Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 195

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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195
The vampires approached to drink my blood, and I let another drop fall to the floor.
This droplet was not refined like before—instead, I had maximized its toxicity, and it burned a hole straight through the stone.
The stench was different too. This time, a reek so vile that even humans could detect it filled the entire hall.
“Ugh!”
The vampires, sensitive-nosed by nature, clamped their hands over their faces.
“I can control my blood however I wish. If you drink without my permission, you won’t enjoy the consequences.”
“…What do you gain from this?”
“Nothing. I simply want to land a blow on Morax.”
“Excellent!”
Valefor glided through the air and descended before me.
“Bepar! You mustn’t let him drink your blood! Vampires are—wait!”
Valefor pressed down on Razgas with overwhelming force.
“Valefor, if you hurt her, there will be no blood.”
“As long as that filthy succubus keeps her mouth shut, I have no desire to spill her blood across my castle.”
“Razgas, don’t worry.”
I reassured Razgas and extended my arm for Valefor to bite, but his expression shifted to confusion.
“Surely you weren’t thinking of my neck? I’d rather not have a man’s lips on my throat.”
“Fine, it doesn’t matter.”
This vampire’s poor composure made it obvious he believed he had deceived me. That illusion wouldn’t last long.
Valefor’s fangs were only slightly pointed, but they elongated further to draw blood more deeply.
I relaxed my body, allowing his fangs to pierce through.
The unpleasant sensation of teeth tearing through flesh as he drank my blood.
His face twisted in ecstasy as he eagerly drained me.
Once he had drunk his fill, Valefor withdrew from my arm and stepped back.
“Kahahaha!”
He laughed so loudly the hall trembled, radiating an overwhelming crimson aura.
He had been strong before, but after drinking my blood, his power had visibly surged.
“Foolish humans! This is why you remain nothing but prey for us great vampires! Kneel before your magnificent ruler!”
Valefor’s command struck at me—an edict that interfered with the soul itself.
“…Huh?”
Seeing me standing rigid, Valefor’s eyes widened in shock.
“Kneel!”
I stared at him blankly.
“How…how is this possible?”
“You kneel instead.”
“Gack!”
Valefor was crushed by an invisible force, but he resisted through sheer will.
“Kneel.”
I lowered my voice and commanded once more.
Valefor’s knees buckled against the stone floor, and soon his hands and forehead followed, his entire body prostrating in absolute submission.
“All of you—kneel.”
I commanded the vampires who had been circling like predators, and without exception, every vampire in the vicinity collapsed flat against the ground.
“Bepar, sir?”
Razgas stared at me in utter bewilderment.
“Ah, I came across a research tome about vampires.”
It was knowledge I had gleaned from a book in the Administrator’s Tower.
“Two critical facts stood out. First, the types of blood vampires crave—pure blood, from virgins or children, and the blood of the strong. Second, if a vampire resists a blood contract, the contract binds them instead.”
“But how could a human possibly….”
Valefor trembled violently, his forehead still pressed against the floor.
“Ah! You absorbed souls from the River of Souls, which allowed you to resist!”
Razgas clapped her hands together in realization.
“Exactly. The odds were in my favor. If I could resist Metatron, I could certainly resist a demon lord of this caliber. And if it didn’t work, I was prepared to flee.”
“So your claim about resisting Metatron wasn’t mere bluster?”
Valefor was dismayed, but the contract was already sealed.
“Then you intend to command all the vampires as your subordinates?”
“At minimum, you and your followers, yes.”
Valefor trembled with barely contained rage.
“Don’t be so resentful. I have no intention of restricting your actions. How you live in the Demon Realm is entirely your freedom.”
“Then why… why have you enslaved us?”
“First of all… don’t speak so casually to me, you wretch.”
“Ugh. Understood. My Lord. But you just said you wouldn’t impose restrictions….”
Valefor’s face contorted as he fought against my command, the pain and humiliation of resistance causing veins to bulge across his pale features, flushing them crimson.
“Well, yes. But casual speech is rather disrespectful, don’t you think? I am your master, after all.”
“Yes.”
“In any case, I don’t intend to remain in the Demon Realm long. I have a few more matters to settle before I depart. One of them is dealing with Morax.”
“…I apologize, but I cannot defeat Morax.”
His face twisted with frustration, yet the blood contract bound him to speak only truth. My strength had grown, but not enough to overcome Morax.
“I understand. But you mentioned another one—another self-proclaimed demon lord?”
“You mean Marbas? That creature… will not listen to reason.”
“You didn’t listen either, and look at your current state.”
“…”
“The other vampires should drink my blood as well. We need to strengthen our forces before the battle.”
I swept the expensive ornaments from a decorative bowl and filled it with my blood. Though the vampires were numerous, they were fewer than Morax’s forces, and I could not afford a massacre if we clashed head-on without preparation.
Despite their subjugation to me, the vampires could not hide their hunger for blood, and one by one they crept cautiously toward the bowl.
“Share it among yourselves and stand ready. Valefor, Razgas—come with me.”
“Yes….”
“Yes!”
I departed the Vampire Castle, dragging along the vampire and succubus whose attitudes toward me differed so starkly.
Now it was time to meet the other demon lord, Marbas.
“Lord, Marbas is a creature without thought. He won’t listen to reason.”
“Morax didn’t seem particularly deep-thinking either, did he?”
“That’s not the case, Valefor. Morax may look like an ignorant beast, but he’s actually a very cunning demon. He’s a schemer who brings in contracts from places we’ve never even heard of.”
“That’s right. In contrast, Marbas has no thoughts whatsoever. He’s only interested in fighting. His raw strength is comparable to Morax’s.”
Valefor nodded in agreement with Razgas’s words.
“That works out well.”
I headed toward Marbas’s dwelling with Valefor and Razgas.
“…Is this the place?”
Marbas’s dwelling was a cave. But it was a natural cavern with no decorations or signs of any handiwork whatsoever.
“Yes, sir. He has no interest in anything but combat. This cave isn’t even deep. He only sleeps here with the thought that as long as he avoids the rain, that’s enough. Because of this temperament, he doesn’t have a single subordinate.”
“As long as he uses his strength well, I don’t care about anything else. Marbas!”
I shouted into the cave, and my voice echoed within.
“Grrrrrrr….”
A low, bestial growl.
It was more than just sound. That low rumble carried an oppressive weight that stirred the primal fear in those who heard it.
“A face I haven’t seen before. Where are you from? The Western Region? The Southern Region?”
What emerged from the cave was a powerfully built demon. He wore only black pants, seemingly unconcerned with clothing.
His black skin and black hair stretched out like a lion’s mane, and a magnificent pair of horns jutted skyward as if piercing the heavens.
“How did you know I’m not from the Eastern Region?”
“Because there’s no one left in the Eastern Region who could fight me. Come on, let’s fight.”
He suggested fighting so abruptly that he proved even more belligerent than expected.
“Wait, I have no intention of fighting you.”
“I hate talkative ones.”
Without listening to my words, Marbas charged at me.
“Valefor!”
As Marbas attacked me, Valefor transformed into mist and struck from the side.
Marbas spread his fingers wide and slashed through the mist-form Valefor.
“Kugh!”
A long wound opened across Valefor’s chest as he reverted to his vampire form.
Had I not reinforced him with my blood, the damage would have been far worse.
Though Valefor’s attack didn’t land, it bought me precious time.
I unleashed a barrage of punches at Marbas’s exposed flank and back as his body twisted.
Even striking with near-full force in our unified state, my consecutive blows seemed to merely graze him—his body swayed slightly before he spun around and lashed out at me with his hand.
As strong as Morax, they said—and it was true. In a one-on-one fight, neither Valefor nor I had any real chance of victory.
Together with Valefor, we attacked relentlessly from front and back, striking and retreating.
Valefor created dozens of blood blades at a distance and manipulated them, leaving shallow wounds across Marbas’s body.
While Valefor’s blades dealt minimal damage, the force packed into Marbas’s fists was such that even a glancing blow could tear my head clean off. The battle raged on for a long time amid the tension of walking on thin ice.
“You cowardly bastards!”
Irritated by their combined assault, Marbas’s attacks grew wilder.
Seizing the opening, I grabbed his right fist, pulled him down, and pressed my weight onto his back.
“Valefor!”
Valefor seized my left arm and drove it downward with crushing force.
“Krraaahhh!!!”
Even pinned, I thrashed like the earth itself was convulsing, spewing demonic energy in all directions.
Yet Marbas’s demonic power, formidable as it was in close combat, dealt no meaningful blow to me merged with the Demon King Valefor.
“Hold still for a moment!”
I drove my elbow repeatedly into the back of Marbas’s head.
Only after striking his vital points several times did he finally cease his struggles.
“Grrr… I lost… Kill me.”
“Lost? This wasn’t a one-on-one fight. Get up.”
I released Marbas first and commanded Valefor.
“What?…! You say? Uh, uh…”
As I rose, Valefor hastily retreated backward as well.
“Are you mocking the defeated?”
“No, I didn’t even want to fight today. You just wouldn’t listen.”
“What do you mean, listen?”

“You enjoy fighting?”
“A Warrior who does not relish combat is no Warrior at all.”
“Could you win against Morax?”
“If he doesn’t cowardly swarm me like you lot do.”
Valefor grumbled.
“Fine. We’ll handle the small fry. You take Morax. I’ll set the stage for you to face him.”
“…Why?”
“I don’t like Morax.”
“That’s reason enough.”
I grasped Marbas’s hand and pulled him to his feet.
“As expected, Lord. You’ll join forces to slay Morax, then kill Marbas next.”
Valefor whispered into my ear.
“No? He seems too useful to kill. Why would I?”
“…Then, what of the Eastern Demon Realm?”
“You’ll rule it.”
“Lord, I shall serve you for all my days.”
Valefor, who had suddenly become a Demon King, bowed respectfully. For the first time, he was entirely sincere.
We returned to Vampire Castle and began preparing to strike Morax.
“Should we attack now?”
I asked Valefor.
“I understand now why Lord gets along with Marbas. Obviously not.”
His expression clearly betrayed the thought: how can this fool be my Lord?
“Why? You and the vampires handle Morax’s subordinates, and Marbas faces Morax—isn’t that enough?”
“While our forces are considerable, they pale in comparison to Morax’s subordinates. If we charge in recklessly, we risk mutual annihilation. We must conduct preliminary operations first.”
“Mutual annihilation, you say….”
The prospect of the entire Demon Race perishing didn’t strike me as an altogether terrible notion.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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