The woman, who had been standing with her back to him, slowly turned her head in Strax's direction.
As their eyes met, Strax's entire body froze, as if encased in Kryssia's ice. A bone-deep chill swept through him, and he felt as though he was facing not a woman, but a wild beast capable of killing him with a single strike. He couldn't move...
The woman's lips curled into a wild smile, one that was somehow both feral and deeply alluring.
"So, it's you... I've finally met you..."
Strax's entire body went numb... It was just... fear, that's all he felt. Even against Kryssia, the strongest opponent he had ever faced, he hadn't felt this level of fear. This was pure, raw terror.
His heart began to pound erratically, his instincts screamed at him to run, but he remained glued to the spot, unable to move. Cold sweat trickled down his face as he stared at the woman before him.
'MONSTER! THIS WOMAN IS A TRUE MONSTER!'
Strax swallowed hard, unable to help himself. He could feel it... yes, he could sense it with every fiber of his being: this monster could kill him at any second. In front of her, he was nothing more than a lizard, not a dragon. To this woman, he was a mere newborn, something she could crush without a thought.
In a desperate act, he clenched his fists tightly. Fear? Yes, he was terrified, but he refused to stand there paralyzed. He clenched his fists so hard his nails pierced his palms, and he bit his tongue, the taste of blood anchoring him as pain returned control to his body.
"Who are you?" Strax demanded, a strange irritation flaring in his heart. Feeling fear? No... he didn't like that... especially when he wasn't even in a fight. This helplessness was new, tense...
But beyond this feeling, there was something else. Something else roared fiercely within him as he stared into the woman's red eyes, which gleamed back at him. 'My pride won't allow it!' Strax shouted internally, forcing his face into a grin, a strained, almost twisted smile from the sheer force of his will.
"Oh~" Her smile grew, mirroring Strax's.
[You have passed the Test]
[You have captured the attention of a Primordial Vampire]
'Vampire?! Damn, it's true! This world has vampires! But wait, wasn't she a countess?...' He started to question himself. After all, this kingdom didn't exactly support the existence of other races... Even Strax had only met Rogue, and that was because she lived in a city far from the capital. Still, he forced himself back to reality and the emotions he was feeling...
'Why this feeling? Why do I want to fight her?? Why?!' He began to scream internally. It was as if her smile was consuming him from the inside, igniting him with anticipation. A strong warrior! A truly powerful warrior who made him tremble just at the thought of a battle! He was beginning to... get excited?
"Stop pointing out the obvious, didn't I already say that?" Albert said, opening his eyes.
"W-what are you talking about?" Strax asked, feeling a bit uneasy hearing about his mother again.
.net
"You thought no one would notice or sense a huge dragon appearing in the middle of the forest? It wasn't easy to keep that hidden, and Veronica rushed to report it." Albert crossed his arms. "That's why I called her here. There's no one better to help with this," he said, looking at the woman.
"Oh, don't act like that... I was already on my way when his name started popping up in the Vampire Kingdom's news. Your family is in quite a bit of trouble, don't you think?" She questioned him, but he ignored her. "Anyway, she's here to help you." Strax looked at him with a deadpan expression.
"Help me?" he questioned. "What could this woman possibly do for me? My priority is to get my dear sister back. To hell with this woman." Strax responded honestly, his mind set on his own goals. He truly feared her, but he was even more afraid of his sister ending up tied to some useless prince.
Albert raised an eyebrow, recognizing this woman better than anyone... 'Did he just... ignore her?' he thought, speaking to himself.
He looked at her, expecting her to be furious, but to his surprise, this crazy woman had an extremely delighted smile on her face.
Seeing that smile, he couldn't help but take a deep breath...
'He's dug his own grave... the last time I saw this woman happy like this... half the vampire kingdom was wiped out in a fight...' He knew this woman well, and from what he understood of her behavior, she only ever showed that smile when she found something or someone intriguing enough to focus her entire attention on.
"Albert..." she said suddenly, waiting for his response, which he gave, hoping to avoid any bigger problems. "Yes," he answered neutrally.
"Thank you for contacting me; you did an excellent job by calling me... But now, I want you to do something for me." She smiled broadly while looking at the man who once again returned her gaze.
"How about you delay Xenovia's wedding by another six months? I am very interested in taking on a disciple right now, and this is a perfect opportunity to create another natural disaster like my former disciple." She spoke, looking deeply into Strax's eyes, the madness in her gaze practically consuming him whole... She was obsessed.
"Huh? Former disciple?" Strax suddenly asked as he noticed the System notification... but first, he wanted to understand the woman before him.
"Oh, are you not interested in following in my disciple's footsteps? Or should I say... your mother's footsteps?" she asked with a smile. "I, Scarlet Vermillion, would be delighted to teach the son of my best disciple."
[You have discovered a part of the past. Follow in your mother's footsteps to learn more about >Scarlet Vermillion<]