Even after we exited the tower and into the night of the Lambda Sector city, I was still in a daze, shuffling out into the GPA stations for medical attention. The risk we took paid off, and Eleanor was able to exit the 41st floor without any trouble, having been recognized as a Player aspect. In fact, the more we traveled, the healthier she got, no doubt due to the influx of energy from my stats. The system messages had updated, pestering me to claim my rewards from my achievement last time.

  Despite not needing any medical attention, I stumbled into a nearby chair and sat, trying to digest everything that had just happened. The GPA agents were buzzing around us, checking on Clarice and her team while giving me curious looks. Or rather, giving the floating woman who seemed to be in awe of everything curious looks.

  "You guys can go ahead," I mumbled to Tommy and Celine, not taking my eyes off the system messages. "I need to sort out some... things."

  "Yeah... I'm gonna go home and rest. Today was... anyways, congratulations bro," Tommy said, slapping me on the back before leaving with Celine. I nodded absentmindedly, my mind still elsewhere.

  "Luquier, Luquier, what is this contraption?" Eleanor's voice echoed in my head, bringing my attention back to the present. She was staring at a neon billboard with a fascinated yet bewildered expression. Her eyes had lost the lifelessness that had haunted them in the tower and now sparkled with curiosity.

  "That's what we call an- hey, if you're going to be flying around, stay near me- that's called an advertisement," I said, watching as Eleanor floated closer to the billboard. She reached out to touch it, but her hand passed through the light. "It's not real. Just an image projected to sell stuff."

  Eleanor pulled back, a look of wonder crossing her face. "Incredible," she murmured. "This world is full of amazing... and utterly strange things." She turned to me, her eyes alight with excitement. "There is so much I wish to see and learn."

  I made a time-out sign with my hands. "Before that, how are you going to go about becoming a Vampire King? I agreed to this because I didn't want a war to break out between the Players in factions ending up with us divided before the fiftieth floor."

  "Oh?" Eleanor flew towards me, spinning upside down to look me in the eyes. "You're sounding very certain. How do you figure a war might occur?"

  "The First Act Quest. It's literally named 'War of the Kings', and I get the feeling there are other kings beside the Vampire King," I said, watching as Eleanor's excitement dimmed a bit. "Coupled with the rise of factions during the World Raid, I have a strong feeling this Act spans across the Monster faction."

  "I see," she nodded thoughtfully. "The path to becoming a Vampire King is fraught with danger and politics. But with your support and the strength we share, I believe I can bring peace, at least, to vampirekind."

  "Okay... but do you have a plan to become the Vampire King?" I asked, feeling the weight of the situation settling on my shoulders. "I don't know much about vampire politics, but I know that we need to be prepared for what's to come."

  "Honestly? In all of my iterations, I have only seen a handful of candidates actually become the Vampire King. Most of them went straight to war with the other monster species and the Monster faction quickly became the weakest of the known groups before the fiftieth floor. For now, the best thing is to see if any other candidates were saved just as you saved me," Eleanor said, reclining slightly in the air, her eyes closing. "If there's any that remain, then they're my competition to being the Vampire King."

  I stared at the floating Eleanor, contemplating her words. "Wait, are you saying you're just gonna wait until you find out how many other candidates there are? And then what, you'll beat or kill them for the position?"

  Her eyes snapped open, the silver irises flashing. "I did not say that. I said we need to know our opposition. It doesn’t mean I wish to become king by force. I want to negotiate, to find a way to unite my kind without more bloodshed."

  "And if there's no other way?"

  Eleanor went quiet for a moment. She sighed and floated back down to the ground. "If there is no other way, then so be it," she whispered, her voice filled with a resolve that sent a shiver down my spine. "But I believe that there is always another path."

  "Fair enough. But... why are you still here instead of doing whatever you need to do? It's not like you're forced to be here," I continued, my mind finally beginning to settle the thoughts swirling around.

  "Hmm? I could leave, yes, but I'm curious about the person who saved me, then became my betrothed," Eleanor said with a faint smile.

  Ah. Caught off guard by her teasing, I went mute and blushed harder than I ever did in my entire life. "Look, I don't know how all that vampire stuff works, but we're not—"

  "I'm merely kidding, Luquier. I'm not that arrogant to assume a human like you would find a monster like me appealing," Eleanor chuckled softly, noticing my flustered state. "But your compassion does intrigue me. I find myself wanting to understand you as well. Rather, who else would I even be able to talk to in order to learn more about this world?"

  "Hey, you're really beautiful, so don't talk about yourself like that," I blurted out, immediately regretting my words as she raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I-uh, I just don't think you're a typical monster."

  Eleanor let out a laugh, a genuine and heartwarming sound different from her initial state on the 41st floor. She leaned closer to me, her silver eyes gleaming with amusement. "Your kindness is truly refreshing, Luquier Vaunt. It's been a very long time since I've encountered someone like you."

  [...I'm starting to wonder if you only saved her because she's pretty ._.]

  I held my tongue at Sephera's message, but then Eleanor tilted her head curiously. "Oh? Is that true, Luquier?"

  [??? Wait, can she see my messages too?]

  "Hello, yes, dear. I presume you are this man's Admin?" Eleanor glanced in the direction of Sephera's message.

  [Why yes, I am. I'm also the one who made him this strong :P]

  "Hold on, all you did was watch me die over and over," I scowled back at the message. "You're not taking any credit for this."

  Sephera began to spam my vision with indignant messages which caused us to bicker and forget about Eleanor, who watched us with amusement. It wasn't until I sensed the vampire quickly slip behind me as if shielding herself that I glanced up.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "Oh, hey Clarice," I kept my voice calm, but couldn't help tensing up. "What's up?"

  "You tell me," she said, her eyes narrowed. "You're the one who's married a Vampire King Candidate instead of killing her. Do you have a plan for this?"

  "I didn't- It's not a real-" I sputtered, trying to explain the situation. Clarice looked at me as if I had just suggested we all start worshipping the Sanguine Harvesters. "Look, it's complicated," I finally settled on. "All I know is, you can trust Eleanor, okay?"

  "Eleanor." Clarice's voice was a mix of disbelief and accusation. "You're comfortable enough with it to use names?"

  "Hey, what do you mean by 'it'-"

  Eleanor cut my words off as she stepped out from behind me, her head bowed. "I assure you, Clarice, my intentions are purely for the sake of peace," she said, her voice carrying the same calmness she had when she was explaining the situation to us. "I wish to unite our kind, and perhaps with Luquier's help, we can find a way to coexist with the Players. I know nothing I say can convince you otherwise, but I'm more than willing to enact a Blood Oath that will execute me if I do not keep my promise."

  Clarice's glare didn't soften. "A Blood Oath?"

  "Quite similar to the Binding Ritual Luquier and I entered earlier," Eleanor nodded. "I pledge a vow using my blood. It will ensure that my intentions are true, and if they are not, the oath will claim my life."

  Clarice's eyes narrowed, and she took a step forward, studying Eleanor with scrutiny. "You're willing to die for your word? Seems like you have a habit of doing that."

  Since the Binding Ritual Eleanor entered with me strengthened her considerably compared to when I first met her, I was able to clearly see the blush on the vampire's cheeks. She cleared her throat. "My word is my bond," she said with a firm nod. "If that is what it takes to gain your trust, then I am willing to make that promise."

  Clarice didn't answer right away, glancing from the vampire back to me. Finally, she sighed, her expression softening just a little bit. "No, there's no need for that. Luquier has already taken responsibility for this, which includes the entirety of the Lambda Sector. Make no mistake, I still don't trust you, but I'm willing to trust Luquier."

  Eleanor nodded, her eyes never leaving Clarice's. "I understand your skepticism. I hope my actions will speak louder than my words."

  "And I hope that those actions aren't the wrong ones," Clarice said before turning on her heel and walking away.

  "Jeez, what's her problem?" I grumbled as Clarice left, feeling a bit irritated at her coldness towards Eleanor.

  "Darling, I'd like to think that you're the one with a problem," Eleanor smiled softly as she let out a relieved sigh. "Isn't it normal for someone to be so wary of a monster than to immediately trust them?"

  "W-well, yeah... you have a point there," I mumbled, blushing at the vampire's use of the term 'darling'.

  "To circle back on what we were talking about earlier, why did you trust me so easily?" Eleanor questioned, her gaze meeting mine as she leaned against my back and brought her face around close to mine.

  "Er... I, uh... I guess I just felt something from you," I stuttered, trying to find the right words. "L-like my Title has themes of immortality and I just- the Binding Ritual sounded like a benefit because..."

  [Real smooth, Player...]

  Eleanor chuckled, whether from my reaction or Sephera's message, I wasn't quite sure. "I find you more and more interesting with every conversation. If the world were to burn, at the very least I can say I knew someone who was utterly unpredictable and gave me a chance to do things I never could until now."

  She slipped off my back, rising into the air to explore the area around the GPA medical stations. I let out a sigh of relief, watching her float around. Eleanor seemed to have more or less recovered her vitality, no longer looking weak and frail.

  As there was nothing to distract me at the moment, I finally turned my attention to the notification screens urging me to claim the rewards from my achievement. I tapped the confirmation button, watching the screens update.

  [System alert: Even Death Can't Stop Me! has finished calculating rewards.]

  [You have been granted (2) options.]

  [Legendary Weapon] [Set of Elite Consumables]

  Oh yeah, I had almost forgotten that I claimed a Legendary-tier Skill and Item, ending up with the last option for a weapon. The set of Elite-tier consumables sounded like the Shield Potion and Full Skill Restore that I had received earlier, so maybe the system offered those as a constant reward.

  [System alert: Soultaker is violently trembling.]

  With a scowl, I pulled out the blade from my Inventory. "What the hell are you upset about?"

  "Just reminding you of your promise to continue using me as your main weapon," the Soultaker said, a bit of worry in its words. "I'm a Legendary-tier too, you know. Maybe even higher than that."

  "Yes, I remember. And I thought we've already hashed this out back when I farmed for the Golden Serpent sword," I said, patting the blade. "Don't worry about being replaced, but you're gonna have to learn to share."

  The sword remained silent, though I swore I felt a slight vibration of disappointment from it. It was a bit unnerving, but I had to admit, the growing bond I had with the sword was a comforting presence in this chaotic world.

  "Alright then, let's see what kind of third-rate weapon you'll get..." The Soultaker eventually grumbled, but its voice was laced with genuine curiosity. I chuckled and tapped on the confirmation button.

  [Generating Weapon based on performance...]

  "I wonder what kind of weapon it'll be..." I mused aloud as the Soultaker and I waited for the system to finish processing. "I'm getting tired of just swords, but I wouldn't say no to a really good one-"

  [Name: Oar of the Guide]

  [Damage: N/A]

  [Traits: Bound | Sacrifice | Resurrect | (Locked)]

  [Description: An important tool used by beings who aided the departed. While considered a weapon, it cannot actually deal damage.]

  [Sacrifice: While equipped, absorbs a portion of Health from fallen foes. Able to transfer stored Health points to Undead-attributed.]

  [Resurrect: Allows user to bring back a being from the dead. Requirements based on target's previous Health and Oar of the Guide's stored Health.]

  I caught the falling oar with both hands, the weight surprisingly substantial. It was unlike any sword I'd ever held before, long and thick like an actual oar but with an intricate design carved into the wood. The tip was pointed and adorned with a silver band, which pulsed gently with the same blue markings as the runes on the Soultaker.

  [This weapon is able to be upgraded using Risk.]

  "It's definitely got a unique feel to it," I murmured, studying the weapon. The weight was surprisingly comfortable, and the grip felt like it was made for my hands. The pulsating blue light was mesmerizing, almost calming.

  "...Brother...?"

  My head snapped back to the Soultaker in my lap. "Uh... what?"

  The sword's voice grew a bit stronger. "Brother, is that you?"

  The oar began to vibrate, as if waking up. The blue runes pulsed brighter, causing the ones on the Soultaker to match their intensity. "Where... am I?"

  [Oh, no way. You've got two sentient weapons now?!]

  "Who is that?" The oar rumbled at Sephera's message. "And why do I sense my Master's energy?"

  "Brother, it's me," the Soultaker spoke up, its tone slightly muffled. "We've become weapons, I guess?"

  "Oh... sister? Is that you? I can feel the presence of many souls within you."

  "Wait, hold on," I stood up, placing the oar next to the Soultaker. "You're a girl?! I thought Thanatos was a-"

  "Yes, yes, I know the myths depict me as male," the sword interrupted. "Keep in mind not all gods necessarily conform to your mortal gender norms."

  I sensed Eleanor slinking up behind me as I took in the information. "What's all this, then?"

  "It seems we've made a new friend," I said, turning to her while pushing the thoughts aside. "This is the Oar of the Guide, my new Legendary weapon."

  The Soultaker clattered in the chair.

  "My new secondary weapon," I corrected myself. "And apparently, it's the Soultaker's sibling."

  Eleanor's eyes widened, looking from the sword to the oar and back again. "Truly? You possess two weaponized fragments of death gods?"

  I blinked, forgetting that those were their real identities. I had gotten used to the Soultaker being a normal sword, albeit a talking one, and the new oar hadn't left an impression that divine yet. "Yeah, apparently," I said with a shrug. I became acutely aware that a lot of people were staring at the strange ensemble I managed to surround myself with.

  "Pardon me, but I sense my Master's aura within you. How is that possible?" The oar spoke up, causing the Soultaker to tremble excitedly.

  "Well..."

  Before I could explain, I could sense another presence behind me. I turned, seeing Tessa standing there with her arms folded and a mixture of annoyance and confusion on her face.

  "Hello, dear Luquier," she began. "What's this I'm hearing about you potentially dooming the Lambda Sector?"