"Looks like you had a lot of fun," was the only coherent thing Jonathan could say at this point because, after Selene's show, he noticed that his companion seemed much calmer.
"Oops, you don't know how much I needed something like that," Selene replied casually, looking at the 10 white treasure chests in her storage room.
Sure, they were the simplest ones, but seeing how lucky she was in such a simple way, coupled with the release of emotions that the previous fight had allowed her, made Selene fall into euphoria.
She also realized how her talent worked and why the Reincarnation Paradise considered it valuable. It was not much different from similar talents, but if she was able to kill a creature with strange or valuable abilities, she would undoubtedly receive attention from the park, so she understood its value even more, especially...
[Vampiric Undead Essence]
[Quality: White]
[Type: Accessories / Consumables]
[Rating: 10. (This item's rating is the same as the equipment's rating. 1-10. The higher the score, the higher the value.)]
[Introduction: Condensed essence of a low-level undead form, the product of a vampire bite, has special uses in potions, alchemy, and enchantment. Ingesting it allows the user to regain some health].
'It looks disgusting, but those special uses are really interesting,' Selene thought as she saw that the shape of this particular essence was that of a ball of rotting flesh, something she never imagined eating, but who knows?
"I hope you don't get too carried away with the excitement of the fight, or you'll be targeted by the others," Zeppeli advised, seeing that it was the right time to do so.
Selene nodded, although it felt good, she didn't want to become an obsessive fighter, it was easy to understand the mindset of such a person and she didn't want to see her IQ drop just because it felt cool to fight.
"Then let's be on our way, Jojo, show me the applications of the Hamon with this hidden enemy..." Further along their journey, Zeppeli asked Jonathan something similar to Canon, defeating an enemy through a wall without destroying it, only without holding a wine glass.
Selene already knew this Jonathan was arguably more skilled than his original version in this plot point, all guided by her, so it was very easy for the man to get rid of the hidden enemy with a simple punch to the wall.
The Hamon's golden sparks penetrated the stone, corroding the zombie and turning it into flying ash. The Hamon was a rather peculiar energy to use, but the effects were great.
At times, Selene found herself making small noises to imitate the sounds made by the Hamon's sparks, as she thought it was a cool sound. The group moved on, defeating one enemy after another, but they were just zombies.
They weren't worth so much that even Selene only got 1% of the world's source when she killed the 100th zombie, proving how insignificant they were compared to other possible enemies.
Luckily they didn't bring Speedwagon with them, otherwise he could have taken some damage, as Dio seemed to be using the mob method to drain their energy.
When they came to a rocky area where they had to move nimbly, tread water, descend from a great height, or even climb rocks, they were able to do it easily without having to stop too much along the way. They even met the random guy whose sister had been kidnapped by Dio, only unlike the original...
"Talk or I'll break your head," Selene said, squeezing the boy's skull with her right hand. It should be remembered that she is very tall, almost as tall as Jonathan, the muscular lines on her body were not exaggerated, but it wasn't something a nun's habit could hide.
Using a method of persuasion demonstrated by a certain swordsman with negative charm, they learned the exact location of Dio Brando's hideout, so they quickened their pace and arrived at a place full of rock pillars just as it was getting dark, unlike the canon.
It was obvious that things weren't going the way they were in the original story, although Dio's desire to show off didn't seem to change for anyone, so there he was. Tall, powerful, full of unearthly charm and a sinister aura, his blond hair dancing to the rhythm of the wind.
Dio Brando, from the heights and looking down, seemed to be a god above all. He alone was there, but the pressure he exerted was such that he submerged the whole place in silence.
No nocturnal animal dared to approach or make a sound, the oppressive aura of a superior being, one beyond human limits, constantly emanated from Dio, Selene even noticed certain strange waves coming from the man.
'I see, he's using the spiritual talent of vampires to radiate coercion instead of the classic charm of these creatures. If Jojo and Zeppeli were normal humans, they would fall prey to this presence, too bad they're not, and I... I'm not human,' Selene mused, apparently catching Dio's eye.
"Hmm? Jojo, have you sunk so low as to bring a woman with you? Or are you surrendering to me and this is your offering? I must say, she is truly beautiful, and her scent .... is truly intoxicating!" said Dio loudly, showing his fangs and instinctively assuming a pose that made him look cooler.
"Are those teeth big enough to make up for anything?" the whole tense atmosphere seemed to deflate with the simple question from Selene, who didn't even pay attention to Dio, instead looking at Jonathan.
"You grew up together, let me guess, he has it so small," Selene gestured with both hands, making the chivalrous Jonathan blush, and Zeppeli could only adjust his hat.
'I don't quite understand this girl's mind, but she broke all the momentum Dio had created with just a few words, which is also a useful skill,' Zeppeli thought with a smile on his lips, before breathing heavily.
"Impudent...!" Dio didn't have time to show off and say his iconic phrases as he was interrupted by Zeppeli's Hamon-loaded blow, so he quickly responded with an attack of his own.
Just as Dio had regained his composure and was about to show off his new freezing ability, which had defended him from Zeppeli's attack and even frozen Zeppeli's arm, he felt a pain in his side and his body was sent flying, crashing into a rock wall.
His body created a crater in the area and some rocks even fell on him, but that wasn't what was important... it was the green-haired girl in front of him. Selene wasn't going to be like those time travelers or those contractors in those stories.
She was going to take Dio down here and now, alone! Not just to get the Source of the World, but for the treasure chest. This guy should at least drop a blue chest, right? It would suit her quite well, plus he might drop an essence orb of the same quality.
But if Dio acted differently to the plot, what's to say he won't do the same now? As he stood up, several zombies began to emerge from the surrounding area, and even some that didn't look rotten, two in particular stood out.
Bruford and Tarkus were here, along with a large contingent of zombies. Dio, who had gotten up, started to dust off his clothes, but his eyes never left hers, his expression said it all, he was pissed.
"Looking at you closely, you don't have that annoying hugging aura that the old man and Jojo have, Hamon, is that what they call him? I heard that from my zombies before they died from their attacks. What's interesting is that you can also kill them with another power.
I thought it was something like that... but no, not even close. Sorry, the power of the night, a darkness so deep that even I look ridiculous, I was right to send zombies to wear them down, but I wanted to get a closer look at the other inhuman creature in this world.
So, Miss Mond, what are you?" with a calm and cold tone of voice, Dio slowly walked towards her, closing the distance.
His voice carried throughout the place, revealing not only that he was not an unscrupulous, maniacal ego with no patience, but someone more methodical and calculating, in addition to Selene's true nature.
Jonathan and Zeppeli, who had approached Selene, looked at her, not suspiciously as one might expect, but with some expectation. Yes, there were many ideas in the minds of the two men at this point, and Dio's words confirmed it.
They were no fools, even if Selene's charm and passive abilities were there, it was no IQ-reducing halo, so they had their ideas.
Just the fact that something possibly inhuman and dark was joining them was no longer as 'weird and disturbing' as one would expect, that's the strength of Selene's mental contamination.
"Oh, I thought you were a guy whose brain should be marinating at the bottom of the sea for decades to gain more wisdom, but here you are. Tell me, why are you acting like a fool?" Selene didn't answer Dio's question, she didn't have to.
Even if she didn't say anything, it was already obvious that her nature was inherently different from humans, and that perhaps from the day her soul awakened, the humanity in her was something more mental than anything else.
"Acting, it's deep, ever since I was a child, when I poisoned my damned father when I tricked the deluded Lord Joestar when I almost poisoned him, it was all an act, a façade, a play.
You see, Miss Selene, I'm just like you, a natural actor, perfectly integrated in this play, in this show called... destiny, until you showed up" Dio's smile widened at that moment, and as if possessed by something else, his shadow in the moonlight lengthened completely.
"I wanted to play the role of the stupid, self-centered vampire! Maybe Jojo could use that power to defeat me, but he could never kill me, I saw something else in you, hope, possibility, transcendence.
You are different! A perfect being, with perfect blood, the moon seems to shine only for you. So why continue to act like a fool? Why follow the role that fate has assigned me?
To sink into the sea with Jonathan's body? Never! So I decided to do something that may be a cliché, but I chose... To devour you and evolve! As Dio finished his speech, something invisible seemed to emerge from him, and it was only because Selene's energy was associated with illusion and darkness that she could make out the outline of something.
There was a humanoid figure behind Dio, a damned Stand if she guessed right. Then Selene smiled as if to accompany Dio. Derived worlds are never like the original!
At least she could attest to this meta-knowledge, and it was a thousand times better than the same story over and over again. There are different ways to make a point, maybe Dio sucking the blood of a woman with that latent ability and harnessing that power could be a motive.
But the important thing was that this fight was going to be very different from the original, different from what Selene had planned, but in her heart of hearts, she was looking forward to it.
She wanted her version of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure!
"Reveal my fate, The Man Who Sold The World!"
"Cursed Cross!"