I Didn't Hug You

Kya. This is the life.

In the dead of night, in my now super-luxury studio apartment.

I was sunk deep into my gaming chair, immersed in the AOS game League of Hunters on my 4K monitor.

With top-tier gear, the game felt so much smoother.

Whenever a lull hit, I'd pop a snack.

Tonight's midnight treat was the ultra-fresh blood pudding Katarina had airlifted in that same day—jiggly and perfect.

Om nom nom. How is it this sweet and nutty?

Haa~ Bliss.

Premium gear, crisp AC breeze, and delicious munchies.

This was happiness! This was peak NE...

Hmm, saying that in this body feels kinda guilty somehow. Anyway, it was that good. I could die happy right now...

That's when it happened.

Whoooosh—

The window slid open, letting in a sudden gust.

Huh?

The moment I sensed something off and turned—

Fwosh!

Five pitch-black shadows had already slipped into the room, lunging straight at me.

U, uwaaaah...! A midnight ambush out of nowhere.

No, I said I could die happy, but that was just a figure of speech!

Short swords gleamed in the hands of the masked figures, slicing toward my neck.

No way to dodge at this range. My trash reflexes couldn't even track the speed.

But before I could scream—

Katarina, standing silently at my side, extended her palm.

"Blood Arts. Blood Bind."

Shlrp—!!

Crimson blood erupted from her hand, thickening into heavy ropes.

The blood ropes slithered like living serpents through the air, binding the five attackers' limbs like trussed-up beasts.

"Mmph?!"

"Guhk!"

Crack! Crunch!

In a single second.

With the sickening sound of shattering bones, the five airborne assassins plummeted mercilessly to the floor.

Thud—!

The ropes even jammed into their mouths, gagging them tight.

Perfectly subdued before they could even scream.

Insane.

Frozen in my chair, I stared down at the sprawled bodies.

Black Cow's goons? They actually tracked me here? How the hell did they find this place?!

Chills raced up my spine.

If Katarina hadn't been here, I'd have been decapitated without a clue.

Had peace made me sloppy? I'd forgotten how fragile my real body was—death could come anytime.

That my precious happiness could vanish in an instant.

From now on, I gotta stick to Katarina like glue...!

As I silently vowed that—

Thump.

Katarina dropped to one knee at my feet, bowing her head low.

"...I have committed a mortal sin, my Master."

Her voice dripped with self-reproach.

"Due to my failure, I could not fully shake our pursuers, and I have led such filthy vermin ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into your noble domain. Please, punish me as you see fit."

No, you just saved my life—what punishment? I'm unscratched and fine.

I was genuinely grateful to her.

But Katarina squeezed her eyes shut, pointing at my monitor with a face like she might weep blood.

"Moreover... far worse...!"

Her shoulders trembled.

"Because of those vermin's interruption... your avatar... ngh!"

Ah.

My eyes flicked to the screen—black and white defeat screen. My poison-spitting o-sori character, who'd been dominating top lane, had heroically perished the moment I pulled my hands off the keyboard in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠surprise attack.

......

Had I grumbled too much about game deaths? Katarina seemed to treat it as a tragedy on par with the assassination attempt. It was absurd, but kinda funny—easing the tension.

I cleared my throat to brush it off.

"Ahem. 'Tis but a mere diversion, pay it no mind. This body bears not a single wound; that suffices."

"Ahh, your boundless mercy leaves this creation eternally grateful...!"

Katarina, moved to tears, pressed her forehead to the floor again.

Anyway.

I glanced at the wriggling assassins bound on the floor.

Had to check who these guys were.

That's when a translucent system window popped up in the corner of my vision.

Oh right, this skill!

The reward from clearing Nightmare Floor 1.

Hunter Gallery said it was a super-rare gem that worked on anything, living or not.

Lemme try it.

I activated Appraisal on the four downed men one by one.

Hologram-like info panels unfurled above their heads.

Name, level, stats—the basics, plus...

Ew.

It read thoughts and notables too? Appraisal was straight-up broken.

And that murder rap sheet with those thoughts? Utter irredeemable trash.

But below that, another line.

Blood Vampire Potential: F

Huh?

Potential if turned into a blood vampire?

All trash potential. Calling it trash might even be an insult to trash.

Decision made.

I spoke in a cold tone.

"Worthless scum not fit to live. Dispose of them."

"As you command."

With Katarina's reply, the blood ropes morphed into razor thorns.

Stab, shunk—!

No chance to resist—the four men were pierced through, turning into human porcupines.

Thud.

They crumpled. Katarina's precise control meant not a drop hit the floor—spotless.

First time witnessing murder, but these human scum felt like squashing cockroaches. Gross and disgusting, no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠guilt.

One left: the sole woman among the five, a slender black-haired girl. Bound like the rest, dark blood dripping from her lips.

I Appraised her too.

But her panel was different.

Brainwashing Curse? For 10 years?

O? S potential?

And her thoughts stole the show.

......

Her body still thrashed to attack me under the brainwashing, but tears streamed from her vacant eyes.

Sigh. Trying to kill me is unforgivable, but her story's kinda pitiful. Per Appraisal, she'd been a puppet assassin for a dark guild.

And S-rank potential to boot. Not even A—straight S.

Too valuable to waste on death. Prime talent.

Was just thinking I need more familiars besides Katarina.

How to break the brainwashing?

My Blood Lord class skills flashed in my mind.

I pulled up my status window, scanning the descriptions closely.

This is it!

Cleanses harmful statuses.

Brainwashing's a status effect. Turning her via Embrace wipes it.

Stuffed on raw meat and blood pudding—Blood Power maxed at 100.

I rose slowly from my chair. Looming over the gasping, bound girl, I haughtily lifted my chin.

"Begging for death? Hmph. Still under the delusion that your life is yours?"

"......"

"From this moment, that pathetic life belongs to this progenitor."

Grand declaration done, I knelt, burying my face in her slender neck.

Nom.

My fangs pricked her pale skin lightly. Bloodsuck worked like this—instinct told me, first try.

Her body twitched.

Slurp—

I sucked her blood greedily.

Taste? Shockingly sweet strawberry milk.

Mmm. Assassins taste like this, huh.

Cracking lame internal jokes, I drained her.

Her body shuddered, eyes glazing over.

Right as life ebbed—

Now!

I bit my tongue, forming a blood droplet.

The droplet seeped into her parted lips.

Then—

Her eyes flew wide, body stiffening—

Flop—!

She faceplanted onto the floor.

Eh?

D-dead?

I eyed her anxiously.

But after a moment...

"Nngh......"

The "corpse" stirred, slowly opening her eyes.

Her dull black pupils now gleamed crimson like mine—clear and beautiful. The malice gone, her demeanor obedient.

"...!!"

Katarina gasped in shock.

"Katarina, release the binds."

I admired her with satisfaction, issuing the order.

"Huh...? My head... doesn't hurt...? I can move my body freely...?"

Freed, she mumbled, flexing and probing herself like a newborn.

Her eyes met mine. I flashed a leisurely smile.

"Hehe, how does it feel to be reborn as this body's familiar?"

"Ah...... aaah......"

She shuddered, prostrating before me.

"You are the one who granted me life and freedom for the first time."

Tears flowing, she crawled forward, gently kissing my tiny bare foot.

"I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠will serve you as Master... for life......"