The familiar scent of death hung over the battlefield. I crossed streets ablaze with fire. A white figure flickered among the glass shards scattered across the ground, while destroyed mechs lay amid the ruins. The same pure-white silhouette was reflected in the main camera’s lens: a silver-haired, red-eyed beauty who looked no older than fifteen, her budding beauty like a pure white lily.

A tremendous explosion rang out. The shock wave rushed straight down the street, and the gale whipped my silver hair loose! Through the flames, I saw two mechs tangled together on the ground. The number “588-1” on the shoulder of the Argos mech identified it as the one I’d piloted. The other mech was the steel body Pandora had built for herself.

With a bang, a hatch opened in Pandora’s mech, and a mass of slime poured out. A blue-haired, blue-eyed girl was wrapped inside it. She staggered to her feet and ran toward a narrow alley beside the street, but a laser shot out and took her leg. She lost her balance and hit the ground hard. I looked toward the direction the laser had come from and saw a man with half his body burned to a crisp toss aside the useless laser gun. He drew the combat knife at his waist, its cold blade gleaming.

That man was me.

Knife in hand, he caught up with Pandora as she struggled to crawl across the ground and pinned her beneath him. Without mercy, he raised the blade. In that “me’s” eyes, I saw boundless madness and a twisted desire for revenge. Then a flash of cold light pierced Pandora’s chest, utterly destroying her quantum calculation core.

After destroying this enemy of humanity, I knelt on the burning street and muttered to myself. I heard him praying to the nameless god. Just as I thought someone might come to save him, the nuclear-powered battery in the Argos suddenly exploded. Scorching nuclear fire swallowed that other me, burning him and Pandora’s remains to ashes…

(I have heard your wish, brave child of humanity. Come to my world.)

The vision vanished, and my feet landed firmly on the floor.

What was that just now…? What had I seen? Could it be that I… hadn’t been saved at all, and had instead crossed over to another world under the guidance of that mysterious voice?

I gently closed the door behind me, then sat in a chair and covered my face with my hands, taking some time to steady my emotions. I looked out at the clear sky and watched the clouds drift by. Gradually, I began to calm down. The unknown deity who’d helped me travel through time and space seemed to be using that vision to remind me that this world wasn’t the VR game I’d thought it was. Everything here was real.

“So I really did die…”

With a sigh, I burrowed into bed like a bear going into hibernation and spent the whole day feeling miserable.

As the last rays of sunlight vanished beyond the forest, the twilight glow slowly faded, and the stars shone in silence. Night fell, and the vampire debuff that made me fear light disappeared. My energy returned, helping me pull myself together again. After washing my face with well water, I went back inside and began making a few small plans for my future. This wasn’t a game world, so I only had one life. I had to make the most of my second chance at life if I wanted to do right by the nameless deity who’d helped me.

In other words, I’d have to be much more careful from now on.

Unfortunately, I was facing the biggest crisis of all: the lord was hunting vampires, and I was probably the only vampire in this area. That meant I could very well become his target.

What was I supposed to do?!

I let out a deep sigh and decided to run as soon as possible. I’d only just rented this house, and I might be a little short on travel money, so I’d earn some quickly and then slip away quietly.

Once I’d made up my mind, I went into the alchemy lab, ready to work hard. I opened the item box to take out the herbs I’d gathered the day before yesterday, and suddenly spotted the holy water in my inventory. I hesitated for a few seconds, then took it out to see what would happen and set it on the alchemy table. Since my Potion Making had reached the intermediate level, I decided to see if I could make anything with the holy water.

Sure enough, a “Holy Elixir” option appeared in the crafting menu.

I couldn’t help feeling secretly delighted. At last, I could get rid of this hot potato. I promptly selected Holy Elixir, and a quantity setting popped up beside it.

After a moment’s hesitation, I set the quantity to the maximum: 19 bottles.

Once I’d chosen the quantity, I placed my hands on either side of the alchemy workbench and poured mana into it. As the MP bar in my field of vision dipped slightly, 19 gleaming potions appeared on the table. Even more astonishingly, each came in a glass bottle with a gilded cap, the liquid inside shining with a sacred light like flowing gold.

(System Notification: Herbalism, Potion Making, and Alchemy have been adjusted to “Intermediate.” New recipes unlocked.)

Whoa, my skills actually leveled up! This potion really is incredible! I couldn’t help wondering if selling the whole batch might give me enough money to flee.

Just as I was working out the details in my head, someone suddenly knocked on my door.

Who could it be this late?

I put the Holy Elixir away in my item box, then opened the door and glared outside with an annoyed look. A shifty-eyed middle-aged man stood there. He smiled at me, but all I felt was disgust. This was Wolf, the man who’d teamed up with William to frame me before—and whose business I’d been stealing ever since. He was the other Alchemist in Nagu Town.

“Miss Lancelot,” he said, “won’t you invite me in?”

“Mr. Wolf, what brings you here so late?”

“Won’t you let me in?”

“No.”

I had no idea what he was up to, but a firm refusal was the right move.

“You filthy **!” he suddenly spat. “I’ll burn your house down!”

As he spoke, he pulled a firebomb from his sleeve. Alchemists often used these as weapons. They could start fires—or set people alight. Before the madman could throw it, I kicked him hard in the chest and sent him flying, where he crashed onto the street some distance away.

Whoa, I kicked him way too hard. I hope I didn’t kill him.

I was wondering whether to give Wolf a healing potion when he suddenly dropped onto all fours in a bizarre pose. With a series of cracking sounds, he stood up, then gave me a creepy smile.

“Wretch! Become my food!”

After that, he let out a roar, opened his mouth, and lunged at me! Thanks to a vampire’s sharp dynamic vision, I saw the familiar-looking fangs in his mouth. When had this guy become a vampire? Before my brain could process it, my body moved first. I snatched up the broom by the door in a flash and jabbed it straight into Wolf’s mouth!

Crack! Wolf’s fangs shattered the broom, but that bought me enough time. Beneath the moonlight, I pivoted around my left foot and drove a side kick into Wolf’s ribs, sending him flying again. Before he could get back up, I dropped the broken half of the broom, turned, and grabbed the longsword hanging by the door. Its bright blade flashed in the moonlight. I tossed aside the scabbard and walked toward Wolf, who lay on the ground twitching, sword in hand. What a shame, Wolf. I’m no helpless, frail girl. I’m a veteran with fifteen years of combat experience. You picked the wrong opponent.

“You bastard!” Wolf got back to his feet. “You think that’s enough to beat me? Hahahaha! Impossible! That great one has bestowed boundless grace upon me. Just you wait—I’ll show you the power of that grace!”

Amid his shrill laughter, his body began to twist and warp, until at last he transformed into a blue-gray humanoid monster.