Chapter 174 One Step Away



'Can I survive out there?' Mark asked himself.

His eyes locked on the invisible outside, hidden by the unending snowstorm.

'Without anyone... Alone... Can I...?'

Shivers.

Caused by excitement or fear, he did not know.

'New World... New Monsters... New... Everything... Against... Me-'

"So." Elisa interrupted his thoughts. "Why did you keep the fact that you could talk a secret?"

She walked by Mark's side and lay her hands on the platform's edge.

Ouch-

She was forced to pull them away a second later.

It was freezing cold.

"Wasn't a secret. I just... Didn't talk."

"Mm." She nodded.

The two stared at the outside.

The endless land covered by snow that they had sought after for so long.

"Really would've liked a nicer location, like a forest or something. The frozen door hinges gave it away, but still. A bit anticlimactic, don't you think?"

They couldn't even tell how far the ground was from the platform they were standing on.

"I like it." Mark answered after a bit.

Elisa looked around.

It seemed she wanted to talk more than he did.

"Good thing those two left, huh? Would've been impossible to make it outside with them standing in our way. That guy with the dark armor would've been a problem, but that other one... A Vampire Lord. Oh well, guess we got lucky-"

"He said that he healed you or something." Mark interrupted. "Is it true?"

"Mmm..." Her eyes wandered. "I guess so. Like I told you then, it was just a scratch. So-"

"Not according to Raven. He said you didn't have much time left by the time-"

"Raven. You're referring to him by name, huh?"

"Yeah, so?"

"What's your relationship with him?"

Mark chuckled at the question.

"Not much of a relationship. He's with those who locked us in this Dungeon."

"And? Is that it?"

"And..." His gaze went back to the endless tundra. "I owe him my life, I guess."

Elisa remained silent for a bit.

Her eyes studied the Monster's facial expression, but as one might expect, not much is let through by such a face.

"He healed you. Was it just a scratch? And how did he heal you?"

The Moonlit Feline climbed over the edge, before jumping onto Mark's shoulder.

'So you're taking his side, huh?' Elisa thought with a chuckle.

"I guess he did heal me. And no, it wasn't just a scratch. But so what? Am I supposed to feel like I owe him my life too? It's because of him and the others that I was stuck here in the first place."

"Right..." Mark's gaze seemed distant.

Perhaps because Elisa's answer was diverging.

Perhaps because those who locked her had given him a second chance at life.

They had taken from her.

They had given to him.

The Moonlit Feline jumped off his shoulder.

"So, how did he heal you?"

"Why does it matter-"

Before Elisa could finish her sentence, something clicked inside her mind.

"Shit. Shit. Shit..." Elisa cursed.

Something she had barely caught from the corner of her eye.

"What is it?" 

Elisa called out her Status.

Mark couldn't see it.

"Dark Elf Royalty..." She read out loud. "Vampiric Muta... WHAT?"

"Aha."

"That fucker..." Her gaze turned to Mark. "He just... He... I can't believe this..." Her hands started shaking. "I can't believe you're laughing."

"I'm not."

"You're trying to hold it in and failing big time."

"Alright. You have to admit it is pretty funny."

"It's not. Fuck no. It's not funny. Not at all."

Mark chuckled and turned back towards the raging snowstorm.

"Better Vampiric than dead."

He stared silently while Elisa was fuming.

The air wasn't as cold as Mark remembered. He thought it was thanks to the "Cold Resistance" Skill he had obtained after his first time outside.

But the temperature wasn't the only thing that was different.

The concentration of Mana in the air was much higher.

But after his time on the Final Floor, he could handle the change.

Mark thought for a bit.

His gaze went back to Elisa.

She was still furious.

"I can't believe this. First Corruption, not a Vampiric..."

He stared at her for a bit, and the words leaving her mouth seemed to drown in the snowstorm.

"I knew something was different. You're more pale. And your teeth-"

"What?" Elisa's complexion seemed to get even more pale. "My teeth... My teeth... What?"

She immediately froze.

Mark stayed silent.

"My teeth what? What about my teeth? Tell me. What is it?"

Elisa's hand traveled half the way to her mouth before stopping.

"What about them?"

Mark found seeing her stressed out pretty funny.

He didn't see why she was though.

"They're..." Mark deliberately took his time answering. "Sharper than before?"

The expression of dread on Elisa's face.

He could've laughed out loud, but didn't.

"Pointier, I guess?"

"Pointier-" She suddenly brought a thumb to her mouth. "Ouch... What? Pointier? They're freaking canines."

Elisa looked at him with a hopeless expression, as if she needed help or an explanation of some kind.

"I think having sharper teeth is more useful anyways." He commented.

It was based on experience, so his comment was truthful and honest.

"Ugh." Not at all what Elisa wanted though. "This is... This is just great. Corruption, canines... I'm turning into a Beast. Why didn't they turn me into that Guardian, huh? Might as well. Seems to be where we're heading."

Her words made Mark think, but he laughed.

"I think they suit you."

"Yeah. Right. They suit me. This is just great. I have the kind of face that goes well with... Might as well grow fangs now. Become a Werewolf or something. Why not, right?"

She was fuming but Mark found it hilarious.

"A Werewolf? That doesn't sound too bad. I just lost Light and Grey, so you might... You might... Yeah. Anyways..." 

His gaze went back to the snowstorm.

Elisa extended her arms and played with her fidgeting fingers.

'So they were taken away. Mm...' She wondered.