Under the deep darkness of the night, the guards on both sides of the gate leaned against the walls motionlessly, as if they had merged with them.
"Something just occurred to me. Why is the password 'who jb you?' instead of 'you jb who?'" the guard on the left pondered.
Before the guard on the right could respond, he suddenly succumbed to fear, losing consciousness. A unfamiliar voice answered his question:
"Because of a grammatical error."
"Who—" the guard on the left was startled.
In the next instant, he also fell unconscious, revealing Himizuki's emotionless face behind him.
"As guards, I declare you both unfit for the role," Himizuki stated.
Immediately, Himizuki took out two talismans from thin air and casually placed them on the foreheads of the guards. The spiritual energy formed a seal, sealing their consciousness.
The talismans were clearly made by a cultivation player, and the familiar aura indicated that they originated from "Qingxian."
However, the official style was indeed different from his own. They were willing to put effort into such matters.
In the next moment, sensing Alister's thoughts, Himizuki crossed her arms over her chest and earnestly reminded him, "As an official, my priority when dealing with these people is apprehension, not killing. Do you understand?"
In other words, Alister couldn't kill indiscriminately during this mission.
"It doesn't matter," Alister sneaked behind the gate using the shadows. "I'm just here to do the job for the money."
The abandoned factory was silent, which would usually be a trap set by enemies in a conventional game plot. But this was reality, and excessive caution would only restrict their actions.
Closing his eyes, Alister listened to the whispers of the evening breeze. Sensing nothing abnormal nearby, he turned his head and looked at Himizuki.
"Alright, Himizuki-san, we can go now."
"Why so eager?" Himizuki calmly and gently opened the gate. "Shouldn't we savor the game step by step?"
"Just efficiently complete the mission," Alister proceeded deeper into the abandoned factory alone.
"...Isn't Miss Himizuki beautiful?" Himizuki gazed at his back, testing "Shadow" without revealing her intentions. "Once the mission is over, we'll go our separate ways, won't we?"
Alister stopped in his tracks again, expressionless, and turned his head to gaze at Himizuki. He commented, "Beauty is not something worth mentioning."
"Is that so?" Himizuki slowly raised her hand, and a magnificent array appeared for a moment before dissipating. A classical firearm fell into her delicate palm.
The fusion of intense red and black, like a mixture of roses and the night, adorned the elegant gun with beautiful phoenix patterns, showcasing the owner's noble aura.
"No matter how beautiful a firearm may be, it can't compare to the blade in my hands." Alister's hands intertwined, forming pure black shadows.
"How about a competition?" Himizuki was action-oriented, and she enjoyed making others submit. "Let's see who can take care of more people."
Alister accepted the talisman she threw at him, exuding an air of determination. He succinctly replied, "The punishment for the loser?"
Coincidentally, Alister was also action-oriented, and he liked to make others submit through his actions.
"Be my pet for one minute." Himizuki raised her fair index finger, playfully suggesting, "Of course, within the scope of being a pet."
"Fine." Alister calmly agreed and placed the talisman into his black coat. "I look forward to your pet performance."
"I also look forward to yours."
Himizuki's lips curled into a smile, exuding an awe-inspiring beauty akin to that of a noble lady, commanding respect.
However, Alister was not among those who felt awe.
...
...
Deep within the abandoned factory was a spacious storage warehouse where desire ran rampant. It had already become the territory of a D-rank vampire player.
—"D-rank, 483,264th"
At this moment, a sinful evening feast of blood and debauchery was taking place here.
Assimilated ordinary people, driven by their vampire instincts, held cups on either side of the long red table, savoring the fresh blood within and emitting blissful low growls.
At the forefront of the long table, a pale and frail elderly vampire revealed a doting expression, affectionately and kindly observing the growth of his "children."
Wearing a gray cap, a gentle smile, and a clean checkered coat, the old man appeared like an ordinary and kind-hearted elderly person, his withered hands covered in calluses—the embodiment of a diligent and good person.
"My dear children, ah..." The old man coughed contentedly, his white handkerchief stained with black blood, a clear sign of internal injuries.
It wouldn't be long before these "children" grew into E-rank players, constantly capturing prey to sustain their immortal lives, dedicating everything to him.
Decades of struggling without being able to advance even half a step made him understand that effort couldn't change one's fate. Exploitation was the eternal truth of this world.
Creak... the rusted warehouse door opened a crack, allowing the dark purple night to seep in as the other party in the transaction arrived.
"You finally came, esteemed supplier," the kindly old man hunched his back and chuckled.
"How many people did you kill this time?" the casually dressed man asked emotionlessly, brushing off the dust from his clothes.
"Kill people? Hehe..." The old man shook his head. "I can't bear to kill them. I keep them alive to maximize exploitation. Cough, cough..." Then, the old man changed the subject, picked up a glass goblet in front of him, and gently swirled the delicious blood inside, inviting, "Would you like to have a drink? It's freshly released blood, very fresh and delicious."
"No need."
The casually dressed man didn't want to drink blood. He was only here for the trade. So, he skillfully opened his suitcase, finally revealing its contents.
Inside the carefully wrapped suitcase were ten crimson syringes, exuding a strong life force that attracted all the "children."
If Alister were present, he would notice that these ten syringes were identical to the ones Li Luoshan used, except Li Luoshan's seemed to be of a higher grade.
The old man's smile deepened as he calmly walked over and picked up one of the syringes, carefully examining it for a long time before putting it back.
"My merchandise is flawless." The casually dressed man observed his every move. "What about your sincerity?"
"You can rest assured." The old man took off the ring from his thumb, which had magical symbols engraved on it, and handed it to the casually dressed man. "Pleasure doing business with you."
It was an ancient ring inscribed with magical spells, which the old man had obtained many years ago during his struggles in Europe. However, as he didn't belong to the magic side of players, he had been unable to use it.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
The casually dressed man sealed the ring in a special material box, on guard against any sneak attacks, and quickly left the area.
Raising his withered hand, blood flowed out from his palm, devouring the ten crimson syringes.
As he watched the casually dressed man return the way he came, the old man suddenly spoke:
"Sometimes, I'm really curious. Where did your research institute get these highly vital injection syringes?"
Despite being a small research institute created just a few years ago... they have surpassed the achievements of my entire life of struggles...
"Regarding that, it's not within my scope of business."
...