Chapter 272 Passing the Requirements
With the fragment in her hand, she walked to the pedestal at the edge of the magic array. She gently placed it on a glowing spot in the middle, where the small crystal floated lightly, not touching the pedestal itself.
"That should be enough. Next is..."
Vendetta turned around; her eyes flickered with worry as she looked around.
"You... Didn't prepare blood for me?"
"... Ah!"
It completely slipped my mind. Out of the three requirements, blood was also included. I could've collected some beforehand to give to her, but now it looks like I can only offer my neck.
"Sorry, but can you just suck it out of me directly?"
I asked, just in case. However, Vendetta's gaze turned to a mix of worry and exasperation.
"That... I technically can, but there's a risk of you losing your life from getting drained of too much blood... I can't control the quantity I extract from you accurately, after all."
"D-Death...?"
The thought of it sent shivers down my spine. I quickly took two potions out of my [Spatial Storage] and held them tight, preparing to use them at any moment.
"Alright. With these, it should be fine."
I smiled, but the unease still remained inside my heart. Fortunately, the worst-case scenario could be avoided since my System's Heavenly Halo was out of its cooldown state and is currently available.
"Hmmm... Alright."
Although still hesitant, Vendetta sighed and walked forward. Now that we're face-to-face, I can tell that her features are definitely well-defined. It was to the point that if I had enough mental capacity, I might've offered her a contract on the spot.
The two of us were basically of the same height, but judging from the difference in our proportions, she must have been wearing high heels or boots that increased her height by quite a bit.
Her right hand went under my armpit and behind me before grabbing my left shoulder tight. Her left hand snaked around my head, pulling it gently to the side, making it easier for her to take a bite, while two soft mountains were pressing against my chest.
"... Ah."
A warm breath touched my neck, making me feel a weird sensation. Soon after, I felt something pressing against my neck.
"Hamm..."
"...!"
T-This is... Her tongue? Wait, wait, wait. Was I already bitten? Why didn't I feel anything at all? As if in a trance, Vendetta narrowed her eyes in delight. Her tongue moved energetically, licking my neck countless times. Each time it did, a surge of electrifying feelings passed all over my body. My limbs trembled... Not in pain, but in pleasure.
"Ahh... Haa... Ha... aaargh!"
I panted heavily, holding back the urge to embrace Vendetta. It was just a few seconds, based on my senses, but at that moment, my entire body suddenly glowed in a bright golden light. The Halo was activated.
"...!"
As soon as I noticed the glowing light, Vendetta was forced to remove her mouth from my neck. A trace of blood was still on her lips as her tongue hung loosely, saliva still dripping from it erotically.
*Gulp*
The movement of her throat, the way she licked the blood off her lips, and the wavering of her eyes. Every single gesture from her was weirdly enticing, as if it were an invitation.
Suddenly, as if recalling the current situation, her eyes opened wide as she coughed lightly, trying to return to her usual demeanor as if nothing had happened.
"Sorry about that... Y-Your blood was a little... Different... And I lost myself for a bit."
"No, it's fine."
I quickly replied while returning the two useless potions to my storage. In the end, before I could even use them, the halo had already healed me. Rather, in just that short instant, it seemed like 90% of my blood was drained. That was... Deadly.
As Vendetta took a step away, I suddenly noticed a change that was happening in her.
"... Your energy level... is increasing!"
Vendetta was only around the 4th or 5th stage before. However, now she was quickly approaching the level of an 8th stage—no, it was already past that—and was breaching the limits of the 9th stage!
"You were at God-level?!"
My words prompted a questioning gaze from the girls, making me realize that what I was detecting was the energy that I could "see". Is she concealing her real energy level?
As if to give me an answer, she turned to me, her gaze narrowed in amusement, before muttering a few words: "I don't know what you mean."
"..."
This girl... We were doubting her all the time and even prepared to fight her. But her level was actually high enough to kill everyone with a snap of her fingers. Imagining what could've happened when we decided to fight was enough to freeze my entire body in fear.
"... That was really close."
"Fufu. Don't worry, as I don't usually fight. I'm a pacifist."
Her words were a little bit unbelievable, given her strength. But I guess with her being a time element mixed with being a vampire and half-immortal from birth, it was understandable. Rather, she was definitely reading my mind just now. Does she also possess Psychic abilities?
"Anyway, now it's time to select who among you will be going."
"Wait... We can't go with everyone here?"
I actually thought we would be heading to the past with the full team... But I guess there's a limit on the number of beings that can be sent back in time.
"I can't do that, sorry. My energy isn't enough to send all of you back in time. At most, I can do three."
So the time-travel team is limited to three... Instantly, the roster was made. There wasn't any need to hesitate after all.
"First, me. Next, Minerva. I need you with me, as you are our only Psychic-type member right now."
Minerva, upon hearing her name called, tightened her expression as she walked forward. She stood before me with a serious face before nodding her head lightly in agreement. As her participation was now confirmed, I turned to the rest and smiled.
"Last... is Ember. I need versatility more than power, so you fit perfectly as a part of this team."
As I called her name, Ember's face brightened. She walked forward proudly, raising her chin slightly while parading before the others. The rest did look a little dissatisfied but were largely convinced of my reasoning, making them unable to raise their voices in disagreement.
"For the rest, I'll leave the frontlines to you."
I'm not sure how long this entire process would take, after all. It could be like returning to the present instantly, going back in time and spending similar lengths of time, or having accelerated time differences.
"Ah, I confirmed that part, and it's the last one. The difference in rate is dependent on the gap in the timelines. The larger the gap, the faster the time will pass in reality."
... So it's accelerated time. Rather, please stop reading my mind.
Turning to Fang and the others, I cleared my throat once again and spoke in a serious tone.
"Fang, Igni, and Fina. You three, make doubly sure to be careful out there. Judy, Yorm, and Hekate. You three can relax with Threya. I'm sure she'll agree to watch over you."
It hadn't been that long since I met her, but other than her slightly lazy attitude when it comes to fighting, she's pretty responsible and trustworthy. Furthermore, she came from the same kingdom and was recommended by King Leonard himself, so she's more than worthy of my trust.
"Leader..."
Fang looked sad for a moment, but quickly shook her head. Her ears and tail perked up energetically as she cheered.
"That should be our line! Be careful out there, Leader! Also, Ember and Minerva!"
"My Lord, leave the frontlines to me. I'll make sure to roast all the Demons that approach!"
The two responded energetically, making me smile. Seeing that they were trying to act fine, I turned to Fina and nodded. With just that, she quickly understood that I was letting her handle the rest. Fina was a former tamer too, after all. She should know what to do with the girls.
"Are you done with your goodbyes?"
Vendetta asked, a faint grin on her face. She must've worded it like that on purpose. But I guess, thinking about what we're doing and where we're headed, it's not that far off from the truth.
It's literally a life-risking rescue mission, starting now.
I looked at Ember and Minerva one last time before turning to the God-tier vampire waiting silently by the pedestal.
"We're ready!"
"Alright. Then go to the center of the array. As for the rest, you can return to the first floor. Staying here might affect you negatively since it'll be a bumpy start."
As instructed, Fina led the others upstairs, glancing in our direction worriedly as they went. On the other hand, the three of us stepped inside the large magic circle, walking to the middle of it with firm steps.
When we reached the center, Vendetta asked for us to hold hands, so we did. I gripped the hands of the two tightly, and they returned the gesture. I guess it wasn't only me who was feeling a little anxious.
"Then... Let's start!"
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