Black Solstice-Chapter 25: Demon’s Doctrine of Mystics [2]

What was it like getting drained by a vampire?

This was a serious question.

...Actually, it was a weird question to ask aloud, but I genuinely needed an answer. If my memory served me right, vampires fed for survival, but in some stories, bloodsucking doubled as an act of intimacy. Of course, that was nothing but conjecture from fantasy novels. There was no solid proof that vampires viewed feeding as intimate, and I couldn’t exactly walk up to one and ask.

They were rare, after all. So far, Seraphis was the only vampire I’d encountered in the entire academy.

And she was... well, she was Seraphis.

She was hardly a standard model for her species.

Solstice Academy was just one corner of Niflheim; other vampires were likely scattered across the devil continents. The Hollow Continent was an unlikely home, so that left the remaining three.

But back to the actual question.

What did it even feel like to have your blood sucked by a vampire?

Was the experience anything like a succubus draining humans?

Come to think of it, the two species were surprisingly similar in that regard. Succubi fed on sexual energy to survive, while vampires fed on blood. Regardless of the substance, if you crossed paths with either of them, you were definitely going to be drained of something.

And right now, I was dealing with the aftermath of having my blood mercilessly sucked!

The experience was terrible! Absolutely terrible!

Have you ever felt your soul leave your body through the wrong exit?

Because that was the closest comparison my exhausted brain could come up with.

It wasn’t just pain. Pain, I could handle.

Pain was an old friend.

It felt like someone had opened a secret valve inside my neck and decided, Yes, this is premium vintage. Let’s drink the whole barrel in one go! 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

I was walking through the one of the academy’s corridor, heading toward one of my classes.

My legs had turned to wet noodles halfway through, my vision wobbling like a poorly animated cartoon, and thoughts started drifting away like lazy balloons escaping into the sky.

At one point, I was honestly convinced I could see a light.

It was a brilliant light.

If I stretched forth my hand, would I be able to grab it?

That was the lazy thought crossing through my mind.

And of course, Seraphis, who had eagerly sucked my blood like it was some kind of special smoothie, shone like a newly born star!

She definitely got the better end of the deal!

Unless a certain someone!

If I had the strength to speak at the time, I might have said something profound like:

"Never again... please... put me back... I’m empty..."

Instead, all I managed was a weak wheeze.

In short, getting drained by a vampire was, how should I put it, an enlightening experience.

There was no doubt about it.

To meet such a thirsty vampire... I must truly possess rotten luck. Even though she sucked me yesterday, my body still haven’t fully recovered.

What kind of horrible sin have I committed? There was only that one time I tried flirting with a girl and failed miserably. The time I stepped on my neighbor’s cat’s tail, only to be utterly defeated by its ferocious paw strikes. And the time I tried to play the class clown.

Surely, I wasn’t still being punished for those incidents.

I shook my head.

In any case, I really need to be more careful, or next time I’d end up drained like some empty juice box.

Clicking my tongue, I continued my rather questionable stride.

After a short while, I finally came across the door to the Simple Reishi Management classroom, a course offered under Combat Arts.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside, quickly finding a seat that wouldn’t draw much attention to me.

Unfortunately, that didn’t work because...

"Hey, check that guy out. Isn’t he a little pale?"

"He’s a freshman like us, but I can’t seem to get a read on his aura."

"Stupid. What are you talking about aura? His gloomy presence can be felt from across the room."

"Who are you calling stupid? You want to take this outside?!"

"His looks aren’t that bad, though."

"Woman, are you blind? How could someone with that complexion look good? He looks like he had his blood sucked by some vile fiend!"

Constant murmurs and whispers bounced against the walls, making my head throb. The teacher for Reishi Management had yet to arrive, allowing this idle chatter to continue endlessly.

Oh my, what’s this? You’re all showering me with such kind words that my heart can hardly bear it. I even went out of my way to sit in the back, yet my presence was still noticed. My classmates are quite considerate, aren’t they?

But honestly, aren’t you all being a bit inconsiderate? If you’re going to gossip about someone, at least do it in moderation. Who knew devils could be so energetic!

Then again, what was I supposed to do? Tell them to stop?

I didn’t even have the energy to speak! And like the last fellow said, my blood was sucked by a vile fiend!

Before I could sink any deeper into my self-pity, the classroom door slid open with a sharp thud.

A wave of silence rolled across the room.

Just like that, all chatter died instantly, as if someone had pressed a universal mute button.

A woman stepped inside.

The professor seemed pretty young — at most, in her late-twenties but probably older as a devil. She was tall and slender, her posture straight like an arrow head. Her long blonde hair softly cascaded down her shoulders and dark eyes could be seen behind rim glasses resting on her nose bridge. Her proportions were perfect to be a mage.

Upon closer inspection, I quickly recognized her as Tyrus from the Student Service Center.

Tyrus walked up to the front podium, set down the folder in her hands, and cleared her throat. "My name is Professor Tyrus, and I must say, it’s nice to see some new faces here. While Reishi Management is a basic class, it’s crucial that you learn these fundamentals if you want to become proficient sorcerers."

She paused, then added:

"I’m rather excited but I don’t want to go all on you freshblood not want to drag out an introductory lecture, so let’s skip to the main event. None of you are getting any younger, so absorb as much knowledge as you can while your minds are still fresh and unrotten. Now everyone, take out your writing materials~!"