To Yuri, all human food tasted exactly the same.

Delicious feasts or barely edible scraps made no difference to her.

Whether it was the pastries Maria had brought before or the meal now before her, she sensed no flavor at all.

It felt like chewing sand—eating too much might even upset her stomach.

Only blood and black tea carried any sweetness for her.

Why black tea? Who knew.

Maria seemed never to notice this.

Mostly because Yuri never showed it.

Deeper reasons lay beneath it all.

Often, Yuri felt locked away so long she’d gone a little mad.

Normal humans couldn’t possibly hold such monstrous, shifting thoughts, right?

Right now, she ate something utterly inedible to humans with apparent relish.

At least, that’s what the other two believed.

Why act this way? Even she couldn’t explain.

Probably because it didn’t matter.

Why bother with meaningless things?

Alright, enough digressing.

In short, the "free meal" went smoothly—at least on the surface.

Afterward, Yuri did as promised, weaving a mental suggestion like a barrier before their three doors.

Passersby would ignore this spot subconsciously, just like that hypnotized young man.

Of course, a mental expert could shatter it easily.

Yuri only dabbled in mental powers, after all.

She could become a master instantly with something—but the drawbacks were huge, and unnecessary here.

This was just a common inn; magical barriers were normal for travelers.

Unless someone bored tested it, one night should be fine.

Even if discovered? No big deal.

Anyway… no money!

Well, she’d chosen this free meal—had to finish it somehow.

Kidding.

Full and satisfied, Yuri saw Zuo Yuan’s hesitant expression. She waved lazily. "Save it for tomorrow."

The young man raised an eyebrow, hesitated, then nodded silently.

Watching him leave, Maria stood up.

"Lord Akat—"

Yuri cut her off with a shushing gesture, whispering, "Rest now, Maria. Leave it to me."

"...Understood."

Maria paused briefly, then followed Zuo Yuan out quietly.

Alone, Yuri stretched and propped her chin on her hand, bored.

She didn’t touch the soft-looking bed, staying seated.

This was her biggest difference from vampires.

Unlike those coffin-sleeping legends, she preferred plush beds.

As the undead, coffins might feel safer?

But she wasn’t sleeping.

She was waiting.

Waiting for a long-lurking, unwelcome guest.

Time passed. The room stayed silent, only the magic crystal lamp’s soft white glow flickering.

"Hey," Yuri murmured after a while, her downcast eyes widening slightly. "I’ve no time for games. Strike now if you—"

Thud!

A pale dagger materialized from thin air, plunging deep into her chest.

Crash!

Nearby magic crystal lamps shattered simultaneously.

Glittering shards scattered. Darkness swallowed the light.

Silence. An eerie stillness filled the air.

Then—a soft sound broke it.

"That hurt," Yuri grumbled, peering through the dark at the terrifying specter before her.

She slashed out. Five bloody lines tore the air.

Thud!

Her claws hit—but the sensation made her eyebrow twitch.

Like true shadow, the figure dissolved into black mist after her strike.

"I see."

Yuri sneered, examining the tattered black robe fragment in her hand.

She yanked the dagger from her chest and tossed it aside.

The presence vanished eerily, like a ghost.

No words. One lethal strike.

The dagger dripped with blood-sealing poison—deadly on contact.

An ordinary human would die from a scratch.

In the dark, she’d sensed zero presence.

No warning before the attack.

This assassin was terrifying.

But…

"This place," Yuri rose slowly, a crimson glow flashing between her fingers, "is my territory."

Hiss!

Crimson threads erupted, crisscrossing the room like a spider’s web.

They sealed every corner.

Her fingertips danced. The threads became scythes of death.

Crack!

A switch flipped. Bed, tables, chairs—all shattered with a screech.

Breaks were perfectly smooth, sliced by razor edges.

Only one thing remained intact…

"Tough," Yuri tilted her head at the black-robed figure bound mid-air by threads. "Your material must be rare."

"I expected a master assassin. Just a toy? Disappointing. No wonder I sensed no killing intent…"

Hiss!

The robe disintegrated to dust at her thought.

Beneath it—no human body.

A steel-crafted form, human-shaped but cold silver-white, bristling with mechanics. Only a mask covered its face.

"Just a toy," Yuri mused. "How could it hold killing intent?"