"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, please keep your arms and legs inside the lift as we make our ascent," Vincent called out as the victims of Iriella all gathered around him. Beneath him was a round platform made of blood that he would use to carry everyone out of this horrible place using the hole he created earlier.

  The small girl he came to rescue was standing beside him, holding his hand, "looking" at the people curiously. Next to her was the woman with the purple hair, his cape draped over her form to hide her modesty.

  Actually, Vincent was left with only his pants on. He gave his clothes to the rest of the girls to cover their naughty bits. Good thing he was so tall, or it might not have worked. All in all, there were three women, two men and one adorable little munchkin he rescued from the dungeon.

  For the men he just used a blood art to essentially give them shorts. Much better than seeing their floppy wieners dangling all over the pace.

  Once the group was safely inside his emergency elevator, he commanded it to ascend. Slowly, they rose, and the feeling of relief was almost palpable. None of them were as bad as purple hair, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be scars left to heal. Hopefully Luminous will be able to help.

  It took a couple of minutes for them to reach the surface, Vincent taking it nice and slow. He created this tunnel in a hurry, so he didn't want to risk causing a potential collapse just to get out of here a little bit sooner.

  The woman next him gulped as she stared directly above her. In the distance, she could just barely make out the light generated by the crystals of the city. How long has it been since she's seen them? Would they be just as beautiful as she remembered?

  Vincent felt the swell of his Magic Sense reach the top. So far so good. There didn't seem to be anybody waiting for them. He wasn't exactly worried about anybody they could send after them, but he didn't want to be forced into a situation where he had to fight people off while defending others.

  He hated that in video games.

  Once the group reached the top, the former captives stared in wonder and awe at their surroundings, not quite believing what they were seeing. The woman in his cape was looking up at the ceiling of the underground city, tears elation streaming down her face.

  She started a bit at feeling a hand on her shoulder. For one brief, horrible second, she feared she would find Iriella behind her, asking her where she thought she was going. But as she turned around, she saw not the image of the rotten woman with way too much makeup on, but the smiling face of her hunky savior.

  "Thanks," she said, more than a little pink dusting her cheeks, wiping her tears away, careful not to let any of her nudity escape from the cape wrapped around her slender frame. Not that it would matter much, as he's already seen everything.

  And wasn't that just mortifying! Here she was, an emaciated version of her former self, buck naked in front of the hottest guy she'd ever seen. She wouldn't have minded nearly so much had she been properly proportioned. She'd make sure to eat a few good meals and plump up a bit and see what he thought then.

  "No problem. But we should get out of here. No need to linger in this place," he said. She nodded, and the group listening felt the same. They've seen enough of this wretched abode. They wouldn't shed a tear if it was burned to the ground.

  "But where do we go?" one of them asked. She was a short, petite woman with crimson hair done in a pixie cut and pink eyes. She clutched onto his vest tightly, the garment barely covering her frame. Under normal circumstances, it would be quite the sexy look.

  "We'll head to the administrative building. Luminous plans to send in the Blud Knights, so Gunther should be getting things started," he answered. His words made their eyes widen as they stared at him with mouths agape.

  "What? What is it?" he asked, confused.

  "Lady Luminous… You speak as if you're familiar with her," said one of the men, a skinny guy with long, dirty black hair.

  "That's because I am. I'm more or less her personal masseur at the moment," Vincent told them a bit sheepishly. He wasn't sure how they would take being saved by a glorified back rubber. But seeing the awe in their eyes, perhaps he didn't have anything to worry about.

  "What… what's she like," asked the third woman. She by far had the largest breasts, his dress shirt barely able to contain them. He could see the buttons screaming out for help as they struggled to hold back the tide. Her hair was long and emerald green, and she had dark red eyes.

  "I could tell you, but wouldn't you rather find out for yourself? She should be coming to the building to oversee the operation herself," Vincent said. He thought that would have made them feel excited, but if anything, it only increased their nerves.

  "Starting to think Lumi needs a more hands on approach to ruling," he thought to himself. If they knew her as he did, they wouldn't feel nervous in the least. Or perhaps they were more embarrassed about meeting her in their current state. Given the way the girls were fussing with their hair, he assumed that was the biggest issue.

  Looking down at the little girl holding his hand, she didn't seem bothered in the least. Probably because she didn't know who Luminous was.

  "Aright, that's enough chatter. Luminous is very nice, so don't worry. Now, why don't we get out of this dump?" he suggested. Though they were still apprehensive about meeting their queen, their eagerness to get away from this place outweighed it greatly.

  As they left, they couldn't help but take notice of the destroyed courtyard and the piles of body parts littering the ground. They gave the man leading them a nervous look, not realizing until this moment how strong he truly was.

  They had some idea, sure, considering he busted into a noble's dungeon, stabbed the noble, and then set them free, but seeing the carnage he unleashed before that was just a tad bit unsettling.

  And for the women, a tad bit arousing. Sure they appreciated his muscles and he was about as good looking as they come, but for monsters like them, there was no greater aphrodisiac than power. He kept his on a tight leash, so seeing the devastation he wrought on people responsible for making their lives hell really got their motors running.

  But sweet, innocent Vincent was completely unaware of the thirsty women behind him plotting to get him in bed, walking forward without a care in the world.

  As the group neared the gate, the blonde hired man suddenly stopped, forcing the rest to do the same. His eyes narrowed as he briefly felt something tickle the edge of his Magic Sense before it was gone. He wasn't sure what it was, but he had a bad feeling about it.

  "What is it? Why did we stop?" one of the girls asked. She and her fellow females were all bundled together, looking around fearfully.

  "Not sure. I-"

  But whatever Vincent was about to say was cut off but a terrified, blood curdling scream.

  "No! Stop! Stay away! Somebody help!" begged a man. Vincent only knew of one survivor of his earlier massacre, the half a man sitting on the gate near the entrance. What followed after his cries for help chilled the group to the bones.

  It was the sound of ripping and tearing. Of bones breaking and wet chewing. It was the sound of somebody being consumed by wild beasts. Barking and growling mixed with the painful, dying wailing of the man being eaten alive. It was not a sound any of them found particularly pleasant.

  "What the hell is that?" Vincent asked. He didn't particularly feel bad for the guy, but still, it sounded like a shitty way to go. Like, real shitty. The people around him, however, knew exactly what that sound was, taking frightened, trembling steps backwards.

  "No, it can't be. Why them?" said the girl with the red hair. Looking at her, he could see the sheer, absolute terror in her eyes. And it wasn't just her. All of the escapees, save for the little girl whose hand he was holding, had similar expressions on their faces.

  Listening to the sounds the creatures were making and more importantly, the people's reaction to it, gave Vincent a pretty good idea of what was about to come.

  "Guess Iriella doesn't intend to let us leave peacefully after all. And she released the hounds of all things. Is her last name Burns or something?" he mumbled to himself, getting a curious "look" from the little girl, wondering who Burns could be.

  From the tone of Vincent's voice, he sounded like a jerk. And she didn't like jerks.

  Regardless of Iriella's potential relation to the man, Vincent couldn't allow the people under his charge to give into fear. If they panicked, that would only make things worse. He needed to find some way to calm them down.

  He had one idea, but he didn't know if it was a good one. He doubted words alone would be enough to assuage their nerves, so he needed something else so let them know they would be alright.

  And what better way than to let them know than a glimpse of his power?

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  The group was on the verge of fleeing, unable to bear listening to the sounds of those vile dogs devouring somebody's flesh. Considering they were kidnapped so their immortal flesh could feed them, it wasn't hard to see why such a sound would revolt them.

  However, before they got the chance, an overwhelming presence bore down on them, stopping them in their tracks. At first, they thought they were about to be killed, that Iriella or her husband had found them and were about to eviscerate them.

  But then they noticed the feeling it gave off. It wasn't the promise of pain and torment, with death lingering as an aftertaste. Instead, it was warm and comforting, like being wrapped up in a warm blanket on a cold winter morning with a cup of hot cocoa in your hand.

  The group looked towards the source, seeing none other than Vincent releasing his hold over his immense magical power. They couldn't help but be in awe of it, their quivering ceasing and their heart rate slowing down, fear and uncertainty replaced by peace and safety.

  "There's no reason for you to fear. Why? Because I am here," Vincent stated with absolute certainty, confident rolling off him in waves. It left them with no choice but to believe him.

  "I'll make sure these mongrels never touch you. Now, do any of you know the way to the administrative building?" he asked, turning his gaze towards them. Seeing the intensity in his eyes and his hair swaying from the force of him expelling his magic made the women all swoon even harder.

  One of the men raised his hand timidly. "I-I do," he squeaked. Vincent gave him a nod, eyes turning towards the entrance of the manor as one of Iriella's beasts walked into the yard, licking the blood from its muzzle.

  It was a big, muscular thing that looked like somebody decided to crossbreed a Great Dane with a grizzly bear. Why on Veldenava's green earth anybody would think that was a good idea was beyond him.

  "Good, then head there immediately while I take care of the riff raff. Here," he said to the purple haired vampire, lifting up the little girl and handing her off. She made cute little noises of protests, not wanting to be separated from her hero, but Vincent just smiled and rubbed her head.

  "Don't worry, I'll be fine. We'll see each other again real soon, I promise," he told her, getting her to calm down. The other woman firmly held onto her new charge, not wanting to let the man who saved her down.

  "Take care of her, will you?" he asked, getting a resolute nod from the woman.

  "Good. Now, you lot need to get out of here," Vincent ordered, as two more of Iriella's bitches came to stand beside the first, snarling at the group, an eager gleam in their eyes at the thought of consuming more flesh.

  Seeing more of those foul beasts staring at them with hunger in their eyes, the group couldn't agree more. They turned to leave, eager to finally be rid of this place once and for all.

  Upon seeing their prey turn and run away, one of the dogs sprinted towards them, drool falling from its mouth. Vincent watched this with a raised brow. Did this mutt really think he would just let it do as it pleased? Actually, with an owner like Iriella, who probably let them get away with anything, that was probably exactly what it thought.

  "Guess it's up to me to discipline you," Vincent said before he blurred forward, reaching the dog in the blink of an eye, sword arcing upward and slicing the creature in two. It didn't even have enough time to let out a sound before both halves splattered on the ground.

  The group had just passed the destroyed gate when they heard the thumps. Turning around, they saw the bifurcated dog on the ground with Vincent standing over it, a bloody sword in his hand. They couldn't help but feel vindication at the sight. Those filthy creatures had been devouring their flesh for years now, it was about time they got their comeuppance.

  Vincent turned to look at the crowd, giving them a cocky smile before he gathered the blood from the lift and used it to create a barrier that would keep the dogs from following them, replacing the gate he destroyed. The last thing they saw was Vincent giving them a salute before the wall finished forming.

  The little girl gave a worried whine, not able to see what happened, but knowing she was now fully separated from the man all the same. She felt a soft, slender hand patting her head, making her "look" up at the woman carrying her.

  "Don't worry, he'll be just fine. You felt how strong he is, didn't you? They don't stand a chance against him," she told her.

  "Un!" the little girl exclaimed, giving an enthusiastic nod. The others couldn't help but laugh at her expression, while the women cooed at how adorable she was.

  "Alright, let's get to the government building. I don't know about all of you, but I'm sick of this place," said the purple haired woman. The rest of them gave firm nods, feeling the exact same way.

  With that, they departed, jogging somewhat slowly towards their destination. They may have been weakened from lack of food, but the thought of reaching somewhere safe and finally leaving this nightmare behind for good spurned them on.

  Seeing them leave with his Magic Sense, Vincent smiled. Good, with them safely out of the way, all he needed to worry about was killing all the assholes in front of him. And wouldn't you know it, some of the assholes had already gathered together for him.

  How thoughtful.

  He turned to look at the pack of dogs, all of them snarling at him, teeth bared. There were five of them, not including the one he already killed.

  He took a step forward, ready to put them down, when a strange, and rather grotesque sound reached his ears. Turing to look at the corpse on the ground, he was repulsed to see hundreds of somethings squirming out of the two halves.

  "Are those worms? Gross. Can't Iriella take you to the vet or something?" Vincent griped. But what shocked him was seeing the worms growing longer and longer until they reached the other half. From there, they seemed to combine into one, pulling both halves together, making the dog whole again.

  Once that happened, the dog jerked up, like it had just been tased. It shook its head and let out a huff, before turning to look at Vincent, growling angrily at him.

  "Ok, didn't see that coming…" he mumbled to himself. The beast lunged at him, but Vincent merely backhanded it away. It yelped as it was sent flying across the yard, slamming into the stone fence.

  It flopped onto the ground, unmoving. Vincent thought for a moment that did it, but the dog's flesh started wiggling, like there was something inside of it. Something like worms, for example. After several seconds of this, the dog rose back to its feet, barking at him.

  "Well aren't you guys a pain… How am I supposed to kill you if you won't stay dead?" he asked. Their only response was to bark some more before charging at him. With a sigh, Vincent raised his sword, ready to combat the undying dogs.

  As soon as they were within striking distance, he blurred past them, sword held out. The dogs came to a halt, their bodies collapsing as they were cut to ribbons. This all happened in a fraction of a second.

  The sixth dog, the one he's already killed twice now, leapt at him, mouth open wide and ready to clamp down on his throat. But Vincent merely danced out of the way, slicing it in two again. But this time, he grabbed either half of the body and threw them to opposite sides of the yard.

  "Let's see you come back from that," he said. Hopefully, with the two halves so far apart, it wouldn't be able to regenerate. That didn't hold true for the pile right next to him. He could already see those disgusting worms pulling the pieces back together.

  "Note to self, learn fire magic," he grumbled. If he could just turn them all into ashes, he was sure that would solve the problem. Alas, he hasn't begun training in magic yet besides what was intrinsic to vampires. Isaac wanted him to build a foundation on their species abilities first. It made sense, but it was sure coming to bite him in the ass now.

  Digging his claws into his arm, he used his blood to create a few dozen more hornets. He wasn't sure this would work, but there was no harm in trying. So as soon as the dogs were all put back together again, he released the swarm.

  The dogs were stung all over the place. He focused heavily on the heads, hoping that if he blew them up, destroyed the head entirely, then the worm things would have nothing to attach to.

  If it worked on zombies, it should work on them!

  He watched as the dog's faces inflated before inevitably popping like an overstuffed balloon. It wasn't what one would call a pretty sight, and Vincent was pretty sure one of their eyeballs bounced off his bare chest, but it seemed to do the trick. The mutts stumbled around for a bit as their bodies came to grips with the loss of their heads before collapsing on the ground.

  "That takes care of that," Vincent said. Looking over at the other dog, the one he cut in half, it seemed like that ploy worked out as well. The worms inside of it uselessly squirming in the air, trying to reach their other half.

  "With that out of the way, maybe I should have a talk with Iriella about keeping her mutts on a leash," he said, making his way towards the manor. But when he was about halfway there, he felt a disturbance with his Magic Sense.

  One of the dogs was twitching. And it wasn't long before all of them started spasming with it.

  "Seriously?" Vincent sighed. Turning around, he watched as the headless corpses rose up, standing on four unsteady legs. Their necks bulged out, like something was trying to escape.

  Turns out, that's exactly what was happening.

  Bursting out from their necks were three, fleshy, pulsating appendages, flopping all over the place seemingly without rhyme or reason. On the end of each tentacle-like protrusion were mouths split into four sections, each one with shark-like teeth.

  "What in the Resident Evil are those!?" Vincent cried out in alarm. He watched as the mouth sections of a few close, and he's played enough video games to realize what was happening.

  Jumping out of the way, he watched as the mouths spit out wads of mucous-like goop. They splattered along the ground where he was, and Vincent watched as the dirt sizzled and melted.

  "Acid, huh? Well isn't that just great?" he muttered sarcastically. The dogs, or whatever the hell they are, sprinted towards him, faster than before. He cursed, jabbing the claws of his right hand into his left arm again.

  "Sorry, I'm not into tentacle porn, but thanks anyway. Blades of Blood!"

  The crescent shaped blood sickles raced towards the approaching monsters, only for the squirmy bastard to move out of the way, each tentacle seemingly knowing right where the blades were.

  "Come on! How many times do I have to kill you?" Vincent complained, leaping out of the way as the tentacles crashed into the ground. He once more used his incredible speed to blur forward, slashing at the tentacles before they could retract, slicing them off.

  The creatures released squeals of agony as they flailed around. But naturally, they were far from finished, as new mouthy heads burst out of them before too long. Vincent leapt away as more acid came flying towards him.

  "Ok, new plan. Can't cut 'em, can't blow 'em up, what else can I do?" he mumbled, avoiding the monsters as he thought of a new plan.

  "If these things really are filled with some kind of parasite, maybe I can just remove it? Yank those sons of bitches right out of their home," he thought to himself. It made sense, or about as much sense as any of this made in the first place, so it was worth a shot.

  So when one of them tried to take a bite out of him, he grabbed the tentacles and held on tight, making sure none of the mouths could reach him or spit acid in his face. He then created a collar, placing it around its neck so he could pull it in two directions using muscle and blood power.

  "Come on you bastard, get the fuck out already!" he grunted. He could see the rest of the pack getting ready to attack, so with one final yank, he ripped the screaming bug right out of its flesh suit, jumping back and avoiding the attacks from the other dogs at the same time.

  Looking at the thrashing thing in his hand, he couldn't help but feel disgusted. It was a bulbous thing that looked like someone stuffed a bunch of rotten ground meat into a bag and tied it off in the middle. Short, stubby legs flailed around as it let out noises of distress.

  "You really are an ugly bastard, aren't you? Let's see you survive this," he said, swinging the thing around before slamming it into the ground. It burst into a shower of blood, gore and pus. He felt the tentacles in his hand still for a moment before going completely slack.

  "And stay down," Vincent muttered, wiping his hands on his pants. The damn thing was way slimier than it had any right to be. It felt like he just shoved his hand into a camel's mouth. Don't ask him how he knows what that feels like.

  "Now then," he said, looking at the rest of the monsters surrounding him.

  "Who's next?"