Give me your blood!

The moment Herbert realized what kind of predicament he was in, his expression changed.

Oh, no.

There was a pervert here!

"How did he get in here!?"

Huh!!?

A chill swept up Herbert's back, and his crotch involuntarily tightened-his pelvic floor clenched reflexively, tightening his sphincter.

No, no, no. Don't panic at the first sign of trouble!

Calm down.

This was my home turf. I was the Prison Warden. I controlled the Sealing Formation... ah!

Someone had seized control of the Sealing Formation!

"Hiss..."

This was bad.

Honestly, if the other guy had merely been a serial killer, Herbert would never have panicked this much.

Everyone died eventually; some deaths were lighter than a feather, others weightier than Mount Tai.

At worst, I'd just die!

It wasn't as if I'd never been crushed to death by Mount Tai before.

But being violated was different.

That genuinely scared Herbert...

This was a terrifying creature who wouldn't even spare a fish!

Would he spare a pretty, white-haired boy like me!?

Obviously not!

Besides, just think about where we were.

The Monastery!

Priests and little boys-a classic scenario with a home-field bonus.

And worst of all, even if Herbert killed himself right now, the other guy might very well get a round in while he was still warm...

Having read all sorts of bizarre case files in his previous life, he had long since stopped harboring any illusions about how depraved people could be.

Never mind corpses; in some places, they wouldn't even spare baboons or lizards.

Every buff was maxed out, my friend.

"No, seriously, what's he after, coming here in the middle of the night!? Surely he isn't actually lusting after my body?"

Although Herbert was panicking like crazy, he hadn't lost his reason. He noticed something was off about this whole affair.

The prison for other races was a dangerous place. Anyone who entered, aside from the Prison Warden and the Archbishop, would be classified as a prisoner.

There was simply no reason for the man to put himself at risk voluntarily.

Besides, even if he really intended to lay hands on Herbert, surely he couldn't be this desperate?

What was really going on behind all this?

Herbert pondered it briefly, then quickly cast those distracting thoughts aside.

The reason didn't matter.

Whatever the other man was thinking, whatever his goal was, I couldn't hesitate any longer.

Run, run, run!

Herbert took to his heels, sprinting flat out through the darkness.

Find somewhere to hide first.

Lockers, wooden crates, Force-powered bushes, dig three blocks down and fill one in... damn it, why wasn't there a single hiding place here?

As Herbert frantically searched for somewhere to hide, Nenasya offered a leisurely reminder, as though she were watching a show: ["He's heading straight for you~ Be careful~"]

*?*

Seriously, whose side were you on!?

"Nenasya!"

Herbert gritted his teeth and roared inwardly, "Does seeing me in danger really make you that happy?"

["Does it? Oh, come now, I've always been easygoing~ Even if he defiles you, it won't change how I see you."]

["Besides, you're a man. It's not like you'll lose anything~"]

Easy for you to say!

Herbert couldn't be bothered to argue with her and ordered her outright, "Don't just sit there watching. Help me! How long until he catches up?"

["Haha, since you've put it that way, I suppose I can reluctantly lend you a hand~"]

Nenasya chuckled teasingly twice, but didn't refuse. She cooperated: ["Let me see... about ten minutes?"]

Ten minutes.

Herbert calculated the distances to the various locations and immediately made up his mind.

Got it!

He turned left and charged toward the black iron coffin.

The other man was already close enough that Herbert couldn't afford to hide his movements. He shouted aloud, "Elisa!"

"Save me!"

Time for you to help me!

Three minutes.

Herbert reached the black iron coffin imprisoning the Vampire and slammed his fist into it without hesitation.

Bang!

Inside the coffin, Elisa was jolted out of her weakened slumber and snapped her eyes open.

"Huh???"

Wh-what was happening!?

Had someone come to break her out?

Or was someone attacking?

A bewildered Elisa didn't speak immediately, but Herbert was getting anxious outside the coffin and unleashed a barrage of punches on it.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

"Get up! Get up! The sun's already shining on your backside! How can you sleep at your age!"

Come out, hurry!

The black iron coffin was loud enough when struck from outside, never mind what it felt like to be trapped inside. For a moment, Elisa's head did nothing but ring.

"Aaaah! Shut up!"

Elisa shouted and struck the coffin's inner wall hard in retaliation, snarling irritably, "What do you want this time!"

Last time, not only had she failed to get anything out of him, but he had also thoroughly contaminated her, nearly leaving her badly depleted.

A pair of crimson eyes lit up in the coffin's gap, blazing like blood-red flames as they glared fiercely at the boy outside.

Honestly, taken on its own, the scene was rather eerie and unnerving.

But in truth, the words that came out of the human boy's mouth were stranger still.

He said:

"Cut the crap. Give me your blood!"

Elisa said, "I don't care what you're trying to... huh?"

*?*

Wait, what had he just said?

Huge question marks immediately appeared in those crimson eyes.

Blood?

You?

I was supposed to give you blood!?

"You, uh, huh!? You... you want my blood?"

"Exactly! Hand over your blood!"

Wait, those were all my lines!

Perhaps the shock had been so great that it crossed some threshold, because the bewildered Vampire suddenly calmed down, narrowing her eyes as she looked Herbert up and down.

"...What are you trying to do?"

Although Elisa had no idea what Herbert was planning, her instincts told her something was very wrong.

A Vampire asking a human for blood was perfectly normal. It satisfied their dietary and physiological needs.

But a human turning around and demanding blood from a Vampire was downright bizarre!

What was this guy up to?

Did he... want to become a Vampire?

Elisa eyed Herbert suspiciously, unable to think of any reason he would want to become a Vampire.

A Holy Cleric wanted to fall and become a Vampire?

Wasn't that a little strange?

But who cared?

What did it have to do with me?

This was a rare opportunity!

"Holy Knight, whatever you're planning, I can give you my blood, but you must trade your own blood for it."

Elisa stared at Herbert and said gravely, "For every drop I give you, you must give me a hundred."

Herbert nodded. "I'll give you three drops at most."

*?*

Elisa immediately lost her composure and snapped, "Three drops!!? Are you insane? That's my essence blood! Fifty drops, minimum!"

She understood haggling, but why was he slashing the price all the way down to the heels!?

"Five drops. Not a drop more."

Although Herbert was anxious inside, his outward attitude was firm, without the slightest intention of compromising.

He even threatened her:

"Think carefully. This is our first trade. If you refuse, don't even dream of another one!"

Miss Vampire, you wouldn't want to... go without blood to drink from now on, would you?