The fire from the boosters illuminates the entire city as the players celebrate the take off. Noting it as the day humanity showed another world of its ingenuity. 5 Star Generals and Guild Leaders drank Ale and Wine inside a hardened room overlooking the launchpads. They’re amazed at the sight of Bahamut’s silhouette as the rockets take off behind her. Spreading her dark wings, its wingspan almost covered the entire building’s view of the five rockets. Only its glow shows through the membranes between the fingers. One of the Generals, enjoying a glass of Red Wine takes in the moment.

“Man… what a sight. I might remember this till the day I die.”

“No kidding. Though, wasn’t Bahamut larger in the Global Event?”

“Now that you mention it… she was larger. Her labyrinth was kilometers large with some hallways being a thousand meters wide.”

“I think the Developers did that to house the hundreds of thousands of players storming the bottom floor.”

“That and if we ever failed to ground her. It is rumored that if the initial assault on Bahamut’s Lair failed, she’d take flight and devastate the nearby player Kingdoms.”

“And now… she’s an Ally. I should’ve gone and farmed her event. Heck, even Dragon God Gorthax would’ve been cool.”

“Heck no. The Lost Kings sword is ten times more useful. Bahamut was supposed to be just a glorified Dragon Companion. A small flying lizard that can sometimes transform to the size of a barnhouse. But that’s about that.”

“Though, don’t you think we should ask her for more Ancient Spells?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well. My favorite Ancient Spell that I only used once is in their language. The Dragon Language Perdita.”

“Oh, Dre Voft Umft Freaya.”

The entire room went silent, looking at him. The General tips his hat and apologizes.

“The fuck dude. Don’t speak it, what if you activate it!?”

“I’m wearing a uniform. I barely have any Mana to even activate the first part of it you dunce. Calm down.”

“But yea, what do you think?”

“Let’s just ask the other Dragon Pets. I’m sure they have the same knowledge.”

“Guess so. Any news with MUSK though?”

“The Magical Urban Survival Kit for Main Battle Tanks and Infantry Fighting Vehicles is in its final testing phase. Though the Air Forces and Navies of the Guilds also plan on utilizing enchanted metals to make their vehicles stronger. So we’re depleted to only equip Command vehicles with them.”

“Those fucking… ARGH! I’m gonna make a complaint.”

“Don’t, Air power and the big guns of those Branches make a good and flashy point. And none of these Guild Leaders are truly into Military Tech like us Enthusiasts. We’ll just show them, Army leads the way. Ha ha ha.”

The two Generals turn around to greet the buffet and start eating and celebrate with the rest of the high ranking players.

At the fancy first floor of the hospital, the glass wall perfectly showcases the Delta rockets taking off, the blinding light of the boosters lit up the dark lobby as the Doctors who were having a drink quickly dropped their shot glass, hearing the cries of a Nurse to help out the bleeding General. Within the next few days, Paul once again awakens in his Hospital Bed. He stands up and feels something soft on both of his hands.

He looks at his right hand and notices Alana’s Red Gloves while on his left was the Queen’s pure white glove that reached her elbow. He only smiles and goes back to sleep.

“Maybe this isn’t so bad afterall.” He thought to himself as he slipped back to his slumber.

Within the next few days, worldwide connection was finally established, the three rockets successfully deployed all the satellites that were in their payload and more were being prepared. He awakens again by the sound of the ringing phone to his right. Opening his eyes, he could see Queen Bartley sleeping soundly on the cushion, wearing her full dress.

“O-o-oy, E-Eliza--beth. Ph-phone...”

The man’s voice awakens her, she looks down at the phone, curious at the device. Looking back at Paul, he gestures with what little energy he has how to use it. Mimicking how to pick it up with his right hand and how to talk. She follows her instructions and successfully picks up the phone. Immediately, a screaming manly voice greets her.

“HELLO?! HELLLOOO?!”

“EEEEK!” She jumps as she hears the loud voice. “Wha-what?!”

“Is that you? Miss Elizabeth Bartley? Hello? This is General John checking up on the homie currently in the ward.”

“Ho-homie? N-nonetheless he’s fine. He just woke up from this device’s annoying ringing.”

“Good. Be sure to tell him that things are going great! If we continue the production, we should have enough equipment to participate in the invasion of the Demon Continent.”

“Wait, you mortals are serious about that?”

“Well, we have too. As you can see, we won’t last long here. Everyone is after us, we have to buy time for our expedition team till they find a way back.”

“That’s very extreme of you people but commendable nonetheless. I praise stupidity and bravery, it makes for good results”

“Yep, this would probably be my last call. Gotta go back adventuring while the Skeletons do their thing. Also, bad news is. We aren’t even projected to reach the Demon Kingdoms borders due to the Vampire Nation being a buffer zone. Heck, we’re projected to stop advancing halfway through if the Vampires get into the action.”

“Mmmmm… I may be able to do something with that.”

“Really? Well, if you're up for it. I think the Guild Leaders in the UN are planning on sending Diplomats to the Kingdom of Rose and trying to have them stay Neutral. Though it might jeopardize your secrecy that we’ve all been trying to uphold.”

“That is another matter. My Kingdom is located in Schon, it takes months and even a year for letters and news to even arrive to us unless it's of great importance. The major continents won’t know and if they do, it will be too late. But that is still dependent on the current status of my Kingdom.”

“Huh, that might work. But doesn’t your Kingdom have Dragon couriers or something like James or Menancadia?”

“As I said, I haven’t been to my Kingdom. It might have been thousands of years. Thus, I hope you may prepare for changes.”

“No plan survives in first contact. I’ll bring in the word and please put down the phone gently and tell Paul he sucks dick.”

She puts the phone back and looks at Knight General.

“What? Good news? Bad news?”

“Sir John said that it’d still take a few months for your organization to amass enough troops for an invasion.”

“Ah, well. May I have a glass of water first.”

“And, your Leaders are planning on keeping my Kingdom a Neutral power in your grand plan in invading the Continent of Darkness.” She heads over to a marble desk taking a pitcher and filling a glass cup with water. Using her left hand to hold the bottom and the right to hold the body. She took every step with elegance and the bravado of a Highborn woman.

“Thank you.”

“Though, General John also transmitted that you aren’t expected to reach the Demon Kingdom’s borders.”

“That’s to be expected. Seeing how he could just conjure an entire undead army out of nowhere, we might have no choice but to fight through attrition.”

“Thou’s heart is strong. But I can feel a looming fear deep inside you.”

“Well yea, who wouldn’t be scared. I’m scared of you, the world, the Demons and everything else.”

“Then, why not extoll one’s self to me? Whatever one will say, I will respect.”

“I’m sorry, look. Seeing you fight, and me surviving it. It.. it will send shivers down my spine till I die.

“I apologize deeply for my attempt at your life. But do be assured I’ll…”

“Ahhh… thanks. Where’s Alana and Bahamut anyways?”

“She’s with Bahamut. They both went outside to talk to the Doctor a few minutes ago.”

“I see. Well, did anything interesting happen while I was out?”

“Talked to the spy we captured. He told us they rushed this Operation as the other Kingdoms and even the Elves were after those prints. Seems like everyone wants some of your technology.”

“Sad to say, that’s probably the last time those blue prints will ever go to the surface. So if they want it again, they’ll have to go through the entire city.”

“I gotta say, you mortals are pretty smart.”

“Weren’t you a mortal yourself?”

“Oh, it's been at least a thousand years since I last felt what it's like to be human. I’ve long lost any hint of my humanity. Might be one of the reasons why I became known as the bloodthirsty Queen. Teehee.”

“The stories I heard about you were wack. Like, you nearly enslaved all of humanity?!”

“Ahahahah, I did. Almost did. That man, he put an end to it all with the Vampires that sided with humanity.”

“The Saint right?”

“I never actually thought he was a Saint. The man was a Hero to my eyes. Ending my suffering that I vehemently looked for.”

“Understandable. But will you promise me, as selfish as this sounds, that you’d never attempt anything like that ever again?”

She was fazed by his sentence, after giving it a thought, she cutely giggles and nods.

“Of course. I promise.”

“Alright here.” He lifts up his hand, showing his pinky finger.

“Wh-what’s this?”

“It's a pinky promise. Using your pinky, intertwine it with mine.”

“U-uhh…”

The two pinky promise, solidifying the order.

“Good. Now, we’ll be traveling along the world. Searching for Adventure and all that jazz, forget riches and luxuries as we’ll be living off a Wagon and a horse.”

“I was a Priestess traveling with a Knight. Let’s.”

“Yep, so prepare yourself mentally. And another thing, when entering Towns and Villages, use your Vampire powers and hide those pointy ears of yours. Alana has some extra village girl outfits she could lend, unless you want to go and find an extra?”

“Hmmm… I’d like to roam around this city first and foremost. It might have something better with my taste.”

“That’s no problem with me. I want to roam around Techno City myself. Been a long time since I visited it.

“Then, shall we?”

The group exits the hospital, with the Doctor reminding the Knight General to take it slow for the next few days and not to overdo his body still and is warned to make sure no one knows that the blonde beauty with him is the Vampire Queen. Later, they walk into the street. Though the roads were open as the rockets had launched, the city was still closed off to outsiders due to the recent attacks of spies. So, it was just players inside with the Vampires being the only Natives of the world within its walls.

“You're surprisingly easy to talk to.”

“What were you expecting?”

“Some high and mighty woman who has it all.”

“Oh that? That’s merely a persona I put up. Can’t be an all powerful Queen of bloodsucking immortals if you can’t project might and strength. Which includes arrogance that you're absolute and sure about everything.”

“Must be a heavy burden.”

“It is, but you get used to it. After doing it for millennials, I started liking it too.”

“Nice. But what about the Vampire Kingdom? Won’t they go in panic knowing you’ve awakened?”

“I highly doubt the Saint would say such a thing. If news broke out that I'm alive, the world would be plunged into mass panic. Talking to the spies, it seems that they celebrated my era as the best era for Vampires. Where the blood was endless and the nights never ended.”

“Wow, you must’ve really done good in your plot of human enslavement.”

“Thirst and Greed go hand in hand, it made me do things I’m not proud of. Even we Vampires respect our prey. To do otherwise is foolhardy, which ended in my defeat for the second time.”

“Never underestimate us humans. Our stupidity is beyond comprehension.”

“*Giggling* Indeed. Yes, that Hero’s final words to me were Ne-nemuru?”

“Wait, that’s uhh… Japanese! What the fuck. That explains the English and Japanese in your tomb!”

“Japanese?” She tilts her head curious.

“It's a Nation of Asians, very close to my home country. Can’t believe that poor sob got teleported.”

“May I ask, What did it mean?”

“Sleep. He was probably telling you to rest in peace or something.”

“Hmph. You people truly are stupid. To say that to a woman that nearly enslaved your entire kind.”

“Also, if you were so powerful, how come you didn’t just derail the train or killed us all?”

“I never wanted to be awakened.”

“Oh.”

“As I said, I wanted to die. And I still do, living for all of eternity while knowing the things I’ve done. This is not what I wish to be or to live on with.”

“Guess you got the short end of the stick, cause you're coming with me.”

Paul puts his hands on his back as he walks on the street with Alana and Bahamut, smiling as they approach the Commercial district. In her mind, Queen Elizabeth bids farewell “I’ll go my love. Rest well King Charles, my dear husband and lover, your little Priestess is moving on.” She sees an image of a man wearing Chain Armor with a Shortsword, waving at her as he walks to the light. “Thank you for protecting and healing me! I was never really the greatest Knight!” The General then notices her holding both of her hands together as if she was praying.

“You good?”

“O-oh, just a little prayer for my husband who's passed. H-he protected me inside my Castle. Slowing down the Hero and his party, hoping that I’d see my wrongs”

“I’m sure he died without regrets.”

“I-i beg to differ. From the start to the end, he was against everything I was doing. But he didn’t have it in him to end me. So instead, I guess… he gave his life to the Heroes in hopes of stopping me.”

“Well, I can’t say much on behalf of Vampires, but as a man I can say, to die protecting our lover is one of the best honors we could go out.”

“Hm. Thank you.”

Seeing her sad and solemn face, Paul had no choice but to look around and think of another topic. “Oh, Techno City was built way back in Twenty Thirty Four. Originally, it was built by Spaceship and Astronomy Geeks and Enthusiasts. This later grew to their palace, the University Castle in the Northern part of the city.”

“Such marvels, and who owns these massive buildings?”

“It's mostly owned by the Merchants Guild who helped the funding of their insane projects. Slowly but surely, they grew in power. They’re little Scientific haven became so well known that actual Rocket Scientists would visit them and perform Presentations and Demonstrations.”

“And those vehicles that they send to the stars? Where are they produced? I remember seeing those on the metal horse that I was being transported on.”

“Oh, they’re produced in Raven Rock. The Knights of Eldwood actually had a hand in making the base. We, with the Men of the Woods, sent our skeletons and it slowly became one of the most sophisticated locations in the entire community. Having cutting edge modern technology to research and produce complex weapons… and spacecrafts.”

“Amazing, to see what mere mortals can accomplish. Hmph, I await the day this land researches such Scientific height. That we may travel to the stars and conquer further than this land.”

As they cross the large intersection, the Sun of their world shines brightly, its rays bouncing off the tall glass buildings of the commercial district. Even though the beautiful blonde Vampire Queen was walking amongst the players in the street, she’s ignored. Only a few whose head wasn’t dug in their own nose was able to notice her beauty.

“So… How do you get blood? Do I need to do anything special?”

“Slaves.”

“Uh huh.”

“Humans are easy to manipulate, and easy to control. Wealth controls, and we Vampires have an endless amount of wealth. Did you know that if I were to ever bite you, you wouldn’t feel pain but lust and ecstasy?”

“N-no. I never knew that.”

“Yes and just like any addiction, humans want more. Though the Countess might know more as I’ve been asleep for Centuries. We’ve always had Human Cattle to produce blood.”

“I can see that, knowing my world's culture and its strange fascination with Vampire Romance. I can only imagine the amount of sad sobs that learned there’s a real living Kingdom full of bloodsuckers and went out of their way to go to it.”

“AHAHAHAH! Ex-excuse me?”

“Oh you should see it, there’s an annoying amount of things about Vampires even though your kind never ever existed in our world.”

“AHAHAHAHA!”

“One was even about a country bumpkin falling in love with a city boy who's a handsome vampire.”

“Pl-lease stop, I can’t breathe.” She holds her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.

“It really became an oversaturated market. Teenage girls and boys wanna live with a forever beautiful or handsome person.”

“Haaaa… I guess that’s understandable. Wouldn’t you want that too?”

“Me? Call me old but I prefer aging with a Wife and dying of natural causes. It's the human way to get old, ugly and die. Though I won’t lie to you, staying alive for eternity and having to live around such beautiful looking women would be amazing. I… just don’t think it's right. I’ve been through a lot in life, and the best thing about living is that you get to see how beautiful it is to be a human. To live a finite life, where you’ll have to do something and leave your mark.”

“Huh, you have some wisdom on top of that humor.” Alana who was listening in smiles while the Queen looked at the Knight General with eyes full of hope. “I made the right choice.”

“The right choice?”

“Nothing. Oh, what’s that building about?”

She points her finger at a store that has the name “Belmont’s Trusted. For All Your Vampire Hunting Needs.” Paul immediately covers her view. Waving his hand to take her attention.

“Uhhh… that’s uhhh… you don’t understand English don’t you? Well… let’s just say…” Paul knew it wasn’t good. No matter how he’ll word it, they would immediately see it's a shop meant for hunting them down. “Oh fuck. Of all things, of all the shops, why that one?!” Getting himself together. He puts up his best smile “That shop is uhhh… meant for those who wish to hunt a very specialized creature that lurks the night.”

“Vampires?” Alana and Elizabeth both said it in unison and Paul just facepalms.

“Yes. It’s a Vampire Hunting Shop…”

“Let’s go. I’d love to visit it.”

“But Queen Elizabeth… people from my… world. Is a bit different.”

“No matter! Let us go!”

With courage and determination, they cross the four lane street and into the shop. Immediately, they’re greeted by a muscle man in a 1400s Vampire Hunting outfit. With a warm smile, he greets them. “Welcome to Belmonts. How may I help you, good sir? One look at you and I can already say, you're one heck of a fighter.”

“Oh uh. Good Morning. Thank you for the compliment. I’ve had my fair share of battles here and there.”

The two Vampires were curious of the odd devices and complex weapons scattered at the Mansion style shop. Alana was already touching things like a Whip. Closely inspecting it and detecting Divine aura from it.

“Oh beautiful lady. That’s a Special Whip meant for Vampire Masters and Nightstalkers. Grab them before they can teleport or speed out of the area.”

“Interesting. Though why go this far?”

“Well, back in Dark World. Vampires are considered one of the easiest Species to be. Though you might have to be a bit crazy to spend the first month or two with nothing but Night walking. No human player, no matter how powerful they are, can stand toe to toe against one unless they use enchanted Weapons and Armors. So, to level the playing field. We use technology as the balancing force. They are mostly arrogant due to their power.”

“Huh. Though I expected more from my kin, it can be said that this is very much beyond my expectations. I would’ve preferred more Knightly weapons personally, as getting shot by Crossbows is very unpleasant.”

“If it's Swords and Shields, they're on the glass shelf on the left, next to the gauntlets.”

Paul then goes to the shop owner, opening a portal and showing his Arming Sword.

“Well, well, well. Can’t say I haven’t seen this before. The Sword of King Paimon of Hell.”

“Yea, and you can see. It's pretty beat up.”

“The hell did you try to slash with this thing? Why is it so dull?”

“A power armored man and parried it with the Spear of Longinus from a hot Valkyrie wearing Bikini Armor.”

“It’s one of those moments huh?”

“Yea, though I still have my Longsword and Greatsword. This Arming Sword is usually my go to. It offers all the Buffs a Death Knight needs.”

“Hmmm… and you want me to repair it?”

“Your sign did say Weapons.”

“That is true but this stuff requires Dark Ingots and Adamantium. Dark Ingots, don’t know what replacement this world has for that stuff. The Ore used for those is extremely strong and seeing there’s no portals to the depths of Hell in this world… yet. I highly doubt anyone can repair this.”

“Dammit. Can’t you at least use stockpiled ones?”

“No. Sorry, unless you can get some of the remaining player Kingdoms to sell some to you, it won’t fly. And if I order, it would take weeks or months. Dragon Couriers are stupidly expensive.”

“Fuck.”

Elizabeth on the other hand sees a Vampire Huntress outfit on a mannequin. It has a flashy ornate cravat and a hunting hat with a Griffin's feather and a long coat. Touching it, she could feel that it was enchanted and the leather used is from an extremely strong material.

“Oh, Blondie. That, there is one of our bestsellers. Many of the other branches say they love its style. Many buy it in Brown or Blue.”

“It’s very strong and if I Vampire was to ever strike you, it’d mostly take it.”

“Indeed, actually. One of the best Vampire Hunters in Dark World has the same outfit. Lady Mary, I’m sure your man knows who she is. Blonde and a Looker too.”

“Though, do you also have this Translation Skill that my Lord uses?”

“Oh yes. As Dark Arts is needed to enchant some of these stuff, Translation Skill is pretty much needed. It also helps me when I talk to Foreign players. Auto translates their gibberish into something I can use.”

She turns her head back to the clothes while Paul and the muscular shopkeeper chat. “I’ve heard you guys started fielding enchanted armor on your tanks?” “What? No. It's super expensive and seeing how low the supplies already are. Pretty sure they’ll only give it to Platoon Command Vehicles of sort.” Looking through the Maces, Crossbows, Warhammers, and Throwing Knives. All of them could easily maim or even kill a low level Vampire while others could hurt even Purebred ones.

Bahamut on the other hand is looking at some Enchanted Rubies. The Shopkeeper notices the small dragon being very close to it and keeps his eyes.

“Do you get many customers?”

“Ah. No, not really. Not like in Dark World, where there’s a pile of edgy teens playing as Vampires, here, they’re quite rare. But, every now and then a Native would come and buy some stuff in bulk. It has saved me multiple times.”

“I see and what’re you looking at?” The Knight General turns around and could see Bahamut staring intently at Gems and Rubies. He walks up to her and picks up the tiny dragon like a kitty cat and starts patting the top of its head. “No, Bad dragon. Don’t worry, we’ll soon return to my carriage and you’ll get to play around the pile of gems I’ve collected.”

After a few minutes of browsing, the group left to go on the other block to see if the Queen finds anything that suits her taste. The street was a mixture of players wearing modern clothing like shirts and jagger pants, suits and skirts while others were in full Knight Armor and Chainmail. Soon, both Vampires could smell something. Paul and Bahamut were left in quiet, as they raised their heads up and started walking in a single direction. In a minute, they ended up at another shop named “Tomb of Dracula, For your Vampiric Touch”.

Even outside, Paul could see the flamboyantly handsome man who runs the shop who is obviously a Vampire. Seeing him immediately broke his ego and made him question his own looks even though his body and face is top notch. Bahamut on the other hand just rubs her face on his cheeks. Assuring him that to her, he looks better. But while the two were busy, Alana and Elizabeth were already inside. Looking at Flasks of Blood. Stepping inside, he is hit with a strong perfume. The Gothic aesthetic of the shop also gives him the creeps.

“Hello dear customer! What would a human want from this shop?”

“Uh no… I’m with those two?”

“Are you their human cattle by any chance?”

Alana stood up, and looked at the shopkeeper. Her face was on serious mode, and one could see in her eyes that she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Has another Vampire been through here?”

“Oh uhh.. Yes ma’am.”

“Interesting… and what did this person look like?”

“He was a man with a pomade and seemed to be wearing a very expensive nobleman's uniform that was in all white.”

“That could only come from one house. Tsk. And no, he isn't our cattle. He is our man, our Lord that we’ve swore to dedicate our eternity to.”

The Queen on the other hand was staring at one outfit. It's a tight leather armor with steel shoulder pads, latex pants, corset and a red cape. The back also had slits for a Vampire’s wing. She’s absolutely enamored by it and its sharp shiny black heeled shoes fit her style.

“And it would be nice if you don’t call him a mere cattle. I expected more decorum from Vampires that laid itself from a more modern society.”

“I apologize ma’am.”

The tall flamboyant man could sense the power from the blonde woman. Not like the Countess who is in her right, powerful. The words the woman spoke carried with it immense weight and power which made him apologize without even thinking.

“Now, My Lord. This one suits my taste.” Paul then walks up to the counter, his hands in his pocket as he still feels great uneasiness at the place. “How much is it? I’d like to buy two if possible.” The shopkeeper takes a clipboard and checks his stock.

“I can offer two with a discount. Your Lady here seems to be very interesting.”

“Really? Damn. Heck yea, I will.”

Having the counter on the left of the shop, the extra space on the right is where special Vampire weapons are showcased. They vary from Katanas to Rapiers, all being imbued and enchanted with Dark Arts, capable of powering up if given Blood of any sort. Alana is very interested in it.

“Don’t even think about it. Her outfit will already cost me a lot. I’ll just give you one of my swords if you want one so badly.”

“Oh, no need M’Lord. I simply am curious about this weaponry. Though I don’t know the language of English. It seems to use blood as its power source.”

“Yes, those are what we call Vampiric Weapons. As Blood has Mana like everything in this world, it can be used to power the weapon and enhance its capabilities. My sword does the same but it instead takes the dark energy coming from my Eldritch armor and converts it into power I can wield.”

“We do have such weapons but it's not preferable due to the rarity of the materials. Only the best and the most dangerous are given them.”

“You should see our system in Dark World, there’s a way to get anything as long as you have the Coins.” While the two conversed politely, Elizabeth is handed her clothes and is asked to go to the Changing Rooms. With a bit of help from the shopkeeper, she’s able to wear the Holsters and special belts meant to take in various weapons and potions. After a while, she gets her new outfit and proudly wears it. As the shopkeeper said, “She’d look good in anything she’d wear.”

After giving their thanks, the group now heads back into the busy street,

“Thank you for the new outfit My Lord. Now, what shall be my motivator to bring you home? Aside from the fact that you own me and can order me to do anything your lustful heart desires.”

“Well, I’d love to see my parents and also find a lover. Need me a wifey. After coming here and facing life and death, I don’t care if I get shot down by hundreds of women, life is valuable, I must do everything in my power to make the best of it even more.” and deep in the back of his brain “And also to make a separate account for my money because Jesus Christ this has been expensive.”

“I’m sure you’ll find a lovely lady. A man like you is high in demand.”

“Oh, I might look handsome and all muscles here but I don’t look like this at all, I’m a bit overweight and not really that presentable to women.”

To his surprise, the woman stayed silent, as if to think heavily of what he said. After a few more minutes of window shopping and Bahamut staring at piles of shiny objects from an Antique Shop, they decide to return to the hospital. The Sun was also going down and the world's Moon with a misshapen satellite orbiting it appeared on the horizon.

After returning to the hospital, and to his room. Though Alana saw some sweets she’s interested in in the Canteen, Paul let her be with Bahamut who seems to be on the quest to find Italian food. Now, alone with Elizabeth, the Queen holds his hand. Wearing her new outfit, her dangerous but beautiful appeal is set to max but at the same time, this opens something inside the Knight General. Blushing as she comes close to him.

“I think your soul overshadows that. You seem to shine brightly when talking about things you're interested in.”

“U-uhhh.. Thank you. I’ll try, and thanks for the pep talk. I’ll remember this.”

“Mhm!”

Tired from the talking, Paul lays back down, resting.

“Also, how come so many Vampires seem to bed people?”

“Because copulation with us is on par with or better than that of succubuses without the sucking your soul dry part.”

“Oh wow, is Vampire sex that good?”

“Wanna try it?” She winks while showing off her blonde hair and voluptuous body through the tight clothes she now wore.

Paul takes a deep breath, mimicking a Buddhist exercise for inner peace.

“I must humbly say no as I must stay pure for the one I’ll marry.”

“AHAHAHAHAH!” The Queen laughs uncontrollably again.

“Ohhhhh Mamma… Mamma mia…. Here… We… Go.... Again…”

Alana with Bahamut on her shoulder enters the room, there greeted by the Queen on the floor laughing herself to tears while the General has his hands in an “OK” sign, reciting Abba - Mamma Mia.

“Uhhhh…” Alana’s face goes blank at the sight.

Bahamut just sighs and comments.

“Eyu Te Volguah Dus Dre Freaya ‘ft Dre Rah, Mii Loudl’, such is My Master.”

Alana’s face turns and tilts to the small Dragon on her shoulder.

“I apologize. I still have a habit of speaking my tongue.”

“Do not worry, it is a very powerful language.”

“It is, and it's true nature and power is only known to us as the Draco or Dragon. Though the humans can try, one attempt at our spell can kill them. Even a singular word uttered without preparation is death for a mortal.”

Within the next few days, he goes through Rehab, with the help of Alana, Elizabeth, and Bahamut. He’s able to recover quickly with their moral support. Without long, he’s already roaring to go and with John’s courtesy, he gets his Wagon transported to Woodstock and by rail, delivered to Techno City.

It was a sunny afternoon, Paul was busy on his seat, driving the Wagon while sitting next to him was Elizabeth now wearing the Vampire Leather Armor, playing with a Gold Coin with her fingers. While inside the poke bonnet, Alana is sitting peacefully with Bahamut on her lap, watching the road as the Wagon rolls through the terrain. Back in the front, the bored General slowly dozes off.

“You want me to take the reins?”

“N-no.”

“Seems that you’re tired.”

“Just keep an eye out for that freaking Bittersweet Flower. I wanna return to the village before sundown.”

“Pay no heed. I shall deliver.”

“I don’t know why, but I am very sleepy.”

“We’ve been traveling for days now and you’ve been fighting Wolves and Orges nonstop.”

“What’s with Geraldia and its fauna? Thick jungles, some of the dirt roads are even overgrown with leaves and the unstoppable Wolf population?”

“Geraldia hails its history with the Forest Elves. Historically known as the first settlers here, second was the humans. From this, was born a great forest that’s been preserved for centuries.”

“Man, I can only imagine what a forest that’s been taken care of by creatures that live such long lives could look like.”

“You should visit my garden if time ever bids you with a free moment. I’ve tended for a very long time. Not like the Elves that die after a few hundred years, I’ve never stopped my duty till I went a bit crazy as you say.”

“I hope your Mansion doesn’t look that scary.”

“Mansion? Nay. I have a Castle! Built by my beloved Husband as a gift. In its middle is a great courtyard where I mostly drink tea. It was beautiful but I wanted to do more, so I hired some High Elves, the more civilized cousin of the Forest Elves and had them upgrade it to be more pleasing.”

“ZZZzzz…”

She looks at Paul who was already deep asleep. She smiles and gently puts his head on her left shoulder. The Knight General rubs his head and snores. After a few minutes, she spotted a bunch of rare looking teardrop shaped flowers hanging over a tree branch next to the road.

“Uhhhh. My Lord.”

“Zzzzz….”

“I’ll do it myself…”

As the Wagon passes below it, she lightly jumps, easily reaching seven feet and with gentleness, grabs a bunch of the flowers. Elegantly, the woman lands and sits down. Holding the bouquet with her hands. Bahamut and Alana quickly stood up, sensing trouble. The Queen also senses and just like Bahamut, sees that it's coming from all sides. It was a trap put by the Ogres. The bushes rustled and small green men with enlarged tusks coming out of their bottom teeth jumped at them.

Bahamut quickly turns to a larger version of her and starts gobbling up the Ogres while Alana starts slashing them with her hands, Elizabeth on the other hand gently puts Paul’s head on the seat while quickly grabbing the head of an Ogre that jumped from the top of the tree. With extreme violence, she crushes the small creature's head like a bubble. Spreading its brain matter on the bushes and road. Not like the Countess who had elegance and respect in her fighting style, the Queen was violent and merciless as a storm. Favoring to instead rip apart limbs and tear stomachs open with her bare hands than slashing and giving her attackers a quick and painless death.

One of the Ogre Chief sees that the situation is dire and calls in Terrordactyls. These flying creatures were Winged Fingers with fur and shark-like teeth with a beak that can pierce through the sides of carriages easily. Bahamut sees them but is too busy protecting the left side while Alana is caught up on the right. Leaving Queen Elizabeth to clean up the beasts. With the Ogres riding on top of it, they lunge spears at her though she was planning on just taking it, she remembers that Paul only bought one extra and instead dodges the spears and grabs the beak of one and spins it around to throw at the other one. With both birds down, she rips out their wings and the Ogres riding the two crawl their way to safety.

“Disgusting.”

Without a second thought, she tramples on one of the Ogres' heads, picking up his spear and staking the other one as she digs it into the ground to scare the Chief. Seeing this, he pulls out a Tusk and blows it. Retreating the attacking Ogres. Bahamut was in the middle of munching on an Ogre when she caught sight of the bloody mess the Queen did.

After calming down, Elizabeth takes the reins and leads the Wagon back to the village. Paul shortly awakens, the half Sun is behind the tall trees and the lively medieval town is closing down shop. Hoppin down from the seat, he pats his Dark Horse for a good day's work.

“There there, from a video game to another world. You're still my trusty steed. Rest now, gotta see what those three are doing.”

His horse in return rubs its cheeks at his chest, happily kicking some dirt. Content, he goes into the Inn where the two Vampires and Dragon seem to have gotten some attention. Walking in, the young brown haired man in the Counter greets him.

“Hello sir! Your wives here have told me to give you the Quest rewards!”

“Oh yes, please.”

“On Top of that, we’ll give you free dinner, these Flowers are pretty rare to find, annoying at times. The Earl will surely thank you, the King’s wife is known to love these.”

“Thank you. And uhhhh… how much have they already bought?”

Joining the trio all haggard and half awake, they start figuring out what to order. While in the process, some men in Blue tunic enter the Inn, armed with Musket rifles. They’re uniforms looked like a Blue version of the British Military Redcoat soldier. Paul immediately remembers them as the people he met back in Dark World VR when he went Dungeon crawling with Bahamut. Not wanting to be identified, he buries his head at the Menu. Wisely thinking about what to get.

“Blimey! That crocka’ tried to get one on ya’ didn’ he?” The men all had thick British accents and were young.

“Ey, you see those two dames over there?”

“Oh crikey, that ain’t within our price range. Let’s go for the usual.”

“Righto.”

The two Vampires notice his face, avoiding making contact with the people. The Queen with her pompous attitude, flicks her finger and calls the attention of the attractive Elven waitress.

Alana was first, ordering “I’ll have that Cow meat with gravy.” and is followed by Bahamut who surprises the Waitress, as she’s never seen a Dragon in person, let alone one that has a voice of a deep and mature woman. “Lamb leg, cooked if you can, and the entire one not cut.” Elizabeth then puts hers “Cow meat with the Cabbage and Lettuce please, and spices.” she cuts to Paul who is hiding his face underneath the wooden menu tablet

“Old friends?” She places the Menu gently on the table and looks Paul straight in the eyes while he dodges her pretty emerald eyes and continues hiding.

“No, I met them back then. The Blues Brothers is what they’re called. A bunch of rowdy dudes. As I said, I’ve run into them many times, they aren’t uncommon in the area I usually dwell in Dark World and Beef, give me Cow meat with gravy.”

“They seem to be just children. Though interesting weapons.”

“Exactly, hence why they're annoying.”

“Where do they come from anyways?”

“Oh from some French looking settlement. Believe me, there’s nothing to be seen there.” He starts playing with his fingers, while looking to his right and left. Obviously hiding something from her.

“Something happened there, didn’t there?”

“Look, we were Dark Knights, not even Death Knights yet. Looking for a place to spend some Coins that we’ve racked up from adventuring for so long. It was stupid really, you gals don’t need to hear it.”

“Uh huh…”

“Wha-what? Just order already and let’s get this day over with.”

After receiving their food, Paul is still trying to hide his face even though he remembers he was wearing his Fedora and Trenchcoat or in full armor which hides his face when he’d always encounter the Bluecoats. Halfway through his meal, he hears the conversation from the table next to him. The two hardened Adventurers in Leather armor looked like they’ve been through much.

“Dang, those folks at Sulpitius are something, If only I got more money.”

“Right, bloody rich folks.”

“But did you see that entrance?”

“I know. And that Visa area felt like a Grand Hall for an expensive mansion.”

“The reception lady seemed to be into you though, not gonna lie, she looked great in those glasses.

“Dealing with snobbish assholes must’ve made her want some monster like me! AHAHAHA!”

“AHAHAHAH! Let’s drink to that!”

Paul looks up and could see the two Vampires are eyeing him while Bahamut is tearing apart the Lamb leg she was given. He looks down again and continues to finish his meal. After so, he stands up, thanks the man in the Counter and the Waitress and heads to the Wagon. Alana and Elizabeth look at one another as if they came up with a plan. They both wave at the two adventurers who were slowly getting hammered, the two were defenseless against the two beautiful vampires that night. After a few minutes, they exit with a map that heads to the settlement.

Sadly, when they arrived at the Wagon, their Lord was already fast asleep, with Paul even snoring a bit from having to fight so much within the past days, “Tomorrow.” the two thoughts. Paul who was so deep asleep didn’t expect it to be already the next day, and he’s awakened by Bahamut who was exhausting flames from her mouth as she snored.

“O-OUCH!”

The small black armored dragon slowly wakes up.

“Haaaaaaa… I apologize Master if I snored into you…”

“J-just don’t-- Keep your mouth closed please if you're gonna cuddle with me.”

His attention was quickly taken when an ornate passenger carriage passed by the tailgate, his eyes immediately widened. Noticing he’s in a parking lot, he exits and tries to look around for anything familiar, all he could see was an endless stream of carriages and wagons. One of the players, preparing his Fine Regency Outfit notices the confused man.

“Entrance is that way my friend!”

The man wearing a white wig similar to that of an old time court judge points to his back, where he sees the walls of the City of Sulpitius. It was just as he remembered, expensive, full of useless art etched on its side and scarily expensive. He immediately grabs his sword, Bahamut and items, running to the Reception building on the wall while trying to put on the belt on his villager tunic.