Act I

The following days went by uneventfully. I rested, too weakened to even walk on my own. My internal organs were in disarray, my ichor was completely diluted and my soul was weighed down by the remnants of the golden power that still lingered in my body. Had it not been for the crimson essence that had been bled inside of me, I wouldn't wake up in the morning.

The nights, I slept. I still wasn't used to it. In the dark, colourful images stretched inside my mind and made me relive my experiences and watch terrible futures unfold. I woke up many times after terrible nightmares, barely able to hold my cries. I saw my world reduced to nothing, broken to the core, every form of life erased and only the laughing Caleb standing in a void field surrounded by golden rays. I relived Isaac's death and Lily's body cut in half. Pain entrenched in my heart. I couldn't accept it. They had deceived and opposed me in ways I knew I shouldn't forgive, but I still couldn't force myself to hate them or to be indifferent. At the end of the way, they were still my spawn and I felt a bond and an obligation towards them. I should have protected them, but I had failed. Lily was severely injured, lost somewhere, while Isaac was gone.

After a week I was finally able to leave the cave on my own two feet. It opened up to a lush forest, full of unknown scents, trees and sounds. Colourful birds were chirping between the branches, insects skittled all around and snakes slipped between the tall grass and fallen leaves. Not far away from where we dwelled a wide stream gurgled , flowing gently through the forest. The climate was quite temperate for a sight that mimicked a tropical ecosystem.

The first thing I did was submerge my wound-stricken body in the river's cool waters. Chloe had already removed some of the dirt while dressing my wounds in hand-made patches, but there was still so much clotted blood to remove. The cold pierced my skin in a way I had forgotten as I weakly but patiently scrubbed myself clean from filth.

I toured between the trees to better understand where I was. My sight and hearing had become far too limited to give me a full picture. Having knowledge of only my immediate surroundings made me feel constrained. Moreover, it didn't take long to tire myself out and break out in sweat and rugged breath. I felt ashamed of myself for being so weak, but also nostalgic at re-experiencing the world as I had done before this whole ordeal had begun.

My stamina and strength may have fallen to the level of a common man, if not below, but the innate characteristics of my body had persisted. Albeit slowly with respect to my standards, my body was healing remarkably quickly and its resilience had remained. My recovery wasn't comparable to those of the archs, driven as it was by their defiance towards the nature of the world, a defiance I couldn't currently replicate, but the effects it had on my biology lingered. My skin was tight and my bones strong.

This became clear on the twelfth day, when the owner of the eyes which followed Chloe showed themselves. A group of a dozen little critters that didn't reach my chest, canines which took a vaguely anthropomorphic shape. They could talk, but their language was extremely primitive, capable of expressing only the simplest of concepts such as "happy", "hungry" and "prey". Their language was almost rudimentary as their weapons, sticks with chipped rocks bound by vines or stuck in the dug wood.

They ambushed me while I was soaking my body in the stream. Their number initially overwhelmed me, as they dragged me to shore and began beating me while laughing like hyenas and referring to me as "food". Their hits hurt, although morally and not physically, as my skin held tight and prevented any damage. The fatigue that inhabited me made it arduous to escape their relentless attacks. Unharmed and weakened, I had to dispose of them in unorthodox ways, using my teeth to damage their firm pelts and choking them by putting my limbs in their throats.

After four of them fell this way, Chloe came to my rescue and swiftly made work of them by using their own weapons against them. She seemed a little troubled after the fact. Maybe it was because it was her first time putting an end to another's life, or maybe because of my lack of clothes.

"Mr Doe, are you hurt anywhere?" she cried alarmed while coming to my rescue.

"Only my pride," I answered dejectedly, pieces of fur still in my mouth.

That was the first day we were finally able to eat meat. Or at least I did, as she appeared reticent at consuming the flesh of a sapient species, however primitive it was. She was much more empathic than I thought. Hailing from a completely different biosphere, neither I nor she should have felt much for beings of the Otherlands. I experienced it during my travel when I didn't register any lifeform as an actual lifeform, not even the local humans. But I couldn't expect Chloe to be like me.

The more varied diet helped me regain strength. I began going for daily hunts, shamefully using a sharpened stick as a weapon. I regularly came back with various critters and animals inhabiting the forest, from some resembling hares to others identical to boars. A virtuous cycle began: the more meat I consumed, the more I recovered, the more I could gather wild game, the more I could eat well, and so on. Berries and roots weren't just enough to recover.

After the second week my body had returned to the level of a newborn archuman. My senses had sharpened and I began to notice what I previously couldn't. This world had its own local version of mana, but like for the other land I had visited during my travel, it was a gentle energy that came from and nurtured life. It inhabited every single living thing, but it was denser in higher lifeforms, explaining why my recovery speed had sharply increased after I started to consume meat. An archuman could metabolise anything and mana was definitely nutritious and full of calories.

In the middle of the third week unwanted guests began to circle the area surrounding the cave. My daily hunts hadn't gone unnoticed. I had tried hiding my marks, but I had never been the stealthy type. They showed themselves at the entrance of the cave. A group of reptile humanoids with dark hides, armed with metal spears and blunted swords. They easily reached two metres of height, even while walking with a hunched posture.

Their vocal apparatus was different from mine and the sound range they employed to communicate was new to me. The language of these lizards was simple and barren, but overall complete and capable of communicating abstract concepts. Although I couldn't understand everything, as I hadn't studied similar languages, they communicated clearly their intent to take us as involuntary workers, together with their scorn for the human species.

It was useful to know humans inhabited this world, but it wasn't unexpected. My attempts at explaining that although we could be considered humans, we were not the kind of humans they meant, fell on deaf ears, as one could expect, and a fight broke out. I had to resort once again to using my pointy stick as a weapon, but their scaly hides proved impervious to simple wood. Their skin hid underneath powerful muscles, which they used to kick me around the cave.

Chloe wasn't of much help during the fight. She took a couple on somewhat reluctantly, and her opponents did the same. It was more of a scuffle than an actual fight. The lizards instinctively avoided any attack which could inflict dangerous wounds, although they wouldn't have connected anyway. Chloe had spent more of her life as a healer, but she was still a juvenile arch on the brink of maturity. A few reptiles weren't her opponents.

It was much more strenuous for me. The jaws of a weak infant body couldn't pierce through the scales of my opponents. I was forced to scuffle with one of them until I managed to snatch a spear out of his hand and then proceed to attack their eyes and the inwards of their mouths. Our physical capabilities were comparable, but our experiences were not. The opponents I had met in my relatively short but eventful new life put us far apart.

Finally I disposed of each and every one of them. My left eye had gotten wounded by a claw and my vision was partially impaired, but I managed to end the fight in overall good health. Chloe bandaged me up with the few scraps of cloth we still held. We needed new clothes, so we proceeded to make use of the hides to manufacture some. I held no knowledge of this craft, but under Chloe's guidance, we produced a few crude articles of clothing, kept together by vines and sinews. We cleaned the impervious hides with fire, which dried out and burnt the blood and scent.

The meat of the lizards boosted my recovery even more. A quick look at their inwards, while I took out their meat, showed a musculoskeletal system which was too underdeveloped to exert the strength the lizards showed during the confrontation. A better look showed the presence of a system of canals through which mana flowed around the body. Following the channels I found a crystallised core which I proceeded to consume. The taste was abhorrent, but the nutritional value was high.

The annoyances continued in the following weeks. Scouting groups surveyed the land around the cave, looking for traces of their lost comrades. The diversity of species increased, with various mixed animal-human breeds added to the lizards. They all ended up the same way.

After a whole month and a half, I began to finally feel better. My muscles were far more responsive and my heart had finally begun to beat again. I tested my strength against the surroundings, dishevelling various trees and rocks. The few predators I had come across on the first days of trial didn't show up anymore, as they had recognized this piece of land as my territory. The humanoid species had also stopped annoying me, after I had sent a few of them back with their lives to warn their kind to stop sending scouting parties.

In the meantime, I had become closer to Chloe. All this time spent only in the company one of the other was bound to deepen our relationship. She was still quite the mystery, and her behaviour appeared erratic at times, but her commitment to her positive ideals was remarkable. We didn't see eye to eye on many subjects, but she still tended to my wounds and nursed me back to health. She didn't like the sight of blood on her hands, but she still took action the first time to help me out. In my eyes, her past tricks were forgiven.

A new unannounced guest finally appeared. A lone individual with rosy skin, sporting two horns on her head and a tail ending in an arrowhead. Two retracted bat-like wings stuck out from her lower back and a set of skimpy clothes barely covered her curvaceous figure. Her eyes shone a deep crimson, like her lips, and two pointed canines crowned her mischievous smile. Long luscious black hair framed her face.

My gaze focused on her movements. This opponent was different from the others I had met. Copious mana circulated through her figure, but her true level of power remained hidden. I cursed my senses, still too rough to perceive all I needed.

Chloe showed apprehension. I made her remain in the cave, while I left it to approach the visitor. Her smile widened and her wings shook slightly.

"Hello, handsome. I am Lilithra Mirabelle. What's your name~?" she spoke in a language I could understand. Her tone could only be described as mildly seductive.

My brain rapidly went over everything I had ever studied, piecing together thousands of volumes of grammar and vocabulary to rebuild her language completely.

"I am John Doe. What do you want?" I asked back cautiously.

She tilted her head to the side and brought a finger to her moist lips.

"There's no need to be so wary, handsome~ It's nothing serious, a few of my scouts disappeared and the voices of a human occupying the forest was heard, so I had to come look personally. It's no fun, but it's part of the job," she sighed.

"I'd like playing with you much more~" she whispered and changed her position to one that better showed her curves.

A pleasant smell entered my nostrils, accompanied by whiffs of mana. Her eyes widened as there was no reaction on my part. My eyes became thin slits as I irradiated hostility from every pore.

"I assume you tried to seduce me with impromptu methods. Are you what is called a succubus perhaps?" I held my voice monotonous.

Her stare became more focused but she still continued to smile and speak suavely.

"Handsome and cultured! You're quite the catch~ I'm curious to know what you are, charming. I've yet to find a man who can resist my allure, especially the way you did. You have no protection, yet my mana completely slipped over you. I'm so curious~"

She was quickly growing annoying.

"If this is all, I'll return," I turned around towards the cave.

"Wait a second, charming~" I saw a shade slither on the ground and her figure re-emerge from a shadow in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. She was too near for comfort.

"You see, I can't let you go just like that~ I'm sorry, but this is His Highness' land and trespassing is not okay~ But I think we can come to an agreement~ Why don't you come back with me? I'll keep you fed and … satisfied~"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"You have a nice scent, I'm sure you've got great potential~ There is no need for us to be enemies, as you are clearly not human. If you truly wish you can also bring with you your friend hiding in the cave~" she pressed her body against mine.

I frowned. My gaze crossed Chloe's, who was waiting for me on the edge of the cave. Her eyes were wavering and her lips trembling. I grinded my teeth. It was humiliating she thought I would fall for a temptress.

I put my hands on the creature's shoulder and roughly pushed her to the side.

"I do not wish to enter the fray of your kind's politics. Leave us alone," I almost growled.

I resumed walking.

"I can't let you, charming~ I'm still the lieutenant in charge of this forest after all, and I never let go of a snack," I felt a sudden tug and stopped in my tracks.

I turned around and saw a series of vines sprouting from the ground and wrapped around my arm. Their colour contrasted with the lush green of the surrounding forest. The greyed colour filled my eyes and I froze as my mind went red.

"Good choice, honey. We'll have loads of f-" her breath was broken in half by my hand around her throat.

I propelled the both of us through the forest until we impacted against a rock. I let go of her and she fell on all fours spitting blood and saliva from her mouth. She coughed in severe pain and cleaned her lips with her arm as I towered over her. I grabbed her by her hair and pounded her against the rock once again. A thin film of energy covered her skin and protected her from the impact.

"You do not restrain me!" I shouted, my scream echoing through the forest. I was covered in cold sweat, the grey vines reminding me of what had happened on that accursed vessel. My heart pounded like crazy and my muscles squirmed under my skin, looking for retribution.

"Wait a moment, let's t-talk!" her voice had become panicked. Her eyes were wide with shock and fear transpired from them.

I kicked her in her lower stomach, the protective mana film immediately dissipating. She fell down once again in a fetal position, holding her pained abdomen.

"Go away and don't annoy me anymore," I showed her mercy. My mind was in turmoil and I simply wanted for the disturbance to disappear.

Less than ten steps later, a shadowed lance grazed the skin of my left side. The creature had stood up, her clothes and hair completely dishevelled due to the murky mana winds blowing around her. A shadow had grown from her and encompassed all the surroundings.

"You hateful little brat!" she shouted like a maniac. Her mana took control of the surrounding vegetation, causing roots and branches to morph into bladed weapons and to attack me.

I avoided most of them and reached her. I grabbed her by the horns, brought her face towards my knee and completely rearranged her facial features. She screamed in pain, wailing while I broke her horns off. She fell silent once I pierced her throat with them.

"Now, shut up," I calmly asked her, as the light left her eyes.

The shadows disappeared and the forest returned to normal. The turmoil going on in my mind calmed down. I reflected on my actions. I had acted unwisely. From what she had told me, she was an official of a standing army. It was likely her kind would come looking for me. She may not have been much of a threat, but it was because her powers seemed to lie majorly in the areas of trickery, manipulation and seduction. Equals with different specialisations could prove dangerous. Archumans were designed to be apex predators, but that held true when they were healthy. It was so humiliating.

The parts of my body brushed by her attacks itched a lot. I made my way back to the cave. Chloe was silently waiting for me near the extinguished fire. Her grim look brightened up at my appearance, but her expression still remained tense. I sat down in front of her, resting my back against the cave.

"... Is it over?" she shilyasked after a while.

"It is," I nodded.

Silence permeated for a few minutes.

"We should leave tomorrow," I broke it.

"Are we in danger?" she asked, alarmed.

"There is no way to know, but I'm not inclined to wait until we find out"

"So we are in danger…"

"Let's just say I'd prefer to meet annoyances once I have recovered a little more. We depart at night. I'll sleep now, I'm tired," I ended the conversation.

Chloe simply nodded to me and left the cave for a bit. Mental fatigue took hold of me and for the first time since I fell here, I experienced no nightmares.

It was dark when I reopened my eyes. We gathered a few supplies in hand-made bags and made our way through the forest, guided by the bright light of the moon. We moved southwest, the direction where the forest thinned out more quickly. We moved without rest and with light steps, avoiding predators and prey alike to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

The tight march went on for two days. We left the forest in the morning and continued on through a prairie. Signs of battle were everywhere. Dishevelled earth, scorched grass, broken blades and the pungent smell of death. This land has experienced many battles, but no bodies were left, just a few bones hidden here and there.

We went on for days. Chloe kept the pace, never complained or showed fatigue. I didn't notice her using her special abilities, thus showing her fitness level. I was the one who forced us to take rests a couple of times. My strength and sense were returning, but my stamina was still lagging behind. With my ever-growing sensitivity, the reason showed clearly in my mind. I hadn't been able to notice at first, but my body was being weighed down not only by the remnants of golden essence flowing through my veins, but also by the Veil. The diluted ichor in my blood was being spent to counteract its effects, which increased my fatigue.

After a week we crossed a mountain range and found ourselves on a road. A few more hours of travel brought us across a travelling merchant and his carriage. He offered us a lift to the nearest village and we obliged. I left the talking to Chloe. She forged our identities and presented us as adventurers, with her being the healer and me the tank-damage dealer.

We had already discussed the type of world we had fallen into. From the species we had encountered and the words of the succubus, I deduced we were in a stereotypical mediaeval fantasy world. We made use of this information to forge a somewhat believable story. I left the talking to Chloe because she had a way of making people around her comfortable, so she could glean much more information from the merchant.

We finally reached the destination, a simple countryside village not unlike many others. Fields of grains and woods surrounded it. We began to attract the curiosity of the inhabitants, so the first thing we did was give in our rudimental attires for local ones. I wanted to avoid anything that could prove bothersome. Besides the new attires we also managed to get some money. The lizards' hides appeared to be on demand. They weren't in their best condition, but it was nothing a good tanner couldn't handle.

We found a room in the local inn and we had a dinner that could actually be called as such. It wasn't important for me, as nutrients were all I was after and taste was irrelevant, but Chloe's weary expression brightened up. Something as simple as a vegetable soup brought her happiness. We both had been through a lot.

We shared the same room to save money. She took the bed, while I rested in a standing position. Sleep was more useful for my mind than my body and the last days had been tranquil. After all, the only thing I had to worry about was walking.

The first thing we did in the morning was to look for employment. Chloe needed rest, maybe even more than I did. She had held out really well, but her mind had worn down significantly. A rural but civilised environment would do her good.

She took duty at the local church, which doubled as the local healthcare institution, while I took on hunting roles. The initial diffidence of the villagers disappeared in just a few days. Chloe was welcomed warmly after she healed the injured with her powers, while I was recognized as a taciturn but reliable fellow, thanks to the abundant prey I regularly brought back.

The slow life was pleasant, but worries still clouded my mind. Under the combined effects of the Veil and the golden authority, my recovery was slowly reaching an asymptote. I grew stronger by the day, but ever more slowly. A simple extrapolation could predict that I would soon reach my pre-voyage status, but nothing more. The wounds I carried were too deep for them to heal naturally.

I hoped I would find a solution. I had to get back on my feet and find a way to return home. I knew she was safe, as the strongest beings on the surface of the planet stood by her side, but I was still terrified that something would happen to Faye while I was away. The fear superseded the pain I felt for the ones I had lost, as there was no time to grieve. But I didn't know which way to turn. I was completely lost. I could only go about my days as normal, hoping in a miracle.

Like usual, I returned from the hunt with a boar under my arms. It wasn't a regular boar, as its size was a good fifty per cent bigger and its bristles were sharp enough to prickle my skin, but it was close enough. I left it at the butcher and made my way to the inn. After allowing myself some cleaning with the water of the well, I made my way to my room. I changed my clothes, as the ones I wore had gotten ruined during the hunt.

The door opened after a while and Chloe entered the room.

"Good evening, Mr Doe. Have you already eaten?" she addressed me politely.

Although the apprehension in her voice had disappeared, formality still persisted in our interactions.

"No," I answered briefly while buttoning my shirt.

She frowned as she saw the state of my clothes.

"Mr Doe, it's the fifth pair this week. Also, you have been skipping meals lately. It would be better to avoid rumours," she nagged at me.

I rolled my eyes but finally relented. We left our room and made our way to the ground floor, which served as a tavern. We found a free table and sat down. The waitress immediately reached us.

"Hello! What can I get for you?" the young enthusiastic worker asked us in a bright voice.

"We'll take the usual, thank you," Chloe answered with a gentle smile.

"Coming up right away!" she took note in her pad and left for another table.

I turned my eyes to Chloe.

"I'm sorry," she looked away embarrassed.

"Aren't you tired? Two months of the very same thing" curious, I questioned her.

"Monotony is reassuring for me"

"So that's why you have been ordering "

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it," I tried to lift her spirit.

The menu didn't make any difference to me and if something as simple as ordering the same thing over and over again was enough for her to recover some of her spirit, so be it.

It didn't take long for the order to arrive. A vegetable soup, a plate of boiled meat, a few loaves of bread and a glass of wine. The alcohol was of poor quality and it had no effect on the two of us, but it was included in the order so we consumed it anyway.

A disturbance coming from the other side attracted my gaze.

"Hey, beautiful, why don't you come and sit with us? Let's have some fun!" a rowdy customer and his three companions were bothering the friendly waitress.

He was a bald mercenary, one of many that regularly passed through the village. In a completely expected turn of events, this cliched world was one in which the human race and its allies were at war with the demon race and with monsters, guided by the powerful demon king and his four heavenly kings. This human village was near one of several battlefields, so combatants regularly went across it.

"P-please customer, let me go," the paling waitress tried to wriggle free of her captor.

"I like the fiery ones!" he and his companions laughed loudly.

Chloe turned to them with a bothered look. The mercenary group seemed to notice. Their bald leader stood up, annoyed and reached our tables with long strides.

"You have a problem?!" he shouted and beat his hands against our table, sending cutlery and food flying to the ground.

His breath smelled of rancid alcohol. I didn't bother to stand up and simply slapped him. His eyes went white and he fell to the ground unconscious.

"Chief!" his companions stood up in anger.

They drew their weapons. One of them had a twisted cane and wore a robe and a pointed hat. He was clearly some kind of magician. I gazed at Chloe for one moment and I immediately understood what she was asking me to do. There was no reason not to make her this favour. I spared only one glance at the ragtags and proceeded to slap them unconscious before they could even process what had happened. I then moved on to kick them out of the inn.

"T-thank you, dear customer…" the blushing waitress fidgeted, yet avoiding my gaze.

I gave her a simple nod and returned to my table.

"Thank you, Mr Doe," Chloe thanked me with a smile.

"It's fine," and I went back to munch on some bread.

After this our dinner ended uneventfully, except for the murmurs of the other diners. Chloe tried to pay our bill, but the owner told us everything was on the house. We returned to our room and made small talk about our day. Eventually, sleepiness caught up with Chloe and she went to bed. I blew out the candles and waited for her to drift into sleep.

Once she was fully unconscious, I opened the window of our room and left the inn through the window. I made sure to land on the ground without making any noise, to avoid alerting the populace. I distanced myself from the village and then turned to the ground.

"Now, are you going to come out by yourself?" I asked the darkness beneath my feet.

My perception may not be at its utmost, but there was no way I wouldn't notice an undesired guest hiding right under my nose. My shadow trembled slightly. Darkness coils sprouted from it and converged at a single point ten metres from my position. The dark mass changed shape and took a humanoid form.

An alluring woman stood in front of me. Skimpy clothes, long black hair, rosy lips, crimson eyes and a curvaceous figure, adorned by a pair of bat-like wings and a tail ending in an arrowhead. The resemblance between her and the succubus I had encountered in the forest was remarkable, although this one gave off a much more mature aura and her horns didn't point towards the sky but rather encircled her head like a crown. Her feet didn't touch the ground, with her body suspended in mid-air by the rosé mana enveloping it.

"Remarkable detection spell. I didn't even feel the flow of mana. You are an outstanding human," her captivating voice caressed my ears.

She flew towards me, her feline eyes locked with mine.

"Leave me alone, succubus. I don't have time for you," I held her gaze.

A mischievous smile blossomed on her lips.

"You are a feisty one. I like it," her eyes glistened.

Her rosé mana exploded from her being without a sound and completely enveloped me. After a couple of minutes, it dissipated. Her eyes opened wide once she noticed nothing had happened. My gaze darted all over her body and I quickly came to a conclusion.

"You're not my match. Like the other one," I calmly exposed the facts.

Her eyes trembled and her expression contorted into a vicious smile.

"So it truly is you," she spewed out, venom oozing from her voice.

"Don't pretend you didn't already know. You've been watching me the entire day," I shifted my weight onto a single leg.

"You are quite direct," she floated away from me with a raised eyebrow.

"My people don't shy away from honesty," I shrugged.

The succubus continued to stare into my eyes, dumbfounded.

"Perhaps you can't sense my mana, human?" she asked confused, her seductive pretence completely disappeared.

"I surely can," I nodded.

"Then how come you are so calm?"

I gritted my teeth.

"Because I don't want to shame myself," I growled, the memories of the last two months spent in hiding running through my mind.

"If you wish to come at me, you are free to do so. But be warned, I will answer in kind," I calmed myself down.

Her eyes trembled.

"You killed my daughter. Prepare yourself," she hissed at me.

"Suit yourself," I sighed.

Her body turned dark and her shadow dissipated in the wind. Once I was certain she had disappeared, I scratched my side. The wounds inflicted by the forest succubus had been stirred by the rosé mana. I felt a little hot but didn't pay it much attention. I made my way back to my room, climbed back inside and waited for the sunrise. I had to warn Chloe we had been found and she better prepare for a scuffle.

She spent several days trying to convince people to leave the village, but she did so in vain. She had no proof of the events of the previous night and although she was respected by the villagers she was still an outsider. She tried all she could and in some cases even pleaded, but no one lent her an ear. On the fourth day, I told her she needed to leave as danger was approaching.

The next night, hell broke loose. The entire village disappeared in an instant as the crimson wave swept away everything. People, houses, animals. Everything smashed to the ground, everyone killed. Only Chloe and I survived the ordeal and that was because I had her flee the village in advance.

Clotted blood was raining from the sky. Two beings stood in the fields with us. Besides the succubus from the previous night, a new addition graced us with his presence. It was an elegant aristocrat, with pale white skin and well-groomed hair. His crimson eyes shone in the full moon night and canines protruded from his mouth.

I furrowed my brows. Like the succubus, an enormous amount of mana flowed through his body, but his heart was still.

"An undead now?" I shook my head.

His eyes became two thin slits.

"A mere mortal dares to address me as a walking corpse?" he snarled at me.

"Draven, it's not a mere mortal," the succubus warned her ally.

The undead waved his hand dismissively.

"Lilithra, my dear, you know I hold you in great consideration, but we also know where your talents lay. I'll take care of this disrespectful chump, you can go," he addressed her condescendingly. Although they were allies, there seemed to be an internal hierarchy between them.

"Yes, Draven. Thank you for accepting my request," she replied meekly, disappearing in the air like she had done the night before.

"Human, I'll honour your foolish courage. You may tell me your name," he addressed me as if I was an insect.

I laughed and his eyes became bloodshot.

"I'm John Doe," I showed him a smile.

He furrowed his brow.

"No mana and yet so much bloodlust. Intriguing," he whispered to himself.

I pointed my finger at him.

"Go away now or I'll shred you," I calmly threatened them.

There was nothing more I wished for than tearing them apart, but Chloe had asked me to try and be merciful if possible. It was my way of paying her back for everything she had done for me.

"Die, human," the undead sent a volley of blood spears towards me.

I took them head-on, breaking them with my fists. His eyes widened at the strange sight.

"A vampire!" I laughed loudly.

"The king," he growled and ran at me.

His speed surprised me. He moved as quickly as I did. I grabbed his wrist just in time to stop his claws from digging into my skin. His eyes opened wide and a smile appeared on his face.

"You were right, Lilithra. This one is no simple human. How amusing," he chuckled.

"You smell," I frowned.

"Die," a powerful jet of blood emerged from the ground and sent me flying into the sky.

The vampire swiftly reached me in the air thanks to a couple of crimson wings sprouting from his back. I kicked him in the face as soon as he arrived and propelled us in two different directions.

My feet returned to the ground but the enemy was on me once again. A sword of blood sprouted from his hand and pierced my side. I grinned my teeth and broke his wrist in response. He distanced himself from me and chuckled as I held my hand over the open wound.

"It's over, human. My blood is within you. Now, kneel," he snapped his fingers.

I felt something move inside of me and then immediately quiet down. His crimson eyes shone and trembled.

"What?!" he screamed.

"Oh, it'll be so much fun to rip you apart now," I pressed my feet against the ground and appeared in front of him.

I clawed at his face. He barely avoided my strike and he snapped his fingers once again, but this time there wasn't even the slightest response.

"It's useless!" I laughed. This vampire was a good target for my pent-up frustration.

"I don't understand!" he shouted.

He sprouted his wings once again and gave to the sky at breakneck speed, to put as much distance as he could between the two of us.

"I'll admit it, mortal, you are a worthy opponent, but the outcome is already set in stone. You are a powerful warrior, but this is is inconsequential. Slowly, wounds and fatigue will accumulate and you will fall, while nothing you do can truly hurt me. Here, let me show you," he extended his arm and displayed his broken wrist.

Time passed and nothing happened. His smug look turned into an expression of horror.

"Should it have done something like this?" I removed my hand from my side, showing my closing wound. I was truly living a power fantasy.

His eyes hardened. Blood magically circulated around his wrist and put it back into position. He closed his mouth. He wouldn't speak anymore. He fell to the ground with the speed of a comet and the earth split. Everything glowed crimson and the land shattered into a million pieces while blood spears emerged from the underground.

I lost my footing and ended up in mid-air. The vampire took advantage of the opening to appear to my side. He pieced the skin of my chest with his claws, but he winced in pain when they broke against my sternum. I closed my hand and hammered his skull from above, sending his face flat on the ground.

He recovered immediately and flew away at remarkable speed. I followed him as soon as my feet returned in contact with the earth, leaving behind nothing but craters. He continued to shoot blood spears and disks at me, wounding my body in different places, while I aimed at breaking his bones.

I finally managed to catch up with him and pinned him to the ground. Two hours had passed. I didn't want to admit it, but I was tired. The battle had taken a toll on me, even if it shouldn't have. I hated being so vulnerable.

The land had become unrecognizable. The fields had completely disappeared and the ground shone red. The destructive abilities of my enemy were immense. He could dispatch an entire army by himself, but he was truly unfortunate in this occurrance.

"I am a bad match-up," I mumbled under my breath.

Like genais and the enemy of my last voyage, he could ravage immense areas with his destructive powers, but I already had experienced a similar opponent and its power didn't work against a nimble opponent. Like archs, he held remarkable physical strength but his body was nowhere as resilient. Normally, it wouldn't have been a problem. Vampires were known to be capable of regenerating almost instantaneously from any injury. Unfortunately for him, this didn't hold true for the damages I inflicted.

Archs didn't simply wound the physical body, they interfered with nature itself. My species opposed the physics of the world through their will. In juveniles, this manifested in the form of aura, in adults, it was part of their very being.

This was the reason why the tattered vampire laid under me, unable to confront me. His body was broken beyond repair. His spells were quick and vicious, but they consumed a lot of mana and blood and he was almost completely spent. His breath would have been ragged, had his lungs worked.

"I had fun. Thank you," I chuckled.

He released air from his mouth. I tilted my head. He probably wanted to whisper something, but couldn't.

"Well, let's end this," I sighed.

I raised my hand and readied myself to strike him down.

He moved so quickly my eyes could barely follow him. His head appeared beside mine. His fangs struck my neck, pierced my skin and blood began to flow into his mouth.

"F**k off!" I yanked his head away, freeing myself from the leech.

"AAAH!" he let out a blood-curdling scream and seized on the ground.

I held my hand against the still-stinging bite wound and watched him with wide-open eyes.

"What is going on?" I asked myself.

I focused my gaze on him. His body was breaking apart from the inside. Blood began to spill from his every orifice and I couldn't help but notice a familiar violet colour mixed with the crimson. I smiled. It made sense that ichor was toxic to an undead but its effects were better than I would have expected.

My eyes trembled. There was something else. It was wrong, dirty, and emitted a foul stench. I knew very well what it was. I stretched my hand towards the convulsing vampire, pierced him through his chest and took out his heart. Or at least a part of it, as there was only a left ventricle in his chest. I didn't know where the rest of his heart had ended up, but it didn't matter now. I had to destroy it, or the vampire would continue to thrash around as he was doing now.

I gazed with interest at the heart. Although it wasn't beating, it still circulated huge amounts of mana. It was slowly shrivelling in front of my eyes due to the effects of my ichor but something else was leaking out from it. It hadn't the same colour and its purity was diluted, but the heart of the vampire was infused with the corrupted golden essence that resided in my body. It was reacting negatively to my ichor presence, forcing it to manifest.

My mind worked quickly. A smile rose on my lips. I knew what I had to do. I parted my teeth and swallowed the heart. A discharge ran through my whole body. My heart began to beat like crazy and my blood boiled. After what felt like an hour, stillness reasserted itself. I had fallen to the ground without even realizing it.

I felt refreshed. I closed my eyes and studied my condition. The ichor in my body had increased and the hold the golden authority had over me had reduced, although marginally. I was euphoric. I had finally found the way to truly recover. The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.

This world was simply another one under Her authority. My hunch told me it was the one I had gifted Caleb with during our previous life, for one of his novels. The fact we had been friends in a past life made me gag. The one I had just disposed of was one of the main antagonists in this world, one of the four heavenly kings, and held within himself a portion of Her essence. By consuming it, my body would strengthen and learn how to battle it, while my soul recovered.

Luckily for me, the dead vampire king had come toghether with the succubus queen and her scent still lingered in the air. I followed it like a moth attracted to the light. I made my way through what remained of the woodland. She wasn't far away. I frowned and alarm filled my head. The woods were where I had sent Chloe.

I quickened my pace and darted among the trees at high speed. I prepared for the worst but the scene that appeared in front of my eyes was unexpected. Chloe, her hair dishevelled, her breath rugged and her eyes reddened, standing in the middle of a glade, her warm aura rising in flames from her body. The succubus, sprawled on the ground, tears of pain falling from her eyes as Chloe's aura charred her skin.

After a moment, it clicked in my mind. It bothered me to think about it, but Chloe was from a certain point of view one of Her chosen ones. Her aura was different from her peers, as Her authority was mixed within. For the succubus queen, Chloe's aura had to be akin to what this world called "holy power", the worst poison for a creature of the night. Broken pieces of dark mana were scattered all around and were being consumed by the remnants of a fiery aura. The succubus queen had tried to shield herself from the holy power. It would have probably worked against another opponent, but Chloe's was an arch and archs opposed mana more than anyone or anything else in the world.

I patted Chloe on her back to reassure her that everything was okay. She immediately fell to the ground sweating and exhausted, while I grabbed the succubus queen's horns and dragged her away through the forest. I didn't want Chloe to see the blood feast.

I snapped the demon's neck, broke off the wings and consumed their roots, the mana core of the succubus in which Her corrupted essence resided. After another pained session, followed by refreshment, I returned to Chloe, took her up in my arms and travelled to the mountains.

"Mr Doe…" she panted in a faint voice.

"Don't force yourself, we are almost done," I reassured her.

Although I spoke with certainty, I needed rest. Metabolization of the cores was proving harder than expected. My eyes were growing weary. A good night's sleep would do me good.

I finally reached the slopes of the mountain. I swiftly located a cave and made my way towards it. A big animal had made it its home, but it had good instincts and vacated the premises as soon as I stepped inside it. I rested Chloe on the ground, left the cave for a moment and returned with an abundance of foliage with which to make an impromptu mattress. I lifted Chloe once again and rested her on top of the foliage. I laid down beside her and closed my eyes, falling into a state between wakefulness and sleep.

I woke up in the middle of the night. Chloe was on top of me, her hands wrapped around my throat, desperately squeezing with all their might, while her reddened eyes spilt tears on my face. I put my right hand on her face. I pushed her off to the side, turned around and put myself over her, reversing our position.

She let out a yelp and let go of me. She held my wrist, trying to wriggle free of my fingers wrapped around her neck, but it was useless. She wasn't my equal. Her warm aura flowed from her body and wrapped around mine. I gritted my teeth in pain as I felt Her gift gnaw at my essence. I held out, thanks to the recovered ichor, and squeezed my hand, blocking her airway and forcing her to recall her aura.

Once it had disappeared, I eased the pressure enough for her to breathe. Tears still flowed abundantly from her crazed eyes and her thorax went up and down furiously as she panted. Her heart throbbed furiously and her entire body was wet with sweat. A sweet scent prickled my nose and traces of rosé mana lingered around her.

I furrowed my brows. It was a peculiar situation. Her behaviour was odd. The succubus mana inside her body was making her aura flow erratically. It was slowly being expelled, but it was still extremely thick. It made sense: although she was an arch, she was still a juvenile and her enemy was one of the four heavenly kings. I snickered at the absurdity of the title, but to each world their own, I guessed.

Her tears slowed down and her eyes regained their usual colour. She finally recovered her bearings and a horrified expression filled her face.

"Mr Doe! I'm -"

"What were you trying to do, Chloe? Get yourself killed?" I interrupted her with a ruthless smile.

I had forgiven her in my mind for her past transgression, and our relationship had gotten closer, but this didn't mean I would hesitate to dispatch her if I deemed it necessary. She wasn't my friend, nor my creature. She was theirs.

"No, Mr Doe! I would never!" she exclaimed.

"Don't lie to me, Chloe. It's not a wise choice," my smile died down.

"You don't understand! I didn't… the person in the forest… I… Her voice…" she was at a loss for words.

I sighed and removed my hand from her neck. I still stood over her, my hands on her shoulders, pinning her down.

"The succubus rattled your mind and the urges She put inside of you emerged. Am I correct?"

Her eyes widened. She gave me a nod.

"Have you held them back all this time?"

She nodded once again. I removed one of my hands from her body and brought it to my chin in a pensive gesture.

"I understand. I can respect that"

I cleared my body language from any sign of hostility, trying to get her to calm down. All this time she had been under her influence and had opposed it. I hated to think about it, but Caleb's was my kin, and we were born free. It made sense for his scion to inherit this aspect, but unfortunately it was only partially. Her Mother made her to be Her subject. She would never be fully free.

I widened my eyes in surprise. I pitied her. I didn't know I could. I wanted to give her a chance.

"What is it that you want, Chloe?" I asked her once again.

"I want to be free," she answered straightly without an ounce of hesitation.

I looked at her. Her deep emerald eyes attracted my vision. Her dishevelled auburn hair framed her visage. Her pants made her chest go up and down rhythmically. It was a hypnotizing sight.

My eyes trembled and I shook my head. A hot wave encompassed my eyes. My side itched like crazy. I immediately circulated my blood to expel the remnants of rosé mana that had lingered inside my wound. I hadn't noticed them. The succubus queen was worth more than I had given her.

My condition didn't change. The succubus' mana had simply opened the doors for a sunken part to come back to light. Now that the door was open, it would take a while to drown it again. It was, after all, a primaeval part of me. The thing that bothered me the most was that it wasn't vexing, but quite the contrary.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Chloe's scent entered my nostrils and my brow wavered. It was worse than I expected. The resurfacing instinct had been hidden for far too long. But I still needed to rein myself in.

I opened my eyes and locked my gaze with Chloe's. She had freed herself from the effects of the succubus mana, but her face was still flushed with red and her pupils were widened.

"Mr Doe?" she whispered, her heated breath prickling my skin.

"... Do I?" I mumbled to myself.

In the middle of my ailment, a cold rational thought surfaced in my mind. My brain went over all I had learned and experienced during my new life and quickly came to a conclusion. I smiled. I liked it very much, for many different reasons.

"Chloe," I spoke slowly.

"... Yes?" she whispered back.

"I cannot make you free"

Her breathing calmed down and her eyes focused.

"But I can give you a choice"

Even if she wasn't like Caleb or me.

"You may consider it unjust"

Even if her father had sold his soul.

"That you can never be free, truly free"

Even if her Mother made her to be a servant.

"But you still have two options"

She could still choose.

"Your Mother"

A simple choice. but a choice nonetheless.

"Or me"

A false choice, one might consider.

"You can choose"

But a choice nonetheless.

"One of us"

Her eyes opened wide.

"It may not be optimal"

As my revelation sunk in.

"But it is all I can offer you"

I gave her a smile.

"If you refuse me, you won't see me again"

Her eyes trembled.

"But if you accept me, I'll treat you accordingly"

Her lips quivered.

"Become mine, Chloe Ortiz," I ended my offer.

Silence fell upon the two of us. It was time for her to make her decision. If she refused me, she would remain under her Mother's wing and it was only a matter of time before she found her. I doubted she would be shown mercy after her defiance.

If she accepted me, she wouldn't become free in the true sense of the word, but she would change the authority towering over her. I was confident I would be a steep improvement and I thought I had amply proved it, but she couldn't be absolutely sure. Well, life was always a bit of a gamble.

She thought long and hard. Her eyes darted all around as she tried to come to grips with the issue that was in front of her. I continued to watch over her with a gentle smile. It was an important decision and I wanted her to make her choice in complete freedom. That was the only way it would work.

I waited patiently. She finally opened her eyes. She didn't speak a word. She simply wrapped her hands around my neck, brought her face to mine and the deal was signed.