Serum

Dirk turned to Navie. She also turned after watching the Alec and Helen leave, smiling at Dirk. 

"So you're Dirk Strider? That was impressive, what you did with the Queen."

"It was an accident. I just got curious about the formation and tried to copy it."

"And you succeeded. I surely couldn't."

"So you're a dark mage?"

Dirk asked, though he already knew the answer. He could see dark mana swirling around and within Navie. It was a greater amount than his. 

She nodded.

"I am. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Navie Nevora, daughter of Marquess Nevora and dark mage of the Dark Kingdom's Magical College."

"Dirk Strider, son of Marquess Strider."

Dirk gave another bow as Navie gave another curtsy. He thought she looked quite graceful, and he didn't mind her casual atmosphere. It made her easy to talk to.

She tilted her head at his introduction. 

"Are you not a mage of the Horizon Empire's Magic Academy?"

"I was, but I haven't been back in over two years. It's difficult to call myself a student."

"So you graduated?"

"...Something like that."

Dirk answered vaguely. He was definitely taught skills beyond what the academy taught at Asura's mountain, so in a way, he really did graduate. 

Navie didn't pry further and looked toward one of the tables. 

"Would you like to accompany me, Dirk Strider? I'm sure standing around for half an hour isn't easy on the legs."

"Heh, sure."

Dirk chuckled as he followed her to an empty table. It was small with three chairs. They took two, setting themselves up so they could watch the dance floor where Alec and Helen were at. 

"My friend seemed to fall in love when she saw your friend. He sure stands out."

"Mm. He's naturally valiant."

Dirk smiled in agreement. Alec was tall and had a large presence, a natural born leader. It was obvious he would stand out. 

Navie had a small grin as she saw her friend having a fantastic time on stage. Her black hair slumped down her shoulder as she leaned more towards the table. 

"She was too shy though to actually approach you two. She watched you guys the entire time that you stood there."

"And you had to drag her over."

"She was so red, wasn't she?"

"She almost looked sick."

"Haha, she did! Even now her neck is burning up."

Navie snickered when she glanced at her friend who was burning up in Alec's arms. Their bodies were pressed together, and she almost buried her head in Alec's chest out of shame.

Dirk was a bit concerned. She looked almost uncomfortable. 

"Is your friend okay?"

"Oh, she's more than okay. I'd be more worried about your friend two hours from now. She might be shy, but if she gets past that, well..."

Navie's words trailed off, causing Dirk's eyebrows to raise. 

Alec had been jealous about Dirk's bath time story, but would he actually one-up Dirk in the end? 

Dirk felt a bit happy for his friend. Right as Navie began to concentrate her gaze on Dirk though, he frowned. 

'What is that?'

Dirk suddenly felt something in his soul. It was that strange feeling he'd been having since arriving in this city. Only now, it was suddenly amplified, like a blocked signal that was finally unobstructed. 

His heart throbbed as he tried to recall where he remembered this familiar feeling. It felt like a bad omen, like something dark within him was trying to resurface. Something he never wanted to remember was calling out to him. 

Even as Navie tried to make more conversation, he was distracted. Eventually, he concentrated on her in an attempt to get his mind off of the bad feeling. The two bounced from topic to topic enthusiastically, but Dirk's mind was constantly clouded by that something in his soul. 

Then, when the sun set fully beyond the horizon, a maid stepped out. She made an announcement.

"The third child and princess of the Vampire Queen, Princess Pandora, has arrived!"

Everyone was silent when the announcement was made, but upon hearing the name, most people's eyes turned either serious or thrilled. They seemed to be even more excited about Princess Pandora's arrival than the Queen's. 

Everyone's eyes turned to a certain set of doors. From behind them, they could hear the clicking of shoes against the floor. Everyone's heart rates quickened in expectation. 

Especially Dirk's. As those clicking sounds got closer, that feeling in his soul grew stronger. Those dark memories grew clearer. His breath became a little rough. 

"Princess Pandora!"

Navie seemed to be a fan as her eyes shimmered in excitement. Dirk shook his head though. 

Pandora. That name overlapped with another in his mind.

*Bang!*

Two large doors were shoved open by two large men. From between them, a girl walked forward. 

She wore a pure white dress that conformed to her slim bit curvy figure and exposed one of her legs through a slit that reached up her thigh. Her hair was the same deep purple of the Vampire Queen, but with a tinge of red. The deep color of her hair contrasted against the bright dress, making it seem like the color was bleeding into the fabric. 

Her red eyes scanned around the ballroom, enchanting everyone just like her mother. Then, they stopped on Dirk. 

Dirk stood from his seat, his gaze glued to Pandora. The two seemed to connect in that moment. 

Pandora. Her previously dignified and elegant eyes widened, and then she smiled as wide as she could. In that moment, Dirk saw through the dignity. He remembered that name, and saw the touch of madness that didn't disappear even across worlds. 

'Athena.'

Dirk looked at her almost as if he were looking at Asura. And she looked at him with ecstasy. Everyone in the room noticed the odd exchange, but several people went to go greet her anyway. 

But she didn't even look at them. She walked forward with almost hurried steps. That feeling within Dirk only got stronger. They could both feel it, the string between their souls. 

And she stopped in front of Dirk. His hand twitched when she got close, and the pistol appeared in it. 

She spoke with a dignified voice.

"Stand down."

"...Excuse me?"

"I wasn't talking to you."

Pandora smiled when Dirk asked confusedly. Then, he suddenly felt a blade form a small cut on his neck. The cut healed within seconds, but Dirk still felt goosebumps. 

As if getting a hold of herself, Pandora took a step back. She looked around. Cecilia looked as if she were going to jump forward any second and attack, while Duke Kyre and Alec's father were frowning. They could see the assassin that had momentarily appeared behind Dirk. Pandora was well guarded.

The tension in the atmosphere began to heat up, and not in a good way.

"...I apologize for the inappropriate entrance, everyone. And to those who wish to greet me... I hope you'll forgive me, but I must speak to this young man."

Pandora spoke to ease the atmosphere. Then, she turned back to Dirk, speaking with a softer tone.

"If you wouldn't mind accompanying me."

She moved forward and linked arms with Dirk. He flinched, but followed her lead as they walked out toward the large open balcony. 

Everyone watched them with confused expressions. When the two arrived at a far corner of the balcony, they were suddenly surrounded in a dome of ice. Cecilia was going to step toward them, but when she saw the vague figure guarding the dome, she gritted her teeth and stayed put. She couldn't do anything rash here. 

Meanwhile, inside the dome of ice.

Upon being isolated, Dirk's arm shot up. The pistol appeared again, and he pressed its barrel against her neck. 

She smiled in glee, speaking in a language only they knew.

"Supersoldier designation 008!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Oh right, you have an actual name now. Dirk Strider, son of the war mage Ryker Strider and dark assassin Cecilia Strider. Oh, how I've dreamt of this day!"

"Don't."

As she pressed forward, he pressed the gun harder against her. It was as if he couldn't see her enchanting face. All he could see was the madness that he thought he escaped when he died. 

Feeling the barrel that was warming up, Pandora had a sly smile. She pressed her body against his. They were already really close. 

"What are you going to do? Are you going to kill me here? My mother, the Vampire Queen herself, is within 100 meters of us. She could cut you down before you pull that trigger, and is focused intently on our current conversation despite my attempts at isolating us in magical ice. The only reason she isn't restraining you is because she can't understand the English language, and because I've got an icicle aimed right at your heart."

Dirk frowned as she spoke. He could obviously see the icicle, but he couldn't feel the Vampire Queen spying on their conversation. She truly was unfathomably powerful. 

Pandora's smile only got crazier. 

"Go ahead. Shoot me here. End my life. The tensions were already bad enough, but this will really do the job of starting the war! You want the lives of millions on your hands?! You want to become a mummified corpse?! You're the most ruthless supersoldier on Earth! Finish the mission you failed to so many years ago! Put a bullet into my skull!!"

"..."

Dirk was silent as Pandora pressed her chest against his and strengthened her grip on his clothes. It was like she wanted this more than anything, and Dirk was remembering the psycho he once faced 16 years ago. 

For a moment, he really wanted to pull the trigger. But her words actually made him hesitate. It wasn't due to the war, or because he would absolutely die. 

Finish the mission you once failed to. Those words echoed in his head. 

Suddenly, his arm dropped, and the pistol disappeared. 

"...I'm no longer the dog who was ordered around and disposed of. I'm not going to kill you, purely because of the fact that it would fulfill that mission."

"...Oh my god. He's learned to think for himself! Ah! I'm so happy for you!"

She suddenly lunged forward, hugging his head. Dirk was a bit flustered by her move before pushing her body off his. 

"Get off!"

"Aww, come on! Why do you hate me so much anyway?!"

"Because you killed me! Literally!"

"Yes! But I also gave you a new life! I was the one who granted you this opportunity by dragging you with me through that portal! You tried to resist so much, but look at you now!"

She raised her arms, motioning to Dirk's entire body. 

"You are the son of a Marquess under one of the most powerful empires on this world! You have a mother who loves you enough to step forward when a Tier 8 is blocking her path to you. And she even got you to learn how to dance? The coldest killer from the planet Earth was actually dancing with his mother?! No amount of insanity could have convinced me before now that such a thing could happen!"

"...How do you know that?"

"Please, as if every movement of the envoys isn't closely monitored at all hours of the day. Even then though, I had felt it. Our connection. I knew that it was one of you envoys when you arrived in the spire, so I had people watch you. Now I know that you were born just as privileged as I was. Talk about a turnaround! First orphans, and now the children of the highest echelons in this grand world of power!"

Pandora couldn't help her smile. The feeling of meeting Dirk like this, two souls from Earth who reunited on another world. It was surreal. All the information that only they knew felt like the most valuable secret in the world.

Even Dirk couldn't help but acknowledge how extraordinary this meeting was. 

He was quickly engrossed by her words though. She was right. Her dragging him through that portal gave him this opportunity. It was another life! And it was one full of love and fulfillment. Dirk had his parents that cared for him, especially his mother. And then there was forging that Dirk had a new passion for. While he had a rough patch at Asura's mountain, it turned him into a new man, one who had a strong mind and a new likeness for the people around him. He was someone who could be better friends with Alec and be more open to people. 

It was odd how such a hellish experience could change him like that, but his mother made such a change possible. It was her love that brought him out of his shell over his entire life. When they agreed to take down Asura together, it was like that shell had been removed. 

Hunt down Asura, and enjoy himself as he did so. This new zest for life made him a better person. And his strong mind ensured that he wouldn't stray from this goal. He could march forward through anything, and he would never worry about being hurt or broken. He could survive Asura, so he could survive anything. 

And the person who made this all possible, the one who forcefully dragged him along this path, was Pandora. Regardless of how she did it and who they were in the past, it was her that gave him this new life. 

But that was when Dirk remembered someone else.

Gray, his sergeant and the closest thing Dirk had to a father as a Supersoldier. In the chaos she caused, he ultimately died. 

'...But she isn't at fault.'

It was the one who betrayed Dirk that caused this. The order to scrap him, and the fact that Gray had to save him from the people he once called his leaders and fellow soldiers. This betrayal had killed Gray, and it was why Dirk vowed never to be the dog he was in his past life. 

He looked at Pandora, who looked back at him with enchanting red eyes. Now, he wasn't nearly as hostile. He no longer thought of killing her. 

But he wasn't about to forget who she was. 

"...You're right."

"I am?"

"You gave me this opportunity. I should technically be thanking you."

"Yes!"

"But you're still a psycho."

He frowned at her. When she heard him though, her face finally fell. 

"Psycho? Just like you don't want to be called Supersoldier, I don't wish to be called such."

"What, have you suddenly grown a conscience?"

"Actually, yes."

She smirked at him. 

"The Athena you knew back then... She's dead. She was stupid, impulsive, and blinded by the psychosis caused by being a failed supersoldier. But me? I'm... perfect. I have the vision. I have the mind that I was robbed of on that metal planet! I may have been a bit overexcited at your appearance, but do not think for a second that I'm the deranged idiot I was back then!"

Pandora shouted, obviously agitated. Dirk was surprised at her show of emotion. 

After quickly calming herself, she took a step away from Dirk. She regained her elegance, and that touch of madness, while still present in the back of her pupils, showed itself as a ruthlessly keen mind. 

"Anyway. If you don't hate me now, can we have a calm conversation without any exaggerated physical exclamations? I'd like to get rid of the ice dome so that suspicions die down. It's not good for the diplomacy between our empires."

"...Fine."

"Thank you."

With a wave, the ice dome suddenly dispersed. Everyone in the ballroom turned their attention, seeing Dirk and Pandora standing on the edge of the balcony. Since Pandora wasn't done with her conversation, nobody approached. But they still kept their eye on their interactions.

"Let's continue our discussion in English."

Pandora leaned on the guard railing on the edge of the balcony, her body turned toward Dirk. He faced her as well. Looking at her with an unclouded mind, he could finally see that enchanting face of hers. She truly was beautiful, even through his black and white vision.

"So you got that Trait too, right? I'm talking about Pure Soul."

"..."

"Oh come on, there's no need to be so guarded."

"...Yes, I have it."

Dirk gave in and nodded. She smiled. 

"So you also have perfect affinities?"

"Perfect affinities? No, I don't."

"...That's impossible. Your soul is pure, so there's no obstruction between you and the surrounding mana. You should have perfect affinities."

"When I got appraised as a child, they weren't perfect. But recently, my Stigma formed, and now the affinities are unknown."

"Interesting. So it affected your affinities. And now you need a new appraisal?"

"I guess. I haven't worried about it."

"Mm. Then allow me."

Suddenly, Pandora put her hands out. Dirk tilted his head. 

"I know how to do appraisals. Just take my hands and lend me a bit of your mana."

"...Fine."

He raised his hands, placing his palms down on top of hers. After their hands touched, he felt a bit of mana stream into him. 

Amazingly, it was light mana. It formed a loop through their bodies, and some of Dirk's mana was caught in this loop, streaming into her. She analyzed the mana with her power.

A few seconds later, the loop was cut. 

"Check your profile."

She spoke, and Dirk called his profile.

---

"Seriously?"

Dirk was surprised. Every affinity was at 100%!

"That's what it means to have a Pure Soul. Normal souls are impure, and depending on the impurity, affinities are lowered. The most ordinary people have really impure souls, and their souls are incapable of communicating with mana. Conversely, you are capable of communicating fully with the mana around you. Your soul is also stronger, having theoretically no limits to its ability to grow. You've become aware of your soul before, right?"

"...Yea."

Dirk nodded in a bit of a daze. To think he had perfect affinities this entire time. 

'It was no wonder I saw all the elements around me with the same clarity, despite having differing affinities. I guess that's why I have greater mental energy than those my level too.'

He connected several dots in his mind. Pandora enjoyed his dazed expression for a bit. 

"So in exchange for appraising you, how about we exchange information? You tell me your attributes, I'll tell you mine. You tell me your Traits and Skills, and I'll tell you mine. Then you can tell me why your eyes have been horribly cursed and where you've been all these years."

"...Why do you want to know so much about me?"

"What, you think I was just going to say hello and goodbye? As if I would look past this catastrophic opportunity! I know exactly what you're capable of and what you can become. And I know many things that you probably don't about this world and the secrets that lurk in the dark. Together, we are capable of turning this world on its head. We'll both grow to unfathomable heights! I dare say that we have the closest bond among anybody else in our new lives! We can support each other perfectly!"

"..."

Dirk's face scrunched up a bit as her madness began to leak out again. He was also a bit curious though.

Despite his apprehensions, Dirk also didn't wish to just part ways. While he didn't agree that they had the closest bond, he did acknowledge their unique relationship. 

And even back on Earth, she was a mastermind. Now, her psychosis was nonexistent, and due to this supernatural world, their minds were on a whole new level. He really couldn't fathom how diabolically smart she was. Her only limiter was removed. 

If her brains and his surgical brawn combined, they really could do amazing things. 

'But what would we do anyway?'

Dirk only had one enemy, and it had nothing to do with Pandora. They had no common goals or paths that crossed. Would she just start having him take care of her dirty work? If that was the case, he would immediately refuse. 

But she wasn't stupid enough to do that. No, he could practically taste the schemes brewing in that devious mind of hers. He was curious, and a bit afraid of her ambition.

But he would at least hear her out, even if only because of the fact that he felt drawn to her. Their situation was too special, so he couldn't help it.