Reincarnated as a Vampire Who Acquires Skills Through Blood-Chapter 104 - In the City [3]

After the tense scene in the dining area, it didn’t take long for the tension to fade as the delicious aroma of cooking meat filled the air.

Verc and the others didn’t have to wait much longer before their food arrived. The waiters brought out several large, silver-covered trays, setting them down with the kind of care you’d expect for royalty.

They received high-quality steaks made from a rare monster’s meat, alongside a mountain of other side dishes that smelled incredible. There were roasted vegetables glistening with oil, fresh bread that was still steaming, and various sauces that looked rich and flavorful.

Before, back on Earth, Verc had always been the type of person who preferred his steaks well-done. He used to think that any sign of red or pink in the meat was a bit unappealing.

But after becoming a vampire, things had changed drastically. His taste buds had shifted along with his biology. Now, he liked his meat rare—practically still bleeding. The sight of the red juices pooling on the plate didn’t gross him out anymore.

Anyway, Onyx got a steak too. It was a massive piece of meat, especially considering how small the puppy was. It was placed on a heavy ceramic plate on the floor next to Verc’s chair. And so with that—the four of them started eating breakfast.

Tatum and Jed really didn’t expect much. They were used to eating simple meals at the base, and before that, they had barely eaten anything special in their original village.

"...?!"

But their eyes lightened the moment they took a bite. The texture was soft, almost melting on their tongues, and the flavor was deep and savory.

Verc was just as impressed. He took off the cover from his face, making sure no one was looking too closely, and after taking a big bite—

’Wow... they really lived up with how much expensive they are.’

Verc thought to himself. He chewed slowly, savoring the richness of the monster meat.

He didn’t know if it was just the quality of the rare monster meat itself or if the chef was just that talented, but this was the best steak he had in all of his two lives combined.

They also tried the other food on the table. There were soups that were thick and creamy, and fruits that tasted like they had been picked just minutes ago. Just like the steak, they were delicious as well. The group ate in relative silence, too focused on the incredible flavors to say much.

Meanwhile, Onyx was in his own little world.

-Arf...!

He was busy eating a huge steak that was easily twice his small body size. He didn’t seem to care that it was bigger than him; he just kept tearing into it with his tiny, sharp teeth, wagging his tail the whole time.

... ... ...

*****

Verc and the others finished all of the food not long after starting. Despite the amount of food they had ordered, they cleared every plate. In fact, they ate abnormally fast.

Being vampires, their bodies processed the nutrients quickly, and their increased physical stats meant they could eat a lot more than a normal person without feeling bloated.

And after that, they just thanked the staffs for the good food and stood up to leave. The dining hall was quiet as they walked toward the payment counter.

Their bill cost a whopping 5 gold coins. For a single meal, that was an astronomical price. It was enough money to feed a normal family for at least a entire month, or maybe even longer if they were careful.

But after hearing the total, Verc didn’t even bat an eye. He didn’t complain or try to haggle. He just reached into his pouch and paid it immediately. To make things even more shocking for the staff, he even left a 3 gold coins tip!

The staffs thanked him loudly, their voices echoing through the lobby. You might even think that Verc was the owner of the place with how much the workers were bowing at him. They were practically tripping over themselves to open the doors and clear the way.

Verc just dismissed their words with a casual wave of his hand. He wasn’t doing it to show off; he just felt like the food was worth the extra pay, and he had plenty of gold to spare anyway. And just like that—they’re back out in the city again.

... ... ...

The morning sun was bright now, illuminating the busy streets of Sionann. The city was alive with the sounds of people talking, wagons rolling over cobblestones, and merchants shouting about their wares.

Verc stopped at a corner and turned to the two kids following him.

"The two of you can go look around and buy whatever you want; here, take these."

Verc said as he grabbed Jed’s hands and placed 20 gold coins on it. Jed almost dropped them from the sheer surprise.

Tatum and Jed widened their eyes, staring at the small fortune in Jed’s palm. They looked at Verc and were about to say something, their expressions full of hesitation. But before they could even try to speak—

"You don’t need to guard me... you both know I don’t need it."

Verc stated that. His voice was firm but not mean.

He just wanted them to have some time to themselves to enjoy the city, since they had been working so hard back at the castle.

The two stopped and closed their mouths. They were just about to say that they can’t leave Verc’s side because they’re there to guard him. They felt it was their duty to protect their lord, especially in a place where they didn’t know who might be watching.

But after hearing his words, they realized he was right. Verc was far stronger than both of them combined. If something happened that Verc couldn’t handle, they wouldn’t be much help anyway.

"We got it, Lord Verc."

Jed said that, bowing his head respectfully. Tatum followed suit, giving a small bow as well. They tucked the gold away safely, their young minds already racing with the possibilities of what they could buy in a city this large.

"Just avoid trouble, enjoy."

Verc said to the two, giving them a small nod.

"We will, Lord Verc."

Tatum responded with a bright smile.

And with that, they separated. Tatum and Jed headed toward the main market district, talking excitedly to each other, while Verc turned in the opposite direction.

... ... ...

*****

Onyx was still with Verc. They were just walking on the street now, blending in with the crowd as much as they could.

Onyx was following after him with his small steps, his little paws pitter-pattering on the stone ground. He had to jog occasionally just to keep up with Verc’s pace.

But then--

"Hmm?"

As they were walking through a busier section of the city, Verc saw a notice posted on a wooden board at the side of the street. There were several papers pinned there, but one in particular caught his eye because it looked more official than the others.

Verc got curious and took a peek at it.

"...!"

And to his surprise... it was talking about the incident he caused in the city of Zore. There was a rough drawing that looked somewhat like him, and a description of the destruction that had taken place.

If the drawing was colored and he doesn’t have a cover on his lower face; then Verc probably would’ve been in trouble. Luckily, that wasn’t the case.

’It’s been nearly two months now... I guess it’s still not enough for them to forget about it.’

Verc thought to himself as he scanned the lines of text. The notice mentioned a high reward for information, and it warned people that the individual was extremely dangerous.

’Well, I did cause a pretty huge mess.’

He added with a shrug. He didn’t feel particularly worried about this.

Anyway, after seeing this—he thought about the others.

The people he had traveled with and fought alongside back then. Kael, Stanford, Kelton, Harper, Gibson, and Elianna... their names and faces crossed his mind.

"..."

For a while, he wondered how they were doing.

Remembering what happened back then, he really felt a bit bad lying to them. He also left them to deal with the aftermath of the event in Zore.

He felt a bit pang of guilt inside him.

But after a while--

"Haaa..."

Verc just shook his head.

There was no point in dwelling on the past when he had so much to do in the present. He couldn’t go back even if he wanted to.

And so, without getting distracted anymore, he started looking around the various streets and alleys; searching for a specific place.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

Verc navigated away from the bright, high-class shopping areas and started heading toward the parts of the city where the air felt a bit heavier and the buildings were more cramped.

The people here looked a bit grimmer, and there were fewer guards patrolling the area.

And not long after searching--Verc found what he was looking for.

The building was large and made of dark stone, with iron bars over the small windows. There was no bright sign out front, just a heavy wooden door and a few guards standing watch.

It was a slave shop.

"..."

Verc stood in front of the entrance for a moment, his eyes cold and unreadable.