After finishing the battle, Allen didn't leave right away. Instead, he wandered to the edge of the battlefield and gave a light kick to a fallen corpse, if it weren't for the fact that his vampire abilities allowed him to sense life force fluctuations clearly, he might've been fooled.
The strong have their means, the weak have their tricks, there's no shame in that. Faced with a dangerous onslaught, Allen chose to fight back and kill, while this wizard had opted to play dead. That in itself wasn't disgraceful.
Still, whether it was disgraceful or not, Allen had no intention of letting him go easily. Even if this man hadn't been one of the attackers, Allen had gone through all that trouble, it would be a waste to walk away without collecting some spoils.
"Hey, kid. Get up." Allen nudged the thickest part of the man's thigh with his foot. Though his magic was completely drained, physically he was still in top form. Even a casual kick from him was quite painful.
But clearly, this guy had maxed out his "playing dead" skill. Allen kept kicking for half a minute, yet the man remained steadfast in his performance, determined not to move a muscle.
"Well then, guess he's really dead. Leaving a corpse lying around is just bad for the environment. Better dispose of it, flames, " Allen sighed in mock disappointment and raised his wand.
That half-finished incantation had a miraculous effect. The "corpse" instantly sprang to life, latching onto Allen's leg and crying out in a miserable voice, "Please, sir, I'm still alive!"
Hmm. Surprisingly fluent English. At least Allen could understand it, unlike the gibberish he sometimes heard from others.
The man moved so quickly that Allen briefly wondered if he'd have a brighter future as a Quidditch goalkeeper.
Still, no matter how pitiful this guy acted, Allen had no intention of letting him off the hook. He was going to squeeze some benefits out of this encounter.
"Not bad. Good instincts. You've got potential, kid," Allen said, clapping the shoulder of the man who looked to be at least twenty years old, though Allen himself was only thirteen. "You've got a future ahead of you. Learn to cook, ahem, I mean, become my bloodspawn."
From the way the man's muscles stiffened, the joke had clearly hit its mark. He was on the verge of passing out.
There was no helping it. Vampires were far too mysterious and terrifying in this world, and after Allen had just wiped out an entire group of wizards, the young rebel before him was now utterly terrified.
Luckily, Allen's guess had been right. This young man clearly held deep disgust toward vampires, and had no intention of becoming one. If he had suddenly clung to Allen's thigh and shouted, "Really? Even someone like me can become one of the noble blood race? I'm so honored! Please, right now, make me a vampire!", well, Allen would've been at a total loss for words.
Since the guy was being so cooperative, Allen had no reason to hold back on the performance. After all, he had a purpose in keeping this one alive. Otherwise, just to keep his identity secret, he might've erased the man's memory or turned him into a blabbering fool.
Allen softened his tone. "You, out of everyone here, are the best candidate. Honestly, your fresh, delicious blood is exactly what I need after awakening from my long slumber. But for the sake of our kind's future, I held back. I hope you don't let my effort go to waste, kid."
The sweat on the man's temple began to trickle down in visible streams. Clearly, Allen's intimidation was working like a charm.
After a long pause, Allen's face twisted into a very recognizable look of impatience. Just as the terrified young wizard felt his heart sink to the bottom of a pit, Allen said something that made his soul come back to life.
"Forget it. You probably don't understand what it means to be a noble member of the blood race... It's understandable, we've been forgotten by the world for too long."
"Then, become my servant. I'll show you the grandeur of the blood race. You'll learn just how noble we truly are." Allen sighed theatrically.
"Come on, follow me. To avoid damaging your essence, I won't use the blood clan's secret techniques to control you. But a basic contract is still necessary. Come here and sign a simple pact with me. And don't try anything clever, kid. I've seen too many 'gifted' youngsters."
The man, just moments ago brushing against the gates of hell, had no thought of resisting. A wizard skilled in playing dead would never try his luck by provoking a mysterious, ancient vampire fresh out of slumber.
He even thought about finding a fortune teller to read his luck, was it good or bad fortune to stumble across a newly awakened vampire during a random skirmish? Seeing how Allen had gone from weak and worn to fully energized, it was like they'd willingly delivered themselves to a hungry beast.
Allen walked over, signaling Annie with his eyes to prepare. Then, he continued his act: "Alright, child. Even though I think it's unnecessary, we still need to sign a small, unbreakable contract, just to avoid future trouble. Do you agree?"
But Allen's eyes were saying something else entirely: Try saying no. I dare you.
Even though Allen had tried to make it sound casual, the words "unbreakable vow" were not something taken lightly. Even with the threat of death looming over him, the young wizard clearly hesitated.
Annie, unaware of the exact nature of Allen's threats, did her part anyway, tugging on his sleeve with an innocent pout. "Hurry up, big brother. I'm hungry."
It was meant as a small complaint, since she'd barely eaten after her dinner was spilled. But for the young man, it changed everything.
To Allen and Annie, she was just a sweet little girl. But to the wizard, now convinced that the child's fangs were growing and her eyes were fixed on his pale neck, it was a waking nightmare.
"I'll sign!" he cried out, his voice full of sorrow and despair.
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
150 Advance Chapters Available on Patreon! Patreon.com/Veltoria