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Aiwass had just thought to hurry to the door when she was suddenly held back by the shoulder by a person in black wearing an animal mask.
His actions were very violent, and the press on Aiwass’s slender shoulder hurt a bit.
She keenly realized that if she continued to walk forward, she would likely be pushed down. So, she immediately stopped in her tracks.
"Should I kill him… my lovely master?"
The low voice of the Shadow Demon sounded in her ear.
—Don’t rush, let’s see what he intends to do first.
Despite the outward display of unease and panic, Aiwass replied to the Shadow Demon in her mind, impeccably calm.
The person in black took a chain from his bosom and skillfully hung it on the collar around Aiwass’s neck. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒
Then, he led Aiwass out of the room. Shoving her from behind, he made Aiwass stumble forward while he followed, chain in hand.
Down the narrow corridor, where only two people could walk abreast, door after door of cells were opened. One after another, young men and women, scantily clad yet with delicate features and figures, were led out by persons in black wearing different animal masks.
They looked at each other, but because they were distant, they couldn’t greet one another. They could only walk barefoot on the cold wooden floor.
The winter weather was chilly, and Aiwass couldn’t help but hug her shoulders. This made her seem even frailer—but it wasn’t an act, mainly because she was genuinely cold.
Unlike the frail image often associated with someone wheelchair-bound, Aiwass’s body had always been quite strong. After all, she was a basketball player before, towering over six feet tall. Although it was hard to tell due to the baggy clothes she wore, her body was actually quite muscular.
The last time she was this cold was that most unbearable winter she spent with Yulia in the orphanage.
Back then, their clothes were very thin, and the orphanage’s fireplace didn’t provide much warmth. At night, they could only fall asleep by huddling together for warmth.
And now… perhaps it was because of anemia, but Aiwass felt even colder than during that winter.
Just walking on the path made her body start to shiver uncontrollably.
…But perhaps it was precisely because her body was trembling that no one noticed that her shadow was also shaking irregularly.
All these blood slaves were housed on the second floor. The people in black led them down two floors via a spiral staircase to a basement, where Aiwass finally began to feel warmer—
It was completely different from above—this basement, with its thick wool carpet, was so warm that even the carpet felt heated, as if underfloor heating had been installed.
They walked quietly down a relatively dim "staff passage," while from a distance, they already heard the restrained chatter and laughter of men and women at the party, as well as the crisp sound of glasses clinking.
Eventually, they were led to a giant column that would take five or six people to embrace. The column was adorned with elaborate reliefs, forming hooks upon which the person in black hung Aiwass’s chain before slipping a "14" tag on the end of the chain.
"Eat up, and eat quickly."
He patted Aiwass on the shoulder and left straight away.
All those hung on this pillar were young girls.
In front of these pillars were fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as some desserts and alcohol. The desserts had a rich Iris Flower style—meaning they were visually colorful, decorated with plenty of fruits on top of mousses, puddings, and tarts.
Aiwass glanced over and saw there were even twelve or thirteen different types of alcohol, none of which were cheap.
The other girls went straight for the alcoholic beverages.
Meanwhile, someone patted the shoulder of number 14, "Let’s share a bottle again today, shall we?"
It was a girl with golden curly hair and eyes as moist as those of a small animal. She appeared somewhat older than the "number 14" that Aiwass was portraying. Perhaps for that reason, she felt a desire to look after her.
Another girl with silver hair was also the recipient of the pat on the shoulder.
"Sure."
Aiwass nodded slightly and followed the girl.
The other girl showed a moment of hesitation and confusion on her face, but soon she put on a composed expression and walked over with her chest out and head held high.
—Aiwass immediately recognized that this person must be an Ascender.
The reason was simple.
Their current identities were blood slaves, and her air of nobility and good spirits were too inconsistent with that of someone who had been tortured for a long time.
So, who was she?
—Prohibition? Stranger? Philosopher? Or Shadow Soul?
While pondering, Aiwass observed the golden-haired girl’s gaze out of the corner of her eye, searching for which bottle they usually drank from. It was an easy task for Aiwass—just had to find the one the girl unconsciously looked at. So, Aiwass quietly picked up a bottle of low-proof pineapple liquor.
She didn’t attempt to open the bottle but instead handed it directly to the girl with the golden curls.
The girl with the silver hair picked up another bottle of red wine, a variety that had been extinct for many years in their era. She looked at the label with interest, seemingly tempted.
"Number 7 sister… are you going to change your taste?"
The golden curly-haired girl looked somewhat uneasy, "But wouldn’t that anger the adults?"
Aiwass immediately understood what they were doing.
—Were they using food and wine to adjust the flavor of their blood?
"No, I’m just looking at it."
Number 7 paused for a moment, then put the bottle of wine back in place.
She lifted her head and gave Aiwass and the other girl a sharp glance.
Apparently, Aiwass’s acting was good enough—she was taken for an NPC by the other.
After all, Aiwass hadn’t asked which wine they were drinking from the start and had taken the right one immediately. She also seemed too timid and afraid to speak up…
If there was an Ascender who was shy and had a timid personality, it would have been dismissed—but the only one who seemed related to that was "the Hatter." However, the Hatter was an old woman, and she could only turn into a man. So Aiwass definitely was not her.
So she calmed her nerves and began to directly inquire for information, "Who have you all been looking after recently?"
Aiwass flinched slightly and did not pay attention to her. Instead, he took the full cup of golden sparkling wine passed over by the blonde girl and then reached for the grapes beside him, sipping some wine with the grapes.
"...Well, just the same few people."
The blonde girl answered casually: "It’s still those three for me, hardly any change. I might get a break today. But Number 14 has been quite favored by Miss Beyard lately; she’s been requested for three days in a row... I guess she’ll be coming too."
Eating a peach, she nibbled on it while drinking wine – rather than using the wine to wash down the food, it seemed more like using the food to accompany the wine. For these girls who all appeared to be under eighteen, it was somewhat torturous to drink so much on an empty stomach. Moreover, they chose varieties that weren’t very strong, Aiwass even noticed some girls sharing a thirty-plus degree grape wine...
"So they just get their blood sucked directly?"
Number 7 didn’t bother to hide it and simply asked in a lowered voice.
"Of course not..."
The person looked at her confusedly: "Why would you ask that?"
"Just answer me."
Number 7, growing impatient, asked, "What do those nobles do to you?"
As she asked, she rapidly ate fruits and pastries.
She started with a fruit pudding, then ate a piece of strawberry mousse cake. Following up with a sip of wine, she began to eat an apple quickly, trying to regain her strength as fast as possible.
Because she chewed too quickly, a clear sound could be heard. Aiwass distinctly felt that others were watching her – or rather, her intention was to be noticed.
Just then, a person dressed in black and wearing an owl mask entered their resting room.
He picked up a notebook, reading off numbers: "Number 7, Count Alonso. Number 12, Madam Mata. Number 14, Miss Beyard. Number 15, Sir Lindt. Go change."
The blonde girl beside him became a bit flustered: "Why so early... My lord, Number 14 hasn’t eaten much yet..."
Just as she was about to approach, the man in black pushed her away. He then used a golden key he carried in his bosom to unlock Aiwass’s collar.
As the heavy metal collar came off, Aiwass took a long breath. There was a sense of relief as if she could finally breathe freely.
...The key is on their person? Does everyone have one, or is it just the person with the owl mask?
Aiwass thought.
She glanced at Number 7 from the corner of her eye, slightly lowering her head, with a faint smile on her lips.
Although this mission was labeled as "futile slaughter"... and this body was indeed too weak, hardly suited for combat,
Aiwass could distinctly sense that Number 14 had a Mana Pool inside her – she was probably a first-level Demon Scholar with three points of Dark Attribute Mana.
This mission spanned sixteen hours, and the limitation of the Phantom Card would refresh past midnight. This meant she theoretically could use the same Phantom Card twice.
However, she likely wouldn’t have the chance to sleep, therefore no means to restore her mana.
In other words, Aiwass could utilize the Shadow Cloak twice, or summon an Earthbound Spirit once –
So she had only one chance.
However, the Shadow Demon didn’t need to consume mana.
Whether it was "finding companions" or other missions, gaining the upper hand by killing one person first would grant her the initiative.
Because only she would know for certain whether she had killed someone.
In other words – if she killed a companion, that would provide her with a more precise count of "how many are left." Thus, it would be easier for her to achieve a special victory.
She could even push the identity of the "Informer" onto the person who "disappeared," keeping herself hidden.
If there were other Informers, they should also be able to think of this.
Only the escapees would worry about "not having enough men." But for an Informer, it was irrelevant.
Besides, look at the forest outside –
In the depths of the dense forest, in the middle of winter... how could this group of pitiful creatures, anemic and barefoot, possibly escape?
At that thought, Aiwass abruptly paused.
Another possibility came to mind.
—Could it be that everyone was an Informer?
It was indeed a possibility...
But killing her now would be too easily discovered. After all, she had been singled out and was the focus of attention.
...I’ll wait for her to finish work.
A Blood Slave should only serve one client at a time; otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough blood in their bodies. From what the girl said, it seems not everyone is chosen every day – and most likely, it’s once a day.
After finishing work, Number 7 would have a "disappearance" excuse.
Thoughts raced through Aiwass’s mind; in an instant, she decided Number 7’s fate.
She was bumped into by the noticeably nervous Number 7. Number 7 did not turn back to apologize, but instead gave her a quick glance and walked away without looking back.
As for Aiwass, she showed a timid expression, shrank back, and said nothing.
She just narrowed her eyes, drained the wine in her glass, then took a piece of mousse cake and quickly headed to the changing room.
—But for some reason, Number 7 following Number 12 to the changing room suddenly felt a chill in the depths of her heart.
It was as if some demon was lurking in the shadows, watching her.
