CHAPTER 16: FEEDING THE QUEEN

Lucas stood in the Dungeon located in the basement of the castle, looking with satisfaction at the rows of prisoners bound with Abyssal Chains. Thirty prisoners from various factions that he had defeated—arrogant Lords, elite commanders, and high-level mages—were all now valuable resources for power enhancement.

"My King," Selena stepped down the spiral staircase with predatory movements, her crimson eyes gleaming with barely contained hunger. "The preparations are complete. All prisoners have been categorized by power level and blood quality."

Lucas stared at the interface that appeared before him, displaying a detailed analysis of each prisoner.

[System: Prisoner Analysis Complete]

[High-Value Targets: 8 prisoners]

[- Lord Marcus Ironhold (Level 47, Knight bloodline)]

[- Archmage Vivian Starweaver (Level 52, Celestial magic)]

[- Commander Thane Bloodaxe (Level 45, Berserker enhancement)]

[- 5 additional elite units (Level 35-42)]

[Medium-Value Targets: 15 prisoners]

[Low-Value Targets: 7 prisoners]

[Recommendation: Sequential feeding for maximum absorption]

"Excellent classification," Lucas nodded in appreciation. "But before we begin the feeding process, there is something we need to test."

He approached one of the prisoners—a Lord who was still trying to maintain his dignity despite his chains. Lord Marcus Ironhold, his armor broken and his face full of defiance.

"Marcus," Lucas called out in a deceptively casual voice, "remember how you said my army could never defeat ’real warriors’ like you?"

Marcus stared at Lucas with burning eyes. "Monsters... the Global Lord system is not meant for creatures like you. You have violated all natural laws—"

Marcus’s voice was cut off as Lucas drew his Shadow Blade and pressed it against the prisoner’s neck. Not to kill, though—but to make a shallow cut enough to draw blood.

"Selena," Lucas called out without taking his eyes off Marcus, "show him what real power looks like."

Selena stepped forward with a sinister smile. Her crimson eyes began to glow with terrifying intensity, and her vampiric aura filled the room. The temperature dropped drastically, and all the prisoners began to shiver uncontrollably.

"My King," Selena whispered in a voice filled with dark anticipation, "may I begin with a high-value target?"

Lucas nodded. "Proceed. But do it with... artistry."

[System: Vampiric Feeding Protocol activated]

[Target: Lord Marcus Ironhold]

[Estimated power absorption: High]

[Warning: Process irreversible]

Selena approached Marcus with a hypnotic movement. Her pale, elegant hand touched the prisoner’s chin, forcing him to look directly into her crimson eyes. Marcus tried to fight back, but Selena’s vampiric power was far beyond his resistance.

"Look at me," Selena whispered in a voice like velvet dipped in poison. "Look into my eyes and feel your strength... flowing away."

Marcus’ eyes began to lose focus, and his body began to tremble as Selena began to activate Vampiric Drain. But this was no ordinary feeding—this was complete power extraction.

Lucas watched the process with eyes gleaming with fascination. "Selena, what percentage of power can you absorb?"

"At my current level, My King, I can absorb up to 85% of the prisoner’s total power," Selena answered while maintaining eye contact with Marcus. "But with proper technique, the percentage can reach 95%."

[System: Vampiric Drain in progress]

[Power absorption: 23%... 45%... 67%...]

[Target vital signs: Deteriorating]

[Selena power level: Increasing]

Marcus began to make inhuman sounds as his life force was sucked away with systematic brutality. His skin began to pale, his eyes lost their luster, and his body began to shrink like a mummy.

"Beautiful," Lucas muttered with twisted appreciation. "But don’t kill him yet. I want to see how long he can survive in this condition."

Selena stopped the feeding process when Marcus was about to collapse completely. The prisoner who was once a powerful Lord now looked like a skeleton wrapped in skin.

[System: Vampiric Drain complete]

[Power absorbed: 89%]

[Selena level increased: 43 → 46]

[New abilities unlocked: Blood Domination, Vampiric Regeneration]

[Target status: Barely alive]

"My King," Selena stepped back with eyes ablaze with euphoria, "the power... it’s intoxicating. I can feel its strength flowing through my veins."

Lucas stared at Selena with eyes filled with dark pride. His increased power level had not only made him stronger, but also more... magnificent. His vampiric aura was now much more intense, and his presence filled the room with oppressive energy.

"Excellent result," Lucas nodded with satisfaction. "Now test with the next target."

He pointed to Archmage Vivian Starweaver, who had witnessed Marcus’ fate with absolute horror. The mage’s eyes were filled with pure terror.

"Please," Vivian whispered in a trembling voice, "I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Secret locations, hidden treasures, alliance networks—"

"Information is valuable," Lucas replied in a deceptively considerate tone, "but the power that Selena can absorb from you... that’s irreplaceable."

Selena stepped toward Vivian with predatory grace. "My King, mage blood has... distinctive flavor. With concentrated magical power, the absorption process will provide different benefits."

[System: Target analysis - Archmage Vivian]

[Magical power level: Very High]

[Specialty: Celestial magic, Barrier creation, Healing]

[Estimated absorption value: Premium]

[Special note: Mage blood can unlock unique vampiric abilities]

"Proceed," Lucas commanded with growing anticipation. "But this time, I want you to experiment with a... different technique."

Selena smiled with a terrifying expression. "As you command, My King."

Different from her previous approach, Selena now used a more... intimate method. Her hand touched Vivian’s temporal with gentle caress, then slowly moved to her neck. But instead of using fangs, she activated her newly acquired Blood Domination ability.

"What... what are you doing to me?" Vivian muttered with growing panic.

"Shh," Selena whispered in a hypnotic voice, "don’t resist. Let me show you what it feels like to have your power... appreciated."

[System: Blood Domination activated]

[Target: Archmage Vivian Starweaver]

[Method: Gradual power extraction with psychological dominance]

[Estimated duration: 15 minutes]

[Benefits: Higher absorption rate, prisoner remains conscious]

The process this time was much more... artistic. Selena not only took the power, but also enjoyed every moment of the target’s psychological breakdown. Vivian began to experience hallucinations, distorted memories, and sensations beyond normal human comprehension.

"Tell me," Selena whispered as she continued to extract the power, "what does it feel like to lose everything that makes you... you?"

Vivian began to cry with tears mixed with blood. "I... I can’t feel my magic anymore. It’s like... like part of my soul is being torn away."

"Exactly," Selena smiled with cruel satisfaction. "Your magic, your identity as an Archmage, your very essence—all of it will become part of me."

Lucas watched the process with growing fascination. "Selena, how long can you maintain this technique?"

"With the current power level, My King, I can maintain Blood Domination for up to one hour per target," Selena answered without stopping the extraction. "But with optimal efficiency, fifteen minutes is enough for complete absorption."

[System: Blood Domination progress]

[Power extraction: 67%]

[Target psychological state: Severe breakdown]

[Selena adaptation: Learning Celestial magic foundations]

[Warning: Target approaching critical condition]

"My King," Selena suddenly stopped with her eyes burning with dangerous excitement, "there is something unexpected. This target’s Celestial magic... it’s not just power. It’s knowledge. Memories. Techniques accumulated over decades."

Lucas stepped closer with intense interest. "Explain."

"When I absorb power from a mage, I don’t just gain raw magical energy. I gain an understanding of magic theory, spell formations, even secret techniques that aren’t written down anywhere."

Selena stared at Lucas with eyes gleaming with unlimited possibilities. "My King, with enough high-level mages, I can become... a supreme magical entity."

Lucas felt the familiar excitement flowing through his blood. "Complete the extraction. Then we test this theory with the remaining prisoners."

[System: Blood Domination complete]

[Power absorbed: 94%]

[Selena level increased: 46 → 50]

[New abilities unlocked: Celestial Manipulation, Barrier Creation, Advanced Healing]

[Special achievement: Magic Knowledge Integration successful]

[Target status: Catatonic but alive]

Vivian now looked like an empty shell. Her eyes were blank, her body barely responsive, but still breathing. Selena, on the other hand, looked absolutely radiant with her newly acquired power.

"My King," Selena stepped back with a much more oppressive aura, "I can feel it. The knowledge, the techniques, the very essence of decades of magical study. It’s... overwhelming."

Lucas stared at the remaining prisoners with eyes gleaming with dangerous ambition. "How many high-level targets are left?"

"Six prisoners with power levels above 40, My King," Selena answered while looking at the interface that appeared. "If I absorb power from all of them..."

"You’ll become something beyond the classification of this system," Lucas finished his sentence with a voice that trembled with anticipation.

He turned to face Selena with an expression that radiated absolute determination. "Continue feeding. Absorb power from every single high-value prisoner. I want you to become a weapon that can destroy that ancient region."

Selena smiled with a terrifying expression, her crimson eyes burning with an insatiable hunger. "As you command, My King."

Suddenly, the sound of a system notification echoed throughout the dungeon.

[System: WARNING - Multiple high-level power signatures detected]

[Direction: Ancient Region (East)]

[Classification: UNKNOWN ENTITIES]

[Threat level: EXTREME]

[Recommendation: Immediate defensive preparations]

Lucas stared at the notification with eyes that burned with a mixture of excitement and concern.

"Selena, how long do you need to absorb the power of the remaining prisoners?"

"With the current technique, a maximum of two hours, My King," Selena answered in a steady voice despite the warning.

Lucas smiled with a terrifying expression. "Then we work faster."

He stared at the remaining prisoners with eyes that flashed with cruel determination. "Bring more. I want her stronger."

[System: Emergency protocols activated]

[Unknown entities movement detected]

[Estimated arrival: 6 hours]

[Current army status: Unprepared for extreme-level threats]