Reincarnated as a Vampire Who Acquires Skills Through Blood

At Diyael’s order, the warriors guarding the gates opened them up—and once that was done—

”...”

Diyael came face to face with Tatum and Jed, the ones leading the huge army behind them under Verc’s order.

And immediately—Diyael realized that just like him; the two were also bound to Verc.

Tatum and Jed also realized this about Diyael. Especially Tatum, who got turned the same way as Diyael.

The three of them silently nodded at each other, recognizing each other as comrades, serving the same master.

”We’ve come as Lord Verc instructed us.”

Tatum said to Diyael, not minding that they’re currently in front of the centaur’s base.

Verc told him and the others that after conquering and making the surrounding tribes submit—they should head straight to where the centaurs are, because by then—he would’ve already finished on his side.

And after hearing that, Tatum and the others trusted his words, not even a hint of doubt that their Lord will fail.

Then after that—

”Lord Verc is currently staying in my residence; I’ll guide you there.”

Diyael answered with that, confirming their expectations.

*****

After their brief talk at the gates; Diyael let Tatum and the rest of the army in. The centaur warriors were anxious of course—but with a deep, echoing voice—

”Everyone, they are not enemies!”

Diyael announced that to calm his people down. And to help him with that—Tatum, Jed, and the others sheathed their weapons and entered the gate with their hands slightly up; showing the centaurs they have no intentions to attack.

And this worked to some degree.

Diyael then ordered his warriors to tend the army while he lead the generals to Verc, and just like that—they separated from the rest.

... ... ...

With Diyael’s lead—Tatum, Jed, Jai, Moro, Neit, Maya, and Ashley headed to where Verc was staying.

Each of them are now aware that Diyael is the newest turned vampire, they obviously realized that he’s the leader of the centaurs as well.

This is the same for Diyael, he first noticed Tatum and Jed because they were the strongest—but the rest of the generals are also strong, not falling short from the two.

This made him think how terrifying and powerful Verc and his army really is.

Anyway, as this was going through his mind.

Tatum and Jed realized that Diyael—was a level above them. He was stronger than both of them individually.

Even when Groo and the others got turned into vampires after them, they remained the strongest under Verc, so seeing the centaur chief surpass them—something stirred up inside them.

The heavy thumping of Diyael’s hooves against the dirt road was the only consistent sound as the group walked deeper into the settlement. The centaur chief kept his gaze mostly forward, but his sharp senses were locked onto the group walking right beside and behind him.

’Every single one of them has a dense presence.’

Diyael thought.

’Lord Verc not only have an army... he surrounded himself with monsters.’

He could feel the raw energy vibrating off Jai and Moro, the quiet intensity radiating from Neit, and the focused aura coming from Maya and Ashley. None of them looked weak. In fact, if any of these generals were to wage a solo war against an ordinary small tribe, they would probably wipe it out on their own.

And yet, all of these powerful individuals were walking peacefully behind him, completely submissive to the exact same master.

On the other side of the equation, Tatum and Jed were having their own silent realizations. They kept their eyes on Diyael’s broad back, their instincts telling them everything they needed to know about the centaur’s current state.

’His mana capacity... it’s absurd.’

Jed thought, the usual playful smirk completely disappearing from his face.

’Even after fighting Lord Verc for hours and getting turned, his base strength is completely out of our league.’

Tatum didn’t say a word. He and Jed had always been at the top of the hierarchy when it came to Verc’s subordinates. They were the ones who spearheaded the attacks, the ones who handled the heaviest burdens. But now, looking at Diyael, it was clear as day that a new peak had been established among the underlings.

A strong sense of rivalry and motivation stirred up inside both of them. They weren’t angry or resentful; rather, their blood was demanding them to grow stronger so they wouldn’t be left behind by this newcomer.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

Soon enough, the grand structure of the chief’s residence appeared before them.

The guards at the entrance quickly bowed and scrambled out of the way, recognizing their chief and the terrifying guests he was bringing along.

Diyael pushed the large wooden doors open, stepping aside to let the generals enter first.

And as soon as they got inside--

”You’ve all arrived much earlier than expected.”

Verc stated as Diyael arrived with the others. He has a small smile on his face.

Tatum and the others just bowed their head and smiled back at their lord.

”We just don’t want to make you wait for long, knowing that you’ll be finished at your end much faster than us.”

Tatum replied.

It was them and the army that engaged fight first with the surrounding tribes, but as he said—Verc who arrived much later to his destination—finished his goal faster than them.

It’s not just because they are attacking more tribes than him, the difficulty of their jobs are just the same level, if not—Verc’s job was harder.

Verc was just really that strong.

Verc walked over to a large wooden table in the center of the main hall, leaning against its edge as he looked over his gathered generals. The small smile remained on his face, genuinely amused by their sheer speed.

”Sit down. Tell me how it went.”

Verc said, gesturing to the seats around the table.

The generals quickly moved into position, with Tatum and Jed standing closest to him, while Diyael remained near the edge, observing how Verc interacted with his long-time subordinates.

”Give me the full report on the situation of the army, and how did your missions go.”

Verc demanded, his tone shifting into that of a proper leader.

Tatum stepped forward first, pulling out a rough map of the surrounding territories and laying it down on the wooden surface. The map were made by the kobolds.

He pointed to several marked areas surrounding the centaur’s main valley.

”We divided the army into three main divisions as planned, Lord Verc. Jed led the vanguard to the northern tribes, while Jai and Moro secured the eastern passages. The remaining forces handled the smaller settlements.”

Tatum explained, his voice steady.

”The resistance was varied. Some of the smaller tribes surrendered the moment they saw the difference in our power, but the larger ones tried to form a temporary alliance to push us back. They failed miserably.”

Jed followed, leaning forward to add his piece.

”Yeah, they thought they had a chance because they knew the terrain better than us. But once we broke through their front lines, their morale completely collapsed. We kept the casualties on our side to an absolute minimum. Mostly just minor injuries and a few broken shields. No one died.”

Verc nodded slowly, digesting the numbers.

”And the casualties on their side?”

”We followed your orders to avoid unnecessary slaughter, my lord.”

Tatum answered immediately.

”We only eliminated the warriors who refused to drop their weapons after their chiefs were neutralized. The rest were completely subdued. In total, we have taken around four hundred high-ranking prisoners, including their respective tribal leaders and elite combatants. They are currently bound and secured outside the gates under heavy guard.”

Jai then spoke up, providing details about the logistics.

”As for the strengths of those tribes, their fighting forces are entirely dismantled now. Their locations are strategically useful for resource gathering, a tribe nearby have direct access to a clean river source and iron deposits. However, their overall infrastructure is primitive compared to the centaurs.”

Verc listened intently, his eyes scanning the map as his generals took turns reporting everything to him. They covered the exact coordinates of the captured villages, the temperament of the captive chiefs, and what kind of resources could be immediately extracted from the newly conquered lands.

... ... ...

After hearing everything, the hall fell completely silent. Everyone waited for Verc’s judgment, wondering what the next move would be now that the entire western sector of the forest was effectively under his control.

Verc tapped his fingers against the table, contemplating the scale of his territory. A soft sigh escaped his lips.

’The territory expanded way too fast... Managing this is going to be a headache if I don’t organize it properly right now.’

Verc thought to himself.

He straightened his posture, his expression becoming serious, which instantly made all the generals tense up in readiness for his next commands.

”Listen up. Here’s what we’re going to do.”

Verc spoke, his voice echoing clearly in the quiet room.

”We can’t leave this place completely empty, especially with hundreds of prisoners outside. Tatum, Jed, you two will take half of the army and stay here in the centaur village for the time being. Your job is to keep the peace, oversee the prisoners, and make sure none of the surrounding tribes try anything stupid while I’m away.”

Tatum and Jed both bowed their heads in unison.

”Understood, Lord Verc.”

Tatum said.

”Consider it done.”

Jed added.

Verc then turned his gaze toward the centaur chief, who was listening carefully.

”As for the rest of the army, they will be going back to our main village with me. And Diyael, you’re coming along too.”

Diyael blinked, slightly surprised by the sudden order, but he didn’t hesitate to nod.

”If that is your wish, my lord. I will follow.”

”Good. But you’re not coming alone. Select a few of your trusted captains and a small group of centaur warriors to accompany us as well.”

Verc instructed, leaning back slightly.

Diyael raised an eyebrow, a bit curious about the rationale behind this choice.

”May I ask the purpose of bringing my people along, Lord Verc?”

”It’s simple.”

Verc replied, looking back down at the map.

”This is so you and your people can see the current situation of our main village with your own eyes. At the same time, we need to start planning how to combine our territories seamlessly. After all, even though we successfully conquered the west of the forest with the army, the distance between our two main bases is too far. We need to establish proper connection points, and you can’t plan that if you don’t even know what my home looks like.”

Hearing his logical explanation, the others in the room nodded in agreement. It was a massive geographical problem; if an emergency occurred in the centaur territory, it would take days for reinforcements from Verc’s main village to arrive under normal circumstances. Combining the infrastructure was the only way to solidify their rule.

Without a single complaint, everyone in the room complied with the strategy. No one questioned his orders or his placements.

”We leave tomorrow morning, rest up and get ready.”

Verc ended the short meeting with that, waving his hand to dismiss them.