Hidden behind a wall of illusion that separated it from the outside world, there was an ancient ruined city, trapped inside a gigantic cave. A small group of people walked through the ruins, illuminated by the dim glow of a giant crystal hanging from the cave ceiling.
They stepped carefully, eyes sharp on every shadow—alert for threats that could appear at any moment.
At the front, a human knight clad in full armor walked with a sword and shield in his hands. He was the team's protector.
"I didn't expect someone to put so much effort into building a place like this, only to hide it inside a cave," he said casually, trying to lighten the mood.
The man beside him, an assassin dressed in pitch-black, immediately smacked the knight's helmet without thinking. Unfortunately, he forgot that the helmet was made of thick metal—CLANG! A loud ring echoed, followed by the assassin holding his throbbing hand in pain.
"Can you shut up!? Your armor is noisy enough already, and we're stuck here because you pulled a random lever and activated a teleport trap!" he hissed angrily, trying to stay quiet so he wouldn't attract attention.
"Hee…" The knight just sighed long.
Behind them, a girl resembling a vampire—or something between a vampire, human, and spirit—was examining a map and an old book she found near a pile of bones earlier.
Her face turned annoyed. She slammed the book shut, put it into her inventory dimension, slowly lowered her black mask, and raised both hands.
"Can you two be quiet!?" she snapped.
The two men who were about to strangle each other froze instantly and turned their heads toward the girl.
"Ancestors, burn my target and destroy my enemies—Blood Plasma!"
A dark red magic circle appeared in the air, spitting out a blazing red fireball that shot past their faces—hitting a humanoid reptile behind them that had jumped to attack. The monster burned rapidly until nothing but ash remained.
Both of them stared at the result with faces half-burnt from the heat.
"Wooow… what an amazing spell! A perfect headshot!" they shouted together while clapping.
"Tch, I missed…" the girl muttered in frustration.
"Uh… Sis, you're not planning to kill us, right?" the assassin asked nervously.
"Obviously she'd rather kill us than save us, idiot," the knight replied.
"If you two stay noisy, I'll kill you right now!" she threatened, pointing at their faces. They raised their hands in surrender.
The knight leaned closer to the assassin and whispered,
"Hey, Agito… you gave her soda earlier, didn't you?"
Before Agito could answer, an arrow flew toward them from afar—triggering his skill Auto Defender, a skill that boosts speed and reaction. In an instant, his shield blocked the arrow with a loud smack.
"Agito! There's a Goblin Archer hiding in one of the buildings!" the knight shouted.
"There are 15 Goblin Archers." The voice echoed in the cave as Agito vanished.
From the ruins, dozens of Goblins and Reptiles emerged, while 15 hidden Goblin Archers took aim from the shadows of the buildings—ready to rain arrows upon them.
Ayu's eyes—Agito's older sister, the blood spirit girl—slowly turned red, replacing her natural dark purple. She pulled down her mask again, revealing sharp vampiric fangs as she began chanting.
"I know why I always get irritated when I'm with you… little brother…" she said coldly.
Outside, the crystal light dimmed, leaving deeper darkness. From her hands, a massive scythe materialized—larger than her own body—formed from flowing blood.
"You always disappear when needed… and show up from who knows where," she continued in a murderous tone.
Before the first arrow flew, Agito appeared behind a Goblin Archer—grabbing its head with one hand and slashing its neck with the other, severing it cleanly.
"One goblin down," he said flatly.
He vanished again into the shadows, then reappeared elsewhere—throwing the monsters into panic as their formation collapsed.
Ayu leaped forward like a bloodthirsty demon. She slashed down multiple reptiles with her blood scythe, snapped the neck of a goblin that tried to ambush her, and sank her fangs into its neck—draining it dry.
"THIS GOBLIN BLOOD TASTES TERRIBLE!" she complained.
"HAHAHAHAHA! REN, YOU REALLY FOUND AN INTERESTING PLACE! I'LL GLADLY SUCK ALL THESE GOBLINS DRY EVEN THOUGH THEY TASTE AWFUL!"
I could only stare weakly.
"Your face… you really look like a psychopath, Sis Ayu," I said.
"What do you mean?" she snapped.
"I'm just thinking… do you have a 'blood drunk' plot, or a split personality?" I teased, seeing her childlike physique but yandere-psychopath behavior.
Suddenly, a Reptile jumped at me, but Agito sliced it first.
"If you're just going to be dead weight with that heavy armor, change your class," he mocked.
"Hey! Don't forget who always tanks for you!" I protested.
I opened my inventory and dropped a large wooden box. Agito laughed loudly.
"What's that? Your coffin?"
"Call it whatever you want," I replied.
I hit the top of the box—its side opened, revealing neatly arranged weapons.
"Which weapon should I pick today…" I muttered.
Moments later, a giant Hob Goblin grabbed Agito, while two small goblins clung to his legs tightly.
I swung my kusarigama—a chain sickle with a metal ball at the end. With a quick swing, the iron ball smashed into the Hob Goblin's head, staggering it and making it release Agito.
Agito pulled both daggers and stabbed the two small goblins in the head, killing them instantly.
I swung the kusarigama again. The chain wrapped around the Hob Goblin's neck, and the sickle bit deep into its flesh. With one strong pull—CRACK!—its head tore off and dropped heavily to the ground.
"How was that? Cool, right? Classic and traditional."
After a fierce battle, the monsters were defeated.
Ayu sucked the remaining blood from goblins she captured, while Agito dissected monsters for their cores. I hung my kusarigama back inside the box.
"I didn't expect you two to secretly learn new spells," I said.
"Don't say that when you just got a new weapon," both replied at once, making me raise my hands.
We exchanged small laughs. Despite the constant bickering, we were very close.
After draining all the goblins, Ayu sat and watched me re-organize the messy weapon box.
"Must be nice being a knight, you can go anywhere with no issues," she complained while playing with her loose twin-tail purple hair.
"Not really," I replied. "Being a Blood Spirit seems better. You don't need food as long as you can drink blood, right?"
"Well, true," she said, like a teacher explaining. "But Blood Spirits also have problems—my mana doesn't regenerate automatically. I must drink blood to recover it. If I run out of stamina AND mana in battle, I'll get disoriented. And going to public baths is forbidden."
She crossed her arms. "Meanwhile, thanks to your divine 'hero' title, you can enter cities and public baths freely."
She grabbed my hand tightly, eyes sparkling. "My lord hero, what skill did you use to save my brother? How can you move so fast and use multiple weapons without looking exhausted?"
I gently pulled my hand away and explained, "Well… Auto Defender is just a basic skill, same as Master Weapon."
"Auto Defender?" Ayu frowned.
"Simply put, instead of parrying like Agito, Auto Defender boosts reflexes and speed. It's like a body armor system." I glanced at my aching wrist. "Sounds overpowered, but I still feel the impact and pain."
Agito, who had been crouching and dissecting monsters, finally stood. "We should get moving instead of chatting. If another monster pack appears, we're done. My food and potions are low. What about you two?"
Ayu seemed reminded of something. She took out a book and a map, spreading them over a flat stone.
"Actually…" she pointed at the map, "Right here—there should be an underground passage. If we're lucky, it might be a way out."
"Underground passage?" Agito whistled. "Please no ancient guillotine traps."
I smirked. "If there is a trap, at least it means we're on the right path."
"You're way too optimistic," Ayu muttered, but her eyes looked excited.
I swapped my full armor for lighter armor and stored the weapon box. Agito eyed me and snorted, "Haha, look at that—Shogun warrior mode. Don't tell me you want to duel a dragon one-on-one."
"If the dragon is small, maybe," I replied flatly.
Ayu shook her head while smiling. "Don't fight here, you two."
We walked along the sloping stone path. According to Ayu's book, this place was once an advanced underground village. Its ruler was a Vedes—not a noble or someone granted noble title.
But its history ended in tragedy. Feeling threatened, a neighboring kingdom committed genocide. They sent monsters disguised as trade goods. In the chaos, the entire population died.
"The book says there's a shelter around here," Ayu added. "But the mechanism to open it is missing. Maybe… someone ripped out the pages on purpose."
"In that case," Agito muttered, "the person who wrote it must know something."
"Maybe he also created the illusion wall above," I said quietly, "to keep monsters trapped… while turning himself into bait."
Silence. Only our footsteps and dripping water filled the air.
Eventually, we found the spot— a large wall with carvings of a tree and snake, and next to it a dry well. Though shallow-looking, stone steps descended inside it.
"You sure about going down?" Agito asked, shining a torch. "The damp smell feels like a dragon's stomach."
I patted his shoulder. "If you're scared, keep watch up here."
"If you say that, you're probably planning to abandon me," he sneered.
We jumped one by one, descending the dark staircase. The deeper we went, the hotter the air became—odd, since there was no fire.
At the bottom, we reached a large chamber. And there we saw it—
A massive red dragon lying atop a graveyard of human bones, its scales glowing under faint orange light. It slowly opened its eyes to look at us.
I immediately drew my shield.
"Ren…" Ayu whispered, trembling, "please tell me that's another illusion…"
Agito gulped. "If that's an illusion, I hope the author is here to feel what we're feeling."
I stared at the dragon and sighed. "Looks like the exit is guarded by the final boss."
Smoke from my torch spiraled upward. The dragon opened its eyes fully and roared—its voice like an explosion. The tunnel behind us closed automatically, sealing our way back.
"Hey—where's your adventure spirit now?" My voice trembled even though I tried to sound smug. Behind me, Agito and Ayu hid behind piles of bones.
"You're joking if we have to fight that thing. Ren—don't die," Ayu whispered, trying to encourage me though her voice was shaking.
They used me as live bait. The dragon stood, its chest expanding like a balloon—and then it unleashed white flames. Not normal fire, but a beam that scorched to the bone. We scattered, barely dodging.
"Ayu! Agito! Go wide!" I shouted.
"Why do we have to fight a walking tank?!" Ayu screamed.
"Ayu! If you kill this dragon, I'll buy you TWO dozen soda!" I yelled.
Like a trigger, Ayu charged with her blood scythe, slashing its scales—barely leaving a mark.
"IF YOU'RE LYING, I'LL SUCK YOU DRY, REN!!"
Red dragons were nearly unstoppable—thick scales like steel, white flame breath like a furnace. Not even berserkers fought them; they always fled.
The dragon attacked viciously. I shouted, threw bones, hit my shield, trying to distract it.
Agito, who had initially dodged the red dragon's attack, realized that I had tricked his older sister with the promise of two boxes of soda. He immediately rushed in to help Ayu—slashing at the red dragon again and again, each strike draining more of his stamina
I noticed its weak spots—mouth and eyes.
"Ayu! Hit its head!"
Ayu summoned a blood-spiked baseball bat and smashed its skull with a clang. The dragon roared and shook.
This was our chance. I grabbed a glass jar of chili powder—an item for a merchant quest.
I hurled it at the dragon's face. The jar shattered—POOF!—releasing spicy powder that entered its eyes and mouth.
The dragon convulsed violently, scraping its face. The cave ceiling cracked, rocks fell—burying the dragon under rubble.
We crawled away as dust settled, toward a newly opened exit.
Outside, fresh air greeted us.
But then—hot wind blasted our backs. We turned.
The dragon… was still alive.
It raised one massive hand—BOOM!—its attack sent us flying. My shield cracked—then shattered.
I lay on the ground, coughing blood.
"…This is why I hate that skill," I muttered. "Auto Defender activates on its own, but its duration is short. Damn…"
Agito knelt beside me.
"I'll give you painkillers! Don't die!"
Ayu flew with her scythe—trying to distract the dragon.
It breathed white flame again—burning the forest.
I suddenly realized, somehow—
"That dragon isn't breathing real fire… Its stomach bacteria create methane gas, and its teeth ignite it from friction."
I laughed painfully.
"Haha… so that's how it works. It needs ten minutes to rebuild its methane pressure."
I grabbed Agito's hand.
"Adrenaline potion. Now."
"You're insane! You can't even stand!"
"Hurry."
He reluctantly gave it. I gulped it down. Energy surged violently.
I called Ayu. She flew down.
"Do what I told you," I whispered.
"Ren… are you sure?"
"Just do it."
Agito stared. "What are you—"
Before he finished, Ayu bit my neck—CRACK!
Pain shot through me. She drank my blood—her power skyrocketed.
Her form evolved—hair longer, aura darker, eyes glowing like ruby.
"Ren… you're insane," Agito whispered.
My vision blurred. "Ayu knows what to do."
Ayu's Perspective
Ren whispered softly before losing consciousness.
"Just one chance. We're going to sacrifice Agito."
Those words echoed in my head. I didn't know whether he was serious or joking on the brink of death, but my body burned with his blood's power.
My feelings twisted together—joy, anger, happiness, all at once.
Every time I swung my blood-forged scythe, a strange pleasure surged through me, as if something inside me was about to burst out.
I threw the scythe away and raised both hands. A magic circle spun in the air above the dragon.
A blinding white light erupted, and then—
from the sky, a GONG! rang out, like a bell from hell.
"Exorcism—Gate of Heaven!"
Heavenly gates crashed down, trapping the dragon. It roared.
"Now, Agito!"
Agito dashed like a bullet—cutting its wing, stabbing its eyes. Blood sprayed everywhere.
The dragon thrashed, breaking my spell.
"He's going to breathe again!!"
I formed a bat from blood—SMACK!—hit its snout.
Its mouth opened.
"NOW!!"
Ren stood behind Agito.
"Farewell, my friend…"
He grabbed Agito and threw him—straight into the dragon's mouth.
"WHAT?! REN, YOU CRAZY—!!"
CHOMP!!!
Silence.
Then—
GRRHHHKKKKK!!!
The dragon convulsed, blood gushing from its mouth like a fountain—
A few seconds of silence.
Then the dragon groaned.
GRRRHHHKKKKK!!!
Its body writhed violently, blood gushing from its mouth and flooding the forest. Short bursts of red flame shot through its teeth as if it was trying to spit something out, uncontrollable. Its body swelled…
And then—
DOOM!
It collapsed to the ground with a massive tremor.
Thick dust rose, and the smell of methane gas seeped from the dragon's mouth.
Ren fell to his knees, laughing loudly amidst the destruction.
"HAHAHAH! Agito, you're a legend… and the first idiot to ever go inside a dragon's mouth!"
From the fallen dragon's mouth, Agito crawled out.
BLARRGH!
Agito emerged, covered in dragon blood and reeking of rot from head to toe.
"Oi, if you're going to make a plan, tell me first, you bast***!!" he snapped.
"I thought I was really dead and about to get roasted inside its stomach, but it was just full of corpses!"
I covered my nose.
"Stay away! You smell horrible, you swamp human!"
Ren laughed even harder.
"HAHAHA! Two dragon-smelling heroes, legendary!" he said while looking at me and Agito.
---
After the Battle
We stood beside the dragon's corpse, covering our noses, then stored its body inside the inventory dimension.
At the spot where the dragon had fallen, a glowing golden crystal appeared. A window and floating text formed above it:
Red Dragon Crystal
A gift from the lost Vedes.
Use it to increase power, exchange for wealth, or open 10 Gacha chances for each person.
"If we choose wealth, maybe that's a clue to our next destination," Ayu said.
"We need power to stay prepared—what if we face another dragon?" Agito said, now clean but still smelling awful.
"We don't listen to people who smell like waste," Ayu and I said at the same time.
"How about we vote?" I suggested.
We wrote our choices on small papers and stored them in Ayu's inventory.
When the results came out—everyone agreed to be fair and choose gacha.
The Red Dragon Crystal split into three and displayed random gacha windows.
One by one, we rolled.
Ayu got rare clothes and accessories.
Agito obtained new weapons and skills.
I… only got cooking tools and cheap monster cores.
"Be patient, Ren," Ayu said, patting my shoulder. "Your last chance might be your luck. And if you still don't get anything good… I can let you sleep with me," she teased with a seductive smile.
"Don't worry Ren, we're with you," Agito said proudly while showing off his new weapon.
Feeling annoyed, I pressed my final gacha button.
The gacha window spun rapidly…
click… click… click…
Then stopped on an image—a fallen angel.
"Eh?"
We all stared at the floating screen.
No effect, no sound.
Suddenly the air turned fragrant.
A gentle glowing gate opened in the sky.
A winged girl descended slowly, her eyes closed. Her dress was white, shimmering like a bridal gown. She fell gently, and Ayu quickly caught her.
We laid her under a tree. Her face looked peaceful.
"Is this… part of an event?" Agito asked, confused.
"No way," Ayu answered. "She's different from any NPC."
Suddenly, the girl opened her eyes and looked at me. Her gaze was soft, her eyes sparkling.
"Are you okay?" I asked quietly.
She didn't answer. She stared at me for a long moment, then smiled.
She reached out and held my hands. Then, with a soft voice, she said:
"Dear… good morning."
That single word shocked all of us.
Was she an NPC or an A.I.?
Before I realized it, a ring had appeared on my ring finger.
Time passed, and the girl kept clinging to me. Her body was warm, and she emitted a sweet fragrance.
"So how long are you two going to stick together?" Agito asked.
"We should head back to the safe zone. Luckily, we can use the teleport crystal out here," Agito said, holding the teleport crystal.
We teleported to the city square where everyone stared at us—because we were bringing someone unusual. Her wings, halo, and clothes drew constant attention.
"What are we going to do with her, Ren?" Ayu asked.
"I don't know either!" I answered, confused about what to do.
We arrived at an inn and booked four rooms for four people, but the girl refused to let go of me.
"No!! I don't want to be separated from my husband," she said.
"Hah!? Ren—Agito, say something to this girl!" Ayu cried.
Agito just walked straight to his room without caring, making the people near him immediately block their noses.
"I don't care, she'll be here anyway. I'm going to bathe and log out," Agito said, leaving.
"Oh my god… Ren, take care of her and ask for a two-person room with separate beds!" Ayu yelled before entering her room.
They left me, leaving me clueless.
I had no choice but to ask for a two-person room with separate beds and brought her inside.
"You wait here, I'm going to shower. Sit wherever you like."
I left her and went to bathe. When I returned, she was sitting quietly on the bed, waiting without complaint.
"Aren't you bored sitting there?" I asked.
"Ah… dear, welcome back. I'm not bored at all."
Seeing her still like that made her look like a living doll.
The girl saw the wounds on my arm.
"Dear, are you alright?"
She stood and approached me, lifting my shirt, startling me.
"I'm fine," I said, pulling my shirt down and gently pushing her back to sit on her bed. "I'm going to sleep. You should sleep too. Good night."
I went to my bed and closed my eyes.
Unbeknownst to me, she stood up and healed my wounds—wounds that normally needed time to recover healed instantly.
Slowly, she slipped under my blanket and slept beside me.
As I closed my eyes, a window appeared.
Logout?
Yes / No
I logged out.
---
Back to the Real World
I woke up. Morning sunlight pierced through my curtains.
I slowly removed the Drive I used to play Heavenly Knight, and as I got up, my hand touched something—beside me
A soft moan.
There was gentle breathing from beneath the blanket.
I slowly lifted my blanket and found the girl—who should have been only an NPC—now lying in my room.
Shocked, I fell hard off the bed, staring at her as she slowly woke up.
The door suddenly opened.
"Ren, are you alri—"
My mom froze in the doorway, her face stiff, while I stared back at her in panic.
On my bed, the girl awakened and sat up, her body completely bare, smiling sweetly as she said softly:
"Good morning… dear."
We were all completely silent.
To be continued__
Translate by chatGPT
Some parts might be incorrect because ChatGPT may have censored or trimmed certain important scenes, gore, or explicit wording
I'm sorry for forgetting to upload this chapter