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Seeing the look on Sonia and her guards' faces, both Jibril and Zhu Yue couldn't help but sigh a little. After all, they'd once reacted the same way.
But after seeing more and more of Riku's strength—and how freakishly fast he kept growing—they'd gotten used to it.
"My reason for coming here's pretty simple," Riku said casually, locking eyes with Sonia. "First, I was just passing through and needed to pick something up. Second… I wanted to have a little chat with your creator, the Shadow God Gaglas."
"——!" Sonia and her guards all froze. Chat with their creator? Could this guy be any more casual about it?
"May I ask… what exactly are you here to retrieve?" Sonia asked steadily. Riku's laid-back tone made one thing very clear—he didn't see their god as an enemy.
"That's not something you need to know," Riku replied coolly.
"I understand. Please, follow me. I apologize in advance if the hospitality's lacking," Sonia said, bowing slightly before respectfully inviting him along.
Even if she didn't understand his motives, Riku's overwhelming power was enough to make her set aside her pride and treat him with respect.
Wherever you go, as long as you're not enemies, the strong always get special treatment.
At least… for now, they weren't enemies.
Sonia gave Riku a long, meaningful look before flying downward.
"Zhu Yue, just wait here. I'll be back soon," Riku said calmly before following after Sonia.
Jibril and Zhubi were following right behind Riku.
Watching them go in, Zhuyue could only float around gloomily in the air. Her body was way too big—there was no way she could squeeze into the cave.
The group twisted and turned through the dim tunnels of the cave.
Eventually, they reached a vast underground city made up of towering castles. It looked like a hidden metropolis carved into the mountains—grand and majestic.
A group of vampires was already gathered there, eagerly waiting.
The moment they saw Sonia, their eyes lit up with joy. But when they caught sight of Jibril and Zhubi, their expressions changed in an instant—panic, alarm, and full-on defense mode.
After all, the Skywinged and the Mechanoid races had terrifying reputations.
Strangely, Riku was completely ignored. Humans were notoriously weak—nobody thought much of them. Not all vampires had Sonia's level of awareness.
Sonia calmly ordered her people to stand down. She knew all too well that angering Riku could bring their entire race to ruin.
"Lord Riku, do you need help finding what you're looking for?" Sonia glanced at Riku and asked cautiously.
"No need. Just stick with me. Otherwise, I might accidentally kill some of your people while I'm searching." Riku said casually.
"Understood." Sonia nodded. She knew it was true—if she weren't around, one of her clansmen might actually try something against Riku. And if that happened, the outcome would be obvious: her people would die. No second chances.
With Riku leading the way confidently, they soon stopped in front of a room in a luxurious-looking castle.
"Open it," Riku said with a smirk, eyes full of anticipation.
"...Lord Riku, are you sure it's here?" Sonia, unusually hesitant, asked with a trace of doubt in her voice.
"Yeah, I'm sure it's inside." Riku replied firmly. The system map never lied—unless it was a diamond-tier chest, which sometimes came with tricky pocket-dimension mechanics.
Jibril and Zhubi were still staring intently at Riku. They were dying to know what secret he was hiding. They'd come up empty, but Riku acted like he'd found something amazing.
This time, they were determined to see it for themselves.
Jibril and Zhubi—two girls who should've been sworn enemies—were unexpectedly on the same page for once. But unfortunately for them, they were in for a letdown.
"Fine..." Sonia bit her lip, conflicted, and stepped forward to place her hand on the door.
Behind her, two female vampire guards exchanged odd, eager glances.
"You two, go notify the others to pause the ceremony for now," Sonia suddenly ordered, her tone commanding.
"Ah... okay." The two guards looked disappointed and frustrated but obeyed and left quietly.
"Oho~ looks like they're really curious about what's in there. Are you hiding something naughty, little bat?" Jibril teased with a sweet smile, clearly picking up on the strange vibes.
"Mind your own business." Sonia frowned at the nickname and snapped coldly. But if you looked closely, her eyes were filled with inner turmoil.
Riku was intrigued. This vampire queen was usually icy and composed—seeing her like this was rare.
Sonia pressed her lips together and pushed the large door open, revealing the room inside.
Everything was pink. Lingerie and underwear were scattered all over the bed, making the place look chaotic and strangely... charming. Plush toys were everywhere. It was the ultimate girly room.
Jibril froze. Even Riku was momentarily stunned, then glanced at the vampire girl—who now looked a bit embarrassed—with an odd expression.
Was this what they called a "gap moe"? On the outside, she was a total ice queen, but on the inside, she was all soft and sweet.
Honestly... not a bad combo.
Riku rubbed his chin and looked at Sonia with appreciation. She was beautiful, had a charming personality, that adorable hidden side, and knew how to carry responsibility—not to mention she was a legal loli vampire queen.
"Ehehe~ Master, are you falling for Sonia?" Jibril's smile widened as she picked up on Riku's flicker of interest. "Want me to capture her right now and make her your maid?"
"Riku, no being a playboy," Zhubi said, tugging at Riku's sleeve and glaring up at him.
"You guys coming in or not?!" Sonia's face twitched as she snapped angrily, clearly flustered by their teasing.
Now that looked more like her true self.
"Didn't expect you to be such a collector, little bat," Jibril said with a grin, picking up a stuffed animal while ignoring Sonia's death glare. "This kind of stuff is super rare in this era, you know."
Sonia ignored her. Once Riku and Zhubi entered, she quickly shut the door behind them and let out a sigh of relief.
If her guards saw all this, her dignity as queen would be in shambles. A real leader needed to maintain a strong presence.
Of course, her sneaky behavior just made the rest of the vampire race even more curious. Now everyone wanted to find out what kind of secrets their queen was hiding in her room—without getting on her bad side.
"....."