Rogue Villain-Chapter 359: Maniac

"When you say maniac, do you mean the Alchemist?"

Ackster crossed his arms and looked at the vampire, ignoring its pleading.

"...What about the blood?"

The vampire’s expression stiffened before cooling down slightly as he stood up and looked at Ackster.

"If you can satisfy my curiosity, then sure, I can spare some blood."

The vampire’s red eyes shone.

"Great! Ask me anything! I’m an open book!"

Ackster nodded.

"Let’s begin with who you are, why you, specifically, are here, and what’s the point with all these gates and gatekeepers." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The vampire nodded with confidence.

"Small talk. I’m Shanshi. I’m here because the maniac who built this place asked me to, and these gates and their gatekeepers are to keep people out."

Ackster stared blankly with a deadpan expression. He lashed out with his sword and sent a strobe of Ichor right through the vampire’s chest.

"Ugh! W-why?"

The vampire held his hand in front of the hole in his chest and glanced at it before looking back up at Ackster in shock. He couldn’t understand why Ackster would do such a thing.

"Seriously?"

Ackster looked at the vampire as if he had been dropped on his head a few times when he was born.

"I answered your questions, didn’t?!"

"Your name tells me nothing. The ’maniac’ asking you is not a reason. I fucking know gates and gatekeepers are to stop people. But stop them from going where?! These are the worst fucking answers you could have given me! Do you want me to give you a blood-scented bottle? Or the blood itself?"

Ackster glared at the vampire as he raised his sword and readied another strike.

"A-ah, w-wait!"

Shanshi held up his hands, trying to stop Ackster from attacking again.

"I thought my name would be enough! I didn’t think there would come a day when someone didn’t know it!"

Ackster stopped swinging his sword and raised an eyebrow, ordering Shanshi to continue.

"I’m the first vampire! How can youngsters these days not know the great Shanshi?!"

"Okay, you’re the first vampire."

Ackster lowered his sword, still skeptical.

"Is that why the Alchemist asked you to take up a position as a gatekeeper here?"

Shanshi shook his head.

"No. That fucking bastard asked me to do that because I was strong enough to fill this position, and I wouldn’t go around dying that easily, no matter how long I had to wait."

"Wait? Wait for what?"

"For someone like you to come."

"Someone like me?"

"Yeah. Someone who could pass through the gates and reach the end."

"And what’s at the end of this run, then?"

Shanshi shrugged.

"I have no idea."

"Useless."

"H-Hey! Now, you’re just being mean."

"Just pointing things out as I see them."

"I’m not useless! And that’s still mean! Do kids these days not learn any manners?"

"Do manners save your life?"

"They can! If I had my original strength, you maintaining your manners would have made me spare your life."

"You would spare me?"

"Not anymore!"

"I think you’ve got it the wrong way around. I’m the one who will spare you if you’re actually useful."

"That’s why I said if I had my original strength!"

Ackster shook his head.

"Doesn’t matter."

"How would you know?!"

"I can see clear as day that you’re just an oversized mosquito even at full strength."

"You dare?! At full strength, this world is a mere plaything for me!"

Ackster shrugged.

"Making grand claims won’t change reality."

"Oh, but they will! Not that you would know."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"You wouldn’t understand even if I told you! Just give me that blood you promised! I’ll show you the real strength of the first vampire!"

"Heh."

Ackster chuckled.

"You should know better than to trust a stranger’s flimsy promise. Besides, I’m still curious about something."

"You mean you lied?!"

Ackster shrugged.

"Not necessarily. It’s only a lie if you don’t satisfy me."

"Grr. Fine! What do you want to know?"

"Who was the Alchemist, and why did he build this place?"

"Ah, I don’t know that stuff."

Ackster raised his hands, signaling that it wasn’t his fault.

"See? You can’t satisfy me."

"Not fair!"

Ackster closed his eyes for a moment and used Limit Breaker on his Overhuman Senses. He sharpened and stretched them as far as he could until he felt something he couldn’t put into words. He touched it with his mind as he looked at Shanshi, who looked around worriedly after noticing Ackster doing something.

"You know what? I’ll make you a deal."

"Yeah?"

"I’ll give you some of my blood."

"Yeah?!"

Shanshi’s face lit up in surprise and joy.

"But I have a feeling you’ll attack me the moment you regain your strength."

"N-nonsense...I wouldn’t do something like...that."

"I don’t mind. But when I beat you to a pulp like the useless sack of meat you are, you become my...Let’s say subordinate."

"Ha! As if that would ever happen!"

Ackster reached out a hand as he stepped closer.

"So we have a deal?"

Shanshi happily and energetically shook Ackster’s hand.

"You bet your ass we do!"

Ackster beamed a wide smile and set a string of chills down Shanshi’s spine.

’The Ancestor of all vampires has to be better than the current King. What a catch.’

But it was too late for Shanshi.

Ackster had already made a Deal. He had managed to touch the world and evoke a promise. He hadn’t been able to do it as smoothly as a demon, who did it just by talking. But by poking the world’s existence while shaking hands with Shanshi, Ackster managed to include him in the Deal.

Shanshi felt the Deal take effect and lock them both to its consequences. He looked at Ackster with wide eyes.

"Y-you were a demon?!"

Ackster just smiled.

He was too busy thinking about what kind of Covenants he should make now that he had learned how. Covenants would probably be a little different from Deals. But it wouldn’t be that difficult to learn. He wondered what kind of expression Trana would have if she knew Ackster had already learned how to make Covenants and Deals, especially Deals since they were something almost only demons could do.

Ackster wasn’t aware of it himself, but eating a demon core and refining it into his own marble had elevated his existence, bringing him one step closer to the world.