"I’ve acknowledged you, but that doesn’t an I’ll tolerate endless insolence," he replied, a wave of energy rolling from him, raising goosebumps across her skin.
Her instincts scread: Defying him further was unwise.
"...Fine," she relented.
"No honorifics, huh?" he noted, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"I don’t even know who you are."
"To react like that after feeling my aura—bold indeed. But I like that. It’s been a while since I found a decent toy."
Being called a plaything could’ve sparked her anger, but his power made it almost reasonable. His strength was on par with Shin Yuwol’s—untouchable, no matter how she struggled. To soone of his caliber, others might naturally seem like toys.
"Now, I’ll ask again. Who’s your master?" His voice carried an undeniable pressure.
Defying him could end her newfound life here and now. But there was a problem.
"...What do you an by ’master’?" she asked, genuinely confused. She wasn’t so slave.
"Hm? There must be soone who revived you, no?"
"Revived ...?"
"Didn’t they explain? No... even without explanation, you should instinctively know..." His words trailed off, prompting her to recall the mont she awoke.
"Only Yuseong can move ," she’d thought then.
"...I don’t know. I was alone when I woke up."
"Seems there was an accident during your revival. It’s rare, but not unheard of. A kin moving without a master... intriguing." His eyes glead with curiosity.
"Very well. Normally, your master would’ve explained, but since it’s co to this, I’ll do it myself. You were born and raised in the Central Plains, yes? And then died for so reason?"
"...Yeah."
"To put it simply—we, called vampires or blood demons in your tongue, co from another world. Not this Central Plains."
"..." The words didn’t fully register, leaving her speechless.
"So... you an the outer martial world?" she ventured.
"No. Literally another world. Another dinsion. From a different star than this one."
Han Soyeong’s POV
"Hm..." I murmured, struggling to wrap my head around the story.
"It’s not an easy tale to grasp, I’ll admit," he said, his voice calm but carrying an otherworldly weight. "If it’s too much, just think of as a stranger from a very distant place. For so reason, the humans here are particularly resistant to the idea of other worlds."
"...Got it," I replied, nodding faintly. I accepted his explanation, at least enough to keep the conversation going.
What followed was a torrent of information—talk of an undying legion, a desperate battle for dinsional survival, and the aftermath of a crushing defeat. His words were dense, layered with concepts that slipped through my grasp like smoke. I caught fragnts, but the full picture eluded .
"Tch," he clicked his tongue, his tone shifting to sothing almost wry. "Good thing your body was reconstructed. If you’d returned in your original state, it would’ve been catastrophic. That wound the divine harlot drove into my chest? If it had lingered, you wouldn’t be standing here, alive or otherwise."
He was surprisingly talkative. The initial aura of overwhelming pressure that had surrounded him seed to fade, replaced by an almost casual deanor.
His explanation continued, painting a clearer picture of my new reality. I wasn’t human anymore. I was a vampire—an undead creature sustained by blood, growing stronger with every drop, capable of endless regeneration unless my head was severed. That was the essence of my existence now.
"Co to think of it," he said, tilting his head, "how have you managed the bloodlust? The urge must be unbearable."
"...I haven’t," I admitted quietly.
"You resisted it?" His brows lifted, a mix of surprise and curiosity in his eyes.
Now that he ntioned it, a buried sensation clawed its way back to the surface. Before eting Yuseong, I’d felt it—a primal urge to seize a passerby and drink their blood. But I’d suppressed it, my thoughts anchored to Yuseong. If I was going to drink anyone’s blood, it had to be his.
"...So you haven’t had a single drop?" he pressed.
"No," I confird.
"Good heavens..." His expression turned grave, almost disbelieving. "How has your body endured this long?"
Was it really that serious? His reaction unsettled , and what he said next caught completely off guard.
"This won’t do," he declared, extending his hand toward . "Drink my blood. I’m granting it to you personally, in recognition of your willpower. Consider it an honor."
Smack.
Instinctively, I swatted his hand away, my face hardening. He blinked, clearly puzzled.
"Why refuse? Drinking my blood is the greatest privilege a vampire could receive."
Did he truly believe that? His sincerity was unmistakable, but my body trembled with conflicting impulses. My heart pounded—thump, thump—craving his blood despite my resistance. The reason for my refusal was simple.
"...I don’t want to touch any man but Yuseong," I said firmly.
Because he was a man. A man who wasn’t Yuseong. Just as I despised the thought of Yuseong touching another woman, I felt the sa revulsion at the idea of crossing that boundary myself. Honestly, I wanted to flee this place entirely.
He seed to catch the weight of my words, his expression softening. "Oh, was my male form making you uncomfortable?"
I stayed silent, unsure how to respond.
"Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ve caused you unnecessary discomfort. One mont." He snapped his fingers with a sharp click.
In an instant, his form began to shift. When the transformation settled, my jaw dropped.
"There," she said, her voice now smooth and lodic. "Is this better?"
I stared, dumbfounded. Before stood a woman of breathtaking beauty, rivaling—or perhaps surpassing—my master, the most stunning figure I’d ever known.
"W-What just happened?" I stamred.
"Other vampires might not manage this, but this body was crafted by ’Him,’ the Sovereign of Death, who transcends even life itself. Do you think I’d be bound by sothing as trivial as gender, a re construct for biological reproduction? I have no fixed sex."
Her words were laced with more incomprehensible jargon, but I couldn’t shake the sudden hostility rising within . This new form, this flawless beauty, felt like a threat.
"Did you... put on a human skin mask or sothing?" I asked, grasping for an explanation that made sense.
She laughed lightly. "Those masks that mimic another’s face? No. I told you, I have no set gender."
"So... right now, you’re...?"
"You were uneasy with my male form, so I took on a female one to put you at ease. Asking which is ’real’ is aningless—don’t bother."
I swallowed the question that had been on the tip of my tongue. I’d been about to ask exactly that. But as I processed her words, it sank in: she was neither man nor woman, a being unbound by the constraints of gender.
I stole a glance at her. Her beauty was srizing, the kind that demanded admiration. Noticing my stare, she smirked.
"What’s that look? Captivated by my beauty?"
I didn’t respond, caught off guard by her brazen confidence. People didn’t usually speak of themselves that way, but her appearance backed up every ounce of her self-assurance.
"No need to feel slighted," she continued, her tone teasing. "Compared to , you’re a step behind, but you’re striking in your own right."
"Thanks...?" I mumbled, unsure whether to take it as a complint or a jab.
"Hm, hm," she humd, clearly amused.
Pushing the topic of appearances aside, I had a question burning in my mind. I swallowed hard, steeling myself.
"Can I... ask sothing?"
"Go ahead," she said, her eyes glinting with curiosity.
"Do you... have reproductive organs?"
"Ha?" Her expression froze, visibly thrown by the question.
It might sound absurd, but it mattered to . If she had them, it ant she could feel desire, could pursue Yuseong. That would make her a rival—a threat. Every woman was a potential danger when it ca to Yuseong, no matter her species. His charm was undeniable, and even if she had no interest now, eting him might change that. I needed to know where she stood.
"You always manage to surprise ," she said, recovering with a bemused smile. "I never imagined anyone would ask that."
"Is it... a sensitive question?" I ventured cautiously.
"Not at all. It’s just... unexpected. Let clarify how you should see . This body was crafted by ’Him,’ the Sovereign of Death. Why would I need organs for sothing as mundane as reproduction?"
Her answer let exhale in relief. No reproductive organs ant no threat, no rival. Her beauty, her strength, the legion of vampires under her command—her wealth and power could have made her a formidable competitor. Thank goodness.
"Well," she added with a sly grin, "if I wanted to manifest them, it wouldn’t be impossible—"
"No!" I cut her off, panic flaring. "Don’t!"
After a brief flurry of commotion, we settled back into the conversation.
"Now that the misunderstanding about my male form is cleared, it’s fine, right? Here, drink." She extended her hand again, her tone gentle but firm.
I hesitated. Even though the rival issue was resolved and she wasn’t a man—or Yuseong—the act of drinking blood felt profane. I’d been a Taoist before my death, after all. Despite my body’s craving, it wasn’t sothing I could easily accept.
"You still don’t fully understand your situation," she said, her voice taking on a serious edge. "As a reborn vampire, blood isn’t optional—it’s your lifeline. You’ve held out this long by sheer will, but you can’t survive indefinitely without it."
Reviews
All reviews (0)