Walking through the now-silent city, Alma surveyed his surroundings. Terror was visible in the eyes of every human hiding within their homes. Some wept, some fainted, and others prayed to God for salvation; unfortunately, there was no god listening.
As for why this was happening, it was simple: his Demon Lord aura was truly overwhelming. If he were to release it fully, no one in this city would make it out alive. And though he could now better control the energies emanating from his body, it wasn't perfect; even his weakened Demon Lord aura sent everyone into a state of panic.
But it didn't matter. Alma realized that even if he wanted to, he could never blend in with common folk. Even if he changed his face and body, his aura would always betray him. There went his dream of being a ninja... the world was truly cruel.
Sighing, Alma looked at the only person running happily around him. He found it hard to believe this girl was eighteen; her body and mind were so childlike.
"Yes! Let's go, Alma! Let's go! Let's beat up that old stepmother who hoodwinked my father!"
Alma sighed again. This girl had a serious violence streak—perhaps a side effect of becoming a high-ranking vampire, or maybe she was just like that before. He hadn't known her long enough to tell.
"Don't rush. You said your stepmother knows magic. It's better to be cautious before diving in headfirst."
Ignoring Snow White's complaints, Alma looked toward the dark castle at the center of the city. With his eyes, he could easily make out the figure of a woman watching him from a balcony. She was beautiful, dressed in a way that left little to the imagination beyond her face; her skin was fair, and her blue eyes were piercing.
"Shorty, that woman is your mother."
The girl pouted before looking where he pointed. A normal human wouldn't have even seen a silhouette, but the girl was a vampire, and her senses were far beyond those of other races.
"That old hag... let's hurry up and give her a thrashing."
Seeing her reaction, Alma had his answer. He turned his gaze back to the woman in the distance with curiosity.
[Titles: Evil Queen / Ranked 2nd in Kingdom's Beauty / Witch | Level: 42] [Info: A queen who has ruled the kingdom of 'Grimhilde' with tyranny... She possesses advanced magic using the Concept of Beauty; the more beautiful she is, the more power she gains.]
"Kid, do you really want to kill her?"
After thinking it over, Alma decided to take this kingdom for himself. If he wanted to gather the necessary souls, there was no point in wiping out entire cities for no reason; that would just make him a genocidal maniac. The best way was through inter-kingdom wars. Killing a thousand people on a whim made you a butcher, but killing a thousand for the expansion of a realm made you a conqueror and a great ruler. Ultimately, war brings wealth to the winning side, and a ruler who wins wars is a hero to their nation.
Even though this body was just a shadow avatar created to prevent his death aura from killing the entire city upon arrival, he still had more than enough power to kill a queen of that level.
Snow White looked at him with a truly tender smile, but her next words said otherwise: "I want revenge for all the pain she caused me... and for stealing the affection of my late father."
Alma watched her in silence before sighing. It seemed becoming a vampire brought out the worst in everyone. At least the girl seemed like an angel before the transformation. This brought up the problem of being very careful about who he turned into a vampire in the future. Since she wanted the queen dead, he would grant it, but he would take the crown.
"Fine, kid. Let's go. It's time for you to reclaim your birthright and then hand it over to me."
They reached the castle entrance, where a magical field surrounded the grounds. To him, it was like a curtain of water—tough, but not impossible to break. He didn't shatter it immediately; instead, he looked at the queen waiting behind the shield.
"I don't know what the girl has given you, but I assure you I can pay you several times more, Your Excellency," the queen said, sweat dripping from her hands as the demonic aura terrified her.
"Shut your trap, hag!" Snow White yelled. "You tricked my father! I'll have my revenge for him and for everything you did to me!"
Lacking Alma's patience, she charged her fist with green mist and struck the barrier with Herculean strength. The air shattered in a shockwave that upended earth and rock. The barrier, built on the concepts of "Unbreaking Beauty," fragmented under the raw power of the bloody little loli. Snow White wasn't discouraged; under Alma's tutelage, she had learned to master her transformation talent.
"I am the Baroness of the beasts that run wild under the moonlight... Progenitor of all beasts known and unknown... Blessed with peerless beauty and royal blood... I am the Vampire Queen of ten thousand forms. At my command, dragons shall bow. I am 'basilissa stou leuka'."
Interestingly, unlike Alma, she had gained an innate chant. Her body expanded as a dark mist swirled around her, growing taller and larger. Horns curved back from her head, dragon wings sprouted from her back, and a tail extended from her spine, while her skin became covered in beautiful white scales. When the mist dissipated, a majestic ten-meter dragon stood where a little girl had been.
"Dammit... why can she turn into a dragon and I can't?" Alma thought. He could only turn into normal animals, but her talent allowed her to become any fantasy creature she knew.
"Die, hag!"
The pure white dragon, bathed in moonlight, opened its massive maw before the terrified queen. A dragon breath of pure magic blasted the barrier. Needless to say, the barrier didn't last long... and neither did the castle. It was erased from existence.
"Dammit, there goes my future treasure," Alma sighed. He walked forward and consumed the Evil Queen's soul. At least he gained knowledge and new abilities.
[Congratulations! You have gained: "True Magic" / "Most Handsome in the Realm"] [Most Handsome in the Realm]: The primordial laws of this world bless you with a royal destiny and superhuman beauty, granting high Luck and Charisma. This passive magic increases your luck based on your beauty relative to your surroundings.
[Bringer of Fortune]: As the most attractive person within range, you have gained the passive skill "Princess Luck." The world smiles upon your charm, granting top-tier luck and 1 point of Charisma for every year you remain the most beautiful in your region.