We gathered ourselves amidst the wreckage of the Floor 12 boss room. Mei was still clinging to my back, and Chen was picking up her damp clothes from the floor. Jia was staring indifferently at a massive stone gate. It was the door leading to Floor 13.
"It won't open. No matter how hard I push, it doesn't budge," Jia said, kicking the base of the door. Her golden scales stood up sharply. I walked over and tried to shove it too, but the massive slab of stone was fixed like a mountain. In the center of the door, there was a grotesque hole. It was too wide and deep to be a simple keyhole.
"It doesn't need a key," Chen said, approaching and grabbing my wrist. Her yellow eyes flickered. Wolf-beastwomen know instinctively what the dungeon wants. "It wants blood. And it has to be thick."
"Blood? Can't we just pour some monster blood in there?" I asked.
Chen shook her head. "No. It needs the blood of contractors. Yours and mine—our blood has to mix. It's a Blood Pact."
Mei pouted from the side, looking like she wanted to be the one to do it, but Chen firmly pulled me toward her. Jia watched with her arms crossed, looking interested.
I pulled out my dagger and sliced my palm. A red line formed, and blood welled up. Chen didn't hesitate either; she tore her own palm with her sharp claws. Her blood was much thicker and hotter than a normal human's.
"Li-An, hold tight. Don't let go."
We pressed our bleeding palms together. The sticky liquid flowed between our fingers. At that moment, the 'Vessel' inside me reacted. It felt like Chen's hot blood was surging backward through my veins.
"Argh...!"
It was burning. I had the illusion that Chen's body was melting into mine. Her ragged breath hit my face. Her eyes turned crimson as she crashed her lips against mine. It was a deep kiss, tasting of copper and salt.
A red light erupted from between our joined palms. That light was sucked into the hole in the center of the door.
Rumble—
Dust fell as the massive stone gate began to vibrate. As the door slowly ground upward, a chilling draft poured out from the other side.
"It's open," Chen smirked, not letting go of my hand. The wound on her palm was already healing. Only a faint scar remained on mine. We weren't just comrades fighting together anymore. I felt like we had become something connected by blood.
"Come on. Floor 13 is going to be even rougher."
Holding Chen's hand, I stepped into the darkness. Behind us, Mei and Jia followed, grumbling. Inside my chest, Chen's mana was still swirling hotly.