“Plop!”

As the shaking grew more violent, a bottle of wine toppled off the counter and nearly hit Erika on the head.

She hurried around the shards of glass on her little feet, then tried flapping the wings on her back. But right now, she was like a fledgling bird—she didn’t seem able to fly…

At last, Erika made it out from behind the counter. She stared at the scene before her, feeling a little hopeless.

The two people at the entrance were locked in a fierce fight. The violent clash of elements had completely blocked the doorway, leaving no room to escape.

What was she supposed to do now?

Erika bit her lip, barely holding it together. Where was her cheat ability?

Weren’t people who got transported to another world supposed to get some kind of cheat?

Right now, she was frantic. It was like sitting in an internet café playing a game and yelling at your teammate, “Bro, drop me a sniper rifle already!”

“Thud!”

The clash up ahead grew more and more violent. The underground exchange was starting to give way, cracks spreading across the walls and floor as if they were about to collapse.

Jocelyn calmly took it all in. She’d also noticed the helpless-looking little girl behind her.

The corners of Jocelyn’s mouth lifted slightly. With a sudden sweep of her hand, she amplified the raging storm and hurled it toward Gladys.

At the same time, she stamped her heel against the ground. Her slender figure instantly vanished, leaving only a blur behind.

The next second, she appeared in front of Erika as if she’d teleported.

While the storm kept Gladys occupied, Jocelyn reached out and seized Erika’s hands, gripping them tightly.

“Let—go of me!”

Erika struggled, but Jocelyn’s grip was so strong that she couldn’t fight back.

Jocelyn leaned in, bringing her lips close to Erika’s ear.

Erika could clearly feel Jocelyn’s breath. Her black hair fell across Erika’s shoulder, tickling her skin.

“Welcome to this world, Erika Braniel.”

“You… know me?”

Erika furrowed her brow, surprise stirring inside her.

She’d only just hatched, so how did Jocelyn know her name? That made no sense!

Then again, if things were supposed to make sense, her having crossed over into this strange world would already be impossible…

“I’m the one who indirectly created you.”

Jocelyn’s voice was rich and smooth. A sly smile lingered at the corners of her mouth, giving her an unsettling air.

“Now it’s time for you to repay me.”

“Repay you?”

What was this crazy woman even babbling about?

In an instant, Jocelyn lowered her head and sank her teeth into Erika’s shoulder.

“Ah!”

A startled cry escaped Erika, and a sharp pain shot through her shoulder.

Then she felt a pulling sensation. She could clearly feel her strength draining away, as if Jocelyn were drawing it out of her, until she began to go limp.

What a sneaky bastard!

Alarmed, Erika’s eyes widened. If she couldn’t move her hands, then fine—if Jocelyn was going to bite her, she’d bite back!

In a flash, she opened her little mouth, glared, and sank both tiny fangs into Jocelyn’s shoulder.

She bit down hard. The moment her teeth pierced Jocelyn’s skin, she felt the other woman’s body tremble, and blood flowed into her mouth.

Her mouth filled with the taste of blood.

Erika realized she didn’t seem to dislike the taste. If anything, it made her feel more excited.

A faint light began to gleam in her scarlet eyes. Jocelyn kept biting her shoulder, so Erika refused to let go, too.

You drain me, I drain you!

Nearly a minute passed.

“Boom!”

With a loud blast, Gladys at the entrance finally broke through the storm. Her deep-blue eyes caught sight of what Jocelyn was doing. Her brows drew together, and anger showed on her stern face.

“Ah…”

At the same time, Jocelyn let out a breathy sound and released Erika. Her red lips finally pulled away from Erika’s shoulder. A thin strand of saliva mixed with blood stretched from the corner of her mouth, and her voice carried a faintly pleased tone. A dazed look crossed her face.

What a pervert! That woman!

Still angry, Erika let go, too. Her strength was gone, and she felt limp.

She couldn’t get a word out. Her legs gave way, and she landed hard on the floor. The little tail behind her, which had been raised, now drooped into a curve.

“Jocelyn, what did you do?!”

Gladys’s furious voice rang out. Her cold gaze blazed with murderous intent, and with a sweep of her wings, she shot toward Jocelyn.

“Whoosh!”

Jocelyn lightly touched down on the ground with her toes. Compared to Gladys’s fury, she seemed much more graceful.

She easily dodged Gladys’s attack and flashed toward the entrance of the exchange.

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, a smug smile spreading across her face.

Then she spat a jade-green, diamond-shaped crystal from her mouth.

“Sorry, General Gladys. I still got my hands on this Dragon Crystal.”

Jocelyn slipped the crystal into her clothes, looking utterly pleased with herself. She didn’t seem to care about the bite marks on her shoulder, and turned to leave.

Before going, she even remembered to wave at Erika.

“Erika, thanks for repaying me.”

…

…

The exchange was now in ruins. Broken glass and wood chips littered the place, leaving it a complete wreck.

Only Erika and the woman named Gladys remained.

Silence fell.

The two stared at each other without a word.

Erika blinked. The rag that had covered her had fallen away, leaving her skin exposed. Her petite body had a faint, newborn-like pinkness.

Her face looked innocent and pitiful.

She wanted to say something, but she was so weak she couldn’t be bothered. She figured she might as well give up—Gladys could kill her or do whatever she wanted.

This damn trip to another world had turned her into a monster, and she hadn’t even gotten a cheat ability. Wasn’t that just picking on an honest person?

They stayed silent for a long while.

At last, Gladys moved. She gently gathered Erika into her arms. The anger had vanished from her face, leaving her beautiful features looking rather sorrowful.

Held against Gladys, Erika could clearly feel the woman’s chest against her shoulder, soft and yielding.

But since they were both women now, Erika didn’t think it was a big deal.

A sudden warmth washed over her, and Erika felt much lighter.

But the next second, her relaxed expression suddenly tightened.

Gladys had lowered her head toward Erika’s ear, just as Jocelyn had moments ago.

Not again?!

A sudden sense of danger welled up inside her.

This time, Gladys didn’t restrain her hands the way Jocelyn had.

Without thinking, Erika remembered what had happened to those two thieves. She flailed her arms and struggled frantically.

“Slice!”

Blood welled up. In the chaos, Erika realized that the dagger she’d been clutching had accidentally cut across Gladys’s shoulder as she struggled.

After being cut, Gladys’s body gave a slight tremble.

I swear… I really didn’t mean to…

Erika thought in a panic. She couldn’t get any words out.