บท 203: "Preemptive Setup"

Rita held the frozen Rick by his shoulders and dragged him over to a secluded corner, keeping a firm grip on his shoulder to ensure he wouldn't fall. She took out a small knife and vial, ready to collect some blood—nothing held more of a person's magical essence than their blood. Even if she managed to steal some of Rick's equipment within the 8-minute window, she couldn't be certain he had used it.

The syringe she held was one she'd picked up on a ranch, a vet-grade syringe with a capacity of 10 ml. She'd thought it might come in handy someday, so she took ten of them, leaving a silver coin behind. Now was exactly that time.

After filling one vial, she felt it wasn't quite enough—she might as well collect a proper amount! She took out another vial and kept drawing.

One vial... two... three... she drew a total of five full vials. If she'd had more time, Rita would likely have left Rick with barely a drop to spare.