221 Vampire Child Observation Log

After encountering the Ice Dragon, nothing particularly problematic occurred.

Except for the moment the creature appeared at the very end.

Ape—!!

My trauma, part two.

Part one was Alaba.

The terror of apes endlessly climbing up without pause—still unforgettable.

And then, out of nowhere, my archenemy shows up.

As soon as it spotted me, it charged without hesitation.

H-hey!

You don’t have that high a status, so what’s with the Demon Lord’s pressure breakthrough!?

I don’t have time to deal with something as troublesome as you!

I’m running away!

So I fled from the ape.

I thought I’d annihilate the Demon Lord, but instead, it ran alongside me.

Later, I asked. The reply was simple: "That one was troublesome."

Ah… I guess the Demon Lord and I think alike, after all.

In this manner, we finally crossed the cold mountain range.

Beyond this point lies the Demon Realm.

A territory governed by demons, replacing the human domain.

Though, in practice, it does not differ significantly from the human lands.

The Vampire Child looks disappointed upon viewing the scenery.

I understand vaguely what the Vampire Child imagined, but if the scene were exactly as envisioned, it would be problematic.

You were probably imagining something resembling the Demon World.

Considering the region is perpetually shrouded in clouds, it’s impossible for normal life to thrive.

No crops grow. No war can be waged.

That’s why children with dreams are troublesome.

In contrast, I maintain a more realistic perspective.

Ah, the thing I, the mature one, seek in the Demon Realm, is cuisine unique to this land—something unattainable in human territories.

At first glance, not so different from human territories. But due to subtle climatic variations and geological conditions, unique crops must be growing here.

Fufu… wait and see. A specialty yet unknown.

I will taste every last one of them.

Oops, drool.

Traveling, more precisely toward the Demon Castle, proceeds smoothly.

Honestly, as smooth as in human territories—so smooth it's almost disappointing in terms of event density.

Peace is nice.

Yet.

There's someone who seems to dislike such an atmosphere.

A Vampire Child.

Since entering the Demon Realm, they've been disappointed by demons, disappointed by towns, disappointed by monsters.

I understand the sentiment, but they should consider how demons feel when disappointed.

They didn't choose to be born with human-like appearances any more than humans did.

Appearance is not what matters.

What matters is the inside.

Yes, I said something useful.

Huh? That's not what I meant?

The Vampire Child appears to be starving.

No self-awareness, but as it grows, a combat instinct—call it that—accumulates over time.

I plan to let it grow fully before leveling up. Until now, I’ve handled monsters myself and with the Demon King, but recently, my perception of the Vampire Child’s monsters has become abnormal.

Eyes like a starving beast.

In fact, considering the biological traits of vampires, one might say it is starving.

It is a vampire, after all.

Of course it would drink blood.

But the Vampire Child has only ever fed once.

As a true progenitor, born a vampire, it does not require blood.

Yet not requiring it does not mean it cannot.

I no longer need to sleep, even if I have ascended to godhood. Yet I still sleep every night.

It brings me happiness.

The Vampire Child is the same.

Vampires normally feed on blood.

A Vampire Child that has never fed on blood is abnormal. It may be accumulating stress unconsciously.

If the Vampire Child had never realized itself as a vampire, and had never fed on blood, perhaps none of this would have happened.

But the Vampire Child has drunk Melah’s blood. It has tasted it. It remembers the flavor.

One could say it has developed a craving.

At that moment, the instinctual door of a vampire should have opened.

Therefore, not feeding on blood for these past few years has accumulated significant stress. It manifests as aggression.

Weakness.

The Vampire Child had grown reasonably strong, thanks to the training endured during the journey.

She won’t lose to mere monsters.

But...

If we're cultivating, we should aim for perfection, don't you think?

I’m the type who absolutely insists on perfection in things like this.

I was preoccupied with my own life, so I couldn’t focus much.

Ideally, I'd like to max out all status-enhancement skills before leveling up.

Releasing the combat instinct would not be advisable.

For now, Sophia and the Demon Lord are holding the line, but Reston may charge recklessly into the monsters.

While in the city, they remain relatively calm, dispersing energy somewhere. But after several days of continuous travel, their fighting spirit gradually intensifies—clearly noticeable.

Damn it—

There are two solutions.

One will be made to fight already.

But this is rejected.

Raising the level will have to wait a little longer.

That leaves the other option.

It is eliminating the original source of stress—being deprived of blood.

Simply provide the blood.

The Vampire Child has already progressed from infancy to childhood, and it may be time to begin learning to consume blood as a routine.

In that case, enlist Mel, who is senior in this path, and attempt to shape the Vampire Child into a proper vampire.