Raphiel had learned from his own experiments that he couldn't just give his system to anyone. He discovered that others had a sort of natural defense mechanism against it. They could reject his system or even counterattack if they wished.
Stepping outside, Raphiel searched for a being that lacked this natural protection. Animals were out of the question—they lacked the necessary mental capacity for the Void. After searching for some time, he finally sensed a suitable presence in a luxurious building nearby. Though he had no idea who this person was, he decided to give them the Void, feeling confident he wouldn't find a better candidate.
Afterward, he left as if nothing had happened. There wasn't even time to buy bread, as all the shops had already closed, so he returned to the shelter hungry. When he arrived, Alice was already awake.
Alice questioned him briefly before deciding that his language skills were good enough to start teaching him how to write. Occasionally, she spoke about the past and scolded him for his carelessness—after all, he was a vampire, and getting caught would mean his death.
"Tomorrow night, we're leaving this city," Alice declared.
Raphiel responded, "Isn't that too dangerous? We could leave through the main gate."
Alice was initially against the idea, but after looking into Raphiel's brown eyes, she realized it might actually be possible for him.
Pulling out a map, Alice explained, "This city is called Vronna. Let's meet by the lake near here." She left some money on the table and warned Raphiel to leave at midday, as security would be less strict then.
Later, Raphiel entered the Void, creating a few simple ability cards that he thought would help him. Then, he went to sleep, feeling exhausted from all the recent time spent in the Void.
---
Meanwhile, the young mermaid, Hyana, was on the brink of sleep when she sensed something unusual—a rope that wasn't physically there. She reached out, and something miraculous happened. What she saw shocked her.
/-----------------------------------\
1.VIP Name: Hyana
[VIP Points: 282]
-Ability Cards:
• [Active( )
• [Passive( )
[Inventory] [Quests] [Community] [Store] [Servants] [Crafting] [Events]
\-----------------------------------/
Hopeful, Hyana began climbing the rope and soon found herself in the Void, her body floating in the air. At that moment, she noticed a small change in her status—her "1.VIP" rank now displayed "1.VIP+." Curious, she clicked on the rank and learned more about the VIP system. Spending 10 points, she leveled up to 2.VIP but hesitated to continue, as each level cost ten times the last. Uncertain about the value of VIP Points, she thought it best not to waste them.
Exploring the different buttons on the status panel, she gradually learned more about the system and decided to follow the main quests. The first quest was to create a username in the [Community] section, with a note advising that it shouldn't be the same as her real name for security reasons.
Hyana chose "Hanna" as her username, which appeared next to her real name in parentheses. Raphiel had added this feature in case a user forgot their username.
Although she was literate, Hyana noticed that navigating the system felt natural, like an instinct, which astonished her. The next quest was to customize her appearance, though certain limits were in place. She quickly completed this, then saw the rope extending deeper into the Void. Her next quest was to descend along the rope, so she began following it downward, ignoring the strange sounds around her.
Eventually, she found herself underwater, and the main quest updated. This time, she was tasked with adding something to her inventory and returning to the Void. Hyana found a stone, added it to her inventory, and climbed back up the rope to the Void. Her next mission was to create a flat surface, though she wasn't sure how. She simply tried, and it worked, though it cost her some VIP Points.
Unfortunately, the moment she did, she plummeted to the ground. As a pureblood mermaid, she couldn't transform her tail into legs like regular mermaids. She managed to figure out that she could float, but it consumed a small amount of VIP Points. Dropping the stone on the ground, she completed another quest.
Her following quest was to create a servant, which she easily accomplished through the [Servants] menu. A floating mist appeared before her, which she could control. However, the next quest was more challenging; she had to descend again and find a willing soul to serve as her servant.
This time, luck wasn't on her side. As soon as she descended, she encountered a megalodon and died instantly. Waking up in her tank, Hyana saw a timed quest in the [Quests] menu encouraging her to seek revenge within two days, with a reward of 10 VIP Points.
Hyana had nearly died of fright, believing the experience was a real death. Although she'd felt no pain and was completely safe, her heart was still racing. Trying to re-enter the Void, she found that she couldn't, as a timer labeled "Death Penalty" appeared.
Hyana was smart enough to realize she was penalized for dying. She could still access the status panel and entertained herself with it until she eventually fell asleep.
---
When Raphiel woke up, he noticed a message from "Hanna" in the [Community] section: "Hello, I'm Elizabeth." Raphiel set up his own username, "Marc," and replied, "Don't use your real name, fool. If someone else sees, it could bring you trouble. Delete that message now."
Hyana noticed this and smiled faintly, glad that someone had cared enough to warn her.
Hanna: "Don't worry; I'm not afraid of trouble. I already have enough of it—what more could go wrong?"
Marc: "They could capture and enslave you!!"
Hanna: "How can they enslave someone who's already a slave?"
Marc: "...I understand."
Hanna: "Could you help me?"
Marc: "Sorry, but I have my own problems. I could die if I get caught."
Hanna: "What's wrong?"
Marc: "I'm a half-vampire. I only spent a single night on the street, and someone infected me."
Hanna: "Why not go to the temple? The priestesses of Eanna could help."
Marc: "Eanna cursed me."
Hanna: "...What crime did you commit?"
Marc: "I have no idea. Maybe she did it just to spite me."
Hanna: "I don't believe you."
Marc: "I don't care if you do."
Raphiel closed the community section and went to the market to gather supplies for the journey. After buying a sack, some bread, water pouches, and fruit, he made his way toward the main gate, ready to leave.