The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

“Originally, I was in a bit of a bind because I used too much blood due to unexpected travelers… But thankfully, I received food to quickly replenish my blood.”

Camila mumbled as she settled down in a fitting open space in the forest, far from Kurt and his company.

She initially approached Kurt’s group to get some food.

The first reason she hypnotized them was simply to make them hand over their food without a fuss.

However, since they happily agreed to share a meal even before she could cast her spell, it didn’t hold much significance.

The second reason was to ensure they didn’t discover her true identity and ultimately erase any memory of encountering her.

But even that plan was abandoned because of their kindness and generous meal offer.

“That was really delicious. That dish was simply noble in flavor… Surely, it must have been a fantastic meal only for people of high rank back in the eastern continent.”

Remembering the taste of the gyudon she had just eaten, she felt a newfound gratitude toward Kurt’s group for serving her such delicious food.

It’s quite ironic when you think about it, given that her blood shortage was caused by Kurt’s group in the first place.

This region had been overrun by the undead for several decades already.

Who could have predicted that a fearless band of adventurers would recklessly attempt to pass through a forbidden area?

Thanks to their presence, her initial plans got derailed, and she ended up having to expend more blood than necessary.

“But considering I received such delicious food, maybe it’s not so bad… I hope I can taste it again someday.”

As she pondered this, strange sounds began to creep into the clearing she occupied.

Grrrrrr…

It sounded like a pained groan, or perhaps an ominous growl that sent chills down her spine.

A wave of unsettling noises began to converge around Camila.

As she looked around, she found herself surrounded by a grotesque horde of rotten corpses, stumbling around her.

Flesh had decayed and fallen away, yet these undead were still compelled to move, denied even the one blessing of rest that the dead could hope for.

They were undeniably the undead.

Grrrrrrr…

Grrrrrrrrr…

Ugh…

The numbers rapidly surpassed one hundred, and by the time the horde reached her vicinity, there were almost thousands pressing in.

Despite the ample open space, it was densely packed with corpses.

It felt as though every undead in the region had gathered here.

Yet, as Camila gazed at the wave of undead, she didn’t show an ounce of fear or tension; rather, she exuded a calmness that was almost unnatural.

No, the emotion reflected in her eyes was pity.

After all, it was she who had lured the undead to her in the first place.

“…Does this mean all the undead here have gathered by now?”

Grrrrr…

The zombie horde lumbered closer, emitting a noise as if they were squeezing their vocal cords.

But she hadn’t thrown out the question with any real expectation of an answer, so she brushed it off.

As the zombies loomed closer, ready to engulf her, the air shifted dramatically.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the forest turned hostile toward the zombies.

It was as if the air itself had a will of its own.

Every particle seemed infused with malice.

This wasn’t just a metaphor.

The thick fog that had previously filled the forest had transformed into a blood-red mist so dense it obscured her view.

If the horde had been sentient beings rather than mindless zombies, they might have lost all resolve and even fainted from sheer fear, but fortunately or unfortunately, the zombies had no self-awareness, so they continued advancing toward her undeterred.

However, the zombies’ actions were all in vain.

“This mist is my blood. This mist is my domain. I am the master of this mist. The only reason you could move around until now is because I allowed you to gather here for a massive cleansing.”

Why was there such thick fog in broad daylight after lunch?

Why hadn’t Kurt and his group encountered any zombies as they passed through this region?

Why had Kurt not felt Camila’s presence distinctly?

Why had the zombies all converged on her as if they had made a pact?

Why had Camila complained of both anemia and starvation simultaneously?

Because this fog was her essence.

Transforming her blood into mist to dominate the surroundings and claim her territory—that was her ability.

Becoming a master of a domain doesn’t merely imply controlling the mist; it signifies having authority over that realm from a conceptual standpoint.

She could instantaneously move across any distance within the mist and could slightly influence the movements of beings and their thoughts within her domain.

Of course, the quantity of blood she had to expend heightened in correlation with the power of this ability; overusing it could lead to suffering from anemia and starvation, and in severe cases, she might even lose her life.

At the same time, the crimson mist that filled the space began to compress swiftly.

It’s as logical as returning to a single handful of blood after being a handful of blood.

Simultaneously, the horde of zombies found within the mist was swept up in that current and conglomerated in one location.

The gathered undead began to collapse and crush each other with a horrific sound, shrinking down into smaller and smaller sizes.

From the size of a small hill to the size of a building, to that of a A-Dragon, and then down to an individual.

Eventually, only a smooth, black sphere remained in that space.

“So now you can rest. I give you my permission.”

Camila spoke with a voice laced with compassion.

Once living beings who had gone through laughter and tears, precious lives.

But because of irrevocable sins, they had become wretched beings who could never return to their former selves.

She soon began to dig a hole with her bare hands to bury the sphere that had once been human and then undead.

“…It seems the Blood Master here has already left. After all, it’s been several decades…”

Her hands now completely dirtied, she didn’t mind her filth and turned to walk back down the long road.

“Did I overexert my abilities? I feel dizzy already, and I haven’t even eaten anything in a while…”

True Blood.

While currently used to refer to a Blood Master who holds sway over their vampire lineage, the true meaning of the term is to denote a natural-born vampire, as opposed to those who became vampires through sharing blood.

Ultimately, all vampire bloodlines trace back to these ancient, natural vampires, and since non-vampires rarely play a role in history, the term has mostly come to signify a Blood Master.

Originally, the term described the first vampires to appear in this world.

Longevity rivaling that of elves, wielding the innate blood magic unique to their lineage, they cling to their nobility—not out of arrogance but grounded in a spirit of nobless oblige, a noble race that could firmly affirm these claims.

They stood the most favorable toward humans and could have become allies to many human races.

However, at a crucial moment for establishing a peace treaty with humans, they awakened to the flavor of blood, and everything changed since that day.

It was a secret they themselves were oblivious to.

Until then, they had no opportunity to interact with other human races, so they were unaware of how the blood of different races could transform them.

Their blood tasted sweeter than honey, intoxicated them more than any alcohol, and provided pleasures unattainable by any drug.

Those who awakened to the taste of blood became beasts yearning for more, scattering across the world.

The ones who remained, fearful of becoming beasts like them, hid in their mist-shrouded territory.

But not all succumbed to corruption and fled.

Among them, there were those who sought to rectify the wrongful acts of their kin.

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