Chapter 70: A Hungry Vampire

Fate Erasure.

That was the name of the skill obtained from the trial. And as the name suggested, it erased whatever fate had been determined for its target.

It sounded powerful. It wasn’t. Not in the way most people would assume.

This world had a very specific definition of fate. You’d think everyone in it had their destiny laid out for them, but the opposite was true. Normal people didn’t have "Fate" at all. They had complete free will, which meant this new skill was effectively useless against them.

But for targets who did have fate?

One example would be Lucius, fated to be powerful, fated to be the main character of this world. This ability could erase that.

Theoretically, at least.

But Lucius was one of the rare cases where fate was completely immune to this kind of skill. But for others, it was fair game.

And how coincidental...

I obtained it the moment I was talking about someone whose fate was now effectively bound to me.

Guess this skill worked in some kind of "Fate"-like manner too, considering the timing.

"This should be enough information for tonight—"

A sudden throb pulsed behind my eyes, sharp enough that I pressed two fingers to my temple. It wasn’t quite a headache, but close; it was as if a new sense tried to settle into a brain that wasn’t built for it.

Then the whispers started.

’Blood.’

’Food.’

’Hungry.’

Strange voices echoed inside my head. Lillith’s voice. And through the faint whispers, I could vaguely feel what she was feeling. Even I was starting to feel hungry.

And I’d only finished eating dinner with Anna at a nearby restaurant just outside the academy. So the binding included things like this as well, huh?

I should check things out.

✧ ✦ ✧

I stepped outside the academy, my body refracting light and effectively turning me invisible. It was the latest spell Anna and I had studied during dinner.

By now, both of us were basically on the same page in our magic textbook. Instead of tutoring, it felt more like joint studying, but it was no less effective.

This spell was incredible.

The mana consumption was definitely hell, though. But the Citadel was the perfect place to maintain it without worrying about the drawbacks. The academy’s focus on practical applications had filled the air with ambient mana, letting the Fey Core work efficiently.

My invisibility was basically using the surrounding environment instead of my own mana.

Now all that was left was to follow the guiding light. Now that I thought about it, this was the first time I’d actually used this spell.

It was useless in most situations. But considering my target was essentially bound to me by soul, it was the most accurate GPS ever.

A Lillith finder.

The guiding light pulsed faintly in my chest, a tug toward the northern side of the academy grounds. Toward the dormitories.

Toward Lillith.

The hunger wasn’t mine, but it was bleeding into me through the binding. A hollow ache in my stomach. The kind of hunger that didn’t come from simply skipping a meal.

I kept my pace steady, weaving through the occasional student lingering outside. None of them noticed me.

The pull led me to a smaller building near the edge of the grounds. Not the special dormitories where I was staying, but one of the older structures the Citadel used for overflow housing.

The windows were dark, but I could see the faint glow of candlelight from a second-floor room.

Lillith’s room.

The hunger sharpened as I drew closer, and I felt a spike of something else through the bond.

"Satisfaction...?"

I didn’t bother with the door. A quick application of mana to my legs, and I was on the windowsill, peering through the gap in the curtains.

The sight would have been grotesque if I wasn’t already used to it.

A first-year lay on the ground, covered in blood. I couldn’t see anything from the chest up, but from how still the body was, that person was likely dead.

And I know I told Anna I wouldn’t talk to Lillith for a while. But considering the situation, this definitely needed me to intervene.

"Lady Lillith."

I knocked on her window twice. Through the strange connection between us, I felt a flicker of fear and surprise, then a wave of relief and recognition.

"L-Lord Brimstone?"

Lillith opened the window, and I quickly rushed in and closed it behind me, along with the curtains. I was definitely not going to have anyone see this sight.

It was even more gruesome from the inside. The head was still connected to the body, but barely, only the thinnest strip of skin holding it on before I could actually classify it as a decapitation.

"I-I’m sorry for the mess, but... I’m just so hungry. After feeding on you..."

She licked her bloody lips.

"My usual intake isn’t enough anymore. Even the blood agreement between Anna and me is barely enough to keep me holding on."

She was surprisingly honest. Likely another effect of the bond.

"Are you still hungry?"

I asked after noticing the body was almost drained. But something was stranger still, while the body had fresh red blood, the blood on the furniture looked like it had dried hours ago.

Was this a different first-year?

A second one, perhaps?

"Y-Yes..."

"Not even trying to lie, huh?"

"You’re already here. I can’t exactly hide it anymore."

I weighed whether to test Fate Erasure here and now. It would sever whatever rushed connection existed between us. But I was cautious about being too rash.

If I set her free and she eventually went wild or hunting again, there’d be no one left to control her. And considering she was a vampire queen, or close to becoming one, barely anybody other than me would be able to handle her.

Even now, her mana was growing. Larger than it had been back at the inn when she first fed on my blood.

Maybe I should wait until she was more stable before severing the only connection that could effectively control her.

"From now on, I’ll let you drink from me without limit. But I want you to promise me something: no more Citadel students."

"...I’m surprised. I didn’t take you for someone who’d say something like that, not after what Lady Rose said."

"I’d just rather you not get caught."

I tiredly chuckled and tilted my head, already baring my neck. The things I do for beautiful crazy women...