Reincarnated as a Vampire Who Acquires Skills Through Blood-Chapter 53 - 10th Floor

I had originally expected my swordsmanship skill to only improve a bit after drinking the blood of those two knight monsters, but I got something more.

Along with the refined movements of the blade... I also received a sudden, deep knowledge about a technique called [Mana Circulation]!

I don’t really know if this can even be called a skill in the traditional sense. It felt more like a massive block of information was being planted directly into my brain, very similar to the sensation I had when I first acquired my swordsmanship skills!

It was like a memory that didn’t belong to me was suddenly available for me to access whenever I wanted. It’s weird.

Anyway, it’s a passive skill that taught me the fundamentals of [Mana Circulation]. Apparently, this is a specialized method used by Knights in this world so they can actually stand a chance in a fight against Mages and Paladins.

I remember reading about this in a book back when I was still traveling with Elianna and the others in one of the villages.

The social hierarchy of power in this world was pretty clear. Paladins have [Holy Power] granted by their gods, and Mages have [Mystic Power] through their studies of the arcane.

For a long time, the Knights didn’t have anything special to call their own. They were just men with swords, and because of that, they were slowly being left behind. They were becoming obsolete on the battlefield compared to the flashy spells and divine protections of the other classes.

That was until the [King of Knights] came along. I honestly don’t remember his actual name from the history books, but he was the one who supposedly invented the concept of [Mana Circulation].

According to the history, [Holy Power] and [Mystic Power] both technically come from the MANA that was given to the world by the four GODS.

That mana is everywhere. It’s in the air, the water, the soil, and every living thing.

So, this [King of Knights] had a crazy thought. He wondered if he could simply absorb the mana floating in the air and use it to manually strengthen his own physical body.

It was a complete failure at first. He would pull in too much or too little, and at best, it only gave him a tiny burst of strength for a very short amount of time before he would collapse from the strain. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

But he didn’t give up. After trying again and again, failing thousands of times... he finally learned how to store that mana inside his own body.

To be more precise, he learned how to condense it and keep it inside his heart. He trained this method for countless years, refining the process until he could store an absurd amount of mana in his body at any given time. And with that power— he became a superhuman that completely surpassed all logic!

It was said in the books about him that he could sever entire mountains with a single horizontal slash!

The [King of Knights] was also the first person to ever be called a hero and the first to receive a direct blessing from the four gods. Because of all that, he eventually became a demi-god in the eyes of the people.

Anyway, basically—

’This thing is a cultivation technique or something, just like the ones I used to read about in manwhas and novels back in my old life.’

I thought as I processed the new flow of energy in my mind.

Having acquired this knowledge is really useful for me. Even though my natural strength as a vampire is already absurd compared to a normal human, it is still absolutely lacking when compared to those top-tier fighters who can utilize mana to its full potential.

’Even I lost against Gibson and the others in terms of raw strength once they actually started using their [Holy Power].’

I remembered that day clearly. I had asked them to arm wrestle me while they were using their powers, mostly so I could measure the actual strength of each one of them.

I wanted to know where I stood. But after they tapped into that divine mana, their arms became like unmovable iron pillars. It was a wake-up call for me.

That’s why I’m really excited to try this skill to myself.

’Not now though.’

I thought as I looked behind me to check on my companion.

Onyx was sitting there peacefully on the stone floor. He was wagging his tail slowly, just watching me and waiting for my next move.

I don’t know why, but it seems like he is actually listening to my commands with surprising intelligence. I had told him to sit and stay before at the 7th floor, and he actually did it without moving an inch. He didn’t even bark while I was fighting monsters around us.

And so now, whenever I get into a fight— I just tell him to stay still and sit. That way, I don’t have to worry about him getting caught in the crossfire or getting hit by an attack aimed at me.

"Hmm, is it because of [Dominion Aura]...?"

I mumbled that to myself.

"Onyx is a dog, and dogs are technically relatives of wolves after all."

I added with a genuine curiousity.

But knowing that I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the exact answer right now anyway; I just decided to ignore the topic for the time being. There were more important things to focus on.

"Come."

I told Onyx with a small smile on my face.

-Arf!

He immediately perked up and started running toward me happily, his little paws clicking against the stone.

’Cute.’

I thought.

It was a good thing that his hind leg seemed to be doing much better now. He wasn’t limping anymore, and he seemed to have plenty of energy left in him.

*****

Once I figured out exactly how the 9th floor worked, I slowly and carefully made my way forward down the long, straight corridor.

The pattern was always the same. I would walk a few meters, and then I would have to fight two more of those zombified knights.

After defeating them, I would immediately kneel down and drink their blood. I made it a point to rest for a bit after every exchange just to recover my stamina and let the new mana information settle. I took them on two at a time, never rushing.

And as I progressed further down the hall— it actually became much easier for me.

After all, these knights were all using the exact same swordsmanship that I learned from the Golden Knight back on the 5th floor. So as I continued to drink their blood, I learned more and more about the style.

I wasn’t just getting stronger; I was getting smarter. I was able to see the hidden weaknesses in their techniques, and I started using those flaws against the monsters to finish them off even faster.

Then, as I was going forward on my way—

’I am really glad I ran in here to hide.’

I thought of that as I wiped some dark blood from my chin.

Dungeons in this world are basically indestructible. Many people had tried to tear them down from the outside, but the only way to actually destroy a dungeon is if you go all the way to the end, kill the boss, and close it from the inside.

This particular dungeon I was in was especially dark too, and the mazes on the upper floors were incredibly annoying to navigate.

’Those fuckers in the city will have a hell of a time trying to follow me through this place.’

I smiled, realizing that the very things that annoyed me would be a nightmare for any guards or knights trying to track me down. They wouldn’t have my [Echolocation] or my [Nocturnal Sight]. They would be stumbling around in the dark while I was down here getting stronger.

And so, with a much calmer pace and a sense of security— TAP!

I walked straight down the center of the corridor.

... ... ...

I lost track of the exact time, but after about half a day of constant fighting and moving— I finally reached the very end of the long, torch-lit corridor.

"..."

And now, in front of me, I found the final set of stairs leading down to the 10th floor.

’This is it.’

I thought, looking down into the darkness of the stairwell.

It was probably the last floor of the labyrinth.