Reincarnated as a Vampire Who Acquires Skills Through Blood

Chapter 77: 77 - A Base

Verc, Onyx, Bong... and the seven new additions to their group; Tatum, Jed, Ashley, Neit, Maya, Moro, and Jai.

The ten of them stayed in the forest for the night, mainly because Verc wanted to let Bong rest up and give Onyx a chance to sleep properly. Despite being a horse, Bong had been through a lot of traveling, and Onyx was still just a puppy, even if he was a loyal one. Verc didn’t want to push them too hard when there was no immediate rush to leave the area.

Meanwhile, for Verc, sleep wasn’t really in his head anymore—

SWOOSH—!

Inside his tent, Verc sat in a lotus position. He started meditating, focusing on the flow of mana within his body.

And this time, things were different. The seven kids were outside, forming a protective perimeter around his tent. For the first time since he had arrived in this world, Verc didn’t have to be so wary of his surroundings.

He had guards now. And they seem very loyal, and very capable guards...

Anyway, before he had entered his tent, Verc had given them clear instructions. He told them to do rotations so that they wouldn’t all be occupied at once. He also told them that while they were free from their shift, they should go out into the deeper parts of the forest.

”Find some wild animals or monsters. Drink their blood and recover your bodies to the fullest.”

He had told them that. He knew they were still technically recovering from the shock of the transformation and the injuries they had sustained back at the village. Blood was the best medicine for a vampire.

The seven of them had listened to his words like they were an absolute rule of the world. They didn’t question him, didn’t complain, and didn’t hesitate. They just nodded solemnly and got to work.

’It’s a bit much.’

Verc thought to himself, feeling a slight frown tugging at his lips.

The way they were treating him was starting to get under his skin. They didn’t just look at him as a savior; they looked at him as a Master. Every time he spoke, they stood at attention. Every time he moved, their eyes followed him with a mix of reverence and awe.

He was used to having a boss, not being one. Having seven people treat his every ”whim” as a divine command was incredibly uncomfortable.

’I’m not a king or some kind of lord.’

He thought, closing his eyes to focus back on his meditation.

’I just didn’t want them to die. That’s all.’

But he didn’t say anything about it. He knew that for these kids, who had lost everything— their homes, their families, and their very humanity— he was the only thing they had left to hold onto. If they needed to see him as a master to feel like they belonged somewhere, he would just have to deal with the awkwardness for now.

And just like that, the night passed peacefully.

... ... ...

*****

With the [Lunar Surge] skill active, Verc felt his mana pool expanding and refining itself. The darkness of the forest felt welcoming, and the occasional sound of a struggle in the distance told him that his new subordinates were successfully hunting and feeding.

It was actually near afternoon when Verc finally opened his eyes again.

He had entered a state of deep meditation, and because of the peacefulness of the area and the lack of interruptions, he had lost track of time. The tent was dim, but the sunlight hitting the fabric from the outside was bright and warm.

Onyx was not in the tent anymore when he came to. The little dog had probably slipped out while Verc was in his trance to go find some food or play with the others.

Verc stretched his limbs, and then he stood up and exited the tent.

The sight that greeted him made him stop in his tracks.

Outside, the camp was a hive of quiet, organized activity. There was no chaos, no lingering despair.

He saw Ashley and Maya standing near the clearing. Ashley was carefully brushing Bong’s coat, while Maya was sitting on the ground, sharing some dried meat with Onyx. The little guy looked perfectly happy, wagging his tail and leaning into Maya’s touch.

A few yards away, Jed and Neit were standing guard, their eyes scanning the treeline with a focus that wouldn’t let even a squirrel pass by unnoticed. Tatum, Moro, and Jai were busy packing up the remains of the camp.

He had told them before going into his meditation that they would be leaving this morning, but since he had overslept, they had simply taken it upon themselves to prepare everything in advance.

Verc stood there, speechless for a moment as he watched them. He hadn’t expected them to be this proactive.

’Maybe having someone follow me isn’t that bad after all.’

He thought.

A small smile tugged on his face.

The group noticed him not long after he stepped out. Tatum was the first to see him, and he immediately stood up straight, his red eyes glowing with energy.

”Lord Verc! You’re awake!”

Tatum called out.

Everyone else stopped what they were doing and turned toward him.

”Good afternoon, Lord Verc!”

”We’ve prepared everything for the departure!”

”Bong and Onyx have been fed!”

They all greeted him with an energy that was almost overwhelming. Looking at them, you would never have guessed that they were on the verge of dying just yesterday.

Verc felt that familiar wave of awkwardness hit him again, but he just smiled and waved at them.

”Yeah. Good afternoon.”

He greeted them back.

”You guys did a good job. I didn’t mean to wake up so late.”

”It is no trouble at all, Lord Verc. You needed your rest after what you did for us.”

Ashley said, walking over after finishing with Bong.

Verc just nodded, not wanting to get into a long conversation about how he didn’t actually need ”rest.” He looked around the camp one last time, seeing that everything was indeed packed and ready to go.

”Well then, without beating around the bush— everyone, get ready to depart. We’ve stayed in this spot long enough.”

He told them.

”YES!”

And they all answered in unison.

’They’re really obedient, huh...’

*****

It didn’t take long for the group to finish the final touches. Within ten minutes, the camp was completely cleared, leaving almost no trace that they had ever been there.

And once all was said and done, the group left the clearing without hesitation...

As they began their journey— they had to pass by the ruined village of the beastmen again. It was the only way out toward the main path.

The atmosphere changed the moment the charred remains of the buildings came into view. The seven new vampires slowed down, their faces darkening as they looked at the ash and the rubble. This was where their previous lives had ended.

The silence was heavy. Verc could see Tatum’s jaw clenching, and Maya’s eyes were fixed on the spot where her home used to be.

Verc noticed the change in their moods immediately. He looked at their frowning faces and the way their fists were balled up at their sides.

He didn’t say anything. There were no words that could fix what had happened here. He just kept Bong moving at a steady pace, leading them away from the graveyard of their past.

’They need to move forward.’

He thought.

’If they stay looking back at the ashes, they’ll never survive what’s coming.’

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

After about a few hours of traveling, the ruined village was far behind them, hidden by the dense trees and the winding path. The tension in the group started to ease slightly, though they were still relatively quiet.

Though eventually, curiosity seemed to get the better of one of them.

”Lord Verc?”

Ashley called, stepping up so she was walking alongside Bong.

”Where exactly are we heading?”

Verc looked down at her and then back at the others.

”It was about time one of you asked.”

He said, his voice calm.

”I was kind of confused why you were all following me without even knowing the destination. What if I was leading you into a volcano?”

The seven of them looked at each other. Tatum shook his head.

”It wouldn’t matter. We would follow you anywhere.”

Verc let out a small sigh.

’That’s exactly the kind of thing that makes me uncomfortable.’

He thought. Then with a casual tone—

”We are headed to the [Cursed Forest].”

He told them that.

”?!!!”

The reaction was instantaneous. All seven of them stopped in their tracks, their eyes widening with a mix of shock and genuine fear.

By the way, the way they were traveling was quite a sight. Verc was riding Bong with Onyx sitting comfortably in his lap. Meanwhile, the seven new vampires were just running on their feet. Because of their new physical capabilities, they could actually keep up with the full speed of a horse without even breaking a sweat.

Verc stopped Bong as well and turned the horse around to face them.

”What’s wrong?”

He asked.

”Lord Verc... that place...”

Ashley started, her voice hushed.

”The [Cursed Forest] is a place of no return. Even the strongest adventurers and the bravest knights stay away from there. They say the trees themselves eat people, and the monsters there are twisted by ancient dark magic.”

”I know.”

Verc said, without batting an eye.

He didn’t look worried at all. In fact, he looked like he was just talking about going to a grocery store.

The others were silent, looking at him as if they were trying to figure out if he was joking. But Verc’s face was as casual as ever.

Tatum stepped forward, looking up at Verc with a serious expression.

”What do you plan to do in such a dangerous place, Lord Verc?”

Verc paused and thought for a while.

He remembered the skill he had obtained a while ago. It was a skill he had gotten from drinking the blood from a strange seed he found at the very end of a dungeon he had cleared.

The skill was called [Dungeon Genesis].

It was a powerful, unique ability that allowed him to create and manage his own territory— a dungeon that he could shape to his will. But he needed a place with high mana density and low human interference to make it work properly.

He turned back to the others, his red eyes meeting theirs. Then with a casual look on his face, he spoke his mind.

”I’m going to set my base there.”

He declared that.

”The [Cursed Forest] is perfect. Nobody goes there, which means nobody will bother us. And with the monsters and the environment, it’s the perfect place to build something that the churches and the gods can’t touch.”

He looked at their stunned faces and gave a small shrug.

”If you’re going to be monsters, you might as well have a proper home for it.”

The seven vampires looked at each other, the fear in their eyes slowly being replaced by a spark of realization. They were outcasts now. They were the ”monsters” that the world wanted to hunt.

If the [Cursed Forest] was a place that the world feared, then maybe it was exactly where they belonged.

”A base...”

Tatum whispered, the idea seemingly taking root in his mind.

”A place of our own.”

Verc nodded and turned Bong back around, clicking his tongue to get the horse moving again.

”Exactly. So don’t fall behind. We have a lot of work to do once we get there.”

The seven vampires didn’t hesitate this time. They surged forward, their speed picking up as they followed Verc deeper into the unknown.