Chapter 19: The Refrigerator

The water's surface seemed to respond to the surging power emanating from Hugo, spinning and splashing away from his upright figure. Anubis readied himself to face his opponent with everything he had acquired up until now. The final outcome might not change significantly, but he knew that destiny would not end today alone. Steam began to rise as Anubis embraced his vampiric nature. His crimson eyes darkened, forming a black line beneath them. Crimson flames sporadically flickered around his body, and his sharp claws grew even darker.

Two distinct sources of power clashed upon the water's surface. The aftermath created an unstable current that rippled towards the edges of the vast lake. Anubis was about to initiate an attack on his opponent before Hugo could unleash his god-like abilities again, considering Hugo's recent actions indicated that he might no longer possess control over the peculiar laws of nature. Anubis was about to lunge forward when the intense gaze between these two adversaries was disrupted by the graceful descent of a figure from the dim night sky, landing amidst the chaotic water's surface.

"Stop all of this, Director. Our time is up," Elsie scolded. She stood calmly between them, cradling the woman whom Anubis recognized as the one he had saved earlier. Shortly after her arrival, the magical chain of numbers 0 and 1 encircling Hugo suddenly dimmed and shattered. "I will not allow you to utilize the Holder, and your actions are indeed foolish," she continued.

"Eeeh?! But the Holder can only be countered by another Holder, you know!" Hugo complained, sounding like a child whining to their mother.

"He's just an NPC, and you're going too far for something as insignificant as this," Elsie didn't hold back, her tone growing sharper. "Besides, it's not as if this vampire is immune to death. Even with the simplest of methods, he can be easily killed, and you didn't do that?"

Hugo pouted, pursing his lips as if silently whistling, and turned away from Elsie's penetrating gaze.

Ignoring the Director's immature behavior, Elsie turned and faced Anubis. Their eyes met, but there was no sense of opposition, although it was unclear whether it was genuinely absent or if Elsie possessed the power to completely eliminate such intentions.

"We still have too much on our agenda. The player from East Asia must be dealt with immediately, so you can't just play the fool around here," Elsie said firmly.

Saying this, Elsie elegantly strode towards Anubis, her feet appearing to float above the water's surface as if it were a floor paved with sparkling diamonds. Anubis grasped the unconscious woman that Elsie offered him as they stood face to face in an exceptionally close distance. In that proximity, Anubis peered into Elsie's lifeless eyes. It was as if a body was being moved just by a command, devoid of life. However, Elsie showed no interest in reciprocating such an action.

Before she turned away, they exchanged a meaningful glance, as if Elsie was intimidated that they would be back to deal with Anubis soon. The next moment, Anubis could only see Elsie's back as she walked away.

"Clean up the mess you've caused for these players quickly, and we'll move on to the next location," she stated flatly. "A player who can reach the maximum level in just three days after release and obtain all legendary items... it's as if they know everything about this world."

"Maybe you've been reading too many webnovels? How could there be... what's it called... a refrigerator or whatever term you use?"

"I'm not. And regardless of whether it's true or not, we have a job to do. Be conscious of your own position, old man."

Perhaps they believed that Anubis couldn't overhear their conversation, or perhaps they simply didn't care if someone else did. Nonetheless, this allowed Anubis to eavesdrop on their conversation with minimal effort.

From a distance, their figures remained in view, engaged in what appeared to be a heated debate. Anubis could hear their voices clearly, as if they were standing right beside him. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, both figures vanished without leaving a single trace behind. The only evidence of their presence were the gentle ripples on the surface of the lake.

Anubis, puzzled by what he had just witnessed, couldn't help but question the identity of these enigmatic beings. "Who are these Game Masters?" he pondered.

[Coronation Process: 54%]

In that moment, Anubis's attention shifted back to the woman he had been holding. It was astonishing enough that she had survived the blood transfusion, but now he noticed that the coronation process was advancing at an unexpectedly rapid pace. "How is this possible? Is there some kind of compatibility between her body and my blood?" he mused aloud.

His battle just now should have been relatively brief, maybe only for a few minutes. As long as he remembers, the initial process was stagnant, seems to be stuck at 0%, then for a moment it shows no signs of progress. Albeit now it is advancing further.

[Coronation Process: 55%]

Even amidst the dense and impenetrable fog, Anubis held a resolute belief that his own blood possessed a perilous nature when it came into contact with living beings. It bore semblance to the phenomenon known as hemolytic transfusion reaction, where the immune system ruthlessly attacks and annihilates transfused blood cells, perceiving them as foreign invaders.

However, in the case of pure vampire blood, it was Anubis's very own blood that would prey upon the victim's essence, creating a precarious situation. There existed a possibility that the woman's body could succumb to an explosive fate, as her blood became entwined with his peculiar circumstances.

[Coronation Process: 59%]

"It's still progressing even as I ponder… why does my blood assimilate with her body?" he wondered.