Chapter 461: The Vampire King’s Offer

Jonathan saw the god who had entered the space alongside the Guide.

The being was gray-brown in color, its face marked by four eyes. It had no fur anywhere on its body and wore nothing but a pair of pants, not even shoes. Its feet resembled the talons of an eagle. Its head looked like something caught between a bat and a spider, perhaps a grotesque fusion of both. One arm ended in long, claw-like fingers. From its back jutted wings, but they were nothing like normal wings. There was no membrane at all, only exposed bone.

“Who would’ve thought I’d run into you here, Vampire God King,” the demon remarked.

The god wore a silver medallion around its neck, and atop its head sat something resembling a crown. It was gold, ancient and worn, almost fused into the skull itself.

“Greetings, Asmodeus. And greetings, Jonathan,” the creature said.

Its mouth, or perhaps its jaw, barely moved. The sound that followed was more of a guttural vibration than speech. The voice did not come from the creature’s mouth at all. It echoed directly inside Jonathan’s mind.

The thing was abominable. Just standing near it made Jonathan’s instincts scream at him to run.

“You chose me,” the creature continued. “A wise decision.”

“I had already agreed to join the Order of Blight when I received the class mutation,” Jonathan replied. “Is there a problem with me accepting the power you’re offering?”

There had been a message tied to something Jonathan possessed. A promise of power: the ability to make enemies fear his presence, the strength to take whatever he wanted. An ancient, overwhelming force. He’d been told it could only be granted after the tutorial ended. When Jonathan finally understood what it was, he wanted it immediately.

Because he knew it could let him surpass Luke. Surpass anyone.

“There is no problem at all, Jonathan,” the creature said. “The class mutation was merely a free sample. And you were still in the tutorial, or rather, you were. You were never officially accepted into the Order of Blight. That was nothing more than a god playing at laboratory experiments. That thing wanted to delay the tutorial. Personally, I wanted it to end.”

Its presence pressed harder against Jonathan’s mind.

“The tutorial was the only way for my order to infiltrate your universe. For me, it was far better that it ended quickly.”

Jonathan held something in his hand: a red liquid, his blood slime.

“The powers of the Order of Blight revolve around disease,” he said. “I don’t want that. I want what you offered me. Power I can wield with my own hands. Power to destroy whatever I choose. Will you really give me that?”

The demon snapped his fingers, drawing attention. “Just a reminder, Jonathan: in this space, lies aren’t possible. Not that I’d care if you were deceived. I’m just fulfilling my obligation.”

The creature glanced at the demon and gave a slow nod before turning its attention back to Jonathan.

“The power I promised will be given,” it said. “I would make you my chosen in your universe. You would be the representative of my order there. You would have followers of your own. Women at your feet, or men, if you prefer. Gold. Wealth. Authority. Power. Everything you desire would be possible with my gift.”

“That’s a hell of a deal, Johnny Boy,” the demon added with a grin.

“I just want that power. That’s all,” Jonathan said. “The power to crush my enemy. Not when he’s weak. Not through some cheap opening. I want to dominate him. I want him to fear me, to be crushed beneath my strength, to beg for mercy. When I go after him, it can’t be a sneaky strike. It has to be at his peak. I want to be the one who breaks that bastard, then drags him along and kills everyone he loves right in front of him.”

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Spit slipped from Jonathan’s mouth as rage twisted his face.

Luke had won. He’d entered the tutorial, taken Angelica from him, and then escaped it altogether. That wasn’t how things were supposed to go. Jonathan knew he was the special one. He had been born for this. Luke had only gotten lucky, probably choosing some divine-aligned profession and class that handed him special advantages.

If Luke was going to cheat, then Jonathan would too.

“You understand that accepting my power comes with consequences, don’t you?” the god asked calmly.

“Consequences?”

“Did you think it would all be miracles and blessings? No. There are costs. Damage. Side effects. You might even die in the process, if you’re weak.”

Jonathan paused, thinking about what little he knew of vampires.