LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 26 - Rank Assessment 2
Chapter 26: Rank Assessment 2
Fira steeled herself with grief and anger over the loss of her friend.
Fira had no intention of letting the vampire who dared to appear here die an easy death.
True Ancestor?
What of it?
‘You killed my friend, and you expect me to grant you a merciful death?’
The way to kill a vampire is to destroy its heart, but Fira had no intention of targeting the vampire’s heart right now.
The greatest agony for a vampire is starvation.
A starved vampire, deprived of blood, becomes weak and loses its physical abilities.
If she severed its limbs, drained every drop of its blood, and left it to rot at the bottom of a brothel, it would come to regret its very existence.
She vowed to make it so, no matter what it took.
Even if all the Executors here were to fall, even if her own life became uncertain, she would ensure one thing.
You.
You alone will regret ever descending upon this place.
The elevator that had been on the third floor was rising to the upper levels.
The entity within was highly likely to be a True Ancestor.
True Ancestors possess intelligence and knowledge surpassing humans, so it wasn’t unusual for one to use an elevator.
Their innate, overwhelming powers make arrogance and a desire for spectacle part of their nature.
Look at how they murdered a First-Class Overseer and then brazenly used the elevator as if showing off.
The True Ancestor who descended upon this place likely ambushed the defenseless Oriana, drained her powerful blood, and was now reveling in its intoxication.
“Prepare to fire.”
-Clack!
You won’t get away with this…!
Even if it means bringing ruin to everyone here and to the entire Barrier Agency, you will crawl on the ground before me.
Fira made this vow, burning with fury and determination.
-Ding~
With a crisp signal, the elevator chime echoed, and the doors slid open.
“Fire permissi-!”
Fira, a First-Class Overseer, was already in a heightened state of awareness and physical ability, far surpassing an ordinary Awakened.
Fueled by her grief and anger over losing her friend Oriana to the True Ancestor, her abilities were now doubled.
The brief moment when the elevator doors opened—less than a second—felt like an eternity to Fira.
I’ll kill you.
No.
I’ll make you beg me to kill you.
I’ll make it happen, without fail.
As she repeated and reaffirmed her vow, her boiling rage filled her heart so completely that it made her head feel cold.
Yet Fira’s fury found no target in the vampire.
In the accelerated flow of time, what her eyes caught through the opening elevator doors was not a ferocious vampire but a perfectly unharmed Oriana and a doll-like girl with snow-white hair.
‘What?’
She almost lost her composure for a moment, but instinctively, Fira shouted faster than her mind could process.
“Cease fire!! Cease fire!!! Disarm immediately!”
“Fira, ma’am?”
“What?”
Fira’s urgent cry to cease fire left the Executors and Hunters baffled.
Just moments ago, their Overseer had been trembling with anger and grief, but now she was shouting for a ceasefire.
Some even wondered if Fira had been brainwashed by the True Ancestor’s unique abilities.
But when the elevator doors opened, the Executors and Hunters understood why Fira had been so frantic.
What emerged from the elevator wasn’t an arrogant True Ancestor.
It was the First-Class Overseer Oriana and Alice, who had accompanied her to the virtual dungeon test, both unharmed.
“Oh, Oriana…?”
“Huh, Fira? What is all this…?”
The two stood in a daze, staring at the countless gun barrels and questioning gazes of the Executors surrounding the elevator.
“What’s this, a welcoming ceremony?”
Alice’s words broke the tense atmosphere.
While some were still hesitant and couldn’t lower their weapons, the more perceptive among them realized that the emergency situation had already been resolved.
“Oh, my. I forgot to disable the alarm.”
“……?”
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The emergency that had shaken the Barrier Agency ended anticlimactically, with nothing happening at all.
When an alert for the True Ancestor Virus is triggered, it usually results in the destruction of an entire city district.
Many Executors and Hunters had already begun preparing their last wills.
The fact that nothing happened allowed them to breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Whether the agency’s AI had malfunctioned or a True Ancestor had been eliminated by an Overseer in the lower levels, there was no True Ancestor present.
While the resolution felt anticlimactic, it was undeniably better than having an actual True Ancestor emerge from the elevator instead of Oriana and Alice.
Regardless of whether they could have defeated the True Ancestor or not, the lack of casualties was a victory in itself.
And as for Fira…
“Sniff…”
Fira approached Oriana silently, taking her hand and holding it tightly.
It seemed she was restraining herself due to the presence of others.
If no one had been around, Fira might have clung to Oriana and burst into tears.
“Fira. Could you let go of my hand? This is a bit awkward.”
“Shut up, will you?”
“…..”
The occasional vulgar words that slipped from Fira’s mouth were something Oriana could never quite get used to.
But Fira’s heart had been sinking just moments ago, fearing she had truly lost Oriana.
“You don’t understand how I felt, Oriana! Sniff. Do you know how worried I was?!”
“Well, uh…”
How could I know how you felt… Oriana thought to herself but decided not to say it aloud to avoid stirring up unnecessary trouble.
Fira Dunhill, on the surface, appeared to be the epitome of a noble lady, a princess raised in the upper echelons of Ark.
But to Fira, her family and lineage were worse than worthless.
Having grown up devoid of familial love, she sought affection from others.
As a result, Fira’s camaraderie with her colleagues was unusually strong, even among Overseers.
Fira’s relationships with her fellow Overseers—especially those she considered friends—were boundless in their openness.
Oriana was one such person for Fira.
As comrades who risked their lives fighting calamities to protect Ark, a bond of fellowship was natural.
However, Fira’s fondness for her colleagues was so intense that the word “obsession” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
More than family.
Less than a lover.
Someone she didn’t want to lose and wanted to keep by her side forever.
“Boohoo! I really, sniff, thought you, Oriana, sniff… were killed by some mosquito bastard… sniff!”
Given that Fira had arrived at the Barrier Agency amidst an alert for the True Ancestor Virus and couldn’t reach Oriana, her misunderstanding was entirely reasonable.
Oriana knew she was ultimately responsible for this situation since it was her own distraction with Alice that kept her from disabling the True Ancestor Virus alert.
Alice, observing Oriana and Fira from the side, curled her lips into a subtle smirk.
“What’s this, Oriana? Is she your girlfriend?”
“Alice, please be quiet.”
Oriana mentally added a note to her evaluation of Alice.
-Lacks tact.
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The emergency declared by the Barrier Agency was ultimately deemed a result of an error in the agency’s AI system.
In truth, Alice had hacked the AI to manipulate the difficulty settings of the virtual dungeon, severely compromising the system in the process.
Externally, however, the issue was labeled as an untraceable error and dismissed as a mere “malfunction.”
‘I should keep quiet about the hacking part…’
If I don’t say anything, no one will find out.
Neither Oriana nor that noble-looking woman seems to have even considered the possibility that the AI was hacked…
That said, the fact that a True Ancestor had appeared in the virtual dungeon and that I had dealt with it alone was true.
“Oh my, oh my, oh my… Goodness. This adorable child took down that mosquito all by herself?”
“Ugh.”
At the highest level of the Barrier Agency, in a waiting room accessible only to Overseers, Fira cupped Alice’s small cheeks with her hands, unable to hide her amazement.
Though Fira referred to the True Ancestor with disdainful words like “mosquito,” she didn’t underestimate its danger.
For a young Returnee who had only recently arrived in Ark to single-handedly defeat a True Ancestor was astonishing even to Fira, a veteran of Ark’s main forces.
“The alert about the True Ancestor Virus was real. When I realized something was wrong and rushed into the virtual dungeon, a Blood Veil had already formed.”
“Those loathsome mosquito bastards… I wonder when they’ll finally be exterminated.”
“Uh, um… Can you… please let go…”
“Fira, you’re going to tear her skin off.”
“Oh, my apologies! The texture was so irresistibly springy that I kept touching it without realizing!”
Even though it was just synthetic skin, its elasticity was far superior to that of a normal person’s.
While it didn’t hurt, Alice, who had lived well over a century, thought it undignified to have her cheeks pinched and shaken by another woman.
And it was unexpectedly painful.
Had she been an ordinary human, her cheek flesh might have been torn off.
Despite Fira’s princess-like appearance, the faint pressure from her fingertips conveyed that she was far from ordinary.
“So, who exactly are you?”
“Oh! I haven’t introduced myself, have I?”
Fira quickly adjusted her attire, rose from her chair, and bowed gracefully like a princess from a fairy tale.
Although their first meeting had been chaotic with tears and frantic emotions, the elegance in her hands and feet revealed her noble upbringing.
“I didn’t expect us to meet so soon, but it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am First-Class Overseer Fira Dunhill. You may call me Fira.”
‘A First-Class Overseer, just like Oriana.’
Considering that First-Class Overseers are rare in this region, it wouldn’t be surprising if this woman, despite her appearance, harbored an inner monster.
“Oh, uh. I’m Alice. I’m new here, so I’m unfamiliar with formalities or manners. Please understand.”
“Oh-ho-ho! I am not the type of villainous noblewoman who slaps a child for improper etiquette!”
Though if you did slap, their head would likely spin around.
Fira soon stopped laughing and looked at me with an intrigued gaze.
“But seriously, what kind of power does this little girl have to deal with that mosquito…”
Alice’s appearance was far from resembling a robot or android; she looked like an ordinary girl.
Unless she extended the mechanical tendrils from her spinal parts, there was nothing outwardly threatening or powerful about her, making Fira curious.
“Do you doubt me? Are you curious about my strength? Should I prepare to be dragged off to some training arena again for a demonstration?”
“Oh-ho! There may be impatient fools here, but I am different from such brutish types! Forcing another test upon someone who has just completed a virtual dungeon evaluation is mere nonsense!”
“That’s a relief.”
Honestly, I wasn’t in great condition either.
I was mentally drained.
And the legs I’d just had reconstructed with a healing machine still needed inspection.
If I rolled up my pants, the mechanical prosthetics with their gears would be clearly visible.
I wasn’t exactly brimming with energy either.
‘Current internal energy capacity: 41.3%. Theresa, can you show me the energy usage record?’
【Barrier Agency AI hacking: 7.3%】
【Using internal liquid metal for Liquefied Breath: 12.7%】
【Reconstructing physical damage sustained during combat with the entity “True Ancestor” through continuous feedback and attack route calculations: 28%】
【Other combat calculations, evasive maneuvers, and overheating of the multipurpose magical metal prosthetics “Octanite” consumed an additional 19.1% of energy.】
Fighting the True Ancestor had consumed about 67% of my internal energy.
Using Liquefied Breath alone drained over 10% of my energy; I should save it for only the most dangerous enemies.
Still, given that the opponent bore the grand title of “True Ancestor,” it was a justified usage.
‘But what is Octanite?’
【It is the name of what humans call the mechanical tendrils.】
Ah, so that’s what the slender mechanical tendrils installed throughout my body are called.
I’ll just stick to calling them mechanical tendrils.
【…..】
Theresa seemed displeased, but I ignored her. Auxiliary personalities don’t get to have complaints.
The only reason I still had 40% energy left was that I had hastily consumed the True Ancestor’s blood to replenish it.
Had I not absorbed the True Ancestor’s blood, I would’ve had to steal electricity by plugging my tendrils into random spots around the Barrier Agency again.
“By the way, it’s best to keep this matter quiet.”
“Why?”
“Oh, it’s not that I wish to diminish or bury your achievements, Alice. But, you did absorb the True Ancestor’s blood, didn’t you?”
“……”
Had I mentioned to Fira that I replenished my energy with the True Ancestor’s blood?
“What does she mean, Alice?”
“Oh, no. I just… charged my energy…”
“What…? You drank the True Ancestor’s blood just for energy recharge!?”
“Oriana, didn’t you see me drinking the blood earlier?”
“No, I just thought you were wiping blood off your face!”
Oriana glared at me with a sharp expression.
“Oriana, you know my body is fully mechanical… not organic, right?”
“A mechanical body? Even with those springy cheeks?!”
“This is just synthetic skin.”
“It’s true. Alice’s personality clearly registers as a human intelligence, but her body is entirely made of metal and unknown machinery.”
“Well… anyway, I can break down organic matter into energy, and the True Ancestor’s blood turned out to be a pretty good energy source. So I just drank it, that’s all…”
“Oh my…”
Fira swept her hand over her forehead as if dizzy.
A single drop of True Ancestor blood could create multiple thralls.
If even a single drop was released into a reservoir or sewer system, countless residents in a living area could suddenly turn into vampires and launch a terrorist attack.
“Typically, absorbing that much True Ancestor blood would turn someone into a thrall… but Alice shows no signs of transformation.”
“Oh, that’s because I have a mechanical body…”
“True Ancestor blood erodes both mechanical and organic bodies alike.”
“…Oh, really?”
“One reason those mosquito bastards haven’t been exterminated yet is that their blood erodes anything with willpower, be it organic or inorganic. That’s why drones or AI systems contaminated by True Ancestor blood are usually destroyed on sight.”
I didn’t know that.
Blood that can erode AI?
Could I be…
【The likelihood of this entity being eroded by such inferior blood is negligible.】
Oh, good to know.
“I don’t know what kind of body or species Alice belongs to, but under normal circumstances, the moment she was drenched in True Ancestor blood, she would have been added to Ark’s elimination list.”
Fira, now speaking seriously without a trace of her earlier playfulness, left a strong impression.
Was her mischievous noblewoman persona merely a mask or a persona?
Her ability to shift so quickly was fascinating.
“I trust Oriana, and since Oriana trusts Alice, so do I… but others in the Core might gossip endlessly. It’s better to hide the fact that a True Ancestor appeared.”
“So you’re saying it’s strange that I’m fine?”
“Yes. I don’t know why Alice is unharmed, but it’s clear that revealing this to Ark’s Core won’t lead to anything good.”
“That’s true. There’s a reason True Ancestors are called viruses. They’ve eroded not just humans but other monsters and calamities, turning them into thralls. If Alice remained intact after consuming True Ancestor blood, Ark wouldn’t leave this alone.”
“Wouldn’t leave it alone how?”
“Oh-ho-ho, there might be lunatics who’d love to dissect Alice and see what’s inside her!”
Oh, gross.
So basically, Fira was saying, don’t draw unnecessary attention.
“Then what about my rank?”
The reason I dragged this energy-guzzling body to the Barrier Agency today was for a rank assessment.
If the incident with the True Ancestor wasn’t acknowledged, I didn’t see how this would work in my favor.
“Oh-ho-ho! Don’t worry about that! With the notarization of two First-Class Overseers, Alice can get whatever rank she desires!”
Well, that’s a relief.
Having two First-Class Overseers backing me really makes life a lot easier than expected.
“But there’s a condition.”
“What’s the condition, Fira?”
Fira wiped the smile off her face and looked down at me with a stern expression.
Her playful demeanor was gone, replaced by the strict attitude of a First-Class Overseer.
The condition was likely something tied to her responsibilities or principles as an Overseer.
I braced myself, ready to hear what Fira would demand.
“From now on, you will call me ‘big sister’!”
“…Get lost.”
I rejected it immediately.
“Ohhh~ It’s been my dream to have a doll-like little sister like Alice… Wh-why are you rejecting me?! It’s such a simple and straightforward condition!”
“Why should I? I just don’t want to.”
“Why not?! A single word would make everything easier!”
Even though I had become a female-shaped mechanical body, imagining myself calling her “big sister” and acting all cutesy made me feel an overwhelming wave of nausea.
It was truly a blessing that my body couldn’t vomit.