Chapter 59: 10th Floor. Vampire Princess (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 59: 10th Floor. Vampire Princess (2)
Eldiria remained silent. Kang Jun-hyeok waited patiently for her to process his words. After a long moment, she finally spoke.
"You claim you were raised as my servant—my guardian."
"That is correct."
"And what if I refuse to believe you? What if I choose to kill you instead?"
"Then that would be a pity," Kang Jun-hyeok replied nonchalantly. Eldiria’s eyes bled into a deep, predatory crimson.
"Then die."
Whoosh!
Blood surged forth, coalescing into a jagged spear that lunged for Kang Jun-hyeok’s throat. It stopped a hair’s breadth from his skin, the tip trembling with lethal intent.
"…Hmph. You have an unwavering gaze."
Kang Jun-hyeok met her stare without a hint of fear. He knew this was a simple test of mettle.
"It does not seem like you are lying. My father was an eccentric man; it wouldn't be beneath him to raise a human as a mere hobby."
Eldiria withdrew the blood spear, the liquid dissipating into the air.
"Does that make you my half-brother, then?"
"Heaven forbid. I was raised strictly as your servant. To be called your brother… those words are far more than I deserve."
"At least you aren't brazen enough to claim a blood relation, human. You know your place."
Eldiria sneered, but the murderous hostility from before had vanished.
"Fine. I shall trust you for now."
[Proficiency in the Acting skill has increased from F to E.]
[Proficiency in the Persuasion skill has increased from F to E.]
It worked. Kang Jun-hyeok stood up, a faint, professional smile playing on his lips.
"I imagine there is much to discuss, but before that, it seems we have business to attend to."
"…The filthy beasts have caught the scent."
Eldiria grimaced. Kang Jun-hyeok stepped out of the cave, his hand resting on his hilt.
Crackle, snap.
The sound of the forest undergrowth being trampled heralded their arrival. Two burly men emerged from the shadows, smirking the moment they spotted Eldiria.
"Greetings, Princess. I trust you’ve been enjoying your flight?"
"How dare a filthy beast address me. You truly do not know your place," Eldiria said coldly. The men responded with greasy, mocking smiles.
"It can't be helped. You aren't exactly 'noble' anymore, Princess."
"Come with us quietly. Do that, and we might just spare your life."
"Insignificant curs."
Just as her eyes began to glow red again, Kang Jun-hyeok stepped forward, intercepting the confrontation.
"Please leave this to me, Princess."
"…Hmph. See to it that these vermin are cleared away."
The Princess stepped back, yielding the floor. Only then did the men truly notice Kang Jun-hyeok. Their faces twisted in immediate disgust.
"What? A human?"
"You really have fallen, haven't you? To think a royal would cling to a mere human for protection."
The men mocked her, but Eldiria simply closed her eyes, ignoring them. When she failed to react, they turned their predatory gaze back to Kang Jun-hyeok.
"Have you been bewitched by her beauty, boy?"
"Get lost, human. We’ll let you live if you run now."
Instead of answering, Kang Jun-hyeok drew his weapon. The men’s eyes turned bloodshot as their patience snapped.
"Then we'll just kill you both!"
Crack, snap!
Their bodies began to swell unnaturally. Their skeletal structures shifted with sickening pops as coarse fur sprouted across their skin. Long, yellow fangs protruded from their lengthening maws.
"Awoooooo!"
Transformed into monstrous beasts, they howled at the sky. Kang Jun-hyeok muttered to himself, amused by the cliché.
"Where there are vampires, werewolves are never far behind."
With a guttural roar, the werewolves lunged.
Clang!
Razor-sharp claws clashed against his blade. A heavy, bone-jarring impact traveled up his arms, but he didn't budge. He leaned back slightly, narrowly dodging the fangs that snapped at his jugular.
A barrage of vicious swipes followed. Any ordinary Player would have been shredded in seconds, but Kang Jun-hyeok wasn't ordinary. He braced his core and shoved back.
Clang!
The werewolves were sent reeling. As they stumbled to regain their footing, shock replaced their bloodlust.
"H-How can a human match a werewolf in raw strength?!"
"W-Who are you?!"
"The Princess's guard," Kang Jun-hyeok replied lightly.
He lunged. He began to ruthlessly pressure the two beasts, his movements a blur of calculated violence.
Skreeee!
He parried a set of claws, letting them slide harmlessly off his blade, then used that momentum to thrust. He pierced through a werewolf's guard and drove his sword straight into its heart. With a surge of strength, he twisted the metal.
"Gah… kack!"
The werewolf let out a strangled scream and went limp. The second werewolf hesitated, its instinct for survival finally overriding its hunger. It turned tail to flee into the woods.
[Sword Ki and Sword Wind.]
Kang Jun-hyeok swung his greatsword in a violent arc. A crescent moon of shimmering sword ki sliced through the forest. The fleeing werewolf was cleaved in half before it could even let out a whimper.
'They’re strong.'
Starting from Eldiria, the power scaling of the 10th Floor was significantly higher than the previous ones. It was enough to make Kang Jun-hyeok actually exert himself. In other words, this was a floor where he could actually grind his levels and skills.
[Proficiency in Sword Ki and Sword Wind has increased.]
[Proficiency in Divine Art has increased slightly.]
He had become too powerful for the lower floors. Usually, he couldn't gain any proficiency unless he fought a boss, but this place was different. Kang Jun-hyeok smiled with satisfaction.
"Only a slight increase? That's stingy."
[Did you really expect to master my martial arts with such a meager display? How brazen.]
Eldiria, who had been watching the slaughter with a critical eye, spoke up.
"You wield a strange power."
"It is a power your father bestowed upon me specifically for my role as your protector."
"…My father was interested in many forms of esoteric magic. I suppose that is one of them."
Eldiria accepted the explanation easily, filling in the blanks herself. Kang Jun-hyeok sheathed his weapon.
"Now, let us continue our conversation. What exactly happened to the kingdom?"
* * *
After moving to a more secluded location, Eldiria began her tale.
"How much do you know of our situation?"
"Almost nothing."
It wasn't a lie. In his past life, he had been dragged around by Eldiria without much context. That was the experience of everyone who had cleared the 10th Floor back then.
'Even in my past life, she kept her mouth shut about the details.'
"All I know is that the kingdom has fallen and that you are the sole survivor, Princess. That is all."
"…The werewolves laid waste to our home," Eldiria said, her voice low and somber. "Those eternal enemies burned the capital and slaughtered my people."
"But did the werewolves truly have the power to bring down the kingdom? That shouldn't have been possible."
"The cowards launched a surprise attack on the Night of the Lunar Eclipse."
"…Ah."
Kang Jun-hyeok’s expression shifted as the pieces clicked into place. The Night of the Lunar Eclipse—the night the moon is hidden. It was the one time when the power of all vampires, save for the True Ancestors, was severely diminished.
"My father did his best. He killed countless werewolves and perished alongside their king. But… our strength was lacking."
Though they had dealt a devastating blow to the enemy, the vampires had lost. She was the last of her lineage.
"The filthy beasts are hunting me now. Cunning wretches."
She ground her teeth in frustration. Kang Jun-hyeok, listening quietly, asked, "What do you plan to do now?"
"I am a True Ancestor."
A being complete unto herself—neither sunlight, salt, nor holy crosses held sway over her. She was a perfect existence, devoid of the typical weaknesses of her kind.
"But I am still young."
She had not yet undergone her Coming-of-Age Ceremony. She had not yet fully awakened her dormant power.
"They attacked exactly one week before my ceremony. The treacherous curs knew what they were doing."
"It must be because they knew they would stand no chance once you matured, Princess."
The werewolves' tactical judgment had been correct. In his past life, Eldiria had eventually grown strong enough to slaughter every single werewolf on the floor by herself. She was special.
"There is a ritual site for the ceremony—a secret place known only to True Ancestors. I will head there. I will complete the ritual and then I will kill every last one of them."
That was her goal, and the ultimate destination of the 10th Floor quest. Kang Jun-hyeok nodded. "I understand."
"Will you follow me?"
"I am your guard and your servant. Everything shall be as you wish, Princess."
"You certainly have a silver tongue."
After glaring at him for a moment, Eldiria lay down on the mossy ground.
"I shall rest. Keep watch over the perimeter."
"I obey your command."
She closed her eyes. Kang Jun-hyeok leaped into the canopy of a nearby tree and expanded his senses.
[Hmph. So she had such a past. A tragedy like any other.]
"You seem to be enjoying this," Kang Jun-hyeok whispered.
[It is merely the satisfaction of curiosity. That Pixie fellow will be quite pleased to hear this.]
The Master of All Weapons muttered gleefully. It seemed Eldiria’s history was a source of entertainment for the entity. Kang Jun-hyeok gave a small smirk, his eyes growing calm and analytical.
The 10th Floor was unique. A Player could clear it just by following Eldiria and doing the bare minimum, but the clear rate for that method was a measly 5%. Since the quest ended the moment they reached the destination, there was no time for extra exploration at the end. To achieve a Perfect Clear, one had to act during the journey.
Kang Jun-hyeok checked the quest conditions once more.
[10th Floor Progression Quest]
[Vampire Princess: Protect and guard Eldiria to the best of your ability and reach the destination.]
Protect and guard to the best of your ability.
It meant more than just being a meat shield; it meant active, comprehensive protection. But there was a hidden layer.
'Trust.'
As her protector, he had to gain Eldiria’s trust. He had to build a bond, an intimate connection. He had to make her truly believe in him. That was the path to a Perfect Clear. Kang Jun-hyeok’s intuition, honed by years of regression, told him so.
Building rapport was the priority.
'Is this "Raising a Princess" now?'
Gaining the trust of a prickly, traumatized royal was a difficult condition for most. However, it wasn't that hard for Kang Jun-hyeok. He had been close to her in his past life. They had shared drinks and stories; he knew exactly what she liked and what she loathed.
'She definitely had a weakness for gourmet food.'
Kang Jun-hyeok leaped down from the tree and vanished into the forest.
* * *
Eldiria had said she was resting, but her eyes remained half-open. She didn't trust Kang Jun-hyeok—not yet.
'…He seems to know my father's secrets.'
But that wasn't enough. She had lost too much to be naive. She couldn't trust a human—who wasn't even a thrall—based on words alone.
'I'd like to turn him into a slave, but…'
She didn't know how he would react to open hostility. He seemed obedient now, but his true intentions were a mystery.
'I can't trust him, but I can't afford to lose him either.'
It was an uncomfortable stalemate. She sighed inwardly. Soon, she heard the sound of Kang Jun-hyeok moving busily nearby. She tried to ignore it, but a savory, mouth-watering aroma began to waft toward her.
She frowned and opened her eyes.
"…What are you doing?"
"I am cooking."
Kang Jun-hyeok had caught a deer and was currently simmering a rich stew. His movements were as fluid and natural as a master chef's, thanks to his Auto-Cooking skill.
"I thought it would be good for you to have a snack. You’ve been through a lot lately."
"I am a True Ancestor. I have no need for human food."
A True Ancestor didn't even need to drink blood to survive, and she had never once tasted human cuisine in her life. Kang Jun-hyeok calmly ladled the stew into a wooden bowl.
"Eating is not just about nutrients, Princess. It stabilizes the mind and helps one assess the situation with a clear head. I highly recommend a bowl."
He handed her the stew. Eldiria grimaced but accepted it. Kang Jun-hyeok was stronger than her currently; even if he claimed to be her guard, she didn't want to provoke him by being difficult.
'Why is he so insistent on feeding me this?'
She looked at the stew with a wary expression before carefully taking a small sip. Her eyes widened instantly. A complex sweetness, a rich, savory depth, and the fresh scent of wild herbs exploded across her palate.
"Ah…"
An exclamation escaped her lips before she could stop it. Kang Jun-hyeok gave a soft, knowing smile.
"Is it to your liking?"
"…."
Instead of answering, Eldiria lowered her head and gripped the spoon tighter.