"No one touches this but !"
Morganna appeared between Atlas and the others in a blink, her hand shooting out toward the scythe. But Atlas was faster this ti. He snatched the weapon from the air just before she could reach it and instinctively jumped back.
One thing was clear. Morganna wasn’t moving with the sa deadly speed she had before. This ti, her pursuit was... normal. Yet even at that pace, it was no easy task to avoid being caught by this Vampire Queen.
Atlas swung the scythe to the side just as she reached for it, then sprinted to the opposite edge of the campsite to avoid her.
"Give it to ! Don’t even lay a finger on it!" Her voice was sharp and commanding, as always.
Karian, watching the chase unfold, reached for his greatsword. But before he could move, Edrik grabbed his arm.
"We need to help the Lord!" Karian urged.
Edrik shook his head calmly. "No need... she’s not the enemy."
"But she’s attacking the Lord!"
"Didn’t you see how she froze earlier when she tried to harm him?"
"So what?"
"If she’s moving this freely now, it ans she’s not trying to hurt him."
"But he’s still struggling!"
Edrik leaned in, voice low. "They’re just... deepening their bond."
"...What?"
"You heard ."
Karian frowned. "Where are you even getting that from?"
Edrik sighed and rubbed his temples. "I swear, I need a smarter partner. Listen, when a Vampire Queen drinks from soone’s neck, especially soone powerful, it’s not just feeding. It’s a ritual. A pact. It ans she’s surrendered her soul to him."
"...And?"
"In simpler terms, they’re... married."
"Married? How?"
"Not in a traditional way, of course. But it’s a bond. Let’s call it marriage for convenience."
Karian shook his head. "I don’t understand this ’marriage’ thing you keep bringing up. Where I co from, every race only knows how to fight and survive."
"Exactly why you need to start talking to people from other worlds," Edrik muttered. "Look, I’ve explained enough. Now just sit back and enjoy the show as our Lord handles his new ’wife.’"
"You’re making this up. That can’t be real."
Edrik shrugged. "Believe what you want."
On one side of the camp, Atlas was still doing his best to dodge Morganna’s pursuit. He weaved left, then right, avoiding her attempts to snatch the scythe with the grace of soone running from a very elegant death.
"Give it to !" she barked.
In a quick motion, Atlas stored the scythe into his inventory, causing it to vanish in a flash just as Morganna lunged. Her hand swiped at empty air. In that instant, Atlas reached out and caught her left wrist firmly.
Before she could pull away, he grabbed her other wrist too, holding both her hands in a solid grip. Strong enough to hold her, yet not nearly strong enough to stop her if she truly wanted to break free.
But she didn’t.
"Give the scythe!" she growled.
"I will," Atlas replied evenly, "but only if you sit down and talk to about our alliance."
"There is no ’talk.’ You’re weak," she spat.
"I summoned you," he said. "And I summoned your weapon. This is just the beginning. I can do far more."
"You’ll die the mont the first real battle happens."
"No. I won’t."
"Oh? And where does that confidence co from? Have you lost your mind?"
"I won’t die," Atlas said softly, "because I have you, Edrik, and Karian."
Silence fell between them. The air tensed as they stared into each other’s eyes. Morganna’s frustration still burned on her face, clear as day. She didn’t like his words. She didn’t like what he was asking of her.
"Can we talk?" he asked again, more gently this ti.
Morganna clenched her jaw and yanked her hands free with a sharp pull. She stepped back, scowling, then lifted one hand toward him in a demanding gesture.
"Give the scythe. That’s mine."
Atlas gave a small nod, reaching into his inventory and pulling out the Bloodkissed Scythe. The dark, elegant weapon materialized in his hand. Without hesitation, he extended it toward Morganna.
She didn’t wait.
In one swift movent, she closed the distance and snatched the scythe from his grip. He offered no resistance. Her expression shifted the mont her fingers wrapped around the familiar weapon.
She leapt back, spinning the scythe with graceful ease, the blade slicing through the air like a deadly propeller. Then she dashed forward, a blur of motion. Before Atlas could even react, she was in a full attack stance, low to the ground, left leg behind, right arm extended.
"Don’t expect to listen to your words!" she snapped.
Then, just as suddenly, the scythe vanished, gone in an instant, as if it had never been there.
Morganna turned her back to him.
"I can upgrade your scythe," Atlas called after her, "and upgrade you too. All you have to do is listen. Work with , and we’ll win every battle."
She paused. For the briefest mont, her steps halted.
But then, without a word, she kept walking, disappearing into the shadows at the far edge of the island.
Atlas stood there, watching her fade into the darkness.
At the very least, the Vampire Queen no longer seed as terrifying as before, right? This ti, she had actually held back when reaching for the scythe. She could have just taken it by force, but she didn’t.
It almost felt like... pride. But a different kind of pride, one that now acknowledged Atlas, at least a little. He wasn’t imagining it. That subtle shift, that hesitation, it ant sothing. And it had happened so quickly, hadn’t it?
Maybe Morganna wasn’t as cold and ruthless as she first appeared. After all, it wasn’t unusual for soone in her position to resist at first. Who wouldn’t, after being summoned into a strange new world, stripped of power and forced to serve a weaker being?
Still, Atlas was starting to believe things would improve. They had to.
Just then, Edrik and Karian approached. Their expressions were... strange. Atlas couldn’t quite read them, but sothing definitely felt off.
"My Lord," Karian spoke first. "I’ve been through sothing like this before. The early stages are always tough, especially at the start of a marria—"
A sharp nudge from Edrik silenced him mid-word.
"My Lord, it’s already quite late," Edrik said quickly. "What do you say we get so rest? Karian and I will keep watch until the fortress is complete."
Atlas exhaled, a long breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Today had drained him more than he wanted to admit. The fall from the sky, waking up on this unfamiliar island, the endless gacha pulls, and now that tense standoff with Morganna. It was all just too much.
"Yeah," he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think that’s a good idea."
Only now did he feel how deep the fatigue had settled into his bones. He hadn’t slept in three days, not since the last hunting expedition. His body was screaming for rest, every muscle heavy, his mind sluggish, teetering on the edge of collapse.
"Please wake if anything serious happens."
"Of course, My Lord," Edrik said, giving a respectful nod. "We’ll make sure the area is secure while you sleep."
Atlas nodded back, then turned and made his way into the tent. The mont he sat down on the mattress, he paused.
There was... sothing strange.
He pressed his fingers gently to the side of his neck, the place where Morganna had bitten him. The skin was smooth now, completely healed, but sothing was still there. A faint heat. Every ti he touched it, his heart seed to beat just a little faster.
What is this feeling?
It didn’t make sense.
And then, just as the thought ford, Morganna’s face flashed through his mind.
Wait... do I... want her?
What kind of thought is that?!
He jolted, shaking his head hard.
What the hell is wrong with ?I’ve completely lost it.
But there was no ti to dwell. As soon as his head hit the pillow, sleep swept over him like a crashing wave, dragging him down into the dark.
**
Sothing stirred Atlas from the depths of sleep, a soft breath brushing against his cheek. What is this? the thought drifted through his half-conscious mind. Fresh air filled his lungs, but it carried a delicate, sweet scent he didn’t recognize.
His head throbbed gently, and though he could sense a lot had happened the night before, the mories were blurred. Like pieces of a dream that refused to co together.
Did sothing happen?
Or was it just a dream?
No way... right?
The feeling was too real. There was sothing specific, sothing he knew had occurred, but the details slipped through his mind. All of it seed to lead back to one person.
Morganna.
His body felt unusually heavy, as if sothing was pressing against him.
Slowly, his senses ca back, and he beca more aware of where he was. The morning light filtered softly through the edges of the tent.
And then... he noticed it.
Sothing was wrapped around him.
Carefully, he turned his head to the right. And froze.
Lying beside him, her long black hair spilling across the blanket, was a woman.
Morganna?!
What the hell happened last night?!
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