Lucious was alert on survival instincts, stood amid the fallen trees, his eyes wide with disbelief at the chaos he had unwittingly unleashed "My hand!!...."He quickly looked at his hand " is.... fine..?" The uprooted tree lay on the ground, a testament to his incredible strength, but his own hands remained unscathed as if the powerful blow he had delivered to the tiger-like beast had left no mark.
"Ghrr..""Wouu.... uuuu..."The beast, once a terror of these woods, now lay whimpering and growling in pain.
It was a shadowy creature, known to be one of the most fearsome predators of the forest. Its reputation as a formidable menace was well-deserved, as it had wiped out entire towns and their inhabitants, along with countless adventurers who had dared to challenge it.
In the daylight, the shadow beast was a dangerous predator, but during the night, when its dark attributes reached their peak, it became the most feared creature in these woods.
It had stalked and hunted a party of silver-ranked adventurers in their campsite just the previous night. With a full belly and its strength at its zenith, it had encountered the lone presence of Lucious in the dark forest.
Initially, the beast had not intended to hunt this newcomer. It had merely been curious about the solitary figure that had dared to enter its domain during the night. It wanted to test the strength of the man who had ventured into its territory. At first, it had underestimated Lucious, believing him to be no threat at all.
The shadow beast had decided to play with its prey, but its assessment had been horribly mistaken. As it lay on the ground, nursing a broken jaw and a damaged back from the force of Lucious's strike, it realized that it had gravely miscalculated. The once-mighty shadow beast was now humbled, brought to its knees by a force it could not comprehend.
At this moment, he knew, that he...
"You..." the creature looked at Lucious
"You fucked up..." Lucious said, Lucious, with his cold, crimson eyes, stared down at the creature. "You know, what was your mistake?" Lucious asked walking towards the shadow beast. The tiger gulped and waited for Lucious's next words as if trying to understand his own mistake.
"Your first mistake was,..... showing yourself in front of me.... as my enemy" pointing one of his fingers, "Your second mistake.... not taking me seriously," he said pointing another finger, "But,... your third and biggest mistake was..." Lucious said as he picked a sharp-looking rock from the ground while moving towards the beast as he continued "Trying to attack me from behind.... " He said as he gritted his teeth, remembering Sophie's betrayal.
*Step* *Step*
As he drew nearer, the beast's terror became palpable, its body drenched in sweat. It appeared as though the once-proud predator was struggling to comprehend the strange situation it found itself in.
*Step*
The creature emitted plaintive growls, akin to desperate pleas for mercy, directed at the formidable figure before it. Lucious observed the beast's reaction with a certain morbid fascination, a grim smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
*Halt*
"Oh...?" Lucious's voice was filled with intrigue as he contemplated the beast's behavior. "Are you asking me to spare your life, after all the lives you've claimed in your ruthless pursuit of prey?"
The shadow beast continued its futile pleas, its pleading expression a stark contrast to the terror it had instilled in countless victims. The roles had reversed, and the hunter had become the hunted.
Lucious couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. "Tell me," he mused aloud, "did you ever offer mercy to the countless souls you consumed throughout your reign of terror?"
With a swift and decisive movement, Lucious closed the remaining distance between them. He gripped the beast's neck with one hand, immobilizing it, and with the other, he thrust the sharp-edged stone directly into the creature's heart. "Goodbye...."
"Awoooo....!!"
The beast's final moments were marked by a horrifying mix of agony and shock. Its once-terrifying growls turned into agonized howls, cut short by the cruel twist of fate dealt by Lucious's hand.
As Lucious gazed at the lifeless body of the shadow beast, a strange and unsettling sensation swept over him. The metallic scent of the creature's blood hung in the air, triggering an unexpected and primal response within him. His thirst, which had been a persistent companion since he awakened in this mysterious world, surged to an almost unbearable intensity.
Opening his mouth, Lucious let out a small "Grrr.." His teeth elongated, sharpening into formidable fangs, and his canines extended further, revealing their predatory nature as dark veins started bulging near his eyes.
Lucious, driven by an irresistible impulse, found himself bending down and sinking those newly transformed fangs into the lifeless creature's neck. *Crunch*
Blood, dark and viscous, flowed into his mouth, and Lucious began to drink. "Gulp, Gulp..."
The act was subconsciously driven, as though some ancient instinct had awakened within him, compelling him to partake in the beast's essence. The taste of the shadow beast's blood was strange, a unique blend of darkness and power.
As he drank, Lucious's body absorbed the essence of the fallen predator. His thirst began to wane, and a surge of vitality coursed through him. It was as if the blood of the shadow beast carried with it a portion of the creature's strength and resilience, and Lucious found himself revitalized by this macabre communion "AAhh~ finally some inner peace..."
The forest was silent, save for the sound of Lucious's deep and measured breaths.
After quenching his thirst he came to his senses, "W-What was that..? I guess I have to drink blood every I become thirsty" The deed was done, and he was left to grapple with the disturbing reality of his actions. "Huh..? Just that..? For having all this power..?"The darkness within this enigmatic realm was not confined to external threats; it also resided within him, manifesting in ways he had never imagined. "I... I think I have become..... a Vampire.....?"
He clenched his fists feeling more powerful than before "This power.. Haha... Ahahahaha... AHAHAHAHA..."
The forest bore witness to the gruesome spectacle, a predator becoming the prey, and the eerie laughter of a man who had embraced the darkness of this new world.
******
As Lucious stood amidst the eerie aftermath of his encounter with the shadow beast, a memory began to resurface from the depths of his consciousness. It was a recollection from his previous life on Earth, a memory of a web series that had once been his friend Jack's favorite. Jack had spoken about it often, with a peculiar fascination for all things vampire.
While the title of the series eluded him, the essential lore surrounding vampires remained imprinted in Lucious's mind. Jack had eagerly shared the vampire's weaknesses: the relentless aversion to sunlight, an innate vulnerability to fire, and the mortal danger posed by wooden weapons, such as daggers or stakes.
"The sun huh..?" Lucious's eyes were drawn to the night sky, where the twin moons cast their ethereal glow. It was a temporary respite, a veil of darkness that cloaked the land. Yet, he knew that this realm would not always remain shrouded in night. The sun would inevitably rise, bringing with it the dreaded daylight.
With the knowledge of the vampire's weaknesses firmly etched in his mind, Lucious felt an urgency to secure shelter before the sun's arrival. He had no intention of testing the veracity of those ancient tales, unwilling to risk the well-being of his newfound existence.
His journey in this enigmatic world had only just begun, "I will have to take it seriously..."
Lucious moved with grace and swiftness, leaping from tree to tree in a display of agility that left him in awe of his newfound abilities "Heh"
The jungle had become his playground, and he felt a deep connection to the primal forces that now coursed through him.
As he ventured deeper into the heart of the forest, Lucious honed his senses, keenly aware of the environment around him.
"......"
He detected signs of life in two distinct directions, each with its own unique aura. One was a warm and inviting presence, a congregation of beings that emitted a sense of community and habitation. The other direction bore witness to the rhythmic breaths and heartbeats of various creatures that shared this untamed realm with him.
"Humans.... The only bread which bands together like that.... I wonder if they are also capable of magic as that beast's whatever shadow magic or something?"
Lucious, driven by curiosity and a desire to unravel the mysteries of this world, set his sights on the source of warmth and human activity.
His crimson eyes, attuned to the night, allowed him to perceive details as if it were daylight, granting him a distinct advantage in the dark.
With a smirk that hinted at a hunger for discovery, Lucious launched himself from the branch of a towering tree. His agile form moved through the night like a phantom, and within moments, he could see the human settlement only a kilometer away from the jungle's entry.
Lucious jumps down from the branch with a ground-breaking thud "Let's see what we have there!" Lucious said as he *Zooooom...* headed towards the village with tremendous speed.