"I am called Enzo," Enzo replied, a bit out of sorts. Her question had come so suddenly, he didn't have time to think. In hindsight, maybe that was a mistake. What kind of names did night creatures even have?
"Enzo… what a weirdly normal name," Victoria turned to the side with a skewed expression.
She was, of course, lying. She had never heard of a night creature with such a simple-sounding name.
"Thank you for releasing me from that box." She stretched her hand out, grabbed a glass filled with red liquid, and brought it to her lips.
'That's my blood?' Enzo furrowed his brows. It was a strange sight, seeing someone drink your blood should rank in the top 10 most terrifying experiences.
"Will this become a thing?" Enzo pointed at the glass and spoke in a rather flat tone.
He didn't want to become a feeding bag for the infamous vampire queen. That sounded like a miserable existence.
"Oh no. With this quality… I won't need to feed again for at least a hundred years." Victoria saw the look on his face and shook her head. She was a far more advanced species of vampire than the creepers that went bump in the night. Her system was nearly perfect.
Hearing that, Enzo simply nodded and climbed down from the bed to stretch. His body felt stiff. Afterward, he walked toward the black coffin a few meters away and stood before it.
Just a few seconds after waking up, he had received a second objective on this voyage, and… it wasn't great. He genuinely thought he was done with all this.
"So… what's the plan? How do we get off this rock?" Enzo asked, glancing back at the two monsters from the corner of his eye.
From what he'd gathered, not just from Nibbleskin but from the new mission details. this place was more than a prison. It was a prison world. A prison within a prison.
"Ahh, Galafray. To be honest… I've thought about it for close to a millennia. For us night creatures, it's virtually impossible." Victoria spoke with a bitter smile.
The Red Sun Legion had modified this planet specifically to keep night creatures in—forever. Seven suns. Overkill, even by galactic standards. The night and day cycles were random and frustrating. Stepping outside at the wrong time could roast a night creature alive.
And then there were the beasts. Monstrous things sprawled across the deserts—creatures that had ravaged galaxies for years.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Lady Victoria… our friend here can walk in the sun." Suddenly, Nibbleskin raised his head from her lap and looked at her.
"What?" Victoria paused, her gaze turning to Nibbleskin.
"Yeah, I was surprised too. Who would've thought? A day-walking night creature. I mean, it's literally in the name 'night creature'. But it's true. I've seen him in the sun with my own two eyes… three eyes, I mean." Nibbleskin explained in a calm, matter-of-fact way.
He could walk in the sun, yes, but it came with a time limit and a heavy energy toll. Still, with Enzo, things were finally looking possible.
"I… well, that's fortunate." Victoria tried not to show too much surprise. She didn't want Enzo feeling overwhelmed by pressure.
"But I can't force him to do anything he doesn't want to. It's dangerous out there, and even a great warrior…no matter how strong, would face incredible risks."
At a glance, she could gauge Enzo's body and strength. While it was far beyond his original body, it still fell short compared to herself or Nibbleskin.
The beasts in the desert were brought here to kill her. Against someone weaker, they'd become apex predators.
"I don't have a problem with that. As luck would have it, I need to get off this godforsaken rock too." Enzo smiled.
His new objective was to get Victoria off this planet. It sounded like a final objective. That alone was enough to motivate him.
"Okay, then I solemnly promise to do whatever is in my power to make sure you make it out alive as well." Victoria suddenly rose and gave a deep, humble bow, her silky red hair flowing over her shoulders.
She wasn't some leech. If Enzo was going to risk his life for her, then she would do whatever it took to ensure he didn't die. Even if it cost her own.
⸻
A while later…
"Wow, she's strong," Enzo muttered as he stood before a massive, collapsed gate at the prison's entrance.
All the guards had long since rotted away, leaving behind hollow bones and rusted armor. Victoria only had to worry about the massive metal gates and structures sealing them in.
"Hehe, this is only the tip of the iceberg, kid. I swear I've seen her rip apart one of the Mechanicum's Iron Giants with her bare hands. Do you know how hard that is?" Nibbleskin said with a triumphant laugh.
Victoria was terrifying, and she had the strength to justify everything about her.
"I can imagine," Enzo replied, stepping over the fallen gate. On his back was the large black coffin.
Despite her power, Victoria still couldn't survive under the sun. If he wanted her to come along, he had to lug this coffin around—with her inside it.
'One would think you'd be… somewhat heavy.'
Enzo glanced at the coffin on his back. Despite its appearance, it felt incredibly light, even for him.
[Notice: Inheritor is bound to me. I am not a burden. I have reduced my weight by several million pounds for your convenience.]
A voice echoed in his head. Unlike the usual HUD, this one felt ancient….commanding.
Yes, this voice belonged to the Void Coffin itself.