Leon stood in a city square right beside the guild. Watching the sun as it dipped beneath the horizon. He had no place to stay and hadn't eaten or slept since arriving in this new life.
Tonight, and maybe a few more nights, I'll probably be on the streets. I could eat… but I don't feel like I need to. Same with sleep. Do I not need them anymore? Can I even starve to death?
He began pacing as he thought.
How much can I actually heal through? Rika said I don't have any regeneration skills, but when she stabbed me with that bosu-needle-thing… my body pushed the needle out on its own via healing. Does basic human healing scale with the Vitality stat?
That would explain it.
But back to my original question: Could I out-heal starvation? It should be impossible. Food's a resource, right? But my lack of hunger says otherwise...
He glanced around. Locals were heading home for the night. Mostly humans, with the occasional demi-human among them. He began to speak aloud to himself.
"I should still eat and sleep when I can. Better to keep my humanity as much as possible. I'll rely on my Vitality for now, until I establish myself."
With his decision made, Leon strolled through the city. Partly to kill time, partly to find a place to rest. A bench, a tree, anything to pass the night. He wasn't planning on sleeping but some rest was always welcomed. He walked up and down the streets, careful to keep track of his position by returning to the guild square periodically. Since he couldn't read the local language, it was his way of avoiding getting lost.
Had he not been so cautious, he might not have noticed the figure following him. A person, completely cloaked in black, hood pulled low. No features visible.
Alright this is my seventh time passing this little square. I wonder what they think I'm doing. I'm not trying to lose them but I'm clearly not going anywhere. Should I just stand still in the open?
A loud thud broke his thoughts.
He spun around quickly ready for a fight. Only to find the cloaked figure had faceplanted behind him.
I could just leave. Keep walking and pretend I didn't see anything. Who would know.
Despite the thought, he was already moving the figure off the main road and into a nearby alley. He propped them against the wall and pulled off the hood.
To his surprise, he found himself staring at a girl. Pale, smooth skin. A delicate, unblemished face. Long, jagged dark-red hair spiked out around her like barbed wire. Her figure had a narrow waist, a generous chest, and hips that filled out her dress.
She wore a short black Victorian-style dress, elegant and frilled, but laced with rebellion. Looping chains and buckled leather straps. Thigh-high boots. A choker around her neck and multiple spike piercings in her ears. Gothic elegance met punk defiance.
She's definitely not from around here. Also she may look human, but that's not human red hair. Then again, I've seen cat girls and all kinds of demi-humans. Races in this world vary widely. Maybe she's a human of another nationality?
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the girl's stomach growling. He immediately remembered what Nadu had said about vampire attacks.
Is she a vampire? Beautiful with pale skin and red hair. Did she pass out from lack of food? Was she unsuccessful in her attacks? Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions....
His curiosity got the better of him. He crouched down and gently touched her face. With a thumb, he coaxed her lips apart. In place of her canines, four fangs. Long, sharp, and slightly curved inward. Meant to hold prey, not just pierce.
They almost looked cute, in a strange, dangerous sort of way. Despite the awkwardness of sticking his hand in an unconscious girl's mouth, he leaned closer to examine the teeth.
His finger lingered too long. A sudden nick. Blood dripped onto her tongue.
Oh shit!
Before he could pull out, he felt her hands grab onto him. Her fingers were too small to wrap fully around his forearm. Yet he couldn't pull himself free.
Her eyes fluttered half-open, deep amber glowing faintly through her lashes. Soft moans escaped her lips as she began to suck on his finger. Her tongue wrapping around, covering it with her saliva. She savoured every drop of blood with intense intimacy and focus.
WHY IS SHE MOANING?!?!
Her legs shifted subtly, thighs rubbing together as she sucked harder on his finger.
WHY IS SHE TWITCHING LIKE THAT!? She is supposed to be drinking my blood, why is this so sexual?!
His brain short-circuited. He didn't know what to do or how to feel. Was she feeding on him or trying to seduce him? He wasn't sure but his body seemed to think the second one.
Calm down. This is a dangerous situation.
His body betrayed him. He couldn't bring him to move. This was more intimate than anything he had experienced before. After almost two full minutes of this girl sucking in his finger, the bleeding finally came to a stop.
Did my wound close? Why did it take so long? Does her saliva have some sorta anti healing effect? How bad would it have been if I didn't have my Vitality?
Her sucking slowed and her tongue licked up any remaining traces of blood left on his finger. She parted her lips. A dreamy sigh left her mouth before a little burp that followed.
Her gaze sharpened, locking onto Leon. Realization hit her like a slap.
She jerked upright, her hands finally letting go as she pushed herself against the wall.
"What?! I... I... I drank… from a human!? No no no no no no no no..."
She looked up at him, wide-eyed.
"You... You're still alive?! But I...? How...?"
Leon gave a small smile and an uncertain wave.
"…Hi?"
She stared. Her eyes dropped to his finger. Still wet, still glistening with her saliva. Her face turned red enough to match her hair.
"I... I was just hungry... and... you tasted so good! That's all! I've been vegan for three years! So it's been a while... and... and... I was starving... and..."
She continued her embarrassed stammering, shrinking further in on herself.
How can a vampire be vegan? Non-human blood, maybe...? Eh, not important right now. She's a vampire, and one not too keen on eating humans. They use blood for power. This is a perfect opportunity!
"Excuse me. I see that you're a vampire and that there's some personal thing you have about human blood, but... could you teach me blood magic?"
Her stammering stopped. Just like that, she went silent. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him.
"…What did you just say?"
He held her gaze, trying not to flinch. The silence stretched, thick and unnatural. A dagger which looked to be made of solidified blood had appeared in her hand.
He knew he messed up.
I got way ahead of myself. I highly doubt she's 'Vegan' because it's trendy with young vampires. She said she was surprised I was alive. And even with my 100 Vitality it took my wound two minutes to close from her anti healing saliva. When a vampire feeds, it must end in death for their prey. And I just asked her to teach me that.
"Hold up! Let me explain!"
The vampire had already started to stand up. Her dagger now positioned in-between the two of them.
"You just drank my blood. I could have died. You should at least hear me out."
"You put your finger in my mouth while I was unconscious. If you had died it would be entirely on you! Not me!"
"Well to be honest, there's no way I would have died, and since you were stalking me and passed out due to lack of food, I think it's fair to say I saved your life."
She raised an eyebrow. He was right. She was starving to death. Yet despite being a vampire and stalking him, he had given her his blood. Even more surprising to her was that he was still alive after doing so.
"Alright. I'll give you a minute to explain yourself. I'm grateful for your help but I never asked for it. So I don't owe you anything."
Leon let out a sigh of relief as she lowered her dagger.
"First thing first, I want to clarify I don't plan on using other people's blood. I would only ever use my blood. In exchange for teaching me, you keep feeding on me."
Her expression had gone from defensive, to confused.
Progress had been made.
"I should introduce myself before we keep going. I'm Leon."
"... Call me Valeria"