The World Is Mine For The Taking

Chapter 1320: Epilogue 24 - The Virgin Queen And The Mad Woman (6)

She seemed to like my blood, and honestly, that felt like a pretty solid sign in my favor.

It wasn’t subtle either. She kept going back for it, tasting it again and again, smacking her lips like she had just discovered something she didn’t even know she’d been craving. There was this almost embarrassing level of enthusiasm in the way she reacted, like she’d forget everything else just for another taste. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought she’d found her new favorite meal.

"G-Give me more!"

Her voice cracked as she said it. Not just a little desperate, but the kind of desperate that made it obvious she wasn’t thinking straight anymore. The kind that made you realize she’d already crossed some line in her head.

Well... that confirmed something for me.

It wasn’t necessarily my sperm that held all the lifeforce in my body. It was stored in my blood as well.

"I refuse," I said, keeping my tone flat.

"Wha...?! Why?!"

The way she looked at me was almost offended, like I had just taken something precious away from her. Which, in a way, I guess I had.

"I mean, I don’t really get why you want it so badly," I replied, tilting my head a little. "I told you earlier, didn’t I? I was only giving you a sip. If you’re going to complain, then go ahead and defeat me if you want more. I’ll give it willingly."

"B-But..." she muttered, her voice shrinking.

She looked exhausted now. Really exhausted. Her shoulders had dropped, her breathing was uneven, and there was a slight tremble running through her body that she probably thought she was hiding. She wasn’t. On top of that, there was something else creeping into her expression. Fear. Not overwhelming yet, but it was there, quietly settling in.

"Well, I guess you don’t want it that much," I said with a small shrug.

That did it.

The moment those words landed, she shook her head quickly, almost violently. It was like a switch flipped inside her. The hesitation disappeared, replaced by something more reckless. Fear didn’t vanish, but she pushed past it anyway. Then she lunged forward.

Her body shifted mid-motion.

It wasn’t flashy. There was no dramatic glow or loud effect. One second she was herself, and the next, she wasn’t. She turned into something identical to me. Same height, same build, with the same face. A perfect mirror, down to the smallest detail. If I didn’t already know what she was, I might’ve paused just to double-check.

So it wasn’t just basic shapeshifting.

She wasn’t copying appearances for show. She was copying traits. Strength, movement, physical and also capability. Everything she could grab from me in that moment.

Well... that was interesting.

Still didn’t matter.

Even if I was technically fighting myself, I didn’t feel any real concern. Matching my strength didn’t mean matching me. Not really. Even if she reached the same level physically, there was still something she couldn’t keep up with.

I was getting stronger every second.

That constant growth wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t dramatic either. It just kept stacking quietly, moment after moment, like interest you didn’t notice until it was too late. She had copied a version of me from earlier. Meanwhile, I was already past that.

So yeah, the gap was only getting wider.

Copying appearances sounded impressive on paper, but in practice, it had limits. I doubted she could replicate everything perfectly. Even if she got close, close wasn’t enough here.

And that became obvious immediately.

She rushed me, probably expecting her copied strength to carry her through.

It didn’t.

By the time she moved, I was already ahead. Three steps ahead, actually. Her attack hadn’t even fully formed before I shifted position. The ground cracked slightly under my feet as I moved, and in the next instant, I was behind her.

I grabbed her and slammed her head straight into the concrete.

The impact echoed.

Now she was starting to feel it.

Fear, I mean.

It showed in the slight hesitation in her movements when she got back up. In the way her breathing hitched just a bit. Still not enough to stop her though.

That wouldn’t do.

I needed her to feel something deeper. The kind of despair that didn’t just make you stop fighting, but made you question why you even tried in the first place.

Honestly, I doubted she had ever felt that before.

So this would be new for her.

"Grr... aaa...~ T-This is impossible...! I can’t... I can’t beat you!" she cried out, her voice shaking.

Close, but not quite there yet.

"Why?!" she shouted, louder this time, frustration leaking through.

I could see it building inside her. Fear was there, frustration too, but it still hadn’t settled into something final. Something complete.

So she wasn’t the type to break easily.

Good to know.

I let her go completely. Gave her space. An open invitation.

She took it.

She attacked again, throwing herself forward with everything she had left. There was no holding back anymore. Every movement was sharp and desperate, almost messy in how much effort she was putting into it.

And I blocked all of it.

Effortlessly.

Every strike she threw, I met it with the bare minimum. A slight shift was just enough to stop her completely. It wasn’t flashy. If anything, it probably looked worse for her that way. Like she was struggling against something she couldn’t even move.

"You’re kinda boring, you know?" I said, almost casually. "If you can’t even touch me like this, then you’re never getting another taste of my blood. And I’m pretty sure you won’t find blood like this anywhere else."

Her eyes widened at that.

That probably hit.

She came at me again, even harder this time. If desperation had a form, this was it. She was putting everything into it, every last bit of strength she had, trying to force some kind of result.

It still didn’t work.

Not even a little.

Time passed.

More than it should have, honestly.

She kept going, pushing herself far beyond what made sense. Minutes turned into hours, and somehow, she kept moving. Slower, weaker, and less coordinated, but still trying. It was almost impressive in a weird way.

Seven hours.

That’s how long it took before she finally collapsed.

Seven hours of trying and failing.

I’ll admit, that surprised me. Considering how hungry and malnourished she already looked, I didn’t expect her to last nearly that long. Stubbornness can carry you pretty far, apparently.

When she hit the ground, she didn’t get back up.

Now I could see it clearly.

The complete despair.

She had given up.

Completely.

Slowly, almost mechanically, she lowered her head. Her movements lacked energy, like even lifting it back up would’ve been too much. Her forehead pressed against the ground, and she pushed it down harder than necessary, like she was trying to bury herself into it.

"Please..." she whispered.

Her voice was weak.

"Feed me..."