血王:夜王朝

Chapter 11：红虫号。17

"Ugh." In the backstage restroom of Night Charm, Rachel vomits into the sink, her body wracked by the aftereffects of the liquor she had been forced to consume. She understands why those young masters made things difficult for her; she is, after all, the current student council president of Moonglow Academy. The president may not be the strongest in the academy, but they are certainly the most studious and diligent.

"Ah, what do I see?" The voice is accompanied by a faint yet distinct fragrance that manages to overpower the pungent odor of the restroom. Rachel rinses her face and straightens to look into the mirror, where she sees another person reflected alongside her.

"Boss, it's past working hours now. Is there something you need, or are you here to give me a raise?"

"Ah, such a speechless reply. Even in this state, your first thought is about salary. Rachel, if you're short on money, you can tell me. I may not have tens of thousands, but I can scrape together a couple of thousand gold coins." Meier says with a sly smile. "And there's no rush to pay back. Just help me with a few tasks."

"A couple of thousand, huh?" To be honest, Rachel is tempted, but she dare not accept. Her boss, who is always mysterious both to outsiders and insiders, has an unknown true identity. The constant smile on her face always gives Rachel an uneasy feeling, as if she is scheming at all times.

In this world's currency, after a few years of comparison, Rachel has concluded that one gold coin is equivalent to one hundred dollars, a silver coin to ten dollars, and a copper coin to one dollar of her previous world. Rachel had desperately downed several bottles of liquor, earning thousands of dollars in the process. Is this not a quick way to make money? But it's a matter of life and death. If it weren't for the inexplicable awakening as a vampire ancestor yesterday, Rachel estimates she would have died before the age of twenty.

"Boss, I'm grateful to you. In this never-sleeping district, I applied to twenty-nine service venues, and none of them would take me. They either wanted me to sell my body, thought I was too young for the job, or were afraid I would cause trouble. It was you who gave me this job, allowing me to have such high income. I'm really thankful."

Rachel speaks sincerely, and Meier remains silent, just calmly looking at her.

"But I have a very stubborn side: I won't take money of unknown origin." Rachel enunciates each word clearly, despite her tongue being slightly slurred from the alcohol; "I won't take money with impure intentions. Boss, I apologize, but I have a sister at home who depends on me. If something happens to me, she will die. So..." With that, Rachel bows and leaves the restroom, bypassing Meier.

If it were just Rachel by herself, she would dare to do anything and fight for it, relying on her vampire ancestor's immortality. If Meier could clarify what she wanted Rachel to do, Rachel would consider it and not refuse so outright. But these are just hypothetical scenarios. The reality is that Meier, the boss, is unfathomable to Rachel, and subconsciously, she does not want to get too involved with her.

"Ah, is that so? That's truly regrettable," Meier stands still for a long time before bursting into a soft laugh. By the time she leaves the restroom, Rachel is already gone. It is now 11:40 PM, nearing midnight, which is when the never-sleeping district is at its liveliest. If it weren't for the academy classes she cannot miss the next day, Rachel would have wanted to stay here all night; after all, it's all money.

"Boss."

Meier moves to the third floor, overlooking the dancing beauties below, her expression unchanged at the sound of a voice out of thin air. "What is it?"

"Miss Rachel might be in danger now."

"Elaborate on the reason."

"In the residual liquor from the bottle Miss Rachel drank from, we detected the substance known as Redworm No. 17."

"Redworm No. 17, the one that makes consumers behave promiscuously, the one some people give to girls who won't comply, correct?"

"Yes, that bottle of liquor was brought in from outside, not ours. And Miss Rachel drank an entire bottle of it. If we don't take appropriate countermeasures, Miss Rachel might be violated tonight."

Meier's brows furrow in concern, and a grave consideration flits across her normally innocent face. After a while, she shakes her head. "Rachel is the student council president of the strongest academy in this human empire. I don't believe she's just a figurehead. Those spoiled brats won't be her match. However, to be on the safe side, it's better to check. Send seven people to look into it."

"Understood." A response echoes from the shadows, followed by silence, and all is quiet again.

"Rachel, who desires money so much, actually refused my invitation. Ah, I want you more and more." Meier's cheeks flush as she thinks of something, looking quite enticing.

"No, I mustn't rush. Delicacies are meant to be savored last, and rushing would only spoil the taste," she mutters to herself, barely suppressing her eager thoughts.

Meier was mistaken about one thing: before yesterday, Rachel might, no, would definitely have fallen into her hands, becoming her possession. But now, for some unknown reason, Rachel has become a vampire ancestor, and her life is undergoing changes with the passage of time, changes that even Rachel herself has not noticed.

It's not just her appearance, with her pale skin and blood-colored eyes; the real transformation is happening inside. She possesses a staggering amount of magic power, an absolute inability to be killed, including immortality, and the familiars slumbering within her, waiting to awaken.

From the moment Rachel became a vampire ancestor, her destiny changed dramatically. Of course, all of this is unknown to Rachel, and also to Meier, who desires to possess her.

Unaware of Meier's intentions, Rachel leaves Night Charm and steps out of the never-sleeping district. Instead of heading home, she walks towards the city gates of the empire.

"So hot," Rachel feels an inexplicable internal heat as she walks, a sensation she has never experienced before, washing over her consciousness.

"What's going on?" She leans against a streetlight, clutching her head in confusion, the heat unbearable. Rachel undoes the collar of her work attire and fans herself vigorously with her hands.

At this time of night, there are few people outside, only the occasional patrolling soldiers and some idle individuals. A small, beautiful, and seemingly intoxicated young woman like Rachel, looking lost and disoriented by the roadside, attracts the attention of those with malicious intent, who hesitate to act.

At that moment, a group of about fifteen thugs swaggers out.

"That's her, right?"

"Yeah, hehehe, not only can we earn five gold coins, but we can also taste such a top-notch girl." The group surrounds Rachel, commenting and leering.

"Let's get to work, guys. There are too many people here. If the patrol soldiers come, it'll be ruined." Just as these men are about to move Rachel to another location to assault her, an unexpected event occurs.