Ren and Evie immediately teleported back to the basement. With their map as a guide, they followed the laid-out path towards the Chapel.
"How disappointing."
Ren heard Evie muttered.
"He's just an idiot in love, apparently," said Ren with a laugh.
First, the eccentric Mad Doctor and now, the love struck Dracula. The developers surely have a sense of humor.
"The most common madness of them all," Evie added and giggled.
The two chatted as they headed towards the Chapel. They encountered players and monsters alike, but it didn't pose any problem to the two.
When the couple walked up a flight of stairs, they finally stumbled into a hall.
The room was empty except for a few lit candles on each side of the hall, and at the center was a large golden double door with intricate carvings. They were surrounded by statues that looked like angels, who had long flowing hair and wore robes. Their faces were painted white with red eyes.
"This is creepy," Evie whispered. "I feel like we're being watched."
"Yeah, I get what you mean," replied Ren as the statues eyes moved together with them.
He turned his head around but saw no one behind him.
Something was definitely off.
Ren picked up a faint noise — a rattling of metal balls, followed by a sizzling sound and, soon, a loud blast.
Ren and Evie immediately [Teleported] into a safe distance, narrowly avoiding the blast.
Evie teleported to the left side near the angel statues. As she was thinking about what just happened, she heard Ren screamed her name.
"Evie! Behind you!"
Evie turned and was met with the sharp end of a blade. Knowing that it was too late to evade, Evie released a water spell, aiming at the weapon, hoping to change its trajectory.
But before she could, sharp pain caused her to gasp reflexively. A bullet went past through her heart, halting her mid-cast.
The damage was minuscule, but it was enough to stop her from chanting, and she was hit straight on with the axe, enforced with ki.
The impact shot Evie to the ground and carved a large chunk of her HP in one swoop.
"Evie!" Ren was shocked by the damage. Evie's DEF might be low, but it was still in the hundreds, and no player should have been able to ditch that amount of damage to her at this current time.
Ren [Teleported] next to Evie and immediately gave her [Health Potion]. But it wasn't enough to fully recover her HP.
To begin with, they didn't bring enough [Health Potion] with them. Another damage like that, and Evie would definitely die.
"Are you okay?" Ren asked, voice thick with worry.
Evie coughed and twitched. "Y-yeah . . . just caught by surprise."
Ren's eyes turned to slits as he gazed at the two players who appeared from behind the status.
One was Hixel of Sleeping Dragon — the Orc who attacked Evie just now.
Another one was . . . when the man showed himself, Ren bit back a gasp.
It was Aragon, the leader of Sleeping Dragon in his past life. The one who ordered his execution.
Evie was rubbing her head from where the axe hit her. Her attention shifted to Ren when a cold oppressing air coming from him suddenly engulfed her, making it hard for her to breathe.
Looking at Ren, she found him staring at a guy who had white hair and sharp blue eyes, holding a sniper on his shoulder.
Ren's pupils were constricted into a dot. He was shaking from where he kneeled. Anger was apparent on his face, like he was going to murder someone.
And for the first time . . . Evie felt scared.
"R-Ren . . ."
Ren blinked, and his calm returned by Evie's voice. Staring at her, he took deep calming breaths. This was no time to let his emotion go haywire.
"Wow! I never thought that World Conqueror was the one coming next!" Cang Lu went out from his hiding spot like a little boy who was about to receive a present.
"Good. Good! I have a bone to pick with you!" Cang Lu said and spat on the ground. "Don't think that I've forgotten about what happened with Jibblinplip."
Ren's stony face didn't budge, but a sweat streamed at the side of his cheek when he used [Probe] and found that Hixel and Aragon already had their ATPs nearing three hundred — and both were equipping Legendary weapons to boot.
Thus, explaining the damage.
But how . . . how could they have reached that ATP in only six months?
Unless . . .
"Stand down, Cang Lu."
Everyone's attention flicked to the small girl who stepped out of the shadows.
She was clutching a Teddy Bear in her hands, pressing it against her chest. Her silver curls were long and reached her knees. She was as pale as snow, and her eyes were like rubies that were encrusted in crystals.
She looked like a doll and reminded Ren of Lily and Evie with her half-closed eyes and lethargic face. The only difference was that she was often smiling. Her soft voice told of a well-mannered lady from a noble household.
"Ahh . . . Angelica." Cang Lu made way for her like she was the leader and not him.
When she appeared, everyone fell silent. And when she walked, everyone parted to make way for her.
From the way that Sleeping Dragon was treating her . . . without a doubt, her position must be high — higher than the current leader, at least.
"Hello, you must be the original Ren," she said and beamed.
Ren couldn't react. He was stunned. Not because she called him 'original.' It was because the seemingly harmless lady in front of her . . . had the same ATP as him. And what's more . . . her class was the rare class [Seer].
Ren's eyes shook, and he couldn't stray his gaze from the little lady before him.
"You . . . You're the reason why Leonel and Isolde died."
Angelica didn't comment at first. She merely tilted her head and beamed.
"That's right."