Blood demon leveling

"So is this city good?"

"Yeah… Let's do it"

"Okay Mike, but first let's eat something it's going to be a long night…"

Mike showed a smile, he had been thinking about how to do this for some time all of which stemmed from one question, what was the difference between him and the ruling noble classes?

'...Territory, income but most importantly manpower… That's right bitches it's time to expand the flock… Who am I even talking to..?'

As Mike wondered if he was becoming crazier than he already was his servants slowly tightened a nose around the local governor and by evening Mike had replaced him after a very public speech about stepping down and leaving his holdings to Mike his long lost son, or some such, speaking of the governor he was a level 4 bloke named Michal that was extra chill after Mike replaced his soul with something darker, of course, the local powers were uneasy especially after they received reports that a large group of people was heard screaming during the night at the manor, a local snake named Javis was sitting in his mansion smoking fairy dust along with some of his most trusted underlings while they disguised the local power change

"I don't like it…"

"Come on Snake you been saying that for the past hour, say something new"

"Hey you know I am no good with words, I just don't like it"

Javis took a deep puff before he spoke

"I also have a bad feeling, let's bail"

"Really boss?"

"Yeah I am serious, we can always rebuild in another place"

"Okay boss let's do it"

"Now, now, now… Don't be in such a hurry to leave"

"Wha---"

Four thuds were heard as the local snake fell to the floor along with his trusted underlings, when they woke up again they found themselves in the lord's mansion where the new lord of the city was spinning his knife around in boredom as another local snake were brought up to him by some guards that had a very unnoticeable cut each on their cheeks before Mike then swiped his knife over the woman's cheek and muttered "[Control]" in a seemingly bored way before he asked Julie that stood next to him

"How many are left?"

"Just the ones in the room"

"...Nice, the end is nearly in sight, what about the spores?"

"Why do you ask me that? You know they could not have made it far already"

Mike waved his hand as he commanded

"Well then bring the next ones"

"[Control]"

Then their vision went dark as their souls were forcefully dragged out of their bodies and a ***** ***** **** took over then Mike stood up and stretched before he spoke to Julie

"Let's head into the city and get some food"

"Sure"

Mike took Julie's hand and walked into the city followed closely by a group of guards that formed up behind them, they found a restaurant and ate there before they tipped their waiter quite generously and went back to the mansion where Mike went straight to bed, he had after all been using [Contorl] on all influential people of the city effectively putting the entire city 100% under his control as for the people living in the city, they only knew that there was a new governor there and nothing else…

About a weeks time passed before the 'spores', which was, in reality, small groups of controlled and evolved servants returned with some kidnapped people which Mike then used control on, of course not all the 'spores' returned some were captured and killed over and over before they were sent to research which eventually caught the attention of the upper-class nobles, the fact that they were undying was in particular interesting to them

"Now go back from where you came and continue your lives until the time to strike comes…"

Mike then let out an unnecessary evil laugh as he ordered the sleeper agents, he would likely not see any of them again as he planned to use them for suicide missions and he had not evolved them, so they were still mostly mortal, still, Mike figured they would be somewhat useful for him to gather information in hostile territory

'...Well that's another line I always wanted to say down, being a demon is so much fun'

Mike stood up from the elevated chair and walked out towards the inner courtyard where close to 20 level 5 guards stood ready with wooden swords, a glint of red light flashed in Mike's eyes as he buttoned open his shirt before he threw it to the side, then he gritted his teeth for a moment before he relaxed

"Now then… beat me until I am half dead"

The process Mike was going through was not some masochistic streak, it was a well known concept in eastern martial arts, or at least Mike thought so

'Fuck… Shit… Fuckshit… Shitfuck…'

As Mike was gradually beaten blue and yellow by the wooden swords which rained down on him without mercy he gradually started to regret his decision, but deep down he knew he had to persevere, and so after half an hour Mike finally called out

"Stop"

The wooden swords, now cowered with blood stopped, then something odd happened, the blood gathered on the wooden swords as well as the blood on the ground around Mike as well as the blood on his own body started to gather up floating up into a ball above his head before it was filtered from dirt and impurities, Speaking of Mike he was a sorry sight, his bones were broken in multiple places per bone, his skin was flayed and broken, his eyes were blinded from repeated blows, his fingers were hanging loosely from his hand the bone inside reduced to mush, his two horns were broken off, it was a miracle that he was still standing, normally he would have been crippled for life (if he didn't succumb to his internal bleedings that is) then gradually the remains of his face twisted into what could be interpreted as a smile as he spoke

"[Drink]"

The blood sphere that floated above him gradually reduced in size as his own body gradually restored while a low howl sounded out from his mouth, it was painful, he might very well go insane from the pain of his bones, skin, and organs were forcefully restored to prime shape, but soon a low howl was heard from Mike that commanded

"I need more blood!"

The servants around him moved quickly and brought in slaves and slit their throats, as the blood flowed into the sphere above Mike that was still gradually shrinking, soon the process ended as Mike returned to his prime state, if one looked closely one could see that his mussels looked more refined than before, Mike raised his hand to eye hight before he opened and closed his fist a few times and then he showed a smile

"It worked… though the improvement is lower than expected… Oh well, onto the next item on the menu…"

Mike sat down on the floor and began churning his mana, gradually it neared 130 circulations per minute which was his max, then a red light flashed in Mike's eyes before he began forcefully increasing the circulations, soon it neared 140 circulations per minute, Mike's face twisted with pain as blue spots began appearing on his body, it was from internal bleeding caused by his mana ruining his organs as it ran amok, then when it neared 150 circulations per minute Mike suddenly spewed out blood mist and called out

"Drink!"

The blood sphere above his head began shrinking again as Mike grit his teeth as the broken paths inside him were restored forcefully along with the internal bleedings, all the while he kept his circulations up causing more injuries, this kept going for some time and after a few minutes Mike gradually slowed down his mana circulations before he finally let out labored gasps as he tried his best to catch his breath as a red light flashed in his eyes

"Now for the next item on the menu…"

Mike stood up and opened his hand, soon the knife landed in his hand then Mike held out his arm before he slashed down cutting off his left lower arm from the elbow down