Chapter 413: How Come You Turn Into Such a Goof?
The moment Steven said that Warfarin could name any reasonable reward she wanted, the outcome was already decided.
There was simply no reason for Warfarin to refuse. Forget acting in a movie—if Steven told her he needed her to act on a…. not-safe-for-kids video, as long as he promised to blur her face or make it unrecognizable, she'd just nod and start preparing her best 'uniform' for the set immediately.
So after paying one drop of blood as "compensation," Steven secured the first victim—no, the first actor—for his film.
What role she would play depended on Nian's script, but chances were it wouldn't stray far from something vampire-related.
"Since we're on the topic…" Steven turned toward the other girl. "The beautiful shark lady over there—do you have time to help me with a small favor too? It won't be difficult. You just need to play… well, yourself."
He glanced at Specter. Leaving such a ready-made actor unpicked would be a waste. And knowing her as he did, she had absolutely no reason to refuse.
After all, ever since her condition had been stabilized and some of her original personality returned, she and Steven had become surprisingly similar—especially in how both of them loved getting involved in anything fun. In that respect, they were practically the same species.
"I don't mind," Specter said, lightly pressing a slender finger against her rosy lips. "But… can I also ask for a reward like Miss Warfarin? Any condition, as long as it's not too outrageous?"
Steven's instincts screamed that whatever condition she came up with would definitely be more troublesome than Warfarin's. But trouble never bothered him—as long as it was interesting.
"Of course. If you're willing to cooperate with me, I'll naturally give you proper compensation. But keep in mind—once the filming starts, I'll need your full cooperation, okay?"
He flashed her an OK gesture, agreeing without even a moment of hesitation.
"Is that so? But… I remember someone once telling me they'd make me a nice carving knife. Yet I haven't seen anything of the sort."
Specter furrowed her brow, pretending to be troubled as she brought up a promise he'd made earlier.
"Hey hey, no rush. I actually finished it already—I'm not the type to go back on my word."
Steven reached into his bag and pulled out a completed blade—a katana—and set it before her.
The black scabbard was decorated with petal-like pink patterns, and even the hilt had a cute, girlish color scheme. But despite its appearance, the overwhelming killing intent radiating from the weapon made one thing clear: this wasn't some dainty toy for show.
Specter accepted the oddly colored katana from Steven with a trace of surprise. She remembered, of course, that Steven himself used weapons of this type—but she hadn't expected him to give her one as well.
She drew the blade with a single fluid motion.
With a crisp shing, the sword sang, and a pink radiance lit up the small infirmary room. Even Warfarin—who had been blissfully savoring the single drop of blood Steven had given her—couldn't help but glance over.
The katana's entire blade gleamed with a cherry-blossom pink sheen. Beneath that gorgeous, almost extravagant exterior, however, pulsed an unmistakable killing intent—one so sharp it made the weapon seem like a legendary cursed blade said to devour the minds of its wielder.
Noble -Tukumo- Violet
Among the SlashBlade Mod katana, it ranked just below Yamato. But in terms of appearance, it was unquestionably the reigning champion—nothing else even came close.
The only thing Steven disliked about it—and the reason he used Yamato instead—was simply its overwhelmingly girlish pink. As a grown man, he felt using such a saccharine weapon was… inviting ridicule.
And after Yamato started slowly shifting toward its own yandere tendencies, there was even less chance he'd ever equip this one. As a gift for a girl, though? Perfect.
As for Specter—she fell in love with the blade the instant she saw it. But unlike others, she didn't care about its pretty colors. What captivated her was the thick, unmistakable scent of slaughter lingering on the blade.
That kind of aura only came from real killing. And for a little violence gremlin like her… that was exactly her favorite flavor.
Her face all but screamed satisfaction as she examined the weapon from every angle, unable to put it down.
"How is it? I wasn't lying, right? This thing is the real deal—and it's a one-of-a-kind blade only I can forge. Should be more than enough for a carving knife, yeah?"
Steven crossed his arms proudly. After all, he'd handcrafted the weapon himself, soul included—hours of grinding monsters had gone straight into it. If not for the fact that the girl before him shared his love of carving, he would never have parted with it.
"Well… it is a katana," Specter said as she gave it a few experimental swings. "Kind of hard to say it's close to a carving knife. But never mind—I love it."
She had almost no training with katanas, but deep-sea supersoldiers didn't need weapon familiarity anyway. For them, any weapon was essentially an extension of their own body. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to wield her usual bizarre long-handled chainsaw.
As soon as she finished speaking, Specter stepped directly into Steven's space. Smiling, she planted a soft, sweetly scented kiss on his cheek.
"Think of that as a bonus reward. And don't tell the Second Company Captain."
She drifted away like a butterfly. By the time Steven recovered, the little shark was gone—leaving only Warfarin staring with a teasing expression, and the nearby orca girl frozen in shock.
"Um… if I participate in the filming too, can I also make a request?" Skadi asked shyly. "Like… maybe buying me a few more of those orca plushies? The ones like the ones we got in Kazimierz?"
Just as Steven was wondering how to keep this adorable idiot from tattling to Gladiia, Skadi's soft, embarrassed question shattered his composure.
Seriously, how could someone be this endearingly stupid even when making a request?
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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