Reincarnated as a Vampire Who Acquires Skills Through Blood

Chapter 74: 74 - Difference

”URRRGH?!!”

”GURGH!!!”

Tatum and Jed both groaned in pain. The two of them were currently on the dirt floor, writhing around as if their very blood was boiling inside their veins. I stood a few feet away, watching them with a focused intensity.

It was clear that Tatum, who had only drank my blood, was the one suffering the most. His body was tensed up like a bowstring, and his muscles were twitching in ways that didn’t look natural.

”Hold in there, you two!”

”Don’t give up! You can make it through this!”

The others had formed a tight circle around their fallen friends. They were leaning in, their hands hovering over the two men as if they wanted to help but were too afraid that touching them would make the pain worse. They kept shouting positive things, trying to anchor Tatum and Jed to reality, but I could see the truth on their faces. They were absolutely worried and scared. Their animal ears were pinned back, and their tails were tucked low.

”...”

I could only watch in silence. I kept a small frown on my face, my arms crossed over my chest.

’There’s nothing more I can do.’

I thought to myself.

No matter how much we wanted to reach out and ease their suffering, this was a hurdle they had to jump on their own. All we could do now was wait and trust that their will to live was stronger than the agony.

”GRAAAHHHH!!!”

Tatum suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs. His whole body twitched violently, a massive shock running through his nervous system that made him arch his back off the ground.

”URRRGH!!!”

Jed followed instantly, though he seemed to be trying harder to hold it in. He was biting his lips so hard that a fresh trail of blood ran down his chin, trying to silence his own screams so he wouldn’t worry the others.

The other five started tearing up as they watched this. The girls were wiping their eyes with the backs of their hands, and the guys were clenching their fists so hard their knuckles were white. But even with the tears, looking at their faces— the trust in their eyes was still there. They looked at me, then back at their friends, and they didn’t move an inch.

And so... time passed by slowly.

Seconds turned into minutes. Those minutes eventually stretched into an hour. The fire I had built started to burn low, casting long, flickering shadows against the trees that surrounded our little camp.

The condition of the two men didn’t settle at all. If anything, the air around them seemed to get heavier, pulsing with a strange, dark energy that made my own skin tingle.

’What the hell is happening to them?’

I asked in my head, feeling a growing sense of confusion. I had expected a quick change, but this was a slow, grueling process.

The only good sign here was that both of them were still alive. Their heartbeats were erratic and loud, echoing in my ears like drums, but they hadn’t stopped.

Their screams kept echoing into the dark forest, and it was honestly hard to look at them. Seeing how much pain they were in made me feel a bit of guilt, even though they had asked for this.

The others still remained by their sides through the whole ordeal.

And even though Tatum and Jed had entered this state specifically because they drank my blood or were bitten by me, nobody blamed me. Not a single person looked at me with resentment.

’I guess they really took this gamble seriously. In their minds, they can blame no one but themselves for the path they chose.’

I thought.

They were really prideful people.

I wondered if this was just a characteristic of the beastman race, or if it was just these kids. Either way, their resolve was impressive.

Anyway, we all continued waiting. I stayed on high alert, watching the two of them while also guarding the perimeter.

... ... ...

*****

The noise was a problem. The screaming was like a dinner bell for the predators of the forest.

Some wild animals and low-level monsters started creeping near us, drawn by the sound of distress. I didn’t let them get close. I moved fast, dealing with them quietly and efficiently before they could even become a threat. I didn’t want anything interrupting this process.

”...”

I looked back at group. I didn’t know if I was actually becoming attached to these kids. I had barely known them for a few hours, and I had only met them by chance today.

But I guess, after hearing about their situation and the state they were in— I related to them. We were all outcasts. We were all being hunted by a world that didn’t want us to exist. In a sense, we were exactly the same.

And so, genuinely—

’I hope, at least one of the methods we tried succeeded. I hope they both survive this.’

I wished that inside my head, my eyes fixed on the two figures on the ground.

Just then— S W O O O O S H~!!!

”!!!”

A massive, sudden gust of wind exploded outward from the center where Tatum and Jed lay.

It wasn’t a natural wind; it was a burst of pure pressure that sent dead leaves and dirt flying into the air. The force was strong enough to knock the other five off their feet, making them fall back onto their butts on the ground.

”?”

I squinted my eyes, shielding my face with my arm to keep the flying dust and embers out of my eyes.

’What happened? Is it over?’

That question quickly settled in my head. I realized that the forest had suddenly gone quiet. The two of them had stopped shouting. The agonizing screams were replaced by a heavy, expectant silence.

Once the wind died down and the dust began to settle, I immediately looked at the two of them. The source of the explosion. The others scrambled back to their feet, their eyes wide as they looked toward the center of the camp.

”...”

We were all silent. The anticipation in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

’Who became a vampire?’

We all curiously asked in our heads. I stepped forward, my boots crunching on the dry leaves. And there, standing in the middle of the clearing—

”...?”

I saw Tatum and Jed.

They weren’t writhing on the ground anymore. Instead, the two of them were standing up perfectly straight. Their postures were different— stronger, more confident.

And their eyes— they were wide open, staring into the darkness of the forest.

They were a deep, glowing crimson red.

Both of them had succeeded.

Against all the odds and the different methods I used, the two of them had become vampires.

”What...?”

I whispered to myself. I honestly didn’t expect this result. I thought for sure one or both method would fail, but they both stood there, radiating a power that wasn’t there before.

... ... ...

*****

”How are you two feeling?”

Anyway, as soon as I regained my calm and pushed down my surprise, I approached Tatum and Jed to ask them some questions. I needed to know what had changed inside them.

”...”

The two of them looked at me, their red eyes reflecting the dying light of the fire. Then they looked at each other, their expressions full of a strange realization. Finally, they both looked down at their own hands.

I blinked in surprise as I looked at Tatum’s hands. His fingers— the ones he had lost— had grown back completely. The skin was smooth and pale, without a single scar to show where they had been severed. His other wounds had closed up as well, leaving nothing but torn clothing behind.

Jed was in a similar state. Although his old wounds were still visible as faint lines, they were completely healed. He didn’t look like he was in pain at all anymore. He stood with a grace that was almost predatory.

At that moment, Tatum looked back at me. He opened his mouth, and I noticed his fangs were sharp and white.

”I feel... strong... incredibly strong...”

He muttered. There was a clear sense of disbelief in his voice, as if he couldn’t believe his own body was capable of feeling this way.

”I... I feel the same. Like the world is moving slower.”

Jed followed up, clenching his fists. He looked like he wanted to run or jump or fight something just to test his new limits.

This confirmed everything I needed to know. Both of them had succeeded in the transformation.

’The two of them used different methods, though. Maybe, just maybe— something is different about them.’

I thought. I refused to believe that they were exactly the same type of vampire. Since the methods were so different, there had to be a catch.

And so, looking at the two of them, I decided to dig deeper.

”Specify to me exactly what you two are feeling right now. Don’t leave anything out.”

I told them, trying to gather as much information as possible. If I was going to turn the rest of them, I needed to know which method was ”better.”

Tatum and Jed nodded their heads without question. They seemed to view me with an even higher level of respect now— or maybe it was something more than respect. They started answering every question I threw at them.

*****

As we talked, the differences became clear.

Jed, the one I had bitten, had become what I could only describe as a physical powerhouse.

He told me that his body felt much heavier in terms of muscle density, yet he felt lighter when he moved. His instincts had sharpened to a terrifying degree; he could hear the heartbeat of a rabbit a hundred yards away. His aura had become aggressive and terrifying, and when he moved to demonstrate his speed, he was almost a blur.

Jed had become a natural-born hunter. He was the perfect soldier.

Meanwhile—

Tatum, who had drank my blood, felt something entirely different.

He told me that he could feel my presence in the back of his mind. He could sense my general condition— he knew if I was tired, and he could even sense my health. His regeneration ability was also on a completely different level than Jed’s. While Jed’s wounds had simply closed, Tatum’s entire limbs had practically reconstructed themselves. He felt a sense of calm he had never known before, and he told me he felt a strange connection— like his own power was tied to mine. He felt that whenever I grew stronger, he would grow alongside me.

Just as I had suspected. From different methods, they both gained different capabilities.

Jed was a hunter, a warrior who could stand on his own.

On the other hand, Tatum had become my direct subordinate— a thrall of sorts.

I stood there for a moment, processing all of this. I looked at my hands, then at the two new vampires standing before me.

I turned my head toward the other five beastmen who were still sitting on the ground, watching us with a mix of awe and lingering confusion. They had seen the pain, but they had also seen the result. They saw Tatum’s fingers, and they saw Jed’s strength.

”You’ve seen what happens, and heard what changed in them.”

I said, my voice echoing in the quiet forest.

”The pain is great, but the result is exactly what I promised. You will be whole again, and you will be strong enough to protect yourselves.”

I looked at each of them, my red eyes meeting theirs.

”Now, it’s your turn to choose. I won’t force you, but if you want to move forward, you have to pick your path.”

I gestured to Tatum and Jed.

”Which method do you want? Do you want to be bitten and become like Jed, or do you want to drink my blood and become like Tatum?”

Then I asked them that.