Chapter 4: Ashes of Blood and Will

Nerion looked at Mia with a cold, indifferent gaze, tinged with a hint of disgust.

She noticed it—and like a spell breaking, her frenzied expression vanished, replaced by a scowl of anger. Without warning, she reached out and grabbed him by the neck, yelling in his face.

"You bastard! Why are you looking at me like that? Like I'm filthy?! Do you think I'm easy just because I got close to you?" she shouted, tightening her grip—but not enough to knock him out or kill him.

Nerion felt it. She could have crushed him, but she didn't. Still, her behavior infuriated him. Even paralyzed, he couldn't stay silent under such humiliation.

"You're the one who got close first, fang girl," he snapped, his voice strained from the pressure on his throat. "You were the one who started flirting. You got excited—and maybe even killed your companion because of it!"

His fury kept rising.

"And you think I should be 'grateful' just because you're pretty?" he said, watching as her cheeks flushed. Not many had dared speak to her like that—especially not with a gaze so empty of lust—but he wasn't finished.

"No, you damn bitch! I don't care if you're beautiful or not. And I won't tolerate the way you're treating me. You should kill me right now—because if I gain power and get out of this helpless state, I swear I'll return everything you've done to me. I'm a man of my word."

His eyes blazed with rage. When was the last time someone disrespected him and got away with it?

Never.

He knew he might die for speaking like this—but he didn't care. His dream might be important, but his dignity was worth more than a thousand dreams.

If he had to bow to someone powerful or noble, so be it—that was their right, earned through strength. But this cursed woman? He didn't even know who she was, and she expected him to surrender just because she was attractive? Just because she was noble? And now she wanted to kill him over a look?

Then to hell with her—and to hell with his dream. He didn't care.

He had said what he said, fully accepting the consequences. In his past life, women had respect and honor. No one could touch them without permission—but that respect went both ways. If a woman spat in your face, you didn't just bow your head and act like nothing happened.

If he survived this ordeal, he would repay her.

Mia stared at him, eyes locked on his own, and realized one thing instantly.

'He means every word.' she thought.

Advancement was rare in this world, and it only grew harder with each Sequence. But there were exceptions—some people defied the odds. Nerion might be one of them.

'Should I kill him? …But...' Mia hesitated, her gaze lingering on his handsome face—his defiant eyes that didn't waver even before someone of her level. And the scent coming off him—it was the first time she didn't feel repulsed by the idea of drinking someone's blood.

'I can tame him. He'll forgive me over time, especially with the 'benefits' I'll offer.' She thought, her lips curling into a slow, widening smile.

Nerion noticed the shift in her expression and knew exactly what it meant.

'She's already thinking of a way to bind me so I can't act on my words.'

Then, Mia finally broke the silence.

"Well," she said, "I admire your spirit. That performance convinced me. I won't kill you."

She glanced at the minotaur's mangled corpse, blood soaking into the ground.

"Maybe I overdid it," she added with a soft chuckle. The minotaur clearly meant little to her—but Nerion was in real trouble now.

'Damn it. That stupid ox is causing me problems even in death.' Nerion thought, cursing the minotaur who had invited a lion into his den and died by Mia's crushing power.

"Oh, right. You never told me your name," Mia said, turning her eyes back to him.

"Nerion. Nerion Valdegar," he replied, his expression unreadable—neither warm nor cold.

Mia noticed the neutrality in his gaze and frowned slightly. She decided it was time to remove the barrier between them.

"Hey," she said softly, brushing a strand of his hair with gentle fingers, "you're mine now. There's no choice but to stay by my side."

Nerion's expression darkened—but Mia wasn't finished.

"I've never been able to drink anyone's blood—not even my parents'—at least, not directly. But you…" Her slender, jade-like fingers caressed his cheek. "Your scent doesn't disgust me. In fact, it's the most pleasant scent I've ever known."

She smiled, almost tenderly.

"Don't worry—I'll give you everything you need to advance through the Sequences. I'll support you fully. Once you 'awaken,' the paralysis will fade. And with time, any hatred between us will disappear. You'll grow to accept me. That's not so bad… right?"

Her hands stayed on his cheeks. Her eyes didn't leave his. To her, he looked like the very flame of her hope. She was determined not to mess this up—and though she had removed the possibility of letting him go, she framed it as a suggestion, not a command.

Nerion saw through her approach.

How?

Just look into her eyes—the passion and hope in them were impossible to miss. She didn't want to push things further into conflict, so she offered this compromise.

But Nerion also understood one other thing:

He had no choice.

Paralyzed, unable to move a single limb—what right did he have to protest?

It was dangerous, and he hated being so weak, but… it was a chance. A chance to begin his journey in this new world.

Still, no matter how long it took, he would repay this humiliation. That was a promise he'd never break.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again.

"…Fine. I'll go with you," he said, his tone still neutral.

Mia beamed inside, hiding her excitement carefully. She didn't want to trigger any revulsion from him. She could tell now—so long as she acted with nobility and reason, not cold arrogance, he wouldn't resist her. And she planned to stay that way until he fully opened up to her.

Then, she glanced at the lifeless form of Angelina.

"She was your sister, wasn't she?"

"Yes," Nerion said, faking a sad expression. "I'd like her buried somewhere peaceful, please."

Though he felt some sympathy for her life's tragedy, he had no deep emotional connection. He realized now that his mind was separating completely from the soul that once occupied this body—and that gave him peace. It meant no more interference in his emotions going forward.

Mia lifted the body from his lap and vanished, leaving Nerion alone—much to his surprise.

'Why didn't she take me with her?' He thought, puzzled—but ultimately didn't care. He waited patiently for her return.

…

Mia reappeared in a quiet clearing with no trees nearby. Then she punched the ground—hard.

The earth caved in, creating a pit two meters deep. The precision in her strike was terrifying.

She gently laid Angelina's corpse inside. As she did, she caught the faint scent of Nerion on her clothes.

Her eyes briefly lost focus—but she recovered quickly.

'It's fine. She was sitting on his lap. And she *was* his sister.' She reassured herself.

She thought about burning the body, but decided against it—it *was* Nerion's sister, after all.

After covering the grave, she turned and whispered before vanishing again:

"Don't worry, little human. I'll take better care of your brother than you ever did," she said with a smug little smirk curling at her lips.

She appeared before Nerion once more, wearing a wide smile.

"Shall we go, dear?" she asked, staring into his eyes, hoping to find even a flicker of warmth.

She didn't. His neutral gaze remained unmoved.

"Yes. Let's go," Nerion replied, nodding.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Mia said, teleporting to the minotaur's corpse.

She drew a dagger from her waist and knelt down, slicing into its chest.

Nerion's eyes widened. It was the first time he had seen someone dissect a humanoid-like creature up close. The blood and gore were shocking—but he forced himself to watch. He had to get used to this kind of brutality. It would surely happen again.

Finally, Mia pulled something from within the chest—an ever-shifting object that changed its shape every second: cube, then sphere, then triangle. It kept morphing in her palm as she walked back toward Nerion.

She noticed his faint look of disgust and quickly cleaned herself.

"Salus Ayagora," she whispered.

In an instant, her clothes, body, and even the strange object were spotless—no trace of blood or gore.

Before either of them could speak—

A sudden clarity flooded Nerion's mind. The emotions he had buried since arriving in this world settled into silence. His sadness vanished. Even the pain in his stomach faded—and then—

Ding!

[The host's soul has successfully merged with the vessel.]

Ding!

[All remnants of the previous soul have been purged.]

Ding!

[The lingering poison in the host's stomach has been neutralized.]

Ding!

[The Original Bloodline System and Core Blood have successfully linked with the host's soul.]

Ding!

[Insufficient energy to activate the Original Lineage System.]

Ding!

[The host has two choices:

1 – Sacrifice 10 years of lifespan to activate the system using soul force.

2 – Gather willpower essence from living beings to activate the system naturally.

(Note: The system remains identical regardless of method.

Note: Lifespan can be regained through progression in Willpower and Bloodline Paths, but your bloodline has not yet fully awakened.

Using the first method will cause clear signs of aging.)

Ding!

[Option One – Option Two]

(Note: The host may choose a hybrid method, sacrificing some lifespan and supplementing the rest with willpower sources.)]

The flood of system messages made Nerion's eyes widen and spin with shock.

Then—

"Nerion!!" Mia screamed, panicked.

He had passed out from the shock.