Chapter 30: Twisted Solace

A flickering flame illuminated the dimly lit room, revealing the faces of two particular figures seated around it. The serene ember burned quietly, bringing with it a tranquil atmosphere.

One of the two figures, a young girl with golden blonde hair and crimson eyes, stared at the individual seated opposite her. She sat with her knees pressed up against her chest, subtly inhaling the masculine scent of the large coat she wore.

Naturally, that young girl was Yue.

She gazed on expressionlessly, watching the other party as though they were the only thing in the world that mattered. Even for a moment, her attention never wavered.

The reason for that was obvious.

Within her line of sight was the young man who saved her, the one who liberated her from her imprisonment.

Yes, that same young man who dispatched a monster—one of which the majority of the world wouldn't stand a chance against—all on his own, and not just that, he made it look easy.

The individual in question was, of course, Aziel Nox.

Upon defeating the Scorpion creature, both Aziel and Yue traveled back to his temporary base, deciding to let her rest while he gathered what was soon to be his meal.

Since he'd left large enough chunks of the Cyclops to be consumed, he made multiple trips, bringing back huge quantities of meat from both it and the Scorpion.

Seeing just how many resources he'd been carrying all this time, Yue offered to help lighten his load, but was quickly shot down with a dismissive attitude that left her feeling a mixture of disappointment and inadequacy.

It was then that she realized; her and Aziel weren't exactly as close as she'd imagined. It was as if saving her had been some kind of objective initially, but upon completion, he'd lost any and all interest in her.

This left her feeling slightly dumbfounded and lost at the same time. Of course, Yue was aware that they wouldn't automatically become lovers or anything, but even so, she was a girl too.

She'd at least hoped that they'd formed some kind of connection back then, however, it seemed that it was all in her head.

Watching as he worked silently without any indication of registering her presence, anxiety began to worm its way into her heart. Yue couldn't help but worry if she'd done something wrong, or whether or not there was a problem with her in particular.

He didn't even sit close to her, making her reasoning seem all the more likely. And because of his standoff-ish demeanor, she remained hesitant to approach, not wanting things to worsen.

The thought of being abandoned had instilled a cold, desolate feeling within her. It was as if her chest had become completely empty, devoid of hope. She still vividly remembered what he said, he'd decided to 'save' her, not keep her by his side.

There was no guarantee that he'd keep her around, the notion of him ever leaving her—she rejected it with all her being.

Now that Aziel was here, how could she let him escape?

No matter what, she couldn't let that happen.

This time, she wouldn't be left behind—

"Your thoughts are showing on your face…"

The sound of Aziel's deep voice snapped Yue out of her thoughts, prompting her to avert her gaze while blinking in a mixture of shock and confusion.

Touching her face, she felt around for any noticeable change in expression, and to no one's surprise, she found none.

However, that still begged the question; how exactly had he managed to read her expression if it never changed.

"Don't think too hard, it's unnecessary…"

Hearing this, Yue looked back up at him, not entirely sure of what to say. She'd thought about asking him one of the many questions at the forefront of her mind, but how could she do that when she was hesitant to even speak.

The unapproachable aura he surrounded himself with disallowed anyone from making first contact. If they wanted to associate themselves with him, they'd be forced to wait for him to initiate it.

There were no cracks in his demeanor.

Aziel, on the other hand, glanced at the seemingly young girl sitting in front of him, activating a certain skill.

'Analyze'

{}——————{}

Name: • Yue •

Age: • 323 •

Gender: • Female •

Race: • Atavistic Vampire •

Estimated Alignment: • True Neutral •

Level: 52

Job: Divine Priestess

Strength: 40

Vitality: 110

Defense: 20

Agility: 40

Magic: 4980

Magic Defense: 5120

—————

Skills: • {Automatic Regeneration}—+Pain Dampener—-+Regeneration Control • {All Elemental Affinity} • {Spell Melding} • {Mana Manipulation}—+Mana Emission—+Mana Compression—+Remote Manipulation—+Increased Efficiency—+Ether Absorption—-+Body Strengthening • {Image Composition}—+Increased Imagination—+Multiple Spell Image Composition—+Delayed Casting • {Blood Conversion}—+Body Strengthening—+Mana Conversion—+Stamina Conversion—+Mana Strengthening—+Blood Oath • {High Speed Mana Recovery} •

—————

Current Condition: Malnourished

—————

Threat Level: Incredibly Dangerous

—————

Potential: Very High

—————

Overall: Highly Notable

{}——————{}

"Is…something wrong?"

Yue suddenly voiced, her words coming out a bit muffled due to her lips pressing against the arm of her coat. She gazed up at him, confusion and uncertainty evident in her eyes.

Seeing this, Aziel leaned down, putting a hand on his chin.

"What, I can't look at you…?"

Shaking her head fervently at his words, she responded immediately.

"No, you can…it's just…it's a bit embarrassing…"

Yue instantly turned away, lifting the flap of her coat in order to hide the redness spreading across her cheeks.

This was the first reaction he'd given her in the past half-hour. Being stared at so intently by the guy she was thinking about; it would be a lie to say she wasn't a little flustered.

However, grasping hold of this opportunity, she continued.

"Aziel…"

"I'm here…"

Gaining a bit more confidence from his soft tone, she peeked out from beneath her overcoat.

"Why'd you save me?"

It was something she'd been wondering ever since he had brought her back to his base. With her current understanding of his personality, it didn't seem like something he'd do without reason.

In a sense, this was something she wanted to hear the answer to, but at the same time, didn't.

"You want the truth or the whole truth…?"

He tilted his head, a gesture that seemed oddly cute to her.

"....Either one is fine."

Not bothering to ponder over his choice of words, Yue gazed at him silently, awaiting his response.

But the one she received wasn't at all what she was anticipating—

"It's 'cause I felt like it…"

"Huh…?"

She could hardly believe it.

It had been such a simple answer that she was now forced to reevaluate how she saw him exactly. But…perhaps this much should've been expected from someone like him.

"The disbelief is hurtful… You're hurting me right now…"

Though he said that, his calm expression and tone hadn't wavered in the slightest.

However—

"A-Aziel…?"

Yue failed to perceive his sarcasm, taking his words literally. She began crawling toward him in haste, circling around the fire until he was within arm's reach.

Looking up at him in worry and a hint of panic, it only took a moment for her to realize that nothing was actually wrong. A good few seconds passed as they stared into each other's eyes in complete silence.

Aziel raised his brows, finally breaking this awkward atmosphere.

"...'A-Aziel…?'"

"You…!"

Not only was she embarrassed at having misunderstood, but to her displeasure, Aziel had even mimicked her expression and mocked her in a similar tone.

Seeing his curled eyes and hearing him snicker under his breath, she reached out, snatching a small part of his arm with two fingers, before firmly pinching down.

"Sssss, that hurts…"

Yue flinched, but upon noticing his amused gaze that seemed to be gauging her reaction, she didn't fall for it and pouted unhappily.

"Meanie…Hmph…!"

However, just as she was about to turn away, out of the corners of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of something underneath his shirt.

Confused, she inspected it closely.

Pulling his sleeve up a bit more, the 'something' she'd seen was revealed to be a design of sorts.

It was a thorny rose vine drawn in what seemed like black ink, wrapping around his arm as it trailed upward until she could no longer see it hidden beneath his shirt.

Curiosity now piqued, she stared at it with intrigue.

"Seen enough yet…?"

Aziel's voice suddenly rang in her ears, snapping her out of her reverie. Yue could only look up and nod in agreement upon hearing his words.

"Then pull my sleeve back down…"

And so, she silently did as she was told, fixing it properly.

The atmosphere immediately went quiet between them.

Although it wasn't awkward, Yue couldn't find the words to ask him about what she'd seen. Still, she took the opportunity to situate herself right beside him, acting naturally.

As the seconds slowly ticked by, she was gradually reaching her limit. Unable to contain her burning curiosity, she finally opened her mouth, but just as she did, Aziel's voice cut her off.

"My mom, she…"

"Nn?"

Turning her gaze up to look at him, Yue felt the atmosphere take a strange shift. It was heavy, seeming as though he were broaching a sensitive topic that had been impactful in one way or another.

"She always said she didn't like tattoos…"

"Tat…too…?"

"Right. She was a narcissist."

Yue could only stare at him in perplexity, not understanding the unfamiliar term or where this was going at all.

Even so, Aziel continued.

"She often said that those of the Nox family were perfect, especially me, her son. So…"

Yue nodded, listening intently.

"Since she hated tattoos that much…"

She leaned in closer.

"I…just had to get one."

"..."

Opening and closing her mouth wordlessly, Yue was utterly dumbfounded. The manner in which he delivered that last statement seemed as though it were the obvious choice.

The entire build up seemed like some sort of tragic occurrence, but by the end, she couldn't help but gaze at him incredulously.

Still, she had to ask.

"Your mother, is she…?"

"Nah, a cockroach would die before her, she's far from dead…"

Yue instantly deflated where she sat, not knowing how to take such a random and outrageous story.

Aziel went on to further explain that he had gotten the tattoo a few years back in an act of rebellion. Since his mother was almost never around, he decided to show his grievance by acting childishly.

Despite that, he usually wore long sleeve shirts to cover it up, though not exactly ashamed of his past actions but out of consideration.

She was crazy, extremely selfish, narcissistic, and cruel, but his mother loved him far more than she even loved herself, or rather, more than anything else in the world, which was why he stopped acting out of spite.

"So, I'll have to return before she does something irreversible…"

"R-return?"

"Mhm, I have to save the world."

Yue didn't even register his nonsensical line of ever saving anyone, placing her full attention on his previous statement.

Throughout the entire conversation, Yue had come to realize that he wasn't originally from this world and had been summoned due to some unknown phenomena.

As such, Aziel mentioning that he'd return back to his world obviously meant that he'd be leaving this place behind, or…leaving her behind.

"Y-you'll...be returning back…to your world?"

Her voice cracked as tears began to well up in her eyes.

Before she had noticed, she'd gotten far more comfortable around him. She enjoyed his sarcastic remarks, his blunt and uncaring words, and even the way he teased her.

Aziel was someone irreplaceable in her heart, even going as far as to say; he had become the center of her world.

The mere thought of losing him brought an agonizing pain to her heart, akin to it being ripped out of her chest bare handedly. It left her feeling empty and lifeless, comparable to her time in solitude.

Though it brought her discomfort to show such an unsightly display, she still nonetheless gazed up at him. She wanted to believe something had formed between them, that it wouldn't end like this.

And yet, in response to this, Aziel once again tilted his head, looking genuinely confused.

"I'm trying to process this, but you're saying some weird shit right now…"

Yue's head drooped back down as she clutched her chest. It would seem that her feelings were only one-sided, doomed to never be reciprocated.

This too, wasn't out of her expectations, but she still couldn't bear it.

But before the tears could begin streaming down her face, Aziel's next words immediately caught her attention.

"What made you think you'd be left behind…?"

"Huh…?"

She couldn't understand.

And although she wasn't able to comprehend what he was getting at, a similar feeling to the one she felt when fighting the Scorpion arose in her heart.

It wouldn't calm down.

Turning her gaze back up, she looked into his eyes for a moment before nearly shrinking back in astonishment. His pale golden eyes radiated an overbearing pressure that knocked the air out of her lungs.

"I saved you, didn't I? Who said you could leave…?"

Swallowing her saliva, Yue felt as if her head was spinning. The tears in her eyes had long since dried up, leaving behind a clear, crimson luster.

"I told you before, don't think too much. You're already…"

Yue didn't even need him to finish the rest of his sentence.

She now understood.

She understood completely.

'You're already mine.'

Words that would've made any ordinary person shrink back in fear and revulsion—had warmed her heart.

Even Yue hadn't realized it before—these were the exact words she had been craving to hear.

The words she pined to hear the most.

The fog obscuring her thoughts had cleared, she was now aware of everything.

The possessive glint in Aziel's eyes was clear as day, prompting a tender sweetness to spread within her. Even if it wasn't born out of love, she was fine with that.

After all, he had just said that she was his.

However, if she was his, wasn't it only fair for him to be hers as well?

Her face flushed a bright crimson, her heart pounding loud enough to reverberate through her ears.

She slowly lifted her hand, running it over the fabric of his pants before settling it in his lap. Still, she continued staring into his eyes, silently assuring him that she meant no harm.

Placing her other hand onto his lap, she moved herself up toward his shoulders. Searching within his gaze for an adverse reaction, she ultimately found none, further bolstering her confidence.

On the other hand, Aziel simply watched as she climbed his body without a word. The surrounding atmosphere had turned sensual at a moment's notice.

Yue licked her lips suggestively, pressing herself against his upper body and feeling his warmth. Though the difference in height was akin to a child next to an adult, she didn't allow this to stop her, circling her arms around his neck.

Nothing needed to be said.

They both had a tacit understanding of what was about to happen.

Still, even as Yue moved toward his neck, she made sure that her every action was careful and steady, making doubly sure that he didn't feel any discomfort.

Aziel felt the sensation of her heated breaths caressing his neck, her small, slippery tongue grazing his skin, and the unique scent of flowery sweetness wafting from her.

Noticing her sharp canines lining up against his neck, he made a conscious effort of lowering his natural defenses, allowing her to pierce through his flesh without trouble.

Meanwhile, Aziel could feel his blood slowly being siphoned out of him but was quickly replaced soon after. However, he also noticed the sensation of something being tugged on from within his body.

From his observation, he concluded that it was the cells from his 'Ethereal Constitution' being prodded by Yue, thus garnering this reaction.

Now that he understood the situation, it was up to him to decide whether or not to feed this to her.

Since she was a vampire who naturally acquired sustenance from blood, there was a high chance of her facing some sort of transformation of evolution upon accepting his cells.

The question was, would it be beneficial or harmful?

Regardless, Aziel didn't have to think too much about it. He stopped the unique cells from resisting any further and allowed them to flow into the part of his neck where she drank from.

As they did, more unique cells quickly replaced the others that left, leaving the ones traveling into Yue's body on their own.

And at this moment—

"Mn…!?"

Yue suddenly released a sultry moan, her eyes widening.

But even then, she didn't stop sucking his blood, or rather, she clung to him even tighter than before. Her breathing became ragged, gasping intermittently as her whole body trembled.

Merely seconds later, Yue removed her fangs from his neck, her face completely flushed a deep crimson to the tips of her ears. She clung onto his shirt to keep herself from falling backward, burying her head into his chest.

"A-Aziel…w-what did you…d-do to me…?"

Looking up, she cast a passionate gaze toward him, clearly aroused.

While speaking, her hands freely roamed his upper body, groping at his sculpted biceps and abs.

"Don't make this about me…"

Aziel shook his head, glancing at her calmly.

Gradually, Yue lost the strength to sit upright, weakly slumping down into his lap.

From there, Aziel witnessed her transformation. It wasn't something as gruesome as a forceful evolution, but one that seemed to occur naturally. Her limbs and hair lengthened, her entire body growing a whole 16 centimeters, becoming 156 centimeters(5ft1) in total.

Her facial features sharpened, giving her a more mature appearance. Though her breasts barely grew and remained quite small, they were still more pronounced than before.

In all, she was still quite short compared to the average male, and even shorter when compared to Aziel, but she had at least grown out of her 12-year-old appearance.

"You did good, kid…"

"I…I'm not…a kid…"

Despite her weakened state, Yue still had enough left in her to respond to his nonsense. Surprisingly, she remained awake during the whole process, making for quite the experience.

After a few more minutes, the effects of her evolution subsided, allowing her to regain the stamina she lost and then some. She crawled out of Aziel's lap, still wearing his black overcoat that looked far too big on her.

Turning to look at him, she asked the foremost question on her mind.

"What happened…?"

Aziel shrugged his shoulders, gazing at her with interest.

"You already know what happened."

"...I see."

Yue accepted his poor excuse for an explanation with a nod, quickly coming to terms with her newfound power and changed appearance.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't euphoric about it, but of course, her face remained expressionless. Regardless of whether or not he did it intentionally, she was still grateful, nonetheless.

"Oh…before I forget…"

Aziel suddenly reached into his traveling bag and pulled out multiple strips of fur, cloth, and pelts he'd gotten from the monsters he'd slain down here in the labyrinth.

Yue tilted her head, watching his actions with mild intrigue.

Using each textile, he quickly manufactured a new set of clothes while only utilizing a single needle. Not only were the clothes durable due to the monster's natural defenses, but they were also made to fit comfortably without any restrictions.

Yue was amazed at this display of craftsmanship, wondering just how he came to be so well versed in this many fields. But that wasn't the only thing she was curious about, there was also his possession of multiple job skills that shouldn't have been possible for him to have.

"Here, take it…"

Brushing aside her thoughts for now, she quickly reached out toward Aziel who'd just offered up the clothes, taking them with a slight smile on her face.

"Thank you."

"Sure…"

A light pink hue slowly dyed Yue's face as she turned around, removing the overcoat for him to see. Nonplussed, Aziel watched the girl get changed right in front of him, not bothering to avert his gaze.

"Why are you embarrassed, you decided to do it…"

"Stop being insensitive, Aziel…!"

Finally finished, Yue turned her head, glaring at him with a mixture of irritation and embarrassment.

Sighing dismissively, Aziel glanced at her before activating his signature skill.

'Analyze'

{}——————{}

Name: • Yue •

Age: • 323 •

Gender: • Female •

Race: • Progenitor Vampire •

Estimated Alignment: • True Neutral •

Level: 56

Job: Immortal Sorcerer

Strength: 440

Vitality: 770

Defense: 210

Agility: 440

Magic: 7360

Magic Defense: 7480

—————

Skills: • {Blood Regeneration} • {Vampirism} • {Form Dispersal} • {Blood Puppetry} • {Telepathy} • {Night Vision} • {Mana Efficiency} • {Rapid Mana Recovery} • {Blood Manipulation}—+Blood Crystallization—+Blood Transformation—+Blood Efficiency • ...[EXPAND]

—————

Current Condition: Peak

—————

Threat Level: Extremely Dangerous

—————

Potential: Peak

—————

Overall: Extraordinary

{}——————{}

Everything about her had changed.

From stats, race, job, and even skills, she had become far more overpowered than before.

But it seemed the caveat for her astronomical growth in stats was her current level limit. Though she'd be incredibly powerful, without the boost from eating monster meat, her eminent bottleneck would remain.

However, that was still only a possibility, of course.

"These clothes are nice, Aziel. I'm happy…"

As her voice reached his ears, he finally noticed the genuine smile gracing her face, her cheeks tinted in crimson.

"Glad you like it, anyways…"

He turned away, resuming his transmutation as if none of the events prior had occurred. Still, upon seeing this, Yue wasn't discouraged, already recognizing how he operated.

If he didn't want to give her any attention, all she had to do was make herself his top priority.

Thinking of this, she walked over toward him, her previous apprehension gone.

"Aziel, how is it possible to use this ability and have such strong magic at the same time?"

Pausing momentarily, Aziel glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes.

"I wasn't born with an equal."

______________________

Chapter too Long(3.7k words)

Way too tired.

Give power stone.

....Ah, mustn't forget to throw your stones at me. Feed them too me.

Thanks~