"Where did you pick up this girl from?" A woman’s voice drifted into my blurry mind.
It was dark around , too dark... I’m scared...
"Found her by the border, likely abandoned by her master. She had her bat wings cut off. I sealed the wound when I found her." A man’s voice followed, low and steady.
"Poor thing... She needs blood, you know," the woman said, genuine concern softening her tone. "Without it, she’ll die among us. But you can’t just let her hunt the folk in the night either."
"I know..."
Silence lingered between them, heavy and stretched.
"Shh... she’s waking." The woman’s voice hushed the air.
I opened my eyes slowly. The light burned against my sight, and it was hard to make anything out. Two shadows swam into focus: John and Diana...? She now looked at least ten years younger.
"W-what happened to ?" A pang of pain shot through my skull, making clutch my forehead. I leaned on one arm to push myself up from the single bed.
Their faces were still warped in my vision, strange, like they weren’t human at all but so twisted supernatural beings. My stomach growled deeply, the ache sharp and hollow.
"You carry sothing dark in you, child. Sothing has latched onto you... If not for my interference, you might have died from the backlash of your inner fight." Diana’s voice slithered closer as her figure crept toward . She extended a bony hand, and for a mont I braced myself, ready to strike if she tried anything.
But instead, her palm rested gently on my head, patting as though to soothe.
"But you did well... you pushed it away. That’s a step forward in overcoming whatever chains your freedom, am I right?" She gave a sleazy wink.
"Leave her alone. She’s tired. She needs rest." John’s rough voice cut through, his hand seizing the old witch by the collar as he hauled her back. Before leaving, he threw words at that left frozen.
"We left you so blood in that bowl. Drink up. Recover. Later, I’ll want a word with you."
The door shut with a thud. Silence pressed in, save for one thing: the sweet scent lingering in the air. My nose twitched, turning toward the left. The mont I spotted the bowl, hunger overtook . I rushed for it like a starving wolf.
I gulped it all down in one go, the blood spilling past my lips, staining the white of my clothes. I was like a beast. No... I am one.
I knew I wasn’t human anymore. I knew I should feel disgust at the taste of blood, but it poured over my tongue like honey, like nectar. My strength crept back with every swallow. I licked my fingers clean, chasing the last drops, but... it wasn’t the sa. Not as sweet as Elira’s.
The thought of her struck hard. I wanted her. Her blood, her warmth—she was a drug, and I was already addicted. My body scread for more, but I forced myself to hold back.
The pain in my head lingered, dull and stubborn.
I sank into the chair, my gaze drifting to the narrow window. Outside, the world was already dark. I must have been out for a long ti... A miracle I survived at all.
But whose miracle was it? John’s hand? Or Diana’s ddling? She remained a mystery I couldn’t unravel.
I need so fresh air... I thought, shaking my head, trying to push off the lingering dizziness. And... I didn’t want to be in the sa house as Elira right now. The temptation was too much.
I rose to my feet, slipped into the new robes, and stepped outside. The night air embraced like its own child, and for a mont, I felt lighter, steadier, as if the darkness itself was calling to .
The town lay in silence. A few torches burned in place of lamps, their glow spilling over the fronts of houses, but not a soul walked the streets. I took the chance to wander, to explore. I was a danger to others, I knew that... but I didn’t care. I needed this.
[System Notice!]
For so reason, the system flashed crimson the mont I stepped into the center of the town square.
[Hidden anomaly detected.]
[New Quest available: {Investigate the source of the distortion in Ashvale}]
I licked my lips, feeling the rhythm of my heart quicken. It spoke to . It begged to accept. Sothing in this town wasn’t right, and deep down, I had noticed it before.
I drew a slow breath, letting the moonlight wash over with its strange warmth.
"Accept," I whispered, an excited smile curling across my lips. Running the clinic was fun, but the thought of action, like finally using my skill points, thrilled . And truthfully, I was far too curious to ignore whatever the system had detected.
[Quest accepted]
[Quest chain triggered]
[Part 1: {Find what makes Ashvale emit the aura of death}, Reward: {New random skill}, { 5 all stats}]
I stared at the quest, confusion tugging at my face.
An aura of death? I hadn’t felt anything like that from this city. But the promise of a new skill, a surge of strength... it was enough to push aside the red flags screaming in my mind. The words carved themselves into my thoughts, refusing to leave.
If I didn’t even know what this so-called aura of death felt like, then I had no choice; I’d have to scour the streets, sniffing out clues until I found it.
That night, I found nothing. And so, the days began to blur. I treated patients in my clinic by day, prowled the streets by night, hunting for clues. A week passed like that, until tonight... when the full moon bled across the streets, silver and sharp.
I walked all the way to the edge of town, to the small church. I usually avoided this place; it reeked of malice, but tonight I pushed forward. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother . The stench hit the mont I drew near, thick and rancid, worse than manure. My nose burned like fire.
[System Warning!]
[The aura of death is extrely potent—100 ters west of you.]
So it was here. But... a church? I clenched my jaw, fighting the nausea, my curiosity blazing brighter than my fear.
I pushed the heavy door open. At once, the system flared.
[Congratulations! Part 1 complete! { 5 to all stats applied.} You have gained a new skill: {Shadow Step}]
Strength surged through , sharp and intoxicating. But the next notice made my brow furrow.
[Part 2: {Consu the source emitting the aura of death.} Reward: {Random Weapon}, {Summon Skill}]
Crackle.
The sound of breaking bones echoed through the dark, rattling across the pews. Shadows thickened, and the door slamd shut behind . White fragnts clattered onto the floor, knitting together with grotesque precision.
A towering skeleton, three ters tall, rose from the heap, its hollow sockets blazing with blue fire.
My heart thundered, heat roaring in my chest.
"Bring... it... on," I muttered, steadying my stance.
And for the first ti since arriving here, I felt the thrill of facing death itself.
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