It was at that moment.  

Buzz—  

A black line appeared in the air, then turned into a hole, and soon,  

Spat out two figures.  

Seeing this, Jeong Soo-ah clasped her hands together and spoke.  

“Ah, look.”  

“Wh-What?”  

“I was right. Even I didn’t expect this.”  

Two figures.  

One of them was Sergeant Shin Young-joon, who they thought had died just moments ago.  

And the one he was holding unconscious was none other than,  

“Not only did he overcome death, but he also subdued the leader of the demons and returned…!”  

The Vampire Queen.  

The sudden situation threw the soldiers into confusion.  

Whether she knew this or not,  

“Army life…”  

Sergeant Shin Young-joon, who had come back from the dead, scratched the back of his head.  

Then plopped down in a corner and said,  

“It’s insanely tough.”  

For someone who had just overcome death, his words were quite vivid.  

***  

After being struck by the black shadow cast by the Queen,  

“Welcome to my domain, human.”  

When I regained consciousness, I found myself in a black space with nothing in it.  

‘I guess this isn’t hell.’  

At first, I thought I had arrived in hell.  

But it didn’t seem to be the case.  

Because the Queen was standing there, welcoming me.  

“Consider it an honor. You are the first to be invited to remain in this space.”  

“Ah, damn it.”  

“Haha, such coarse language.”  

I glanced up at the sky and used [Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)].  

Though it was called Ingredient Identification,  

It had evolved into a trait that could identify anything.  

[Shadow Veil]  

[Freshness – Excellent]  

[A personal space that only the nobles of the night can freely traverse]  

[It is a world that exists within the realm of imagination, detached from reality] 

[As a space without a distinct physical form, it directly reflects the imaginations of its inhabitants.] 

I could roughly understand the nature of this space.  

‘A world within the mind, huh.’  

A barrier or a subspace.  

Something like that.  

When I looked up at the sky, the entire world was dyed in a blood-red hue.  

The place I was standing on was a colossal gray fortress of unknown origin.  

‘This can’t be… Could this be the vampire’s stronghold?’  

Even though it’s a world within the mind, the fortress was overwhelmingly gigantic and grandiose.  

‘Honestly, I’m a bit intimidated.’  

Just looking around was enough to be oppressed by the sheer scale.  

Even if it’s a world within the mind, it’s still a bit difficult to act nonchalantly when faced with such a massive fortress.  

‘That shadow from before… It wasn’t just a simple attack, was it?’  

Rather, it was most likely a skill to lure me into this place.  

The reason for bringing me to this space…  

Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?  

‘They want to eliminate their most important asset one-on-one. Something like that.’  

I think I’ve grasped the situation well enough at this point.  

I decided to calmly assess the current situation by racking my brain as much as possible.  

The conclusion I reached was one.  

‘I’m screwed.’  

And quite thoroughly so.  

‘Completely screwed.’  

The Vampire Queen spoke to me.  

“According to the words of that soldier I captured, your removal would significantly diminish the Paladins’ forces.”  

“….”  

“Now that I’ve succeeded in separating you, my subordinates outside must be in the midst of a hunt by now.”  

The captured soldier, Private Lee Byeong-min, was not lying.  

The reason our unit could overcome the vampires despite being outnumbered?  

It’s not like I’m being modest.  

‘My strength does play a part in it.’  

However,  

‘The food has already been served, so the buff won’t be interrupted just because I’m gone, right?’  

This Queen seems to have made a grave miscalculation.  

She thinks that removing me would immediately weaken the guild members’ abilities.  

But that’s not the case.  

‘Still, I’m relieved.’  

It seems I don’t need to worry about the soldiers outside.  

What I should be concerned about is myself.  

Standing before me is the boss of the vampires.  

To fight one-on-one against her?  

There aren’t any cooking ingredients here.  

‘I can’t win this, can I?’  

Frowning at this painfully obvious conclusion,  

the Queen, seeing my expression, said,  

“Are you worried about the humans outside? Haha. I understand, but you should be more concerned about yourself.”  

Even without saying it, I’m not worried about the outside.  

I’m busy being worried to the max about my own situation.  

‘…The guild outside will win the battle.’  

In that case, if I can just somehow stall for time, the soldiers outside might come to rescue me.  

No matter how I look at it, that’s the only answer I can come up with.  

Steeling my resolve, I tightened my grip on the sword.  

Even if I’m going to lose, I don’t plan to go down easily.  

After all, my stats are relatively high.  

If I focus on defense, I should be able to hold out for a while.  

“That’s a scary expression you’re making.”  

However, the Queen, whom I had naturally assumed would try to eliminate me, instead casually smiled and said,  

“You can relax your face a bit. There’s no need to take such a hostile stance.”  

“…What?”  

“Why don’t we sit down and chat for a bit?”  

As she waved her hand in the air, the darkness of the space seemed to ripple, and a black chair was created.  

What’s this?  

“What are you thinking?”  

“Exactly as I said. While fighting is fine, wouldn’t it be better to have a little chat beforehand?”  

She also sat down on a chair she had created.  

In a situation where a beautiful blonde woman is inviting me to chat, many people would be delighted, but…  

‘When a pretty girl approaches you, it’s usually either a religious pitch or a multi-level marketing proposal.’  

I’m the type to be suspicious from the start in these situations.  

I activated my ability while looking at her.  

[Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)]  

[Species – Human (Vampire)]  

[Freshness – Optimal]  

The only thing that mattered was the skills and abilities.