MMORPG: Rebirth as an Alchemist

[BONUS]

While Ren and Evie traversed the basement, the former was mentally counting the number of areas in the castle he could remember as he looked at the map.

An Underground Cemetery was located in the basement. There was also one in the garden, as well as on the ground floor near the garden in the left wing.

The study and chapel were on the right wing upper floors, as well as the Inner Quarters.

The Arena, the Dance Hall, and the dining hall were located on the lower floors left wing.

There was also a Clock Tower. Ren recalled more. Forbidden Area, Floating Garden, Castle Corridors, and the Chaotic Realm in which Dracula situated himself. There were more areas, but Ren couldn't recall them.

To make matters worse, many areas were interconnected with each other and had many hidden passageways. If Ren really thought about it, his brain would explode.

That was why completing the map as soon as possible was important. Only with a complete map would they see all the hidden passageways and secret areas, and finally, Dracula's lair.

The basement had multiple levels and contained several laboratories where the Count's experiments were conducted. This area also includes torture chambers and prison cells.

Not many players had explored its creepy and smelly halls and instead walked around the well-lit fancy floors upstairs.

"There are so many rooms here," said Evie. "If we checked one by one, we would never finish this server within a day."

"Dracula's Castle is meant to be explored for at least a week of game time," explained Ren while checking the laboratory tools on the table while Evie searched the shelves.

"How about using Pii?" Evie suggested.

"There are players here. And even if I wore a cloak that could conceal my face, they could easily connect the dots once they saw you with me. It's too risky."

Ren already told Evie about his other persona in the game. And Evie understood why he was doing it, so she told him, "We should split up then."

". . ." Ren paused. The mere thought of separating from her didn't sit well with him.

In the first place, why did she even suggest it?

Did she want to explore this horror castle alone?

Come to think of it. Maybe she would enjoy it more if she was alone because she liked scary stuff.

Was that it?

While Ren was busy overthinking and wracking his brains as to why Evie suggested splitting, the little girl was enjoying her time with the scare and terror the servers gave.

She didn't really have any deeper meanings with what she said. All she wanted was to make things easier for Ren since he could move more freely without her.

And besides, she could perfectly take care of herself. Evie didn't want to be a dead weight for Ren, and it would make their work faster as well.

"Do you want to split up?"

Ren's question made Evie turn in his direction. Her heart skipped a beat at his intense gaze and serious face.

"It would make things easier for you if we split up."

Seeing Ren frown, Evie knew that he didn't like her answer.

"If you're worried about me, don't," Evie said, still trying to convince him. "I can perfectly take care of myself," she told Ren with a resolute voice.

Ren took a deep breath. He knew that Evie had a point, still . . . just thinking about her traversing these halls alone in the dark surrounded by vampires, monsters, and souls . . .

. . . would surely make her happy.

Ren blasted an audible air over the ceiling. He admitted that he was rather possessive, but this wasn't the time or place.

He should really separate his feelings from business.

As soon as he was alone, he could equip his cloak and release Pii to find these maps, shortening their time enormously with its help.

On the verge of conceding, a voice suddenly sounded, making Ren pause.

The voice reminded him of trilling birds and the buzzing of bees — a voice possessing all the sweetness of spring.

Then came a woman of ethereal beauty. Long black curls rested on her bare shoulder. Her phoenix eyes twinkled, and her seductive red lips pouted in a charming smile.

She wore a thin nightgown and her luminescent porcelain skin glowed through its thin sheets. The cleavage of her breasts almost slipped from the low hem of her gown when she folded her arms underneath her chest.

"Ara~ we have visitors?"

If Ren didn't have the [Monarch Sovereignty], he would surely be charmed. But even without the said scepter, a normal player would surely succumb to such beauty.

Before Ren knew it, a sudden, painful twinge forced him to bite back a reflexive gasp.

When he looked over at his foot, there was a sharp heel constantly stepping against his boots, which was, of course, coming from Evie.

"W-wha . . . what are you doing?" Ren had to ask because he was truly baffled at what she was doing.

However, the little woman only snappily answered while avoiding any contact with him, "Oh. Sorry. I didn't know I was stepping against your feet."

". . ." You're constantly stepping against it, though. Ren mused to himself.

"It must be nice . . . ," she said suddenly and muttered in a low voice, ". . . having to stare at such a beautiful busty woman."

". . ." Was that why she was stepping on his boots even now?

Ren didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He didn't even notice the woman who entered. His eyes were checking the reflection in the flasks and jars around them.

The lady in front of them was ethereal, but her true appearance reflected on the glass showed the opposite.

Her flesh was rotting, and skin was peeling off from her skull to her shoulders, baring her bones. Insects and worms crawled in and out of her orifices.

A large portion of her lower torso didn't contain any flesh to hold her organs, so her guts and intestines were spilling out from her stomach.

The black haired beauty was a Reaper Banshee!