Reincarnated as a Vampire Who Acquires Skills Through Blood

”Ah! Sorry I made a mess at your place. They tried resisting when I told them I’m the owner of this place now.”

The demon said.

”...”

Verc didn’t need to ask, it was clear that the red figure from the distance was the one who did this to everyone.

”Hello? Can you hear me?”

The demon continued speaking, seeing that Verc isn’t responding to him.

”Ah, my name is Morcant the Crimson.”

Then, he had the audacity to introduce himself. Though, his name rang a bell inside Verc’s head.

And before he could even remember where he heard it—

”I’m one of the thirteen demon kings.”

The demon declared that with a sinister smile on his face.

”...”

Verc’s eyes widened a bot after hearing that.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

*****

”I’m here to greet you, the fourteenth demon king!”

Morcant happily said, already recognizing Verc.

He was one of the demon kings who heard of the appearance of a new one, and out of curiosity—Morcant decided to leave his territory to see Verc himself.

”It’s you, right? The new demon king? I felt the wave of mana you released earlier—you’re certainly strong!”

Morcant continued talking. He mentioned how he knows Verc was strong, but based on his still carefree reaction; he’s confident that he was stronger than Verc.

Verc paid no attention about that and just looked around, trying to see if there are others that came with Morcant. But noticing him doing that—

”You don’t need to worry, I came on my own.”

Morcant went and declared that.

”...?”

Verc looked at him with genuine confusion.

Then with just a smile on his face—

”I’m the only demon king that doesn’t have any subordinates or army under me. I find it troublesome to take under weaklings after all.”

Morcant stated that, a vicious aura erupting from his body.

”That’s why I’m here—it’s been a while since a new demon king appeared after me.”

He said.

The demon king shifted his posture on the stone ledge, crossing his red arms over his chest while keeping his black eyes locked entirely on Verc. The silence in the ruined hall was suffocating, but Morcant didn’t seem to notice the tense air at all. He just kept talking as if he were catching up with an old friend.

”You see, I was the one who appeared just a few centuries ago before you. I am the thirteenth, and now you are the fourteenth. So in a way, we are the newest additions to the seats of power in this world.”

Morcant explained, tapping his chin with a sharp claw.

”But let me tell you something about the balance of power among us. Even after being a demon king for quite a while now, I still can’t confidently say that I can beat any of the other demon kings in a direct confrontation.”

He paused, letting out a small, dramatic sigh before shaking his head.

”And don’t get me wrong, it’s not because of the strength difference between me and them. No, my raw power is definitely not lacking compared to those old monsters. The real problem is their forces. They all have massive armies, legendary generals, and thousands of absolute loyalists shielding them. Meanwhile, look at me.”

Morcant gestured to the empty space around him, a wide, mockingly helpless grin splitting his face.

”I have absolutely no one. I find it extremely troublesome finding and handling a lot of people to work under me. Weaklings are just a waste of space and time. I am not interested in keeping them around or managing their boring daily lives unless they are actually strong enough to fight me and survive.”

Verc remained completely still, his red eyes fixed on the talking demon. Inside, his mind was racing, trying to figure out why this guy was just rambling on and on without making a move.

’Why does this guy keep talking on his own? What is he actually planning?’

Verc wondered, his fists clenching even tighter behind his back.

Then, Morcant’s expression shifted, his smile growing wider and more twisted as he finally arrived at the main point of his sudden visit.

”And that brings me to why I actually came all the way out here to your little settlement. As soon as I heard the rumors that a brand new demon king had finally emerged in this region, an absolutely brilliant idea erupted in my head.”

Morcant leaned forward, his long, thin tail flicking with pure excitement.

”I thought to myself; if I can have another demon king serving directly under me, wouldn’t that mean I instantly possess a strong force as well? A force that can easily rival the armies of the other twelve kings.”

He pointed a sharp red finger straight at Verc’s chest.

”And the best part is, I don’t need to worry about you being some useless weakling. You are a genuine demon king, after all! Even though you are still just a fledgling who barely knows how to use his title, your base potential is already higher than any normal monster. Having you as my sole subordinate will save me the immense hassle of handling a lot of people.”

Morcant stood up from the ledge, his red wings expanding slightly behind him as his voice dropped into a dark, demanding tone.

”So in short—I want you to serve under me. Give me your loyalty, and we will rule this word together.”

At this point, Verc was on the verge of exploding. The sight of his bleeding citizens outside, the bodies of his closest companions pinned to the spikes right in front of him, and the pure, unadulterated arrogance of the creature standing before him was pushing him past his limits.

He was so close to attacking Morcant right then and there. Every single instinct in his blood was screaming at him to rip the demon’s throat out.

But even in his absolute fury, Verc’s logical mind didn’t completely shut down. He scanned the heavy pressure radiating from Morcant’s body. He knew that the red figure was incredibly strong—so strong that Verc couldn’t guarantee a win if they clashed carelessly right now. A reckless move could get the surviving people in the room killed instantly.

And so, holding everything in, Verc forced his raging mana back down into his core.

’Stay back and try to retrieve the others as soon as I attack him.’

Verc said that in his head, using his telepathic connection.

Diyael, who was standing quietly near the shadow of the castle’s entrance gate, heard his order clearly. The centaur chief didn’t make a sound, but his body subtly shifted, his muscles tensing as he prepared to spring forward to grab the unconscious bodies of Nara, Onyx, and the others the exact second the distraction started.

Morcant was aware of Diyael’s presence, but he just ignored him. After all, he only has interest in Verc. Everyone else is insignificant for him.

Verc took a deep breath, his face becoming completely blank as he looked back at the waiting demon king.

”You want me to be your subordinate?”

Verc asked, his voice completely flat.

”I accept.”

And then he immediately followed with that, showing no resistance at all.

Morcant’s eyes blinked in surprise, a massive, satisfied smile spreading across his red face. He clearly didn’t expect the new demon king to submit so easily without even trying to put up a fight first.

”Oh? Well, that was incredibly easy! I knew you were a smart one—”

Morcant started to say, raising his hands in a welcoming gesture.

But before he could even finish his sentence, Verc spoke up again, interrupting him with a steady, serious tone.

”Though, there’s a tradition that I need to do if I want to serve someone.”

Verc said that, taking a slow step forward.

Morcant paused, his eyebrows raising in curiosity as his tail stopped flicking.

”A tradition? What kind of tradition does a fledgling demon king have? Tell me.”

Verc stopped walking, standing just a few paces away from the demon king. With a straight, completely unreadable look on his face, he stared directly into Morcant’s black eyes.

”The one I will serve—as a sign of respect to them; I need to drink as much blood as I can from them.”

Verc declared that.

”What? A blood pact?”

Morcant asked, taken aback.

”HAHAHAHA! A true monster’s greeting! I like it!”

Then he laughed and shouted that, completely amused by the request. He extended his right arm toward Verc, baring his thick wrist without a single hint of suspicion.

”Fine! If a taste of my blood is what it takes to seal your absolute submission, then go ahead and take a drink! Let’s see if a fledgling like you can even handle the heat of a true crimson demon’s life force!”

Verc’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed to sharp slits as he stepped closer to the outstretched arm.

”Don’t hesitate now, my new subordinate.”

Morcant said, his smile turning viciously expectant.

”Take your respect.”