Chapter 191 - The Aftermath [2]
Using [Dungeon Genesis] and [Terrain Manipulation]—Verc made a temporary facility for everyone to stay in.
The ground trembled, the broken castle moved by his will... And in a matter of a few seconds—
S W A A A A A A H~
A single floor, spacious square facility was built.
Massive walls of smooth, dark grey stone rose rapidly from the rubble, interlocking seamlessly to seal out the dust, smoke, and harsh wind. The jagged, ruined remains of the former lobby pulled themselves apart and reassembled into broad, thick pillars that held up a simple, solid stone ceiling. Air vents formed naturally near the upper edges of the walls, allowing fresh air to flow through while keeping the interior safe from the elements.
"Lord Verc!"
Tatum, Jed, Diyael, and the others quickly rushed to their lord when they felt the trembling of the ground.
The sudden, heavy vibrations had sent shockwaves through the soil all the way to the outer perimeter, making everyone think that another enemy had launched a surprise attack on the village center. They sprinted back toward the center with weapons drawn, their faces pale with anxiety and sweat pouring down their foreheads.
They thought another enemy had appeared.
But when they arrived there—a smooth stone bed had just erupted below every wounded villager, giving them a better and cleaner place to lie on.
Instead of a scene of destruction, they found a clean, well-enclosed hall. Beneath each shaking villager and injured warrior, the rough ground softened and raised upward, forming elevated, polished stone platforms. The sharp debris, wood splinters, and loose dirt were completely pushed aside, leaving every single patient lying comfortably on a level surface.
The temporary facility built didn’t care about design or whatever... It was purely to give comfort to those recovering.
There were no elaborate carvings, decorative arches, or grand banners like the original castle possessed. It was a straightforward, thick-walled shelter designed solely to keep the cold out, maintain a stable temperature, and offer a sterile environment for those currently going through the painful process of turning into vampires.
"..."
Tatum and the others were silent seeing this.
Their eyes widened in sheer awe as they looked around the vast, newly formed room. They looked from the solid stone walls to the long, orderly rows of elevated beds, completely stunned by how effortlessly Verc had created a massive structure out of thin air in just a few moments.
Then, at that moment—
"I already had everyone drink my blood. Have people stand on guard and observe them."
Verc looked towards them and ordered that.
His voice was quiet, but it resonated clearly across the quiet, stone-walled space. He stood near the center of the hall, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his weapon as he looked over the rows of recovering villagers.
"Those who are wounded from the trip here, I made some extra stone beds... They’re not entirely comfortable, but it’s better than nothing. Have them rest."
He gestured with a slight nod toward the back section of the facility, where several more empty stone platforms had risen from the floor.
Then, before turning his back and walking away—
"After all that, come see me at the end of the facility. I made a small office there for us to talk privately."
Verc stated that.
He wants to rest even for a bit... He lost a lot of his blood reserve by attempting to turn a lot of vampires continuously in one go.
The sheer volume of blood he had drained from his own veins was starting to weigh heavily on him. Even with the massive boost in reserves he had taken from Morcant earlier, the rapid, forced extraction of his vital essence left his core feeling strangely hollow and cold.
He needed a few quiet moments to let his body stabilize and process the power within his system.
*****
Tatum, Jed, Diyael, Ashley, Neit, Moro, Jai, and Maya followed their lord’s order.
They quickly organized themselves into smaller groups, spreading throughout the spacious facility to monitor the patients. Ashley, Neit, and Maya began moving between the stone beds, carefully checking the breathing of the shaking villagers and wiping away the cold sweat pouring from their brows. Moro, Jai, and the others took positions near the thick stone entrances, ensuring no wild beasts or stray threats could enter the area.
Scally and Skul led the continued search for any villagers that might be stuck under the rubble.
They carefully shifted crushed beams, dug through piles of heavy bricks, and called out into every dark gap beneath the collapsed roofs.
They want to find even their corpse, that way; they can be given proper burial at the very least.
They refused to leave a single person behind in the dirt, wanting to make sure that every lost life was accounted for and treated with proper honor once the chaos finally settled.
Anyway—
Tatum, Jed, and Diyael joined Verc in his office not long. The others stayed behind to help around the wounded ones.
They walked down the quiet corridor at the back of the facility, their heavy boots clicking against the smooth floor tiles. The heavy stone door at the end of the hallway stood slightly open, a dim light spilling out from within.
When they arrived at the office, it was bigger than they had expected, and when they entered inside—CREEAK!
The wooden and stone door swung open fully, revealing a massive, high-ceilinged room that Verc had constructed specifically to hold heavy items.
The humongous dead body of Morcant was lying there, its blood was still pouring nonstop under the corpse!
The giant, four-legged red beastly frame filled nearly half of the spacious room. The severed joints where his wing and tail had been cut off were still weeping thick, dark crimson liquid that pooled across the stone floor, creating a heavy stench of iron and raw demon mana that hung thick in the air. The giant, detached head of the crimson demon rested near the wall, its wide, lifeless black eyes staring blankly at the entrance.
"How was the damage?"
Verc asked as soon as they entered. The three just glanced at Morcant’s corpse for a few seconds before facing their master immediately.
Verc was sitting behind a simple, heavy stone desk at the far side of the room, his elbow resting on the surface and his chin leaning on his hand.
"Roughly half of the village population had died... Most of them are from the orc tribe. It seems like they resisted and tried to fight Morcant in order to protect the others."
Tatum reported, a frustrated look on his face.
He gripped his hands into tight fists at his sides, his chest rising heavily as he forced the bitter words out of his throat.
"The orc warriors stood their ground at the front gates when he first landed. They fought until their weapons broke and their bodies gave out... because of their resistance, the women and children in the back districts had time to run toward the forest."
"We also found the others... They’re not badly hurt because they were far away from the castle when Morcant invaded, but they’re unconscious too."
Jed followed up. He was talking about the dark elves, the dwarves, and everyone else assigned at the production group of the village.
"They were caught in the massive shockwave of mana when Morcant released his aura earlier. The sheer pressure knocked them out cold before they could even understand what was happening, but physically, they only sustained minor cuts and bruises. They’re resting in the outer beds now."
"..."
Verc became silent after hearing that. A threatening aura was rising from him.
The temperature inside the large office plummeted instantly. A heavy, suffocating pressure radiated off Verc’s sitting figure, making the thick air inside the room feel even denser than before. The dark red mana around his feet twitched like living shadows, reacting violently to his inner emotions.
He was angry... Really angry. But with Morcant dead, that emotion had nowhere to go now.
The perpetrator who had caused all this destruction, slaughtered his people, and ruined the peaceful settlement he had built was already lying headless on the stone floor right before his eyes.
’I built this place to be a sanctuary...’
’And a single arrogant fool turned it into a graveyard in a short amount of time.’
Verc thought to himself, his fingers digging slightly into the stone edge of his desk.
"Master Verc... What are you planning to do with the demon’s body?"
Just then, Diyael broke the silence and asked that.
Verc looked at Morcant’s beast body.
He realized that just like today, other forces might attack him and his people at any time.
This world was filled with greedy, powerful entities who viewed smaller settlements and newly rising factions as easy prey. Today it was Morcant; tomorrow it could be another demon king, a human army, or a coalition of powerful monsters seeking to expand their territory. Simply hiding in the depths of the forest and quietly building his strength was no longer enough to guarantee absolute safety for those under his protection.
’I need to give the world a warning of what will happen to them if they dare try to touch my people.’
He thought to himself, then with his lips parting—
"Have his head displayed near the city."
Verc ordered that.
"Mount it high on a spike right at the edge of the major trade routes near the human border where everyone can see it clearly. Let every traveler, every merchant, and every scout passing through know exactly what happens to those who step into this territory with hostile intent."
His tone was cold, sharp, and completely devoid of mercy.
"The world has been making a fuss when a fourteenth demon king appeared..."
He leaned forward slightly, the dark crimson glow in his eyes sharpening into a dangerous, terrifying light that filled the entire room.
"Let them know that it’s back to being thirteen now."
He muttered that, a silent anger visible on his face.