chapter 32

**Chapter 33 :

Nathaniel's Point of View**

As I spoke with Ataparag, I learned she hadn't shed her beastly nature—a fact Nyabu had hinted at, yet it still stunned me. Perhaps I'd doubted Nyabu or resisted accepting Ataparag's lingering hunger for human flesh.

I wasn't sure scolding her was right, but I knew it was dangerous—especially for those she'd meet. "Nyabu told me about your pact with Sei, and I'm worried you might break her trust," I said.

"Huh? Nyabu mentioned it? But I never told her about my agreement with the queen," she replied, bewildered.

The situation felt tangled—she likely didn't know Nyabu and Toto shadowed her to kill her if she broke the pact. It saddened me, seeing their team like siblings despite this.

"That's not the point. I need to know why you tried to eat me, even while sane that night," I pressed.

Panic flashed in her eyes as she denied intent, claiming it was her hunger's pull. "You see, human flesh smells irresistible to beasts—especially yours," she admitted.

"Especially mine?" I echoed.

She explained something unique in me set my scent apart, drawing her nightly when the Crimson Item's power waned. Her craving pulsed through her, clouding her mind. She grasped my hands, confessing the intoxicating aroma of my fresh meat and blood—her excitement grew touching me.

Her eyes gleamed, almost drooling as she mused how rare my flesh was, yearning for a taste. "So, Mister Nathaniel, could I have just one finger?" she pleaded, pressing my hands to her cheek.

Alarmed, I pulled back, stepping away as her hunger seemed to unravel her. "Of course not," I snapped.

She bowed, her expression shifting to guilt. "I figured you'd refuse, but all I crave is your flesh," she murmured.

"Don't joke like that," I chided.

She sighed, relenting. "I expected that. It's fine—I don't want to break my pact with the queen," she conceded.

Her words prompted me to ask if she knew the danger of eating me. She admitted punishment awaited if discovered, but insisted she'd never follow through—she just savored the thrill of hunger. "Beasts like me feel alive when craving something fragrant. It's like seeing lechon in front of you, salivating, your blood urging a bite," she explained.

She'd only tried it once—with me, the only human in the dorm. "I promise not to repeat it. Don't be mad," she begged, taking my hands again.

I felt no fear or anger—knowing I couldn't die here eased me—but worry lingered. "Okay, but please don't do it again. It's too risky for you," I said.

She hugged me tightly, thanking me. My cheeks flushed, unaccustomed to a woman's embrace outside family. A beast or not, her cuteness won me over. Yet, as she held me, I felt her squeeze my back, sniffing me.

"Miss Ataparag," I murmured.

"Yes, Mister Nathaniel?" she replied.

"W-what are you doing?" I asked.

She clapped a hand over her mouth, turning away, apologizing. I knew she relished my fresh scent. "Just once more, I promise," she said.

I sighed, my tension easing—her control reassured me the situation wasn't as dire. "You know, Miss Ataparag, I owe you so much—not just for food and shelter, but for making me feel safe here, despite being new and human," I confessed.

I thanked her for showing I wasn't alone or lesser, unlike others here. She smiled, eyes closed, returning gratitude for the chance to help and uphold justice as she desired.

Our talk paused as speakers blared, summoning applicants. "Oh, five minutes until the trial starts—hurry, or you'll be late!" she urged.

She reminded me the next test included combat, cautioning care. Doubts crept in—could I pass without skills? Lacking energy control, only Melon's power aided me. Creating from nothing could level the fight.

As I pondered, Melon emerged from my hood, whispering a plan. "You can copy Crimson Items if you meet the conditions," he suggested.

Recalling the rule—seeing, touching, smelling, or feeling an item let me replicate it—Melon proposed using Ataparag's Crimson Item. An Alpha Class, she held Sei's gift and her own Crimson Game prize.

"Uh… Miss Ataparag, can I hold your Crimson Item?" I asked.

Surprised, she questioned my interest. "Nothing much—I want to test Melon's power," I said.

"Melon's power?"

"Not my dad!" I corrected her quip about Koko.

I explained using Melon's ability to win the trial. Though unsure, she entrusted me with her earrings—one Sei's Crimson Item, the other her prize.

"Thank you," I said.

Melon's eyes glowed, intoning, "Power of Creation." Magic circles swirled, and two earrings emerged from his mouth, which I caught. Ataparag gaped, stunned by the duplicates.

"Uh… let's say Melon copies Crimson Items," I explained.

She called it impossible—Crimson Items, from Crimson itself, forbade replication by magic. Yet, she marveled if true. "I don't know, but we can try," I offered.

Testing the copy, I skipped Sei's—useless to me—and tried Ataparag's. "What does this earring do?" I asked, slipping it on.

"Its power lets me move fast, like Nyabu with the wind, but the condition—no breathing while using it—is tough, especially for a human. Fighting exhausts you, and without breath, your body quits fast," she explained.

I sighed, wishing for a stronger frame to ignore such limits. Still, I thanked Ataparag, deepening my debt. "I promise I'll pass and join your team," I vowed.

"I'll hold you to that. Succeed, and I'll treat you to delicious food outside," she smiled, her warmth like a sibling's bond.

Her faith filled me with joy—someone believed in me despite my human limits, awaiting my triumph. This feeling, absent in my old world, drove me to give my all. I owed her immensely and swore to repay her kindness.

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