MMORPG: I was BUGGED-Chapter 240: Blood Pact

Xin’s gaze shifted to her face and steadied on the peculiar telephone in her hand.

The telephone, despite its vintage dial design, bore an eerie and ominous aura. Crafted from clear crystal, it seemed to capture and refract the surrounding light, casting a sinister glow around its spiky, gothic structure.

The entire device was transparent, allowing a macabre sight to unfold within its confines –– blood, dark and viscous, swirled ominously, creating a hypnotic pattern that seemed almost alive.

The spikes, sharp and menacing, adorned the edges of the telephone, giving it an intimidating presence. Each spike was meticulously crafted, resembling twisted thorns ready to pierce anything in their path.

The crimson blood inside moved in a ceaseless dance, creating an unsettling contrast against the crystal-clear exterior.

As a whole, the telephone appeared like a sinister artifact, though there was an undeniable beauty about it that Xin couldn’t quite put a finger on what exactly.

[ACQUIRED! The Bloodbound Communicator]

Evangeline’s proud posture remained unchanged as she extended her chest, drawing Xin’s attention to the intricate ruby necklace dangling between her bosom.

"That’s right. I almost forgot about this part," she said with an air of nonchalance. Suddenly, a crystal chalice materialized before them, hovering in mid-air.

Without another word, Evangeline sliced her wrist with swift precision, allowing her blood to flow into the cup.

"Drink this," she commanded, her tone firm yet strangely alluring.

Xin’s lethargic expression turned sour, his suspicion growing.

"Just drink it." she urged him. "With my blood coursing through your veins, you’ll become my fully pledged servant, and you will be immune to my charm.

"Furthermore, I will always know your location on the map," Evangeline explained.

Xin looked at Evangeline with uncertainty and suspicion. "If I drink this, will I still retain my freedom and free will?" he asked.

He was only being cautious. Who knew what would happen to him if he drank it?

Evangeline blinked, momentarily taken aback by his question, before she burst into laughter. "What are you talking about? Of course, you will retain your free will!"

"However," she added, her finger delicately tracing the line of Xin’s jaw, lifting his chin to meet her eyes, "you’re already mine, Lord Schrödinger’s. Your freedom is, for all intents and purposes, non-existent," she said, her voice carrying an undeniable note of possession.

Xin stared dead at the side. "Can I choose not to drink it?"

Evangeline let go of him, her eyes widening in disbelief. "What? You refuse my blood?"

She bit her lip, furrowing her brows in a rare moment of frustration. "This is the first time . . . No one has ever refused my blood, especially after I’ve told them that they’ll gain new powers from it."

Xin grabbed the goblet and drank it in one fell swoop, surprising even Evangeline.

"What’s this? So you do want to drink it after all. Ahahahaha," she laughed, her voice echoing in the chamber.

Xin wiped the blood from his lips, suppressing the shiver that threatened to travel down his spine. He forced the blood down his throat, imagining it was nothing more than a fine red wine.

Xin was taken aback by the fact that the taste in his mouth bore no resemblance to blood.

Instead, it was akin to the sweetest and most exquisite wine he had ever savored. The unexpected experience left him stunned.

[ACQUIRED! Mannequin Blueprint!]

[You can now create a Mannequin with the necessary materials and tools. Kind and type of Mannequin varies depending on the material used]

Mannequin? Xin thought.

Could this be the power that Evangeline had mentioned earlier? He pondered if the power he had acquired had any connection to his unique class. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Looked like the reward for saving her was a special power unique to your class.

Regardless of the origins of this newfound ability, Xin couldn’t help but feel elated. It was undeniably good news for him.

Excitement coursed through him as he delved into the details of the acquired Mannequin blueprint. The descriptions and statistics intrigued him.

Although the basic Mannequins were swifter than the Basic golems by a lot, they lacked defensive capabilities.

These Mannequins stood out due to their extraordinary durability; as long as their core remained intact, they could repeatedly reconstruct their form, rendering them nearly indestructible.

Additionally, he had the ability to relocate the Mannequins’ core to any desired location, ensuring his enemies couldn’t pinpoint their vulnerability.

This revelation filled Xin with a sense of glee. It made the arduous task of clearing the dungeon entirely worthwhile. The journey had yielded an invaluable reward.

"Alright. Now that we have the blood pact, it’s time for my sightseeing–ahem . . . I mean conquest for these lands! Until we meet again, Lord Schrodinger."

With a sense of satisfaction, Xin bid farewell to Evangeline.

She was gone even before he could finish his sentence. He couldn’t discern her exit point, though, as she had just vanished in thin air.

However, he paid little mind to this mystery. The paramount thought in his mind was relief that the Vampire Queen hadn’t slain him, contrary to his initial fears.

The fact that he had survived the encounter with the Vampire Queen, coupled with the acquisition of the Mannequin blueprint, brought him immense joy.

Overflowing with excitement, Xin eagerly anticipated the opportunity to test this new blueprint.

However, before proceeding, Xin pressed the [NO] option, causing fireworks to illuminate the sky while the system voice made an announcement.

<CONGRATULATIONS to team Lazy Cat for getting firstblood in clearing the dungeon the ABANDON FORTRESS!>

Victors and others flooded Xin’s inbox with messages of admiration and curiosity.

[Red Dragon: Lord Schrodinger! Unbelievable! How in the world did you manage to clear the dungeon alone?! I thought that you’re going to die there!]

[Hikari: I always believed in you, Lord Schrödinger!]

[Grey Smoke: Impressive work, Lord Schrödinger. But how did you do it?]

Xin pondered his response for a moment.

He was uncertain about how the system operated now that the Vampire Queen had been freed and was presumably somewhere else.

Perhaps it was a one-time occurrence. He had heard about such events before — unique quests that could only be completed once.

Xin pondered the aftermath now that Envainge was no longer in the picture.

However, he decided it wasn’t his concern anymore; he would let the others handle it. So, he shared the details of what had transpired, omitting the Elysia and Evangeline part and attributing his victory over the Vampire Lord to a stroke of luck and with a super rare, secret item he possessed.

Fortunately, his companions accepted his explanation without probing further about the mysterious item.

They were just relieved that the ordeal had finally come to an end without them losing any EXP.