บท 10: A Shadow Under Moonlight
As Vecna traverses the Slums of Valoria, his mental state is challenged by the existence he chooses to become.
The monster inside him made it harder to focus on his objectives, and this place looked akin to a Blood Bank where he could indulge in the flesh of the unfortunate human beings.
Along the way, as he traversed the difficult maze of the Slum, he encountered all sorts of individuals trapped in the cycle of exploitation, poverty, and despair. A reminder of his own life, which managed to wake him to his senses.
Vecna witnessed the struggle of orphaned children, destitute families, and individuals subjected to unfair treatment and abuse. Yet, he was just a passerby in their unfortunate fates, another monster with ulterior objectives.
He was now a predator and those people of the Slum were his prey. Simple as that.
That primal feeling was first experienced by the man who got asked for directions with regard to the brothel. The murderous glint in those crimson eyes and the crimson mana that started veiling the blonde-haired man sent all sorts of warnings in the body of the guy.
"Yes, yes. The brothel… If you continue moving ahead, you'll be at the center of the Slum."
The man started doing a detailed description of where he should go, while Vecna continued watching his Hunger Meter dropping down, bringing the curse of Vampirism in full effect.
"Summary." snapped Vecna who could feel his sanity drifting into his Vampiric instinct.
It was a nasty experience that he couldn't get used to. To have his body controlled by something other than his brain was as if letting someone else decide his fate.
"YES! Go ahead, then left, you'll notice a building that looks better than the others. There will be Guards."
What the man of the slum saw next scared him senseless, it was Vecna vanishing from his location in a mist of blood, and with the darker environment, the Vampire made his way toward the designated location, minutes later revealing himself not far from the Brothel Building.
His appearance looked paler than normal, his fangs protruded out from his mouth while his nails enlarged, becoming the claws of a monster.
'I need to get there. Faster. Or I'll lose my mind.'
Even his thoughts become blurred in this state as if a darker entity started taking control over his body, only to be stopped by the stubborn man who wanted to reign over his life.
His sharp vision snapped pictures of the Guards controlling the surroundings of the brothel.
[Corrupt Guard Nathan - Lv. 225]
[Corrupt Guard Owen - Lv. 216]
Many of the guards his eyes dropped were high-level NPCs that he couldn't kill with his pathetic level 2, and noticing that the armor those guards had was similar to what the City Guards use, made his crimson eyes get murderous.
'This situation looks dangerous. They'd for sure stop me if I approached. Afterall, my looks are no worse than that of a Monster.'
Even in a muffled state of mind, he could grasp the situation if he showed up in front of those guards, even if they were corrupted bastards, he was a monster by now.
A change he felt all over his body and mind.
Still, his sharp mind even in a restrained manner figured out a plan to get inside the building without generating suspicious ideas from the guards.
'Those types of buildings have blind spots, and those open windows make it so inviting for me.'
In a moment of clarity, Vecna blended with the shadows of the Slum's obstacles, akin to a monster lurking in the shadows now that the Reign of the Sun was on its end.
Using a dumping ground to mask his presence closer to the Brothel Building, and out of the watch of the Guards, he activated his Celerity Discipline, consuming 100 MP, continuing to wait for his Mana to fully recharge.
Along the waiting he also activated his Potence Discipline, readying himself for an infiltration in this guarded place.
The aura of blood around Vecna couldn't be missed as his Vampiric Traits appeared life-like.
'It is time.' thought Vecna after a quick check on his full mana which declined in an instant as he activated his skills.
'Traversal.'
First was the skill that allowed him to run up walls or across water without encountering any limitations, an act that would mirror a bonafide monster, which he later on synergized by activating a movement skill.
'Soaring Leap'
A powerful jump propelled Vecna from the dump he picked to hide directly to the top of the building, but he didn't linger much on the rooftop and instead with his combined abilities of a Vampire he scaled down the building similar to a large spider.
--Sniff--
He was sniffing and breathing in the air filled with a sweet miasma, and opening his mouth like a lion that was pleased with the pheromones of a female, he picked his target.
'Close. Only this wall and window separates me from this person.'
'Hahhh, to think I'll become like this. But what can I do? This one is so sweet.'
'My Hunger is taking over my reason.'
[Hunger Meter: 6/100]
If one would watch over the night sky and the building Vecna was scaling down, they would be scared by the scene.
Vecna was like a spider as he walked on the wall, stopping next to a closed window at the top of the building.
"Is someone there?"
The voice of a weak woman called into nothingness, hoarse from all the suffering she might have experienced
"Help me! Please! The one behind the wall."
"I can feel your mana."
"..."
"I don't know who you are, and what you are doing. But … Please, save me."
"I don't want to get dirty and humiliate my people."
"..."
"I'll give you anything."
Vecna still had the reins over his body and mind, and couldn't help but wonder who this woman calling for help was.
Wasn't this a brothel where poor women for the sake of gold and the future of their families would lay down all their sanctity to some thirsty beasts?
This woman that he didn't know, yet released such a sweet pheromone that budged his resolve to stay awake, was willing to lay down her innocence.
Yet, she was mistaken. Vecna right now wasn't a thirsty beast. He was a monster barely bound by his consciousness.
'Uncanny Grip.'
Activating another skill after his mana recharged, he grasped the wood sealing shut the window, tearing down in the face of his beastly strength.
'Split Second.'
After he tore apart the wooden planks sealing shut the window, he entered inside uninvited like a gust of wind, landing gracefully on the room as the moonlight casts an eerie glow on the scene, illuminating the details of the room where the pleading woman was been left by her captors.
[Elysia](Gold)
Her level wasn't revealed by the System, but in this situation it was insignificant.
Vecna observed silently the small and cramped chamber. Its walls are made of rough stone, giving it a cold and oppressive atmosphere. The air is heavy with the scent of decay and despair.
The sealed window, now opened, allowed just a sliver of moonlight to penetrate the darkness, casting a larger shadow on Vecna whose features got pronounced further since his hunger started reaching closer to void.
The room is sparsely furnished, with a worn-out wooden bed pushed against one wall. The bed frame creaks under the weight of Elysia's weakened form as she lies there, her delicate features marred by bruises and bloodstains.
Chains now loosened but still hanging from the wall, bear evidence of her previous imprisonment and torment.
Scattered across the chamber are discarded torture implements—a cruel reminder of the suffering Elysia endured at the hands of the ruthless humans, another reminder to Vecna that the Empire had a twisted sense of superiority over the rest of the races.
Rusty shackles, broken chains, and scattered feathers from her torn Elven attire litter the floor telling a tale of her struggle.
Despite her battered state, Elysia's ethereal beauty remains evident. Her long, flowing silver hair cascades over her pale shoulders, and her violet eyes, filled with both fear and a flicker of hope, meet Vecna's gaze as he descends towards her. Her torn dress barely covers her modesty, further emphasizing her vulnerability.
"Y-You… W-What happened to you?"
As Vecna finishes observing the surroundings, his crimson, predatory eyes lock onto Elysia's weakened form. The scent of her blood lingers in the air, enticing and invigorating his hunger.
'Elf. This one is an Named NPC, might be even higher from her looks.'
With each breath, the pull of her essence becomes harder to resist, amplifying his vampiric instincts.
"Y-You're not a human."
"Indeed. And? Are you still willing to ask for my help?"
"I do."
"Even if you have to give me everything you own?"
"..."
The room itself becomes a battleground between the darkness within Vecna and the previous desperate plea for help from Elysia went silent when the realization that the "Hero" she tried to convince on helping her was nothing but a possible Nightmare.
From his features, while they got twisted by the beastly appearance, the long fangs, long claws, crimson predatory eyes, the one who arrived had the potential of being an Destined Hero.
In the silence that settled the room, shadows danced along the walls, echoing the conflicting emotions within Elysia and Vecna who remained still, pushing back the temptations of indulging in her warm blood.
[Hunger Meters: 4/100]
It is within this chamber, amidst the remnants of suffering and the glimmer of hope, that Elysia must decide whether to take the hand of the Devil, or succumb to the fate of being a lowly Slave, the plaything of the greedy Humans.
[Ding!]
[Crossroads with the Elven Woman (S)]
A Vampire with unbound potential, found at the crossroads of fate with an Elf. Succumb to your primal instincts or rise above the instincts. Will you become a mindless Blood Thrall that only desires blood, or will you find reason.
The fate of Elysia lies in your choice. Succumb or suppress your primal desires.
Quest Clear Condition: Rescue Elysia within 1 Hour.
Clear Rewards: Token of the Elf Kingdom
Special Reward: Submission of Elysia
Clear Failure: Lvl -5. Elysia's Dark Future. Hunted Down by the Corrupted Guards.
.
Vecna skimped the contents of the quest, frowning at the contempt the quest was showing him, as if he already succumbed to this Primal Instinct that Cursed a Vampire.
'I'll be damned if I let it get me over.'
Nonetheless, when his hungry eyes locked again with Elysia's weakened form, a mixture of primal desire and a tinge of empathy flicker within him.
The thirst for blood gnaws at his insides, reminding him of his predatory nature, while a faint echo of humanity urges him to consider the consequences of his actions.
"I-I don't know. Will you still help me if I accept?"
Elysia, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and desperation, calls out to Vecna for help.
Her voice is frail and delicate, carrying the weight of the torment she endured at the hands of her captors. The plea reaches Vecna's ears, stirring something within him that he thought had long been extinguished, empathy for others.
Vecna takes a moment to assess the situation, his gaze sweeping across the chamber. The room offers limited options for an escape or a confrontation. His vampiric senses sharpened by the effects of his Hunger State, allowing him to detect the presence of guards lingering outside the door, their footsteps echoing through the corridor.
Time is of the essence, and he must act swiftly to deal with Elysia and sate his thirst.
"Can you offer me everything?"
As Vecna moves closer to Elysia, he notices her fragile state, her body bearing the marks of torment and her spirit teetering on the edge of despair.
With a flicker of his cloak, Vecna's presence fills the room. The air grows colder as his vampiric aura envelops them both, a mixture of danger and allure. Elysia's eyes widen, her gaze fixed on him with a mix of uncertainty and a glimmer of hope.
"I-I will do anything you want of me."
"Fear not, Elysia," Vecna's voice carries a mesmerizing depth, tinged with a chilling calmness.
"I don't want to devour you or torment you like those lowly humans. I don't want your innocence."
In his hand, Vecna held a vial containing a red elixir, a concoction that would not only heal Elysia's wounds but also enhance the taste of her blood. With deliberate grace, Vecna extended a hand towards Elysia as he held an expensive vial containing a red liquid brimming with a floral miasma.
[High-Grade Health Potion]
"Stay still. This is a Healing Potion." mentioned Vecna, his voice laced with a deceptive gentleness.
"Such potion. That is a treasure you can discard on the likes of me."
"Quiet. I will do as I wish."
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