Chapter 216 Chapter 47.7 - Her Change [Interlude]
216 Chapter 47.7 - Her Change [Interlude]
"Is it over now?"
Meeting in front of the same hotel room, Maya asked.
"Yes. It is."
I replied as I stepped into the room.
Once inside, I turned to Maya. "How did yours go?" I asked, curious about the details of her encounter with the officers.
After all, this part was one of the most crucial parts after the incident.
Maya hesitated for a moment before responding. "It was... different from what we planned."
"What do you mean different?" Hearing this, my mind immediately started going around everywhere.
After all, revealing the information to the government itself was a risky move, but it was better than hiding it.
'Hiding it is not optimal.'
Things related to demons have the utmost ability to control public opinion about a person, and the moment Maya became affiliated with such a thing, it would be impossible to hide.
Even though she can somehow not look like a vampire, her blood levels and her biology have changed. She probably also contains the demonic energy factor in her body. Thus, it will be very hard to hide in the academy unless she is cooperating with the demons themselves.
But she can't do that. Neither will I allow it, nor will she prefer. Thus, in the end, this binds our hands and limits our choices. Therefore, the choice I made was something that contained a lot of risks.
She was prone to being captured by the government or magic towers, but there, I trusted the academy and the headmaster.
There were also extremists like me who were determined to kill all the demons; thus, not knowing Maya, they would probably target her at the same time.
Thus, we were walking on a tightrope.
'Did they already contact the academy, or are they taking her? Did I miscalculate?'
Those types of questions filled my head. After all, I didn't save Maya so that she could be subjected to the experiments. That would be an even worse destiny than death itself.
"Yes." Maya nodded her head, looking at my eyes.
"How?"
"The thing is," Maya began, her expression a mix of relief and uncertainty, "they didn't find any demonic energy inside me."
My eyes widened in surprise, processing the implications of her words. "What do you mean? Are you saying they just let you go?"
Maya nodded. "Yes, exactly. They asked me questions about what happened and the vampire incident, but when they examined me for demonic energy, they found nothing. It's like I'm completely human."
I couldn't hide my astonishment. If the officers couldn't detect any demonic energy within Maya, it meant that she had successfully concealed her true nature from their scrutiny. It was a revelation that carried both relief and complexity.
'Is she not a vampire?'
That was not even a question. The amount of blood she had drunk from me would have killed me If not for Sylvie's [Blessing]. So, there was no way a completely normal human could drink such a thing.
So, it was very hard to believe.
'Were they bluffing?' I thought. 'No, they didn't seem to be that capable.'
From my interactions with Margareta, I knew she wasn't that talented of an officer. This was also probably why she was rotting in a city like this and why all those cases were neglected.
"Did they say anything else? Any hints about why you might be different?" I probed, my mind racing to make sense of the situation.
Maya shook her head. "No, they didn't give any specific reasons. They just concluded that I was clear of demonic energy and released me. It's like they didn't know what to make of it."
Hearing Maya confirm, I decided to believe in her judgment.
'If that is the case, she is a vampire without demonic energy?'
That question lingered in my head.
"This changes things," I murmured, contemplating the newfound dynamics. "If they couldn't detect anything, it gives us more leeway, but it also raises questions about why you're different."
'How can this even happen?'
Did that even make sense? How can one be a vampire without having demonic energy?
'Her mutation….'
At that moment, I thought of something.
'If her evolution was incomplete….'
Then it would make sense. When I attacked the vampire, she must have been going through with the evolution of it, but since I had attacked the vampire, it was interrupted by my attack.
And then, since I killed the vampire, the process didn't have a direction.
'So does that mean she completed her own evolution on her own?'
Turning my head to Maya, I hadn't gotten any feeling of Demonic Energy as well, even with vengeful bane.
At the start, I thought it was because she was tired and a new vampire, but now that I looked at it, even after all this time, she still didn't have it inside.
The pieces of the puzzle began to align in my mind. Maya's unique situation seemed to be a result of her interrupted evolution, shaped by her own values and willpower. It was as if her own resentment toward becoming a complete vampire had steered the course of her transformation.
'Maya resisted the essence of the vampire,' I contemplated. 'She must have rejected it as best as she could and, in doing so, retained her humanity without succumbing to demonic energy.'
It was a remarkable feat—one that defied the natural order of vampire evolution.
Maya's actions, fueled by her own values and the strength of her will, had forged a path that diverged from the norm.
She created her own identity as a vampire,' I mused. 'An identity that doesn't conform to the usual characteristics of a demonic being.'
While this revelation brought a sense of relief, it also added layers of complexity to Maya's existence.
'Yeah, she is definitely worthy of respect.'
As she faced the challenges ahead, I couldn't help but admire the strength she exhibited in retaining her humanity against the odds.
"Senior Maya…." I mumbled.
"What?"
"It must have been hard to resist it."
"….."
Maya's expression softened at my words, and she offered a small smile in acknowledgment while lowering her head.
"I couldn't resist it in the end."
And mumbled in a small whisper, but I heard it. Seeing she was still guilty about everything, I couldn't help but shake my head. She really was hard on herself.
"It is fine. You did well."
KNOCK!
Just as my hand was about to move unconsciously, I suddenly heard a knock coming from out of the room.
"Astron, are you there?"
It was Amelia.
"Yes."
"Did you see Maya? I have been looking for her but couldn't find her."
"She is here."
"Huh?"
"You can come in, by the way. The door is open; you don't need to wait outside."
Amelia entered the room, casting a curious glance between Maya and me.
"What are you two doing in here?" she asked, her eyes alternating between us.
"We're just talking," I replied, keeping my expression neutral. Even though Amelia wasn't a bad person or friend, it was always better to keep Maya's situation secret since the opportunity presented itself.
Amelia raised an eyebrow with a playful suspicion on her face. "Discussing matters, huh? I wonder what matters they are. Maya care to explain?"
Maya's face flushed with embarrassment. "T-that… we were just talking about recent events."
Amelia grinned mischievously, teasing, "Sure, just talking? If you say so."
Maya shot me a quick glance, silently pleading for support, though she chose the wrong person to ask for help.
After all, no person could put me in between two girls of such a dynamic. I got my lesson for that.
I maintained a stoic expression, not giving away any details.
But then, Amelia's expression softened. "Well, whatever it is, I'm just glad to see you back, Maya." The corner of her eyes was a little wet. "It worried us when you disappeared like that."
Maya's embarrassment faded into a warm smile. "I missed you too, Amelia. It's good to be back."
They looked at each other for a second, and I couldn't help but think I was the one that was a thumb here.
"Cough…Anyway." Amelia cleared her throat, composing her expression. And then, she said, "We should leave. It is getting late, and the instructor is waiting for us."
Just like that, we left the room, making our way back to the others. Sylvie, who had been waiting patiently, joined us, and we headed back to the academy.
*******
'This is….'
When I returned to the academy, the first thing I did was immediately go into my room and lie down. Since I had been awake for a very long time and hadn't rested that well, my body was tired.
But, as I lay on the bed, I sensed something. I change inside myself.
'What the hell is this?'
It was a subtle feeling, as if something foreign was inside me, but at the same time, this feeling felt somehow familiar.
'Don't tell me….'
It was the same feeling I had gotten when I first got the [Shadowborne] when I first killed the MistWraith.
At that moment, I immediately called my status window.
'Status.'
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?Name: Astron Natusalune
?Occupation: Weapon Master (level 1)
?Talent Limit: 6
?Passives:
-Vengeful Bane
-Bloodline Resonance
?Attributes:
Variable Attributes:
Strength: 2.80 ? 3.00
Dexterity: 3.45 ? 3.60
Agility: 3.76 ? 3.90
Constitution: 2.75 ? 2.85
Intuition: 3.95 ? 4.05
Magical Power: 4.20 ? 4.35
Mana Capacity: 3.13 ? 3.25
?Traits:
-Perceptive Insight (Unique)(Unchanging)
-Lunar Enigma (????) (Growth Type) (Stage 1)
-Shadowborne (Legendary) (Growth Type)(Stage 1)
?Arts:
-Lethal Arsenal Ascendancy (????)(%22)
?Skills:
-Dash
-Eyes of Hourglass
?Body Imprints:
?Bonds:
-Aurora Raven (Rare)(Growth Type)
-Celestalith, The Transcendent Eclipse
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As I called up my status window, the familiar interface appeared before me.
However, this time, it wasn't the usual array of stats and abilities. Something new had emerged, something related to the recent events.
The new addition, Bloodline Resonance, caught my attention. Its description revealed everything I needed to know.
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Passive: Bloodline Resonance
Description: Upon defeating a target infused with demonic energy, the user taps into the essence of the demonic bloodline, absorbing a fraction of its power to enhance both physical and magical attributes. The effectiveness of this skill escalates with the potency of the demonic energy within the slain target. By resonating with the bloodline of demons, the user gains a unique form of empowerment, marking a symbiotic connection with the very forces they combat.
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'This is new.'
It seems it wasn't like I didn't gain anything from the hunt after all….
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