Offer

"BLOOD!!!"

"Don't come near me!"

So loud, these words echo. I want them to get out of my head and just let me rest. I open my eyes after the thought of silencing them with my intervention. But that was only a dream.

Now, my right cheek is against the wet glass pub. My vision is blurry as I see a figure sitting there, drinking something and then asking for another one.

"One more!" the person roars. Their voice is muffled although nothing is covering my ears.

Little by little, my vision become clearer as well as my hearing. I sit straight, stretching my stiff neck.

"Another!" the person demands again.

Wait a minute. . . that's— It's the vampire! WOAH! My back! I fell from my seat! Ugh, it hurts! She looks at me as I'm on the ground then asks the bartender for another drink. I gather myself up and discover that what she's drinking is not liquor but blood.

In this well-lit place, I can now see what she looks like. Her hair is long and white tied in a ponytail, her skin is so pale but her veins are violet, and she's wearing a black short skirt, and a long-sleeved polo. She has three slightly curved single-edged swords on her back. Their sheath just looks like a weapon rack to keep them together, not even trying to cover the sharp edges of the blades. The blades have throbbing glowing-red arteries as if they're alive.

*Flinch*

She stares at me with her lips covered in blood. After swallowing, she asks for another one. The bartender is nervous, pouring the blood from a pitcher until there is nothing left. Then I notice behind him, that the shelves of bottles have been utterly destroyed. What happened here?

"That's all the gargoyle blood. . .we have," he says with a small anxious voice.

Angrily, she stands up and the bartender retreats, scared. She turns around and walks to the door. *Sigh* I expected her to attack me or something. Maybe I'm just being too cautious.

Maybe I should leave too. He has to fix this mess. "What happened here?" I ask as I stand.

"Just leave!" he whimpers.

In the dark alley, not far to the right, she's folding her arms and leaning against the wall with one foot against it. Her head is bowed down as her eyes are closed. She's waiting for something—I think. Should I talk to her?

"He tried to steal your Anthropa Frame," she says and I stop walking.

"The bartender?"

"Don't ever let your guard down. Some people know who you have that Frame."

That would explain the mess earlier. She saved me? "You saved me?" I ask.

"No."

"But you—"

"I don't want other races to go extinct like mine, okay? That's all there is."

Why does she keep denying it?

"Okay. . .," I say.

How did she happen to come here? It's strange. Maybe her hunger brought her here, in time when that bartender drugged me. I don't want to ask the question that is in my mind right now because I already know the answer to it but. . . I feel I should. Only for the sake of making friends.

"Were you following me?"

Her eyes open very wide. "What?! O. . . of course, not!" She's stuttering while looking to the left.

Yup, she's lying.

"My name is CancerAssassin," I introduce myself. "I guess you can just call me Cancer." I mutter, "Though the name wasn't my idea. What's your name?"

"Nisha." She was not looking at me when she said it. That name rings well with her appearance.

"I'm new to this world," I say leaning against the wall a little far from her. This helps to make things less awkward.

"I've heard that the Queen summoned a guy who can wield the Angel's Bane to declare war against the Angeli."

"Oh. . . I never knew that the news spread this far."

"Every word of Queen Zaori is important. Before she came here, the whole Underworld was a mess. She united us all against the Angeli and we lived in peace for hundreds of years under her rule."

"She did that all by herself?"

"With the help of her harem, of course. Weren't you in it?"

"Oh, that, uh. . . we divorced."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to get stronger on my own."

She scoffs. "Why would you do that? If I was you, I will serve her until I die. Being married to her will also let you level up faster. Not to mention the powerful relics she has in her inventory."

"I know, but I feel that I will stay weak if I depend on her."

She narrows her eyes at me in disappointment. "That thinking will be the reason for your early death."

"I'm not reckless, okay? I'll be alive to see things through until the satisfying end."

"Not really, since you nearly got yourself killed earlier. You're just lucky I saved—" She stops after realizing what she's saying. "Never mind. Goodbye."

"Wait!"

She looks over her shoulder. "What?"

"Can you help me with something?"

"I'd rather not." She continues walking.

I grab her by the shoulder and she's a little bit startled.

"Let go of me or I will cut your hand off."

"Look, I need you to help me clear the Wasteland Domain. I have to get stronger within 99 years because Zaori and I will have a duel. She'll judge my strength. If she judges me lacking, she'll kill me and take my Frame."

"That's a better way. It's a good decision to let her have your Anthropa Frame. We know it will be in good hands."

"Please, I want to get to the edge of this world!"

"You mean, finish the Divine Trinity Quest?"

"If I must, yes."

"You're ridiculous. You will never get there. Only Queen Zaori can. If you just stayed with her, you wouldn't have to beg me to help you clear an easy domain."

"Come on, I'm begging you!" I kneel before her.

"Stand up, you look pathetic."

"I know I am, so please, help me! In turn, I'll give you my blood."

"B. . . blood?"

She smirks, her fangs bared, and her eyes glowing red. I just made a terrible mistake!