Theodore didn't slow down until they reached the relative safety of the castle perimeter, near the Duke's caravan.
"We need cover. And I need a minute," Theodore declared, the adrenaline starting to fade.
He reached into his inventory, pulling out the glowing, fragmented Alcina's Crystal.
Ethan, still reeling from the battle, watched as the three Dimitrescu sisters—Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela—looked at the crystal with a mixture of sorrow and hope.
"That's… all that's left of her?" Ethan whispered.
"Yep. Boss drop," Theodore replied with a grin.
He pulled out the Blessing of Marika.
This item had an incredible capacity to repair and restore life, far beyond its ability to just cure parasites.
Theodore placed the crystal fragment on a clean patch of snow, then poured the entire contents of the glowing vial over it.
The crystal immediately pulsed with blinding golden light.
The light didn't just shine; it started to draw in the surrounding ash and earth, rapidly knitting together into a towering, magnificent form.
The transformation was far more graceful than the monstrous True Form, resolving instead into the elegant, intimidating shape of Lady Alcina Dimitrescu.
She was restored.
Alcina opened her eyes. The yellow, predatory glare was gone, replaced by a clear, cold amber.
She looked at her hands, then at her daughters, who immediately rushed to embrace her.
The curse and the deep brainwashing placed by Mother Miranda were entirely gone.
Alcina looked down at the small man who had bested her, cured her family, and brought her back from dust.
She knelt, a grand gesture that belied her furious temper moments before.
"Theodore Mayer," she said, her deep voice resonant but free of malice.
"You have broken the chains on my family and restored me to myself. I fought you, not as Alcina, but as Miranda's puppet. For this gift, I swear my unwavering loyalty to you. My strength, my resources, and the prestige of my house are yours."
Theodore beamed, crossing his arms. "Now that's what I call a reward. Welcome to the team, Alcina."
She stood, regaining her imposing stature.
"My first act of service will be to equip you properly. You fought a dragon-class beast with a shard of glass and relied on a healing potion. This is unacceptable."
Alcina strode toward the Duke, whose caravan was still parked nearby.
"Duke,"
She commanded, her voice cutting through the night.
"Theodore Mayer is now the paramount figure in my house. You will transfer every Lei, every gold coin, and every asset I possess to him. In return, I demand that you fully upgrade every single weapon he owns, immediately."
The Duke, looking utterly stunned by the new dynamic, could only nod slowly, wiping sweat from his brow.
"He is a very powerful man, Lady Alcina. Very well. I shall prepare the best of my stock for my new—ah—patron."
The next hour was a blur of commerce.
Alcina provided a staggering amount of currency and priceless assets, demanding the highest tier of service.
Theodore watched as his precious weapons—the Desert Eagle, the M1911, and the V61 Custom—were completely overhauled.
Duke, working with impressive speed and skill, added custom stocks, maximized fire rates, reduced recoil, and reinforced barrels.
"With your skills, these are now effectively sniper weapons in your hands, Sir Theodore,"
Duke rumbled, handing back the Desert Eagle, now gleaming with gold accents.
Theodore felt the weight of his newly upgraded arsenal. His strategic gameplay just became viable for the rest of the run.
"Alright, that's better," Theodore said, adjusting the rifle sling. He looked at the four powerful women—Alcina and her daughters—who now stood united and loyal behind him, ready for the next objective.
"Lady Dimitrescu, you know the Lords better than anyone. Where is the best place to intercept Heisenberg and retrieve Ethan's daughter, Rose?"
Alcina's lips curled in a confident, chilling smile.
"Karl Heisenberg is predictable. He loiters in his Factory, a fortress of gears and metal. But first, he will hold an audience with Donna Beneviento and her grotesque dolls. We will go there. The dolls will not stand a chance against my daughters' true speed, and my strength will crush Heisenberg's flimsy metal traps."
Ethan looked from the towering Alcina to Theodore, who was grinning like a maniac.
He had gone from a lone, terrified father to leading an army of cured vampires against a village of monsters.
"Okay," Ethan said, gripping his upgraded M1911. "Let's go smash some dolls."