Demonic Dragon: Harem System

"Ugh, my head hurts... Where am I?" he murmured, his gaze scanning the surroundings, though his vision was still blurry.

"Heh, finally awake, strange. You like to sleep, don't you?" A woman's voice echoed in his ears. He tried to locate the voice, but all he heard was more silence.

"Up here, strange human." Strax looked at the ceiling and saw a girl with wild red hair, standing on the ceiling as if gravity had been inverted.

[You have encountered a 'Common' Vampire for the first time.]

"Who the hell are you?" Strax asked, "And where the hell am I?" he added before watching the girl jump from the ceiling and land on the floor.

"Ugh... that lunatic hit me in the stomach and then..." Strax muttered before getting up and leaving the bed.

"Wow... you're really tall, you look like a pole," the girl said, laughing. Well, it was common sense that Strax was quite tall compared to regular people.

"Girl, where the hell am I?" Strax asked.

Looking out a nearby window... Strax realized he was far from home... a city somewhat dark, with Victorian-style architecture. "What the hell is this bad taste? Black bricks? Dark cathedrals? What the hell is this? A city from a creepy vampire tale?"

"Exactly that, welcome to Nightingale, Mr. Super Strange," the girl replied.

Strax turned to face the girl and stared at her for a few seconds before finally speaking: "Can you stop calling me strange, bloodsucker?" he said, a bit annoyed.

"Also, who the hell are you?" Strax asked.

"For such a powerless and weak being, you must think highly of yourself, huh? But fine, I'll introduce myself," she said, slightly bowing. "I'm Bele Vermillion," she answered.

"Oh, okay, daughter of that freak. I'm Strax Vorah... or Antares, whatever, considering my wives... I have a lot of surnames," Strax said, looking around until he finally felt a cold breeze pass over his body... and he realized he had been naked this whole time.

"Are you going to give me clothes or... are you going to keep staring?" Strax said while the girl clearly wasn't looking at his face.

"Are you embarrassed?" Bele asked with a mischievous smile.

"I'd love for you to stay at least 20 meters away from me if possible. I'm a married man, you know? Even though I like beautiful women, I'm not really into... young ones like you," Strax said, pointing at the girl, who took a slight step back.

"Mm? What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"I don't like women who look... let's say 'childlike'," he said, assessing her body, which wasn't exactly sexy—she was... rather normal. Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin.net

"What do you mean by that?" she said, crossing her arms and glaring at him, clearly annoyed.

"Nothing, give me clothes," Strax said, and the girl pointed to a dresser with a set of folded clothes.

"Black pants, black coat, black gloves..." Strax said aloud, then turned to the girl, "Why is everything black?"

"Mother is monochromatic, she doesn't like flashy colors..." she said in a neutral, indifferent tone.

"Scarlet," Strax commented with a crooked smile.

The girl's red eyes suddenly glowed blood-red. "It's Countess Vermillion to you... Show some respect, strange."

"Oh, she has a weak spot... the strange one here likes to provoke the spoiled child," Strax said, casually putting on the clothes as if nothing was happening.

"Tell me, where's that idiotic vampire who kidnapped me?" Strax asked.

Suddenly, her murderous intent exploded. She opened her mouth and showed her fangs, which were sharper than a human's.

"Nice set of dentures, looks like something out of a horror movie. Be careful, your femininity drops quite a bit, you know?" Strax commented as she continued to unleash her killing pressure.

Strax pulled the black coat over his shoulders, adjusting it casually while ignoring the murderous aura Bele was emitting around her. He gave her a side glance, the provocation shining in his eyes.

"So, is that it?" he laughed while buttoning up the coat. "I thought the Countess' children would be more intimidating—"

Before he could finish the sentence, Bele intensified her pressure even more, filling the air with an oppressive, threatening energy. Her eyes glowed a deeper red, and her fangs gleamed in the pale light of the room. "You think this is a joke, insolent human? I could crush you right here," she growled, her facial muscles tightening in fury.

Strax continued putting on his gloves, looking more bored than intimidated. "You know, you seem pretty weak. How come you're her daughter if your aura is so... pathetic?" He smiled, adjusting the collar of his coat.

The provocation made her aura explode again, much more intense this time, so powerful that it felt as if it had gained physical weight. Bele advanced, her red eyes burning with murderous rage, and the intent to kill him was almost palpable in the air. But before she could take another step, something changed.

The pressure Bele exerted was abruptly interrupted, as if an immeasurably greater force had pushed her back. A chill ran through her body, and her eyes widened as she felt the overwhelming presence of an enormous, ancient entity. It was as if a colossal dragon were standing in front of her, its golden eyes watching her, and every cell in her body was filled with instinctual fear.

"You're pretty funny," Strax's voice sounded, now deep and laced with a cold threat. "But you're starting to cross the line."

Her body stiffened, unable to move. Strax's aura seemed to expand, filling every corner of the room, crushing and relentless. For a moment, Bele had a clear impression that the man before her was something far more dangerous than anything she had ever faced. She swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on Strax's nonchalant smile.

"How about you show me where the main hall is?" he suggested, with a calmness that unsettled her even more.

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Walking through the house... well, it was more of an old mansion belonging to a count with terrible taste... I mean, it was way too luxurious even for Strax, who came from a "golden cradle," although he had rarely taken advantage of it...

"So... how many vampires live here? This place is too big for just you and her," Strax commented.

"Hmm, let me see... There's me... mom, of course... bitch number one... bitch number two... the maid, maid of bitch number one, maid of bitch number two, and maid of mom," she said, counting on her fingers like a child.

Strax looked at her with an arched eyebrow, clearly surprised by the simplicity of the answer, but not hiding the sarcastic smile forming on his lips.

"Looks like the place is pretty... busy," Strax commented, his eyes scanning the luxurious details of the mansion. Despite all the opulence, something about the exaggerated decor seemed out of place to him—it was almost as if it were trying to hide a subtle decadence behind all the pomp.

"I didn't know vampires had such a... pragmatic approach to their hierarchies," Strax continued, his eyes entertained by Bele's direct and unfiltered description.

Bele, however, seemed completely at ease with the way she was describing her home. "Yeah, that's basically it... I'm not really into having visitors, you know. Mom doesn't like a lot of people around, and the others... well, they're just... who they are."

Strax nodded but couldn't help but ask, "Bitch number one and number two, huh? That's... interesting, would they be your sisters?"

Bele shrugged, dismissing the conversation. "Exactly, they're bitch one and bitch two. If you ask mom, she'll say she doesn't have time for normal relationships. She's more the type of 'do whatever you want as long as it's quiet and you keep training.'" She made a face, clearly referring to her uncomfortable relationship with her mother.

Strax shook his head, laughing quietly. "You must have a childhood full of wonderful stories... Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of freedom, but in your case, it seems like freedom comes with a good dose of... chaos."

"Tsk, I think chaos is my middle name," Bele replied with a mischievous smile, the youthful arrogance in her voice not going unnoticed. She seemed to enjoy the discomfort she was causing Strax, almost as if testing his limits.

"Great," Strax said, giving a small smile. "At least someone's having fun around here."

"So... where exactly is the Countess?" Strax asked, his tone more serious now, already starting to get used to the place, although the discomfort hadn't completely faded.

"She's in her private hall," Bele replied, stopping in front of a huge wooden door, rich in details, which seemed to be the entrance to the core of the mansion. "But you'll have to behave, or my mom will think you're just another toy for her to break."

Strax looked at the door with renewed interest. "I'm used to broken toys."

With a gesture of her hand, Bele opened the door, revealing a hall even more imposing than the rest of the mansion, with black velvet furniture and antique lamps that cast somber lights.