Geniella quietly stood and looked down at Baek Museon. Normally, Extreme Peak experts could not get drunk. No matter how much they drink, their body would break down the alcohol before they even get a whiff of it. But they could slow down its metabolism, and they could always drive away the odor even if they were drunk, breaking it down using their inner force.
However, the current Baek Museon was defenseless. Baek Museon, who had been destroyed by despair, now ignored his body's comfort and drank like a maniac – letting go completely.
Geniella didn't care. Even if the current Baek Museon was defenseless, she did not bite his neck. Although she was seducing Baek Museon, it did not mean that she had fallen for him. She liked to enjoy this kind of delicate push and pull relationship. She enjoyed watching Baek Museon, who still wanted to remain as a human. The Baek Museon who was once called the Bloody Heavenly Demon, standing at the pinnacle of the Bloody Heavenly Demon sect.
And in the end, when he would be completely coloured by despair; when he gave up being a human being, abandoned and in desperate agony, throwing away his unseemly pride, and got on his knees to beg her. That's when Geniella would find the greatest pleasure.
'And then I will get tired of him.'
Like she had done all these years. Geniella laughed, feeling refreshed. She could bite him at any time. But in order to form a Blood Bridge to become a vampire, it was not enough to simply 'bite' them.
To make a Blood Bridge, one must swear to become a non-human as they drink the blood of their Vampire Lord. Humans become vampires only when they swear to become vampires and drink human blood.
[Lord.]
A voice sounded in Geniella's head. One of the many vampires she had formed blood bridges with called her. Anyway, it wasn't much fun to watch Baek Museon's sleeping face, so Geniella left his room.
"What is it?"
[A strange person has just entered Travia.]
Who was this... Geniella closed her eyes. Then, in the black ink-like darkness, various red lights shone inside her mind. The red lights shining in the dark space belonged to each of Geniella's blood bridges. Among them, she was conscious of one buzzing red light. Only then did she recognize the blood bridge that it belonged to.
"Ah, yes. Mukai. It's you."
Geniella laughed and nodded. When she heard only the voice, she couldn't recognize the person, but now that she looked at it through her inner sense, she recognized who it was. It was clearly the guard to whom she had entrusted the Central District gate's guarding.
"A strange person came into Travia, you say? How was he strange?"
[This is the person.]
Everything Mukai saw was transferred on to Geniella. This was the advantage of non-human races like Vampires and Lycanthropes. All members of the clan were spiritually connected to the Lord of their clan. The Lord held the rights to the life and death of all their clan members, and they could control their behavior at any time.
"... Ahahaha."
A bright smile bloomed on Geniella's face. She had already seen the face Mukai showed her. A month ago. It was the same face Juwon had shown them. Geniella laughed, her shoulders shaking.
"I thought it was about time."
As she muttered those words, Geniella projected Lee Sungmin's face that was in her mind to all the people in Travia.
"Find this person for me."
Geniella said while laughing.
"Find him and let me know. Understand?"
"Yes, Lord."
Hundreds of voices resonated inside her mind.
Lee Sungmin walked down the streets of the city where devils ran rampant. The streets of the central district of Travia had a distinctively unpleasant feeling in the air. It would be right to say that it felt wrong instinctively rather than just a feeling of something being off.
"It feels ominous."
Rubia hid behind Lee Sungmin's sleeves. Rubia wasn't a beastkin, but her cat's ears stood out enough for her to attract attention. Although she was hiding in order to avoid any unnecessary disputes, she could still feel the ominous aura of the street.
[There's a lot of non-humans around.]
Heoju said.
[Even if it is a city of devils, there are too many non-humans gathered in the central district of the city. It's one thing if it were in the South, but in the North, it's a little... ]
'Is there a reason for it? According to Erebrisa...'
[Erebrisa's information is nothing more than information gathered through information guilds, information merchants, and talks from the street. Don't trust their information unconditionally. Information that is not in circulation cannot be purchased through Erebrisa.]
Heoju advised.
[The extent of Erebrisa's ability is that of an intermediary. If you don't know anything about it, it would be better not to trust their 'information' unconditionally.]
The information on Travia that he had purchased through Erebrisa that is.
After the Bloody Heavenly Demon was defeated and the Bloody Heavenly Demon sect collapsed, the Sama Order that was previously controlled by them, raised their head. As a result, all sorts of non-human races entered the city, thus turning it into a city of devils.
[The Bloody Heavenly Sect and Bloody Heavenly Demon were controlling these many non-human races and keeping Sama Order in check? Hahaha! You should say something that makes sense. If he really was doing it, he would be the most powerful person in the world. A man with such competence was defeated by a little bitch named the Minor Heavenly Demon? It's not even funny.]
Heoju said as he laughed loudly.
[This town attracted devils. In addition, ghosts would attract other ghosts, and monsters would attract other monsters. A twisted being would dive right in seeing a black pit because they can't resist it – just like a cat running into a box. There is something in this city. Something that pulls them in.]
Heoju said with a joyful voice.
[This city, I don't know what it is, but there's something here. Something that attracts non-humans.]
Heoju didn't know exactly what it was. Neither did Lee Sungmin.
He looked around as he walked down the streets, but he didn't see anything that bothered him. In the first place, Lee Sungmin did not have any great purpose behind his arrival in Travia. It was just to visit the largest city in the North, a city with a huge population, as he waited for the fated meeting.
So he had to stay in Travia for a long time. He had plenty of money in his hands, but he didn't intend to stay at a luxurious place since there was no knowing what would happen during his long-term stay.
"As long as we're not homeless!"
When he said they were going to an inn, Rubia piped up in a cheery voice. It didn't really matter to Lee Sungmin whether or not he had a roof over his head, but Rubia was very dissatisfied with being homeless for so long.
Lee Sungmin went into an ordinary-looking inn. When he opened the door, he realized how misleading its outer appearance was.
The first thing that Lee Sungmin saw were the corpses.
The dead bodies left in the corner of the inn existed without looking out of place as if it was part of the interior decoration. None of the people chattering away on that floor of the tavern cared about the body. Rubia was silent, being surprised by the bodies, but Lee Sungmin didn't care much about it.
"What are you going to order?"
The innkeeper was a muscular man. Lee Sungmin recognized at a glance that he was an expert who practiced outer martial arts. Lee Sungmin sat in an empty seat at the bar and opened his mouth to order.
"A light meal and a room."
"How many days are you going to stay?"
"I hadn't planned that much in advance."
"Long-term guests are welcome. The room has to be prepaid on a daily basis. You never know when you'll end up dead in this city."
"Like the dead bodies in that corner?"
"Oh my! Did you see it? Well, don't worry too much. It's common in this city now."
The innkeeper laughed.
"This is Travia, where death can come to you at a moment's notice. The dead bodies lying over there... What was it again? They said they were members of the Murim. Haha! I don't know if it's like that in other cities, but the name of sects from the Murim can't support your back in this city."
"But it would turn into a headache if I touched them."
No matter what anyone said, the Murim were the largest faction in Eria. Most sects, including the Orthodox Sects, were part of the Murim. Touching a person belonging to the Murim was the same as declaring the Murim as their enemy.
"I haven't seen anything."
The innkeeper laughed, revealing a row of yellow teeth.
"Everyone is like that. We are all blind, deaf, and dumb fools. The Murim's people were killed, you say? I don't know why they are dead."
The innkeeper chuckled and turned to enter the kitchen. This city was like that. What on Earth was in this city that turned it into such a state?
The door opened.
Time stopped. In the silence created at that moment, only the sound of footsteps ringing could be heard. Her presence overwhelmed the space in an instant. Lee Sungmin's shoulders flinched at the ominous feeling behind his back. There was the ominous feeling of a pair of eyes focusing on Lee Sungmin's back, but the overwhelming feeling of being singled out disappeared soon as if nothing had happened.
"Wow!"
"How much, sweetie?!"
On the first floor, the crowds jeered and chattered. At that point, Lee Sungmin was conflicted over whether to look back or not. The footsteps got closer. Even if he didn't look back... Eventually, they would come to him. Lee Sungmin looked back, swallowing a gulp.
"So noisy."
When Lee Sungmin looked back. Everyone in the inn, except for Lee Sungmin, had lost their heads. Roundheads fell off, and nobody made any noise anymore.
What the hell were they doing?
Lee Sungmin could not say anything. It was different. He had never met someone with this kind of ridiculous aura. The woman only walked forward, and no other movement was seen, but that alone cut the throats of the dozens of people at the inn.
"This is a very shabby place."
The woman raised the corner of her lips as she approached Lee Sungmin. She was beautiful. Red hair flowing like blood. The hairpins that lifted and kept it in place and the gorgeous kimonos she wore were also beautiful. All of that did not overwhelm the woman's beauty.
"If you don't mind... I can take you to a place that's beautiful and wonderful beyond comparison."
She tilted her head to the side and smiled. Lee Sungmin gulped silently seeing her sharp fangs.
"What do you say? Shall we have a meal together?"
Vampire Queen, Geniella, who lusted after blood. She urged Lee Sungmin with an alluring gaze. It was as if Lee Sungmin's hair had gone white with shock and stress. Such monsters also existed in this world? Lee Sungmin had never faced the 'real' Wijihoyeon, but looking at Geniella's aura alone, she was far stronger than Wijihoyeon.
[Get it together.]
There was a roaring voice in Lee Sungmin's mind. It was Heoju.
[Geniella is the Vampire Queen. She has lived for over 600 years. No vampire in the world who is more powerful than her.]
Heoju's voice quickened. He never imagined that they would cross paths with Geniella so suddenly.
[The higher species of vampires overwhelms their prey with their presence alone, just like a frog freezes when it sees a snake. Get a hold of yourself, or else your mind and subconscious will not be able to overcome the fear and may choose to commit suicide!]
"It's alright."
In response to Heoju's cry, Lee Sungmin replied, while steadying his breath. He was just a little surprised. Lee Sungmin's mind was different from that of a normal human. A Vampire Queen who had lived 600 years already? Lee Sungmin had spent 2100 years in his subconscious realm alone.
Lee Sungmin's spirit, which had been broken and restored several times already, succeeded in resisting Geniella's powerful aura.
"Oh my."
Geniella laughed as she looked at Lee Sungmin.
"You're definitely not ordinary... It would have been nice if you had a gentler answer."
"I've already ordered a meal."
"... A meal at a place like this is nothing more than pork thrown into the rice.
"I'll judge it after eating."
"You don't understand what I am saying."
Geniella's laughter grew louder. He could see her teeth all the way until the back of her mouth. Her laughter bared her ferocious-looking fangs. Geniella added with her mouth open.
"Aren't you coming?"
"... It's not like I have a choice."
Lee Sungmin sighed gloomily and got up.
"Let's go."
He had no choice.