I felt Elira's pulse weakening with each passing moment; it raced beneath my fingers, fast yet feeble, her heart straining desperately to push what little blood remained through her body. She had already lost too much… and it was all my fault.
I have to act fast! She's in hypovolemic shock. Shit, shit!
I dropped her flat onto the cold stone and tore a bone from the fallen skeleton, wedging it beneath her legs to hold them up. Anything to help what little blood remained reach her brain and vital organs. Without oxygen, she could slip away at any moment, her body shutting down piece by piece.
John will kill me if she dies… and… damn it! Why did she do this? An inner conflict rose in my chest, the demon in me fighting against the human.
I watched as her body began to fade, the scent of night curling around her like an invitation to the final destination. And I felt helpless… so helpless. Maybe I should run. Flee this town. Slip back into the demon world and follow the heroine, just keep playing out the story.Should I give up on my goals?
No. The word rang in me like a pulse. Giving up had never solved a problem. It would only make it worse.
I had no way to give her a blood transfusion in this environment, in this world. Without my fancy equipment, I was nothing… so much for a talented surgeon. I'm just a girl, lost in a world I don't belong in.
My tears rolled down as I stared at her cold body, eyes shut tight, breaths shallow, barely there. Any moment now, that last flame, that last fragile hope, would be snuffed out by cruel reality. And I was the culprit.
[User's mental state — critical]
[Suggestion: Access the System Market to resolve the problem]
The robotic voice spoke calmly in my mind, making me space out for a moment. Only then did I remember an important detail... I could buy medical equipment in the system shop. But would it truly have what I needed?
I had no time to hesitate.
"Open {Pharmacy}." My voice cracked as I spoke aloud. The usual system screen twisted and bent before my eyes, shifting into something alive. The letters rippled and moved at my command, filling the search bar as I spoke out what I needed.
[Please choose a sub-category: {Pharmaceuticals}; {Surgical Equipment}; {First Aid}; {Heart…}]
The list expanded before me, stretching endlessly, every category I could imagine waiting at my fingertips. I didn't even finish reading it through. My choice was obvious. I slammed my will into {Surgical Equipment}.
[Pharmacy — Surgical Equipment]
[Available Coins: 10]
[{Basic IV Needle (Sterile) – Cost: 3 coins} A single-use steel needle enchanted for painless vein entry. Auto-sterilizes on contact.]
[{Mana-Infused Tubing – Cost: 4 coins} Transparent tubing designed to channel both blood and mana essence without clotting. Contains a miniature flow regulator.]
[{Standard Blood Pouch – Cost: 6 coins} A sterile pouch that prevents coagulation. Holds up to 500 ml of blood. Requires tubing and needle for transfusion.]
[{Complete Transfusion Kit – Cost: 15 coins} Includes needle, tubing, and blood pouch in one set. Pre-sterilized, designed for field use. (Insufficient funds)]
[{Portable Saline Flask – Cost: 7 coins} Restores blood pressure and hydration, but cannot replace blood loss.]
I scanned the market quickly, focusing only on what I needed. But I was broke. I hadn't earned enough, hadn't cleared enough quests, and now I had to improvise. The decision came to me instantly; I knew what would give me the best chance here.
I chose a single tube and a blood pouch. This would be a test of my skill. I would have to cut myself again and again, letting my blood flow cleanly into the pouch, then open Elira's artery with my scalpel to guide the tube inside. It would demand absolute control of my hands. Live or die. There was no middle ground.
I worked fast, steadying my breathing as I prepared everything. All ten of my system coins vanished in an instant, the tools manifesting from thin air and dropping into my palms like ghosts.
Now I could only pray my blood would sustain her. With a bloodline as strong as mine, maybe it would bypass the usual logic. Still, it would've been convenient if my type were O-negative.
I had to take a gamble. And so I did.
"Hold on, Elira. You're not going anywhere. You're staying in this world… with me, as my dear friend." Friend… I had never spoken that word to anyone, never cared to. Being alone had always been easier for me in a world where work was my bread and butter.
My eyes swept over her body, and then the world stilled; nothing existed except my hands and me. I moved with such precision that her artery didn't even realize it had been cut before I had already slipped the small tube inside.
Above her, I held the pouch, letting my blood flow into it. I used my surgeon's scalpel to keep opening my own veins, canceling the ability each time before it condensed back into a blade. It created a crude but steady way for me to provide. The thought came to me just before I cut my own wrist; yet another gamble, but it worked better than I expected.
The blood began to flow into Elira. My heart pounded in a constant battle as I watched the pink slowly return to her skin, her breath growing quicker, steadier. She was recovering. That meant my blood was a viable donor. Maybe because I had consumed hers so many times, it had gained some familiarity. But one thought chilled me even as hope rose. Would a human survive once her body realized the blood belonged to a demon? Or was our blood the same after all?
Moments passed slowly before my eyes. I cleaned her up, stitching her wounds with the tools I'd saved from my previous surgeries on her. When I thought nothing else could go wrong, the noise began to stir outside, a swelling tide of footsteps. A horde was rushing toward the church, and woven into it I felt a dangerous aura… John's aura.
I rose, Elira cradled in my arms, and made my choice. Something reckless. Something desperate. We would flee. I couldn't let John see her like this.