Chapter 80: Blood Magic [4]

I forced myself to sit up, every muscle screaming in protest. My vision swam, but Velra’s words cut through the haze like a blade.

She had found him.

Bjron the Butcher.

A wanted criminal in the Draken Duchy. A psychopath who ate humans after killing them.

He’d been hiding well from the Draken Duchy’s reach—but it seemed he couldn’t hide from Velra.

“Don’t forget our deal. You’ll kill him, and I’ll take all of his blood.”

I nodded, slow and deliberate.

“Deal’s still on,” I rasped. “I kill him. You get his blood. Every last drop.”

Velra’s smile turned razor-sharp—the kind of expression that said she was already imagining the taste.

“Good,” she murmured. “My bats say he’s holed up in an abandoned mine two days west of here. It used to be a smuggler’s den—perfect for someone like him. Rotting walls, no law, no light. He’s not alone either. A few desperate types orbit around him like flies. Cannibals. Runaways. People who lost their names a long time ago.”

Perfect.

My fingers curled into fists, the tremble in my muscles now fueled by something hotter than pain—rage.

Bjron the Butcher.

…Looks like your time in this world is over.

I took a deep breath through clenched teeth.

The air burned going in. My ribs groaned in protest. But it didn’t matter.

“When do you think I can move in perfect condition?” I asked.

Velra tilted her head, her eyes narrowing like she was inspecting a broken weapon to see if it still had fight left.

“Three days. At least that much time is required.”

Three days.

That was all the time I had. All the time I needed.

Velra’s voice echoed in the chamber, cool and certain. “Three days of rest, tinctures, and stabilizing your circuits. If you’re still alive by then, I’ll call it a success.”

I wiped the blood from my nose with the back of my hand and grinned, lips cracking from dryness. “That’s cutting it close.”

She turned away, walking back toward the stone altar at the center of the ritual circle. Her shadow stretched long against the flickering torchlight.

“You want to kill him, don’t you?” she said without turning. “Then don’t die before you get the chance.”

Kill, huh?

To tell you the truth, if it weren’t for my class quest—or how disgusted I was by his actions—I wouldn’t care.

If it weren’t for the class quest, or the pure revulsion clawing at the edges of my stomach every time I remembered what Bjron had done—

I would’ve walked away.

I wasn’t a hero. Never had been.

But even I had a line.

And that bastard didn’t just cross it—he danced over it, laughing, with blood on his teeth.

Seventy-two hours to recover from the side effect of blood vessels turning inside out—nearly shattering me from the inside.

I needed to be ready.

“Rest,” Velra said firmly. “Your body’s been reforged, but it hasn’t settled yet. Try standing on your feet too soon, and your legs will fold like parchment.”

She paused, and for a moment, her tone softened. “I’ve seen blood magic drive men insane. You don’t strike me as the type to break easily. But that doesn’t mean you’re immune.”

I closed my eyes, still lying on the cold stone ground, breath shallow.

Three days.

Just three days.

“For now, I should return to the Draken Duchy in the east and ask for a holiday,” I mumbled under my breath, barely able to shape the words.

Easier said than done.

I was Alice Draken’s attendant. And getting a day off under her watch? Impossible. Unless, of course, I looked like I was about to die—which, conveniently, I did.

Fever. Hallucinations. Blood still trickling from my nose.

That should be enough.

I let out a weak chuckle. My ribs flared in protest again.

Velra’s voice drifted from across the chamber, faint and echoing. “If you’re planning to lie, don’t make it too complicated. A half-dead attendant gets sympathy. A smart-mouthed one gets questioned. Remember this, Parasite.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said as I slowly walked away, leaving the animal blood jar for Velra as trade for giving me blood magic.

Now I had to prepare an excuse convincing enough that Alice would give me time off.

She would be suspicious of a sudden request for leave—but I was sure I could convince her.

—

It wasn’t easy to convince her.

But in the end, I managed to do so after I said I still hadn’t fully recovered from the fight against the vampire demon we encountered a few days ago.

At that, Alice’s sharp eyes narrowed, studying me like I was some fragile, unpredictable creature. The flicker of concern in her gaze was real—buried beneath the usual icy command she wore like armor.

“We were lucky to survive,” she said quietly, her voice softer than usual. “But don’t mistake luck for strength. Your body is fragile now. Rest well, and return with full health.”

Her words weren’t exactly kind, but they carried weight. She didn’t have a habit of wasting sympathy. I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“I will,” I promised, voice low.

Then Alice sighed a little.

“It seems that our training session needs to be put on hold.”

“I am very sorry to cause you trouble, My Lady.”

I said, bowing my head slightly before straightening up slowly, still feeling the dull ache radiating through every fiber of my body. The room was quiet for a moment, the tension hanging like a heavy curtain between us.

Alice studied me for a long beat before nodding sharply. “Very well. Take the time you need—but don’t linger longer than necessary. We have no shortage of enemies and no patience for weakness.”

Her words hit hard, but beneath that steel edge was something else—a hint of worry, maybe. Or respect. I wasn’t sure which, and didn’t want to ask.

“I understand,” I said, voice steady despite the pain. “Thank you, My Lady.”

She gave a curt nod and turned on her heel, the faint rustle of her cloak the only sound as she left the room.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, my legs feeling like jelly as I slowly lowered myself onto the edge of the bed.

The weight of everything pressed down on me—the pain, the mission ahead—but now, at least, I had a little breathing room.

Three days.

That was all I had to get strong enough to face Bjron.

No matter what it took, I wouldn’t fail.

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