Reborn As The Villain In A Game-Like World-Chapter 17: No Right

’I just wanted a taste, that was all.’

Jack cursed in his mind as his vision went red, and he was overcome with an odd mixture of pure ecstasy and blood-boiling rage. The more blood he extracted from Imryll, the harder it felt to suppress the vampiric instincts that he had been ignoring until now.

"Ugh—AHHHH." He clutched his head. It felt like it was splitting in half. His elongated claws dug into his skin, dampening his hair with his own blood. He desperately tried to shake away the thoughts, the impulses, everything that this body demanded he do.

’You dare to share a bed with livestock? She tried to kill you. A mere, foolish spy tried to sever your neck! Aren’t you angry? You teach magic to someone you don’t plan to control? She offered her body, which includes her mind!’

He tried to lay down to sleep next to Imryll, who was passed out, but the voices got louder and louder instead. His body was furious that he didn’t punish someone who had the audacity to aim for his life. Jack’s human rationality finally faltered, and he listened to the voices. Slowly, he began to agree that he had been too soft.

Meanwhile, Melinda stood in the corner of the room, ready to take Imryll to a bed in the servant quarters, knowing that Jack hated to share his bed with anyone. To her surprise, he had laid down for a moment and closed his eyes. She couldn’t believe it and walked over. As she was about to ask Jack if she should move the woman, his eyes snapped open. His gaze was fierce and filled with killing intent.

Melinda was terrified but quickly realised the intent wasn’t directed at her... but instead at the elven woman. His eyes became more and more devoid of emotion, as if something was taking him over. This wasn’t the Jack that Melinda had become used to, no. It was the monster within.

"D-Jack?" Melinda called out, but he ignored her. He got out of bed and stood up, his usual imposing height feeling even more impactful as his naked form towered over the bed, shrouded in the moonlight. He turned around to face the bed, and his claws extended to become daggers. He grabbed the barely breathing elf’s head, leaving deep cuts along her face, which contorted in pain, but she didn’t wake up.

Jack then muttered under his breath with a semblance of calm, "I am no longer that weak kid in the hospital bed that was betrayed and put down like a sick dog. No, I have become something more, something greater. I have a purpose now, and I won’t be looked down on again."

His eyes flared a dangerous red—he picked up the elf and threw her against the far wall with surprising strength. The wall cracked, and the elf was shocked awake. Jack walked around the bed with slow steps, his imposing form dwarfing the woman on the floor.

"A little worthless bitch tried to kill me? Who gave you the courage? Do you think you could assassinate me and not receive punishment?" His voice came out in snarls. Far different from his usual composed demeanour.

Jack extended his arm and easily lifted the elf from the floor by her neck. "Melinda, hand me the silver daggers she was hiding." He commanded, holding out an empty hand in wait.

Melinda had been asked to remove Imryll’s clothes from the bathroom earlier. She had found it strange that there was a small silver dagger hidden in Imryll’s boots, but now some of the dots were connecting. This elf had the capability of killing her master.

Running out of the room to retrieve the dagger, her steps slowed.

’Should I listen to the vampire’s orders or help Imryll in killing him? Even if we were both armed with silver daggers, did we really stand a chance? I thought he was better than other vampires, but it seems he still has that bloodthirsty, wild side.’

Melinda thought as she got the daggers and returned to the room, where she continued to hear the elf’s desperate struggles. Entering, she saw Jack still looming over the assassin. It was hopeless; they had no way to beat him.

’Besides, Velmira royalty, and especially the elves, despise those from Veranthos. If this elf dug deeper and found out where my noble name originates from, she would have me killed. I can’t believe I’m going to side with a vampire.’

She handed Jack the silver daggers but said in a small voice, "Jack, are you in control? This... isn’t you. You’re not acting rationally like usual. I thought you were a bit more human than this."

Jack paused. Mentally, he knew this wasn’t right. But the vampire in him demanded he slaughter this lower species that had tried to kill him. He had managed to repress it until now, but after drinking her blood, the shackles he had used to restrain those impulses had been torn away in a blood-fuelled rage.

"You’re right, Melinda. I’m not acting like a rational human. I’m acting like a vampire; one fated to be killed by everyone around him."

Snarling, Jack held the dagger up to the breathless elf and put the blade against her neck. Just before he could plunge the dagger into her neck to kill her like she had tried to against him earlier, Jack’s [Control Freak] trait whispered into his ear.

’Why kill such a useful pawn?’

Imryll spat in Jack’s face and said with a shallow voice, "Kill me, you monster."

Jack’s [Germaphobe] trait fought back against his instincts, making him want to reel back. He put the dagger in his own mouth and, with a single bite, shattered the silver dagger before spitting the pieces back into her face. He didn’t want to kill her, and he took advantage of the very brief moment of clarity to destroy the weapon he was about to kill with. The [Control Freak] trait then came in at the last moment, offering his vampire side a solution it would accept before he fell back into the madness.

’Control over killing. Once I calm down, I can always release her. But unlike the end-game villain Prince August, I can’t bring back the dead.’

"Death would be too easy for you. Serve me instead," Jack insisted.

"I would never... serve... such a bastard."

"It was an order, not a request. If you want to live, please listen to me. I’m not in control."

Jack held the woman’s head and sank his fangs in once again, this time forcing his Blood Magic into the woman’s system. Her eyes became slightly hazy but then returned to normal. Imryll grinned.

"What kind of a vampire says please? You are pretty fucking weak for a vampire."

Jack glared at the woman with contempt and tried to figure out how to overcome her mental defences. Before he became overcome with rage again, he had to think deeply. There had to be a way to progress his Blood Magic as he had with his Psychic skills; he just had to tap more into his vampire side.

"I might regret this," Jack hissed through clenched teeth.

Closing his eyes and digging into his mind, he unleashed the repressed memories from the previous Jack. The memories of a true vampire.

* * *

A long stone table with dismembered body parts from various races covered every inch of it. Around the table stood men and women with either white or black hair. They all had blood-red eyes that seemed to gleam in the darkness. Blood flowed off the table and dripped onto the floor.

Jack found himself standing at the end of the table, and two stood next to him. Jack recognised the boy as Karpov, his elder brother, and the girl to be Vanity, his younger sister.

Karpov turned to Jack with a sneer on his face. "Jack, isn’t this great? A feast for your birthday!" Karpov then grabbed a leg that looked to be from a female human and bit deeply into the tender meat.

"You know I hate these dirty things, Karpov," Jack answered with disdain. "Did you even wash these bodies before cutting them up?"

Karpov just grinned in response. "Of course not. Got these fresh from a local mine! Should still be covered in delectable sweat and grime!"

Jack almost gagged and turned to leave. Karpov grabbed Jack’s shoulder and said in a low voice, "Brother, you always were a weakling. How can a vampire be scared of a little blood?"

Jack turned and said in a cold tone, "I don’t fear blood. I’m just not a savage like the rest of you. I have standards I wish to maintain."

Karpov had a dangerous glint in his eye. "I’d be careful what you say, Jack. Insulting the vampire race’s way of life is a quick way to the grave."

Jack just scoffed in reply, "This is no way to live. Look around." He pointed to a vampire in the corner with a dead corpse of a beastman. Then in another corner was a cage containing some half-alive slaves. "I refuse to raise my Blood Magic if this is what I will become," Jack said with resolution.

Karpov sneered, "Then you have no right to rule over that which you despise."

Jack nodded in agreement. "I shall take my leave, then."

* * *

Jack looked back at the woman who had called him a weak vampire. He grinned.

’For some reason, releasing those repressed memories has helped me regain control. The previous Jack refused to raise his Blood Magic because he was afraid it would turn him into a lust-filled beast. But considering my human soul has merged with this body, I should be able to control myself to a degree.’

"You call me weak?" Jack snorted. "Don’t compare me to those creatures that hide away in caves and fulfil their disgusting desires from night till dawn."

He reached inside himself and slowly undid the self-imposed bindings on his Blood Magic.

Power surged through his body, and he screamed. A blood-curdling scream.

Imryll tried to drag her bloodied body across the floor and escape but quickly found Melinda’s foot on her head.

"Why?" she croaked out, looking up at Melinda.

Melinda had a confused expression. She didn’t exactly know why she was helping Jack like this, but it felt right and the best thing to do. "Just stay there and wait," Melinda replied. "Running is pointless."

Jack took a few minutes before he regained his composure. To his pleasant surprise, Melinda had stopped his prey from escaping. Reaching down, he grabbed the elf’s face and forced open her mouth. He then cut his finger with his other hand’s claw, and a single crimson drop of blood dripped into Imryll’s open mouth before his wound quickly sealed itself up.

Her body became red hot as she screamed. Her eyes constantly shifted between blood red and her normal green colour. Eventually, the blood-red eyes won, and she slumped over before rising to her feet. Her wounds healed at a visible rate, but she seemed uninterested. Her eyes were that of a dead fish, as if she wasn’t focused on anything.

"What are my lord’s commands?" she said in a neutral, almost mechanical tone.

Before Jack could answer, a voice sounded in his head.

’Blood contract made between Noble Vampire Jack Wilson and Elf Imryll Rosethorn. Blood slave’s affinities (Space) have been unlocked.’

Jack floated over his pocket watch and looked at his status:

[Jack Wilson]

[Noble Vampire]

Schools of Magic:

[Psychic Magic (C+)]

Psychokinesis [C+]

Automatic Writing [F]

Telepathy [E]

Pyrokinesis [E]

[Blood Magic [F] → [D]]

Blood Contract [F] (New)

[Space Magic [F]] (New, gained from Blood Contract)

-None-

=Null Spells=

Mana Control [D]

=== Blood Contract === (New)

Imryll Rosethorn:

Space Magic [C+]

Dagger Arts [E]

Mana Control [D]

=== Traits ===

[Germaphobe]

Unable to learn melee skills /

Increased control over ranged spells by 100%.

[Control Freak]

Increased affinity to control skills by 10%.

[Lazy]

Increased mana regeneration while resting by 20% /

Increased EXP to learn new spells by 10%.

[Concentration]

Increased affinity with mental spells by 5%.

[Noble Aura]

Intimidation increased.

Jack grinned as he looked Imryll up and down, and his rage finally faded.

"A good villain needs loyal subordinates, after all."