Reincarnated as a Vampire Who Acquires Skills Through Blood-Chapter 94 - Expansion [3]

Verc didn’t waste any time.

TAP-

He stood before the massive mountain of monster corpses, the moonlight reflecting off the dark blood that was still pooling at the base of the pile. He looked at the rows of orcs, both the hunters who were covered in grime and the workers who were holding their stone axes.

"I’ve seen the work you’ve done today. Thank you for your efforts—all of you. Those who went into the forest to hunt, and those who stayed behind to clear the land. You’ve done well."

He said, his voice carrying across the quiet clearing.

-THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS, OUR LORD!!!

The orcs answered in unison.

Their voices were so incredibly loud that the ground beneath Verc’s feet seemed to vibrate, and the leaves on the surrounding trees trembled as if a strong wind had just passed through. Verc instinctively winced, putting his hands over his ears to protect them from the deafening-loud roar of fifty orcs shouting at once.

Anyway, after the echoes died down, he lowered his hands and gave them a small nod. He could see the exhaustion in their eyes now that the adrenaline was fading.

"Ease up. You’ve worked enough for one day. You can stop and rest now."

The orcs rejoiced at his words, letting out low grunts of satisfaction and relief. They began to disperse, some heading toward the cookfires while others slumped against the walls of the castle.

Verc just ignored the commotion behind him. He turned his attention back to the pile of dead monsters.

"Well then, let me do the rest."

He muttered to himself.

CHOMP—

And without hesitation.... He grabbed the nearest monster corpse—a large, scaled lizard—and took a bite out of its neck!

"...?"

The orcs who were still nearby stopped in their tracks. They were genuinely confused seeing their leader suddenly start eating raw monster meat. They had seen many wild creatures in the forest that ate others in a frenzy, and for a moment, they thought Verc was like them; a beast driven by hunger.

But then, they noticed something was different.

SLOOORP—!!!

A sickening, wet sound filled the air.

And right before their eyes, the large lizard corpse that was in Verc’s hand began to change. The flesh didn’t just disappear; it shriveled. And within a matter of seconds, the plump, muscular body of the monster dried up completely!

It turned into a gray, raisin-like husk, looking like it had been sitting in the sun for a hundred years. It had been drained of every single drop of its energy and life force!

"?!!"

The orcs were completely surprised. Their eyes widened as they watched Verc drop the husk and reach for the next one—a giant horned boar. They had lived in the [Cursed Forest] for a long time and seen many horrors, but they had never seen a creature consume life like this. It wasn’t just eating; it was total extraction.

And so, it was at this time that a new question began to form in their simple heads...

’What kind of creature is the lord?’

They asked that silently as they watched their leader move through the pile.

Groo, Mamon, and the family heads were standing in a small group, asking the same thing in their heads. They knew he was powerful, but this was something beyond their understanding of nature.

"Hmm...?"

Verc ignored the looks he was getting from the crowd. He could sense their gazes on his back, but he didn’t feel any malice coming from them. There were no negative feelings at all—it was just a heavy mix of curiosity, surprise, and amazement combined into one.

He didn’t care about his image right now. He needed the energy. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

And so, he continued draining the blood out of the corpses piled up in front of him, moving with a mechanical efficiency.

He was doing it so fast that he turned a single dead monster into a raisin-like state in a matter of seconds. After finishing one, he immediately turned to the next, his red eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

By the way, he wasn’t completely wasteful. Before he started the main pile, he had the orcs set aside several of the dead monsters that were known to be edible. Those were stored separately so the tribe would have fresh meat to eat later.

Anyway...

In a matter of a few minutes, the mountain of corpses had been reduced to a heap of dry, gray husks.

"Pwah~"

Verc let out a long breath, wiping a stray drop of blood from his chin.

He could feel the energy surging through his veins, filling the hollowness in his chest. Right now, he had enough energy in his system to last for more than half a year without needing another drop. His mana was practically overflowing, vibrating against the stone of the castle.

"H-He’s really hungry, huh."

Groo mumbled, leaning over to whisper to Tatum, who was standing nearby.

"I think our liege is not hungry at all, to be honest. It’s more like he’s preparing to do something big in my eyes."

Tatum responded to him without looking back. He had naturally started using a new title for Verc, his voice filled with a strange kind of reverence.

"You think so?"

Groo asked, his brow furrowing.

"I feel so."

Tatum answered with a firm nod of his head, feeling the connection between him and Verc.

Just then, Mamon stepped closer to Tatum. The old orc looked deeply thoughtful, his eyes never leaving Verc’s back.

"If it’s not a secret, nor if it is troubling... can I know what kind of a creature the lord is?"

Mamon spoke up and asked that, his voice low and respectful.

"Ah..."

Tatum turned to him after hearing that question.

He frowned for a while, contemplating if it was fine to reveal the truth or not. He didn’t want to betray Verc’s privacy, but he also knew that trust was the foundation of their new alliance.

Then, after a few moments of silence... he made up his mind.

"We’re both under his wing now. You guys deserve to know about the greatness of our liege."

Tatum stated that.

He looked at the curious Groo and Mamon, who were both waiting with bated breath for his answer.

"Our liege is an ancient demonic being that was thought to have been erased from the [Arcanis] long ago. He is a legend that has returned."

Tatum paused, enjoying the way the anticipation from the two orcs was growing.

And then, after that, he looked at the two in the eyes, and with his lips parting--

"Our lord is a [Demonic Vampire]."

Tatum declared that proudly, his voice carrying a weight of absolute certainty.

"..."

Groo and Mamon were silent. They didn’t really have a reaction at first.

But then, as they began processing what they had just heard—the stories of blood-drinking demons that was cursed by the gods—it clicked with them.

"!!!"

Both of their eyes widened so much when they realized what Tatum just said, it looked like they were going to pop out of their faces and roll across the ground.

Their jaws dropped, and they looked at Verc with a new level of terror and respect. They opened their mouths, about to ask a dozen questions or say something in shock, but before they could even let out a single word—

"Everyone, get out of the clearing."

Verc’s cold and commanding voice echoed throughout the area.

It wasn’t a shout, but the mana infused into the words made them vibrate in the ears of every individual around.

"?!!"

The orcs’ spines straightened instantly. Their eyes quickly turned to Verc, and seeing his face so serious and focused, they all took a nervous gulp.

They didn’t ask questions. They didn’t hesitate. They turned and ran away from the clearing, heading toward the treeline.

TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP!

And in a matter of seconds, Verc was left completely alone in the middle of the clearing!

The space was now as big as a small town thanks to the orcs’ hard work during the day.

"..."

Verc looked around and nodded, feeling that the others were far enough away to be safe. He looked down at his hands, which were crackling with excess mana.

"Fwooo~"

Then after letting out a resolute sigh, he looked at the empty ground in front of him.

He parted his lips, his voice barely a whisper but filled with power, and with that--

"[Dungeon Genesis]."

He muttered that, activating the skill.

GRRRRRRRAAA---!!!!

As soon as those words left Verc’s mouth, the ground beneath him began to shake!

It wasn’t a small tremor; the whole heart of the forest started to tremble violently! It was a massive earthquake that sent harpies screaming into the night sky!

"?!!"

The orcs, standing at the edge of the clearing, were surprised and nearly fell over.

But they knew the reason for the earthquake... It was their lord. They just knew it by instinct. They could feel that the source of the trembling was strongest exactly where Verc was standing. And so, they just firmed their stance and watched in silence.

"..."

Tatum and the other kids were watching too, their eyes filled with wonder. Ashley was holding Onyx tightly to her chest, the puppy’s ears pinned back, while Neit was holding onto Bong’s reins to keep the horse from bolting.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

And then, as they were there, watching Verc—

WHOOOOOOOSH—!!!

The ground around him suddenly started moving!

The dirt and stone didn’t just shift; they moved like they were alive, swirling in a great vortex of earth. The materials began coming together with a loud, grinding sound.

CRAAAA-!!!

The earth rose up, forming solid foundations!

Then the small temporary huts that the orcs had built were swept up in the magic. They were pulled apart, their logs and hides being reconstructed and reinforced with stone and fresh lumber drawn from the ground!

It was a magical sight.

And then, just liek that-- TAK! TAK! TAK!

New houses began to rise out of the dirt like plants growing in high-speed!

Stone walls smoothed themselves out, and heavy wooden beams locked into place with a series of loud clicks. Roads made of packed gravel and flat stones began to weave between the structures, creating a clean, organized layout.

What was once a muddy clearing with a few scrap-wood huts was being transformed into a permanent, sturdy settlement! It looked like the forest itself was birthing a village!

And seeing this happen in front of their eyes...

"W-WHA?!"

The orcs couldn’t help but be at awe. All of them opened their mouths, unable to say anything as they watched a brand new village being made out of thin air.

They had seen magic before, but nothing like this. This wasn’t just a spell; it was a miracle of creation!

"Ugh..."

Verc stood at the center of it all, his arms outstretched as he channeled the mountain of his energy into the earth. The village he was making continued to grow, the structures becoming more refined and stronger with every passing second.