The Divine Realm — a place where gods and demigods alike resided, watching over the countless worlds beneath their jurisdiction. Guiding the fates of mortals, gently nudging events toward the proper path in order to preserve balance across creation.
In a quiet corner of this heavenly realm, far removed from the domains of the other deities, stood a magnificent mansion crafted from flawless white and gold marble. Its elegant architecture radiated an almost sacred beauty, as though the structure itself had been shaped by divinity.
Surrounding the mansion stretched a breathtaking garden that spanned for miles in every direction. Countless varieties of white and golden flowers bloomed beneath the eternal light of the realm, alongside rare plants found nowhere else in existence except within the lands of the divine.
Two women could be seen walking leisurely through the divine gardens.
The first possessed long, silky purple hair that cascaded down her back like flowing amethyst, shimmering softly with every movement as though woven from moonlight itself. Elegant purple robes clung perfectly to her figure, enhancing the flawless and ethereal aura that surrounded her. She was Luna, the Goddess of Reincarnation.
Walking beside her was a woman nearly a head shorter. Her silky black hair flowed effortlessly past her waist, dark as the endless night sky and carrying a quiet, mysterious beauty. Her calm obsidian eyes seemed to hold countless unseen futures within them, giving her an unreadable yet regal presence. She was Astraea, the Goddess of Fate.
"Luna… are you certain you made the right choice sending her there?" Astraea asked quietly. "You know better than anyone just how terrifying her potential truly is."
"Yes," Luna replied calmly. "I believe I did."
Her violet eyes drifted toward the distant sky as a faint smile touched her lips.
"I understand her potential more than anyone. That is exactly why I sent her there." She paused briefly before letting out a soft sigh. "Though, I will admit, I was a little surprised by how persistent she was about becoming a vampire."
A hint of amusement entered her voice.
"Still… in a way, it makes sense. Her previous world had no magic, no races beyond that of humans, no true mysteries to chase after. Yet she spent most of her life completely fascinated by those things."
Astraea let out a quiet sigh.
"I truly hope you're right. If you're wrong… that world will be beyond saving." Her dark eyes narrowed slightly. "Using the power reserved for the Hero's appearance was an incredibly risky move. The other gods will be furious if your little scheme fails."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Though… if you succeed, you will have single-handedly changed the way we've handled these situations since the dawn of creation."
Luna giggled excitedly, a bright smile spreading across her face.
"I know, right? I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when I succeed." Her violet eyes sparkled with amusement. "So far, she's adapting to her new self perfectly. At first, I thought she might struggle with the idea of consuming blood. After all, fantasizing about something and actually experiencing it are two completely different things."
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"But she's taken to it surprisingly well."
"That's true…" Astraea admitted quietly. "I've seen countless futures where she rejected it entirely, causing that world's downfall mere moments after arriving."
Her expression darkened slightly.
"The main issue now is whether or not she'll act when He awakens. With her vampiric nature beginning to manifest, there's a real possibility she'll choose to remain a bystander… unwilling to involve herself in mortal affairs."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Luna replied confidently. "In a way, we got lucky that her obsessiveness surfaced first."
A playful smile tugged at her lips.
"That elf girl, Syllia—the one she's grown attached to—has a heart of gold. Lucy will inevitably get dragged into things because of her, and our little vampire won't stand by if something threatens someone she considers hers."
Luna's gaze drifted off in the distance.
"Besides, it'll still be at least a year or two before he awakens. She has time. Even though there's still a tiny fragment of humanity left within her, once she completes her evolution, her soul will finish transforming as well."
Her smile slowly widened.
"And when that happens… her true self will finally awaken."
Astraea glanced toward her.
"The rate she's becoming addicted to feeding, I'd say that moment will come sooner rather than later."
"Oh, I'm certain it will," Luna replied without hesitation.
For a moment, silence settled between the two goddesses as they gazed down upon the mortal world below.
"For now," Luna said softly, "all we can do… is watch."
"Agreed," Astraea answered quietly.
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Holding back a laugh, I looked over the dozen outfits Syllia had dragged into the room.
"You know, you didn't have to bring your entire wardrobe over, right?"
"I know, I know," Syllia replied excitedly. "But look at this one!"
After quickly digging through the pile of clothes, she pulled out a knee-length white dress. The fabric looked soft and light, with short, neat sleeves and delicate lace patterns lining the edges. Its pure white color gave it a gentle, elegant charm that somehow managed to look both cute and graceful at the same time.
"I just got really excited imagining you dressed up in cute clothes…" she admitted with a sheepish grin. "I couldn't help myself."
"You know…" I murmured as I stepped closer behind her.
Slowly wrapping my arms around her waist, I pulled her gently against me.
"If you wanted to see me in cute clothes…" I leaned closer, letting my lips hover near her ear, "all you had to do was ask."
Tightening my hold slightly, I lowered my voice into a teasing whisper.
"I could also show you how appealing I look without them."
Squirming she escaped out of my grasp. Trying—and completely failing—to hide her embarrassment, she hurriedly thrust the dress toward me.
"J-Just try the dress on already! I want to see how it looks!"
Grabbing the doorknob as if preparing to flee, she hesitated for a brief moment before whispering softly,
"L-Later… I'm just not ready for that yet…"
"Aha I love watching how flustered she gets"
Looking down at the dress in my hands I tightened my grip slightly.
"This is the first thing Syllia gave me" I murmured with a grin "I'll cherish it well"
Slipping into the dress only took a moment. It was a little snug around the chest, but overall it fit surprisingly well.
Glancing at myself briefly, I smirked.
"Who cares if it's a little tight? It'll give Syllia something nice to look at."
With a satisfied smile, I opened the door and stepped out into the kitchen where Syllia was waiting.
"Wow…" she whispered, her eyes widening.
Her gaze slowly traveled from head to toe before lingering around my chest for a brief moment. Realizing what she was doing, she quickly looked away, her face turning red.
"It looks beautiful on you!" she said hurriedly. "Though… when we get the chance, we should probably find you something that fits a little better."
"Nonsense," I replied confidently. "It fits just fine, and you like it. Besides, you gave it to me—I couldn't ask for anything better."
"F-Fine then, if you say so…" she mumbled.
Then suddenly, excitement lit up her eyes.
"Oh! That's right! The merchant caravan should be arriving tonight. We can go see what they brought! They always carry a huge variety of clothes."
"Huh… that actually sounds pretty interesting," I admitted thoughtfully. "By the way, where do they come from? Another village?"
"Oh, no, not a village," Syllia explained excitedly. "There's a dungeon city a few days away from here. From what I know, they stock up there and travel between the surrounding villages. We just happen to be the first stop on their route, so we always get the best selection."
A dungeon city, huh…
That definitely sounded worth visiting. Even if the city itself wasn't interesting, the dungeon certainly was.
It could help me grow stronger.
As Syllia turned back toward the bedroom to organize the clothes she had brought over, my expression darkened slightly.
"I need to become stronger…" I whispered quietly. "No… not just stronger. The strongest."
My eyes softened slightly as I looked at her.
"I won't let anything take that smile away from her."
"Hey, Syllia," I called out.
"Hm? Yeah?"
"Would you want to take a trip to the city sometime? I still don't know much about this world, and I think traveling together could be fun."
"Um… I don't know…" Her excitement faded slightly as she lowered her gaze. "Honestly, I haven't really traveled outside the village much since we moved here. I'm not against it, but…"
She hesitated before speaking softly.
"My mom…"
Her hands tightened slightly around the folded clothes.
"I need to know she'll be okay first. She's everything to me… and I won't lose her."
Stepping closer to her, I gently took her hands in mine and spoke softly.
"We won't leave until we know for sure, okay? We can ask your mom first and see what she thinks about the idea."
"Yes… let's do that," Syllia replied with a small nod.
"Perfect! Well, since it's still only mid-afternoon, why don't we go spend some time with her? Or, if you'd rather, you can have some time alone together. I'm sure you two have a lot to catch up on."
She hesitated slightly before answering.
"I-I think I'd like some one-on-one time with her…" Her expression softened. "It's been such a long time since we could really talk like this… I missed it."
Pulling her into a gentle hug, I smiled softly.
"Okay then. I'll stay here… or maybe go for another walk to pass the time."
Cupping her face gently, I pressed a soft kiss against her forehead.
"You two enjoy your time together, alright?"
She nodded quietly.
After releasing her, Syllia headed toward the front door. Just before stepping outside, she turned back toward me.
"I'll stop by later," she said with a small wave. "And if the timing feels right, I'll bring up the trip and see what she thinks. See you later, Lucy."
"See you later."
With that, she shut the door behind her, leaving the house quiet once again.
Alright then… now that I've got some free time, I should probably take a proper look at my status screen and see what leveling up actually gave me.
Taking a slow breath, I spoke clearly.
"Status."