Chương 24: Submission of the Dwarven Empress
Maribel, unaffected by the act, calmly confirmed her nature. "Yes, this body is a homunculus. Created to fulfill a purpose."
Vecna returned to his seat and wiped the remains of blood from his lips, still marks of disgust lingering on his taste buds.
"Created for a purpose? Can I assume it is for Revenge?"
"Hah, if I would have created this body for Revenge I wouldn't be here, under some nonsensical contract of a shameless human."
"Then it's your pursuit for your craft? Have you abandoned your former body because you were bound to the limitations a mortal body has."
Maribel looked at the calm Vampire with a shocked look, surprised that he could have such an accurate assumption, wondering how far he read into her.
Watching that change in her expression, he couldn't help but think about the deeper story between this mysterious woman and old Alistar.
Maribel returned to her collected self, allowing her crimson hair to cascade around her as she approached Vecna with a sense of anticipation.
"Remain there. Talk from where you are." said the blonde man, not impressed by the approaching beauty.
He had a strange feeling about this woman, from how disgusting her blood tasted, comparing it to Elysia to how sketchy she was in not engaging in an actual fight, like what he expected the scenario for this Quest to be.
Hearing him, she took to a spot, but her expression started switching as she told, almost begging.
"Take me with you," she implored, her eyes sparkling with the promise of a shared future. "I see potential in your path, a chance for growth. Let us journey together."
His eyes narrowed as he stared deep into the woman's green eyes.
"Let us journey together…" murmured Vecna to himself, as he watched tacitly Maribel's face before switching around coldly.
"What's in for me? I assume you're bound contractually like some demon to this place. So, spit it out."
"What's in for me, and what does it takes to get you out?"
"Ohh, nothing much. From my observation, you can easily clear it out."
But Maribel's excitement was tempered by a contractual obligation. She explained that she was bound by a previous agreement with Alistar's ancestor, someone called Siegfried the Destroyer, a Legendary Knight from the past era.
Alistar was this figure's grandson and partially inherited most of Siegfried's Legacy.
"If you ask me, you should try to take everything from his Legacy. So, better make sure to sugarcoat that kid into teaching you, all he knows."
"Seems that you're valuable in a way."
"In a way?" inquired Maribel, with a shocked expression that turned rather angry.
"Certain information might be valid. I can't confirm it with the Filter. However, I like the name of it."
"Destruction Sword."
"Yeah, I heard Siegfried managed to defeat even that Immortal bastard into scramming in search of other Legends."
"Not interested."
"Then, what else do you want to hear to convince you?"
He took his time before responding, contemplating everything that Maribel told him, and what would await him next.
"Facing a demon is my last hurdle?"
"That's right. You're the best candidate, afterall, you're a demon too."
Vecna's eyes gleamed with interest. "Very well. I'm lacking Blood Servants. However, I'm doing it my way to release you from your contract."
"What do you mean to release me from my contract? You have to defeat the demon."
"It can wait."
Taking out the Book of Night again, which acted like a crimson ruby in darkness, Maribel was left confused as Vecna began turning the pages until he stopped abruptly.
"There are a couple of ways for me to acquire my Blood Servants. Either, I drink Blood from them and they willingly submit to me, or I use this Artifact to bind them forcefully."
Sighing to himself, Vecna continued stating a cold remark. "However, I have a limit to how many I can forcefully bind to myself. At my current level, I can have 4 Blood Servants, and I might improve once I reach a higher power stage."
He spilled open his palm with a dagger pouring blood on the empty page of the Grimoire, the point where Maribel reacted by getting up from her seat and, in a way, attempting to defend herself from the incoming danger.
"Heh, don't you want to follow me?"
"Not like this!" screamed the woman, horrified by the tentacles sprouting from the Book of Night, lunging at her in seconds.
They began enveloping her, whether she allowed it or not, forming a Blood Cocoon around her body and obstructing all her senses to the outside world. Only, Vecna's voice echoed inside this morbid ability.
"You want to follow me, and I'm giving you this chance. Others would die to get my Blessing."
"You think this is a game?" screamed Maribel, trying to break out, only to be suppressed heavily by the crimson tentacles, morphing into unbreakable chains.
"That would be you who thinks we're playing around. Submit and stop this pointless loss of time."
"Only if I can get my freedom back!"
Vecna, who had a mirror opened inside the crimson construct, watching Maribel struggling with her desires, smirked maliciously.
"You'll not feel restricted at all. As long as your work is in line with my aspirations, you might even get my support."
No response came back from Maribel, only silence.
The conflict in her unblemished face was visible for Vecna, bringing out a sense of satisfaction as he watched the woman drop down into her emotions before scaling up as various thoughts sprung into action.
'She should be useful as an Named NPC that can get into the class of Legends.'
'While she didn't reveal much about herself, apart from the current circumstance. I can see how she got so low.'
Time was ticking slower for both Vecna and Maribel, it only resumed its course when the crimson-haired beauty reluctantly spoke, only her head visible from the chains of darkness and blood.
"I agree…"
"You'll not regret this choice."
The Book of Night held by Vecna flashed with blood magic, the page reserved for Maribel as his second Blood Servant scribing itself autonomously, bringing forth a mysterious allure to this Divine Artifact.
[Ding!]
[Maribel has submitted to you and will become one of your Blood Servants.]
[A big achievement has been achieved. The Forgotten Empress of Dwarfs has submitted to your will.]
[Dignity has risen by 100]
[Charm has risen by 100]
Out of habit to check the new changes happening to his system, he opened the particular unique feature, which briefly introduced his Servants, where certain parts of their stories remained under a 'Locked' state.
That meant that he still had to learn about his servants if he cared to learn about this 'Locked' information.
Nonetheless, it wasn't on his mind for the moment.
★ [Blood Servant System]
1. Elysia 'The Elven Princess' Moonshow
2. Maribel 'The Empress of Dwarfs' Ironforge
His attention returned back to the Book of Night, where things slowly settled down, with the cocoon enveloping Maribel getting absorbed by the woman.
Looking at her, he couldn't help but notice a privilege that was granted to her as his Blood Servant by the grimoire. Her appearance looked far stunning as if she got turned into a Vampire.
"What have you done to me?"
"My body feels strange as if I got infected by a parasite."
'Inspect Blood Servant'
[Name: Maribel Ironforge
Age: 186 | Gender: Female | Race: Homunculus (+)
Class: Battle Gear Master | Alchemical Artificer
-------------------------------------
Level: 300 (Sealed)
Strength: 403 (▼) | Stamina: 1,080 (▼) | Agility: 1,201 (▼) | Intelligence: 1,630 (▼)
Dexterity: 3,500 (▼) | Wisdom: 1,276 (▼) | Charm: 1,500 (▼) | Dignity: 1,270 (▼)
Insight: 1,500 (▼) | Politics: 500 (▼)
------------------------------------
Skills: Battle Tactics (S), Armored Resilience (S), Elixir Expertise (S), Dwarf's Craftsmanship (S+), Masterful Weaponry (SS), Empowering Aura (SS), Forge of the Dwarfs (SS), Transmutation Mastery (SS), Elemental Alchemy (SS), Automaton Legion (SSS), Explosive Ordnance (???), Homunculus Creation - Incomplete (???), Forbidden Alchemy (???)
…
…
There was a small twitch of Vecna's right eyebrow as he read the status info regarding Maribel, and only a thought resounded louder than others.
'She's crazy good for a blacksmith and alchemist. Hah, again, she's useless in a fight, even with a higher status and level.'
'Now I understand why she didn't want to fight me head-on. Instead, it seems she relies on that Automaton Legion thingy.'
"Do you hear me?" asked Maribel again, staring at Vecna with a fiery gaze, unsure if the bargain she struck was for any good.
"Mhm? You're asking me as if you don't like the gift."
"That's what you call a gift, Vampire? Getting chained and strangled? Now I am infected by something I have no idea what might be."
"Lower your voice when you speak to me." warned the man, annoyed that Maribel started raising her voice, akin to staging a protest.
'You're complaining about that much? I got sucked dry by the Book, you had it nice. Ignorant woman.'
"Explain yourself."
"It's easy. Since you're one of my first Blood Servants, you've received some 'privileges' from me. From what it looks like, your condition has improved drastically."
"Homunculus is still a vessel bound by blood and flesh, which I have Authority over as God."
Her angry look diminished with Vecna's made-up answer. He also had no idea what the Book of Night had done with Maribel. But in hand-sight, it shouldn't be detrimental to his path to success.
As Caine's Reincarnator, his Divine Artifact would "theoretically" strive to build up the new Master to reinstate a lost Divine Legacy.
Yet for Maribel, his words were sound, and while checking those minute changes to her being, all in silence, she couldn't help but gasp.
"You didn't fool me, I can feel something akin to a Divine Power inside my heart. I feel my body getting stronger as we speak."
"You're welcome." responded Vecna nonchalantly, getting up from his chess seat, and stepping toward the Workshop, followed by Maribel, whose hand was planted hard on her generous bosom.
Moving around the Workshop, ignoring Maribel's attempts at explaining what he was glancing at, this sighting hit his senses differently, matching up with the Fantasy vibe that could inspire Best-Seller Authors into a writing frenzy.
Eventually, Maribel gave up on gaining his attention, thinking he wasn't interested in her Workshop and everything that was centered on building the Automatons and other Trinkets and Battle Gear.
She got spooked when Vecna suddenly turned at her and opened his mouth, revealing his predatory fangs.
"Say."
"Pardon?"
"How long would it take you to move this station to another place?"
"Move the Workshop? Why would I do that?"
"In case, something goes wrong with this underground chamber. How long would it take you to evacuate?"
"I have 10 Automatons available on hold. If I have all of them activate, and rescue the vital components to my Workshop, we can save a lot."
"That's good to know."
Turning around to where a sole door, quite ancient looking, presided over, he remarked in a charming tone.
"It was an interesting tour of your workplace. However, I was a bit disappointed because the guide stopped explaining half-way."
(´⊙ω⊙`)!
"Pardon? I thought you were ignoring me. That I was bothering you."
"Wrong. I was listening. I guess we still got to know each other better, Maribel."
"Ahh, yes. Certainly. Hmmm."
He could hear an attempt at voicing out a question, for which he made sure to walk slower toward his 4th and final Challenge.
"Spit it out. What do you want?"
"It has been bothering me for a while… How should I address you? Master? Blood Lord? Vampire Master? Lord? Progenitor?"
Hearing all of those titles, all this cringiness made his ears react as if he had an otitis media, reaching to an infection.
"Don't bother with pompous titles. Vecna will do. I don't want you to feel lessen than me."
"Anything else? Maybe, something you omitted telling me previously about the Demon I'll face?"
"..."
"Honest. Please, don't tell anyone when you get out. That bastard managed to seal down an Archdemon! A part of his soul to be precise."
"I tried to take him down myself in the past, but it failed miserably on me." remarked Maribel with a downcast expression, sulking behind the tall blonde man.
She bumped her head into his back from his sudden pause and instantly felt a chill when glancing into his crimson eyes that flashed with darkness.
"An Archdemon? Do you think I'm Solomon or some Saint to subdue Archdemons in my current state? There's barely one week since I've taken on this mantle, and you expect me to fight Archdemons?"
"Why not? You're powerful, far stronger than I was when I faced Camio. He's only the 33th Archdemon."
'Motherfuckers. 'Only'.'
'It doesn't change the fact I'm level 45.'
"Anything else, you're omitting?" asked Vecna, throwing a look that told Maribel she wouldn't get extra chances before shit started to fan in her face.
"I'll tell you everything I know. Fine. Hah, your Insight is no joke."
"Camio is a lesser Archdemon, the weakest of them all."
"And you still lost. Continue."
"Ahem. He is said to be the Lord of Shadows, but this title is a sham. His stealth and deception skills are mediocre at best. If I had my original body I would have defeathered that black chicken into tenders."
"This bastard excels at manipulation and illusions, he thinks he is good at ensnaring your mind, leading you astray with honeyed words and promises of power. Nothing much in his current state."
This time Maribel brought to light additional information about his Final Boss and what a Boss to boast about.
Ultimately, an Archdemon was still a foe Vecna wouldn't think of facing anytime soon, but the rewards called him.
There was no chance he wouldn't turn around empty-handed.
As Vecna approached the final door of the Suppression Chamber, he could feel an ominous presence emanating from the other side.
The air grew heavy with malevolence, and the darkness seemed to seep through the cracks of the ancient door.
"Good luck, Vecna." murmured Maribel, keeping her distance from the door, less her involvement would create a disturbance and mess everything up.
"Mhm. I guess I'll need some luck."
Undeterred, Vecna pushed the door open, revealing a dimly lit chamber engulfed in shadows.
As he stepped inside, the darkness seemed to coalesce, taking on a sinister form.
Standing before him was the Archdemon Camio, the Lord of Shadows. His eyes glowed with an intense crimson light, and a malicious grin spread across his dark visage.
The air crackled with dark energy, and Vecna could sense the immense power emanating from the demon.
"Welcome, mortal," Camio's voice echoed through the chamber, capable of sending a shiver down to any human's spine. "I have been expecting you."
Yet, Vecna remained cool, his status was far above an Lesser Archdemon which built additional mental fortitude against such events.
[Archdemon Camio - LV. ???]
"I am not here to exchange pleasantries," Vecna replied, his voice unwavering. "I have come to fulfill my purpose and claim whatever power this dungeon has to offer."
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