Yarte

In games, this would be the “corruption zone”, The stench is so sharp, now I understand why it’s poisonous to stay here for too long… Guess the ingame debuff made sense.

The center of the forest loomed darker. Something rested there and waiting, shapes she couldn’t yet see, but the air throbbed faintly like a heartbeat.

“You’re awfully quiet now.” Anna said to Uetum, trying to lighten up the mood. Uetum just chuckles lightly, “Well, I am just afraid if im going to make a mistake when meeting Lord Yarte…”

“Is he that bad?”

“Not really.” Pietta answered, “If you do his order right, you’ll be fine. Just ignore his appearance.”

Appearance huh… So this Lord Yarte is the boss… My mind is still telling me to defeat him and took his loots…

And she hated that part of her—the part that felt a spark of thrill.

No longer after, they finally see a throne made of dark woods. Upon it sat a giant. A skeleton dressed in ragged royal regalia. Runes were still shining dimly on a twisted stick that leaned against the throne. His eyes were white fire piercing a skull. Anna expect a castle first, but it turns out, he’s just sitting in the middle of the forest.

A lich? If I devour him, Maren could get 50 million so easily...

“So… this is the vampire? Will you submit?” The instant he spoke, Anna felt a weight pressing on her chest, choking the breath from her lungs.

The words feel so absolute that Pietta fell to her knees instantly, forehead pressed to the bone-grown floor. Uetum collapsed too, tail tucked, purring weakly like a terrified kitten.

Yet Anna did not bow.

She stood there, back rigid, hands curled into fists, and glared up at the lich on his throne. “I won’t bow to you.”

Pietta’s eyes widened in horror, and Uetum whimpered, “Anna-chan, please—nyaaaa—don’t—”

But the lich doesn’t move, white light still flaring in his sockets.

“Good.” He said calmly.

“It has been long since someone dared to speak to me so. Defiance is proof of strength. And strength is what Morvanium needs.”

Anna’s face hardened.

“Relax, child of night. If I wished to break you, you would already be ash. I do not crush those who could be pillars.”

His staff thudded against the floor, and the ground pulsed as corruption spread in spiralling veins. The orange color in his staff slowly turned red after touching the roots.

“Interesting, so what should I do and what do I get?” Anna asked, “I don’t like small talks.”

“Such rush. Fine. You will take the seeds of Morvanium into the capital. Plant them deep and unseen. Put them into walls, into wells, into the marrow of knights. Spy on their watch, their faith and their movements.” From his hand, comes many little corruption seed.

Looks like he’s creating those stones from thin air, interesting.

And then he manifest a bag, put the corruption seed inside it and float it towards Anna’s.

“Take this. Put this everywhere you can. I will know once you place them, so you can’t fool me if you ended up throwing this like trash.”

Anna’s eyes narrowed, “And what’s it for me? I expect good prizes. If you doesn’t give me something good, I will turn against you.”

Pietta froze. Uetum made a strangled noise, pawing at her ears. “Nyaa! Anna-chan!! Don’t say such things here!!”

The forest itself seemed to groan. The throne creaked as the skeletal lord straightened. His white eyes bore into her, flames burning hotter, colder, endless.

“My enemies do not live long. If you’re under me, you’re under my protection. If you can do this order right, I will grant you any wishes.”

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink.

“Let me clarify. Any? I won’t hesitate then.”

Then—unexpectedly—he laughed for a short time but as quickly as he laughed, he got back to serious again. “Yes child... ANY. That is only if you did my ORDER right. You can ask them once you’re done.”

Anna smiled, eyes locked on the skeletal giant, the way she had once glared at raid bosses on a glowing screen. “I’ll play your game. But on my terms.” She said as she finally took the bag.

Yarte’s fire flickered brighter, pleased.

“So be it. Morvanium does not breed servants. I will call you when i need it. A portal will show up sometimes, and I expect you to go through it every time it shows up.”

“Easy enough.” Anna looked back at Uetum and Pietta who’s still bowing down, “They won’t move until I said so. This is what should’ve happened to you too.” Yarte explained.

A chuckles comes out from Anna, she turns back to Yarte, “Well, can you bring me back to my Inn, then? I will do what I can.”

Yarte nods and in a blink, she’s back in her bed.

Maren finally shows up, “KYAAA!! Anna!!” She screamed as she snuggles closer to her chest, “Where did you go?! I’m so lonely, don’t leave me again! You left for 5 hours!! I saw a bad knight, Maren traumatizes now...”

5?! So that corrupted forest is really a domain... Time dilation is a thing... And whatever that knight is doing, I don’t want to make it my problem for now.

Anna just smiled as she stroke the blade, “I got abducted there for a moment, but i can handle. Anyway, look at this.” She shows Maren the vampiric essence that Pietta gave her.

“Mnnaa? Anna? That is...?”

Anna rolled the shard in her palm, the black light crawling along her skin. “Vampiric Essence,” they called it. Supposed to let me stroll through the day like a tourist in Rome.”

Maren stiffened instantly. “Anna!! That’s impossible! Vampires can’t—”

“I know.” Anna’s voice was sharp, flat. “There’s no such thing. Not truly. If it worked, I would already hear this in the books about vampire that I read. The only thing rarer than a vampire is a vampire sunscreen.”

Maren blinked, caught off guard by her blunt dismissal. “…So you knew already? No need explanation?”

Anna gave her a wry look. “Pietta either thinks I’m desperate enough to believe the fantasy… or she’s testing how cautious I really am.”

Maren wriggled in indignation. “Then why keep it?! Throw it away before you get curious!”

“Because they said this is a friendship gift.” Anna’s fingers closed around the shard, sliding it into her coat. “And if it delays burning for five seconds, that’s still five seconds more than nothing. Enough to kill an enemy—or escape one. I will see what I can do with this.”

Maren huffed. “You sound like you’re planning to get roasted alive.”

Anna smirked. “I never plan to fail.” Anna turned the shard between her fingers, the dark glass humming faintly. Her eyes narrowed. “I’ve read of these. Simply, they called this the veil stone. They only delay the sun. Ten seconds… maybe ten minutes if the shard’s full of mana.”

Maren float closer, “Anna is so smart, I feel happy!”

Anna’s lips curved in a mirthless smile. “Vampires who trusted them usually ended up piles of ash so I won’t risk anything.” She tapped it against her palm, thoughtful.

Her eyes shifted, colder now. “But Pietta never told me where she got it.”

Maren tilted. “Maybe she forgot?”

Anna shook her head. “No. Either she’s lying, or…” Her voice softened, almost reluctant. “Or she was scammed. She looks thirteen, too soft for the black markets these shards circulate in. If she spent coin on this for me, she might actually believe she was doing something kind.”

Maren’s tail puffed nervously.

Anna closed her hand around the shard. “Intent and result aren’t the same. Pietta may be naïve… or she may be playing me. Either way, I’ll act as though both are true until I know for certain.”

She slipped the shard away, her tone cool but decisive. “I will thank her for this later. Now let’s report to Bella first and then go to this knight camp.”

“Mnnaa?! No!! Knight is bad!!”

“Hmm? Why did you say that?”