Chapter 104 - Stubborn Controller

[So...you defeated my subordinates] a voice came out of nowhere.

"...?" the three teens on the roof reacted. Letting go of Jin, they looked around the rooftop. When the voice came again, each heard it coming from two corners.

[Killing four of them while letting the players live...how gracious]

"It's that scumbag...the Count," Rogue muttered out loud enough for the others to hear. Selbith frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. Jin dully blinked and continued to listen.

[I'm afraid your actions has cost you any chance to be able to do anything here] Vamer claimed then chuckled afterwards. [I'll make sure that no one in the neighboring cities will allow you to enter. You will be crawling and begging me to remove your trespassing notices]

"..." the Blighter said with a deadpan face. Turning his eyes slowly toward the northern region of Trentavila, he listened more and focused.

[However...since I am a gracious person myself...I have an ultimatium for my two lovely birds]

"If I see that mortal again...I will strangle him till he croaks," Ami stated firmly with narrowed eyes at the loudspeaker.

[If you two bring me your dying boy toy and become my personal maids...I might be swayed to forgo your acts of aggression] he mentioned with the tone of greediness. His statement made both female teens angry. Their hot emotion faded a bit feeling a murky vibe coming from Jin. Looking at him, he was facing in a direction toward the city. About to call to him, only his neck turned toward them. The wide eye look from him made the two forget their anger.

"Healing potions...how many?" he asked in a stoic tone.

'...healing potions...?' Rogue and Selbith repeated in their minds. Blinking, they opened their menus and went to their inventory.

[I would say it is a...fair deal. Some would say that I am being too generous for individuals that denied my offerings and killed my men]

"I have three small healing potions," Ami stated first and got them out.

"I have two small and one medium size," Renee replied next and showed them.

"...hope...that is enough..." he spoke then turned his head back. "It will be the first time...talking to a Count...about a...fair deal."

"..." the gunslinger reacted looking interested. Immediately walking to him, she put a hand on his back.

"...what exactly do you have in mind Jin?" the thief asked going to his other side.

Gingerly holding on to his left arm, she shivered from how cold and clammy it felt. Without warning, the space in front of them started to vibrate. Slowly, the shaking air surrounded them. Both female teens felt their insides beginning to shake as if they were engulfed in the oddity. Feeling the bubble they were in become uncomfortably surreal, faint whispers were heard from all directions.

"...J-Jin...?" Renee asked quietly stepping closer to him.

"...what...is this Jin?" Selbith whispered and got in his personal space.

"..." Jin responded with an audible inhale. The whispers around them multiple greatly as if something was about to happen.

[Now...what say your answer? You can message me on the search board or-] Vamer began not hearing the murky sounding exhale that popped the vibrating bubble.

"You can tell me..." he trailed off seeing something suddenly appear across his main office room.

Turning in his chair and looking across the desk, he blinked in surprise. It was the two girls that he saw earlier. Both of them appeared out of nowhere and looked somewhat disturbed. Putting his intercom mic down and scooting his chair forward, he turned off the broadcasting system. Not caring that the male was nowhere to be found, he wanted them and their power even more.

"Ah...you came to me personally. I see that you two have come to your senses," the Count stated with a shark smile. Reaching into his inner coat pocket, he produced three blank visitor pass cards. Placing them on the table, he gave a smug look to them. Their uncomfortable look changed to neutral as both did not say anything.

'Strange...why do they have low dosage healing potions in hand?' he thought then shook his head. Leaning his elbows on the desk and interlacing his hands, he spoke confidently.

"If you are ready my spunky chicks, just sign your name on the-!?"

"...!" both Rogue and Selbith reacted seeing Vamer's head slam hard into the desk. Glancing up with their eyes, they focused back on the Count when he jerked his head back.

"Gaahh!" he spoke in discomfort. His nose was red and his forehead had a faint red spot on the right side. Shaking his head and gritting his teeth, he looked behind him. Seeing nothing, he looked back at the two females. Both had not moved and were giving him blank stares.

"Excuse me...must have had a twitch in the neck," the male commented and rubbed his nose. Resting his face, he went back to having the smug look.

"As I was saying, come forth and just sign on these little cards," Vamer indicated with tapping on the documents. "Then I will guarantee your saf-!?"

"..." Renee and Ami commented seeing his head slam down on his counter again.

Blinking a couple of times, they slowly approached the desk. Stopping a foot away, the man lifted his head slowly. A little blood came out of his nose as the red spot on his forehead spread a little. Sounding a little in pain, he stopped moving. Seemingly in mild shock, he was looking at the blood that dripped onto his desk. Moving his hand to his upper lip, he patted the area. Looking at what was on his fingers, his eyes widen a little.

"...what...blood?" the Count asked to no one. "That's not possible...the game settings and rating do not allow this to happen."

"What's wrong mortal?" the gunslinger spoke and looked down at him. "Finally realize your not a god?"

"..." Vamer replied with a small frown. Pointing at her, he smirked.

"As a test to see that you are worth of being my maid, tend my wounds."

"..." Selbith opened her mouth to say something nasty. Stopping and blinking, she closed her mouth. Thinking about an image that came through her head, she gave a small smile.

"...very well...sire."

'WHAT!?' Rogue shouted in her mind. Looking surprised at Ami, she walked around the desk keeping the expression she had.

'...wait a minute...that is a sadistic...' she thought. Seeing the Count watching the other, she glanced up quickly. Catching on and looking back down, she was able to produce more of an alluring smile.

"Don't get ahead of me Selbith," Renee mentioned and walked around giving a little sway in her hips. "I want to tend master's wounds too."

"He called on me to serve him first thief," the gunslinger remarked. Getting a foot or so away from him, she moved her weight to her right leg. Moving her right hip out a little, she placed her hand on it.

"Awe, don't be a meanie," Rogue responded with a little whine. Leaning forward a little, she moved her hands together and in front of her. Squeezing her shoulders toward her torso, it made her chest more pronounced.

"Wouldn't you like both of us to heal your wounds master?" she asked sweetly. Tilting her head a little, she gave a seductive smile.

"Ahhhh yes," the Count answered. Giving a soft chuckle, he greedily rubbed his hands together while ogling both of their bodies.

"Pain never felt so-!?" he began then suddenly rammed his head into the desk. Hearing a loud dull thud, it accompanied a groan.

"What was that sire?" Selbith asked leaning forward. "You look ugly my king. Hear, let me heal you."

"..." Vamer commented feeling something being poured on his head. Seeing the mild glow of green, he knew it was a healing potion. A small amount of pain went away, but it was enough for him to lift his head up.

'...why...am I feeling this much pain?' he thought a little unnerved. 'None of them are doing it...I would have detected if someone was behind me.'

"Feeling better sire?" she asked with a larger smirk. The look on his face gave her enjoyment. The man turned to the thief and he stared directly at her chest.

"Like what you see master?" Rogue asked with a smile.

"Hmmm...yes. To assess what maid outfit you will wear, I will take personal measu-!?" the Count started when his head was viciously rammed twice into the desk. After the first hit, both females saw his head lift up a foot before getting smashed back into the counter. Seeing a few blood drops fly upon the second impact, crimson was oozing out of the nose area of the man.

"Oh my...master..." the thief stated with embarrassed innocence. "Hee hee...you pervert."

"...ggooooaaaaaannnnnn..."

"Hold on Rogue...I didn't hear quite clearly what sire said. You might need to heal him first," Selbith mentioned while smirking at her.

"..." the junior said breathing in with realization. "You are so right Selbith. Here you go master."

"..." Vamer replied feeling another liquid being poured on his head.

Seeing a bit more intense green glow, it was a stronger healing potions. Feeling pain being relieved, he decided he had enough. Standing up, he released two cylinder shaped objects. Going over his desk and hitting the floor, both exploded with a purple plume of smoke. Two monsters materialized with one being a werewolf and the other being an ogre.

"Now then," the Count stated and walked around his desk.

Going around Rogue, he went to stand between the two creatures he released. Once he did so, both female teens watched to see if the three saw something above them. Finding them to only stare at them, they continued to play along. Hearing him clear his throat, he winced a little from still feeling mild pain.

"I don't know which one of you is doing that, but I grow tired of your game. Instead, you both will play with my pets," the man stated then patted both monster's arm. "Have fun with them, but do not kill them."

"...grrrrrr..." both creatures growled at him with distaste.

"So eager to please. Now then," Vamer stated turning around and walking forward. "I have more important things to-!?"

"...!?" The four in the room reacted with surprise. They saw him flew hard and impacted the wall next to the double door entrance to this room. Hearing a bone cracking slam, the two monsters turned their heads to look at him. Based on the Count's movement, he was knocked out.

"That...sounded painful," Rogue whispered at the side of her mouth.

"Deliciously painful," Selbith whispered back pleased. Her expression went back to neutral seeing both monsters turn back to them. Both gave a grave look at them when the werewolf spoke.

"You...smell of a...half-breed," he commented and pointed at the gunslinger.

"I am. So are you," she replied back.

"Yes...what do you two want here?"

"We were brought here by a friend," Ami mentioned and gave a evil smirk. "He's somewhere in this room."

"...I sense...no evil...nor good...though disturbing spirit," the ogre stated with a mellowed and deep tone. "...friend...it can not be..."

"Of course he is a friend...isn't that right Jin?" Selbith stated confidently with hands on her hips. An awkward silence went by until something loud occurred. A sound of a couple of bones snapping occurred on the other end of the room.

"AAARRRRGGGGHHH!" Vamer stated sitting up and breathing heavily.

He grabbed his shoulder then moved it about. Instead of it being dislocated, it was put back into place. The piercing pain was only mild now. About to get up, he saw the four still standing around his desk. His monsters were looking at him with a small smirk on their faces. Glaring at them, he lifted his hand with a handheld kill switch.

"You will do as you are told you miserable worms! Obey me or I will-GGGGGAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"...!?" Renee and the monsters flinched from seeing the Count's arm fold the opposite direction. Multiple crunches and cartilage popping were heard as the man screamed in pain. Releasing the device, it remained floating in the air. Vibrating viciously, it exploded into several small pieces.

"Call my servants! Call all of my men here and now!" he shouted angrily and in intense pain.

Cringing badly, he could hardly move from his kneeled position as he cradled his broken arm. No one in the room moved as they just stared at the injured Count. A small amount of enjoyment came to the monsters. However, they were more concerned about the unseen and no aura individual in the room. All heard multiple footsteps running from beyond the double door entrance.

"Yo! Boss!" a person shouted.

Hearing a couple of men ramming the double doors, they swung open hard. Six men entered with modified weaponry. Three swordsman with enchanted blades, two mages with more than one magic stone in their staff, and an archer with a heavy repeater bow. Looking at the four in the room before turning to Vamer, a couple went to him. None had raised their weapons at the others but had their hands at the ready.

"What happened?" one mage asked.

"Fix my arm now!" he demanded.

The spellcaster blinked then put his hands in front of him. Aiming at the broken limb, it glowed with a very intense green. Hearing it bend back forward, the Count gasped and cringed feeling it being repaired and healed. In a matter of several seconds, Vamer was able to feel his arm while moving it a little. Having two of his men help him up, he pushed them aside weakly.

"Now! Enough games!" he demanded agitated and pointed at the monsters and two females. "You will tell me who is doing this now or all of you will be slaughtered here and now!"

"Hmph," Selbith grinned and pulled out her pistol. Pointing at the six guardsmen, all of them got their weapons and moved into a battle ready position.

"I am in no mood to be playing around with some peashooter woman," Vamer threatened and pulled out two more monster capsules.

"Wait a minute Selbith," Rogue mentioned and opened her menu. "If you all want to see him so badly, then we have to open a special portal."

"...?" both monsters blinked in confusion then moved toward the right. Stopping to be out of the middle between the women and men, they turned toward them.

"Hold it right there thief!" the Count barked. Seeing her ignore him, she pulled out an amulet. Only the two beasts recognized it, but they kept their facial expressions unchanged.

"What is that!?" he yelled in anger then grasped the mage that was near him.

"It's a cursed hell amulet," he stated though seemed a bit perplexed. "Why would a holy aura thief have that?"

"Listen up boys," Renee remarked getting their attention. "If we summon our friend, I guarantee you all will be begging for mercy."

"Pah! Against my personal guards and my top-tier monsters, you two will be begging to be my obedient slaves!" Vamer remarked back.

"Heh heh heh..." Ami responded with a dark chuckle. Giving them a stare of malice, she turned her head toward the thief. Reducing her expression to an amused one, she smiled sweetly at her.

"Toss the curse amulet that way," she said gesturing to the left of her with her firearm. "Let's give them the grand entrance."

"Ooo. With pleasure," she replied with a nod. Glancing at the rest, all of them including the monsters looked tense. Looking toward the open space to Selbith's left, readied for an underhand toss.

'Hope you'll play along with us Jin...please?' she thought then tossed the object.

Seeing everyone tracing it with their eyes, Ami quickly moved her gun to it. Aiming and firing, the loud blast and shot surprised them from how powerful it sounded. Upon impact, the cursed hell amulet exploded into thousands of pieces. Immediately, the entire room and windows rumbled. Lasting a few seconds like a mild earthquake, it stopped.

A couple of seconds went by in silence until they saw something. In the air where the amulet blew up, the space began to glitch. It started to get bigger and faster till it was the size of a small telephone booth. Rapid whispering and screams emitted all around them followed by an overbearing sense of foreboding. Hearing sounds of white noise, it went into a distorted frenzy till it went into dead silence. As if all were blinking at the same time, a levitating dead looking pale male teen occupied the space.

"...!?" the werewolf and ogre reacted to the aura it produced. Shaking hard with fear, both had a sense of wonder looking at the materialized being.

"..." Vamer reacted with a mocking expression. The rest of his men suddenly relaxed the tension they had and lowered their guard a little.

"You summon a zombie with floating abilities. HAHAHAHAHA! How lame!" he stated out loud. The guards snickered as well.

"...Master..." the ogre called carefully. He and the wolf beast flinched hard watching the black and frost white eyes only move to look at the Count and his men.

"...do not...fight this...being..."

"Shut up you buffoon!" Vamer snapped at him which put smirks on the guys.

"...I suggest you listen Count...before your entire being and essence is eaten by that entity," the werewolf emphasized.

"No, you listen you dog. I am the one running the show, this town, and its people. I am the boss. Everyone obeys me and my rules," the man countered back then turned to the levitating teen. "And what the hell can you do your sick freak!?"

"...y...o...u...w...a...n...t...t...o...k...n...o...w...?" the floating individual spoke in a creepy airy voice.

Slowly turning his body toward the male group, his eyes looked at the center of them. Lifting both hands slowly, he cover his eyes with his palms. Everyone in the room including Selbith felt uncannily disturbed when something was dripping from his face. Black fluid was coming out from where his eyes were and flowed down his forearms. When two dark droplets fell to the floor, everything went into black, white, and red madness.

Reaching the 3rd floor in the Conrold Hospital, Alex followed the medical personnel that was pushing Ami on the stretcher. Passing what looked like a temporary administration desk, they stopped there. The person behind it took down information which Mr. Ainsley provided to the best of his knowledge. Nodding, they were instructed to go to the end of the hallway. There was four large rooms which had the heavy curtain divider walls removed to create even more space.

Entering one of them that had a vacancy sign, there was a handful of teens and adults that were in the same predicament. On a bed, each had a VR helmet on, pulled into an outlet, and had IVs hooked up to them. Alex blinked and saw that there was more males than females that fell victim. Surrounding some of the younger ones was family members. Going toward the other corner with the medical person, he helped the person put Ami on the bed.

"Thank you for helping me," the medic stated.

"You are welcome...do you know if Mr. Felmort will be coming in here?"

"Sorry, I don't. I was just told to set his daughter up here. The doctors here then do examination then place in the IVs so they won't starve," the individual explained. He got out two bags that looked to be a power cable and charger. Setting everything up and pulling them in, the helmet lights changed to indicate it was charging.

"I see," Alex commented with a nod. Looking at the other beds that were empty, he thought about something then turned to the man.

"Any way of placing reservations for those beds? I have my wife and son coming here too."

"To my knowledge, we just put in people that we receive. If they come in and those beds are not occupied, I can see if they are directed towards them. But, I can't guarantee it."

"That is enough for me. Thank you again."

"No problem. The doctor for this room and the other one should be doing a round in a few minutes," the medic mentioned then left.

'I wonder where he is...and what is he doing?' Alex thought. Getting out his cell phone, he was about to text when his mobile started ringing. Answering it, he put it to his ear.

"Hello?"

[Alex. It is me] Derek answered the call sounding like he was walking quickly somewhere. [Something is going on with Jin]

"...what do you mean Derek?"

[I am with my doctor right now waiting in the side entrance area of the hospital. The ambulance that is bringing your family has paramedics trying to stabilize him. My doctor is talking with one of them] he explained sounding serious.

"...oh my god...is his body shutting down or something!?" Mr. Ainsley asked in dread.

[...no...he is tearing blood from his eyes and nose...they don't know why]

"Is the helmet damaging him physically?"

[...no...there is no laceration or anything...oh, the ambulance is coming now. You should be able to see it if you are in the room I asked Ami to be put in]

"...!?" Alex responded.

Blinking and turning to the viewing window, he went toward it. In the distance, there was an emergency vehicle speeding quickly through the streets with its sirens blazing for everyone to hear. Rushing to the side entrance, it slowed down to a stop. Immediately, the paramedics came out through all doors. From what he could see, two individuals were on separate wheeled stretchers.

[...looks like your son is out first...]

"I see him and Samantha...is that Gene?"

[...yes...I will tag along with them. They are going to the east wing ER on the 1st floor for Jin. Samantha is being sent to the 2nd floor with your other boy]

"Anything wrong with her?" Alex asked immediately hurrying out of the room. Briskly walking down. the hallway, he tried to find the nearest elevator.

[...all that is known was she fainted when finding Jin...who are you going to first?]

"...I doubt the medical staff will allow me in the ER when they are trying to stabilize him...but I want to see Sammy first."

[...very well...I will see if I can be an audience in the ER]

"You don't have that much influence do you?"

[No...but if my daughter will go through anything similar to Jin's, I want to know what to expect]

"Got it. Thank you Derek."

[...I'll keep in touch...] he said then ended the call.

'Come on come on!' Alex thought impatiently at the elevator. When it became available and opened up, he stepped inside. Going down to the second floor, the victims of being trapped by the VR helmets suddenly shivered. Ami's body froze stiff and tensed up.

"Hold on honey," Tiffany said out loud while driving quickly. She glanced back at the backseat where Renee's body lied down. Looking forward, the traffic light turned yellow as she sped through the intersection.

"Almost there...then you'll be okay once the doctors see you."

"..." the junior replied. Her body slowly tensed up and slowly started to shake in place.

"When I get my hands on that gunslinger," Eve muttered.

Feeling mostly recovered and slaying another demon that tried to dominate her, a frown came on her face. About to use her power to transition back into the mortal world, she froze. Something neither nightmarish or heavily aura erupted in a direction. Blinking and turning her head toward it, her eyebrows raised a little. There was something seen in that direction that even showed in Hell.

"...what...in hell...is that?" Haurette asked staring in the same direction. Though she was in a different domain of Hell, she felt the sudden materialization of the unknown and off putting presence. Floating in the background was a black silhouette. Its hands were covering the eye region of its head.

Lamia was able to track down Empusa after seeing her in the ruined kingdom. Both traded information and traveled to different levels of E.D.E. Not getting anywhere from searching, both went into a full stop when the disturbing sensation ripped through them. They noticed that the surrounding people in the town they were in also stopped. Seeing them turning to a direction in the distance, they looked as well.

"...what is that...?" the shapeshifter asked with a nervous voice.

"...I don't know..." the water serpent demon answered and was shaking a little. Looking at her hands with surprise, she couldn't keep them still.

"I never felt this way before...and it isn't someone I recognized."