The Grand Duelist

The Cash Shop contained a lot of cosmetic and miscellaneous items. For the sake of fair play, there were no items within the Cash Shop that could augment the abilities of players. Every item within the cash shop existed only for the sake of a player's convenience.

Of course, various spices and condiments for players who liked the cook but didn't like the hassle of gathering those ingredients from scratch also existed within the Cash Shop.

But primarily, the Cash Shop functioned as a department store. Any player could top-up some money and buy items that they could gift to NPCs, increasing their Reputation Stat as a result. This was also a form of winning by paying, but the mechanics behind increasing one's Reputation Stat weren't that simple.

After all, the NPCs within the world of Victory were similar to living creatures in the outside world. They had their own niches, dislikes, likes, and tastes. What suited the other may not be suitable for others.

Joseph first converted the gold coins that he acquired from the Underground Penitentiary into real money. Then, he converted that money into Victory's virtual currency also known as Dullar. Afterwards, he swiftly purchased spices, condiments and even a simple single burner stove that could be used through the use of Mana.

"You have all of that equipment? Being favored by the laws of causality really is too convenient." Alice stared at the slab of meat in front of her sitting on top of a ceramic plate. The meat that looked incredibly disgusting now looked like a medium-rare steak. 

"How fascinating... Cooking without using fire. How does that work? The outside world sure is magical..." Julie commented at the side. Earlier, she was attracted by Joseph who said that he could make the disgusting slab of meat taste like how a slice of meat should be.

Julie knew that both Joseph and Alice came from the outside world. Due to this, she excitedly rushed over and she wasn't disappointed by what she had seen and tasted.

"You look like this is your first time tasting meat that is properly cooked," Joseph revealed a wry smile.

"Yes, this is indeed the first time that I tasted cooked meat." Julie nodded her head, and Hulie who was still munching on her steak didn't even wipe the oil around her lips as she slowly nodded her head in agreement.

"What? Seriously? Won't you guys feel sick in the stomach after eating raw meat?" Joseph's eyebrows knitted. It seems like these twin sisters aren't so simple. But oh well, people that could live in this place that is perpetually within the dark are not ordinary people, to begin with.

Alice also had a frown on her face. It was clear that she was thinking about something.

"No, we are fine after eating raw meat. Actually, we prefer eating them raw since the blood within the meat enhances our abilities. But after eating this piece of cooked meat. I think I prefer it now more than eating something raw. This is just too delicious!" Julie honestly praised.

But the words that she said to Joseph and Alice astonished the two.

The blood within the raw meat enhances their abilities? But how about those creepy eyeballs? I suppose that was the product of the mutation that the animal experienced after being basked in this strange total darkness. But to think that blood could augment their abilities. Could it be that... 

Joseph glanced at Alice. 

Alice also gazed at Joseph.

The eyes of the two met in mid-air and they simultaneously nodded their heads.

Vampires!

These twin sisters are vampires! 

Joseph wasn't a stranger to the members of the Vampire Race. After all, he had fought against one of them back at the Festival of Battles. 

But...

As far as I can remember, I don't think that the members of the Vampire Race have silver hair as their primary features...

But if I recall correctly, the members of that race consumed the blood of humans in order to enhance their abilities and to satisfy their hunger. If these twin sisters are truly a member of that race, why are they consuming the blood of beasts instead of the blood of humans? This isn't scientific at all...

Wait!

What if the reason why they are not consuming the blood of humans is that there are no humans in this place? Wait, that can be possible. I mean, what kind of a human could possibly survive in such a hostile environment like this?

In other words, they are used to consuming the blood of beasts and they may not possibly harm us. After all, if they had the intention to harm us then they could've done that long before we wake up. Why wait until we woke up and could potentially resist against their bad intentions to us? 

But there's also the possibility that these twin sisters deliberately delayed their plans of consuming us until we wake up, in that way they could also revel in our despair and hopelessness while satisfying their urges and hunger at the same time.

Horror flashed on Joseph's face, but when he glanced at the twin sisters Julie and Hulie.

He found that his thoughts were ridiculous and far-fetched.

Ahh... I'm thinking too much... Look at Hulie! The pure light sparkling within her eyes indicates that she is nothing but a little pure girl!

And as for Julie, even though she's far sensible and mature than Hulie. From the fact that she casually told us that blood enhances her abilities, it is clear that she's too honest!

Can someone like that actually act so despicable?

Wake up, Joseph!

Joseph thought to himself... But he once again glanced at Alice.

The light within Alice's eyes was similar to the light sparkling within Joseph's eyes. It was clear that the two reached the same conclusion and with this in mind. Joseph heaved a sigh and thought.

It really is too convenient to be with someone that can read along the lines. A smile of appreciation towards Alice appeared on his lips. Afterwards, he stared at Julie and said.

"My name is Joseph, and this is Alice. I think that you should know about it by now, but both of us came from the outside world..."

"Do you know about the Forbidden Region? We fell from a really high cliff from that place and we ended up here. I think that this place is directly below the Forbidden Region." 

Joseph spat a lot of words that it temporarily confused Julie. Particularly the words Forbidden Region, she couldn't understand what he was saying so she couldn't answer.

"Ah!" Joseph inwardly exclaimed when he felt a sharp pain on his back.

He glanced at Alice and found that the latter was coldly staring at him. Afterwards, Alice turned her gaze at Julie. Her expression turned incredibly warm and a kind smile spread on her lips as she said.

"Hello! My name is Alice! Thank you for helping us! If not for your help, then we would've died out there without knowing how we died..." Alice revealed a sorrowful expression for a moment and Joseph couldn't help but criticize at the side.

What is this difference in treatment once again? I saved you from the hands of the Kingdom of Nether, you know! I became a traitor of the Kingdom and a wanted man partly for your sake, so why are you treating me so differently than these two children! 

"Uhm... My name is Julie, and my sister here is Hulie." Julie hung her head low and she looked like she wanted to say something but she hesitated and in the end. She closed her mouth and didn't say anything anymore.

But Alice didn't mind her hesitation. Instead, she encouraged her to speak as she said, "Oh, your name is Julie? That is a really good sounding name." 

Julie nodded her head and revealed a rueful smile: "Papa and Mama also said that I have a good sounding name." 

"Your Papa and Mama? Where are they?" Alice asked once again.

"Uhmm... Mama and Papa said that. But we are already dead." Julie's voice turned somber when she reached the end of her sentence.

But Joseph looked horrified when she heard what the cute little Julie had said.

She's already dead? Are we talking to a ghost?! 

Alice also looked somewhat pale, but she managed to suppress her innate fears as she asked, "Julie, what do you mean by you two are already dead? How can you be dead when you can talk to big sister here?"

Alice directly connected herself to the twin sisters through the use of the words big sister. She used this tactic so that Julie would think that they had close relations with each other.

In other words, Julie and Hulie may become comfortable talking with her and in that case, they could easily spill secrets that Alice and Joseph needed to hear.

As expected, the hesitation plastered on Julie and Hulie's face lessened when she heard the words, big sister. But there was still some anxiety and hesitation so Alice decided on adding fuel to the fire.

"It's okay, Julie. No matter what you want to say to big sister here and big brother there. We will listen. You saved our lives so that is the least that we can do for you."

Alice revealed a gentle maternal look that astonished even Joseph who couldn't believe that Alice could make such an expression on her face.

Was that ferocious and decisive Alice that I met at the Colosseum, fake? Just how can she act so excellent like this? It feels like I'm staring at a completely different person!

Joseph inwardly thought, but he also revealed the same expression on her face as Alice. He did this to show to the twin sisters that he was completely honest and sincere. 

Alice glanced at him for a moment and her smile intensified when she saw that he was on the track.

Afterwards, she stared directly at Julie with twinkling eyes.

Julie wryly smiled before she explained, "Every people who live here in this place perpetually hidden from the sun have the Curse of the Condemned in their blood...

"Once afflicted by the curse, that person will eventually turn into a Mutated Beast of the darkness, only craving for blood and destruction, endlessly praising the God of Everything that Moves and Exists..."