“Thank you so much for your offer, my lady. I will accept it.”
Lily felt a pang of guilt as she watched Tessa bow before her. The former receptionist had changed so much. Her once dark hair, usually tied neatly in a braid, now hung loose, cascading over her shoulders in a curtain of snow-white. Lily couldn’t even remember what color the girl’s eyes had been before, but now two dark, blood-red irises stared back at her like polished rubies.
Her mouth was smeared with blood, drops still clinging to her lips, and when she spoke, Lily could clearly see the inhuman fangs behind them. Her skin was pale—almost luminous—and unless Lily was imagining it, Tessa looked physically smaller, her frame more petite. Her nails had lengthened into black, claw-like points, nothing human left about them.
Only her face still resembled the girl Lily had known, the features not yet entirely changed.
Lily didn’t know whether Tessa would eventually be able to alter her appearance. Normally, vampire classes came with some kind of skill for that, but for now, the girl definitely couldn’t return to Tiara looking like this.
This is so damn wrong, Lily thought as she inspected the girl.
Listening to Vessikar’s explanation while watching Tessa feed on the deer had not only confirmed Lily’s thoughts from the flight over—that something had gone truly wrong—it made everything even worse. Seeing the girl like this was more shocking than anything that had happened in the last few days.
It was at this point that Lily realized she was becoming exactly what that damned book she’d confiscated from Sevrin had described: a cataclysm-level being, because everything seemed to fall apart the moment it crossed paths with her. And then there was the next part of the prophecy, the one claiming that such a being would restore the balance of the world. In the end, it was all some kind of philosophical fuckery anyway, depending entirely on what that balance was supposed to be, and how it was meant to shift.
But even after such a short time here, Lily had already started to figure it out. The balance meant the balance between [Good] and [Evil]. Which was honestly pretty hypocritical, because ever since she’d learned how Luxandra and her shitty little guild had somehow survived and twisted themselves into the main faith here, [Good] in this world seemed to be nothing more than belief and branding.
Luxandra had definitely been [Good]-aligned, sure. She had all the fancy, shiny, righteous skills and everything. But genocide, purging unbelievers, and other assorted horrors? Yeah, those had absolutely been Luxandra’s specialties.
So, what did [Good] even mean here?
And if Lily represented the [Evil] side now, did that mean she had to lead some kind of evil empire? No. Of course not. It simply meant she had to help the people who were being suppressed and crushed by the so-called righteous side. That was it. Right?
Also, her path was probably already laid out anyway. The last page of the book came back to her, the welcome text for Travelers.
“Prepare for war, for in Xantia, peace is but a fleeting dream.”
So, a clash was inevitable, whether sooner or later.
Lily sighed deeply and forced her thoughts back to the girl in front of her.
“Mortal… no, you are not a mortal anymore…” Lily corrected herself, then continued in a calmer voice. “Tessa. I will call you by your name, if that is fine for you. I think we have to talk a bit. Would you care to walk with me?”
She nodded toward a direction where the trees grew thinner and the moonlight broke through the branches in pale silver rays.
Tessa’s voice was still shaky in Lily’s presence. “Y… yes, Princess,” she said, and hurried to follow.
Lily took the lead while Tessa walked beside her, still unsure and trembling slightly. Vessikar followed a few steps behind them. The demon seemed completely excited, almost fascinated, as he inspected the forest, sniffing the air and looking at every branch and shadow as if the woods were new to him.
Wasn’t he here with Tessa for hours already? Ah never mind…
Watching him, Lily remembered Ekkra, and her worry returned. She gave Vessikar a mental command.
Ekkra is dead, and I thought it could be related to you two, she sent through the bond. But since I have confirmed this is not the case, I need you to return to Tiara and find out what happened. Ekkra had been following church members earlier today, so go to the church first. His death is highly concerning, so do not engage with anyone. Retreat immediately if there is danger. I need your report as soon as possible.
Vessikar stopped mid-step, his excitement dimming for a moment as he processed her words. Then he bowed his head slightly.
“Yes, Princess,” he said, and without another word he turned and darted through the trees, disappearing into the night like a shadow pulled by purpose.
Now alone with Tessa, Lily let out another quiet breath.
The moonlight fell across Tessa’s white hair and blood-red eyes, making her look even more unreal than before.
Lily thought for a moment about whether she should stay in her princess role, but decided quickly that there was no real role anymore. Lilithia, Lily… why pretend, when she had already made up her mind that she would not simply go with the flow anymore. She wanted to be more honest with herself, and she should at least take responsibility for her carelessness. It was somehow even worse than doing bad things intentionally.
“So… first of all, no need to call me princess. Just call me Lilith. Or Lily.” She sighed.
“Thank you, princess… I mean… Lady Lilith…” Tessa stammered.
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“Just Lilith… but well, call me however you like.” Lily looked at her carefully. “Before we begin, I want you to know something. As I said earlier, I cannot do it now, but if there is ever a possibility to turn you back into a human, I think I could find it. Only if you really want that, of course. Even if you made up your mind and want to remain as you are now, you should keep the option in mind. If someday you change your opinion, you can ask me about it again. Vampirism is a curse, and every curse can be undone.”
Lily sighed inwardly. There goes my brilliant plan of filling her up with a potion to forget the last twenty-four hours and letting her wake up without trauma. Yeah, that plan was shit anyway.
Tessa shook her head. “No… L… Lilith, it is fine. I feel… somehow more whole than I ever did in my life. I do not think it is a curse. It is…”
“It is fine,” Lily interrupted gently. Yeah, her vampirism is influencing her, huh? Is it like how I feel influenced since I arrived? Is it my class? But no, that does not feel right either. But at least she grew up in this world and probably has more common sense than those cultists. She also seemed reliable enough, since she did not flee earlier in the inn and instead decided to… clean my mess. Ah yes. Maybe giving her a task will help her stabilize…
“In the end,” Lily continued aloud, “it was my mistake that this happened, so I will help you on your new path. But since this was not a normal occurrence of vampirism, I need some time to decide how I will help you and how I can help you. So again, I offer you a place at my side. And I know it might sound selfish in this situation, but I also need a guide in this world, because… I was away for a long time, and many of my decisions were based on a perspective I want to change. So perhaps we could help each other a little?”
Tessa paused, surprised. “You mean… I could help you? Me, a mere city girl from Tiara?” She sounded almost unbelieving.
Lily smiled at her, and it was a genuine smile. “It does not matter who you were. It only matters whether you are reliable. You see… I know this realm, but at the same time I do not. I think I need someone who can help me stay focused on the important things. And someone who tells me when I go overboard, because I will definitely do that.”
At least when that voice inside me nudges me into doing crazy shit again and I do not notice… she added silently to herself.
“Also… I think I am the best one here to guide you in your class. That reminds me, what kind of vampire are you exactly? Ah, wait…”
Lily reached into her inventory and produced a ring. “Just put this on and say ‘display status’.”
Tessa hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She took the ring from Lily’s hand, slipped it onto her finger, and whispered, “Display status.”
A thin blue beam shot from the ring and projected a translucent window into the air for both of them to see.
[Tessa Noze]
Race: Undead / Vampire
Level: 15
Alignment: [Evil]
Class: [Demon God’s Progenitor Vampire (Vampire Origin)]
Tessa blinked in surprise. Lily, on the other hand, stared at the class name in complete disbelief, even if none of it reached her face.
Well shit, a unique Progenitor class. How the fuck did that happen? This is like a zero-point-zero-zero-one-percent role at most. Ahh fuck this.
Outwardly she kept her voice calm. “Oh, this is just a [Dataflux Ring]. It helps to display status information for others. Normally it is used for mentor programs.”
Lily lifted her gaze to meet Tessa’s eyes. “Yes… since I need to level you up anyway, a mentor program seems fitting. I mean, I will take you as my apprentice, so I can track your class better.”
Tessa’s eyes grew wide. “Your apprentice? Me? But—”
“No buts,” Lily said calmly. “I have decided.”
I can guess what the class can do, but a progenitor class normally means a completely new race being introduced into the world, and that is a huge deal, right? Oh damn. I hope the apprentice system even works here…
Tessa looked at her with clear disbelief, and Lily could not blame her. Today had been overwhelming for her too, maybe even stranger than the last days Lily herself had gone through. It was almost on the same world-altering level, and the fact that it was her fault only made Lily empathize with her more.
“I… think… thank you, Lad— I mean, Lilith…” Tessa replied shyly.
Lily pulled off her gloves and let them vanish into her inventory. Then she reached out, took Tessa’s hand gently, and held it with one hand. “You can keep the ring for now,” she said softly. “But there is still one more thing.”
With her free hand Lily guided a slow stream of mana from her fingertip, shaping glowing runes in the air while still holding Tessa’s hand. The symbols floated like tiny lines of silver fire.
“I, Lilithia Nocturne, Princess of the Abyss, hereby declare…” Lily hesitated only for a blink, remembering the status she had just seen, “…Tessa Noze as my apprentice before the world. I will help her find her way as a Traveler and send her well prepared into the world, so she may become another pillar that supports this realm.”
The runes she had drawn in the air glowed brighter, circling around Lily’s hand, still clasped around Tessa’s.
“Just say your name,” Lily instructed softly, “and say that you accept.”
Tessa was still overwhelmed by the rapid turns her life had taken, but she nodded. Her voice trembled slightly when she said, “I, Tessa Noze, accept.”
At her words, the runes moved. They flew down onto both their hands, sinking gently into their skin until a small glowing mark appeared on each, like a delicate tattoo of shimmering mana.
Lily released Tessa’s hand and opened her own status window. She navigated through the menus, switching between tasks until she found the familiar tab she had hoped for.
[Apprentice]
[Tessa Noze]
Beneath it were several options:
- [Progress Report]
- [Skill Growth Summary]
- [Task Completion Log]
- [Performance Evaluation]
- [Weakness Analysis]
- [Recommended Training]
Lily exhaled a breath she had not realized she had been holding. The mentor system worked here. That would make things so much easier—for both of them.
In Xantia, the mentor system existed to help older guilds or experienced players raise new ones. It boosted an apprentice’s experience gain and accelerated skill learning related to the mentor’s class, and in return it rewarded the mentor upon reaching certain milestones. A mentor could usually only take an apprentice once they passed level five hundred, and the apprenticeship lasted until the apprentice reached seventy-five percent of the mentor’s level.
There had been many more functions and hidden mechanics behind it, too, but Lily could only hope the system had translated into this world in the same way she remembered.
Ahh… we will see, Lily thought. At least the spell worked for now. We should head back to the mansion. I really wonder how the others are doing. They should have outlined the base at least, right? Maybe Marie can help me tomorrow to establish a connection between Tiara and the new base… ah well, let us think about it later.
She smiled at Tessa tiredly. “All right, Tessa. You are officially my apprentice now. We will talk things out later. For now, we should head back to my mansion. I have a room prepared for you there. Tomorrow we can figure out what to do about your home in Tiara. Were you living there alone?”
“I…” Tessa paused. Her expression tightened with confusion. “I think I lived with my mother. I am not completely sure… It is difficult to stay focused on details from my… old life.”
Well, that could become a problem later. Tessa’s detachment from her old life and even her mother was another thing for Lily’s ever-growing list. But for now, they needed to get back to Tiara, return to the inn, and teleport to her mansion.
So, she looked at Tessa and asked, “Have you ever flown before?”
The girl blinked in confusion. “I guess not… woaaah—!”
Her voice broke into a startled scream when Lily cast [Fly] on her. Her feet lifted from the ground far too quickly for her mind to catch up, and she flailed for a moment in pure panic.
Lily could not resist a small grin. “Then it should be the first spell you learn from me.”
With a smooth motion she lifted herself into the air, her wings unfolding behind her. Tessa drifted upward beside her, pulled along by the spell, eyes wide and hair floating weightlessly around her pale face.
Lily reached out and steadied her lightly. “Do not worry. I have you.”
Then she angled herself toward Tiara and began to fly, pulling Tessa along through the moonlit sky.