Eleanor studied me for a moment before she spoke, her voice crackling with the effort. "I am here because I was betrayed by my own kind. They didn't like the idea of harmonious coexistence and sought to eliminate me. They forged this prison, a mockery of a throne, to keep me from becoming the Vampire King they wished for."

  She managed a weak, bitter laugh. "They feared me because I didn't wish to live in the shadows, feasting on the innocent. I dreamed of a world where we could live alongside humans, other monsterkind, sharing knowledge and power. But alas, such a dream is a nightmare to them."

  Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. This wasn't the usual villain monologue I was expecting. This was a cry for understanding, a plea from someone who had been wronged. It fell in line with the moral choices from the virtual game.

  "You think it's a false hope as well, don't you? That a creature of the night could wish for such a world?" Eleanor's eyes locked onto mine, a fiery spark of challenge burning in the silver.

  "Honestly, it's not that weird considering the fact that I live in a game-like world. Still, from what I know about vampires, it's kinda hard to believe you, since... you know, you guys drain us of our blood or turn us into vampires," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

  Eleanor gave a dry snort. "A rumor grossly perverted by extremists of my own kind. We drink blood, yes, but we don't necessarily need it to survive. Vampires are beings who cannot produce blood ourselves, thus making us no different from regular undead. Consuming blood grants us more functions and access to our magic. Even then, we do not need to kill humans for it. One sip is enough to quench our thirst- and any blood will do."

  Her words echoed through the cathedral, leaving us all stunned into silence. Clarice's grip on her sword tightened, but she didn't advance, the doubt etched on her face. It was clear she didn't expect this revelation.

  "Your kind has slaughtered millions," Clarice said finally, her voice tinged with anger. "How can we believe you?"

  The candidate laughed, a hollow sound deprived of any mirth. "I completely understand where you are coming from. Yes, there is no real reason for you to believe me. But I'd like to think that my chained and pitiful state would give some weight to my words. And to be frank, I think your view between reality and fiction is blurring, Player. The millions you speak of are not from your world."

  Clarice's grip on her sword tightened. "We are not here to discuss the ethics of your kind," she said through gritted teeth. "We are here to complete the quest given to us."

  "I was once human, too," Eleanor spoke, her gaze softening as she looked at Clarice. "Until about five hundred years ago in my reality, when I was turned into a vampire. I never got the luxury of becoming a Player."

  The room fell silent again, the only sound the patter of rain against the cathedral's stained glass windows. Clarice took a step back, visibly affected by the vampire's words, while the other Players shifted uncomfortably. I didn't blame them. When Levius made it clear that he was aware of his role being in a game, I was shaken too. Maybe that's why I had a hard time pinning Eleanor as just another enemy to defeat. Bathalt, Lucinda, even Lodian... they were all just characters in a game to me, but they also had lives and experiences prior to getting tossed into this game.

  "In my world, I lived for a long time as a mere vampire. Trying my best not to perpetuate the nasty reputation we have. I studied, I learned, and I hoped. But it wasn't until I became a candidate for the Vampire King that my world was suddenly ripped from its place and assimilated into this... game," Eleanor's voice grew softer, "I've seen so much bloodshed, so much suffering, but I refuse to believe that we can't find peace."

  Clarice's hands trembled, her sword and shield reflecting the flickering light from the candelabras lining the walls of the cathedral. The rain outside had turned into a storm, echoing the tumult within the group. "I... I still can't bring myself to trust you," she said, her voice strained.

  "I figured as much," Eleanor sighed, the chains around her seeming to tighten with the weight of her own words. "It does seem far-fetched, despite the world we find ourselves in."

  The Shining Paladin took a hesitant step forward. I frowned, standing up to confront her. "Hey, even after all of that, you're still going to see this through?"

  Clarice's eyes met mine, filled with doubt and conflict. "We have our orders," she replied, though her voice lacked the confidence from earlier. "Both the Indomitable guild and the Angel factions require us to cut down monsters and other beings without question. Who can say that she isn't lying to us either?"

  I glanced at the chains that bound Eleanor and turned back to Clarice incredulously. "I get that, but if she was lying about all of it, why would she bother to warn us about the chains? You or someone else would've been vaporized the moment you tried to kill her."

  Clarice's gaze wavered, and she didn't respond immediately. Her team shifted uncomfortably around her, the heavy silence in the cathedral thick with anticipation. The storm outside mirrored our internal battles as the wind howled and rain pattered against the stained glass windows.

  "Players, I'm not going to try to change your minds. All I ask is that you help my fellow vampires- the good ones, from perishing. Even if you don't believe that I am not like the ones you've learned about, not all of my kin are monsters," Eleanor pleaded, her voice echoing through the cathedral.

  Clarice tightened her grip on her sword, visibly struggling with the weight of the decision before her. "We have orders to follow. If we fail this quest, the consequences could be dire for our faction."

  "Fuck." I closed my eyes and sighed. I was already feeling a headache coming on as I tightened my grip on the Soultaker. Opening my eyes, I crouched into a defensive stance in front of Eleanor.

  "Luquier. I know we just met a few hours ago, but I truly do not wish to fight you," Clarice spoke up, her voice strained as she watched me stand in front of Eleanor. Her team looked equally torn, unsure of how to react to the sudden shift in dynamics.

  "Same here," I said, trying to keep my voice steady as I met Clarice's gaze. "But if we're going to be fighting each other, I'm not going to make it easy for you."

  Clarice grimaced, her sword trembling even more as she appeared to weigh her options. The rain outside had turned into a torrential downpour, the droplets on the cathedral windows growing heavier, as if the very building was crying for a peaceful resolution. "Very well," she said with a heavy sigh, sheathing her sword. "But you're taking all of the responsibility for this. How in the world did someone like you reach the boss room before any of the other top Players...?"

  I smirked, not bothering to hide my pride. It was a relief that I wouldn't have to overwhelm Clarice with a full-blown fight. "Well, that's the fun part of playing games," I said, turning back to Eleanor. "You never know what kind of tactics or cheats people come across."

  [...What kind of tactic is experiencing countless excruciating deaths over and over?]

  Ignoring Sephera's message, I stepped closer to Eleanor, my eyes narrowing as I studied her. Despite her initial fiery passion, she seemed... sad. Lost, even. "Look, if you're telling the truth about wanting peace, we're on the same side. But if you're just playing us..."

  "I've been locked up for centuries, unable to do anything, much less die," Eleanor smiled dryly, her eyes flicking towards the boundless rain outside. "Even after I watched countless other Players before you succumb to the chains' curses until I was able to be slain, I've long learned that I am unable to act. If anything, I wish for this cycle to end, for the suffering of my kin to end, even if it means my existence does as well."

  "Well, all I'm hearing is that I gotta make you the Vampire King, huh?" I joked, trying to ease the tension with a bit of humor. Eleanor gave me an awkward smile, which was definitely a new expression for her. "But for real, if you want out, I'm down to help. Tommy, Celine, what do you think?"

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  "What's that thing we used to say back when we played games together... fuck it, we ball?" Tommy said with a shrug. Celine nodded in agreement, her eyes still on Eleanor. "If she says she wants out, and we can trust her, then let's help."

  "Cool." I got up and warily examined the chains that shackled her. They seemed to be made of a dark metal, pulsating with a malevolent energy that made me feel ill despite my resistances. "How do we do this?"

  "Disgusting. I've seen this energy before," the Soultaker in my hand spoke up for the first time in a while. "The curse on the chains is a twisted form of demonic energy, corrupted with forbidden magic."

  "Great, that's all we need," I mumbled, turning to Eleanor. "How do we break these?"

  "If I knew, there'd be no point in me suffering for centuries like this," Eleanor replied with a hint of weariness in her voice. "All I know is, the more the chains are attacked, the more energy is stolen when they vaporize the attacker. That, in turn, keeps me alive without needing any sustenance. Eventually, the chains will break once enough energy is accumulated, but that means-"

  "A lot of people have to be sacrificed in order to free or kill you," I finished her sentence, some ideas forming inside my head. The chains looked ancient, yet the energy emanating from them was sinister. "How many have died?"

  "I stopped counting after I went through my fifth Match," Eleanor said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes searched mine, looking for any hint of judgment or fear. I just nodded solemnly.

  "Good thing we have plenty of bodies," I said, standing back.

  "What, are you planning on blowing yourself up to destroy the chains? That only works against enemies, you know." The Soultaker questioned. "Or are you going to use the gold and silver toothpicks' abilities to somehow reflect the damage? But you'd have to attack the chains, and the Dawn skill doesn't let you do that-"

  "If you don't have any actual suggestions, can you please just let me do my thing?" I shot back at the Soultaker. Clarice and her group had stepped back, watching the exchange with a mix of confusion and concern.

  The sword grumbled as I raised my free hand, pointing my Ring of Collected Souls at the chains. With the slain Sanguine Harvesters and the colossus from earlier, I was sitting at 7,867 specters at my disposal.

  "Here goes nothing."

  I spent 100 Risk points to summon a particularly strong angelic specter, figuring it could handle the demonic chains better than any of us. The blue smoke from my ring coalesced into a shimmering angel that I commanded to rip the chains apart.

  The angel specter shot forward with a fierce roar, its heavenly blade slicing through the air and slamming into the chains. Sparks flew as the dark metal resisted the angelic blade, but the specter didn't falter. Each hit caused the chains to glow brighter, absorbing the angel's power. With every swing, the specter grew more and more transparent, its power being siphoned away.

  Eventually the angel let out a hiss as it succumbed to the chains' curse, dissipating into a cloud of glittering dust. The chains remained unscathed, continuing to bind Eleanor to her fate. I watched the dust settle with a frown, feeling a twinge of regret for using up so much Risk. It wasn't a total loss, though. The angel had dealt around 5 million points of damage, receiving 3 million back before it was destroyed.

  I stepped forward, raising the Soultaker above my head as I Linked it to my Strength. If what I saw applied to me, then I'd be taking about 500,000 points of damage every time I struck. With 21 billion Health, I had a good feeling that I could handle it, on top of my Items and passives that helped with damage control. The chains had to break eventually, right?

  Except I wasn't expecting them to immediately shatter on the first hit. Or for me to receive no damage at all. Eleanor seemed surprised too, her eyes widening as the dark metal snapped and crumbled away, revealing the pale skin beneath. The energy that was keeping her bound had been released in a burst of light, leaving her free for the first time in centuries. She slumped over on the ground as the chains that held her up were now in pieces around her. The Soultaker made a sound that I thought was similar to spitting out something distasteful.

  The cathedral grew eerily silent, the rain outside seeming to hold its breath. Clarice and her team stared at the scene before them, their weapons raised and bodies tense. But Eleanor simply struggled to push herself up from the ground, the heavy burden of the chains now a memory. She looked up at us, a mix of bewilderment and hope in her eyes.

  Wordlessly, I knelt and offered a hand to help Eleanor to her feet. Her hand was cold, but the grip firm as she took it. As she stood, she winced, her body obviously not used to movement after so long. "Thank you," she murmured, her eyes scanning the room full of Players.

  Clarice took a cautious step forward, her sword still drawn. "What now?"

  I glanced at the system quest. "Well, our candidate has to leave the forty first floor. But..."

  "But what?" Clarice's grip on her sword tightened, her eyes never leaving Eleanor.

  I scratched the back of my head. "I've never seen a monster- a native of the towers outside in our world. I mean, we've had dungeon outbreaks and the World Raid, which is the closest I know of to having beings from different worlds crossover, but a boss...?" I glanced at Eleanor, who tilted her head.

  "If you're planning on asking me any questions about this, I haven't the faintest idea," Eleanor said, brushing off the dust that clung to her. She looked at the shattered remains of the chains, a hint of amazement in her gaze. "I've been confined here for so long, my knowledge of the outside world is... limited. And this is the first iteration where I wasn't slain."

  "Immortal, it is very fatal for a tower resident to attempt to leave," Levius spoke up. "I tried sending my doppelgangers through the entrance portals you Players use to access my floor, but all of them were vaporized the moment they touched the barrier. Though before you had slain my original body and converted me into a specter, I had theorized that I may have been able to venture outside the tower if I was attributed to a Player somehow."

  "So we have to somehow register Eleanor as an aspect of a Player? Like a familiar?" Celine spoke up, glancing from Levius to the candidate.

  "Oh... if that's the case, I know of a binding ritual that may work..." Eleanor murmured, her eyes lighting up with hope. "But there's no guarantee."

  "Are you willing to risk your life for it?" I asked her bluntly. "It seems like you'd want to survive in order to help out your kind."

  "I'll do whatever it takes if it means I have the chance to do so," the vampire replied firmly. "You released me from my shackles, so even if I die, at least I can trust that you would look out for my kind."

  "If you're sure, then that's fine by me," I nodded in acknowledgement. "What's the ritual then?"

  "Well, if it's all right with you, I'd like to bind myself to you," Eleanor began, locking eyes with me. "The ritual essentially requires us to exchange blood in order to tie our lives together. Sort of a pseudo-immortality, if you will. I’m hoping the system will recognize me as an aspect of you, the Player."

  With great effort, Eleanor used her fingernail to cut her left palm, drawing the thinnest line of blood. Then she weakly held out her trembling hand towards me. "Neither of us can be slain as long as the other still lives. Of course, if there were a strong force able to nullify our bind, we would be susceptible to death, but my main concern right now is leaving the tower."

  "S-sounds good to me," I had to fight the urge to smile. Another form of immortality? Hell yeah, sign me up.

  I unequipped most of my Items and used the Silver Serpent to cut my palm, using every bit of my willpower not to double over and scream in pain from the lack of mental fortitude boosts. I steadied my breathing and held out my hand.

  "Just to be clear, this binding ritual is usually meant as a rite of marriage between vampires, so I have no idea how this will affect a human like you. Are you still willing to go through this with me?" Eleanor asked, her voice strained from pain and hope.

  "I've gone through worse, so yeah, I will." I grinned, moving to shake her hand. Everyone watched as I gripped Eleanor's frail yet surprisingly soft hand. It was a bit awkward, but she seemed to understand. Then I froze.

  "Hold on, you said marriage?"

  I couldn't tell because of her pale snow-white skin, but I could've sworn Eleanor was blushing a bit. "Yes, the ritual is traditionally used to bind two vampires together in a marriage," she confirmed as our hands broke apart.

  [???]

  I was just as speechless as Sephera and the rest, to the point that I barely registered the flashy display of red lights swirling around Eleanor and I to complete the ritual. I didn't even take in the system messages popping up in front of me as I continued to stare at the vampire candidate.

  [Binding Ritual Complete.]

  [You are now bound to Eleanor Talwin.]

  [Both parties will share a portion of their stats and can communicate telepathically.]

  [Eleanor Talwin's state is recovering...]

  The Soultaker broke the silence with a reverberating metallic cough. "Er, congratulations?"

  Eleanor looked at me with a mix of relief and surprise. "Thank you, Luquier. This... this means more than you know."

  I was still trying to process everything to speak, but thankfully Tommy recovered the quickest. "Well, I guess that's one way to get a girl to finally date you, Luke," he said, a smirk playing on his lips. “Except you skipped straight to marriage.” Celine elbowed him, a faint blush dusting her cheeks as she shot me an apologetic look.

  "Oh, I apologize if you had a significant other prior to this. Do not worry, it does not mean we are truly married," Eleanor assured, a hint of amusement in her voice as she sensed my shock and the awkwardness that had fallen over my friends.

  ****

  [Updating…]

  [Available Specters: 7,866] -1

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