked.
"Hm? What's wrong, Bear Baby? Is it because my outfit changed?"
Nod nod.
I nodded my head.
But she keeps calling me Bear Baby.
Whatever, I'll just give up.
Call me whatever you want.
"I received these clothes from Master. I heard Vampires gift clothes similar to their own to their favored kin."
I see.
It seems Miss Vampire really, really liked her.
It seemed a Servant Vampire was quite a rare race.
Just seeing how overjoyed Miss Vampire was simply by her existence proved it.
"By the way, what changed for you, Teddy Bear? Did you become cuter through Evolution?"
The Vampire approached and said.
I feel like this woman is teasing me too.
I held back on the Bear-Bear Punch.
You have to be careful when playing jokes on someone overwhelmingly stronger than you.
Anyway.
To show them my power after being reborn into a new race, I decided to use the Dragon Mimicry skill right here and now.
[[Dragon Mimicry lv.1] skill is used.]
Squirm-!
My right front paw began to wriggle.
Can I only use it with my right front paw?
Do it with the left one!
The moment I thought that, my left front paw started to wriggle.
The right front paw grew still again.
So I can transform whichever hand I want.
In an instant, my left front paw morphed into a Dragon head-shaped doll.
It's a bit crude, but anyway, Dragon transformation complete!
For the record, I just threw away my negative thoughts.
I decided to hold onto the hope that, as I raise the skill level, I might one day be able to transform into a complete Dragon.
Of course, the fact that I'm still a Doll won't change regardless.
"Oh. Is that a newly acquired skill? It looks just like a Dragon."
"Our Bear Baby's hand became weird...."
The Vampire let out a gasp of admiration.
It's not 'just like' a Dragon, it is a Dragon.
Servam looked at my hand with concern.
It's not some kind of disease, so don't make that face.
I raised my left hand high into the sky.
Then, after opening the jaws of the doll Dragon head wide, I used another skill.
[[Flame Manipulation lv.3] skill is used.]
Fire spewed from the doll Dragon's mouth.
Wow, a flame breath!
Of course, it wasn't a real breath attack.
It wasn't an ability the doll Dragon possessed, either.
I merely chained the Flame Manipulation skill to it.
Phew. Doing this makes me feel even more pathetic somehow.
"Ooh. To think you can even spew a breath attack, that's amazing."
"Wow. Our Bear Baby must have evolved into an incredible race, right?"
The Vampire repeatedly expressed her admiration.
Beside her, Servam clapped like a seal.
Is this one of those misunderstanding tropes?
Everyone, this isn't a breath attack.
It's just an incredibly ordinary flame skill.
I didn't bother explaining that, though.
Because receiving applause made me feel good.
Excited, I continued to spew flames, pretending it was a flame breath.
Meanwhile.
Whoosh-!!!
Suddenly, a black flame violently burst forth.
What the? I can't control things like black flames, though?
Looking closely, it didn't even seem like a flame to begin with.
"Oooooh. What is this black breath?"
"Bear Baby, you could use a different breath too. But this breath looks incredibly ominous...."
What is going on here?
Just as I was panicking because I couldn't understand what was happening.
[[Dragon Mimicry lv.1]-[Chaos Breath] unlocked.]
[[Dragon Mimicry lv.1]-[Chaos Breath] has been activated.]
The Helper's notification popped up belatedly.
Chaos Breath?
Is it an additional ability of the Dragon Mimicry skill?
No, the skill description didn't mention I could use something like this.
I thought it was an absolute trash skill.
But it wasn't trash at all.
Just looking at it, it seems extremely powerful, right?
The name Chaos Breath itself is far from ordinary, too.
As I watched the Chaos Breath stretch into the sky, feeling a mix of surprise and joy.
Rustle.
A monster suddenly popped out from the bushes.
[Venomfang Rat lv.8]
┗Pw.16
┗Rnk.Uncommon
"Squeak?"
A monster that looked like a sewer rat.
It was the same race as my very first successful hunt.
So there were other Venomfang Rats around here.
Hello, nice to meet you.
I waved my right hand in greeting.
"Squeeeeak!!!"
The Venomfang Rat bared its sharp teeth.
It seemed to have labeled me as an enemy.
Looks like a fierce one, just like last time.
That guy seemed to have low intelligence.
Because even with Servam and the Vampire right behind me, it was fiercely glaring at me instead of running away.
If you're stupid, you just have to die.
How dare you show hostility in front of me?
Are you looking down on me because I'm a Teddy Bear or what?
Sheesh! Do you have any idea how much stronger I've gotten since before!
I extended my left arm toward it.
I was aiming the Dragon head doll at it.
This is perfect.
I wanted to check its power anyway.
Venomfang Rat, since you're here, why don't you take a hit of this?
Chomp-
The Dragon head doll's mouth opened wide.
[[Dragon Mimicry lv.1]-[Chaos Breath] is used.]
Whoosh-!!!
A black breath with an ominous aura shot forth.
The Venomfang Rat couldn't dodge.
It was instantly engulfed by the breath.
Its reaction speed is incredibly slow.
"S-Squeeeeaak!!!"
A brief scream rang out.
Soon after, its body scattered and vanished as if undergoing Decomposition.
In the spot where it had been, only a small Mana Stone was left lying there.
Oh my.
I took it down in one hit?
It was a stronger entity than the previous rat...
I realized it once again.
I really have grown an incredible amount.
"...The power of the breath is greater than I thought."
"Bear Baby is scary...."
Turns out, this wasn't a misunderstanding trope.
***
The Vampire mentioned that she should be heading back soon.
Saying that she had only stopped by this mountain range briefly because she was worried about me.
"If it were up to me, I would want to take you along as well, but...."
The Vampire's gaze turned toward Servam.
Her eyes were filled with lingering attachment.
It seemed she was sad to leave her kin behind.
"If I take you with me, I would have to take the Baby Doll as well, and then the Teddy Bear would be left all alone again. It seems the Blood Rabbit and Flame Bear only come to play occasionally, rather than living together."
That's right.
Please don't take Servam and the Baby Doll away from me.
The Vampire averted her gaze.
This time, she rested her eyes on me.
"Teddy Bear. Do you have any intention of coming with me?"
Shake, shake.
I shook my head.
I appreciate the offer, but I'll decline.
Because leaving this place would make it difficult to see Jjokkomi and Tosuni.
The Vampire gave a small nod, looking somewhat regretful.
Then she looked at Servam again.
"...It can't be helped. You stay here. We can't make our Teddy Bear a loner."
"Understood, Master."
The Vampire looked back and forth between Servam and me with eyes full of lingering attachment, then she said her goodbyes and turned her back.
I knew she was going to leave from the very beginning,
but seeing her actually walking away made me feel sad.
Miss Vampire, come visit us again sometime.
You're always welcome whenever you want to come.
I waved my arms wildly at the Vampire's retreating back.
Until she disappeared from my line of sight.
"......."
After the Vampire left.
Servam approached me and carefully asked a question.
Asking if she and the Baby Doll could live here with me.
It seemed she had indeed been looking for a place to live with her Baby Doll, away from the eyes of Humans.
But I don't know why she's even asking at this point.
Of course you can live with me.
I nodded my head hundreds of times, granting her permission to stay.
I actually wanted to ask you that instead.
***
"Bear Baby, come here."
I was held in Servam's arms.
It wasn't because I wanted to be hugged.
Servam persistently tried to hug me, so I reluctantly let myself be pulled into her embrace.
"There you go, good boy."
Please don't treat me like a little kid.
I can let it slide when you call me Bear Baby, but I can't stand being treated like an actual baby.
"It would be nice if our baby could move like our Bear Baby."
Tell me about it.
I hope the Baby Doll gets the Action skill soon.
After nodding my head.
I stared blankly toward the bushes while being held in Servam's arms.
It was then.
"Hum, hum, hummm!"
Hop, hop.
In the distance, I saw Tosuni hopping over while humming a tune.
She seems to be in a really good mood today.
Is she that happy on her way to see me?
Hehe. What a cute kid.
"Hummm, hummmm!"
Hop! Hop!
"Hum, hummm."
Thump! Thump!
...Wait a minute, what is that behind her?
A giant rabbit that wasn't there a moment ago suddenly appeared in my line of sight.
The giant rabbit was following closely behind Tosuni.
[Crimson Rabbit lv.100(Max)]
┗Pw.300
┗Rnk.Superior
Uh... who are you?
Are you perhaps Tosuni's parent?