Reincarnation Of The Depraved Vampire Protoss

The Unyielding Rivalry

Clack! Clack! Chak! Clack!

Intense sounds fill the air.

"Iyhaaaa!!!!" The battle cry of a young boy echoes as he charges at me with a wooden sword.

"Weak~" I say, swiftly ducking to the side to evade his attack and slamming the hilt of my wooden sword against his back.

"Argh!" A loud groan escapes the little boy's lips as he crashes into the hard ground and eats dust.

POOOOOOOOHHH!!!!

A whistle blows loudly, signaling the end of the fight as soon as the boy falls to the ground.

"Zero, you don't have to be ruthless when sparring with your friends. This is a friendly match, so be gentle," a tall, young, and handsome male elf says while running towards us.

"Hehehe, I'm sorry, instructor. But I went easy on him. If I were serious, I could have broken a few of his bones," I reply, flashing an innocent grin while rubbing the back of my head.

The instructor simply sighs as he helps the boy up. Fortunately, the boy seems unharmed. As soon as he gets up, tears streaming down his face, he starts running away.

Observing the scene, the instructor puts his palm on his face, appearing tired. You might be wondering where I am right now, right? Well, I'm currently inside a training room with many other kids my age, most of whom are royals, nobles, and filthy rich kids.

It's been a week since I visited Duke Lars' mansion with my mom to assess my abilities. To be honest, it didn't end well as the orb eventually exploded even after my mom removed my hand. Long story short, after that incident, my mom granted me access to every nook and cranny of the palace, with numerous guards watching me from the shadows. My favorite place to be is this training room. There are three shifts of training classes held by two different instructors every day, and well, I participate in both classes daily. The reason is my fondness for combat activities.

Despite possessing extensive knowledge of martial arts techniques and many other things, I still find it exhilarating to learn new things. No knowledge is wasted, especially in this world where everything seems out of place and alien.

In this gym, we were all assigned code names, as it was considered disrespectful to use our actual names due to our social status. Even though I dislike this logic, there's nothing I can do about it. The code name I chose was Zero. It's an unusual name that I find appealing, and even the instructors were surprised when I selected it as my code name. It reminds me of a close friend from my past life.

"Zero, perform the moves I taught you in the last class," Instructor Brian suddenly speaks up after facepalming himself.

Fufufu, he's trying to find a way to indirectly punish me and suspend me from the training ground for a day. Well, I'm about to burst his bubble.

"Okay, instructor," I say with a slight nod as I begin to swing my wooden sword in a calculated and precise motion, moving my feet even better than he taught me. Seeing what's happening, Instructor Brian's mouth hangs open, unable to close it.

"Alright, you got it right. You haven't been slacking off the whole time. You and Red Hawk are the first to learn this move," Instructor Brian tells me while rubbing the back of his head. Simultaneously, there's a look of disbelief on his face...

POOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!

The instructor blows his whistle loudly, causing everyone to stop what they're doing.

"Everyone, let's take a break. Drop all your weapons in the armory and deactivate the training dummies!" Instructor Brian announces, his deep voice resonating throughout the room.

Upon hearing his words, all the kids cease their sparring and halt their activities. For most of them, this break holds significant value since they were forced to come here by their parents. One thing I appreciate in this world is the abundance of resources available to me.

After the break is announced, I walk over to the armory and place my wooden sword inside. Inside the armory, you can find various types of weapons, but they are all securely locked away since this training ground is meant for children under ten. Only wooden weapons are left accessible.

"Hey, Alex! I've been looking for you!" a voice interrupts me from behind.

Sighing softly, I turn around and see a plump little boy, about four years old, running toward me with a doughnut in his hand.

"Hey, Fatty~" I greet him in a low voice. This boy is a friend I made a week ago on my first day here. His name is Ryan, but in this gym, he's given the code name Fatty. Well, he asked me for a cool name idea, and that's what he ended up choosing, fufufu.

Hurriedly, Fatty comes to a stop in front of me. Despite his weight, he has an average appearance with dark curly hair. However, the glasses perched on his face give him a nerdy look, making him stand out like a sore thumb. Fatty, I don't think he'll ever part with those glasses.

The most remarkable thing about him is that he's the son of the renowned mage, Duke Lars Dixon. But he bears little resemblance to his father and takes after his mother's genes more.

"I got you a snack!" Fatty exclaims excitedly, handing me the doughnut.

"Oh, thanks..." I reply with a soft sigh, accepting the snack and beginning to eat it.

I've grown accustomed to the sensation of eating food in this world. It no longer tastes as unpleasant as it did in my past life, and I find myself enjoying most foods that would have given me vampire diarrhea before. However, one question continues to bother me: Will I still enjoy the taste of blood?

"Hey, Alex. I got something else for you," Fatty says, rubbing his palms together.

"What is it?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I... I..." Fatty stammers, dipping his hand into his pocket and pulling out a white flower.

"What's this, Fatty?" I inquire, a frown forming on my face.

"It's beautiful, so I decided to get it for you," Fatty replies, looking at me with puppy dog eyes.

Sigh... When will this kid learn?

I take the flower and gaze at it for a few seconds before putting it inside my pocket.

"Don't give me this kind of stuff again. I'm not a girl. If you do it again, I'm not going to talk to you for a month," I say, issuing him a stern warning.

Slowly, I notice Fatty trembling on his feet, tears welling up in his eyes as if a dam is about to burst open.

"Uwaaah!! You're so mean, Alex..." Fatty bursts out, running away in tears.

Sigh... I can't blame him. After all, I'm an anomaly.

"Why do you like hanging around that idiot?" a voice speaks from a few meters away.

Looking up, I see a familiar figure. He's an elf who's about my age and height. Exceptionally handsome, though his looks pale in comparison to mine. His elongated ears make him stand out among normal elves, giving him a unique appearance. Moreover, there's a fierce intensity in his eyes that is unusual for a boy his age. This is one of the reasons why most of his peers avoid him like the plague.

To make things even more intriguing, this boy is the strangest individual of his age I've ever encountered. There's an air of maturity about him that is far beyond his years. He never exhibits childlike behavior, and everything about him is peculiar and distinct. It's as if he's an old soul trapped in a young body. This boy is none other than my cousin, Gustav Amandite, whose code name is Red Hawk.

"Why do you enjoy spending time with that foolish boy?" Gustav asks, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

I give him a nonchalant shrug and reply, "He's harmless. Besides, he looks up to me. I suppose everyone needs someone to admire."

Gustav's piercing gaze meets mine, his eyes seeming to hold more understanding than what his age would suggest. "You're an enigma, Alex. People don't know what to make of you."

A small smirk tugs at the corner of my lips. "Well, that's what makes life interesting, isn't it?"

Gustav nods, a glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Indeed, it is. Perhaps that's why we find ourselves drawn to each other."

As cousins, Gustav and I have spent a considerable amount of time together since my arrival at the Duke's mansion. Despite our contrasting personalities, there's an unspoken connection between us—a shared understanding of being outsiders in this world.

"Speaking of interesting," I begin, changing the topic. "Did you witness my spar with the boy earlier? I must say, it was quite exhilarating."

A faint smile plays on Gustav's lips, and he nods approvingly. "Yes, I did. You've improved considerably since you arrived."

I appreciate Gustav's acknowledgment. While he may not exhibit childlike tendencies, he is a skilled fighter in his own right. His mastery of various combat techniques is awe-inspiring. Gustav's talent combined with his mysterious demeanor makes him a formidable rival.

"I'm glad you noticed," I respond, a competitive edge creeping into my voice. "But don't think I'll stop there. I intend to surpass you and everyone else in this training ground."

Gustav's gaze sharpens, and a spark of excitement flickers in his eyes. "I wouldn't expect anything less, Alex. I welcome the challenge. Let us push each other to new heights."

I extend my hand towards Gustav, a silent agreement between rivals. He clasps it firmly, and we exchange a nod, our unspoken rivalry fueling our determination.

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