HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

The place where Theresa materialized was far from the Great Jura Forest; even at her swift flying speed, reaching it would take several days.

Theresa found herself missing Higokumaru dearly...

After two full days of flight, exhaustion weighed heavily upon her. Her wings felt stiff and sore as if made of stone.

I need to find a mount... she thought resolutely. It was high time for such an acquisition.

Upon landing in a realm teeming with demonic creatures, the adorable vampire princess set out to find one that suited her tastes.

After searching for what seemed like an eternity, she encountered only low-grade monsters-goblins, orcs, and ratmen, and such ilk.

In no time at all, Theresa spotted a goblin tribe numbering less than a hundred...

These weren't the goblins who hung out with the Slime King,they were short and ugly by comparison—even though Theresa herself wasn't much taller than them.

As she approached this cluster of goblins, they immediately fell to their knees before her, trembling fearfully. The sheer terror emanating from Theresa was overwhelming—they could have been forgiven for thinking she represented calamity incarnate.

"Do you know where I might find some stronger demonic beasts around here?" Theresa asked, surveying the cowering goblins before her. "Something suitable for a mount, ideally."

Despite their diminutive size and unrefined appearance, these goblins would eventually become allies of the Reincarnated Slime. Even if they didn't hail from the Great Jura Forest, it wouldn't do to treat them without due respect. After all, every creature had its place in the grand scheme of things.

Theresa would never admit that her reluctance stemmed from fear of losing to the future slime god.

"Respected Lord," a elderly goblin hastily reported to Vampire Princess Theresa, "in the southeast direction, there lies a herd of centaurs—perfect mounts for your needs."

"Centaurs... I see. Thank you!" Upon hearing this, Theresa immediately turned and flew towards the centaurs without hesitation.

"That such a powerful being should thank me..." The old goblin, upon receiving even a casual word of gratitude from Theresa, was left utterly ecstatic, nearly driven to madness by sheer joy.

-

"Centaur..."

Following the goblin's instructions, Theresa flew southeastward.

Sure enough, she soon spotted a centaur—a male one at that. His upper body was humanoid, while his lower half resembled a robust black horse.

He appeared remarkably imposing and powerful.

At that moment, he was hunting with a bow and arrow. No matter how fast his prey ran, he could hit them with one shot almost every time.

If only we could arm these centaurs with firearms instead... A bold idea suddenly took shape in Theresa's mind...

She envisioned reclaiming this entire centaur clan and equipping them uniformly with guns. But upon closer consideration, it proved impractical.

Despite the abundance of weapons in her arsenal, there were simply too many centaurs to outfit fully. With no other choice, she had to abandon the notion.

Even without arming them with firearms, however, they could still be integrated into her retinue as loyal followers.

As for the male centaurs... well, she decided to let them go.

Continuing her search, Theresa eventually stumbled upon a particularly beautiful female centaur with striking Western features—the perfect quarry.

Her OP skill [Night of Fright] kicked in. The space around them darkened instantly, time itself seemed to freeze.

In a blur of motion, Theresa flew behind the centaur, perching herself atop its horse-like back. She wrapped her arms around its torso while baring her fangs. In one fluid motion, she sank her teeth into the nape of the centaur's neck.

A sensation unlike any other coursed through Theresa's being.

This exquisite blood—though Theresa had never indulged in drugs before—was undeniably more potent than even the most powerful narcotics. It was an experience beyond compare, leaving her utterly spellbound by its sheer perfection.

The effects of Night of Fright had dissipated by now, and the centaur finally realized there was someone riding on its back—still drinking its blood.

Instantly, it began to struggle fiercely, desperate to fling Theresa off.

"My kin, cease your resistance," Theresa admonished gently. "You've already been infected; you're a vampire now."

She released her hold on the centaur. Seated atop its back, she invoked the Vampire Contract to quell its rebellion.

Whenever an individual became one of the Luna Kindred's familiars through infection, they could form a Vampiric Bond with their master. In essence, this made the Luna Kindred both mistress and god to these creatures.

"Damn you, vampire!" The centaur seethed. "How dare you..."

It yearned to fight back, but its body betrayed it, rendering such defiance impossible.

"I have bestowed upon you greater power and granted you immortality," Theresa continued persuasively. "Accept my gift and willingly become my steed!"

"Who would willingly serve as a filthy vampire bat—a creature forever doomed to lurk in damp shadows, fearing the sun?" the centaur retorted bitterly. "I'd rather die than submit to such degradation."

Uh...

It seems you harbor some misconceptions about vampires, Theresa thought to herself. In this world, vampires... well, take Luminara Valentine for instance—the Queen of the Nightmares—and also the actual ruler of the Holy Empire of Lubelius, revered by all its citizens as the divine Luminares.

Vampires—those filthy creatures?

"Oh, really?" Theresa gazed at the sun in the sky. Though her current body did have a slight aversion to sunlight—it made her feel lethargic—it posed no threat otherwise.

"B-but how..." The centaur stared incredulously at the sun overhead.

"I'm not one of those dirty vampires you speak of," Theresa reassured her. "I don't fear daylight at all. Besides, weren't you enjoying yourself just now?"

Once again, she bit down on the centaur's neck, eliciting an expression of pure ecstasy and longing from her host.

It wasn't only the vampire who experienced pleasure; even those being drained felt a surge akin to orgasmic delight. This was due to the Honkai Impact virus carried by Luna Kindred's fangs, which transformed pain into sheer bliss for both participants—a mutual addiction that left this centaur utterly incapacitated, unable to even stand as it lay sprawled on the ground.

After resting for a while...

"All right, enough rest," Theresa said with a gentle pat on the centaur's horseback. "It's time to continue our journey. Take me to the Great Jura Forest."

"The Great Jura Forest? But it's so far away..." the centaur replied hesitantly.

"You have objections?" Theresa's eyes flashed with a blood-red intensity as she looked at him.

"No objections," the centaur replied fearfully. "However, on our way to the Great Jura Forest, we'll pass through a canyon where a giant dragon resides—it's extremely dangerous."

"A giant dragon?" Theresa's eyes lit up upon hearing this. She quickly pressed for clarification: "Is it a true dragon or just some lesser beast?"

In this world, "true dragons" and ordinary "dragons" were entirely different species. True dragons were spiritual beings born from the diluted genetic essence of the Star King Dragon—the Creator God—ensuring their immortality; no matter how many times their physical bodies perished, they would always reincarnate due to the power of their spirit.

Ordinary dragons, by contrast, resembled prehistoric creatures or massive winged lizards akin to those ancient beasts. While an exceedingly rare few could evolve into Dragon Kings, there existed an insurmountable chasm between them and true dragons.

Veldora Tempest, nestled within the belly of the King of Cuteness, was one such true dragon.

True dragons might be more accurately described as "Supreme Holy Demonic Spirits"—a far cry from mere dragons.

"How could it possibly be a true dragon?!"

"If not a true dragon, that's fine too!" Theresa declared resolutely. "Let us set out then! I must capture this colossal creature."

I will create a Honkai Impact monster just like Benares, she thought firmly. This time, I won't fail.

And this colossal dragon was to be his first experimental subject.

As for why he had such an obsession with Benares... well, it possessed a majestic draconic form and an adorable humanoid appearance!

The perfect fantasy... mount...

"You haven't lost your mind, have you?" The female centaur exclaimed, clearly alarmed by the suggestion. "Even if it's not of true dragon lineage, we're still talking about a giant dragon here!"

"Just go as instructed," I replied calmly. "Giant dragons or no—this isn't asking you to engage in battle. Leave that to your cute ally, Theresa."