Hellbound: Rebirth Of The Strongest Slayer.-Chapter 46: Survive infancy

Chapter 46

Honestly and sincerely speaking, Vastro had never drunk real milk before.

Not once.

After that particular disaster involving milk harvested from collapsing black holes, the taste had been so foul he swore never to drink milk again as long as he existed.

And yet.

Here he was.

Drinking milk.

But this was different.

This was not milk born from the destruction of countless planes. This came from a petite human woman’s body instead.

And disturbingly enough.

It did not taste bad.

Not even close.

It tasted divine.

Warm. Soothing. Almost intoxicating.

Extremely relaxing.

Wait.

Why am I thinking this?

Vastro froze internally. Something was wrong. This train of thought was unacceptable. Clearly, this had to be the vessel influencing him. There was no other explanation. Why else would he crave milk from a human body?

That had to be it.

And yet, despite his rational mind screaming in protest, another part of him disagreed entirely.

The milk was simply too good.

The thought of giving it up vanished from his mind without resistance.

He drank.

And drank.

And drank.

Only after several long minutes did his tiny stomach finally refuse to accept any more. Selene noticed and gently pulled him away, covering herself before giving him some water and carefully cleaning him.

Vastro considered protesting.

Briefly.

But the lingering taste and the deep relaxation flooding his body made it impossible to care.

When she finished, she wrapped him neatly in their washed and dried cloth. They had not brought spare clothes, so they made do with what little they had.

It was uncomfortable.

But not unbearable.

What bothered him far more was the truth.

He had been reborn as a human.

No matter how many times he thought about it, he was convinced hell had played a role in dragging him here. How and why remained unclear, but one thing was certain.

The retribution he planned to deliver to hell had just tripled.

Such a hateful place.

It took Vastro a few days to come to terms with his situation.

If his understanding was correct, he was now in the mortal realm. The first realm. The weakest of the eight. And worse, he was a human baby with no abilities at all.

His powers, aspects, and authority were either sealed or erased. Even a trace of his true aura would wipe the mortal realm from existence.

Inconvenient.

Annoying.

But when had small inconveniences ever stopped Vastro?

It did not matter if he was reborn as a human. It did not matter if he was thrown into the weakest realm imaginable. What mattered was simple.

He was back.

And he would rise again.

Every name on his endlessly long hit list would pay.

But first, he had to deal with his current situation.

Vastro slowly shifted his gaze.

A rough man was staring at him.

Grinning.

A lunatic grin.

Of course.

The one looking at him like that was none other than Callack.

His father.

Unlike Selene, whose smile was gentle and warm, this rough father of his wore a smile that was wild, slightly crooked, and completely unrefined.

In Callack’s defense, he had no idea how to play with kids.

And since Selene was asleep, the task had fallen to him.

Why is he not smiling even once?

Callack scratched his head, frowning. If Selene were the one playing with him, Rayden would already be smiling. But with him?

The child was just staring at him.

Like he was a clown.

"Maybe I should try a different approach," Callack muttered.

He covered his eyes with one hand, then suddenly pulled it away.

"Tada!"

He was one hundred percent confident this would work.

His hope died instantly.

Instead of the smiling baby he expected, Vastro only stared back at him blankly.

This man is seriously trying to make me smile.

The only things worthy of his smile were the destruction of several proud Eternals, the collapse of an extradimensional domain, or crossing a few more names off his hit list. Maybe devouring ancient dragons meat would do it. Possibly.

But this?

Childish tricks only worked on babies.

Yes, his body was a baby.

But spiritually? Existentially?

He was older than Callack’s great great great ancestors by a limitless margin.

That trick was never going to work.

Callack slumped back, defeated.

His plans had failed.

He gave up.

Just then, Selene woke up. One glance at her husband was enough for her to understand what had happened.

Failed again.

She patted his shoulder gently and took Vastro from him.

"Your old man is no fun, is he?" she said softly.

Vastro looked at her.

She was weak. Fragile. Mortal.

Yet somehow, he felt connected to her.

He felt something similar toward Callack too, though not as deeply.

Selene smiled and decided it was time to feed him.

Baby Vastro, or rather Rayden as the couple knew him, smiled immediately.

Callack felt utterly and absolutely defeated.

For a moment, he seriously questioned his life choices.

It was not entirely his fault.

One of the main reasons Vastro favored his mother was simple.

She was the source of the divine milk.

He did not resist this time.

He opened his mouth as the warm, heavenly liquid flowed in.

What was he saying earlier about what could make him smile?

Well.

Aside from roasted dragon meat, divine milk could also get the job done.

The routine continued.

The parents played with him. They caught fish. Callack used a strange tool that could produce flames to cook. They talked quietly about their bitter experiences. About the king’s cruelty. About the slaughter of newborns.

About Rugriay.

Sometimes, they reminisced. Sometimes, they mourned.

They knew the truth.

Whatever devilish entity had appeared had undoubtedly destroyed the kingdom.

Its origin remained a mystery.

But since it no longer pursued them, they chose not to dwell on it.

They had survived.

For now.

Callack often wondered what had happened to his friend, Grey. Whether he had survived at all.

The honest answer was simple. He was probably dead.

No one had expected the sudden attack. The slaughter came without warning. Not even Callack knew where that devilish entity had crawled out from, how it appeared, or why it had chosen to erase an entire kingdom as if it meant nothing.

While the parents mourned in quiet, Rayden had thoughts of his own.

He was mortal now.

Yet the Hellbrand still clung to him. For all intents and purposes, it was useless. No power. No response. Just a reminder of what he once was.

Apart from the quest and the few notifications he received before everything went dark, there was nothing else. And worse, the rewards he was promised after rebirth still had not been concluded.

Which meant one thing.

There was more trouble ahead

Quest: SURVIVE INFANCY

Reward: ?????

Remark:

Host, congratulations. You have been born for less than ten minute and are already at risk of death.

This must be a new record.

Vastro sighed internally.

A long way to go in his rise back to the top. But first things first. He needed to escape this vast ocean. That, at least, he would achieve through his parents.

The routine continued for weeks.

Gradually, Vastro grew fond of Selene. More than fond, really. As for Callack, he held no dislike toward him, but there was no real bond either. Not yet. One could say the divine milk played the greatest role in that. Selene was nurturing, always holding him close. Callack, on the other hand, was distant. Always alert. Always wary.

The days passed, filled with tension.

Great beasts moved beneath the depths. Massive shadows slid past the ship. Creatures that could erase them in a heartbeat. Yet none of them paid any attention. Still, the tension never faded. Knowing that any one of those horrors could strike at any moment kept the air heavy.

Selene clutched her child close, her grip tightening whenever the sea grew too quiet.

Callack stood ready for battle.

He knew he would lose. He knew it with certainty. But he stood anyway.

The danger, however, never came.

They sailed through the great ocean safely.

What none of them realized was that the aura of Iscais still lingered around them. To the beasts of the deep, that faint presence screamed death. So they kept their distance, choosing caution over extinction.

Vastro also came to terms with his new name.

Rayden.

It sounded cold. Sharp. Unfamiliar. But he grew used to it.

Vastro was dead. At least in name.

Deep down, he was still Vastro.

For now, he would go by Rayden.

Until the day he climbed back to his peak.

He had already planned everything out in a couple thousand ways, each different from the last.

His plan was perfect.

He would make sure his rise was unstoppable. Not by hell. Not by any force. Humans were the least of his worries. Vastro grinned internally, confidence coiling tight in his chest. He would rise again. Soon enough.

As long as he did not die.

After a few more weeks of sailing, the group finally saw land. A vast stretch of green appeared on the horizon. A forest, dense and ancient from the look of it. If the maps held true, it would lead to another kingdom. Or at least a settlement.

Callack and Selene smiled.

Relief washed over their faces. At last, they would leave this accursed ocean behind. At last, solid ground. At last, safety.

Rayden did not share their joy.

He frowned internally.

Why do I feel like the hard part of the journey is only just beginning?

His eyes drifted toward the looming forest, dark and unmoving, as if it were watching them approach. A cold sensation crept into his chest. Not fear. Instinct.

His gaze shifted to the corner of his vision.

The system notification was still there.

He did not open it.

He did not need to.

He knew what it says

Quest: Survive infancy.

It was still active.

That meant the danger was not over.

Worse.

The real danger might just be beginning.

TO BE CONTINUED...