Reincarnated as a Vampire Who Acquires Skills Through Blood-Chapter 90 - Weird Bunch

The talk with the orc representatives went smoothly, and once the heavy atmosphere finally began to lift, Verc found himself letting out a quiet breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He was glad that nothing violent had happened.

He had just finished building this place, and the last thing he wanted was to spend his first night scrubbing green blood off the new stone floors.

Though, honestly— the orcs were far more glad than he was that the meeting hadn’t ended in a massacre. In their minds, they had just walked into the lair of a monster and come out not only alive, but accepted. They were beyond happy that Verc had actually agreed to take them under his wing. To them, this was the start of a new era of safety.

... ... ...

"What? You have your own village? Why did you even go all the way here if you already had a place to live?"

Verc asked in disbelief.

He had been leaning against the rough stone table, listening to the history of the tribe. When he heard that they already had a functional settlement with homes and defenses, his confusion only grew. To him, moving an entire tribe through a death-trap forest seemed like a lot of unnecessary work.

"That’s because we felt that serving under you will help us survive in this forest, Lord Verc."

The elder, Mamon, answered with a deep bow.

His voice was shaky but filled with a strange kind of pride. The orcs had already started calling Verc "Lord," quickly following the example set by Tatum and the other kids. They didn’t even question the title; to them, it was the only appropriate way to address someone of his stature.

"..."

Verc just frowned, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the six representatives.

Thinking about the fact that over fifty orcs would now start addressing him as "Lord" made his head ache. It was weird enough having the seven kids do it, but adding a whole tribe of muscle-bound monsters to the mix felt like he was accidentally starting a cult.

Anyway, he didn’t say anything to correct them. He just shook his head, realizing that trying to argue with their logic was probably a losing battle.

He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around why the orcs were so desperate to serve under him, even though they had spent the last twenty minutes explaining their fears. To Verc, he was just a guy trying to get by. To them, he was a shield against the horrors of the [Cursed Forest].

So eventually, Verc decided to just let the confusion go. There was no point in overthinking it if they were willing to be useful.

’More people means more manpower.’

He thought to himself.

He did a quick mental count based on the numbers Mamon had provided. By the way, there were exactly fifty-six orcs in total, including the representatives sitting in front of him. That was a significant force.

’There’s a lot of them... I might as well use them if they really want to serve under me so badly.’

Verc said internally, his mind already drifting toward the list of chores he needed to get done.

*****

The meeting ended not long after, with the orcs being officially recognized by Verc as his underlings. At the very least, Groo’s tribe was now part of his "territory," whatever that actually meant in this lawless forest.

Verc stood up from his stone seat and looked at the group.

"So, what do you plan to do now? You can’t just stand around in the clearing forever."

Verc asked them.

Groo, the chief, stood up as well, his massive frame was almost the same size as the troll Verc defeated.

"Lord Verc, we must return to our village to retrieve our belongings. We have tools, supplies, and the rest of our seasonal stores that we cannot leave behind."

Verc nodded, which made sense.

"Are you planning to migrate closer to the clearing then? It’s a long walk back and forth."

With a look of absolute confidence, the elder, Mamon, spoke up before the chief could.

"Of course, my lord. We’ll be serving you from now on, so it’s only logical to be as near to you as possible. We cannot protect the perimeter if we are miles away."

Verc didn’t say anything to argue against that. He didn’t push them to stay or go, but he knew that having them nearby would be more convenient for the construction projects he had in mind. Instead of letting them all wander off, he opened his mouth and offered a suggestion.

"It’s better if only a few of you go back to the village to get your things. The forest is dangerous, and moving fifty people back and forth is just asking for trouble. The remaining ones who stay here should start clearing up the surrounding area to expand the clearing. We need space for you guys."

He said.

"Ah! That’s right... that’s a good idea!"

Groo exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.

He hadn’t even thought about the efficiency of splitting the group. He immediately decided to follow Verc’s words as if they were a divine command.

"Also--"

Verc added, gesturing to the wide, empty halls around them.

"You can use the first and second floor of this castle for the time being so you have a place to stay. It’s just bare stone, but it beats sleeping in the mud."

At his words, the six orc representatives froze for a second.

"...?!"

Then, all at once, they bowed their heads so low they nearly hit the table!

-THANK YOU, LORD VERC!!!

They thanked Verc from the bottom of their lungs, their deep voices booming through the hall.

They truly didn’t expect such generosity. In their experience, a powerful leader would usually make them sleep in the dirt or build their own huts immediately. Being allowed inside the "Demon King’s" actual fortress was an honor they hadn’t even dreamed of.

Verc just brushed them off with a wave of his hand, feeling a bit awkward with all the bowing.

"Just don’t make a mess."

He muttered, a bit uncomfortable.

... ... ...

... ... ...

After that, Verc excused himself and separated from the group.

He left first and started heading back toward the makeshift barn the kids had built earlier outisde the castle. Onyx was still there with Bong, and he wanted to check on them before the sun came up.

Groo, Mamon, and the other orc representatives came out of the castle not long after Verc.

TAP-

And as they stepped out into the moonlight, they saw the members of their tribe sitting silently on the ground. Usually, a group of fifty orcs would be noisy, but right now, they were being incredibly well-behaved.

And that was mostly because of the individuals standing around them.

It was Tatum, Ashley, Jed, Maya, Neit, Jai, and Moro!

The seven kids were going around and talking to the orcs, seemingly trying to be friendly and welcoming. Tatum was leaning against a tree, watching the crowd, while Ashley and Maya were talking to some of the orc women.

But for the orcs, this wasn’t a friendly social gathering...

They felt like they were being watched by a group of elite predators!

Every time one of the kids moved, the nearby orcs would flinch or sit up straighter. They felt like if they made one wrong move, these "generals" of the Demon King would strike them down.

So, after seeing their leaders finally come out of the castle, the relief was visible.

"C-Chief!"

"Elder Mamon!!!"

"Father!"

The orcs were delighted, several of them standing up to greet the representatives. They had honestly been a bit worried when Verc came out of the castle all on his own a few minutes earlier. He had walked right past them and didn’t even spare them a single look. They thought for sure he had refused to take them in and that their leaders were being executed inside. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

But now, seeing that their leaders were unharmed and alive, things were looking a bit better.

Then, in that moment--

TAP!

Groo stepped onto a slightly elevated patch of ground and raised his arms.

"Listen up! Lord Verc has accepted us! From this day forward, we serve under his name!"

He exclaimed, his voice resonating through the clearing!

Hearing this news, the orcs reacted with a mix of genuine happiness and massive relief. The tension that had been hanging over the tribe since they saw the castle finally snapped.

-GRAAAAAHHHH!!! LORD VERC!!!

They even yelled loudly as a celebration, their voices echoing through the dark woods.

The shout was loud enough to probably scare away any monster within a mile.

*****

Anyway, after the celebration died down, Groo got to work.

Just as Verc had suggested, he instructed a small group of his people to head back to the village.

"We need ten of our fastest runners. Go back, pack the essential tools and the dried meats, and bring them here. The rest of us stay to begin the work."

The group was quickly formed, made up of ten sturdy orcs. Seeing this, Tatum stepped forward from the shadows of the castle wall.

"I’ll go with them."

Tatum volunteered.

"The forest is active tonight. I can make sure they don’t run into anything they can’t handle."

Groo didn’t really have a choice but to accept. He can feel how strong Tatum was, and having one of Verc’s direct subordinates along would guarantee the safety of his men.

"We would be honored."

Groo said, bowing slightly.

And so, the ten orcs prepared to depart along with Tatum. The ten of them were visibly nervous about walking into the dark forest with him, even though they were technically allies now. They kept a respectful distance, looking at him with a mix of awe and fear.

... ... ...

After the group that would go back to the village departed into the trees, the rest of the orcs didn’t waste any time. They were eager to prove their worth to their new Lord. They started expanding the clearing, using their heavy stone axes to hack away at the giant trees.

TAK! TAK! TAK!

B O O O M--!!!

The sound of wood being chopped and heavy trunks hitting the ground began to fill the air, a steady rhythm of labor that signaled the growth of Verc’s territory.

"..."

Verc, who was now back in his room on the fifth floor, watched all of this from above. He had picked up Onyx from the barn and brought the puppy up with him. He was standing by the window, looking out through the metal bars that he had integrated into the stone.

From this height, he could see the orcs working enthusiastically. They were moving with a speed that showed they were trying to impress him, even though he was all the way up here.

"What a weird bunch."

Verc mumbled to himself, a small, tired smile on his face.

He watched them for a few more minutes, seeing the way the kids were directing the orcs on where to pile the wood. It was an odd sight.

After that, Verc turned away from the window.

Thud-

He sat down on the cold stone floor and let Onyx down. The puppy immediately started sniffing around the corners of the empty room, his tail wagging.

Verc closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He crossed his legs and cleared his mind.

"Fuuuhh..."

And then--

WHOOSH~!!!

He started meditating, his body going perfectly still. He began using [Mana Circulation], feeling the energy inside him start to move in a slow, steady loop.

He could feel the mana from the castle itself— the [Dungeon Genesis] energy—humming beneath him. As he circulated his own mana, he felt the exhaustion from the day’s events finally begin to fade, replaced by a cold, sharp clarity.

The forest outside was noisy with the sounds of construction and the cheers of orcs, but inside the fifth floor, there was only the quiet sound of Verc’s breathing and the soft pitter-patter of Onyx’s paws on the stone.

He had a castle. He had a tribe. He had a group of kids who follow him well like he was their father.

’I guess I really am the Lord of this place now.’

He thought, before sinking deeper into his meditation, letting the world outside vanish as he focused on his own power.