Reincarnated as a Vampire Who Acquires Skills Through Blood

Chapter 179: 179 - Wrong Estimate

Verc was surprised when Diyael, the chief of the centaurs—swore his loyalty to him in front of all the centaurs.

It was not just him, even the warriors were taken aback.

Because now, they all know Diyael meant his words.

"..."

A small smile appeared on Verc’s face, seeing Diyael kneeling in front of him.

*****

After Diyael swore his loyalty to him, Verc immediately gave him a command.

He left all the centaurs to his care; telling Diyael to handle his people, because they’re more likely to listen to him.

Diyael complied, and with a proud voice—

"Those who still consider me as their leader—follow me."

He declared that.

The centaurs were silent for a while, as if they were contemplating. But not long after... they all dropped their weapons again and obeyed Diyael. Just like their chief; they all decided to went fully under Verc.

Verc was really impressed with how strong Diyael’s authority; even after announcing that he will be going under someone, and was going to take the whole tribe with him—his warriors still followed him.

’I know that some of them are dissatisfied with the decision... It’s up to me now to change their mind.’

Verc thought to himself.

Anyway, after that—Verc let Diyael decide over the centaurs—he told him to just continue what they were doing before he attacked.

Diyael was confused hearing that, he asked what would Verc do if some of the centaurs decided to run away if he’s handling them too loose.

Then with a shrug of his shoulder—

"I don’t care. Let them be."

He carelessly said that.

"..."

Diyael was speechless hearing that.

And before he could even say anything again; Verc spoke again, asking for a place to stay.

"Can you give me a lodging? I’ll probably be staying here for a couple of days."

"You can stay in my personal house... It’s big for me alone, and it’s the best we have in out settlement."

Diyael told him.

Verc didn’t decline this, and with that—he asked Diyael to lead him there.

... ... ...

The two of them walked side by side through the paths of the settlement. The atmosphere around them was heavy, and the nearby centaurs kept their distance, looking at Verc with mixed expressions of fear and curiosity.

Diyael kept a steady pace, but his mind was clearly filled with questions. He looked over at Verc, who was walking casually as if he was just taking a stroll in a peaceful park.

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Diyael decided to speak up.

"My lord, if I may ask... why are you planning to stay in our settlement for a few days? Is there something specific you are waiting for?"

Verc did not even glance at him, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. He answered without thinking much about it, treating the information like it was common knowledge.

"I am waiting for my army. They should be wrapping things up around this area."

Diyael paused for a fraction of a second, his hooves scraping against the dirt before he forced himself to keep walking.

"Your army? But you arrived here alone. We did not spot any large forces approaching our borders before the fight."

"Of course you didn’t. They didn’t come here directly."

Verc said, his tone incredibly casual.

"While I was heading straight for your main settlement to deal with you, I ordered the others to split up. They are currently attacking all the surrounding smaller tribes that are under the centaurs’ territory."

Diyael froze completely this time, stopping dead in his tracks. He stared at Verc with wide eyes, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.

"You... you ordered an attack on the surrounding tribes?"

"Yeah. It’s the most logical move, isn’t it? If I only attacked you, those smaller tribes might have sent reinforcements or tried to cause trouble from the outside. By striking them at the same time, I made sure you wouldn’t receive any form of help from anyone."

Verc explained, shrugging his shoulders slightly. He looked back at Diyael, wondering why the chief was making such a big deal out of it.

"Don’t worry, I told them not to completely wipe out everyone unless they resisted too much. But yeah, by now, those tribes are probably completely under my control."

Hearing those words spoken so carelessly, a chill ran down Diyael’s spine. The sheer scale of the strategy made him realize something terrifying.

’He didn’t just come to fight me... He completely planned the subjugation of the entire region from the very beginning.’

Diyael thought.

This information completely shocked the chief. It meant that if Verc had truly wanted to, he could have brought his entire army here and destroyed the whole western tribes along with every single living being in it.

It was a brutal reminder of just how strong the man walking in front of him really was. It also made Diyael incredibly curious about the kind of army that followed Verc.

"Are you coming or what? I’m getting tired."

Verc’s voice snapped Diyael out of his thoughts.

"Ah... yes, my lord. Right this way."

Diyael quickly caught up, his posture becoming even more respectful than before. The weight of his loyalty felt much heavier now, knowing the true depth of Verc’s power.

He even started adressing Verc as his lord! Verc just let him be, he’s fully used to it by now.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

*****

The next day came, and contrary to what anyone would expect after a massive shift in leadership, the centaur tribe functioned normally like before.

The bustling sounds of the settlement returned. Centaurs were moving supplies, preparing food, and patrolling the perimeters. It was like the fierce attack from yesterday didn’t happen at all.

The reason for this peace was simple—it was all because of their absolute trust with Diyael, their chief. If Diyael told them to stand down and accept the new ruler, they believed he did it for the survival of the tribe.

In fact, Diyael’s authority had not diminished at all. If anything, it became even stronger.

The warriors had witnessed the brutal battle against Verc that lasted for hours. They saw their chief fight with everything he had, pushing his limits to a level they had never seen before. Even though he lost, the fact that he survived and stood tall afterward made him seem even more legendary in their eyes.

He was stronger than before, both in spirit and in the eyes of his people. Especially after knowing he received power from Verc, a much more monster than their chief!

"..."

Verc stood on the wooden balcony of Diyael’s house, observing the busy settlement below. He could see that the centaurs were still wary of him, but they were doing their jobs without creating any chaos.

Diyael walked up behind him, stopping a few paces away.

"The tribe has stabilized, my lord. The people are following the orders, and there are no signs of rebellion among the ranks."

Verc turned around, leaning his back against the railing.

"Good. You handle them well."

"Thank you, my lord. However, they are still anxious about the army you mentioned yesterday. They are wondering when they will arrive and what will happen to us when they do."

Verc tapped his chin, thinking for a moment.

"Well, based on the distance and the number of tribes they had to suppress, I’d say they might arrive next week. That’s my current estimate. Go ahead and let the centaurs know so they can prepare enough space and resources. I don’t want my soldiers sleeping in the dirt because your people panicked."

"Understood. I will inform the guards and the sector leaders immediately so we can allocate a proper camping ground outside the main gates."

Diyael bowed his head and walked away to deliver the news.

’Next week, huh... That gives us enough time to mentally prepare the citizens.’

Diyael thought as he went down the stairs.

He spent the rest of the afternoon gathering his captains, ensuring that everyone knew the timeline. The word spread quickly through the settlement—they had about seven days to prepare for the arrival of the conqueror’s main force.

The tension eased slightly, knowing they had a whole week to get ready.

... ... ...

But then, contrary to Verc’s words and everyone’s expectations—the estimate was completely wrong...

Two days passed peacefully, and on the morning of the third day, a loud, echoing horn blew from the main gates of the centaur settlement!

The sound was urgent, causing the centaurs warriors to immediately grab their spears.

Diyael, who was in the middle of a meeting, rushed out of his house. At the same time, Verc walked out onto the balcony, looking toward the distant dust cloud rising near the entrance of the valley.

’They’re already here?’

Verc thought, a slight smirk appearing on his lips.

’Those guys really didn’t pace themselves.’

Diyael sprinted toward the front gates, his hooves pounding loudly against the earth. His captains followed close behind him, their faces pale.

"What is happening? Is it an enemy attack?"

One of the captains shouted.

"We don’t know! The scouts just signaled that a massive force is right outside!"

When Diyael reached the top of the wooden wall near the gate, he looked down and froze.

Standing at the front of the massive, heavily armed crowd were Tatum and Jed. Behind them was the entire army, looking incredibly fierce, their armor covered in dirt and dried blood from multiple battles.

They had arrived much earlier than expected!

In just three days, they had marched through the rugged terrain, fought through multiple territories, and were now knocking on the centaur tribe’s gates!

But what made the centaur warriors gasp in fear was not the size of Verc’s army; they’re not that many anyway. It was what—and who—they brought with them.

Trailing behind the main army was a long line of chained individuals. There were hundreds of them, guarded closely by orc soldiers. They were the chiefs, warriors, and elites from the surrounding smaller tribes!

Jed looked up at the wall, catching sight of Diyael’s shocked face.

"Open the gates! We are Lord Verc’s people!"

Tatum stepped forward, his expression serious, though there was a hint of pride in his posture. He looked at the guards on the wall and spoke in a booming voice that echoed through the valley.

"We have successfully neutralized all targets in the surrounding sectors. Tell Lord Verc that the army has arrived!"

The centaurs on the wall looked at each other in absolute terror. The tribes that used to be their neighbors and underlings, some of whom were known for their fierce raiding tactics, were now bound in ropes, standing outside their gates.

Diyael swallowed hard, looking at the massive, disciplined force waiting outside.

’Three days... It only took them three days to conquer the entire perimeter.’

Diyael thought, his heart hammering against his ribs.

He realized right then that Verc’s estimate wasn’t wrong because of a mistake; it was because Verc had vastly underestimated just how fast and ruthless his own men could be when given a command.

"Open the gates!"

Diyael commanded, his voice shaking slightly but firm enough for the guards to hear.

"Do not make them wait! Welcome our lord’s army!"