Chapter 25

I start my inspection of 『Absorb』.

The method to trigger 『Absorb』 is extremely simple.

You have to suck the target’s vitality ― their blood.

The effect of 『Absorb』 is ― to absorb the target’s abilities by sucking the target’s vitality.

This is that thing, huh?

Commonly referred to as the cheat skill of those “Overpowered” protagonists – Plundering Skills.

I can test it on my subordinates, can’t I?

I shift my eyes towards the subordinates arrayed before my eyes.

Slime, rat, bat, wolf, black wolf, goblin, goblin archer, goblin fighter, kobold, kobold fighter, kobold knight, orc, dark elf, giant bat, ghoul, and lycanthrope.

16 types of subordinates in total.

I can get more than 16 different kinds of abilities?

I wonder, with whom should I start…?

My chest swells in anticipation, as I slowly scrutinize my subordinates.

Should I go in order from the weakest one? Psychologically, it would be best for the obtained abilities to gradually get stronger, right?

I calmly walk to the the green puddle in front of me ― the slime.

――!?

Does this guy possess any blood?

No wait, according to the description it should be fine as long as I absorb its vitality…in other words, I’m going to have to slurp this pool of liquid?

Let’s postpone the slime. I move in front of the rat.

…….

The huge rat with its dull gray color looks up to me with its innocent round and cute eyes.

You are telling me to bite this?

After that, the bat, wolf, goblin, kobold…I let my eyes wander across my subordinates.

Sucking these guys’ blood ― biting them, has quite a high emotional degree of difficulty, doesn’t it?

After transforming into a Demon King, I lost all memories of individuals. As a side effect of that, I also lost the emotion called guilt.

However, except for that, my emotions haven’t changed that much compared to my time as a human being.

Going by how 『Absorb』 works, which I understand by instinct, it’s necessary to directly absorb the vitality from the target. Drinking blood after cutting the target with a sword is a no go.

Considering all feelings of guilt vanished after I became a Demon King, I wonder whether an emotion such as a craving for blood had been planted at the time when I became a vampire.

Shaa!

Encouraging myself, I embraced a female dark elf and sank my sharp canines into her seductive neck.

―Absorb!

A mellow, deep sweetness permeates my mouth. The dark elf’s vitality (blood), which soon poured down my throat into my stomach, spreads throughout my body.

“M-Master…a-any more than this…”

And suddenly, I heard a bewitching whisper next to my ear.

―!?

I shift my eyes to the dark elf I had embraced.

In my arms, the owner of the voice ― the dark elf, twitched with her black skin blushing.

“That just now…was your voice?” (Shion)

“Yes master. It was my voice. I’m terribly sorry.”

Once I threw words at her, I received a reply from the dark elf, who averted her eyes while looking bashful.

“M-My words are getting through to you…?” (Shion)

“Yes, they are. Master’s gracious words are reaching me.”

Hearing the dark elf’s response, I’m thrown into confusion.

“What happened…?” (Shion)

“I-I do not know. However, after my blood was sucked by master, I became able to understand master’s gracious words.”

The breathing of the dark elf, who answered right next to my ear, tickles my ear.

“…Whoa!? S-Sorry!?” (Shion)

Noticing my current state ― still embracing the dark elf, I remove my hands in a hurry and release the dark elf.

“This sullied body of mine… Excuse my rudeness.”

The dark elf, who ended up being pushed away by me, reveals a sad expression for an instant and then immediately bows her head in her usual, dignified manner.

“N-No, to call yourself sullied or something like that…it’s not like that…” (Shion)

I pile up excuses in a flustered tone and then operate the smartphone in order to escape the awkward situation.

Name: Shion

Aptitude: Chaos

Race: Demon King (Vampire)

Lv.: 3

CP: 267

Body: C (D)

Mana: C (D)

Knowledge: E

Creation: C

Alchemy: B

BP: 2

Special Abilities:

– Demon King

– Domain Creation

– Subordinate Creation

– Item Creation

– Darkness Veil

– Dark Arrow

– Dark Induction

– Vampire

– Absorb

– Language (Elf)

– Fire Magic (Elementary)

– Eagle Arrow

– Blood Chalice

– Contract

――!

Three types of new special abilities were added on the status display.

Language (Elf): You can understand the elven language.

Fire Magic (Elementary): You can manipulate fire attribute magic (Elementary Level).

Eagle Arrow: Firing an arrow with high precision from a far distance.

I see. That explains how I suddenly became able to talk with the dark elf.

That means…I call another male dark elf.

“My words getting through to you as well?” (Shion)

“Yes, they do, my lord.”

The male dark elf replies to my words.

I was overjoyed by the unexpected byproduct of 『Absorb』.

I wonder if I will be able to learn other languages if I use 『Absorb』 on races other than dark elves.

My chest swelling in expectation, I embrace the next subordinate ― a lycanthrope （♂）.

Now, it’s time to eat!

I stab my canines into the lycanthrope’s neck.

…Bland? Compared to the dark elf, an unsatisfactory, thin taste spreads in my mouth.

“Nn…nn…C-Creator-sama…if you continue like this…”

Due to the bewitching male whisper, I reflexively push off the lycanthrope whom I held in my arms.

“…Higu!?”

I guess I should continue creating lycanthropes until I manage to create a female lycanthrope… While harboring some feelings of regret, I operate the smartphone and check my status.

Name: Shion

Aptitude: Chaos

Race: Demon King (Vampire)

Lv.: 3

CP: 273

Body: C (D)

Mana: C (D)

Knowledge: E

Creation: C

Alchemy: B

BP: 2

Special Abilities:

– Demon King

– Domain Creation

– Subordinate Creation

– Item Creation

– Darkness Veil

– Dark Arrow

– Dark Induction

– Vampire

– Absorb

– Language (Lycanthrope)

– Blood Chalice

– Contract

…Eh?

The only special ability I can absorb is the language? No, that’s not all!? The abilities I have absorbed from the dark elf have vanished!?

“Hey! Do you understand my words?” (Shion)

I loudly shout toward the dark elf while confused.

“Y-Yes. I do―”

“Not you!” (Shion)

I roar at the lycanthrope who answered for some reason, and run towards the dark elf.

“Are my words reaching you?” (Shion)

“※※※※”

The familiar, incomprehensible words come out of the dark elf’s mouth as she sadly casts her eyes down.

The special abilities obtained through 『Absorb』 get overwritten…?

My shoulders slouch down in anguish at my new comprehension of 『Absorb』 .

◆

28 minutes left until my CP completely recovers.

Wiping away my unpleasant feelings of disappointment, I absorbed vitality from one subordinate after the other.

As result―

Slime: Language (Slime), Liquefaction

Rat: Language (Rat)

Bat: Language (Bat), Ultrasonic Waves

Giant Bat: Language (Bat), Ultrasonic Waves

Wolf: Language (Wolf)

Black Wolf: Language (Wolf), Leadership (Wolf)

Goblin: Language (Goblin)

Goblin Archer: Language (Goblin), Archery (F)

Goblin Fighter: Language (Goblin), Ax Mastery (F)

Kobold: Language (Kobold)

Kobold Fighter: Language (Kobold), Swordsmanship (F)

Kobold Knight: Language (Kobold), Shield Mastery (F)

Orc: Language (Orc), Spearmanship (F)

With this, I grasped all the special abilities I could absorb from each of my subordinate.

If we go with a concise explanation of the special abilities, you can say that “language” is not about being able to talk, but it’s a special ability allowing one to sensibly understand the other party’s emotions by transforming them into words. ○ Mastery (also includes all -ship skills and Archery) is not about acquiring a skill like in certain games or novels, but it’s a special ability allowing one to somewhat instinctively understand how to use the respective weapon.

Once I looked at my status, my CP had reached the upper limit (300). I decide to postpone the smaller verifications and switch over to the bloodkin experiment.

…Oh right, the ghoul? That guy alone, I don’t tolerate psychologically.

Chapter 26

Finally I’m going to start my most anticipated experiment.

I push out both hands with my palms pointing upwards and chant,

―Blood Chalice

I sense how my vitality is flowing into my hands.

…Ugh, it’s intense. Probably as an effect of releasing all of my vitality, I’m assaulted by a heavy feeling of fatigue.

A short while later, I feel as if something was placed in my hands.

Once I opened my eyes, I found a silver chalice filled with a red liquid resting in my hands.

This is the blood chalice?

I beckon the female dark elf with shortly trimmed white hair over.

I bite her neck with a smack after she stood next to me, absorbing her special abilities. Once we became able to understand each, I start preparing 『Contract』.

Once I hold out my right hand, which carried the blood chalice, in front of me, the dark elf goes down on one knee, obviously showing her respect, and bows her head.

I hand the blood chalice to the dark elf.

“Alright, drink.” (Shion)

“Yes, master!”

I raise my right hand over the head of the still genuflecting dark elf, and as the red liquid in the blood chalice pours down her throat, I chant,

―Contract!

The dark elf is wrapped up by a pale radiance, and once she drinks all of the liquid inside the chalice, the radiance slowly dies out as if it is being absorbed by her body.

Is the contract complete?

I don’t sense anything particularly unusual. I drop my sight onto the dark elf in front of me.

“Master, I would feel honored to be granted an identification.”

With the contract finished, the dark elf sends a passionate look in my direction.

“…Identification?” (Shion)

“Yes. Despite this sullied body of mine, I was sublimated from a mere dark elf into master’s bloodkin. As testament of offering my everything to master, I would feel honored to be bestowed an identification.”

In short, please give me a name now that I have become a bloodkin, is what she means?

“Identification…a name, huh…? Let’s see…umm, Chloe, how about the name Chloe?” (Shion)

“…Chloe. My identification is Chloe! This Chloe might be inexperienced, but I vow to offer my everything for the sake of accomplishing master’s supremacy!” (Chloe)

“Y-Yeah. Let’s do our best together, okay?” (Shion)

Even while feeling a little odd at her level of enthusiasm, I replied to Chloe’s zealous declaration.

I created my first, long-awaited bloodkin, but she’s the only one for now. Since I can’t just tell her to go outside the Domain all by herself, I ordered her to stay on standby at this place for now.

Now then, what should I do next?

If I had infinite CP, there would be countless things I would want to do.

For example, more bloodkin. If I’m going to send them outside my Domain, at the very least, I want a party consisting of 4 or more bloodkin. Moreover, I want to give my bloodkin the very best equipment I can currently create with alchemy.

From now on, I can’t allow myself to pointlessly waste CP even more so than I’ve been doing until now.

Thinking about where I should begin, I aimlessly operate my smartphone.

Mmh?

Upon a closer look, the 『World Salvation Project』 app had increased by an entry I’m not familiar with.

That entry is ― 【Bloodkin】.

Just like that.

This app; does it have a setup where functions are released alongside the user’s growth?

Can’t it at least display the not-yet-released entries in a locked state, something along the lines of 『？？？』, ah?

Even if I complain to the Mastermind, it won’t help. I tap the new entry 【Bloodkin】.

Only 『１. Chloe』 is shown on the display.

I tap the characters of Chloe’s name.

『

Name: Chloe

Race: Dark Elf

Rank: C

LP: 0/10

Body: D

Mana: E

Special:

– Fire Magic (Elementary)

– Dagger Mastery (G)

– Archery (G)

– Eagle Arrow

Subordinates:

【Composition】

』

I can check their status once they’ve become my bloodkin? LP, what’s that?

Continuing on, I tap 【Composition】.

『Please choose subordinates to be put under the bloodkin’s command.』

Hah?

Seriously, it’s really lacking explanations all over.

A list of my subordinates is shown on the smartphone’s display. Two different values are written next to each of my subordinates’ race.

These numbers are…?

The values next to “Dark Elf” are 『９』 and 『１０』, the values next to “Lycanthrope” are 『１』 and 『３０』, the values next to “Ghoul” are 『１』 and 『３０』, the values next to “Goblin” are 『９６』 and 『２０』…

The left value is the amount I currently have, isn’t it? It checks out with the number of created subordinates.

What about the right value…?

As a test, I choose dark elf.

Once I selected dark elf, the displayed number of dark elves changed from 9 to 8.

Did it enter under her command? I select one more dark elf as test.

『Error: Insufficient LP.』

Insufficient LP? LP is necessary to put them under her command?

Ah!?

I press the back button, returning to Chloe’s status screen.

『

Name: Chloe

Race: Dark Elf

Rank: C

LP: 10/10

Body: D

Mana: E

Special:

– Fire Magic (Elementary)

– Dagger Mastery (G)

– Archery (G)

– Eagle Arrow

Subordinates: Dark Elf

【Composition】

』

I see.

Two kinds of values are written next to subordinates on the composition screen. One is the number of subordinates, and the other is the consumed LP.

LP…is an abbreviation for Leadership Points?

The lowest value is 10 LP. The ones falling under that category are rat, slime, dark elf. Next in line are the wolf, bat, and goblin at 20 LP, kobold, ghoul, orc, and lycanthrope at 30 LP.

10 LP at rank F, 20 LP at rank E and 30 LP at rank D. If it’s the same race, the LP will be reduced. I suppose that’s the rough specification here?

And, the subordinates under the bloodkin’s command can go outside the Domain.

Now I finally understand the reason why the monsters, who rampaged outside Domains that were shown on pictures and videos, were of the same kind.

Well then, guess it’s time to start preparing for the invasion of the hero-sama.

I began getting ready to fight against the announced hero invasion.