Chapter 58: Ancient Blood (23)

"So, that was Elisa's true face?"

Herbert opened his eyes, felt his own neck, and after confirming his big-headed self was still attached, quietly let out a sigh of relief.

Phew… good, the big head is still there.

Gotta say, this is one realistic viewing experience!

When Prince Fater was beheaded by Elisa, Herbert truly felt his own head roll down along with it.

It rolled on the ground gurgling for several circles, and he almost got dizzy.

Honestly now.

What kind of Louis XVI experience card is this?

After grumbling about the overly realistic experience, Herbert squinted his eyes and recalled the "Elisa" he had seen within this memory.

Honestly speaking, Herbert was a little doubtful — was she really the vampire he was familiar with?

"Hmm, it's not that I'm discriminating, but I really can't connect her with that trash-tier vampire."

What was Elisa like in Prince Fater's memories?

Mad, arrogant, ice-cold, cruel… it fulfilled Herbert's fantasy of vampires being evil and powerful.

And what was the Elisa Herbert knew like?

Sneaky, heavy on the thief-vibes, easy to break composure, yapping and squealing wildly… mm, fulfilled Herbert's fantasy of a trash-tier vampire.

Without the prompt, who could connect these two together!

Still, thanks to the industry's foresight, every type of vampire already had precedents long ago.

Like super-broke vampires, vampires who freeze time for five seconds and frantically carry people downstairs, vampires who drink their own nosebleed, vampires who hold dual pistols and cackle weirdly…

So, no matter how embarrassing Elisa got, Herbert didn't find it strange or unexpected.

But then again, if that Elisa in the memory really was her, then what exactly had she gone through to become what she is now?

Child, what on earth did you go through?

He shook his head and sighed helplessly: "So, what exactly turned her into this sorry state?"

Was it Shikigen's fault?

【"Yo, you're awake?"】

Herbert, who had been spacing out in thought, heard this line and answered without thinking, purely on reflex: "Uh, the surgery was a success? I've turned into a girl?"

【"Mm… mm? You want to?"】

Nie Nasha was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, and said with some uncertainty:

【"Uh, although I don't recommend you do that, if you really want to, I can actually help you with it…"】

"Nothing, pretend I said nothing, I was just half-asleep."

Herbert replied without blushing or skipping a beat, his tone flat, trying to brush past the topic, and instead asked:

"What ability did I obtain?"

【"Hmph… well, let's just leave it at that."】

Nie Nasha let out a meaningful hum, and actually didn't ask further, as if nothing had happened, and answered his question:

【"Your luck this time is still not bad~ What that little bat gave you was actually the Ancient Blood of vampires."】

【"Although it's a bit thin, it is genuinely the essence blood of the vampire progenitor, and from it some rather nice abilities can be refined."】

The Progenitor's Blood?

Sounds pretty good just hearing it.

Herbert was a little excited, rubbing his hands together as he asked: "What are they? Bring them on, quick!"

【"Ehehe…"】

And at this moment, Nie Nasha suddenly let out an eerie laugh, and spoke in a drawn-out voice: 【"It's hard to explain, so let you experience it personally~"】

Herbert:?

Wait, what is She about to do?

"Wait… mm!?"

Thump-thump!

Just as Herbert was about to speak, he suddenly felt his heart pounding violently.

He felt the blood in his body flowing at breakneck speed at this moment, and his entire body's temperature shot up sharply!

"Th-this is?"

Herbert's body swayed for a moment, and he instinctively took a step forward — only for his whole person to spring up from the spot, nearly slamming straight into the ceiling of the single room.

Mm!!?

Startled, Herbert raised a hand to block just before impact, then quickly dropped back to the ground.

He didn't crash heavily onto the floor; instead, he swiftly performed a force-dispersing motion, producing only a faint sound.

Tap.

Within just a few breaths, he had rapidly adjusted his entire condition, adapting to the discomfort brought by the sudden surge in physical fitness.

Herbert raised both hands and noticed his skin was slightly flushed, looking as if it had been scalded red.

Besides that, he could also clearly hear the echo of his heartbeat within his chest reverberating through the room — thump-thump-thump-thump!

His heart was beating strongly and powerfully!

Nie Nasha's voice chimed in at just the right moment, light and breezy: 【"Did you feel it? This is the first ability you obtained — Boiling Blood."】

【"This is a rather rare ability among vampires. By raising the blood's temperature and increasing the blood flow speed, it ultimately stimulates physical ability, boosting it by at least twofold."】

For vampires, their hearts had long stopped beating, so this ability was simply incomprehensible to many of them.

【"The duration depends on the body's limit — the higher the physical strength, the longer it can last… right now you can probably last about three minutes, right?"】

【"Don't feel inferior, three minutes is already quite long~"】

But to Nie Nasha's malicious interpretation, Herbert did not see it that way.

He shook his head and said in a low voice:

"No, this ability shouldn't be called Boiling Blood."

【"Hmm?"】

"This is—Second Gear!"

That's right!

Accelerating blood flow, strengthening the body's durability… it all matches up!

So I'm the man who will become the Pirate King!

The man part, I already am.

The next step is to find a Pirate King with big waves…

【"What are you going on about now?"】

"Ahem, nothing, just ignore me."

Herbert gave a light cough, then asked: "Isn't this a vampire's exclusive ability? Won't I be found out?"

【"No, you won't~ To outsiders, this will just look like some special berserker ability. At most, they'd only suspect you have barbarian blood in you."】

Berserker-type abilities aren't all that rare in this world.

Just as Nie Nasha said, these days who doesn't have a few ways to briefly supercharge their body?

No one would be that bored and idle to deliberately study him.

"Alright, stop keeping me in suspense. Besides this, what other abilities are there?"

【"As for the rest, well, there aren't that many. Just a bit of night vision, enhanced blood production, and a teensy bit better recovery."】

Indeed, compared to Boiling Blood, these abilities could only be considered a bonus.

"Mm, are there any negative side effects?"

【"As for side effects~ I'm sorry to tell you, you probably won't have much time to sleep in the future."】

There was a hint of schadenfreude in the Trickster God's voice as he said playfully:

【"Vampires are the sleepless ones, and having gained their abilities, you'll be affected too."】

【"Gradually, your sleep will grow less and less, until eventually you can't sleep at all, and you'll have to recover your energy through means other than sleep."】

Faced with this somewhat sorrowful announcement, Herbert oddly blinked and asked in confusion:

"Hm? Isn't that an advantage?"

【"Hm?"】

(End of chapter)