Ch.4Aurel

I’ve roughly figured out the power I possess.

It means it’s truly time to leave now.

I sighed and hoisted my backpack onto my shoulders.

If Blood Carnival had been a package game with an ending, I would have set out to see the game’s conclusion.

But Blood Carnival is just an ordinary online game.

The main story hasn’t even been fully revealed yet, so how could there be an ending predetermined by the game company?

In Ravina’s memories, there were others who thought similarly to me.

Of course, Ravina wasn’t interested in such people, so she didn’t know where they were or what they were doing.

She just knew that such people existed.

My goal was set.

To join those who were working to restore this world to its original state.

That was my first objective, and my second was to find the tree where Blood Fruit grows.

As the name suggests, Blood Fruit is for vampire users—consuming it immediately reduces the desire for blood and eliminates the stat reduction penalty.

In the game, it was a common item found in the field, but here, it was something that had never been discovered.

Of course, my information is limited to Ravina’s memories.

It’s possible that Blood Fruit has been discovered somewhere I don’t know about.

After taking one last glance at the hotel, I began my journey.

I felt a bit sorry for devouring the clan leader and running away, but there was nothing I could do for them.

It’s a needless worry.

I shook my head and walked along the road.

I searched my memory to recall my current location.

Immediately, a vast map unfolded before me.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight—it looked just like an expanded mini-map from the game.

[Daejeon Metropolitan City]

The red mark on the map seemed to indicate my position.

I moved the map around and set Seoul Station as my destination.

Though the world had changed and my body had transformed, I had no intention of easily accepting these changes.

So I planned to struggle as much as possible.

I used the map system to set my destination, but it didn’t activate a navigation feature before my eyes.

It just showed me the path I needed to take.

Finding the actual route was something I had to do myself.

First, I headed to the nearest subway station.

What would be the closest subway station from here?

It’s Daejeon Station.

I carefully made my way there, and upon arriving at Daejeon Station, I suppressed a groan at its miserable state.

Collapsed buildings, trains jutting out from inside, and the unpleasant stench of decay.

That wasn’t all.

Near Daejeon Station, Fusion Bodies were crawling around.

Fusion Bodies.

They are artificial life forms created by combining vampires and werewolves, with a backstory of being created through human experiments.

In Blood Carnival, they commonly served as monsters, with occasional special specimens appearing as NPCs.

There were four Fusion Bodies.

No special specimens in sight.

That’s all I could see.

At first, I avoided fights because everything wasn’t clear, but now there was no need to do so.

[Kieeeek…]

The Fusion Bodies, drooling and wandering around, turned their heads and recognized me when I appeared.

At that moment, they charged.

A silent attack without any warning.

Just as they appeared in the game.

And just as Ravina remembered them.

Their abnormally elongated arms and legs moved grotesquely, quickly closing the distance.

An instinctive revulsion rose within me at the sight of creatures devoid of any intelligence.

[Kueeeek!]

Only when they got close did they let out an attack roar.

As I winced at the ear-piercing high pitch, the shadow at my feet sprang into action.

Kwajik!

As it revealed itself, the shadow transformed into a massive beast’s head and devoured the Fusion Body that was charging at the front.

But the fight wasn’t over yet.

Even now, the remaining three were charging toward me.

They showed no reaction to their comrade’s demise.

Moving solely on instinct.

Despite the hideous monster approaching me, I remained calm inside.

An absolute belief that I wouldn’t lose. After all, a fly buzzing in front of you doesn’t feel threatening, does it?

There was no need to move.

Seureureuk-!

The shadow continued to move.

The moment the elongated form that emerged from beneath my feet began to transform into a spike, it rose high and impaled the two Fusion Bodies that were rushing at me from both sides.

Kwadeudeugeu-!

That was it. All of this happened in a single breath.

At that moment, the remaining Fusion Body displayed an irregular movement.

It leaped high into the air from its running posture.

I frowned and exhaled softly at the hideous sight of it soaring upward after kicking off the ground.

Of course, despite the change in movement, its fate was no different.

The shadow that had revealed itself until now began to merge instantly, creating a new massive beast’s head.

Enormous teeth and sharp eyes.

The moment its body, rippling like dark red blood, stretched out, it devoured the last Fusion Body.

Kwadeudeugeu-!

The one-sided massacre ended.

I didn’t feel any particular emotion.

It was just a predetermined event happening.

That’s what I thought.

The shadow, which had devoured humans and vampires, didn’t absorb the Fusion Bodies’ corpses.

After chewing them, it spat them out as if they tasted bad.

Suddenly, a small curiosity welled up.

Back when Blood Carnival was still a game, vampires’ blood-sucking skills couldn’t be used on Fusion Bodies.

Would it be the same here?

It seems like I could eat them if I wanted to…

I stroked my chin while looking at the writhing shadow.

“Charlotte…!”

At that moment, a pitiful voice reached my ears.

Wondering what was happening, I turned my head to see Aurel standing a short distance away, wrapped in a black shadow.

Her expression was as pitiful as her voice.

Her ruby-like eyes, slowly swaying, looked as if they might shed tears at any moment, and the fangs visible between her slightly parted lips looked strangely cute.

Not just that. Her golden hair, swaying gently like the night sky adorned with stars, blended with the moonlight, exuding a peculiar charm.

“What?”

Don’t be fooled; despite her appearance, there might be a dark old man sitting inside her.

Yes, just like me.

I too had become a cute 145cm vampire girl, but before this transformation, I was a pot-bellied old man smoking cigarettes in a small room.

“Are you leaving like this…?”

Aurel gently bit her lip and placed her hand over her heart.

That action. It’s not something one does instinctively.

It’s a thoroughly calculated move utilizing her appearance.

“I’m leaving.”

“You’re irresponsible…”

Irresponsible?

Me?

Of course, I feel sorry for gulping down the clan leader.

But that was just an accidental incident. It doesn’t mean I have to take responsibility.

I genuinely thought so.

I folded my arms and kept my mouth shut.

No matter how she approached me, my thoughts remained unchanged.

Seeing my reaction, Aurel changed her approach.

“Please… please take me with you!”

“You want to come along? What about the clan?”

“I, I don’t know about that…”

When faced with a beautiful vampire girl who wants to join me without a plan, how should I react?

Honestly, I was curious about her true intentions.

I looked her straight in the eyes and asked.

“Be honest. What are you thinking?”

“Uh, uuu…”

“If you won’t answer, I won’t let you come with me.”

I said that while moving my shadow threateningly.

Aurel stepped back with a slightly tearful expression and said.

“If, if I’m honest, will you take me with you?”

“Let me hear it first.”

“That’s unfair…”

Aurel seemed to ponder my answer for a moment, then closed her eyes tightly and spoke.

“Ho-honestly, I thought it would be safer to follow you, a level 20 Charlotte, than to stay here!”

“Me?”

“Yes!”

“Hmm…”

I let out a small groan.

I told her to be honest, but I didn’t expect her to be this honest.

Of course, traveling with her wouldn’t be a problem.

I also thought it would be much better to have a companion to talk to than to wander this ruined world alone.

“What benefit do I get from taking you with me?”

Having inherited Ravina’s memories, I knew what kind of person Aurel was.

A diligent and kind girl, but with a somewhat suspicious side.

Of course, this judgment was based solely on Ravina’s memories.

“I’ll give you everything I have!”

Aurel said that and started panting.

Her slightly reddened cheeks, and her tongue slightly protruding to lick her lips.

An expression that made me extremely curious about what she was imagining.

I stepped back at this absurd situation.

“You…”

“Wh-what do you think…? Actually, to be really honest, I think I fell for you at first sight, Charlotte… You’re so, so cute…”

“You’re crazy…”

“D-don’t you think we’d look good together…? Blonde and silver hair…? We’re similar in height too…”

I thought I understood why I felt some aversion to Aurel.

This girl isn’t normal.

“Oh, could it be you prefer men…? I, I could change your mind about that…”

“You… were you a man or a woman before becoming like this?”

“What…? Is that important?”

“It is to me…”

“Ah…”

Aurel lowered her eyes with a confused expression at my question.

She’s avoiding the answer. Trying her best to appeal to me.

She’s carefully choosing her answer, over and over.

“Ch-Charlotte, were you a man?”

I didn’t answer.

I firmly closed my mouth and stepped back.

“You won’t regret it… I’ll make you feel good…”

“N-no thanks.”

“Charlotte…!”

It gives me the creeps.

No matter how cute and soft Aurel looks now, who knows what’s hiding inside her.

Of course, being with Aurel would be problematic too.

What if everything that has changed returns to its original state?

I wasn’t confident I could maintain my sanity when faced with Aurel’s original form.

I took advantage of Aurel’s momentary distraction and ran into the subway.

“Charlotte!”

Ignoring the pitiful voice calling from behind me.