Henry: Oh and before you go, please build a Mana Tower, the usual set, on the nomad's end of the wall. Thankies kak Zen~

Zen: Are you possessed?!

If the VICOS is not only accessible by one person, I would have assumed Linda was texting me in his stead. But he's probably feeling funny today, I chuckle as I make my way to complete this side quest. Then its Russia or the Stans..? Vampires or political war..? Both do not sound appealing when it's happening in real life.

---

"What is this architecture, savior?" The Mongolian girl asks; I now call her Aya… These few days, I have gotten to know her a little bit more and now know for sure that she loves to sing with her lovely voice, and she is not the teenager I assumed her to be; being only 14 years old—albeit a little tall. Hmm, I would like to tell you her full name, but I find the word too alien to pronounce… "What was your full name again Aya?"

"Yes savior? It is Aya Lkhagvasuren. There is no need for you to memorize mine full name," She says with a sweet smile. "Just Aya is perfectly fine."

"Yes, thank you! Now if you would also start calling me Zen, like all my friends." I reply, "and about this tower…" I gave her a middling rundown on the functions and use of a Mana Tower. Giving her permission to use any of the five spells as she sees fit, namely; Conjure Trilattic Swarm, Lesser Heal, Magico Disk, Condense Water and Splash of Verdance. After making sure she understands their functions and how they are used, that is.

---

After much consideration, I am now on my way to a possible conflict with Vampires; to Russia. The Stans are in a war between fellow humans after all, while the vampires are not. I cannot pick one group of humans from the other, but can easily side against the vampires. But any final decisions will need to wait until I have better intel on the situation.

The journey took about 3 hours at the speed of Gon—I was told the human settlements are north-center-ly; a newly built under-mountain city with only one securely guarded entrance; they needed a way to filter out any infiltrators as the open cities of old were too… Open. While the Vampires and their supporters have decided to occupy Moscow—Now where could this secure entrance be? I would prefer finding it before night blankets this part of the world and Vampires wake to hunt, which is in about another 2 or 3 hours.

"Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, the power is yours!" I whispered the words of a 'Captain Planet', some kinda hero I found in an old random cartoon on the internet while I reuse my previous method of finding the nomads—and also reusing the exact same six disks to boot. Though I think he meant something else entirely… oh well~.

The search took me only a little more than two hours, and even then, only because the day got dark and I was lucky enough to spot a flicker of orange light from a natural cave I had passed by and promptly dismissed… in my defense, I was looking for something man made.

Anyhow, I slowly approach the location with Micro Flight, hidden under my armor's camouflage. Inside are four people, guards? Each wearing simple armor; quite sure that is leather, with metal plates over their hearts. Each also has a standard spear on one hand and a dagger strapped to their belts. I paid special attention to the insides of their mouths as they talked to each other and are sure they're human teeths.

The opening I am currently peeking through is maybe 0.3 meters long x 1 meter tall, more a frameless-glassless window. It would allow a person to fly through, but would make the action quite troublesome. Two ways lead in and out of the room, one a tunnel of sorts that goes deeper into the mountain, the other seems to be a staircase that leads down.

"Heard they caught another one of them nasty bloodsuckets trying to come in." One of the younger guards said to the others, earning him a mere grunt from one of the older men. "Good riddance! Those bloodsuckers kept converting our most capable fighters. I wonder what the higher ups are planning… Do they even have a plan!?"

"Aye, I heard they sent team 3 last time, and I've never seen them since." Another replied, visibly getting riled up in the way he tightens his grip on the spear and slightly lifting it off the ground.

"Quiet now," one of the older ones said. "You never know who's listening… Right? I know you're out there by the window. Why don't you show yourself, eh? Though you're a bit small for a person."

"You sensed something? Small person… is it a fairy?" The younger guy chimed, "and so very handy skill that. I'm also thinking of getting myself your Mana Sense skill when I earn enough cash."

"Quiet!" The guy with Mana Sense chidded the chatterbox. "Well, would you show yourself, now please."

Respect for how he is strict yet still polite, even to a suspicious person flying outside their trap of a window. I first reveal myself with both hands up in the air showing surrender, before I very slowly make my way in through the window. My shrinked form passed by unchallenged.

"Hello," I salute them. "I come in peace!"

"Quoting famous cliche words won't save you from death, Vampire!" One of the younger ones yelled, beginning to brandish his spear and stab at me—but was halted by the senior guard with Mana Sense. "Why Mr. Dmitriy? He was flying, so he is clearly not one of us!"

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"He might be, but I still have hope that he is not." he says to his colleagues, yet his eyes never left mine. Despite his explanation, the silence is left unbroken, prompting him to add, "I have hope because of the way he flies."

"Please explain." The other older looking guard says.

"Well," he falls into silence, clearly in the midst of organizing into words how best to describe this difference he mentioned. "The Vamps fly with what I can Sense to be wing like mana, their mana forms the shape of a wing behind their backs."

I see the others nod at this, "as for our new friend here… He is encased in mana shaped into an airplane-like form and staying afloat by sending out bursts of more mana. I feel like there is too much of a difference between the two."

"Okay, so what now, Dmitriy?" Senior 2 replies again.

"Now, Viktor, now we interrogate him like all others." Dmitriy answered.

—

I meant what I said, so now I find myself wearing no armor and sitting in a seemingly secure room all alone. Its been twenty minutes now…

Another fifteen minutes pass. I have dismissed the swarm I was made to doff and have summoned a new batch; that I kept disguised as a belt. I am also entertaining the idea of Shape Stoning my way out to—the door opens and ten people come in, cramping up the already small room. One guy placed a device on the table before me, its a clear spherical crystal like object mounted on a plain brown box. 8 guards and 2 people in better looking attire.

"This here is a lie detector," Dmitriy says, taking the seat across from me. Geez, if this is not cliche, I don't know what is… "Now, we have some questions you need to answer truthfully."

"Please answer this first question with a lie. Are you a girl?"

"Yes…" The crystal glowed red for a fraction of a second.

"Perfect!" One of the guys standing at the back chipped in, Dmitriy stood up to allow him his seat. "Please answer with the truth. Were you born human?"

"Yes," the orb flashes green.

"Are you still human?"

"Yes," the orb flashes yellow. This earned me a commotion from all present. Which got me curious, "what does yellow mean?"

"Are you from Earth?" My question, ignored…

"Yes!" Green flash

"Are you a Russian citizen?"

"No," green.

"How did you manage to fly?"

"By using a spell called Micro Flight." This was of course the truth.

"Are you omnivorous?"

"Yes, I think." But the orb refuses to react.

"I repeat, are you omnivorous? You can eat any kinds of food?"

"Yes!" This time, the orb barely flashes green. Technically the current me is beyond being a mere omnivore, not sure there is a word for someone that can eat literally anything. But, I suppose its true that I do eat all kinds of food.

After a few minutes of murmuring among the people present, my questioning continue. "Do you drink blood for sustenance?"

"Nope~," and the detector flashes green yet again.

"But you can drink blood? Do you gain anything out of it?"

"I can, yes. And what I get depends on how fresh it is… as well as how much I devour." The orb flashes green for slightly longer.

This time, they reacted negatively. All 8 guards drew their daggers while the other 2 retreated and pulled out a wand, and a staff each. "Wait, wait! I think there has been a misunderstanding."

I point at the lie detector and say, "I'm from Indonesia, and I'm definitely not a Vampire. Nor am I associated with them. Though it is also true that I am not wholly human." Causing the orb flash green for a slightly longer moment.

"I do not mean you harm, rather, I'm here to offer you help, against them." I said again, causing another green flash. This totally stumped them.

"And how do we know you're trustworthy?" Someone asks.

"Yeah!" Another agreed.

"I have another question," Dmitriy says again. "Are you going to help us now only to stab us in the back later? Is there something in it for you personally, to help us?"

All ten now stare at me in silence, "well… I don't currently have plans to backstab my allies, it's really more so that there are still other people around. I cannot think of any other reason I am doing this. Humans are social creatures after all, no matter how introverted."

The orb glows green, then fades into barely a hint of green… "Besides, I'm helping my friends, who probably care more about the continuity of humanity's existence. But that is reason enough for me."

Finally the detector flashes again with a strong green. Funny that I never noticed how my feelings for humans as a whole have faded, and only the ones I truly know and care for are important to me. This seems to be the answer that broke the camel's back. They had more questions, of course; who are my friends, how I plan to help, and various others. I patiently describe and explain what they wish to know. Finally agreeing to build my Tower nearby, somewhere outside of their settlement. At least this way, they get to meet the ones that truly care.

Now, This does not mark the beginning of our trust, and the delegation sent over to communicate with these overly cautious people were again thoroughly interrogated before we were deemed temporarily trusted. It is also of note that we have been communicating in different languages, them in Russian and I in English. Our words were perfectly translated by The System while we are within their Territory.

I bought the usual Tower and Gate for 5,140,000 creds, it is built in a nearby cave I had opened up and fortified. The delegation from Rumah and DollarOne will reside here with me for now. As things stand, all of us are scheduled to meet with their leaders tomorrow. Yes, me included. As they had requested my presence.

For today, the night is deep and the world is asleep… except for nocturnals and yours truly; me!