Gradually, Alice pulled away.
She had been drinking for so long that she had lost track of time.
That was how potent Vani's blood was.
The only reason she stopped was because she could already feel herself becoming overwhelmed by the power.
Any more and she would lose control.
Meanwhile, Vani was still seated in the chair, his silver hair falling to one side.
"Have you had your fill?" he asked with a knowing smile.
As expected, he got a reaction from her.
Alice blushed, moving away before she stood up.
She then used the back of her hand to wipe the excess blood from her lips.
"Yes, My Lord. I am forever grateful," she replied.
'Now that her strength is restored, I should be able to upgrade her status significantly.'
He kept his eyes locked on her.
'System, upgrade her to an S-rank.'
[That would cost 3000 evil points.]
A screen appeared in front of him, and beside it, another glowing rune.
[Current balance: 10,480 evil points.]
'I don't know how to feel about having such a wide margin of evil points over good points.'
Vani sighed out loud.
"My Lord, is something the matter?"
Alice, ever so observant, was quick to pick up on his mood.
Vani didn't give a direct reply. He simply looked her in the eye for a moment, then asked, "What do you know about S-ranked vampires?"
Finding the question a bit strange, Alice tilted her head to the side.
"S-rank vampires? Are they not the vampire gods that once ruled under the first Demon King?"
"Correct," Vani said, raising a finger.
'For some reason I know this; I guess the original Vani has been secretly reading or something.'
He continued, "S-rank creatures are often described as being in a class of their own. Only after you get to S-rank are other possibilities opened to you. And yet, in over a hundred years, this nation has not produced a single S-rank."
Alice averted her gaze, unsure of what to say.
"I find it quite repulsive, actually. Other nations are struggling to break their limits, going beyond S-rank, and yet, we barely make it to A-rank. Well, that ends today. As my loyal servant, you will be the first to receive a blessing from me."
"A blessing?"
"Yes, that is correct. A blessing I have single-handedly chosen for this moment. You are going to be the first S-rank vampire this nation has had in a hundred years."
Alice stood there, trying to process what Vani had just told her.
An S-rank? That had to be a joke. One could not just attain such a rank in the blink of an eye.
It takes years of constant evolution through the ranks, from A-rank to A+, then AA+, and even the legendary AAA disaster rank, just to graze the first layer of S-rank.
"My Lord, are you being serious?"
Vani smiled. "I shall demonstrate."
[3000 evil points have been deducted.]
[The vampire Alice is ready to undergo a rank upgrade.]
[Do you wish to continue?]
'Yes.'
[The character Alice has been upgraded to an S-rank.]
To Alice's surprise, her body began to glow.
It started as a dim, faint light.
Then gradually, the light began to expand around her.
'What is happening?' she thought to herself as the golden light consumed her.
Soon, there were visible changes to her body.
Her once dull red eyes now glowed vibrantly.
Her height increased from 5'6" to 5'8".
More importantly, her entire presence became more striking. Not only did her physical structure change, but her facial features also became sharper and more defined.
If one were to describe her in a single word, it would be "breathtaking."
The light gradually dimmed until, eventually, the vampire stood in her new form.
[Alice's Stats: Upgraded]
[Role: Personal Assistant
Rank: S-rank
Special Skills: Initiate Blood Manipulation, Queen Combatant, All-Leverage
Other Skills: Vampire's Senses, Overseer, Combat Mastery, Shapeshift, etc.
Loyalty: 100%]
A smile tugged at the side of Vani's lips.
'This is better than I expected. It makes me wonder what the rest will get.'
He moved his gaze to Alice's face.
Her expression was one of surprise and confusion.
She could feel the rampant flow of energy surging through her body, as though she had crossed into a new path of existence.
In that moment, she felt that if she wanted to battle the gods, she could.
"My Lord…" Alice blurted out. "I feel different. Could it be…"
Smiling brightly, Vani announced, "That power you feel coursing through every vein in your body is the power of an S-rank. You are no longer that weak vampire you once were; as of this moment, you have the power of a thousand men."
He stood up.
"Worry not. Your powers don't end there, because I will bestow upon you a true name as well."
Alice's eyes widened.
"A true name…"
'Eh? She doesn't want a true name?' Vani thought to himself, halting mid-speech.
[Maybe she wants one with quality.]
Suddenly, Alice fell to her knees, bowing her head.
"I couldn't ask for any more from you, My Lord. Not only have you miraculously raised my rank tenfold, but you also wish to give me a true name that can only be used once. I cannot accept such generosity. I beg you to bestow such an honor on someone more worthy."
Vani sighed.
'Is that what she is worried about? True, true names can only be given once, mostly because any more would damage the soul of the bestower. That said, I don't think I have that problem, right?'
[You do not.]
Getting approval from the system only strengthened his resolve.
"If that is truly all you are concerned about, then you have nothing to worry about. I don't have that restriction."
"What?"
"My soul will remain intact even if I give a hundred soldiers true names, as long as I can provide the mana suited for it. Then I can afford to do so."
Alice simply stared at him, her thoughts echoing in her head.
'This man… is he really the same Demon Lord I have served all my life?'