My Three Wives Are Beautiful Vampires

Chapter 813: The Craziest and Psychotic Are the Best.

”And Uno,” Thanatos said.

”Damn! You werenʼt kidding when you said you were good,” Victor growled.

”I warned you,” Thanatos sighed.

”This is what happens when a god has too much time on their hands,” Aphrodite raised an eyebrow while looking at Thanatos.

”Youʼve basically become a pro.”

”Iʼm a professional in various games, not just this one,” Thanatos shrugged.

”Really? But how did you become so good at it? Did you train by playing with your friends?” Aphrodite asked curiously.

”... Friends are for the weak, death doesnʼt need that.”

”...” Aphrodite felt like she had triggered a trap she shouldnʼt have when she saw Thanatosʼs slightly gloomy face.

”Well, no use dwelling on that. Letʼs play another game,” Victor waved his hand, and a video game console appeared.

”How in the seven hells can you create that?”

”Woman, I can create a mini sun and a mini planet. Making a console isnʼt that hard.”

”I mean, creating a planet and a sun is quite simple if you have power; theyʼre not as complex as an electronic device. Your mastery of creation should allow you to create things you understand, shouldnʼt it?”

”Thatʼs correct and a bit incorrect. Thanks to my eyes, I can see the essence of the item and just create something similar. I donʼt need to fully comprehend it.”

”... How? I think even the gods of creation donʼt have that! They need to understand what theyʼre creating, or it will fail.”

”Dragon eyes.”

”... Are you always going to use that excuse?” Aphrodite raised an eyebrow.

Victor shrugged. ”Itʼs the truth. Like I said, I just need a glance to understand most things.”

”Hmm...” While Aphrodite pondered this.

Thanatos was curious. ”Your Majesty.”

”Hmm?” Victor looked at Thanatos as he created a mini generator to power the TV and console.

”Whatʼs the name of your race now? After all, youʼre not a complete dragon, not a full vampire, but a perfect blend of both.”

”... Thatʼs... a good question.” Victor sat down and put his hand on his chin. ”Since Iʼm a new race, I need a new name... Hmm, how about ʼvampiric dragonsʼ?”

”Not bad, but it sounds a bit cliché, doesnʼt it? You just combined the two races and put it in your name.”

”I mean, itʼs not untrue... But if you have better ideas, Iʼm all ears.” Victor spoke.

”Dragons of Aphrodite? How about that?” Aphrodite suggested.

”Denied.” Victor wasted no time in responding.

Aphrodite pouted while huffing.

Victor rolled his eyes. He would never put his raceʼs name as something silly like that; his descendants would curse him to death if he did.

”How about Overlord?”

”... Iʼm not a Lich, and even though I have death as my subordinate, Iʼm not exactly an Overlord.”

”I mean, Overlord isnʼt just that. It also means a being above all, dominating all, a supreme ruler.”

”Since youʼre not only the leader of demons and gods but also a completely new and broken race, I think that name is appropriate, considering that in the future, youʼll have various other races under your command.”

”Hmm...” Victor was really considering it now.

”Dragon Overlord then?” Aphrodite suggested.

”Whereʼs the vampire in the name? We shouldnʼt forget our origins when coming up with a new name for a race, okay?” Thanatos said.

”I think keeping the name simple is a good option. We donʼt want to be like those cultivation novels where the manʼs name is ʼCelestial Chaos Emperor of the One Hundred and Fourth Flying Island of the Ancient Apocalypse,ʼ” Aphrodite made a good point.

”... What do apocalypse and ancient have to do with each other?” Thanatos asked.

”Well, they always like to throw in ancient, chaos, and emperor in the name,” Aphrodite shrugged.

”I think itʼs best to stick with Vampiric Dragon. After all, thatʼs the name of my race, not a title like Demon King.”

”Your Majesty is right. You donʼt need a pompous name to demonstrate your grandeur; your actions speak for themselves.”

”Hmm, youʼre right. So, my raceʼs name will be Vampiric Dragon, and in the future, maybe my title will change to Overlord or Emperor. Who knows?”

Aphrodite narrowed her eyes at Thanatos. ”Youʼre quite the bootlicker, huh?”

”Itʼs not bootlicking if itʼs true, and I consider myself a man of honor. I wonʼt grovel at another manʼs feet.”

”Iʼd rather die than do that.”

”How does Death kill itself?” Aphrodite asked sarcastically.

”Iʼm not Death itself. Just like all the gods from the Pantheons, we are merely users of the concept of death.”

”Only one being can be called The Death. He is the very concept of Death and End, True Death, and the being from which the beasts of END draw their power. I am nothing before him.” Thanatos explained.

”... True death, huh...” Victor touched his chin, thinking about this primordial being. From his memories of his past victims, Victor knew that this primordial being rarely appeared before others. He usually just observed everything and waited for the end of existence.

He only intervened when The Owner of Limbo couldnʼt handle the threat... At least, thatʼs what Diablo deduced in the past.

”Anyway, Thanatos, are you interested in a project?”

”... What kind of project?” Thanatos asked curiously.

”Creating a notebook,” Victor smiled.

”A notebook...? Huh?”

”Not just any notebook, Thanatos. A Death Note.”

”... Victor, are you trying to get sued!?”

”Itʼs okay. Iʼm not copying that anime; Iʼm just taking the concept of the notebook. Actually, it doesnʼt even have to be a notebook. How about a death smartphone?”

”... Now youʼre getting a bit too innovative!... But actually, itʼs a good idea,” Aphrodite spoke and then provided more ideas.

”Instead of a smartphone, how about a hologram? Or an Orb? Something very advanced and technological from a futuristic story.”

”Hmm, thatʼs a good idea too.”

”Wait, wait. Your Majesty, what do you need this notebook? Smartphone? Hologram, or whatever you want to create for.”

”Oh... I didnʼt explain, huh.” Victor touched his chin and began to speak: ”As you know, I have a religion for myself on Earth. This religion is the second most popular religion on Earth, with most of its members being women.”

”I wanted to give an artifact to this religion and claim that you are my ʼSubordinate God.ʼ This way, my religion will become even more popular.”

”Hmm... Iʼm not against it.” In fact, he couldnʼt really refuse. When Victor asked something, it wasnʼt a matter of whether or not he could do it but WHEN he would do it.

Thanatos knew his position very well. You canʼt deny the kingʼs words; those ignorant of the kingʼs words only face one fate, the complete destruction of their souls.

They might be talking calmly now, but without a doubt, the dragon in front of him is a Tyrant.

”Well, at least heʼs better than Zeus and Hades,” Thanatos thought.

”So, whatʼs the property of the artifact?”

”Manipulating aspects of death, except death itself. After all, we canʼt give the power of death properly because there are many pantheons out there, and many of them have a death god, so this artifact can be denied by that god.”

”Hmm, so you want something like a Lich artifact that controls souls on a smaller scale.”

”Basically.”

”I donʼt understand. Whatʼs the use of that?”

Victor looked at Thanatos with a look that said: ”Seriously, man?”

But since he had nothing else to do, he decided to explain to the clueless god: ”As you know, many mortals died in the war of the demons. So, if I give an artifact that can summon an echo of the past to soothe the minds of mortals, my religion will gain their eternal loyalty. After all, for ignorant mortals, ʼdeathʼ is something unknown and absolute. And a being that wields that aspect is a terrifying being.”

”But at the same time, a ʼkindʼ being who lent its power to calm mortal minds.”

Victor used many flowery words, but Thanatos understood the harsh reality:

”... Propaganda, huh.”

”Oh? You get it.”

”Are you trying to create a cult?”

”Thanatos, he already has a cult,” Aphrodite recalled the Dark Elf who practically worshiped a tree with love and devotion, to the point of being unsettling.

”... Hmm, thatʼs possible, but summoning an echo of the past is quite difficult, you know?”

”Thatʼs true, but I donʼt intend to let this echo exist for very long. Ten minutes is enough, and only those who are truly dedicated to the religion will have this privilege.”

”I see... Youʼre using it as something they must earn, not something accessible to everyone.”

”What you achieve through your effort and hard work, you value more than something you got ʼfor free.ʼ That mentality applies to all beings. Therefore, an organization and society that judges individuals by their own worth is necessary.”

”Of course, I have to keep an eye on it so it doesnʼt go too far. Excess in anything is not good; balance is necessary.”

Just as a human can die from drinking too much water, something considered good for the body, Victor understands that not all rules are perfect, so balance is necessary.

He did the same in Hell; the lesser demons that were only meant to be subordinates or food for the greater demons now have their own worth as long as they strive for it, and if they deserve it, Victor will reward them.

Thanatos stared at Victor, and his earlier thoughts couldnʼt help but come back to his mind. ʼHeʼs actually better than Hades and Zeus.ʼ

”So, summoning an echo of the past and manipulating the souls of the dead on a smaller scale, right?”

”Yes, I donʼt want a too powerful artifact in human hands. I just want the High Priest to have the appearance of controlling death, although that wonʼt be the truth.”

”I see... So, what form will the artifact take?”

”I was thinking of a Staff.”

ʼAnd what happened to the Death Note and the smartphone?ʼ Thanatos thought, but he didnʼt ask.

”Okay, and about the core? We need a core that contains a lot of energy and can recover on its own.”

”What are you talking about? The core is right behind you.”

Thanatos fell silent and simply looked at the Underworldʼs core.

”... Are you insane?” He couldnʼt help but say that; he even forgot his respectful tone, as what he heard was so absurd.

”Hahahaha, donʼt worry, it will just be a small fragment.” Victor laughed. ”Besides, this is the best possible core; it has a direct connection to the system.”

Victor raised his hand towards the core, and in the next moment, white energy flowed from the core to Victorʼs hand. Slowly, an orb the size of a baseball appeared in his hand.

Victor gazed at the energy in his hand and then blew on it. White flames erupted from his mouth, and in the next moment, the energy crystallized.

”Here.” Victor tossed the orb to Thanatos.

”W-W-Wait.” Thanatos quickly stood up and caught the orb with the utmost care; he nearly stumbled to the ground with Victorʼs sudden movement.

As he held the orb and inspected it with his divine senses, he couldnʼt help but open his mouth in shock, looking at Victor with a disbelieving gaze.

ʼDid he just do that casually? This man is a monster!ʼ What Victor had just accomplished required an incredibly precise control of the soul, and any mistake could result in an explosion that could damage a personʼs soul. Even Thanatos didnʼt have the courage to do something like that; after all, damaging the soul meant it would take several years for it to recover unless, of course, you had a god specialized in such matters.

No one else had the privilege that Victor did of having a world tree within him, protecting and nourishing his soul.

The damage Victorʼs soul sustained from the project of bringing back Adonisʼs past echo had already been repaired by Roxanne.

”Victor... You accessed the system only once, and you already know how to manipulate it?”

”I didnʼt find it that difficult once I knew where I was going and what to do to avoid the systemʼs countermeasures.”

”Not to mention, everything Iʼm doing has been allowed by the system itself and the primordial beings.”

”... What are you talking about? What do you mean itʼs allowed?”

”When Roxanne said the System is the realm of primordial beings, she wasnʼt lying. The moment I accessed the system, I felt several beings observing me. They clearly wanted me to know they were watching to ensure I didnʼt do anything against balance or the system itself.”

”Victor... Haah. I told you to take a break from meddling with creation. Youʼre not listening to me!”

Victor gently smiled at Aphrodite and stroked her hair. ”Donʼt worry, Iʼm only going to make this Staff, and I wonʼt meddle with the system anymore... Not until I get stronger.”

”... You want to get even stronger!?” Thanatos exclaimed.

”Of course, the power I have now isnʼt enough to stand against all the pantheons alone.”

”.... ” Thanatos couldnʼt believe what he was hearing. This man was already capable of dealing with three primordial gods on his own, not to mention he became even more powerful when he turned into a dragon, and he still wants more power!?

”Only those who are strong are truly free beings. Thanatos, you wouldnʼt be pestering me if you were strong. I canʼt fathom how you donʼt understand something so simple.”

”... I mean, I understand that, but you have to realize that getting stronger at our power level isnʼt easy.”

”I call that making excuses.” Victor rolled his eyes.

”Yes, itʼs not easy, but itʼs not impossible. The path still exists; itʼs just filled with thorns and is too narrow, but it still exists.”

”Anyway, how are we going to make this Staff?” Thanatos just wanted to change the topic, or he felt he might go insane.

Victor just smiled when he saw Thanatosʼs obvious change of subject. ”We need Hephaestus to create a refined material that can contain this core using the new forge I gave him. It should be a straightforward task.”

”Thatʼs true... I think no one in all the pantheons has a forge made with dragon fire, especially not from a dragon of your level.”

”Well, the Norse dwarves have the fire produced by a star. I suppose that should be quite good too,” Aphrodite chimed in.

”Itʼs good, but the properties arenʼt as good as my fire.” Victor blew several times into the air, and flames of various colors started appearing.

”How can you create water fire? Does that even exist? Arenʼt they opposing properties?” Thanatos suddenly realized once again just how broken the dragon progenitor was.

Victor blew again, and this time all the flames vanished. He explained, ”The fire I put into Hephaestusʼs forge is my personal fire and the strongest one among them. It combines the aspects of destruction and soul.”

”What does that mean?”

”Any artifact created with that fire can kill a god or immortal beings...” Aphrodite said as she and Thanatos widened their eyes.

”Exactly, and you know the best part? These weapons canʼt harm me or my family. After all, they were created with my fire, and like Junketsu, fire is a part of me.”

”... You... Youʼre unbelievable.” Aphrodite sank onto a cushion, staring at the television with a myriad of thoughts in her head.

Victor laughed; he loved seeing peopleʼs surprised and shocked faces.

”Hmm?” Victor looked at Adonis, Violet, Persephone, and Agnes, talking without arguing.

Victor hadnʼt lied when he said heʼd give them privacy. He tried his best not to eavesdrop on their conversation. After all, he could imagine how it would end—because, in a way, he was Adonis too.

”Seems like everything is going well... Hmm, Iʼll go back to my games.”

”Letʼs play Street Fighter, Thanatos.”

”Yes... Your Majesty.” For some reason, Thanatos thought he would sigh a lot when being around this man; he also felt he would get involved in many messes because of him.

”Iʼll go with this woman who seems crazy... Hmm, her name is Juri, right.” Victor, always true to himself, chose the woman who seemed the craziest and most psychotic.

Aphrodite looked at Victor with a lifeless gaze as she saw him pick Juri. This expression only made Victor smile in satisfaction and kiss her cheek.

Aphrodite pouted and hugged him, clearly jealous that he was giving attention to the ʼother woman,ʼ even if it was just a game.

ʼI should have suggested playing chess or something.ʼ She thought.

”... I can tell your taste when you pick someone based on how crazy they are.”

”Boy, you donʼt know anything. Only women like that have the potential to become a perfect Yandere, and you know Yanderes are the best women.” Victor smiled at Thanatos with an experienced look.

Thanatos snorted at being called ʼBoyʼ: ”Who needs a woman? Itʼs just too much work and stress. Iʼll go with this man called Ryu.”

...

[Victor Weismann: Yes, I skipped the Adonis, Agnes, and Persephone chapter. Why? Iʼm still not into the melancholic, sentimental vibe. I felt like I wouldnʼt do a good job of portraying the charactersʼ feelings the way I want to. Because of that, I made some changes and moved a chapter forward. But donʼt worry. In the next chapter, I will show this development correctly. Trust your favorite author, Umu.]