Monsters in the Lab #2

 

Ttok, ttok—

Blood drops fall. One drop, then another.

Wheeee—

A blizzard rages outside the window. The wind howls like a mad woman’s scream.

The high walls of the castle, which gave off an aura of oppression, silently endured the strong wind.

A round, blackened iron cage hangs from the ceiling inside the room.

It resembles a birdcage, but it is too big to hold just a few birds.

Blood was dripping from the iron prison. Directly beneath the prison was a bathtub.

“Ahhhh—a sweet scent. This is it.”

A girl, soaking in a bathtub filled with bright red blood, muttered lazily.

Vampire Queen Camula.

Her hobby was bathing in fresh blood, just squeezed from humans.

Exactly.

Camula snapped his fingers together.

A skeleton butler in a suit who had been waiting nearby immediately brought a glass of wine.

The contents of the wine glass are also blood with a vibrating scent.

However, this is the blood of a 17-year-old virgin, specially collected for drinking.

It is different from the common blood that is spread widely.

A dizzying pleasure coursed down my throat. Only Camula could discern the subtle, fleeting difference.

“Camula is truly beautiful. Is there anyone else in the world as beautiful as she is?”

The butler served silently, thinking. He had served Camula faithfully, both in life and in death.

But the butler had one concern these days.

‘But… don’t you think you’ve gotten a little too young?’

The “secret art of youth” that turns back your biological age.

It is a secret art of necromancy that takes the fresh blood of countless young people and obtains the essence of life.

Camula, who should have already become a wrinkled and shriveled old woman, was enjoying her bright youth by using the power of this magic.

However, as the butler worried, it may be a bit excessive.

‘Hmm… somehow, you became so young that you became like a child…’

As Camula tossed and turned, the blood in the bathtub sloshed and the floating duck boat was pushed out.

The butler picked up the fallen duck boat and gave it to Camula.

“Kyahahaha!”

Camula laughed happily. He splashed again, no, splashed blood, and blew the duck boat away.

The butler returned the duck boat without a word of complaint.

The old Camula wasn’t like this.

She possessed a dignity befitting the title of Vampire Queen. A noble and elegant lady, admired by all.

But now⋯

‘You’ve become too honest about your feelings.’

Camula is impulsive and emotional. When she likes something, she laughs out loud, and when she doesn’t like something, she immediately gets angry and throws a tantrum.

It’s good to be young, but it’s really difficult for those below you to become like children.

“Master.”

The butler took advantage of the moment when Camula showed signs of calming down to speak.

This timing is extremely tricky. The butler has already suffered several bitter defeats due to poor timing choices.

“⋯.”

“Master?”

“⋯Why! Why are you calling me, why-”

Camula suddenly screamed and laughed. He held his stomach and laughed for a long time, wondering what was so funny.

No matter how hard the butler tried, he couldn’t keep up with the emotional volatility. A child’s emotional range was a primordial chaos.

“There hasn’t been a new report from the Orc Slave Village for over a month now.”

The butler continued speaking calmly and patiently.

“We’re running low on bloodstone due to the large quantities we’re using for experiments. However, the delay in bloodstone supply is causing disruptions to our research schedule. For some reason, there’s been no news from our subordinates dispatched to the orc slave village.”

“But? What do you want me to do?”

“I think appropriate action is needed.”

“So, you’re saying the slaves don’t work? Do I have to worry about every little thing like that? It’s so annoying!”

Camula frowned, picking at her ears with her pretty fingers.

“Go and hurry them up! Get them to work quickly. If there are any who don’t listen, I’ll make an example of them by beheading them all.”

“I was waiting for that order.”

“And offer me some cookies too! I want butter cookies!”

The butler bowed his head.

I was lucky. This time it worked.

Although he has now become a smooth child in both body and mind, the ruler of this North is still Kamula.

Nothing should be decided by the butler without the order of Camula.

“I’ve delayed too long. I should have asked permission long ago.”

The butler clicked his tongue silently in regret.

I’ve brought it up several times already, but every time the situation was bad, it came to nothing.

I get rejected because it’s snack time and I have to talk later, I get kicked in the butt because I have to read a storybook and I have to stop bothering you, etc.

“Slave villages and such should not be a hindrance at this crucial time.”

Now that Estelle is gone, the continent’s most powerful necromancer is undoubtedly Camula.

Once the bloodstone supply is readily restored and the research is completed, there will be no one left to stop Camula.

Death Knight.

The ambitious research to mass-produce the strongest undead was nearing its final stages.

‘Kamula is the one who should be the master of the world.’

If you can get your hands on the Death Knight army, there’s nothing to fear.

Even if it’s the monster from the secret lab.

“Even if it’s a monster, it won’t be able to withstand a Death Knight unit. Capturing the research data hidden within it won’t be a dream anymore. Then, Kamula’s army will become even stronger….”

 

The butler smiled happily.

The thrilling moment when the master you serve ascends to the highest throne may not be far off.

“Hahaha! This is so much fun!”

Camula burst out laughing as he slammed the duck boat down.

‘But I wonder if this state of being a child is really okay…’

The butler sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

My head was spinning. With so many pressing issues to address, I didn’t want to delve too deeply into this.

“Don’t worry about it. As long as the master is happy, that’s all that matters.”

***

—You have arrived at your destination. Guidance will end.

The light from the Indian staff faded. I lifted my thick fur hat and gazed at the snowy field before me.

A land of snow and ice.

If I hadn’t known the location in advance and come here, I would never have known there was a lab in this basement.

“Is this it, Estelle?”

“I guess so.”

“I can’t see anything. Could it be that the elder is mistaken? He seems to be losing his mind lately…”

“It’s noisy, so dig down. There’s definitely an entrance buried in the snow.”

“I get it.”

Jonathan, wrapped in a deerskin coat, took a step forward.

This guy actually didn’t have to come with me, but he volunteered to come along.

Being cooped up in the office 24 hours a day, every day for over a week, I feel like my body is going to itch or something.

“Brothers! It’s time to get moving. Everyone, grab your shovels. Estelle will distribute them.”

“Ouch!”

“It’s exciting. I was so tired and bored from just walking all the time that my body was aching.”

As I took out the tools from the ring of storage and threw them at them, the orcs picked them up one by one.

They are young orcs brimming with strength and stamina. Their names are Mark, Wild, and Buffalo.

The young orcs were excited from the moment they were chosen to join the expedition.

How much more so, since he was chosen directly by the warrior orc and the god of death.

“Get out of the way. I can do this on my own! You’re just being a nuisance.”

“Wild, stop acting so smart! I know you’re just trying to look good. Come out!”

The orcs competed with each other as they dug through the snow. Despite the sub-zero temperatures, steam rose from their shoulders.

‘Youth is indeed good.’

It’s a time when energy is at its peak.

Well, I’m not particularly old for saying this.

“You guys are doing well. Okay, me too-“

Jonathan also picked up a shovel. I grabbed his shoulder, wanting to join in the work.

“But why, Estelle? It’ll be over faster if we do it together.”

“That may be true, but you’re their leader. A leader’s job is to supervise, not help, in situations like this.”

“⋯Is that so? But it feels a bit awkward for me to stand there alone, carrying the load—”

“But when the important moment comes, you have to give back what you’ve saved so far. Got it?”

“Hmm⋯.”

As a novice leader, Jonathan had to be taught everything from start to finish.

Jonathan tilted his head with an ambiguous expression, as if he understood or not.

A moment later, the sound of a shovel blade hitting a lump of metal was heard.

“Found it! Warrior Orc, I found it. I, Mark, found it.”

“Well done!”

“It’s me, Mark! Never forget that Mark found you! My name is Mark-“

“Oh, I get it, Mark! Come out.”

The door, made of a thick block of iron, was already half-open. It was covered in evidence of having been forcibly pried open by heavy machinery.

It is thanks to the expedition sent by Kamula decades ago that we are here today.

“for a moment!”

The orcs who were about to enter first, including you, heard my shout and turned to look at me.

“You never know what’s inside. I’ll take the lead from here on out. If things get tough, I’ll come back to life even if I die.”

“Oh, indeed! As expected of the god of death. But his heart is warm.”

“I was touched!”

The young orcs’ eyes were filled with respect.

It’s not that I care about them so much that I’m taking the lead, it’s just part of efficient staffing.

Just like in the old Garden, if I have to die, I’d rather die myself.

“Shine the torch.”

The lab was dark. We cautiously entered.