A Troublesome Race

"I'm acquainted with one... Well, he's a bit different because he's Dhampir."

"A Dhampir? What's a Dhampir? And you mentioned there are ranks among them. What are those?"

Those behind Loki were doing their best not to utter anything, but Kisuke could see their enduring faces and knew that they wouldn't be able to take the next things he was going to say.

"Before I answer that, I'd also like you to know that they do have some serious weaknesses in exchange for those abilities and they are more pronounced the weaker or lower they are in the hierarchy. First is their weakness to direct sunlight. While the stronger ones could resist and only have their strength lowered drastically, those weaker ones, if they're not careful, could instantly vaporize and cease existing."

"Furthermore, if for some reason, their regeneration fails, they won't be able to heal themselves through normal Healing Magic. In fact, most potions would have the reverse effect on them."

"Additionally, as if to counteract their great Magic Talents, damage from the 'hot' side of Magic like Fire and Light Magic are exponentially increased and their regeneration suppressed."

"Finally, as the organ that pumps blood, any attacks to the heart could be deemed fatal. So if one were to go against a Vampire, it's a general strategy to aim for the heart while using 'hot' Magic and avoid fighting them at night or places that sunlight cannot reach. If Magic couldn't be used, weapons coated with potions also work well."

"There's also the fact that no matter how long their lifespan is, as long as you take away blood from their diet, they'll die sooner or later."

"Of course, for an intelligent species, there are ways to circumvent these weaknesses but it's still easy to track their movements and plan against one compared to others due to these restrictions."

Loki then noticed that Filvis wanted to really ask something so she gestured for her to go ahead.

Filvis nodded and asked, "Although I feel uncomfortable under the sun unlike before, I don't feel my strength weakening at all. Besides that, I don't feel any cravings for blood if I need to survive."

"That's where the types of Vampire Bloodline comes in.", Kisuke then raised three of his fingers, "First are the Pure-Bloods, the aristocrats of the Vampires and the descendants of the progenitors of the Vampire race. Out of the three, they are generally the ones with the most power but they are also the ones most affected by their weaknesses. They are also known as major pricks and assholes of the world due to their attitudes to other races and enormous pride that would dwarf the Elves in comparison."

"What's up with the last one?"

"It's from what I heard. They said that if not for the threat of mass extinction, they wouldn't even sit down and listen to others."

"Sounds like a really troublesome race."

"It's the reason why I haven't made any contact with them yet despite being an interesting bunch."

"And? What's the other two?"

Kisuke cleared his throat before continuing, "The next ones are the Undeads or Ghouls. They are normal people but their blood was drained or poisoned by a Vampire. If one doesn't have enough resistance, they would rise up as walking mindless corpses that are under complete control of the said Vampire. These Ghouls would also develop fangs, but they wouldn't just drink blood but also eat the flesh. The leftovers then would be poisoned too and they would also rise up as new Ghouls, potentially creating an enormous army of normal people, but strengthened and under the control of only a single being."

Everyone, except for Loki, shuddered and cold sweat started running down their backs as they looked at Filvis and imagined the scene. The Elves, Alicia and Lefiya, especially couldn't stomach the hypothetical situation and covered their mouths, fearing that it'll make them puke.

The only Vampire in the room trembled and froze on her spot. She couldn't move or turn her sights to everyone behind her because she's afraid of the expression they are making. But most importantly, she's shaking in fear for what she could do, 'D-does that mean I have the power to do that?'

Recalling the times she wanted to try out her fangs on Lefiya, Filvis also covered her mouth in remorse.

Loki sighed and glared at Kisuke. She's now sure that he loves putting people in moral dilemmas but she's also slightly disappointed that her children couldn't easily see the bigger picture here, "Listen, Filvis. That ability of yours is a weapon and much like all other Adventurers, they carry a weapon of their own."

Filvis looked at Loki with uncertainty but it was Kisuke who continued her words, "Loki-sama is right. Your ability is a weapon, but like any other weapon, it is all about the user and the intent behind it. Cutting down innocent people using a normal sword, causing a genocide, is no more than evil than a Vampire creating walking corpses for the sake of gaining power."

"And did you think that I'd allow you to stay here if I knew you were that kind of person?", asked Loki, "But since this topic has already come up, can you at least promise me that you'll never abuse your power like that?"

Filvis gawked for a second before straightening her expression, "O-Of course! I promise that I won't ever commit such an evil act! Even if my life depends on it."

Loki nodded in satisfaction before turning to everyone else, "And you lot, I've already expected for you to see through something this obvious but I guess the gruesome picture has blinded you for a few moments."

Finn clenched his fist and replied, "...I'm sorry Loki. We indeed lost sight of what's important for a moment. I'm ashamed that I've forgotten such a basic thing."

Everyone else also has the same apologetic expression as him.

Finally, Loki turned her attention to the grinning troublemaker in question and protested, "And you! Do you really have to navigate a conversation like this? I doubt others could have left these Vampires alone if they haphazardly do something like that! Couldn't you have made it clear if actions such as that are also frowned upon among them?"

"As expected of Loki-sama~ You've guessed it. Even among the Vampires, creating Ghouls are frowned upon and violators are actively hunted down. In other words, even if they can do it, they still consider it as a criminal act with capital punishment. Or else, they won't be able to keep their self-governing status."

"So there are so many of them out there that they had to form some sort of governmental body, huh... Then what about these Dhampirs?"

"To simply explain it, they are the result of a union between a Vampire and any other race."

"That's to say, a non-pure-blood descendant?" It was then that Loki understood it, "I see... So more than a Vampire, Filvis is a Dhampir?"

"That's correct. Because although Dhampirs have all the typical abilities of a Vampire, they do not possess the same weaknesses that accompanied their powers. As such, they are considered as freaks of nature and are normally hated by the Pure-Blooded since they also go against their beliefs that everyone else is beneath them."

Kisuke then stood up and walked towards Filvis, "Since you're technically a mixture of an Elf and a Vampire that was created by the Dungeon, you're a Dhampir. That was only further confirmed when it was proven that you don't possess the weaknesses. On top of that, your Elven bloodline should still be present within you so your talent in Magic should have compounded... But why are you mainly using Ki?"

Filvis looked up to his eyes. She knew her answer and couldn't really say it because it was really embarrassing, "..."

'So she wanted to become the vanguard for her precious rearguard. I guess that's wonderful.', but Kisuke has to correct her thinking, not just for her own sake but also for his own satisfaction and curiosity, "Well, whatever. Since your Magic Power is concentrated on your blood, doing Magic-based body strengthening wouldn't just be as effective as Ki but also will give you increased mastery of overall Magic usage."

Kisuke then picked up her right hand and started massaging it while looking at it intently. Filvis was startled and was about to pull her hand back subconsciously when she managed to stop herself and gritted her teeth. Aside from Lefiya, a fellow Elf, and her parents, no one has really touched any part of her body for as long as she can remember.

"AAHHHH!!!" Of course, her best friend was also shocked and let out an ear-splitting cry while pointing at them with a slight blush on her face.