Blood Feud with the Shark (9)
The moment I saw the message, my body froze as if struck by lightning.
What the hell is this?
My mind went blank for a second. The system had never thrown up an error like this before. It felt like I’d accidentally stepped on a landmine hidden in the code.
I quickly tried to pull up the status window again, but the same red warning flashed before my eyes. The more I pushed, the stronger the rejection became. It was as if the system itself was actively blocking me from digging any deeper into that woman’s information.
“This is insane…”
I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my hair. The taste of blood still lingered faintly on my tongue from earlier. That strange, metallic sweetness that had spread through my body like wildfire.
Was it because I’d absorbed her blood? Or was there something else at play here?
The more I thought about it, the more questions piled up. The system had always been on my side, a tool I could bend to my will. But now it felt like I was staring at an iron wall with no visible cracks.
I forced myself to calm down and reassess the situation.
First, the woman who called herself Shark was clearly no ordinary person. The way she moved, the eerie aura she gave off, and most of all, that monstrous strength that had nearly crushed my skull. She was on a completely different level from the run-of-the-mill warriors I’d faced so far.
Second, whatever ability I’d used on her had triggered some kind of hidden safeguard. The system’s refusal to show me her full status was proof enough. It was almost like the world itself was protecting her information.
Third… the blood. That damn blood.
Even now, I could feel it circulating inside me. A foreign power that didn’t belong to me, writhing like a living thing. It wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, it felt strangely invigorating. My body felt lighter, my senses sharper. But at the same time, an instinctive warning bell kept ringing in the back of my mind.
This isn’t something I can just swallow and forget.
I clenched my fist tightly. The veins on the back of my hand stood out clearly, pulsing with an unnatural rhythm.
Whatever this was, it had already begun to change me. I could feel it.
Just then, a faint sound reached my ears.
Someone was approaching. And they weren’t even trying to hide their presence.
I turned my head slowly. Through the half-broken window, I could see a familiar silhouette standing in the moonlight.
It was Zhuge Liang.
She stood there with her arms crossed, the hem of her elegant robes fluttering gently in the night breeze. Her eyes, sharp as ever, were fixed directly on me.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said, her voice carrying that trademark calm amusement. “Or should I say… like you’ve swallowed one?”
I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I studied her expression carefully.
Did she know? About what had happened with the Shark? About the system error? Or was she just here to check on me after sensing the massive surge of energy earlier?
Zhuge Liang tilted her head slightly, a small smile playing on her lips.
“The entire city is in an uproar, you know. A mysterious woman appeared out of nowhere, fought a monster of a battle with you, and then vanished without a trace. The guards are running around like headless chickens trying to figure out what happened.”
She took a slow step forward, her gaze never leaving mine.
“And here you are, sitting alone in the dark, looking like you’ve just discovered the world isn’t as simple as you thought.”
I let out a low chuckle despite myself.
“You always did have a way with words, Zhuge Liang.”
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere tonight,” she replied smoothly. “I want answers. What exactly was that woman? And what did you do to her?”
For a moment, I considered lying. But something in her eyes told me she already knew more than she was letting on. Zhuge Liang wasn’t the type to come empty-handed.
I decided to test the waters.
“She called herself Shark. Said she came to kill me. We fought. I… drank her blood. After that, the system started acting strange. It won’t let me see her status window anymore.”
Zhuge Liang’s eyebrows rose slightly. For the first time, a hint of genuine surprise flickered across her usually composed face.
“You drank her blood?”
“Yeah. And now it feels like something’s crawling around inside me. It’s not bad, exactly. But it’s definitely not normal either.”
She was silent for a long moment. Then she let out a soft sigh.
“You really are a reckless fool sometimes, Jin Hwan.”
Her tone was half scolding, half impressed. Classic Zhuge Liang.
“That woman… she’s no ordinary assassin. She’s one of the Four Heavenly Kings under the Demon Sovereign. The Shark is famous for her insatiable bloodlust and her ability to regenerate from almost any wound. The fact that you managed to drive her off is impressive enough. But drinking her blood?”
Zhuge Liang shook her head, looking almost exasperated.
“You’ve basically swallowed a piece of the abyss itself. That power will try to corrupt you from the inside. It’ll amplify your desires, twist your thoughts, and eventually try to turn you into something like her.”
I felt a chill run down my spine.
So that was it. The strange heat I’d been feeling, the way my body kept craving more… it wasn’t just a side effect. It was the beginning of corruption.
“Is there a way to stop it?” I asked, my voice tighter than I intended.
Zhuge Liang smiled faintly. That dangerous, beautiful smile that always appeared when she was about to suggest something completely insane.
“There is. But you’re not going to like it.”
“Tell me anyway.”
She stepped closer until we were almost face to face. Her breath brushed against my ear as she whispered.
“You need to completely dominate the blood you swallowed. Not suppress it. Not seal it away. You have to make it submit to you. And the fastest way to do that…”
Her fingers lightly traced the vein on my neck.
“…is to find her again. And this time, don’t just drink her blood. Drink her dry. Break her completely. Make her yours in body and soul. Only then will the power truly belong to you.”
I stared at her, speechless.
Zhuge Liang pulled back slightly, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of intellectual curiosity and something far more dangerous.
“Of course, that’s only if you’re willing to walk the path of a true conqueror. The path where you devour everything in your way, including the monsters that come for your life.”
She turned around, her robes swirling elegantly as she headed for the door.
“Think about it carefully, Jin Hwan. The clock is ticking. The blood inside you won’t wait forever. And next time she comes… she won’t be alone.”
Just before she disappeared into the darkness, she glanced back one last time.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
Her smile widened, full of wicked delight.
“If you do decide to go after her… I’d love to watch. It should be quite the spectacle.”
With that, she was gone.
I sat there in silence for a long time, staring at the empty doorway.
The blood in my veins pulsed stronger than ever, as if it had heard every word and was now eagerly waiting for my decision.
Dominate her completely… huh.
A dark smile slowly spread across my face.
Maybe this wasn’t such a bad development after all.
If the system wouldn’t give me the answers, I’d just have to rip them out of her myself.
Shark.
Next time we meet, things are going to be very different.
I’ll make sure of it.