[Your bloodline is unstable…]
[To stabilize your bloodline you must complete the following tasks.]
[Step 1: Drink a glass of water]
Kyle was still feeling out of it. There was a slight ringing in his ears, like sirens that had been tuned down.
His legs were wonky and standing was a pain, but he still managed to read the words.
"Really, is it that easy?" He blurted out, turning to Daisy.
The mouse stood up and dusted her little round belly. "Just do as the system says…"
A pang of pain suddenly surged in his belly and he quickly hurried out of the alley he was in.
"Water, where can you get water?!" His desperation was slowly beginning to creep into his voice, his stomach tightening in pain.
His eyes roamed over the street looking for anything that remotely resembled water when he noticed a vending machine on the other side of the street.
Staggering forward like a drunkard, Kyle all but leaped towards his salvation. He didn't even pay attention to the road before he ran into it.
Blaring light flashed in his vision as a car came to a stop just in front of him, the driver hurling insults his way.
Kyle did not bother replying.
His stomach felt on fire, it was as though any second now his belly would burst. He was so confused that he even forgot to use his vampire speed.
He arrived at the vending machine shortly after. Right in front of him, just a few inches away from his face was a bottle of water.
He gulped and reached for it—
Tap—!
His fingers met glass and for a second he was genuinely confused. He tapped the glass again, like a wild animal trying to figure out what sorcery was going on.
Then he froze.
"What the hell am I doing?" Kyle ran his hands over his face. "If I can't control this, how will I manage when the bloodlust comes?"
He mentally reprimanded himself and sighed to calm his racing heart. "Money… that's what I need right now."
He reached into his pocket hoping that maybe whoever this was, he had something in his pockets only to be disappointed.
Not only were the pockets empty, they also had holes!
'Where can I get money right now?'
He needed water badly, so badly that his thirst threatened to make him mad.
"You want something to drink?" Came a light voice from beside him.
Kyle turned to the direction of the voice and his breath caught in his throat. Standing beside him was a beauty beyond comparison.
She was not too tall, just about the height of his shoulders. Her eyes were golden like the morning sun, and her pale blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders like a flowing river.
For a second they both stared at each other in silence, neither person saying a word.
"Himiko??"
Immediately those words left his mouth, Kyle regretted them.
Because he had watched the anime, he knew exactly who she was but that was information he was not meant to know.
Not to mention that Himiko was a villain. There was no telling how she would react to a random stranger knowing her identity…
'But damn. It's her fault for catching me off guard like this…'
The anime almost always showed the side characters in their villain hero gear. It was either that or they were repeating the same thing for weeks.
But this time Toga was dressed in a completely different way. Her hair that was often tied up was left to freely flow down and instead of her regular outfit, she was in a simple white dress that hung just over her mid-thigh.
'Damn it, I'm still staring.' Kyle looked away, blushing from embarrassment.
"Sorry about that, you surprised me…" he managed to say before looking back at the vending machine.
Himiko watched him sometimes. Just as he had been, she as well was transfixed on one thing about the stranger. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even get what he said, and it was all because of—
'His teeth…'
They were just like hers.
Sharp canines that outgrew the rest of her teeth. One feature that had made people call her abnormal in the past…
'Is he like me?' she wondered, a faint glimmer of hope rising in her heart. But at the same time, unpleasant memories flashed in her mind, memories that she would rather forget.
She shook her head slowly. 'It's impossible.'
"Do you want something to drink?" she asked once more, repeating her earlier question.
"Yes… but I seem to have forgotten my wallet." Kyle replied, scratching his head.
It was a lie, but a necessary one.
To his surprise, Himiko pulled out a bill and slid it into the machine. There was a light popping sound as the two drinks rolled down the vending machine.
She placed her hand into it and pulled it out. One bottle of water, and a can of iced coffee.
After staring at the bottle for a moment, Himiko handed it to Kyle.
He did not immediately take the bottle, instead he started looking from the bottle to her face.
'Himiko… a notorious villain. Is she really buying me a drink??'
"What? You don't want it?"
She was about to pull back when Kyle hurriedly took the bottle, his hand lightly grazing hers. "Thank you…"
"No problem. Just pay me the next time we meet." She turned around and began walking away, leaving Kyle staring at her disappearing form.
Only when she had gone did his stomach clench, the pain coming upon him like a raging beast.
He quickly twisted off the cap and greedily drank from the bottle, not even breathing as he gulped down the liquid.
The water slid down his throat, igniting his nerves with its refreshing touch and his stomach grumbled lightly, accepting the water with joy.
The relief was instant. It was like the feeling of submerging in a pool during a hot summer weekend.
[Congratulations! Mission complete!]
[You have obtained 5 stats to energy as a reward]
[Energy: 20 + 5]
…
『New Quest!』
[Quest details: Drink Blood]
↺ Duration: Two Hours
✪ Rewards: 10 points to perception.
✘ Failure: Death.