Chapter 8: The Most Coveted User (3/3)

The vampires of the Whole Plane are renowned for their tenacity and resilience.

In this regard, the intruder, Sasha Felix, was a prime example of his kind. On the brink of death, he revived almost instantly after being fed some blood. Not fully restored, but enough to keep him breathing.

“I have two questions for you, vampire.”

The third-floor conference room was steeped in a heavy silence. In the center knelt the vampire, flanked by Park Hyun-woo and Nam Da-eun, who watched him closely. Despite the weapon poised at his throat, the vampire remained motionless, head bowed.

I spoke calmly.

“First, why did you try to steal the elixir? Second, how did you know it existed? Answer these questions truthfully, and I might consider showing some mercy.”

The promise of mercy was genuine. Initially, I had planned to interrogate and then dispose of him. However, if my memory served me right, this vampire and his master would later become key figures under the ‘Holy Queen’ Yoo Hyun-ah.

I wasn’t sure why they were in Monica now, but I could guess that Yoo Hyun-ah’s death had altered the future. It seemed those who should have been under her command were now adrift in this second timeline.

I was in need of talent. If I played my cards right, I could gain a valuable asset.

The vampire slowly lifted his head, sniffed the air a few times, and glanced up at me.

“I didn’t know about the elixir.”

”…What do you mean?”

“I didn’t come here knowing it was here. I found out after I arrived.”

I frowned slightly. I understood, but it didn’t make sense.

Sensing my skepticism, the vampire let out a long sigh.

“Sigh. I have no choice. I’ll trust your word about mercy, human.”

With a somber expression, he began to speak.

“First, let me reveal my true identity. I am…”

What followed was an unexpectedly deep story.

As I had seen with my third eye, the vampire was bound by a contract. In essence, a pact had been made between a user and a resident at the temple. Their relationship was akin to that of a master and slave, much like mine with Vivian.

To cut to the chase.

The vampire’s master was in a life-threatening situation because of a lich.

They had been operating out of the northern city of Mule. Upon learning that the ruins of the ‘Cave of Screams’ in the Blue Mountains had been discovered, they decided to act as ‘cleaners’ when they had the chance. (Cleaners are users who enter ruins third, after the initial discoverers and investigators, hoping to find treasures that might have been overlooked.)

“It happened in an instant. One moment of carelessness, and everything went wrong.”

The vampire gritted his teeth, his anger simmering as he recalled the event.

Their caravan encountered a lich army in the Blue Mountains and engaged in battle. Though evenly matched, they managed to gain the upper hand. However, their victory was incomplete. The last remaining lich clung to the master and self-destructed.

“The master was skilled enough to react quickly in that dire situation, which is probably why he survived the massive explosion. But for some reason, after the blast…”

“Part of his body became paralyzed, didn’t it?”

“His right arm… How did you know?”

The vampire exclaimed in shock. Instead of answering, I reached into my pocket for a cigarette. I understood why they needed the elixir, but one question remained.

At that moment, Ha-yeon, who had been quietly observing, spoke in her clear voice.

“Liches are creatures whose bodies are in the Whole Plane, but their souls reside in another world. If it self-destructed, it likely accepted the destruction of its soul in that other world.”

“What do you mean?”

“In other words, your master’s wound is a spiritual one, not physical. Now it makes sense why his life is in danger.”

Smart girl. I nodded in agreement and looked at the still-confused vampire.

“So that’s why you needed the elixir. An elixir that can cure any ailment would indeed heal him, even if it’s a spiritual wound. It’s just a matter of game mechanics.”

“Wait! What do you mean by game mechanics?”

“We’re users. It’s not something a resident like you can understand, nor do you need to. So…”

Lighting the cigarette, I continued in a low voice.

“Sigh. How did you end up here? You haven’t answered that yet.”

“I told you. I didn’t know before I came in. I found out after.”

“Be specific.”

”…To be precise, this is the eighth time. Or is it the ninth?”

“Eighth or ninth?”

“Elixirs aren’t something you can easily find.”

The vampire replied calmly.

After returning from the Blue Mountains, they had tried everything to heal the master’s body. But nothing worked. Despite spending a fortune, they could only temporarily restore sensation or slow the progression. Eventually, they heard that only an elixir could heal the lich’s curse.

“At first, I didn’t realize how rare it was. I asked around in shops and was treated like a madman. I pleaded with a large organization and got the same reaction.”

Of course. An elixir is a treasure among treasures in the Whole Plane, a second life. It’s not something you can buy, even with a fortune. Who would just hand it over?

“That’s when I started to suspect something. After thinking it over, I concluded that elixirs do exist somewhere, but they’re too precious to give away.”

“Exactly. Smart thinking.”

“Haha. Thanks. Anyway, as time went on, the master struggled more, and I became more desperate for the elixir… Eventually, I made a decision.”

“If you can’t obtain it, you’ll steal it. Until you find where it’s kept.”

Finally, the truth was out. The vampire glanced around cautiously and nodded.

Hearing his story, I felt more admiration than anger. This vampire had been infiltrating various places all this time. What kind of abilities did he have to move so freely?

‘Perhaps he has a unique skill. I’ll have to look into it later.’

Thinking it was a skill worth coveting, I stood up calmly.

“Alright. I’ve heard your story, vampire.”

“You’ll keep your promise, right?”

“Of course.”

The vampire flinched as he asked, thinking I was about to pass judgment. I slowly closed the distance between us.

“But first, I need to meet your master.”

“What, what did you say?”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“This wasn’t part of the deal! I told you everything honestly! You said you’d consider mercy… Argh!”

The vampire’s shout was abruptly cut off. Nam Da-eun, looking slightly annoyed, had grabbed his hair and slammed his head down.

“You’re misunderstanding something.”

I gently placed my hand on her clenched fist, and a blush spread across her face. Her hand slid away, revealing the vampire’s trembling head.

I pulled out the elixir from my pocket and shook it a few times. The golden liquid shimmered brilliantly. Swish, swish.

“Regardless of your circumstances, this elixir belongs to the Mercenaries. While your intentions to save your master are noble, from our perspective, you’re just an intruder who almost stole a treasure. You’re in no position to argue if we decide to execute you on the spot. Am I wrong?”

“Ugh…!”

“However, the reason I’m willing to meet your master is to seek a peaceful resolution. I think that’s more than fair and considerate…”

“If there’s no resolution, you’ll hold her accountable too…!”

‘Oh, sharp one.’

I grinned. The vampire had hit the nail on the head regarding my intentions.

It wasn’t just that. I had initially thought he was naive and easy to manipulate, but our conversation had changed my mind. He had shared the truth but left out the parts I was most curious about. When he mentioned ‘her,’ I was almost certain.

“Naturally. A master’s responsible for their slave’s actions. So, are you going to talk?”

“Do you think I will? Just kill me!”

“Very well.”

The night was deep. Not wanting to drag this out any longer, I struck the bowed head with all my might.

“Ugh!”

Before the vampire could completely collapse, I delivered a swift kick to its abdomen. Watching its eyes roll back, I slowly lifted my head. The entire clan, except for Go Yeon-ju, was gathered in the meeting room.

“Vivian, take it away and make sure it’s incapacitated enough not to escape.”

“Huh? Oh, got it.”

Vivian nodded reluctantly as I nudged the vampire and spoke. Then, I turned my attention to Ha-yeon.

“Send a messenger to Istantel Row in the morning. Tell them we need to borrow the square for the day.”

Ha-yeon tilted her head in confusion but soon nodded in understanding.

I paused for a moment, surveying the remaining clan members. Nam Da-eun, Lee Yoo-jung, Im Han-na, Ahn Hyun, Sun Yu-woon, Baek Han-gyeol… This should be enough.

Pointing to the six I had just considered, I continued, “Tomorrow morning, we’re going to hang this creature in the square. So, the six of you I just mentioned, pair up into three teams. Rotate shifts at appropriate intervals. If any users inquire, handle them as you see fit.”

The six exchanged bewildered glances before looking back at me, still unsure of what was about to unfold.

‘I miss Go Yeon-ju.’

If it were Go Yeon-ju, she’d be smiling and saying, “Suhyeon! I get it. I’ll take care of the rest.”

With a wry smile, I turned to the two apprentices.

“Users Shin Jae-ryong and Ahn Sol, as soon as we get permission from Istantel Row, head to the temple. Explain the situation and request to use the square’s bulletin board.”

“Ah, understood.”

Finally catching on, Shin Jae-ryong and a few other clan members brightened.

“It’s late. You’ve all worked hard. Let’s call it a day.”

As I nodded to signal the end, Vivian approached with a shout.

“Who wants to help move this to the basement?!”

Watching the clan members bustle about, I chuckled to myself.

‘Meeting her like this… life is full of surprises.’

It might seem like a lot of fuss over one user, but the owner expected tomorrow was worth it. Whether she’ll show up is uncertain, but knowing her personality, I’m sure she will.

Stretching widely, I quietly left the meeting room. The excitement made it unlikely I’d get any sleep tonight.

All that’s left is to wait for the vampire’s owner, ‘Flash,’ to appear.

Morning arrived. Despite the chaos of the previous night, the morning was as calm as ever.

After breakfast, I toured the clan house, finding it quieter than usual. Most members must be out handling the tasks I assigned yesterday.

After a round through the quarters, I spent some time in the third-floor storage before heading to the office. The clan lord can’t just sit idle while the members work hard.

The pressing issue was the storage’s security. The intruder being a ‘vampire’ was unusual, but there’s no excuse for the breach. Despite my efforts, the security was compromised.

‘Having a night watch might burden the members… Maybe I should move my quarters to the third floor? It’s part of the main building anyway.’

With the security plan in front of me, I twirled the quill in my hand. Throwing money at the problem won’t necessarily enhance security. First, I need to decide how to protect the storage items and then devise the most efficient plan to implement it.

‘Moving my quarters to the third floor is on hold. Strengthening access security is a given… Alerts are already in place. Should I install traps and interference magic? Ah, maybe I can get help from Vivian’s Order of Harmony?’

Murmurs.

Time passed, and I sensed the returning clan members. The once-blank record was now filled with writing. A glance out the window showed the sun nearing its zenith. It was almost noon.

Just as I was about to rise for lunch, there was a knock.

“Clan Lord, it’s Sun Yu-woon. May I come in?”

“Yes, come in.”

As I settled back into my seat, the door clicked open.

Sun Yu-woon, with his hair neatly combed, stepped in. They say clothes make the man. I once took him to the storage to pick out archery gear, and his transformation from what I saw in Barbara was startling.

Bowing politely, Sun Yu-woon spoke in a flat tone.

“The intruder’s owner has appeared.”

”…What?”

“The intruder’s owner has appeared.”

Repeating himself like a parrot, Sun Yu-woon left me momentarily stunned before I chuckled.

‘This is refreshingly straightforward.’

I was used to dealing with chatty types or the clingy Go Yeon-ju. Sun Yu-woon’s report felt oddly unfamiliar.

“Haha. I see. Where is the owner now?”

“I brought them to the front gate. They wish to meet the Clan Lord.”

Sun Yu-woon tilted his head, puzzled by my amusement, and continued.

I smiled, feeling pleased, and gave my consent.

“Alright. Let them in.”

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

We’ve found an illustrator for Ahn Sol. It’s the same artist who worked on Seraph and Go Yeon-ju. Haha. :)

Hmm… I noticed some readers hoped for Yoo Hyun-ah’s survival. That was unexpected. -_-a I’m curious about what feelings readers have towards the ‘Holy Queen’ character. :D