But just as Alan was picking up the last item, a pair of slender legs suddenly appeared in front of him.
He froze.
Slowly, he looked up—and found himself staring at a breathtakingly beautiful woman. No, beautiful wasn't enough. She was the most stunning woman Alan had ever seen in his life.
For a brief moment, his mind went blank.
He was completely mesmerized.
"Nice to meet you."
The woman smiled down at him.
The instant Alan met her gaze and saw her crimson-red eyes, notification windows flooded his vision.
[You have encountered Vampire Countess Marie Rose.]
[Marie Rose's evil influence makes your magic power turbid.
All types of spells and skills aren't available.]
[You have resisted.]
[A vampire's gaze will subdue lower species.
You will lose your willpower and control over your body.]
[You have resisted.]
[Marie Rose's attraction is absolute.
Her charm is so high that there is a significant chance of attracting both genders.]
[You have resisted.]
Alan stood tall and said calmly, "Hi."
"Huh?" This time, it was Marie Rose's turn to be surprised.
"Aren't you… unusual?" she said, tilting her head. "You don't have the strong divine powers like Rebecca's Daughters, nor the Anti magic like Alex, yet my gaze, my presence… it affects you not at all. How strange."
"Not only that," she continued, her crimson eyes narrowing, "I can sense three of my siblings on you. You have slain two of them, while the third… is you." She leaned closer, pressing a necklace against Alan's neck. "Why don't you come out?" she whispered, forcefully tugging at the chain.
Latina came out of the necklace as she glared at Marie Rose.
"Why did you bring me out, you—bitch!" Latina shouted, backing away behind Alan.
"Ah… is this how you greet your little sister?" Marie Rose said, smiling slyly.
"Master! Kill her! She's an extremely bad woman—don't fall for her charms!" Latina yelled.
"You are Latina's little sister?" Alan asked, confused.
"I am," Marie Rose said proudly. "Beriache's youngest child, Marie Rose."
"Why are you living in this cave when there are so many vampire cities?" Alan asked looking around the dirty old cave while Latina gritted her teeth, thinking, Why does Alan is talking to her? Is he under her charms? No, His eyes look normal, yet he's talking to her…
"This is the first time someone has approached me like this," Marie Rose said softly.
"Huh?" Alan blinked, confused.
"I mean… usually, when someone comes here, they either attack me, kneel before me, or run away in fear," Marie Rose explained. "You… you are interesting, human. What is your name?"
"I'm Alan. Nice to meet you," he said with a smile. Marie Rose looked momentarily surprised.
"You're not afraid of me?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Alan looked her in the eyes. "To be honest… I only cared about gaining power before. Women didn't appeal to me. But for the first time, I'm looking at a woman I actually want."
Latina's eyes went wide. He's dead, she thought.
Marie Rose let out a soft laugh—a musical, almost teasing giggle, not an angry one."You… you are something else," she said.
[Affinity with Marie Rose increased by 1]
[Current Affinity: 1]
"You want me, right?" she asked, her gaze fixed on him. Alan nodded.
"Okay… earn the Title of the Blood King, and I will be yours," Marie Rose said. She leaned closer, brushing her hand against him briefly. Then, like a wisp of mist, she vanished.
"If you want to meet me, come to Vampire City 2," her voice echoed faintly as she disappeared.
"Do you really like her?" Latina asked, glaring at Alan with anger.
"Umm… yes. This is the first time I've ever felt like this," Alan admitted.
"Forget about her. I can be yours," Latina said, her voice sharp.
"Do you like me… or is it just to get back at your sibling?" Alan asked. She went silent, then, without warning, transformed into smoke and slipped back into the necklace.
Alan touched the necklace thoughtfully. "Though if you want, I could marry you. It's not like I plan to have only one woman in my life," he said with a grin.
"Shut up, pervert!" Latina shouted, though Alan just laughed. No notification popped up about decreased affinity with her, so he knew it was just anger—she didn't hate him.
"It's a pity the priest died," Alan sighed, placing the last item into his inventory.
He paused for a moment. "Hmm… is there something else in here?" he wondered as he ventured deeper into the cave.
[Marie Rose's evil influence makes your magic power turbid. All types of spells and skills aren't available.]
[You have resisted.]
[The remnants of the evil influence are eating at your physical and mental strength. You have fallen into the 'weak' and 'confused' state.]
[You have resisted.]
The deeper he went, the thicker the evil influence became, and the heavier the physical burden weighed on him. Thanks to his legendary status, Alan resisted it all—but for normal players, this cave would have been unbearable.
"Those four earlier… they probably wouldn't have even been able to enter," Alan thought as he pressed onward.
'It's surprisingly big.'
From the outside, he had no idea the cave extended so far. It took him 40 minutes to reach the next chamber, despite there being only one path.
Finally, he spotted a pure white coffin. "Is this where she was sleeping?" Alan murmured as he approached it.
[Sacred Wood Coffin]
[Rank: Legendary Ego Item]
[?????]
Alan tapped it gently, but all he could discern was its name and rank.
"It's an Ego Item… which means it's somehow alive," he thought, looking around the cave.
Nearby, some minerals glinted faintly in the dim light. Alan smiled. "These minerals must have absorbed a lot of Marie Rose's energy. I can use them to craft or even reforged Malacus' Cloak," he muttered.
He pulled out his pickaxe and began mining.
[The mining has failed.]
[The mining has failed.]
[The continuous mining failure has increased the possibility of damage to the stones.]
Still, Alan persisted, focusing on the ore. Finally…
[You have succeeded in the mining.]
[Unidentified Iron Ore has been acquired.]
Master Blacksmith Appraisal
[The information about the target item has been updated.]
[Iron Ore with Evil Energy]
[An iron ore that has been saturated with evil energy for many years.
Care is required when handling it.
There is a possibility of dying if touched by hand.
Weight: 5]
"Hm… I can add a lot of options to strengthening items with this. Maybe I should reforge Malacus' Cloak with it," Alan muttered.
He continued mining, obtaining three more ores, each pulsating faintly with evil energy. Suddenly, a sound startled him—a crash as the coffin shifted violently and slammed against the wall.
"What? The coffin is moving on its own… oh wait, it's normal. It's an Ego Item, after all," Alan murmured, drawing his sword and preparing for whatever would come next.