Chapter 1: Strange Fragrance

As she pondered, the man holding her kept walking toward an unknown destination.

She didn’t know where he was taking her.

But she could smell the scent of cosmetics in the air gradually being overtaken by a strange fragrance.

The man had companions, likely his partners, trailing behind him.

Their gazes toward Zixueta were eerie.

The man broke the near-silent atmosphere first: “You don’t seem scared. I noticed your hair—black fading to red. Are you the one from the Black Forest?”

He knew a god managing the dark world’s natural environment lived in the Black Forest.

Zixueta sneered at his words: “Whether I am or not, does it stop you from doing this to me?”

The man agreed: “True. I’m just curious. If you are, that’s great. If not, your dyed hair could earn me extra if I report you. Little sister, hair isn’t dyed lightly. Black. You know that’s Ghost Pupil’s color.”

One of his companions chimed in: “We’ll take you to eat something good. Even Ghost Pupil can’t get it!”

Zixueta scoffed: “Ghost Pupil is my brother. He may not come help, but he gives me advice.”

Her words made the man’s companions burst into laughter.

Zixueta, furious at their mockery, snapped: “What’s so funny? Hey, stop laughing!”

They kept laughing.

Zixueta wanted to string them up on a tree.

The man brought her to what seemed like a children’s playground.

But the facility was just at the entrance of where he was taking her.

The entrance made it look like an ordinary kids’ play area.

As they went deeper, the setup diverged sharply from a childish style.

Inside were all sorts of strange things.

A few men stood in a corner, sucking on thick ‘tubes.’

They weren’t smoking—the tubes held some kind of powder.

That was likely the key.

Potted plants lined the road.

Zixueta knew they emitted a fragrance that lured people into hallucinations.

She frowned, covering her nose with her hand.

Only when the plants were out of sight did she dare lower it.

There were a few shops inside.

They sold flowers, toys, and various daily necessities.

People bought items and hurriedly dashed into a room, purpose unclear.

The man brought her to a shop and said to an elderly vampire shopkeeper: “Boss, two ‘toys.’”

The boss stood motionless.

Zixueta strained to see what was in the shop.

The man paid through the system.

Only then did the boss move, turning to grab two transparent bear ‘toys’ from a shelf.

He placed them on the counter, asking: “Need them packed?”

The man said: “Unpack them and send them to Room 2. I’ll need them soon.”

As soon as he spoke, the boss tore open the bear’s head.

Several balls of powder fell out.

He opened one, holding it, and stuffed the rest back into the bear’s body.

With a ball in one hand and the bear’s transparent body in the other, he led the man and his companions to Room 2.

As he left, a virtual robot appeared to mind the shop.

It said: “Thank you for your purchase! Happy to serve you!”

Zixueta was forcibly taken to the room.

As the door opened, the strange fragrance grew stronger.

This room was likely where the man and his friends did their special business.

He tossed Zixueta onto a sofa.

After the boss set down the items, the man grabbed the opened toy ball.

He also stripped off his shirt.

His bare torso was covered in tattoos.

One look, and anyone could tell he wasn’t to be messed with.

Holding the ball, he eagerly told Zixueta: “This is delicious.”

Zixueta looked at him oddly: “I’m not eating that.”

The man brought the ball to her nose.

Zixueta caught a whiff of pollen.

In an instant, she made her judgment: Death’s Kiss!

It was a white skull flower, poison to vampires.

Even a touch of its pollen could make a vampire crave it.

The more they consumed, the deeper they fell into hallucinations, until they lost their sanity.

Small amounts made vampires frenzied, boosting their strength temporarily.

The flower needed vampire blood to grow.

It grew fast, with short cycles and high yields.

It caused vampires to feel hunger.

It bore no fruit and was a forbidden flower among vampires.

Its growth required vampires to offer blood.

Two hundred years ago, when a vampire discovered it, many thought it enhanced abilities.

Its use skyrocketed from nothing.

As consumption reached alarming levels, vampires began feeling uncontrollable hunger.

Soon, those who used it most started biting others.

Addicted vampires attacked their own kind, draining some blood and using the rest to cultivate more Death’s Kiss.

The flower had strong side effects for other races too, though less severe.

For non-vampires, it caused an entrancing effect without the hunger.

These facts flashed through Zixueta’s mind.

She shook her head firmly: “I don’t want it.”

The man tried to persuade her ‘gently’: “This is good stuff. It’ll make you feel great.”

Zixueta still refused: “No, don’t give it to me.”

She looked into his eyes: “Is this really good? Can I take it to study? I know how to make medicine.”

The man had intended to force her.

But hearing she could make medicine, he pulled back the hand holding the pollen.

He asked: “Your medicine-making—is it with herbs, plants, or chemicals? There are three types. Which are you? Can you replicate this?”

Zixueta’s lips curved slightly: “I’m best at plant-based medicine, but I know a bit of the others. Don’t think I’ll believe it’s good just because you say so.”

She suddenly stood, saying sharply: “This is clearly poison!”