[ If you defeat the Demon King, all of you will be returned to your original world. ]
The goddess’s promise resurfaced in my mind.
It was the very promise that had guaranteed my return home upon the Demon King’s defeat.
For a decade, I had clung to that promise as my sole beacon of hope, enduring countless hardships.
Now, however, it had twisted into a cruel weapon, tearing my heart to shreds.
‘No.’
Having painstakingly forged a cherished family in this new land, was I now to be told my purpose was fulfilled, and it was time to leave?
I refused.
It couldn’t be.
It simply mustn’t be.
My home was no longer Earth; it was here, in this world.
“Who decided that…!”
-Rumble!
Gritting my teeth, I roused every ounce of dormant magic within my body.
I fought against the goddess’s aura, which sought to drag me back to Earth.
While I might yield to the True Ancestor Arche, I, her first kin, was no less a high-ranking demon, not easily subdued by anyone short of a hero.
I was a being capable of effortlessly annihilating an entire city, a force universally perceived as a disaster by humanity.
Yet.
Despite the full extent of my power, the goddess’s aura clinging to my form remained unyielding.
“How dare you… how dare you to my son!!!”
At that moment, Arche, her face contorted into a demonic snarl, extended her hand toward me.
And then.
-!!!!!!!!
An overwhelming surge of magic, beyond all description, enveloped my entire being.
This was Arche’s immense magical power, known as the Third Calamity.
Her ferocious magic surged and lashed out, striking the goddess’s aura that encased my body.
-Sizzle!
To my utter astonishment, a portion of the goddess’s aura flaked away.
A fleeting glimpse of hope appeared, only to be extinguished almost instantly.
The goddess’s aura, now reinforced with greater resolve, forcefully repelled Arche’s magic.
“…Ah, no!”
The emotions etched across Arche’s face shifted.
Anger gave way to profound sorrow.
She, too, had come to a grim realization.
That even Arche, the Third Calamity and True Ancestor Vampire, was powerless against the goddess’s will.
“…Mother.”
“Ah… no… I can’t lose you like this again…!”
Tears welled in my eyes, tracing paths down my cheeks.
It had been an age since I had allowed myself to weep.
Arche, too, wept as she pulled me into a tight embrace.
The warmth of her aura, as she held me close, began to dissipate.
Then, my vision flickered rapidly, a prelude to something profound.
“This… your Mother… it will take years… decades… even if this world… perishes… I will… reclaim you…”
Arche’s voice, growing increasingly disjointed, soon faded into complete silence.
-Flash!
My surroundings abruptly shifted.
One moment, I was in the kitchen, sharing a comfortable conversation with Arche.
The next, I found myself in the heart of a vast cavern, a gaping maw in the rock.
It was an unprecedented situation, to be unceremoniously dropped into a place I had never seen nor heard of.
Logically, the correct course of action would have been to calmly assess my surroundings.
Regrettably, I found myself utterly incapable of retaining any semblance of composure.
The crushing loss of my family—my everything—who had vanished from my side.
Rage.
Sorrow.
A profound melancholy.
Injustice.
………
……
…
These myriad negative emotions swirled and clawed, tearing through my mind.
What happened next remained a blur.
Perhaps I had screamed into the void like a madman.
Or perhaps I had roared, my fists pummeling the cavern walls.
Or perhaps I had simply collapsed to the ground, weeping uncontrollably.
What was undeniable, however, was that this maelstrom of emotions I now endured was nothing short of horrific.
It dwarfed the pain I had felt when the Hero’s party betrayed me, a mere shadow in comparison.
“…”
Only after a considerable passage of time did my tumultuous mind begin to settle.
Though a profound sense of wretchedness still clung to me, the steady march of time had allowed my mind to calm enough for rational thought.
With great effort, I pushed myself up and surveyed my surroundings.
Taking a deep breath, I observed that this place was less a cave and more a colossal pit, a descriptor that felt far more apt.
The path behind me was sealed, leaving only one direction to proceed: straight ahead.
And directly before me…
“…It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that.”
There, prominently displayed, was a massive gate, just like the ones I had occasionally glimpsed on city streets and in news reports a decade ago.
I would undoubtedly have to exit through that gate.
And in all probability, beyond that gate lay Earth.
Remaining here would only lead to certain starvation, so, despite my reluctance, I had no choice but to depart.
“…”
I closed my eyes briefly, taking a moment to assess my current state.
Immediately, an involuntary sigh escaped my lips.
‘As expected, this isn’t Veilia.’
I was Arche’s first kin.
A being intricately bound by her blood and her magic.
My very existence was rooted in Arche; she was my origin, my lifeblood.
Thus, I possessed an innate ability to discern the strength of the bond between Arche and myself.
Now, however…
The connection between Arche and me was so faint it was almost imperceptible.
This could only signify one thing: Arche and I were now separated by worlds.
‘Is it because the bond is weak? My physical abilities and magical power have significantly atrophied.’
Had my body been in its prime, this entire pit would have been utterly annihilated when I succumbed to that emotional frenzy moments ago.
For my original combat prowess had been on par with, if not superior to, an S-rank Hunter.
It seemed the weakening of our bond had naturally sealed a significant portion of my power as a first-kin vampire.
My strength would likely return once the bond deepened again, but how was I to re-establish such a connection?
A multitude of vexing problems swirled in my mind, but I resolved to set them aside for the moment.
After all, endlessly pondering while trapped in this pit would yield no solutions.
‘First, I need to get out.’
With my current diminished capabilities, returning to Veilia, where my family resided, was impossible; thus, my immediate destination had to be Earth.
Once on Earth, I would need to secure a livelihood while diligently searching for a means to return to Veilia.
‘I mustn’t give up.’
Though the bond between Arche and me was tenuous, it was not entirely severed.
As long as that connection persisted, a path to reuniting with my family surely existed.
I could do this.
I had to.
Slapping my cheeks to sharpen my focus, I fixed my gaze upon the gate.
‘I have no idea what awaits me beyond that gate, so I should assume my combat form first.’
Though my magical reserves were drastically depleted compared to before, assuming my combat form should still be feasible.
I activated my combat form.
Instantly, my attire transformed into a sleek black suit, complemented by a pristine white mask that obscured the upper half of my face and matching gloves.
Adopting this combat form amplified a vampire’s inherent abilities twofold.
Fundamental traits such as resilience, regenerative capabilities, and superhuman strength were enhanced, alongside a significant boost to the quintessential vampire ability: magic sensitivity.
Vampires were, by nature, exceptionally adept at sensing and manipulating magical energy.
Indeed, both my mother and sister had achieved astonishing feats in the magical arts.
Naturally, my special ability, ‘Extreme Sword (TL Note: Geuk-geom, literally ‘Extreme Sword,’ refers to a unique combat skill focused on swordplay.),’ imposed a penalty: I was restricted to attacks using bladed weapons, rendering most offensive magic unusable.
Yet, my heightened magic sensitivity remained an invaluable asset.
It could be employed in numerous ways, from tracking enemy positions to conjuring weapons from my own blood.
This combat form, however, was not without its drawbacks.
It rendered me doubly vulnerable to sacred-element attacks and sunlight, both inherent weaknesses of vampires.
Consequently, it demanded careful situational awareness and activation at the most opportune moment.
“Shall I go out?”
Unless the outside world had been utterly devastated by an S-rank gate collapse, I was unlikely to perish easily.
While it would be perilous if the sun hung high in the midday sky, I could simply deactivate my combat form in such a scenario.
“…Let’s go.”
I would emerge, find a way, and return to my family.
With this unwavering resolve, I cautiously stepped through the gate.
A strange sensation, as if the gate’s magic was meticulously scanning my body, washed over me.
And then, my surroundings shifted once more.
A gloomy sky.
Houses I hadn’t seen in ages, and towering apartment buildings stretching into the distance.
An alleyway choked with piles of refuse.
The faint, acrid sting of cigarette smoke in the air.
It was an alley.
-Rumble…
As I stared blankly at the long-unseen urban landscape, a sound of something closing behind me prompted me to turn my head.
The blue gate I had just stepped through slowly diminished in size before vanishing without a trace.
‘…I really am back.’
Leaning against the grimy alley wall, I resumed my internal deliberations.
What strategy should I devise to establish a stable life for myself here?
‘First, I need to earn money.’
Since finding a way back to Veilia would likely take a considerable amount of time, a stable income was essential to sustain myself in the interim.
When it came to earning a living, the profession of a Hunter was unparalleled, but…
‘Being a Hunter is out of the question.’
Even in my current state, my physical abilities were more than sufficient to perform a Hunter’s duties.
Even with a substantial portion of my first-kin abilities sealed, I still possessed physical prowess far exceeding that of an ordinary human.
Furthermore, with my special privileges, I certainly wouldn’t meet an untimely end during a mission.
The real issue lay elsewhere.
To become a Hunter, one naturally had to pass a physical examination, and there was an alarmingly high probability that during this process, my true nature as a vampire—a demon—would be exposed.
Given the Association’s unwavering policy of summary execution for all demons, my head would undoubtedly be severed before I could even utter a single protest.
In my current weakened state, I wouldn’t even possess the courage to resist.
Rather than risking my life, it would be far wiser to pursue a steady, ordinary job, even if the income were more modest.
However, the true predicament was yet another matter entirely…
‘What about feeding?’
Naturally, vampires required blood.
While not every meal necessitated it, periodic feeding was crucial for my continued existence.
Was I to simply accost any random individual and drain their blood whenever thirst struck?
‘I have no desire to seize an innocent person, one who has done me no harm, and simply feed upon them.’
Despite a decade spent as a vampire, the tenets of human morality still resonated within my heart.
Even if my very life hung in the balance, I recoiled from the thought of thoughtlessly biting the neck of an innocent, blameless civilian.
Even during my time in Veilia, I had never indiscriminately bitten anyone, no matter how intense my thirst became.
Instead, I primarily hunted those humans who dared to infiltrate the Great Labyrinth and raise their weapons against me and my family.
For there was no cause to extend sympathy to those who had sought to end my life and endanger my family.
“Hmm…”
I groaned, lost in contemplation for a long while, but no viable solution presented itself.
Should I resort to stealthily pilfering blood bags from a hospital?
Yet, old blood, like that found in blood bags, would offer little sustenance.
So what was I truly to do—
“Hey, don’t move, stay right there. Huh?”
My thoughts were abruptly severed by a rough, guttural voice.
Turning my head toward the source of the voice, I saw several men shambling toward me, dragging their slippers. They wore loose training pants over sweat-soaked tank tops.
I knew better than to judge people by their looks, yet every single one of them exuded the aura of a thug or a delinquent.
Ah, no, wait. The daggers and axes tucked into their waistbands confirmed it: they were indeed thugs.
Of all the inopportune moments, I had to run into these troublesome individuals precisely when my mind was grappling with its most complex issues.
“…What do you want?”
“You’re not seriously pretending you don’t know, are you?”
They fanned out, encircling me as I leaned against the wall.
“Just consider yourself unlucky, and hand over everything you’ve got. Everyone knows life is precious, don’t they?”
“I genuinely have nothing on me.”
“You’re a terrible liar. Would someone who genuinely has nothing be strolling around on a sweltering summer day in such a fine-looking suit? Oh, now that it’s been brought up, hand over your clothes too.”
“…”
The sheer indignity of having my time stolen by such utterly worthless individuals was profoundly irritating.
“Did you say you have nothing? Move aside while I’m still being nice, will you?”
“You’re one stubborn bastard, aren’t you? Don’t you know how precious life is, huh?”
As the apparent leader unsheathed his weapon, the others followed suit, each drawing their own from their sides.
“If you were a woman, it’d be easy enough to grab you and sell you off to the pleasure district, but men are a hassle; we have to cut open their bellies.”
So these were individuals who wouldn’t hesitate to engage in human trafficking and organ harvesting.
Even with the global decline in public safety since the advent of gates and Awakened individuals, such depravity was still a rare sight.
They were nothing short of parasites, gnawing at the very fabric of society.
Surely, no being anywhere would harbor an ounce of sympathy for such refuse.
That had to be true.
It had to…
…It simply had to.
…If that were the case.
“…You lot.”
“Huh?”
Could I perhaps… feed on them?
“You’re surprisingly useful individuals, aren’t you?”
