25 Chapter 25 ~ Combat Slaves

( Appraisal: Result )

Name: Nina

Race: Human

Level: 37

Job Class: Monk/Fighter

Health: 574

~~~

Name: Lumi

Race: Demihuman ( Snow Wolf )

Level: 35

Job Class: Archer/Hunter

Health: 437

~~~

( Appraisal: Result )

Name: Sarah

Race: Human

Level: 41

Job Class: Warrior

Health: 623

It was the first time this screen had shown itself to him. Judging from what it says, he can freely manipulate their skills and stats.

Of course, Vlad was thrilled to see such a thing.

[ ... ]

[ So... Umm... Vlad-sama. What are we doing here? ] Lumi asked Shiro with a tilted head.

After their meals, Shiro had ordered Nina, Lumi, and Sarah to go outside with him where the blinding sun is high in the sky. While he had ordered his two Vampire Brides to manage the other slaves and start to give them their roles and tasks in the mansion.

The three with him right now are the ones with the highest levels among the slaves he had bought. They're stronger than his two Vampire Brides when they're on their debuffs, and they're also close to the levels of the hero's party members.

A small amount of grinding and they might even become stronger than the heroes party themselves - with these thoughts inside his head, Shiro said to them with a straight face:

[ Say, the three of you have potential in combat. I'd like to test your skills and abilities. ]

Yes, that was why Shiro had gathered the three of them here; to test the limits of their skills.

[ Vlad-sama... with all due respect. I don't want to hear from someone weaker than me that I have potential. ] words filled with annoyance was thrown into Shiro.

( Huh...? )

Looking at the person who said those words, Shiro muttered, irritated -

[ What did you just say...? ]

[ As I said, Vlad-sama, the thing I hate the most is hearing from someone that is weaker than me that I have potential. I will only accept those words from someone who is stronger than me; you may punish me for saying these words, but I have my dignity as a knight. ]

It was Sarah. The strongest among the three. She has the face of beauty but her eyes are those of a warrior. She looked at Shiro with an intimidating look on her face.

Just looking at her face, one can see how she has absolute confidence in her self, especially to her strength.

[ You're supposed to be a knight, right? Are knights people who judge a person's strength by their looks? You haven't seen how strong I am yet; how are you able to say that I'm weaker than you? ] Shiro said with an irritated voice, but with a calm tone.

Sarah was looking at him with an irritated look, so Shiro had intimidated her with his words.

[ Tha-That's...! ] Sarah stuttered, she was not able to find the words to reply to Shiro.

[ How about this... I'll show you. ] Shiro muttered as he raised a hand in front of her head.

Her attitude had reminded him of Arthur, and Shiro didn't like that.

[ Huh...? ]

[ Fear. ]

...

...

...

~~~

A heartbeat.

In the absolute darkness that eats everything, she had heard her own heartbeat.

Her heart was beating fast. It was beating loud. It was beating hard.

( Wha... What is this...? ) she could only mutter in the dark empty world of nothingness.

...

...

A moment later, her brain started to work again. And she felt nothing but fear.

Her lungs started to corrupt and wither, her limbs started to crumble and tremble, and her brain felt like it was being crushed by a huge rock.

It was Fear.

She felt fear she had never felt before. It was like all of the things she fears have combined together and has trapped her in this dark - empty space of nothingness.

( S... Stop this! )

A few more moments in this place and she will fall into madness. She will turn insane. She will die...

~~~

[ Clarity. ]

[ Haa...! Haa...! Haa... ] As if she was just about to get drowned, Sarah started to catch her breath intensely. She was kneeling on the ground with her head pale and intensely sweating.

[ Now, I trust you don't have any complaints? ] Shiro muttered in a calm manner.

[ Haa... Haa... No... No... Vlad-sama... ] she answered with fear written on her face.

The spell Shiro had used was the lowest version of the spell \"Crippling Darkness\" which Shiro had used against Arthur. Seeing the despair on Sarah's face, Shiro could only imagine the fear Arthur had experience by his spell. He wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly wakes up insane.

After a few moments, Sarah was finally able to catch her breath, she then stood up and bowed her head to Shiro.

[ I... I'm really sorry for what I have said...! I promise... I will not do something like that ever again... ] Sarah shouted with respect to Shiro. Her previous intimidation turned to respect and amazement.

[ I... I... I promise I won't disappoint you, Vlad-sama! May... May I call you master!? ]

( Huh...? )

[ It's fine... I guess. ]

Shiro wasn't expecting that she will turn out like this. In fact, she was expecting Sarah to hate him, yet, what happened was the complete opposite; her eyes are now gazing at him with respect and admiration. But still, Shiro felt contented by the unexpected result.

And so, after positively answering Sarah's question, he turned to the other two.

[ How about the two of you? ] Shiro muttered to them with a calm expression on his face.

[ Ma-Master! ] ( Lumi )

[ Please give me your babies, Ma-Master! ] ( Nina )

( ... )

...

...

[ U... Un... I guess you two doesn't have any problems... ]

***

[ Summon: Devil Hounds! ] shouting those words, a total of 7 Devil hounds appeared before them.

Their skin was the blackest and their fangs are sharp as swords. One bite and a limb would fall off.

And so, facing his \"Slaves\", Shiro said to them -

[ I want you to try and defeat them. ]

As soon as they heard the words of their \"Master\", they immediately went into their fighting positions. Their eyes were fierce and their grip on their weapons was tight.

Of course, Shiro had given them their own weapons to fight his summons with.

Lumi was holding a crystalized longbow, and in her back was a quiver filled with arrows.

Sarah was holding a golden sword.

And the tanned Nina was wearing heavy gauntlets in both of her hands.

[ Devil hounds, do not hold back. ]

With those words, the corner of the hounds' mouths started to form flames, and they started to growl towards the trio.

[ Hehe... I'll show master how strong I really am... ] swinging her sword into the air, Sarah muttered.

[ I... Impress master and have his babies... ] the barbaric Nina formed a stance and bumped his fists together.

[ I hope I get fishes from the master... ] whispering the words to herself, Lumi took an arrow from the quiver on her back and put it on the string of the bow.

...

...

Hearing their words with his keen hearing, Shiro thought that they might be the weirdest ones among all the slaves he bought. But still, Shiro was sure that he felt they were confident about their strengths.

( I hope this works out... )