I stood there in the flickering light of the dying fire, looking at the five remaining beastmen. Tatum and Jed were standing behind me now, their presence already feeling different— sharper, heavier.
I needed to make sure the rest of them understood exactly what they were getting into before we moved forward. I didn’t want any of them choosing blindly.
"I’ll explain the difference one more time so you can decide which path you want to take."
I told them, my voice echoing slightly in the quiet woods.
"If I bite you, like I did with Jed; your body will become a weapon. You’ll be faster, stronger, and your instincts will be sharper than anything you’ve ever imagined. You’ll be a natural on the battlefield."
I paused, letting that sink in before continuing.
"If you drink my blood, like Tatum did; your healing will be much faster— you’ll survive wounds that would kill anyone else. But more than that, you’ll be linked to me. You’ll be able to feel my presence, and your strength will be tied to my own growth."
The remaining five looked at each other, whispering in low voices. They were weighing the options. Did they want the raw, independent power of a hunter, or the undying resilience but becoming like my subordinate?
After a few moments of quiet discussion, two of them stepped forward. It was one of the boys and one of the two girls left in the group.
"I’ll be the one to be bitten."
The guy said, stepping up with his jaw set tight. If I remembered correctly, his name was Neit. He looked nervous, his hands shaking slightly at his sides, but his eyes didn’t waver.
"And I’ll drink the blood. I want to be like Tatum."
Ashley stated. She moved to stand near Tatum.
’I don’t know what’s the relationship between them... but I can see that they’re really close.’
I thought to myself, watching the way Ashley’s eyes lingered on Tatum for a second before she turned back to me. There was a deep bond there, something that went beyond just being from the same village.
Anyway, I kept my mouth shut about their personal lives and just went along with the process.
*****
The cut I had made in my wrist earlier was already completely healed— the skin was smooth as if I had never touched it with a blade.
I drew my sword again, the metal cold and silent.
SLASH—
Then I made another deep cut across my wrist.
Crimson blood, dark and thick, began to drip out of the fresh wound. I honestly barely felt any pain from it; my body was so used to this kind of thing now that a simple cut was nothing more than a minor sting.
I wasted no time and placed my wounded wrist directly in front of Ashley’s face.
She reached out, her fingers trembling as she took hold of my arm. She had a resolute look on her face, like she was preparing to swallow poison.
Ashley glanced up at me, gave a small, shaky nod, and then without further ado—
CHOMP.
She pressed her lips to my wrist and started drinking.
Just like Tatum had done before her, her eyes widened almost immediately. My blood wasn’t like any normal blood; it was thick, heavy with mana, and had a metallic sweetness that was overwhelming to the senses.
After just a few seconds, she couldn’t take any more.
"UGGP...!"
Ashley pulled her mouth away, her face turning a sickly shade of pale. She looked like she was about to throw up right then and there.
FWIP!
She quickly grabbed her own mouth with both hands, forcing the urge back down. Even though she clearly felt disgusted and her stomach was doing flips, she squeezed her eyes shut and took one last big gulp, making sure every drop of my blood stayed down.
I just looked at her for a moment after she finished. She had completed the second method. She slumped back onto the grass, clutching her stomach as the blood began to react with her system.
"..."
My eyes quickly turned to Neit after that. He was the next one on the list.
"...!"
His eyes widened as our gazes met. Now that it was actually his turn to face the fangs, he looked a bit more scared than he had a minute ago. He swallowed hard, his animal ears twitching nervously on top of his head.
But before I could even say anything to him to calm him down, he let out a sharp breath. He narrowed his eyes and stared at me, trying his absolute best to keep his head level and his body still.
"I’m ready."
He said, his voice a bit higher than usual but still resolute.
I nodded my head once... And I didn’t give him time to let the fear take over— SWOOSH—!
I dashed off, my feet barely touching the dirt. In the blink of an eye, I appeared directly in front of him, my shadow looming over his smaller frame.
CHOMP!
I dug my fangs directly into the side of his neck.
"URGH?!"
Neit groaned in pain as the sharp points pierced his skin. It all happened so fast that he didn’t even have time to raise his hands or react at all. I held him firmly, drinking just enough of his blood to create the opening I needed.
I controlled my thirst carefully; I had to be precise so that I wouldn’t accidentally kill him.
Once I had taken what I needed, I pushed my own mana into the wound, letting my vampiric essence flow into his veins and plant itself deep within his body.
After a few long moments, the connection was sealed.
"Fuuuh~"
I stopped and backed away from him, wiping a stray drop of blood from my lip.
Method one was now done as well. Neit staggered for a second, clutching his neck where the marks were already beginning to bruise.
... ... ...
*****
It didn’t take long for the reaction to start.
"AAAAAGGGHHH!"
"GURGH... HAAAH...!"
Ashley and Neit collapsed onto ground, clutching their chests. The agonizing pain that Tatum and Jed had gone through was now tearing through them. They were writhing in the dirt, their screams echoing through the dark trees like a siren.
’It’s starting again.’
I thought, crossing my arms as I watched the two of them.
The sound was even louder this time. The forest, which had been somewhat quiet after the first round of transformations, suddenly seemed to wake up.
I could feel the snapping of branches and the low growls of predators in the distance. The scent of fresh blood and the sound of pure distress were attracting every wild animal and monster for miles around.
I turned my head toward the shadows, sensing several heartbeats approaching our camp. But I didn’t move to draw my sword this time.
Instead, I looked at Tatum and Jed.
"You two. This is your first test."
I told them, gesturing toward the dark woods.
"Guard the camp. Don’t let anything get close to them while they’re changing."
Tatum and Jed didn’t hesitate. They looked at their screaming friends on the ground, and then they looked into the forest with their new, glowing red eyes.
"We’ll handle it."
Tatum said, his voice much deeper than it had been before.
Jed didn’t say anything, but he disappeared into the darkness with a burst of speed that was almost as fast as mine. I could hear the sound of something large being torn apart just a few seconds later.
Tatum stayed closer to the fire, his new instincts allowing him to sense exactly where the threats were coming from.
When a group of large, grey wolves lunged from the bushes, Tatum met them head-on. He didn’t even need a weapon; his bare hands were enough to shatter bone. One wolf bit into his shoulder, but he didn’t even flinch. He just ripped the beast away and crushed its skull. I watched as the bite wound on his shoulder closed up in seconds.
The two of them were doing a good job. They were in great condition, and their new powers were making short work of the forest’s scavengers.
... ... ...
... ... ...
Ashley and Neit were still in the middle of their agonizing transformation. It’s been a few hours now. The other three survivors— Maya, Moro, and Jai— huddled together near them, worried.
But finally, after a few hours of constant screaming and twitching... the air around the two of them began to vibrate.
SWOOSH~!!!
A powerful gust of wind suddenly exploded outward from Ashley and Neit, clearing the dust and snuffing out the small embers of the fire. The sheer pressure made the nearby bushes lean away.
Then, everything went still.
Ashley and Neit slowly pushed themselves up from the ground. They panted for breath, their movements fluid and effortless. And when they looked up... their eyes were the same striking crimson as Tatum’s and Jed’s.
It was a success. They had both survived the change and become vampires.
And just as I had predicted, the abilities they gained were different depending on the method used. Ashley stood up and immediately looked toward me; I could feel a new thread of connection in the back of my mind. She had the same high-regeneration and mental link as Tatum.
Neit, on the other hand, stood with a predatory aura, his muscles coiled like a spring. He had the same terrifying speed and strength as Jed.
The four of them were now standing together, a small pack of red-eyed beastmen-vampires. They looked like a completely different group than the broken survivors I had found just hours ago.
Anyway, with the four of them successfully converted, only three more were left.
I turned my head and looked at the last three survivors. Maya, Moro, and Jai were staring at their transformed friends with awe.
"It’s time for the rest of you."
I stated, my voice calm.
"You’ve seen both paths now. You’ve seen what it costs and what you gain. So, tell me— what method do you want to do?"
The three of them looked at each other for a moment, but the hesitation was gone. They had seen their friends survive, and they had seen the power they now possessed.
Maya, the remaining girl, stepped forward first.
"I want to drink the blood. I want to be linked to you and our captain. I will take the second method."
She said, her voice full of a cold, sharp determination.
The two remaining boys, Moro and Jai, exchanged a look and nodded to each other. They stepped forward together.
"We want to be a Hunter. We want the strength to make sure what happened to our village never happens again. Give us the first method."
Moro declared, and Jai followed with a firm nod.
’I see. Three more to go.’
I thought to myself.
I didn’t waste any more time talking. I lifted my sword one more time to reopen the wound on my wrist for Maya, while preparing myself to give the two boys the bite they asked for.
The night was far from over, but by the time the sun rose, new vampires will be made.