NOVPUBIt was truly a crisis with no escape.
Behind me, Olvis was chasing after me to steal the World Tree Seed.
Right in front of me, Vespera was gazing at me with a languid expression.
If I had just eaten a full lunch, I’d be suffering from indigestion right about now.
No, perhaps I was already half out of my mind due to the overwhelming stress.
Of all times for Vespera to appear... Could she have figured out the World Tree Seed too?
It was unfortunate, but the possibility was high.
Vespera was someone with a special set of eyes that could detect things beyond artifacts.
No matter how well the box suppressed the seed's presence, it likely wouldn’t matter to her.
If that was the case, the situation was truly the worst.
There was little chance of defeating someone of her caliber, one even stronger than the Seven Calamities, in just a few minutes.
If it was just Olvis, I might have stood a chance.
But facing both Olvis and Vespera at once... It was almost as if I were signing my own death sentence.
“....”
I carefully glanced up at her, gripping the Tesseract hidden inside my clothes.
The only struggle I could muster was relying on the Tesseract’s power.
But if I used it recklessly, there would be no hope left, so I needed to wait for the perfect moment.
However, Vespera didn’t seem to appreciate me being on guard.
With one eyebrow raised, she confidently closed the distance between us, approaching step by step.
And when we were within arm's reach, Vespera suddenly grabbed my cheek with a tight grip.
“...?!”
“Hey, relax. Am I here to eat you? Don’t look at me like that; it’s not nice.”
“....”
What kind of relationship do we have?
No, more importantly, what the hell is she doing?!
I desperately tried to move my head from side to side, trying to escape her unprovoked squeezing of my cheek.
But with one hand holding the box and the other clutching the Tesseract, I couldn’t seem to escape her persistent touch.
Of course, if I used the Tesseract right away, I could somehow get away.
I couldn’t be sure I would win, but with that power, it would at least give me a fighting chance.
However, using the Tesseract now would be pointless, as I could sense no hostility from her.
In fact, her attitude towards me was nothing but kindness.
It felt like an overwhelming affection, as though she were treating me like a lost little sister.
Why is she doing this? We’re not that close, are we?
It had only been three days since I met Vespera—barely more than two days, to be exact.
To me, ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ Vespera was a dangerous person who knew my face.
She was not someone who would just grab my cheek like this out of nowhere.
She was showering me with affection I had no way of reciprocating.
Should I fight back, or should I run?
I had no idea what reaction I should show, and my head was a mess.
But perhaps I was overthinking it.
Just as I was lost in thought, the sharp sound of something splitting the air reached my ears.
It was a sound so absurd it made me tense up involuntarily.
It was undoubtedly an attack from Olvis.
“What the hell? I’m busy here... What’s with the interruption?”
But for some reason, Vespera seemed to treat that terrifying attack as nothing more than an annoying interruption.
She scattered blood from somewhere into the air, creating a crimson fog that resembled a dark mist.
Then, Olvis’s feather, unable to break through the blood-red mist, froze in mid-air.
It was clear that the difference in power between them was worlds apart, considering that my telekinetic powers couldn’t even endure that attack.
Thud, thud.
Feathers stained with blood dropped weakly to the ground.
At the same time, Olvis calmly stepped out from the chaos in the forest.
“That magic is... blood magic? How did a bloodsucking mosquito like you get here?”
“Heh, alchemist, huh? No wonder there’s so much garbage wandering around in the Sky Garden.”
Vespera and Olvis exchanged words as if they were sizing each other up.
It seemed like alchemists and vampires weren’t exactly compatible.
The hostile energy between them made my back break out in cold sweat.
But what surprised me the most was the conversation between the two women.
Could it be that the Liberation Army and Vespera weren’t just unrelated, but actually enemies?
...Now that I think about it, Vespera doesn’t really belong to any big organization. Meanwhile, the Liberation Army is a bunch of terrorists willing to go to any lengths for a cause. It’s not surprising they’d clash.
This was significant news.
I had thought these two factions would either be on neutral terms or possibly even allies, but to find out they were enemies?!
If that was the case, their priority would likely be to eliminate the competition, not secure the World Tree Seed together.
If they killed me and took the seed, the other competitors would just chase after them, making things more troublesome.
That would naturally shift the priority away from me as an easy target!
Quickly grasping the situation, I stealthily hid behind Vespera, using her as a shield.
It was no longer a matter of being trapped. It felt more like a lucky turn of events.
Indeed, in any situation, the key was never giving up until the end.
Had Olvis noticed things were getting complicated?
She slowly unfolded her wings, exuding an aura of killing intent.
“Tch, I didn’t expect an outsider to interfere... I’ll have to deal with this quickly and get back.”
Her overwhelming presence descended upon the forest.
Anyone with a weak heart would’ve been immediately intimidated by her powerful presence.
But Vespera, after scanning me behind her, looked at Olvis with disdain.
“Well, I see how it is. You’re the one who hurt my little one, huh?”
Vespera took off her glasses and let her tied-up hair fall loose.
Then, her previously calm demeanor exploded with malice, transforming into an enchanting beauty that bore no resemblance to her former self.
Perhaps it was because the glasses, which had obscured her identity, were now off, but Olvis finally realized who she was.
In an instant, Vespera summoned an enormous amount of blood, flooding the area around her with a sea of crimson.
“Could it be... you’re... Vespera?!”
“Looks like I won’t be able to kill you casually.”
“...Tch! You inferior race that weakens without blood! Die!”
Enraged, Olvis flapped her wings, sending feathers flying in every direction.
There were so many feathers that the sunlight was completely blocked out, and the area was plunged into brief darkness.
The destructive power was enough to reduce a building to ashes.
However, Vespera merely sneered and reached out her hand as the feathers fell toward her.
“Foolish... I’ll send them right back at you, Lapina.”
“What... Ahhh!”
The meaning of the spell was to seize.
The blood mist that spread rapidly through the air soon turned the countless feathers red.
Then, the impossible happened.
The falling feathers reversed course and flew straight back at Olvis! 𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
Perhaps Olvis never expected her own attack to come back at her so quickly.
She cried out in shock as her feet sank into the ground, stunned by the reversal.
With a single spell, Vespera had not only neutralized Olvis’s attack but turned it against her.
Such was the fighting style of a true vampire queen.
“Ugh... You mosquito-like b***h!”
“Well, how vulgar. I don’t think you, a corpse playing with dolls, should be the one saying that...”
“Die! Die!”
I quietly watched as Vespera relentlessly pushed Olvis back.
There was no mistaking it—there was an overwhelming gap between them.
It seemed that Olvis wasn’t a combat specialist but rather a scholar who created powerful soldiers.
Her combat strength was low among the Seven Calamities, at best comparable to Raven, a top-tier double-number Fixer.
On the other hand, Vespera was someone who could easily hold her own against single-number Fixers, even though she might be weaker than Tempest.
The difference between them was impossible to bridge, and this result felt inevitable.
It wasn’t long before Olvis collapsed to her knees.
The battle was quickly turning in Vespera’s favor.
“Ugh... What... What did you do to my body?”
“What did I do to your body? Heh, do I really need to explain it? To someone who’s about to die?”
Vespera leisurely stood before Olvis, who was frozen in place with red lines all over her body.
It was clear that her attitude reflected a natural ease born from an overwhelming difference in power.
I, having read the original work, knew what power Vespera held.
Her blood contained subjugation—the ability to take others' power.
It was no surprise that Olvis had lost control of her body and became her slave.
It’s over. With Olvis unable to use magic, she can’t resist anymore...
I silently observed from afar, my focus still intact despite my labored breathing.
Running away was meaningless. If I tried, they’d catch up easily.
So, I needed to gather as much information as possible to make the right decision.
But just as I was watching Vespera and Olvis’s battle, something unexpected happened.
Vespera, who had been holding Olvis in place, suddenly frowned and pressed her forehead.
It looked like she was dizzy, stumbling slightly. Was that enough of an opening for Olvis to break free?
For a brief moment, Olvis regained control of her body, and with a ghostly face, she lunged toward me.
“AAAH! Give me the seed!”
“...!”
I hadn’t expected her to give up fighting Vespera and come after me.
It seemed like Olvis realized she had no chance against Vespera.
After stealing the seed from me, she probably planned to escape and complete her mission.
It was a cold, calculated decision, the kind one would expect from someone who viewed the fight as just a means to an end.
Perhaps, being one of the lower-ranking Seven Calamities, she had already acknowledged her own weakness.
But unfortunately for her, she reacted too late.
I never expected Vespera to let Olvis go.
Nor did I expect Olvis to come rushing toward me the moment she regained her freedom.
I tried to retreat quickly, weaving my telekinetic barrier, but I was too weak to withstand Olvis's power.
“...!”
With a sudden jolt, I felt my body lift from the ground as if I were floating.
I felt my breath being forced out of my lungs, and the box I had been holding was sent flying far away.
At least I was fortunate that the sudden surge of strength didn’t kill me outright.
Losing the World Tree Seed was the worst part, but it wasn’t the end.
I’ll get it back...!
Despite the breathlessness clouding my mind, I remained focused.
If I could just use my telekinesis to retrieve the box...
In the brief moment before I could land, I saw the box, which had been flying through the air, narrowly avoiding my telekinesis, being drawn somewhere like a magnet.
Could it be Olvis?
I twisted my face in shock, realizing I couldn’t even use my telekinesis and fell to the ground.
But before I could feel any pain, I quickly got back up and saw where the box had gone.
There, I saw Vespera, covering her mouth with her hand, reaching for the box containing the seed.
In the final moment, it was Vespera who obtained the World Tree Seed.
