Deep in the northern part of the Demon Realm, a young man dressed in a gray priest's robe was walking on the freshly fallen snow. His pace was unhurried, and each step made a clear, distinct sound as he trod through the snow.
As the sun gradually sank in the distance, it made the thin layer of snow on the edge of the wilderness appear as bright as a mirror.
At his shoulder, a withered branch stretched out from beneath his skin, like an extra arm across his shoulder.
On that branch, a semi-mechanical falcon was vigilantly surveying its surroundings.
Someone is approaching.
The eagle turned its neck 270 degrees and spoke to the young man beneath it.
"Is that so? Well done, Icarus."
The young man reached out and stroked down the falcon's neck, ending at the tip of its slightly metallic tail feathers.
"Now, keep watch around for me, I'm going to meet this guest."
"Yes, Master."
The falcon spread its broad wings on the youth's back, making a sound like gears meshing, and with a couple of powerful flaps, it took off and soared into the sky.
And before the young man in the priest's robes, Samuer, appeared a human, or rather... a humanoid creature.
Although the newcomer looked nine-tenths like a human, his grayish-white skin and scarlet, murky eyes silently revealed his identity—a Blood Corpse, or rather, a vampire.
What do you want from me?
Samuer looked at the person in front of him:
"Grand Duke Hall, of ' Fractal and Harvest '."
The newcomer, realizing his identity had been so easily seen through, merely smiled sheepishly.
"Sir/Madam... I don't know how to address you?"
Samuer.
The young man said calmly:
"Even with the power to create Psionic Energy clones, finding me in the Demon Realm would still require considerable effort."
"Speak, tell me your purpose; it will benefit both of us."
"Yes, sir."
Hall bowed respectfully.
"My lord, I have already witnessed your power in the previous battles..."
"Although I don't want to be enemies with that ' Son of God,' he keeps harassing me."
"It is truly astonishing that you were able to match him or even surpass him."
"And I had no idea you existed before; I was truly blind."
"Now that I have witnessed your great power, I have no reason not to follow you!"
Having said that, Hall knelt on one knee in the snow before Samuer could respond.
"My lord, that ' Son of God ' will eventually conquer the Demon Realm. If I want to survive, I have no choice but to join your side!"
He rolled his eyes slightly upward, observing the expression of the unknown young man, but gained nothing from him because the other man remained expressionless.
Hall lowered his head again:
"My lord, please reconsider."
Looking at the vampire grand duke kneeling before him, Samuer's tone remained calm and composed:
Tell me about your abilities.
He didn't ask Hall to get up, but his tone softened slightly. In other words, Hall had successfully entered the interview stage at Samuer Company.
"As you said, my powers inherently include ' Fractal ' and ' Harvest '. I can cut my own soul to create completely identical clones, and use external nutrients to nurture these clones. After reclaiming them, I can replenish and strengthen myself."
"At the same time, my infectivity is different from other lineages; it only requires eye contact..."
I meant...
Samuer raised his hand to interrupt Hall. Although Hall only saw the Shadow of the other's waving hand on the snow, Hall felt a sudden jolt, as if he would be put to death if he didn't stop talking.
"Your 'new' ability."
Samuer said calmly:
You know what I'm talking about.
"Yes, sir."
Hall's attitude remained respectful.
"I devoured Rosalind's remaining True Blood and sealed her lingering resentment deep within my consciousness."
"In this way, I have gained a portion of the power of 'devouring,' although not as much as Rosalind in her full form, but at least I have eroded a small part of that Authority."
After the Hall finished speaking, Samuer slowly nodded:
"Alright, since you're so sincere, I'll agree to your joining."
"Only..."
Samuer then changed the subject:
Do you know what my purpose is? Do you know what I will do in the future? Do you understand what the consequences will be for following me?
"Ah?"
Hall suddenly looked up--
What did this person ask?
What could be the purpose of a unique, High Tier?
Of course, it's about advancing to the Transcendent Tier.
What do you do after advancing to the Transcendent Tier?
Of course, it's about expanding territory, ruling the world, and becoming a king...
Aren't these things that everyone generally accepts?
Seeing Hall's puzzled expression, Samuer gave a faint, almost imperceptible smile for the first time:
It seems you don't know.
He sighed and said:
I can tell you, and I'll give you another chance to choose.
"My goal is to destroy this world, or rather, to kill every individual in this world who possesses the concept of 'living being'."
"In a future where all 'living beings' have died, I myself will also be completely annihilated."
"Therefore, if you wish to follow me, you must know that you too will die sooner or later, and all I can offer are two things—"
"One is the latest time of death, since killing the others would require your assistance."
"Secondly, it is a painless death, nothing more."
Hall felt like he had encountered a lunatic.
What is this guy saying?
What do you mean by his ultimate goal being to destroy the world and then commit suicide?
Is it too late for me to jump out of the car now?
Hall swallowed hard.
"Sir... I don't think the world is actually that bad."
Samuer remained noncommittal to the Hall's statement, simply looking down at the vampire grand duke.
If Ed were here, he would probably be laughing out loud.
Look, look!
No matter how evil a vampire is, killing is merely a means to an end.
For Samuer, however, killing was the end in itself.
This is something even the Grand Duke of Vampires thinks Samuer is going a bit too far.
"My lord, I..."
"Oh, so it seems you don't want to join my ranks."
No, it's not...
"It doesn't matter."
Contrary to the Hall's expectations, Samuer did not immediately resort to violence upon disagreement, but instead walked straight past him.
A falcon descended from the sky and landed on Samuer's shoulder, as he continued deeper into the Demon Realm.
And Hall, kneeling on the ground, only heard Samuer's last words carried on the wind:
"If you want to live, struggle as much as you can."
Hall knelt on one knee, his head bowed to his chest, his mind a jumble of thoughts.
However, at that moment, he suddenly felt a new power surge into his body.
Beneath the thin layer of snow on the ground, the seemingly withered plants somehow took on a luster in the Hall's eyes.
He knew that if he simply reached out, he could extract a small amount of nutrients from the withered plants and even the soil to sustain his survival.
This is...
Vitality and the power to Drain.
Wens...
Did he really manage to go this far?
Hall instantly realized something, and without further hesitation, he made up his mind, slowly closing his eyes and whispering in his mind:
" Mandatory Meeting."