The slight tiredness that Arin was feeling increased, making him just lie down on the bed through the night. However, once morning arrived, the tiredness slowly washed away. He was now back to normal.
Arin stared outside through the window, hearing the chatter of some of the students. There were no classes today, so most of them were either heading to The Area or simply walking around.
Arin got up and walked to the toilet to freshen up. "Tessa might even be getting prepared to go to the forest now."
Minutes later, he exited the toilet, got dressed, and left the room.
"Today's gonna be long..."
After walking for a while, Arin arrived in the forest. Of course, before he got there, he put on his mask.
Within seconds, he spotted Tessa with her arms folded as usual, staring into the distance.
She was facing away from him, and with his Extra's Cloak Skill activated, she didn't notice him.
Arin intentionally stepped on a twig, creating a sound, and that was when she turned around.
"I knew you'd come early," Arin said as he walked forward, eyes on Tessa.
Tessa furrowed her brows and took a step back. Arin noticed this and stopped walking.
"You never told me you were a Vampire," Tessa said, getting straight to the point.
Her expression showed she was wary, but she still managed to speak calmly.
"When did you become a Vampire?" she asked.
She was asking because ever since she met Chaos, she had never sensed Vampire Energy from him. He didn't have any traits of a Vampire, yet suddenly, on that day, he transformed into one.
Another concerning thing was that even now, she couldn't sense any Vampire Energy from him.
Arin was silent for a few seconds before he finally spoke. "I think you know how."
Tessa was about to respond but suddenly realized something. Her eyes widened in shock. "Th... That red orb... You used that red orb, right? That's what turned you into a Vampire."
Shock was evident in her face and voice. She remembered how Arin quickly stored the red orb he got from Seraphine — her Blood Core.
Apart from that, she couldn't think of anything else that could've turned him into a Vampire.
But there was one more question...
Tessa raised her head and looked Arin straight in the eyes. "But if you knew it would turn you into a Vampire, why did you take it?"
"Because that means you willingly turned into a Vampire," she added.
Arin put his hands in his pockets and stared at Tessa. "I'll be honest with you. I knew that I wouldn't be able to do anything against Alex with the strength I had, so I decided to gain more power. That was the only way."
"By giving up your humanity?" Tessa questioned, tilting her head. "Moreover," she added, "why can't I sense any Vampire Energy from you?"
"Because I masked it," Arin replied.
Once again, shock flashed across Tessa's face. "Hmm, that is unheard of."
Arin's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Because of this newfound strength, I was able to stand my ground against Alex."
He could still see the worry in Tessa's eyes, making him let out a small sigh. "Don't worry, I won't harm any innocent person," he assured her. "I only have one target — Alex Whiteheart."
"If I wanted to harm others, I would've done it already," he added.
The look in Tessa's eyes softened a little. She stared at him for a few moments, as if searching his mind, before sighing and closing her eyes.
"So, you were the one who created those red dragons, right?" she asked.
"Yes," Arin replied. "As expected, Alex is a tough opponent, and he still has a lot of tricks up his sleeve."
Tessa squinted her eyes. "Hmm, at least this shows that he isn't invincible. I'm sure he now sees you as a threat."
After she spoke, Arin remained silent. The silence stretched for a few seconds, confusing her.
"What's with the silence?" she asked, laughing nervously.
Arin sighed and walked closer to her. This time, she didn't step back, but curiosity filled her eyes.
"You did well against Alex," Arin began. "So, I'll show you something that happened."
Tessa furrowed her brows. "I don't understand..."
She had a feeling he was about to show her something, just like when he revealed how Alex killed her parents.
"I didn't show you before because I didn't know how you'd react," Arin said. "But I've decided to show you now."
Arin was lying, but at least what he was about to show her wasn't a lie.
"I see..." Tessa whispered, worry etched on her face.
"Are you ready?" Arin asked.
"Yes," she replied shortly.
But before that, Arin decided to ask her some questions.
"When your parents died, were their bodies brought to you?" he asked.
"Uhm... Yes," Tessa replied. "But their bodies were covered, so I didn't see them well."
"But they didn't allow you to remove the cover to say goodbye properly, right?"
Tessa squinted her eyes before speaking. "Hmm, yes. I actually requested to remove the cover, but the people who brought their bodies refused."
"It confused me because others whose parents died from Beasts got to see the bodies, but mine was different," she added.
"I see..." Arin muttered.
He walked closer, placed a finger on her forehead, and activated the Transfer Skill.
The Skill didn't only work for things he read in the novel — it also let him transfer information he had in his head.
Instantly, memories flooded Tessa's mind. Images flashed like a movie, making her wince in pain.
She saw Alex killing not just her parents, but other kids' parents, the children themselves, and even elderly men and women. Then, she saw him taking the bodies to a cave, chanting a spell, and absorbing their blackened blood.
"Ugh..." She grabbed her head, struggling to stay upright until the transfer ended. She collapsed with her eyes closed.
Moments later, her eyes snapped open, filled with only one emotion:
Her nails scraped the ground in rage. "A... Alex... Alex..."
She kept whispering his name, her voice trembling, but her words dripped with pure anger.
Arin crouched, lifting her face and looking into her eyes. "Many others have suffered the same fate as your parents, leaving their families in pain."
"And the worst part is, they don't know that the 'hero' they admire is the one behind all this," he added. "And he'll do worse."
After a brief pause, he continued. "Me trying to kill Alex will make me look like the villain to others, but I don't care because..."
Arin stood up and turned to leave the forest. "When I'm done, they'll realize I was never the Villain..."
With that, he walked toward the Mission Hall. It was time to take a mission for the first time, though he didn't know he'd have company...