"Dead ground"

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Oriana pov: 

After my travel wardrobe was finally selected and the necessary items for the trip were stowed in the carriage, I stepped to the surface of the tomb. Mariana and two masked figures where already waiting for me. The masked figures were level 90 mercenary NPCs called Hanzos, who I had ordered to also wear different clothing to mask our identity from any outsider who might see us.

"My Lady.", Mariana exclaimed and started to kneel (again).

"Mariana, you don't have to kneel all the time. Respect is important and good, but I am fully aware of you devotion to me. It is only necessary when we are in the presence of others."

"As you command.", she replied, and I could have sworn that her hand twitched for a salute.

She came to my side and held the carriage door open for me. One of the Hanzos sat in the carriage seat while the other followed us inside the carriage. I had already planned our route. After much deliberation, I decided it would be best to drive through the Katze Plains. While there were certainly some guards there controlling the border, it would still be better than driving through the most important fortress in all of Re-Estize, as that would certainly attract attention.

Additionally, the little witnesses we would encounter could still be mind-controlled or killed. Katze Plains was the home of the Undead and because the people in this world seemed to hate the undead traveling through them could be considered much saver. Only the border of Slane worried me a bit, but the idea that we could also leave the carriage and become invisible to enter the theocracy, convinced me.

And since I was a vampire we could travel for days without the need for sleep, food and rest. The others also did not need anything like that and because of this we moved quickly forward. Although there wasn't much to do, I really enjoyed our little trip. The trees the big fields the animals. It was just so... peaceful. I was a primordial vampire who naturally strived for respect, dominance, luxury and blood. But peace was almost as good as that.

After hours of traveling, we finally reached the borders to the Katze Plains. The natural environment almost instantly disappeared and was replaced by plain barren ground. There were neither plants nor animals to be found in this area, it almost seemed dead and abandoned. Which is to be expected, as it has been turned into a breeding ground for the undead by the annual wars of the Kingdom and Empire.

It was another feature that did not exist in YGGDRASIL. I had learned that dead bodies would reanimate on their own. This allowed them to become undead without the need for a sorcerer.

Since they "naturally" spawned they would not disappear after a certain time. Which led to another quirk of this world. Areas with a lot of undead produced not only more but also stronger undead over a longer period of time. It was almost like an infinite cycle of death meant to destroy the living.

Good thing, I wasn't one of the livings.

"My Lady", one of the Hanzos interrupted my thoughts.

"I have scouted the area in front of us and I have found a little camp."

"Continue", I ordered.

"Of course. The camp consists of 26 men and 3 women. However, the women and one of the men are kept in cages. I therefore suspect that they are slave traders." The Hanzo dutifully reported.

"Interesting. Although I normally like to avoid trouble, they will serve as an information source for us. Maybe they know more than the people in the village.", I said and turned my thoughts to the previous topic.

After less than 10 minutes we arrived at the campsite. The carriage stopped and I looked outside the window. Our arriving seemed to have alerted them, they started to surround us and drew their weapons. I sighed at the prospect of what awaited me. Chances were very good that they were a bunch of cliché thugs.

As I exited the carriage, I was immediately hit by a smell that made me wrinkle my nose. I would not even think of attempting to drink their blood. As I had previously told Demiurge, the quality of blood was determined by many factors and cleanliness was without a doubt one of them. Their overall smell of their blood made me question the advantages of my sensitive nose.

"Ohhhh, lock at that one over there, boys, what do ya think, isn't she a cute one?", one of the humans commented and showed me a disgusting smile which exposed the little teeth he still had.

"Must be a noble, she really looks pretty, we should sell her.", another human said.

"Yes, but let's have fun with her first and break her like the rest of them.", said another, pointing to the cages behind him."

I sighted. Something in me started to change. Before I was just annoyed and disgusted, now something else arose within me. It was something dangerous and primitive. I had not felt it before, but I made a mental note to look out for it. I pointed at the three men before me.

"Triple maximize magic [Blood clotting]" I chanted, and they froze.

"Silence apes, I was not expecting much of a conversation with you but that you would even try to abduct me..." My aura flared up and I started casually walking towards the 3 paralyzed men.

"You three will regret speaking to me in that tone... NO you will regret every single decision towards this moment. Even being born will be something you will start to hate and to wish to be untrue."

"Mariana, I want them transported to Nazarik throw them in the deepest prison we have and tell everyone that I will deal with them personally."

I ordered, I felt angry, disrespected, and humiliated my entire being hated them from their stupid faces to the smell they emitted.

Why am I so angry right now? I should not even bother but still... torturing them just seems like the right thing. What is happening to me?

"As you wish my Lady.", Mariana responded and pulled me out of my thoughts.

I walked through the remaining men, towards the cages, every single person I passed just exploded, their blood splattered everywhere, and they began to panic. Some tried to run but they had the same fate as the others before them. Of course, it was not difficult to kill them as the primordial vampire, popping them like balloons was an easy task. Had their blood contained more EXP the effect would not have been so devastating but since they were this low level it was fairly easy for me to manipulate their blood and delete them.

Panic surrounded me, I could almost taste their fear. But I did not care, it felt as if I was stomping on some ants. I reached the cages a quick snap destroyed the locks, but nobody made any effort to come out. I reached inside to grab for one of the women and looked her into the eyes, they looked blank and lifeless.

"Do you want to die?", I asked in a cold voice, but she did not even respond.

"I will kill you if you don't stop me.", I said, but her eyes stayed as lifeless as before.

Splash

I withdrew my blood tentacle. The death had been in an instant. I moved to the remaining two, but the result was the same they were as empty as the first one. I started to walk towards the last cage inhabited by a man, the only one in a cage in fact. He locked scared, still there was something in his eyes... Hate that was for sure but not for me. It seemed to be directed at his abductors.

"What about you, do you want to live?", I said but I already knew the answer.

"I-I want to live", he stuttered but I could hear his determination.

"I can see it in your eyes, you want revenge, am I right?", I asked. 

"Yes", he answered steadily this time and his eyes darted to the remaining men covering on the floor.

I inspected my fingers an idea hit me, there was something I still had not tried. The sharp nails pierced my flesh and drew my blood. I let it flow down in front of him and offered him my hand.

"Then drink child and be reborn once more. Take this cursed hand for it will bring you your revenge. Follow it, serve it, because it will be your new purpose. You will not be the same as before, stronger, better, humans might hate us, curse us. That may be true but in exchange you will become immortal. Betray me and you will suffer for eternity. Stay loyal and you will strive."

I said and he drunk. 

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