Chapter 51: Already in the Shape of a Vampire

“…Huh? Flux?”

Chloe froze at the name.

Flux… wasn’t that her holy sword?

It should’ve shattered during her battle with Larvia.

Why was she hearing that name here?

Chloe anxiously turned to Larvia.

Noticing her gaze, Larvia’s lips curved into a mischievous smile.

‘Did Larvia break my holy sword and make a new one named Flux as a replacement?’

But…

Larvia’s expression didn’t seem like that was the case.

As Chloe pondered, Sheffield returned.

She carried a black longsword in both hands, approaching Larvia slowly.

“Your Majesty.”

She bowed slightly, presenting the sword.

As she drew closer, Chloe got a better look.

The sword was forged from Tobias inksteel, clearly no ordinary weapon.

Tobias inksteel had an exceptional affinity for mana, making it ideal for crafting weapons. Larvia’s own weapon, the Black Moon Scythe, was made of it.

But forming it required surviving a massive mana storm—something like the fallout from a life-or-death battle between two seventh-tier mages. Even then, the inksteel remained unstable, needing thousands of years to settle before it could be forged.

Thus, it was only found in perilous ancient ruins, where countless adventurers ventured, hoping for riches, but few returned.

Given such harsh conditions, Tobias inksteel was a rare material among rare materials. If mithril was a common rare metal, inksteel was the rarest of the rare.

Chloe had once thought Larvia’s scythe was a waste of material. A palm-sized piece could set her up for life.

But staring at this black sword, she felt an uncanny familiarity.

‘This sword… why does it look so much like my holy sword Flux?’

Even sheathed, Chloe recognized it.

Flux’s sheath was silver with elegant gold patterns.

This black sword seemed to replace the silver with inksteel and the gold with red. Otherwise, it was identical.

At the hilt, a blood-red mana core sat where Flux’s had been.

“Step back, Sheffield.”

“As you command.”

Sheffield bowed and left.

Larvia held the sword, her approving gaze roaming over it, clearly pleased.

“Here, your reward.”

She smiled, handing it to Chloe.

“…”

Chloe gripped the sword, eyeing it suspiciously.

“Don’t stare. It’s your old pal, Flux.”

“…Huh?”

Chloe froze.

“How’s it feel to reunite with your buddy~”

Larvia took Chloe’s hand, slowly drawing Flux.

As the sword left its sheath, the black blade revealed crimson patterns, with a blood-red mana core at the hilt’s end.

The craftsmanship was exquisite, save for the guard.

The human empire’s emblem had been crudely scratched out, replaced by a Vandro family crest.

Chloe felt a familiar presence from the mana core. For a weapon like Flux, its core had gained a degree of life from prolonged exposure to mana.

Not sentient, but far beyond ordinary lifeless blades.

This allowed the wielder to achieve unity with the sword, moving as one.

Thus, Chloe clearly sensed her old friend in that core.

“Wah! My holy sword!”

Chloe sheathed it with a snap and hugged it tightly.

“Larvia! What did you do to Flux?”

She gently touched the dim mana core, yelling.

“That day on the battlefield, I collected all of Flux’s fragments. Then I pieced it back together and forged you a new sword~”

“It was exhausting to reassemble a sword that broken. Shouldn’t you thank me, little Chloe~”

“No, it’s not Flux! It looks the same, but it’s just a copy, nothing to do with Flux!”

Chloe ran her fingers over the blade, the cold touch clear.

“How’s it not?” Larvia smirked slyly. “It’s reforged, but the mana core’s the original. You know what that means, little Chloe.”

“No, you’re lying! Flux’s core was golden!”

“Now it’s red.”

“I called its name, and it didn’t respond!”

“Because you didn’t infuse mana.”

“I did! Look!”

Chloe gripped the hilt, channeling white mana into it.

The mana flowed, but the core stayed dim.

“Little Chloe, you’re a vampire now.” Larvia patted her shoulder. “Wake it with our way.”

“…Huh?”

‘Vampire… our way?’

‘Blood mana…’

Vampire blood magic used unique blood mana, not ordinary mana.

With that thought, Chloe’s white mana turned crimson.

The moment it flowed into the sword, the core flared, pulsing rapidly as it greedily absorbed the blood mana.

The blade’s patterns glowed red.

“Ah… Flux…”

As Chloe spoke, the core flickered, clearly responding.

“Face it, little Chloe. Your Flux is now in the shape of a vampire.”