Chapter 3: The Girl Who Crawled Out of the Grave
Cold.
So cold.
Peggy, her eyes forever sealed shut, lay in the cramped coffin, her consciousness slowly returning. A searing pain engulfed her, like thousands of caterpillars burrowing beneath her skin, an unbearable itch that consumed her.
Father, dead.
Mother, dead.
Their home, burned to ashes.
And she…
Vivid memories of her final moments flooded her mind.
The murderer’s fangs sank into her neck. She struggled, screamed, but couldn’t break free.
Her cries had awakened her parents. They rushed in to check on her.
Then, the murderer’s claws slashed her father’s throat, pierced her mother’s chest.
She turned, blood still staining her lips. It was Lisette, the maid from the Achilles family. Peggy had even greeted her at the door on her way to school.
Then, Lisette set the room ablaze, engulfing everything in a fiery inferno…
Pain, so much pain.
Peggy let out a hoarse cry from within the coffin, a sound as harsh and grating as a crow’s caw, filled with the anguish, despair, and hatred of death.
With a final surge of strength, she pushed against the coffin lid, a hand bursting through the earth, welcoming the cool night air.
“Hmm?” Asker, perched on the tombstone, turned his head. She’s awake already? I thought it would take until after midnight…
Peggy pulled herself out of the grave, her body covered in dirt and fallen leaves. She was a seventeen-year-old girl of Armenian descent, her jet-black hair cascading down her back, two braids framing her face.
Her features were a striking blend of East and West, with the sharp, defined contours of Western features and the smooth, porcelain skin typical of the East. She was, without a doubt, a beautiful NPC.
No wonder she had caught the eye of a passing player in her previous life when she was wandering the streets.
The scabs from the fire that had ravaged her body before death flaked off like shedding skin, revealing the smooth, unblemished flesh beneath. She gasped for breath, her hands gripping the edge of the grave as she pulled the rest of her body free.
Then, she saw Asker, sitting casually on her tombstone.
“Back from the dead,” Asker remarked, clapping his hands together. “A cause for celebration.”
“Achilles!” Rage erupted within Peggy like a volcano. She launched herself at Asker, her right hand morphing into a claw, aiming to tear him to shreds.
She would make this murderer pay!
But a flash of cold steel met her charge, sending her flying backward.
Mountain Splitter.
As Peggy lunged, Asker had already leaped off the tombstone, his swords held high above his head.
It was a military sword technique from the Holy Solomon Empire. The swordsman raised both swords above their head and brought them down in a powerful cleave. If it connected, the fight was essentially over.
However, Peggy was no ordinary girl. She staggered to her feet, a gruesome wound stretching from her left shoulder to her lower right abdomen, her ribs and internal organs visible through the gash.
Instinct, born from the Flesh I trait, surged through her. She directed her body’s power to the wound, the flesh knitting itself back together at an alarming rate. Within moments, the wound had vanished, leaving behind unblemished skin.
“Impressive,” Asker commented, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Such a potent ability meant Peggy could be more than just a damage dealer. In a pinch, she could even serve as a tank, absorbing damage. She would be a valuable asset to his team.
Peggy charged again, this time abandoning a direct approach. With a burst of speed, she circled around, aiming for Asker’s unguarded back.
Another flash of steel, and she was sent flying once more, a deep gash appearing on her head.
“Let me teach you something,” Asker said, already turned to face her, his sword resting casually on his shoulder. “When attempting a flanking maneuver, your eyes shouldn’t dart around. Keep your gaze fixed on mine, pretend you’re about to attack head-on. Masking your intentions is crucial.”
“It was you!” Peggy gasped, collapsing to the ground, her body working to heal the wound on her face. The strain of regeneration was taking its toll, her energy depleted, her consciousness fading. “Achilles! You killed my parents, didn’t you?!”
“I did not,” Asker stated plainly.
Peggy froze, her expression hardening.
After their brief exchange, she knew she was no match for him.
She couldn’t fathom how this once-carefree young nobleman had transformed into such a formidable swordsman. But if he could kill her with ease, there was no reason for him to lie.
“It was your maid, Lisette,” Peggy said, each word heavy with accusation.
“Indeed. But she was not acting on my orders.” Asker elaborated, “In truth, they only answer to the current mistress of my house. And she… is a vampire.”
Peggy’s body trembled, the pieces finally clicking into place.
“You’re not…?” she asked tentatively.
“I am not,” Asker confirmed. “But you are.”
“I’m… I’m…” Peggy stared at her hands, her face pale as death. “A vampire.”
The summer thunderstorm arrived with a vengeance, unleashing a torrent of rain.
Asker stood amidst the downpour, his sword still drawn, watching as the girl before him crumpled to the ground, her body wracked with sobs.
Her cries of anguish were swallowed by the howling wind and rain, unheard and unseen.
The rain intensified, showing no signs of abating.
Asker sighed and walked over to Peggy, scooping her up in his arms. She didn’t resist, her body limp, like a discarded rag doll.
The cemetery was situated on a hill, and at its peak stood a dilapidated cottage, occasionally used by the gravedigger as shelter. Asker approached the cottage and knocked.
No answer.
He pushed the door open and, in a dark corner, found some leftover firewood from the last time it had been occupied. He started a fire. Peggy lay beside the crackling flames, her eyes vacant, seemingly devoid of all thought and emotion.
“Becoming a vampire isn’t all bad,” Asker said, removing his soaked gambeson and attempting to dry it by the fire. “Look on the bright side. Your appearance is now locked at the tender age of eighteen. Forever young, how enviable. Plus, no need to eat, drink, or even breathe. Just a regular intake of blood, and you’re good to go. Haha, other women bleed monthly, you drink blood monthly.”
“I’m a monster,” Peggy mumbled, her voice flat and lifeless.
“What’s wrong with being a monster?” Asker countered. “Only the ugly ones are considered monsters. The beautiful ones… they’re called ‘monster girls.'”
“Is there even a difference?” Peggy laughed mirthlessly.
“Of course there is.” Asker poked at the fire, sending sparks flying. “Have you heard of the Magic Tide?”
Peggy remained silent.
“When the Magic Tide arrives, chaos will engulf the land, and heroes will rise,” Asker continued, his voice taking on a dramatic tone. “We are currently at the cusp of the Magic Tide. The level cap for supernatural beings has been raised to 5, and knowledge of hidden bloodlines will soon be revealed. You might not understand what I’m talking about, so let me give you an example. You know about the Second Triumvirate of the Solomonic Republic at the end of the Third Era, right? Octavian chose the Dragon Bloodline, Mark Antony chose the Devil Bloodline, and Lepidus, a human purist, refused to embrace any supernatural lineage.”
“Lepidus was the first to fall. In the end, Octavian emerged victorious from the civil war, crowning himself the first Emperor of the Solomonic Empire. This event marked a pivotal moment in history, the transition from Republic to Empire.” Asker continued, “By his later years, Octavian’s human blood had been completely consumed by the Dragon Bloodline. When he died, his supernatural power surged out of control, unable to maintain his human form. His true form, a colossal dragon spanning nearly twenty meters, was revealed. It took forty knights in powered armor to remove his massive corpse from the palace.”
“Weren’t people terrified?” Peggy asked, her gaze fixed on the flames.
“Not at all,” Asker explained. “The Solomon Church didn’t exist back then. Under the old polytheistic beliefs, people took pride in their family’s supernatural lineage. In fact, after Octavian’s death, his dragon corpse was enshrined in the Solomonic Pantheon and worshipped as the Dragon God, Caesar Augustus. From then on, all Roman Emperors adopted the name ‘Augustus,’ believing it carried the Dragon God’s power, granting them dominion over their subjects and the world.”
Peggy hugged her knees to her chest, her expression uncertain. Asker’s words had partially assuaged her fears, but a primal terror lingered. “Were there… vampire bloodlines in history?” she asked hesitantly.
“Of course,” Asker replied. “Vlad III, the Voivode of Transylvania, followed the path of the Blood Clan. I believe he reached level 4. Transylvania was a devout follower of the Solomon faith, yet he faced no persecution. You see, Transylvania, along with the Kingdom of Hungary, served as part of the Church’s eastern defenses against nomadic tribes migrating from Siberia.”
“Hmm…” Peggy felt overwhelmed. Having never ventured beyond Constantinople, she knew nothing of the world beyond the Eastern Solomon Empire. However, Asker’s words offered a glimmer of hope. The vampire bloodline wasn’t inherently terrifying; it was merely one among countless supernatural lineages.
“Why are you helping me?” she asked softly, the firelight casting flickering shadows across her face.
“Because we share a common goal,” Asker replied. “You seek revenge for your family, don’t you?”
“I do,” Peggy said, her grip tightening on her burial shroud. The rough texture brought her back to the present moment. “What about you? What do you want?”
“To kill my entire family,” Asker said casually, tossing another log onto the fire.
Peggy’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with shock.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Asker chuckled. “That woman already killed my parents. My butler and servants have all been turned into vampires. They’re still holed up in my ancestral home. I’m not particularly attached to the place, but it’s my inheritance. I won’t let those bloodsuckers have it.”
“I understand,” Peggy whispered. “We have a common enemy.”
“Precisely,” Asker agreed. “In the short term, your enemies are the vampires who murdered your family. But in the long run, the Church, the Night Watch, and the monster hunters will be your true adversaries. Without sufficient power, your existence as a vampire will be short-lived. Once they discover you, they will hunt you down and kill you.”
“You possess the Flesh I trait, Peggy. You have a head start over most people in this city, myself included. What you lack now is the training to convert your supernatural power into physical strength and the experience to wield it effectively. I can teach you, but it won’t be free. You’ll need to sign a Soul Contract.”
