Kaiden, Aria, and Nyx all tensed upon hearing Luna’s words. They knew perfectly well what this man did to her. Theodore was the sole reason Luna went to the adult filming studio on that day, he forced her hand.
"Sister! You don’t know how much I’ve been searching for you!" the man shouted. His voice was full of joy and relief.
"That’s close enough," Kaiden decreed as he stepped between his delicate lover and her brother.
Theodore’s features immediately contorted as he glanced at Kaiden. "Who are you?"
"Her boyfriend."
The man’s grimace lessened and soon returned to his joyous state. "That’s amazing! Nice to meet you. I’m Theo, Luna’s elder brother." Having said his greetings, he extended his right hand for a handshake.
Kaiden didn’t accept it. "How did you find us?"
"..." Theodore eyed his right hand, which was gripping his axe’s handle, refusing to shake his offered hand. "My guildmate told me he saw my sister enter this dungeon, so I rushed to the scene."
’Does that mean he’s not aware I’m streaming this conversation? There’s also something very wrong with this dude,’ Kaiden thought inwardly. Theodore acted as if he’d done nothing wrong and was a good brother to Luna. Kaiden was not the only one who noticed this.
"What do you want?! I still have time to pay this month’s quota!" Luna shouted, she was mightily struggling with her emotions.
Theodore shook his head. "I’m sorry about all that, sister. It was a grave mistake on my end, you don’t owe me anything. Do you have it in you to forgive me?"
Luna’s face told Kaiden that a million thoughts were swirling in her distraught mind right now. Theodore was the last member of her family. As a result, Luna wanted to forgive him, but she also understood he had done something truly unforgivable—something a loving brother would never do to his little sister.
"A mistake?! Forgive you?! You forced me to earn $5,000 a month or else you would do unspeakable things to me!" Luna yelled from the top of her lungs. It seemed the part of her brain that couldn’t let things go just like this won out in the end.
Theodore winced at the fury his sister held for him. Things were not going as he’d hoped. "Sister, I’m ready to do anything to earn your forgiveness. Should I kneel in front of you and beg? Yes, I’ll do just that," he stated and got to his knees.
Kaiden distinctly remembered Luna saying the only way she would ever forgive him was if he did exactly this. However, all four of them felt that this man was ’off.’ He was not being genuine, or at least there was more to it.
"Stop! Stand up and stop calling me your sister. Turn around and leave us alone," the Storm Valkyrie instructed her brother in a cold, determined tone.
Theodore wasn’t willing to comply. "Listen to me, Luna. We can make everything right again. I didn’t know you had awakened, but as soon as I heard the news, I secured you a spot in my guild. We can reach for the stars together!"
"???" At this point, even Luna was utterly lost. "What makes you think I want to be your guildmate?!"
"I understand you’re furious with me, and for a good reason at that, but think about it! You’re wasting your time with this amateur party of yours. In the Blood Pact, we have our separate dungeons for training! Older and more experienced people are ready to guide you every step of your learning. You won’t have to risk your life every time you enter battle, unlike how it is when you party with guildless rookies!"
Hearing Theodore’s words, Luna’s expression turned hostile. She didn’t like how he referred to her friends and lover. With a low, determined tone, Luna replied, "I’m perfectly happy with my current arrangements, thank you. The only thing that could make my day better is you turning around and leaving us alone."
Seeing his words weren’t taking him anywhere, Theodore underwent a sudden change. His youthful features disappeared as a tired, depressed man replaced the youthful warrior. The change was so abrupt that they thought some magic was at play here. "Please, listen, Luna... My one and only remaining family member... I desperately need your help... Please, join the guild with me!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kaiden growled while readying his weapon.
"Now we’re finally getting somewhere!" Luna shouted before announcing her findings, "When I was a commoner, you saw me as either an ATM or a pretty doll to curry favor with your bosses. But now that I’m awakened, you’d receive better rewards by recruiting me!"
"Don’t say it like that... Your friends and boyfriend can come with us too!"
Luna shook her head, finding it difficult to continue this talk. Her tender heart was visibly suffering. She lowered her voice, whispering dejectedly, "Theo, what happened to you? I remember you as a bright and kind big brother, but you’re akin to a delusional lunatic right now. When you awakened to your class, I thought our lives would turn for the better, but the exact opposite happened."
The man looked at the ground with great sorrow written all over his face. "The Blood Pact... They scouted me and offered a deal I couldn’t refuse..."
"I don’t know what to say. I can’t help you. Go to the Awakened Association and report these shady sons of bitches if they’re doing something illegal."
It took Theodore a few seconds to garner a response, and when he did, his features once again transformed, now looking much more sinister than ever before. "I’m sorry, but my hand is forced. You’ll be joining whether you like it or not. When one brings in their full-blooded relatives, they get much better treatment. Both of our lives will become greater. You’ll see that this was the best choice I could make given my circumstances."
He then made a sudden dash toward Luna. Kaiden stepped in between them, slashing with his axe. However, Theodore was much faster than he expected—easily dodging Kaiden’s attack, he zig-zagged to go around him, after which he grabbed onto Luna’s waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. Kaiden knew Theodore was a B-tier combatant who awakened less than a month ago, but based on his displayed speed, he must’ve been at least level 5.
Kaiden aimed his hand at Theodore to shoot him with his fire spell, [Fiery Burst], but stopped because it would also hit Luna, who would most likely die as a result. Instead, he rushed after them using his [Warpath] spell. "Nyx!"
"[Telekinesis]!" the Space Valkyrie was quickly brought out of her daze due to his shout and aimed her dagger at the escaping man. Her power was too weak for now to directly affect living organisms, so she couldn’t hold him in place.
"Let me down! You fucking piece of shit!" Luna struggled against her kidnapper, but her meager physical stats were low even for level 1 standards, so she had no chance. "[Stormblade]!"
"I can’t have you do that," Theodore decreed while he easily dodged Nyx’s dagger as if he had an eye on the back of his head. He brought a syringe out of his pocket and injected his sister with its contents, which caused her spell to not go off. She lost access to her mana.
"What the?!" Luna shouted while doing her utmost to free herself.
"This serum only works on those that don’t have 20 Vitality. Don’t worry, sister; you’ll be able to cast spells again in an hour or so."
"What is your plan?! There’s only one exit, and you will be taken into custody by the guards as soon as you step out!"
A sudden, manic cackling sounded from Theodore’s lips. "Hahaha! That’s right! What if we were to live on the outskirts of this dungeon? No one ventures that far in; we can exist there in peace as loving siblings! No more Blood Pact, no more threats, no more begging... It sounds like a dream come true."
"You’ve gone crazy! Put me down!" Luna wasn’t having whatever nonsense her brother was spouting. She never paused her fruitless resistance even for a second, but Theodore didn’t react even when she hit him in the head.
Meanwhile, Kaiden, Aria, and Nyx were doing their best to catch up to the speedy man.