My nostrils were filled with the scent of blood as I continued slaughtering the remaining creatures in the hotel. It was a bloody fight for survival, and some of them actually put up a decent fight.

It was as they say, a cornered rat bites a cat.

For each creature I killed, it felt as if their strength doubled just before I killed them. Killing someone who didn't want to die was quite a task. In their final moments, they used every drop of energy they had to keep them alive. It was as if they were immune to pain, and attacks that would normally kill them on the spot seemed to have no effect.

Because of that, it took longer than expected to finally kill everyone in the hotel. All that was left were ghouls, a treat I was planning to leave for the vampires on their way here. In total, I gained 11,157 EXP.

All that, and I still didn't level up. A part of me was doubting Khalissi's words. Every time I leveled up, it took double the EXP that I gained before. If that was the case, it might take a bit more than she guessed.

Still, it didn't matter how many people I had to kill. Once the possibility was there for me to evolve, I would do so at any cost. Even if I had to lead an army of ghouls and lay waste to everything.

Cerberus was building my legion of shadow hounds, coupled with the forces I already have at Ryomen and the amount of ghouls I'm able to make. It would be enough to take over a city or so.

But what I wanted was more than a legion that could take over a city. I wanted one that could face the demon king's army. An army that has taken over countless other worlds. But first, I'll have to face this city, then Conquest and whatever abominations he'll bring with him. My gut tells me he has a powerful race behind his back just by how Khalissi speaks of him.

"Hmph, no fair. You got me excited with the smell of blood, and I could do nothing but watch," Khalissi, the beautiful demon, stood beside me with a pouty expression on her face.

"You know, I remember the time when the demon army went to this world run by lizard men. That was a bloody war. One of the quickest ones we've won. It ended in just 10 years, and that's just because Conquest was the first horseman to go there. It was a bloody war, and the scene here reminds me of it."

Now that I've got her talking, I was a bit curious.

"Has the demon king ever lost a war?"

"No, though we've faced some resistance. Especially during the Elven war that started over 400 years ago and is still going on to this day. The red horseman is the one fighting against them."

"The red horseman? That's the horseman called War, right?"

"He hates that name," Khalissi chuckled. "He prefers his real name."

"His real name?" I questioned, feeling a bit curious.

"Abaddon, the fallen angel. He was the general of Lucifer's army. In fact, in the beginning, it was just the two."

Interesting…

Learning about the powerful foes I would likely have to face off against in the future made me want to level up even more. This world of mine was in more danger than they realized. A place like Purgatory would never survive. I felt certain of it.

Right now, it was fine as is, but in the future, they would crumble like sand and fall. And their deaths would only empower the demons, making some evolve. It wasn't only them; it was true for most places on this earth. Even Ryomen. That's why I have to make them and myself stronger in the coming years.

"Alright, I think it's time for us to leave," I said.

The vampires were coming, far more than I expected.

No…

It wasn't only them. Someone else was with them. Someone powerful.

Could this be him, the head of the Veylmont clan? Of course he would come after me after what I did to his son. But the only thing he'll find is the same monsters I turned his son into.

It was cruel for any father to experience something like this, and for an unstable vampire, it was a hundred times worse.

This was all a part of my plan. If he couldn't catch me, then naturally his rage would spread throughout the entire city instead.

…

In just a few minutes after Liam left, the head of the Veylmont clan arrived at the five-star hotel. He and his army of over 200 vampires spread throughout the hotel like a virus. Their figures, dressed completely in black, flickered about.

"What are these creatures?" they questioned.

All that was there to greet them were corpses that were being feasted on by monsters with black eyes.

Seeing these creatures once again, Cassius Veylmont felt something well up inside of him. To him, this was the biggest disrespect he's received in all the centuries he has been alive.

He had lost two sons, sons that were meant to carry on his family's rich legacy. A legacy that has strived for countless centuries. Now, even his own men looked at him as if he had been defeated.

"Clan leader!"

Suddenly, every vampires and ghouls in the hotel began clutching their heads as they fell to their knees in pain. Their skins inflated as if they were suddenly filled with air, and their eyes bulged out of their heads. Blood flowed from their eyes, ears, mouth, and every hole on their bodies until finally a loud pop! erupted all around.

They all exploded, splattering blood and pieces of flesh all over the walls and floor, adding to the ones who were already there.

"My sons will be avenged," Cassius spoke as he stood in the midst of the exploded corpses, and yet there wasn't a drop of blood on him. His voice held a deep-seated hatred. "I swear it on the life of everyone in this city."

Cassius was ready to destroy the hotel to sate his rage and frustration, but then he noticed something. The corpses that were killed by the werewolf were laid out in a strange pattern. He suddenly flickered out of sight and appeared on top of the stairs to get a good view of the corpses from above.

His eyes widened when he saw them. The corpses were arranged to form a pattern. A pattern that looked almost identical to a rose. The corpses were arranged to form the flower, and their blood was added to make it look like a rose.

His mind began to race the moment he saw this. This single detail changed his view on everything; it was enough to plant a seed of doubt in his mind, and that doubt was already growing rapidly.

The reason for this is because he knew that the Rose was the insignia for the Dracule clan. The same clan that was competing with them for the top vampire clan in the city. The same clan they have fought with for centuries.

"Could they be involved?"

This single question was enough to change everything.

…

By the time Cassius and his vampires got to the hotel, I had already merged in with the civilian population in Purgatory and was now making my way to Grey Waste. I glanced down to see Khalissi's hand interlocked with mine.

"What is the reason for this?" I asked.

"You just made me happy," she chuckled. "If I could go back in time, I would snatch you up the moment you were born and raise you into the perfect man."

"Are you saying you wish to be my mother? That is a strange wish."

"I would be everything: your mother, your lover, your teacher, and subject. I would raise you into a true king. Though it's not too late, what do you say? After we're done with this city, let's run away together. We'll come back in a few centuries when you're strong enough. You can even retake this world from the demon army and rule as its king. What do you say?"

Hearing her proposition, I couldn't help but chuckle.

"You drive a hard bargain, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer."

In a century, everyone I know and cared about would be gone.

"You may not have the ability to level up as fast as humans or other creatures, but your ceiling is much higher. I suggest you make use of that."

"I suggest you don't bring this up again." My eyes glowed bright orange as I spoke.

"Y-You don't have to threaten me. You don't threaten any of the others."

"Threats are the only thing that works on you. Are all demons this rebellious?"

"Hmph! Maybe it's because you haven't tamed me yet."

I couldn't help but smile at her response.

"I will soon enough."

Khalissi turned her face away and whispered something under her breath.

"I hope so."

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