"You're… Miss Ellen, right? Is something wrong?"
Rain couldn't bring herself to lose her temper in front of Ellen. After thinking for a moment, she quickly remembered who was standing before her.
"Yes…"
Ellen hesitated, then shifted her gaze to Sacrifice No. 2 lying on the ground. She stared at it for a long time before slowly gathering her thoughts again.
"If Phaga intends to use Sacrifice No. 2 as a weapon… will it affect his body?"
Ellen still remembered clearly: just Kunmutu, merely tainted by the sacrifice, had already shown an alarming ether concentration. Ordinary individuals with average ether resistance couldn't wield it at all—only someone with Phaga's monstrous resistance could use it freely.
But now, Phaga wasn't just using Kunmutu. He wanted to directly upgrade it using Sacrifice No. 2. The level of ether corruption involved was terrifying.
Ellen had been secretly eavesdropping earlier, worrying the entire time. Could Phaga really endure something this nightmarish?
"Well…"
Rain thought for a long while, digging deeply through her mind before finally sighing. She lifted her head again and saw the heavy sorrow in Ellen's eyes. Speaking softly—only then realizing her own voice had turned hoarse—she said:
"You already know the answer. Why ask me?"
Boom.
No confirmation.
No denial.
Just one sentence—yet it struck Ellen like muffled thunder. She clenched her fists unconsciously, knuckles cracking as they turned white under the pressure.
Rain felt a jolt of panic. Forcing an awkward smile, she quickly tried to console her:
"D-don't think so negatively! Phaga's resistance isn't that bad. Even if there's an effect, it shouldn't be too serious…"
"...Besides, think about it—Phaga has such a beautiful shark wife. Would he really be willing to turn into an Ethereal?"
At those words, Ellen froze. Her sadness halted abruptly. She lifted her gaze and stared at Rain with a quiet, eerie intensity.
Do you have any idea what you're saying?
Rain let out an embarrassed laugh and scratched her head.
"Well, it's true! Cheer up! Vampires have insane regeneration. Who knows—maybe Phaga can completely suppress the ether corruption!"
"Let's hope so…"
A thousand tangled thoughts swirled through Ellen's heart before finally dissolving into a single sigh.
She then looked up again, hope flickering in her eyes.
"Do you… have any way to help the Shark Thiren maintain their combat endurance?"
Desperate times call for desperate measures. After seeing Rain solve the Cunning Hares' financial disaster with a flick of her hand, Ellen suddenly found herself believing that Rain might actually be capable of miracles. Even a little help—just a little—would be enough.
Only by improving the Shark Thiren's stamina—by overcoming their weakness of exhausting themselves quickly—could Ellen even dream of catching up to Phaga's combat strength. Only then could she be of real help against Black, who excelled in prolonged battles.
But…
"What do you think I am?"
The moment Ellen voiced her request, Rain nearly jumped out of her seat.
"You want to change a racial flaw? Go find a biologist. If you want miracles, go to a wishing pool. Dear, don't come cursing me!"
Ellen lowered her head in silence.
She's right. What was I thinking…?
She turned around, her steps sluggish and lifeless.
Rain immediately felt her heart soften. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to speak:
"Wait! It's not like there's no way!"
Ellen's head lifted slightly, and a strange brightness burst into her eyes. Rain blinked—and suddenly Ellen rushed at her like a gust of wind, grabbing Rain's hands tightly.
Her gaze burned with desperate intensity, like someone clinging to their last hope.
"Rain…"
Feeling like she'd just been strong-armed into performing a miracle, Rain broke into a cold sweat and forced out a dry explanation:
"Well… stamina comes down to conserving and replenishing. Conservation aside—that's genetic. Everything has a price. Shark Thiren are born with high combat capability, so of course their energy consumption is high."
"That leaves replenishing. Trying to improve it through training is too slow."
Rain spread her hands helplessly.
"So the only solution is constant external supplementation. Ellen, have you ever encountered any food or tool that greatly restores stamina?"
Food or tools…
Ellen's eyes flickered. She murmured softly:
"I think… there is something."
But how would she intimidate that thing?
No—before figuring out how, there was an even more pressing issue.
Still, she finally had a direction. She immediately pulled out five savings cards from her wallet and slapped them onto Rain's table.
"Fifty thousand dennies. It was a pleasure talking with you."
Rain's eyes widened slightly. She didn't know why Ellen had split the money across five cards—each holding ten thousand. But the sincerity was undeniable.
Rain pocketed them happily and waved.
"It's the boss lady who's a pleasure to talk to! Take care, boss lady!"
"Mhm. Goodbye."
Ellen lifted her hand in farewell, stepped out of the basement, and headed upstairs.
...
It wasn't long before she returned to the first floor. Burdened with heavy thoughts, she sat beside Phaga at the dining table.
Little Corin, seeing Ellen, immediately hurried over to help serve food and pushed a bowl toward her.
"Miss Ellen, were you very busy just now? You didn't respond no matter how much I called you. I was about to phone you."
"Not very busy. I just didn't hear you."
Ellen shook her head and turned slightly—only to find Phaga still reading his laptop even while eating. Curiosity rose.
She quietly scooted closer and rested her head against his left shoulder.
"What are you looking at? So focused?"
"Meeting records from the city executives' conference. Both text and audio. The recorder was extremely diligent."
Phaga's gaze dimmed, the depth of his tone like a still abyss—impossible to see through with just a glance.
Still, he knew better than to bring resentment home. With his gloved right hand, he picked up a piece of crispy pork from the table and fed it to Little Fish.
Ellen bit into it, her sharp teeth snapping off half. The other half fell into her palm, and she fed it back to Phaga.
"Oh? Looks like the vampire clan treats you decently. They won't let you go back… but they still stand behind you when it matters."
The shifting glow from the laptop screen danced across Ellen's face as she watched quietly, speaking only now and then.
"Mmm… I suppose it's a matter of face. Any vampire would have to stand with him."
Phaga thought for a moment and agreed that this explanation made the most sense.
The two fell silent, continuing to watch.
As time passed, an elegantly dressed woman stood up—and opened with:
"Victoria's child—"
Both Phaga and Ellen exchanged surprised looks.
Who was that?
Phaga leaned toward her.
"Do you know her?"
Ellen shook her head.
"No idea."
"What? What? Let Corin see!"
Little Corin scampered over immediately, nestling against Phaga's other shoulder to peek at the screen.
"Eh? That's Mrs. Meilin."