I grasped the resisting figure tightly.  

The blood I had just drained had significantly boosted my abilities.  

While she had exhausted much of her strength from being beaten by the [Autonomous Defense System].  

At this rate,  

Holding her should be very doable.  

‘If we go back to fighting, I absolutely can’t win!’  

No matter what, I can’t let her go.  

The worrying factor is her Mist ability.  

She could turn into mist and escape my grasp.  

But Mist ability has a cooldown, and it hasn’t been that long since she used it.  

There’s no way for her to escape.  

“Damn it, how did I end up in this situation!”  

Realizing this, the Queen sank her fangs back into my neck.  

And so,  

The tide of the battle turned completely as I had intended.  

‘Since victory through combat is hopeless, I’ll change the objective.’  

The conditions were the same for both sides.  

The more blood is drained, the more life force is lost, and abilities are stolen.  

Conversely, the more blood is drained, the more life force is recovered, and abilities are stolen.  

‘Whoever can drain the other’s everything first is the winner!’  

Slurp… gulp, gulp.  

In the dark space, only the sounds of something being sucked echoed.  

If observed by a third party, it might look like a passionate scene of lovers nuzzling each other’s necks.  

But the reality was entirely different.  

‘Even a little delay, and I’ll die.’  

A fierce battle for each other’s lives.  

The other side is originally a vampire.  

While I’m a human, I’m only borrowing the trait of bloodsucking.  

Normally this wouldn’t be a fair match,  

‘But I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.’  

[Bloodsucking is also a meal essential for sustaining life]  

Bloodsucking is an act of eating.  

Here, the blood is considered food.  

[The effect of Absolute Palate is activated]  

The condition for activating ‘Absolute Palate’ has been met.  

And with the bonus from the [Lv. Max Dining Hall],  

The effects of the characteristics I gained through cooking increased by 50%.  

[The effects gained from the food will be greatly enhanced]  

[Life force recovered]  

[Traits boosted]  

[Life force recovered]  

[Traits boosted]  

.  

.  

.  

***  

Like that,  

How much time has passed?  

Then, out of nowhere.  

“Stop, stop.”  

Thick blood kept going down my throat.  

My stomach could no longer bear it, crying out in pain.  

“Stop it.”  

The special sauce that I applied to the cooking was [Severe Thirst].  

Separate from the pain.  

I was still thirsty.  

“Didn’t I tell you to stop!”  

We started to crave each other’s blood.  

I couldn’t tell how much time had passed.  

“I, I was wrong. Please, stop.”  

“….”  

“Blood is no different from the soul of the night’s aristocracy. If I take it all, I, I…”  

I could feel the strength gradually leaving the Queen’s body in my rough embrace.  

“Ah, ah… It’s disappearing. My blood. My existence…!”  

“….”  

“I can’t die like this. Not under the sun. Not like this…!”  

The one who gained more power from our mutual blood-drinking was me, under the effect of [Absolute Palate].  

“Please, save me.”  

Was it because her strength was drained? Or was it from fear?  

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. So please, please spare my life…”  

The Queen began begging for her life, her whole body trembling.  

But.  

‘I’m thirsty…’  

Unfortunately,  

I didn’t have the presence of mind to listen to such cries.  

The only thing that concerned me was quenching this agonizing thirst.  

[Warning!]  

[Excessive blood-drinking can cause physical changes to the body.]  

Some kind of system message seemed to have appeared, but I was too busy quenching my thirst to pay attention to that.  

I sucked the blood even harder.  

“No, no… Mom, Dad…”  

Gulp.  

“Please save me, sob… Please save me. Sniff.”  

Gulp.  

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please save me, please save me, please save me, please save me, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please save me, please save me, please save me, please save me, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please save me, please save me, please save me, please save me…”  

Eventually,  

the begging voice could no longer be heard.  

Gulp…  

In the darkness,  

only the sound of swallowing echoed on.  

[The magic power required to maintain the Shadow Veil has been depleted]  

[The Shadow Veil is being canceled]  

Amidst my frantic quenching of thirst,  

I think I saw a message like that.  

And soon,  

Pang!  

With a strong force, I felt my body being flung somewhere.  

My body flying through the air.  

Right before being expelled from the world of the [Shadow Veil],  

I looked down at the ground.  

There was a beautiful crimson sea.  

‘So that’s how it looked from up here.’  

And towering over that crimson world was a gigantic fortress.  

No, not a fortress,  

‘A fortress city…’  

Even if the world were to perish someday,  

it would stand firm, never to be destroyed.  

Yes,  

like an ark…  

[Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)]  

[Mobile Fortress – Bimana]  

My own stronghold.  

As I regained my senses,  

“Ah, ah…! Look!”  

The familiar scenery was in view – the glowing soldiers of the legion, and the rugged bunkers.  

‘Ah… So, I’m outside now.’  

In one hand, I was still gripping the neck of the Queen I had been draining.  

The soldiers around me were babbling something.  

‘What are they saying?’  

But I couldn’t make out the content.  

I had been so focused on quenching my thirst by draining the Queen’s blood that I just had no presence of mind.  

‘Damn, I’m so thirsty it’s driving me crazy.’  

This thirst was still not quenched.  

If I kept this up, I might unconsciously sink my fangs into the soldiers’ necks.  

‘No, I can’t do that.’  

I moved myself and the Queen to a secluded corner of the wall, and plopped down, leaning against the wall.  

Seeing the soldiers makes me want to bite them.  

So, I bowed my head down, making sure they couldn’t be seen.  

My throat is still dry, and the unpleasant metallic smell of too much blood fills my mouth.  

Mentally, I feel like I could just pass out from exhaustion.  

“Military life…”  

It’s a relief that I’ve somehow managed to survive, but still,  

I have to say this, 

“It really sucks…”