Sorry for the delay... Here we go!

Chapter 13: The Promise

As the song continued to play, Claire began to calm down little by little. She was hugging me tightly and it seemed that she didn’t want to let me go. I didn’t know if I love her but my feelings for her was strong. Until I figured out what it was, I refused to let her go.

Her warmth enveloped my body, I wasn’t aroused by it but it was comforting and it made my mind clear as day. This must be the feeling that George felt when he held his wife. The warmth of a lover’s embrace. I didn’t know if Claire felt the same thing but I didn’t care and I didn’t want to ask. I was afraid to ask.

She fell asleep in my arms as the song ended. I didn’t want her to let go. Claire and I stayed in that position for what it seemed to be for eternity.

When my mana recovered again, I cast [Cure Disease] on her for the third time. I focused my mana inside her mana core.

Another song was played as I tried to cure Claire. It was another depressing love song about saying goodbye.

I sensed that the dark mana was still spreading inside and the cells on her body were dying as a result of the corruption.

The dark mana occupied at least 60% of Claire’s mana core and it continues to spread.I injected my all my mana once again. I felt my mana was drained fast as I poured everything I got. The dark mana was being pushed out the core as my mana took place inside the core.

Some of the mana I poured was being rejected by the mana core. It’s natural for the core to reject it since my mana was foreign inside her body. I continued to pour it but my mana was exhausted once again.

Attribute(s) gained:

+5 MP

You have gained a new skill.

Mana Transfer [Active] Beginner Lvl 1

Effect: You can transfer your MP to another. The amount of MP transferred depends on the user's INT and WIS. The maximum ratio for transfer is 1:1

Requirement(s): The user must be in touch with the target

MP Transfer ratio: 0.10:1

I activated [Meditate] to recover my MP. I didn’t wait to fully recover and again, I focused my mana to her core. The mana core was still occupied by the dark mana by at least 50%. It seemed that every mana that I had can only fill 10% of her core.

I could try to siphon the dark mana to myself but that would only add more problems. I didn’t want Claire to die but I didn’t want to die either.

I was getting irritated with the song. It wasn’t helping the mood. I let go of Claire and carefully put her down to her bed. I wanted to beat the shit out of this Professor Asshole.

With my skill [Muffled Steps], I successfully slipped out the room without waking up Claire. I went to the other room and saw the asshole singing while playing his guitar. I didn’t know where he got the fucking guitar but I didn’t care so I grabbed him by his collar.

“Wh-what are you doing?” He asked.

I ignored him and dragged him outside the room. He dropped the guitar as I pushed and pinned him to the wall. The others were shocked and tried to stop me but I glared at them. They stopped as they watched me lift Gerry from the ground. I was taller than him by an inch and my STR made it possible.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I asked him.

“I-I was just playing the guitar… a-and singing…”

“I know… but why?!”

“W-well, they were nervous b-because Claire was bitten by a z-zombie… I-I thought if I use my skill, t-they’d calm down for a bit…” Gerry answered as he stuttered.

“What skill?”

“[Encourage]… I-It’s required for me to sing to use it…”

“Do I look like I’m calmed to you?”

“N-no… Please…”

I was about to punch him in the face but someone stopped my arm. I turned my head to see who it was.

It was Eric. “What are you doing?”

Eric, Melissa and Dianne were back. They looked bloody and messy from a fight but their levels were still the same.

“I’ll just beat the shit out of this asshole…”

Even though I was heavy, Eric grabbed me and lifted me up to keep some distance between me and Gerry.

“What did he do?” Eric asked me.

“I-I was just trying to calm down the others with [Encourage] then he attacked me!” Gerry said to them.

“That skill… What does it do again?”

“U-uhmmm… It boosts morale and abilities…” He answered.

Eric turned his head towards me. “Why did you attack him?”

“…” I didn’t answer.

I was just pissed off that I couldn’t do anything to save Claire and the asshole’s kept on singing depressing songs. Gerry went off and ran towards the room. George approached us while the others scurried back to the room like Gerry.

“We got the antibiotics…” Dianne said. “Sorry if we took a while… We encountered some gnolls on the way…”

“What happened to Claire?” Melissa asked.

“She’s okay… but… I tried to do everything…” I said as I looked down.

“We got the antibiotics just like you asked…” Dianne handed me a plastic bag filled with medicine.

“The antibiotics won’t help…” I blurted.

“Did you find out what makes her sick?” Eric asked.

“Yes… I did.” I responded.

“What is it then?”

I tried to think of the best way to explain the situation to them. I told them about Claire’s mana core and how it was corrupted with dark mana that she got from the zombie. I also told them that I tried to inject my mana into her core. It worked but my MP wasn’t enough to remove all the dark mana. After my explanation, they were silent as they tried to think of a solution.

“What if we all try to inject our mana at the same time?” Eric suggested.

“I could inject my mana because my INT is 60. I don’t think anyone of you has that amount of INT.”

“How about instead of injecting your mana, you siphon it?” Dianned asked.

“I can do that but it will also infect me and I will die…”

“Couldn’t you just keep injecting your mana until it’s gone?” Melissa asked.

“I can… but the dark mana spreads more quickly than my mana recovery.” I replied. “It will buy her more time... I don’t want to say this but… she really doesn’t have that long…”

“…”

From their looks, Eric wanted to punch me in the face for saying it while Melissa stared at me as if blaming me for Claire’s imminent death. I didn’t care anymore. Maybe I deserve the blame; maybe I deserve a punch in my face. I wanted pain; physical pain so it can mask the feeling of helplessness that’s eating me inside. Dianne broke down into tears. She immediately went to Claire’s room and embraced her. We followed her inside the room.

“Claire...”

“Dianne...” Claire looked at her and smiled.

“I’m here now...” Dianne said to her as she held Claire’s pale hands.

“I have last requests... If that’s okay...”

“No... NO!!!”

“Listen...” Claire placed her hand in Dianne’s cheek. “I’ve already accepted it...”

“NO!!!” Dianne shook her head in denial.

“I... I want to die as a human... I want to keep what’s left of my humanity before I’m gone...” Claire’s voice cracked as she said her final request.

“No!!!”

Dianne turned her head towards me and looked at me with her teary eyes. ”Miguel! Please save her!!”

I looked down as I couldn’t look Dianne in her eyes. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life. I looked at Eric and Melissa. They too were shedding tears. George was staring at Claire silently. I could see pity in his eyes. I was trying my best to hold back my tears and so far I was successful.

“Dianne... There’s nothing he can do... He already did everything. I know that...”

“PLEASE! I’m begging you... please... save her...”

“Dianne... Please listen. There’s one more thing...”

Dianne was sobbing intensely. Claire was trying her best to calm her best friend.

“I want you to find my family... If you find their body, give them a proper burial... Okay?”

“...”

“Miguel…” Claire called me.

I approached her and tried my best not to meet her gaze.“Claire… I’m so sorry… I’m sorry if couldn’t…”

“It’s okay… Just promise me… take care of them for me, okay?”

Claire placed her cold hand in my cheek. I turned my head towards her to see her face once more. She was smiling at me. It wasn’t the first but it will be her last and I was the one she granted that blessing. I’ve always wished that she would always show me her genuine smile but right now, all other smiles would pale to compare to her last smile. It was the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen.

“Promise me…”

“I promise…”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I swiftly left the room. I vomited on the floor because I couldn't handle all the emotions swelling up inside me. All the tears I tried to hold back finally made its escape. I wept.

“Miguel...” A voice called me.

I couldn’t respond. My mind was in chaos and my heart was shattered.

Eric stood in front of me as I wallow in self-pity. “Can’t you do anything to save her?”

I shook my head.

I’ve always believed that I can solve every problem with my wits but now, no matter how cunning I was, I couldn’t save her. I was weak and my weakness has caused a tragedy that would take a chunk of what’s left of my heart and soul.

“Oh god...” Eric fell down and pounded the floor in frustration.

“If only I knew this would happen...” He cried. “I would have put all my stats in INT...”

I wiped the tears in my eyes and sat on the floor as I activated [Meditate]. I cannot let her die. I promised her and I intend not to break that promise. As my MP filled up, I tried to think again of anything that can help her.

The book I’ve read about magic was of no help. I had to think outside the box. I replayed in my mind everything that happened since the beginning of the apocalypse. I was bothered when Eric said that if only he had higher INT.

The problem with Claire was that most of her core was corrupted with dark mana. From the beginning, I was trying to solve the problem with the corruption. What if I could reduce the size of her mana core so that it would be easier for me to fill it up with mana?

In theory, the dark mana would be forcibly ejected from her body due to her mana core being too small. That would also mean that Claire should reduce her INT stat or her MP... No... That’s impossible. There’s no such thing as resetting of the stat points. The SYSTEM was clear on that. Even if it were possible, it would be easier for the remaining dark mana to corrupt the entire core.

It’s a risk but it’s not like Claire had another choice. All I needed was a second and that would be enough to fill her core with my mana. If only there’s another way of reducing her INT or her MP... Shit! It was really hopeless. I removed my hood and took it off. I threw it to the ground and stomped on it to vent my frustration.

“...”

I stared at the dusty mage hood and suddenly, an idea came into my mind.

“That’s it!” I exclaimed.

Eric was surprised. “What is it? Did you find something?”

I picked up my hood and dusted it.

“Yes... I think I have an idea...”

Eric stood up and looked at me with eyes wide open.

“Okay…. What is it?”

“I’ll tell you later but first, bring Professor Gerry here...”

“You got it...”

Eric rushed towards the other room as I went back to Claire’s room. Dianne and Claire were embracing each other and crying.

“Guys... I think I know how to cure her...” I said to them.

The girls looked at me with a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

“You got a plan?” Melissa asked.

I nodded.“Dianne, do you still have that leather cap?” I asked.

“What leather cap?”

“You know... the one that makes the wearer retarded. You kept it right?”

Dianne opened her inventory and took a leather cap out of the thin air.

“You mean this one?” She handed me the leather cap. I took the cap and used [Observe].

Leather Cap of Mental Retardation

Armor Rating: 1

Durability: 5/7

Bonus: INT will decrease to 5

Drill the door. Drill the door. Drill door. Dildo.

“Miguel... I brought him...” Eric panted as he carried Professor Gerry in his arms and put him in the floor.

“H-hey...” Gerry smiled wryly as he scratched his head.

Eric was too excited as he heard that I might have a way of saving Claire. He literally brought Professor Gerry to me.

“So what’s the plan?” Eric asked.

“Before that, Professor, I’m really sorry that I attacked you earlier... But I need your help... Can you tell me again the effect of [Encourage]?”

“W-well... It boosts morale and abilities...” He answered.

“Okay but can it boosts my mana flow?”

“I don’t know what mana flow is but it depends on the music, I guess...”

“What do you mean?”

“If you want to be more calmed and focus, I have to play soft and calming music but if you want to... uhmmm... kill things then I have to play a more... epic music, I guess?”

I see... So Professor Gerry is a true bard. His skill’s buff effect was dependent on the music he’s playing.

“So what music do you want me to play?” He asked.

“I guess anything that can help me focus...”

“A love song perhaps?”

“I’d prefer it if it weren’t very depressing or the lyrics has something to do with someone dying or leaving... Actually, do you know any guitar instrumental? With no singing involve and not depressing?”

“Hmmm...” Gerry paused for a second as he looked up and think.

“I think I know one... How about Romance d’Amour?”

“The title sounds depressing...”

“It’s my favorite. No singing at all but not depressing...” He said.

“Alright, play that one...”

“I’ll just get my guitar... Be right back.” Gerry was about to go but I stopped him.

“Thank you, Sir...” I said to him.

He nodded and smiled as he ran off to the other room to get the guitar.

“So what’s the plan?” Eric asked again.

“Here it is...” I showed them the leather cap of mental retardation.

“What’re gonna do with that?” Melissa asked.

“I was thinking that if I could reduce the size of Claire’s mana core then I’ll have sufficient mana to fill it up. In my theory, the dark mana will be expelled instantly because of the immediate shrink of the mana core. I think it will work...”

“Okay... So why do you need Professor Gerry?” Dianne asked.

“I need him to play a music that will help me focus... We can only have one shot at this attempt so we have to give our best shot...”

Their eyes lit up with hope. Dianne and Claire’s eyes were filled with tears. Not of sorrow, but of joy.

“Don’t get your hopes up. There’s still a chance to fail. When the mana core shrinks, the dark mana will be quicker to spread. It’s just a theory. Actually it’s a hypothesis since it hasn’t been tested yet...”

“But there’s still chance to succeed, yes?” Claire asked.

“Of course...”

“And the chance to succeed?”

“I’d say 50/50 or it could be 1/99 with 1% chance in your favour... I’m not sure.” I said to her.

“Then let’s do it... Even if it’s 0.0001% chance to succeed, I’ll take the risk...”

The fire of hope in their eyes shone brighter even if I told them the risk. I really do hope I succeed. If I fail, they might blame me for Claire’s death and I would feel shitty about it.

“I’m back!” Gerry looked excited as he carried his guitar.

“Alright, let’s do this...”

Gerry began to play the guitar. I wasn’t familiar with the music but it was very soothing and calming. He played the guitar full of emotions and one can see his great passion about music.

As the music played, I was hesitating to tell them one last part of the plan. Perhaps the most crucial of all.

“One more thing guys… I forgot to tell you the last part of the plan...”

“What is it?” Dianne asked.

“Claire and I have to do it naked…”

There was a long pause and their faces were blank. The music also stopped as Gerry was surprised with what I said. Their eyes squinted as they tried to read me if I were really serious about it. It was awkward.

“WHAT?!” Dianne was the first one to react.

“We don’t have time for your jokes! Claire is dying!” Eric burst out.

“That’s not funny, Miguel!” Melissa blurted.

“Whoa dude… Have you lost your mind?” George asked.

“Guys! Guys! I can explain…” I said.

They didn’t stop ranting. The idea sounded bad but there was a reasonable explanation. I was silent as I waited for them to stop talking.

“Guys…” Claire spoke and they stopped. “Let Miguel explain himself…”

“Thank you Claire…” I was envious of Claire’s ability to control this mob.

“Like I said, Claire and I have to do it naked. I know it sounds bad but …” I took out the book I bought from the shop: Magical Laws and Theories for Dummies. I flipped out the book and showed them a page.

“According to that book, wearing armor or clothing made of metal and synthetic materials will hinder a mage’s flow of mana and control. My mage robe is made of silk and greatly improves my mana flow and control compared to wearing normal clothes but wearing nothing means no hindrance at all.”

“But why does Claire have to have to be naked too?” Dianne asked as she glared at me.

“That’s because I’ll transfer my mana to her and I need to be able to freely control the flow of mana inside her… I think her clothes are the reason why some of my mana was wasted.”

Eric, Dianne and Melissa were busy reading the book to confirm my statement but they were taking too long. George and Gerry were also taking a peak to read the book’s contents.

“It says here that witches always perform their Coven’s Sabbath naked to harness more of their powers…” Melissa said.

“Do you really have to be naked?” Dianne asked.

“Well, if it improves the chance of saving Claire’s life then yes, we have to… To be fair, I’ll also be naked.”

“B-b-but…” Dianne’s face was glowing red in embarrassment.

It’s the first time I saw her disagreeing with me. It’s only natural since no one wanted their BFFs to be sexually harassed by their childhood ‘friend’. I didn’t care though. If it’s the only way to save Claire’s life, I’d be willing. Though they will see my big belly full of stretch marks and my man boobs and what’s worse, they will also see my penis… Shit… They were right! It’s a bad idea!

“Fine, I agree with you. It’s a bad idea.” I said to them.

“Shut up!” Claire shouted with her remaining strength.

We were silenced by Claire’s loud voice. All of us looked at her as she was going to say something.

“We only have one shot at this. We have to give it our best shot.”

Fuck, no… I’m doomed! I brought this upon myself. Goddamn it!

Claire took off her shirt and her shorts and she was left with her underwear. George immediately left the room to give Claire some decency. Eric was too obvious and stared at Claire’s gorgeous figure. Melissa glared at him and as soon as Eric saw her, he looked down.

“What are you waiting for?” Claire asked as she prepares to take off her bra.

I stopped her. “Wait… You don’t have to take off your underwear.”

She nodded and I sighed in relief. I removed my robe and my hood. Luckily, I was wearing boxer shorts that night.

“Eric, in case I passed out, please help me put my clothes on…” I said.

“Got it…” He gave me a thumbs up.

“Whatever happens, don’t touch Claire; the dark mana may infect one of you… Understood?”

They nodded. Claire and I stared at each other as she prepares to wear the leather cap. Both of us were blushing red.

“Ready?” I asked her.

“Y-yeah…” Claire nodded.

The others were watching carefully as the plan initiated. Dianne hugged Melissa and didn’t want to see the plan fail. Gerry started to play the music and as soon as we felt the calmness coming from the spell, Claire wore the leather cap.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

Claire cried out violently as the dark mana was forcibly ejected from her. Dianne rushed to her aid but fortunately, Eric was there to stop her.

The dark mana in form of a black mist leaked from her body and her eyes turned black. The energy coming from the dark mana was so strong that I could feel its coldness inside my bones. I heard a sinister whisper.

I couldn’t understand what it was saying but I knew that the one whispering to me was coming from the dark mana itself. I could tell from its tone that it was a threatening me. It was a whisper of warning. I wasn’t really bothered by it nor did I care so I just ignored it.

After a few seconds, Claire stopped screaming and the dark mana stopped from leaking out from her body.When her eyes went back to normal, she stared at me and smiled.

“Dildo…”

“…”

I was afraid that the plan failed and the dark mana finally overtook her reduced mana core. She still looked pale but I was confused by Claire’s words.

“Dildo…Ehehehe…” Claire said as she laughed like an idiot.

“Pffft…. HAHAHAHAA!!!”

I couldn’t help it. After all the drama, seriousness and the anticipation that something bad was going to happen, Claire’s first word was “Dildo”. As soon as I started laughing, Eric joined me in laughter.

“Dildo? Uhuhuhuh! Dildo!”

Oh my god! Did the leather cap really make her an idiot? Like the idiot in Game of Thrones but instead of saying “Hodor”, she’s saying “Dildo”.

“Dildo! Dildo! Dildo!”

“Wahahahahaha!” I couldn’t stop laughing.

“Ehem!”

Dianne glared at me and pointed her eyebrows to Claire. Melissa hit Eric hard in the head in order to stop him from laughing.

“Sorry…” I said to them as I stopped laughing.

I held Claire’s hands and activated [Meditate] to further enhance my mana regeneration while casting [Cure Disease]. I didn’t know at first if it would work since it was the first time I did it.

My mana flowed inside Claire’s body without deactivating [Meditate]. I grinned as I discovered that her mana core’s size was reduced significantly. There were still a large amount of dark mana inside her core and only a few traces of Claire’s mana. I was just in time to save her.

I poured my mana into Claire’s mana core and the dark mana fought my mana viciously like it was aware of my mana’s presence.

The dark mana tried its best to get a hold on the core but it was futile. With my high MP pool, mana regeneration from [Meditate] and [Encourage], and mana control from high WIS and being naked, my mana flooded the core like a gigantic tidal wave on a tiny island. In just a few seconds, the dark mana was completely purged from her core.

I opened my eyes and removed the leather cap from Claire. The effect was strong when the core expanded back to its original size.

“AHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

Claire and I screamed in unison as I continued pushed myself to the limit. I filled her entire mana core with my mana just to be sure she was safe. Our bodies glowed white and filled the entire room with blinding light.

Attribute(s) gained:

+5 MP

When I felt all my mana was drained from me, the white light has faded and the darkness finally took over my senses…

I opened my eyes and found myself in a dark and empty place; an endless void. I was floating in a dark space but it was surprising that I could breathe.

“Hello?” I called.

No one answered… Not even an echo.

Just as I expected…

*Whisper*

Oh come on… That again?! *Sigh*

Of course, this has to be a dream. I’m sure I’ll wake up in a few seconds. I was more annoyed than afraid of the situation. My brain’s having a trip to weird dream land again. Well, if this were really a dream, I’ll try to have fun with it.

“Alright, whoever’s the jackass who thinks this is a funny prank. I get it… Now here’s your round of applause…” I said as I slowly clapped my hands.

“And here’s your Finger of Appreciation. Congratulations!” I raised my middle finger to no one.

“I’ve already given you your award. I’d give you another finger but it’s mine and now I have zero fucks to give.”

*Whisper*

“Stop that gibberish whisper, you moron! I couldn’t understand a single shit word of it.”

Finally, the whisper stopped.

“Fool…”

My eyes opened wide as a baleful voice answered from the void. I tried to keep myself calmed and spoke with the voice.

“Me? A fool? You kept talking in gibberish and expect me to understand that shit? And you thought I was the fool? Wow… You’re retarded. I bet the retarded cap won’t work on you…”

“Fuck you!” The voice answered in a sinister but angry tone. It sounded like a poor edited voice in G major.

*Whisper*

The whispers began to get louder and louder as a humongous demonic creature appeared in front of me. The creature was at least 30 feet high and looked like Diablo from the game. It has seven horns and a long spiked tail. The spikes extended in his spines.

The creature grinned at me and showed its row of yellowish sharp teeth. Its blood red eyes were burning with rage as it glared at me. Whoever this is, it’s probably trying to scare me into submission. I admit I’m spooked. Well, Shit… It’s too late to say my apologies.

I guess, I should continue being sarcastic. Even if this thing kills me, at least I will have the last laugh.

“Ohhh…Kay? So I’m supposed to say: Oh no. I’m so scared. The scary monster is going to eat me!” I returned the creature’s glare with a sarcastic smile.

“HAHAHAHAHA!!!” The creature let out an evil G major laugh. “Fascinating! Amazing! HAHAHAHA!”

“Thank you. Now get out of my dream and let me fucking sleep! If you don’t mind...” I said.

The creature leaned its face closer to me and grinned. “We’ll see each other again…”

“You’re asking me for a date? Oh boy, Oh boy, Ohhh boooy!”

“AHAHAHAHAHA!”

The creature continued to laugh as my vision started to fade again.

I woke up and found myself in a bed. It was already morning as the sun rays coming from the windows hit my eyes. I yawned. Whew… What a stupid dream. I noticed that there’s a blue screen floating in front of my face.

You’ve gained the attention of the Dark Lord. Congratulations, numbnuts…

What the fuck? Jesus Christ! That was real? Wait! What’s his name again?

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named… or something…

Voldemort?

Shhh… You shouldn’t speak of that name either and no; he’s not You-Know-Who but he’s The-Other-You-Know-Who…

Oh… So what the hell is he? A demon lord? Why didn’t I get anything like a unique skill or something?

You’ll find out soon enough… Hehe. You really have a knack for screwing things up…

Shit... Now I got the attention of two otherworldy entities.

I looked around to see if I wasn’t dreaming. I was in Claire’s room but I was alone. There was only one bed in the room and it was mine. This must be another dream and I was trapped inside the dream world. I noticed that I was wearing my mage robes and my staff beside my bed.

There was a knock on the door. Whoever that was, I was praying to Not-God that it wasn’t The-Other-You-Know-Who or the original You-Know-Who… The door opened and it was Claire.

“Hey…” Claire greeted.

I sighed. “What’s up?”

I looked at her and her skin looked much healthier than when she got infected. Claire walked towards me and sat in the bed beside me. Weird. I wasn’t feeling embarrassed or awkward. Talking to her was like most natural feeling in the world. Like talking to yourself in the mirror.

“I wanted to say thanks for saving my life…”

“You’re welcome…. By the way, what happened to your eyes?”

I noticed that her eye color was different. It has silvery glow like Riddick’s eyes from the movie Chronicles of Riddick. I used [Observe] on her but she’s still human and still pretty but I’m starting to doubt she’s the real Claire. She might be the Dark Lord in disguise.

“I don’t know… I just woke up and my eyes were like these. Isn’t it cool?”

“Yeah… awesome.” I responded. “So how long was I out?”

“Ten days…”

“WHAT?!”

Claire laughed. “Just kidding… You were out for hours.”

I sighed again in relief. I thought that the meeting with the Other-You-Know-Who was that long.

“…”

Again, there was an awkward silence between us. Why is it that whenever we’re alone, we’re always having an awkward moment?

“Uhmmm…” Claire broke the silence. “I-if there’s anything I can do for you… J-just ask me…”

My eyes squinted as I stared at Claire. She tried to look me in the eyes but she turned her head away and blushed. It got me thinking. There were two possibilities: Either she’s the Dark Lord in disguise tricking me into giving her my soul or she’s the real Claire trying to pay her debt of gratitude. I doubt it's the latter though. There’s only one way to figure it out.

“Actually, there is something…”

Claire saw me grin and her face became redder. This Dark Lord was good at acting but she’s cute.

“Can I have my washcloth back?”

As soon as she heard my request, a vein or two popped out of her temple and she gritted her teeth. She looked like she’s about to explode in anger and steams would come out of her ears. I gulped. I moved back a little to avoid being blown by her tantrum. Fortunately, she calmed down after a few seconds and let out a deep sigh.

She stood up from my bed without saying another word and went straight to the door. Was she the real Claire? Did I do something that offended her?

“Here… Catch.”

Claire tossed me a cloth and I caught it. The washcloth still looked dirty and damp.

“I haven’t washed it…” Claire said sarcastically.

“Be careful with chafing.” She smirked. “Have fun~

Yup… It’s confirmed. She’s the real Claire and she just gave me the Sacred Relic.

*Sigh*

She really likes fucking with me. Figuratively.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's note: Okay before the negativity, here's my answer...

Q: Why did you let Claire live?

A: Claire will play a more important role in the series. Actually, she will be the Female MC in the next ARC. You'll see...

Claire's history according to Miguel was too vague. Not too much character development yet IMO... What really happened? I wanted to give the main characters more history and character development before killing them.

Q: Saving her was cliche and a Deus Ex Machina...

A: And so does killing her and making Miguel bitter about it. I don't think the way Miguel saves Claire was a 'sudden' plot device. Read Chapter 6: Greed is Good. I foreshadowed the importance of the crappy items that they got from the first monsters they killed. Plus, if they had a valid and available way to do it, then why not?

Q: Did Claire became something other than human?

Q: Who is this Dark Lord?

A: Hmmm... Later... but no one in this story is purely good or purely evil... That's all I can say.