[Thank you for the offer, but I’ll stay in the city for now.]

Ocelio answered in a firm voice. None of the Bloodrainists showed any reaction until Sosilus spoke in a playful tone.

[I too wish to stay in the city, many women yearn for my presence.]

Mnasyllus creased his eyebrows, giving him a stern glare.

[This our duty towards the city. Don’t joke about it. Sir Ocelio is different from us, he is not tied to our city.]

The meal continued in silence. It was still early and the group of warriors showed traces of tiredness on their faces after staying up all night.

[Regroup at the gates by the next crystal shift.]

Mnasyllus then left the table, taking his empty tray to the container for the dirty dishes.

[Yes sir.]

Sosilus continued to joke around, he appeared full of energy in contrast to the others members.

[If you stare at me one more time, I’ll gouge your eyes out creep.]

A faint brown aura started to emanate from her body along with her words.

Yet, despite her warning, he continued to ogle at her tunic’s cleavage.

[You show your tits, who am I not to admire them.]

The next moment he jumped to his feet, nodded at Ocelio and left with a laugh.

[Bastard.]

Her eyes were lit with fury, the wooden knife had been crushed in her hand and her aura could still be seen circulating on her skin.

[He’s just the way he is. Alright I’ll leave you two. See you later.]

Lampus fled the cafeteria the same way Sosilus did, leaving the two of them alone.

Ocelio had remained a spectator until now. He placed the cup back on the tray and got ready to leave.

Seeing his actions, she dispersed her aura before looking at his face with an earnest expression.

[If you need me, just ask. I’ll come no matter what.]

He gave her a glance then returned to his apartment.

Back in his bedroom, he sat in meditative posture on the bed to continue the process of converting the blood stored in his stomach.

Minutes turned to hours yet he kept his eyes closed. His focus remained on the drops of blood that turned into mist within his stomach.

All of a sudden, the sound of someone knocking on his door came to his ears. His eyes opened before glancing at the window that was illuminated by bright light.

[I am sorry to disturb you sir but you have a guest. Miss Selatonice Eumenidos came to see you, should I let her in sir?]

Eucliedes, the receptionist of the Warrior Association stood outside the door with a polite smile on his face. He stood straight with his head tilted downward.

[Where is she? Did she come alone?]

[She’s waiting in the reception hall sir. Yes, I did not see anyone else with her.]

He released a heavy sigh before telling the receptionist to let her in.

A few minutes later, Ocelio stood by the window in the living room wearing the dark blue vest and black pants he wore when he first arrived in this world.

[The door is open.]

When he turned around, he saw a young woman with golden hair entering his apartment. Her hazel eyes light up as soon as she saw him, her pink lips widened into a smile before stepping up to him.

[Thank you for saving me.]

His eyes held complex emotions when he heard this sentence. He remained silent, his eyes wandering around the room.

She bit her lips; her feet took hesitant steps and her hands moved to hug his body. After a few seconds of staying like this, her head came to rest on his shoulder.

[I thought I was going to die. My father brought the best doctors but no one could save me. I remember being in pain, then you appeared in my dreams…]

All along Ocelio had remained inexpressive. Her perfume triggered a crease on his forehead but he did not move.

Now, hearing her soft voice, a cold laugh leaked from his mouth.

[Alright, stop acting. What did you come for? Do you parents know you’re running around right after recovering from a serious illness?]

A long silence followed his words. He looked down at her face, just in time to catch a wry smile.

[You caught me. As expected, nothing can escape you.]

She stepped back from his embrace, they looked at each other as her smile turned mischievous.

[You still haven’t answered my question.]

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He took a step forward and brought his finger to the bottom of her eye, wiping the moistness that had appeared on her skin.

Her heartbeats rang in the room like a drum, she tried to wipe her eyes with the same smile but she could not stop tears from falling on her woollen mantle.

[I just wanted to thank you, I’m sorry. You must think I’m very dumb.]

The more she talked, the more urgently she tried to wipe her tears and the faster they fell.

[Go take a seat. I’ll bring you a cup of tea.]

He handed her his handkerchief then stepped out of the room.

He took his time to make the tea, yet, she didn’t come looking for him even after a few minutes have passed.

He returned to the living room with a tray in hand then froze.

She was sitting on his sofa and had taken her mantle off.

She wore a short black dress that revealed her shoulders, cleavage and half of her thighs.

[Please don’t drop the tray, I don’t want you to get hurt.]

Her voice brought him back to reality. He gave her a meaningful smile before commenting.

[Nice dress. I guess that’s a unique way of thanking someone.]

[I’ve kept this dress in my closet for a long time, never having the occasion to wear it.]

She sat in a stiff posture with her hands on her thighs. He examined her outfit with a calm countenance, then, their eyes met.

She wore a slight blush on her cheeks and her lips were half opened as if she was trying to speak yet no sound came out.

Her hands grabbed the hem of her dress, she straightened her shoulders and turned her head to face him.

[Am I…pretty?]

The beats of her chaotic heart resonated within the room, her scent was reminiscent of sunflower, it was mixed with the sweet perfume that came from her dress.

His lips curled upwards, his stare moving from her face to her neck and chest.

[Indeed. You look gorgeous.]

[Then…]

Her cheeks reddened as she moved close enough for their skin to come into contact.

[Do you want to do naughty things to me?]

Without a word, his hand moved to the back of her head. He stroked her hair, watching her face and expression for a few seconds.

He looked back at her chestnut coloured eyes, their lips inched closer and in a gentle encounter, their lips pressed against each other.

A few seconds later, his lips intruded inside her mouth, stealing her saliva and warmth. Her eyes dilated and became covered in a haze.

As her lips mingled with his, her right hand sneaked to his thighs, her delicate fingers inching closer to his groin.

Right at this moment, he pushed her back. His fiery eyes slowly regained their calmness as he stared at her face with a frown.

[Whatever you expect out of me. I’m sorry but you’re wrong. I won’t stay in this city for long, I’m just passing by.]

She remained motionless with her eyes wide open, staring at him in a daze.

He brought the hem of her dress down to cover the red underwear that had become visible during their intimate exchange, then filled two cups with tea.

[The tea is brewed from a 9th class magical plant and can soothe the mind.]

[I don’t need it! You’re wrong about me! I don’t want anything out of you. I love you! I fell in love with you, I want to be by your side.]

She clenched her fists and shouted at him. She rejected the tea he handed and kept staring at his face.

[Rather than saying you fell in love with me, isn’t it better to say you fell in love with my status and power?]

He wore a slight smile on his face. Without minding her, he continued to drink from his cup and bite the snacks he had prepared.

Without warning, she hugged his body, making him spill his drink on the floor.

[I truly love you; I don’t care about your status and money. I want to be your wife, it doesn’t have to be the main wife, a concubine is fine too. I just don’t want to be separated from you.]

He released a long sigh. Placing the cup back on the table, he faced her with a stern expression.

[Is it about the man you’re promised to? If I tell your parents not to marry him to you, will you stop pestering me with these love stories?]

Her fine and long eyebrows creased together, almost touching, her eyes became misty as her voice quivered.

[It’s not that. He’s a pig, I don’t want to become his wife and I told my parents, I love you, I’ll only be your wife and never be anyone else’s. You said I’m pretty, you don’t need to give me anything, I just want to be with you…you can do anything you want to my body, all I want is a bit of affection…]

Her dress became soaked with her tears. She bit her lips but some muffled hiccup still escaped from her mouth.

[Sigh, I didn’t think you were so foolish.]

Her lips opened and she no longer contained her emotions. She sat and cried in a foetal position, her voice resonating within his apartment.

Ocelio sighed once again. He stroked her hair for a few moments in silence, his eyes stared straight ahead, appearing to be in contemplation.

[In the past, I was in a similar situation. I thought my fate was decided and I couldn’t escape my demise. That everything was over. But then, a stranger came and offered me a trade, an opportunity to get back my life and pave my future. Today, I’ll extend the same opportunity to you.]

Her crying voice turned into sobs as she listened to him.

[I can make you stronger, shaper, faster, smarter even. But there’s a price. You will forever be my slave, unable to break the disobey my orders. You will have power, but your status will be even lower than the one you currently enjoy. You will be my slave; your freedom will be for me to determine.]

[I accept.]

She did not even give it a second before responding. She lifted her head to stare at him, revealing her face covered in tears and snots.

[You’re too naïve. I’ll give you a week, think about it. Talk to your family. If you truly accept my trade, you will no longer be a free woman. You will become my slav…]

He stopped in the middle of his sentence, his expression turned serious.

She still stared at him in silence, but then, she followed his line of sight.

The apartment had a crystal lamp in each room’s ceiling, lighting up the place with bright light.

However, there were still windows that brought the light from outside.

Yet, currently, the light that reached the window was dark brown.

[Is it night already?]

She asked this question with a surprised tone. She had left her manor right after lunch and she had only spent a few minutes with him.

All of a sudden, he stood up from his seat, gazing outside from the window.

[Something is wrong. Did the light crystals ever malfunction or switch to a different colour before the appropriate time?]

He glanced at her, then held his breath.

Selatonice was sitting on the sofa while holding her legs, she had a quizzical expression on her face, the dried tears on her skin, the low eyebrows and her lips pressed together made her look pitiful and scared.

Her current posture displayed her round thighs and soft looking underwear. She appeared to have noticed his wandering eyes but didn’t move, rather, she opened her legs to reveal the deep ravine between her bountiful breasts.

Without a word, he walked up to her and grasped her chin in a rough manner.

Her lips parted open, allowing his tongue to slide inside her warm mouth and intermingle with hers.

He grabbed her upper body and brought her to his embrace.

She tip-toed to reach him, her eyes lit up with passion as his hands moved under her dress to fondle her curvy butt.

Between her moans, a strange sound reached his ears. He raised his head in the direction of the window, then the next second, the same sound erupted from outside.

[Do you want to go to your bedroom?]

He ignored Selatonice and sent his spiritual sense through the air vent above the window. On the street outside, Korrito was running at full speed toward the Warrior’s Association entrance while holding a bloodied sabre in her hand.

[Get dressed and go back to the reception hall.]

[What, why?]

[Something happened.]

He rushed out of the apartment and went down the stairs, arriving at the reception hall at the same time as Korrito.

She had a sombre expression and was taking rough breaths. As soon as she saw him, she shouted in a desperate voice:

[We need to leave! The magical beasts are coming!]