Nightmare Fantasy Online

Bones and I entered the cells while keeping an eye for possible new guards, but it seemed to be safe. There are more than just a few cells here; most of them are stained with blood. I am so glad this is just a game...but I'm still freaked out on the inside. 

Almost all cells are empty, except for a pair located deep in the dungeon. Two females are kept there. One of them, a blond woman with a body that could only exist in an adult book, is a player, but not the one who handed out the SOS. She has an amused expression on her face. Like a kid performing a prank. 

Yet there was more than just that. She also had the eyes of a hunter. Someone looking for prey. They were also the eyes of a bandit. The same kind as the criminal inhabitants who I got a swift look at when I was on a mission from the Blackmarket to rob their vaults for valuables.

And finally...she has the same kinda eyes as the people who only watch me from the distance. Because of my body. Those should have been the kinda eyes I hate the most...but after all these years, I've gotten tired of being bothered by them. No, it's more like I've grown too lazy to be bothered anymore. There is so much else that I can do instead after all. 

What's bothering me is that this woman has an even more outrageous body than me. Why does she have the eye of the "predator" when she's more likely to be the "prey"? Or maybe she's a "prey" that preys on the "predator"? ......now I've made myself confused.

"Tch, it's Maria. Hey, Echo. Let's go back." - Black Bone

Bones made a U-turn while referring to me as "Echo". So this is the woman Bones warned me about when we first met. It's not like I forgot about that. Not at all! Seriously, I didn't forget!! ...okay, I forgot. Sue me!

"How cold of you, Mister...hmm...who are you?" - Maria

"I'm-" - Black Bone

"You know what? Don't tell me. I have no interest in people who cannot entertain me." - Maria

"I didn't want to entertain a pervy nun like you in the first place!!" - Black Bone

"Hmm, I wish you did not call me using such a name." - Maria

True. Nobody could be that-

"It feels too much like a virgin's name. I would rather wish to be called "an incarnation of lust and debauchery". That is a start, at least." - Maria

Huh?

"Are you the demon king of lust!?" - Black Bone

"That's better, but it is still missing a heavy punch of erotic." - Maria

Hey, is she joking?

"Damn, this is hurting me the most. Rather, why are you here? I can't imagine that you wrote the SOS quest..." - Black Bone

"Why would I do something that stupid~? The vampires and ghouls have not laid a hand on me after they throw me in here. Even when I asked them a few innocent questions. I am starting to wonder if they are only into BL...but the girls gave me even more disgusted looks after I talked with them for the first time. What a mystery." - Maria

...I feel that I don't wish to be acquainted with this girl. I better buy something nice for Bones.

"Then if you didn't do it-" - Black Bone

"I know," said a voice from the opposite cell of the perverted (heavily underrated) girl's. 

"What was what?" - Black Bone

"I know who may have sent out that...SOS request?" said the girl in the other cell. 

The girl had dark-brown hair that was tied together into a ponytail that reached her waist, she had blood-red eyes..., and sharp fangs. A vampire?

She looked worse for wear compared to the nun, but it wasn't due to physical abuse. She simply looked tired. And disgusted. ...oh, right. I forgot about her cellmate.

"You got proof to back up that statement, vampire?" - Black Bone

How surprising. Bones is being capable for once...is stretching the truth a little. It's just that his personality is annoying now and then. Like, 95% of the time. 

"Not really. I am just desperate to make some distance between that." - Vampire(?)

Oh...that

pink-headed mess...

"Alright girl, you got a deal. But before that, we need some proof that what you're saying is true. Who is the SOS sender? Is there something special about them?" - Black Bone

"...I am not sure if you would call it "special", but the person taken away before was a Migrant like you. Also, they were of one of the rabbit species-" - Vampire(?)

"That's enough! Echo, get her out!" - Black bone

You just wanted an excuse to save the undead girl from the nun. Not that I'm against it.

---

"All that stuff was just for cosplay...?" - Garami

After saving the vampire girl and fleeing the cell area, we found an empty room to hide in and take a break. Before that, the nun Maria asked that we left her confiscated items after she overheard Bones saying we had already discovered them to the vampire girl. We couldn't use them anyway, so I left them in a corner of the jail area. Whether she's able to acquire them or not isn't my problem. 

What shocked me the most today was that all those clothes items were part of her cosplay kit. Seriously...? She may be worse than Aino, and she has the Weaver class!

"Hey, Earth to Garami? Are you there?" - Black Bone

"Yeah, sorry..." - Garami

I better stop thinking about it. Speaking of clothes, the vampire girl's outfit was also among the confiscated items. Now she's dressed in what looks like an Eastern assassin's outfit. Complete with throwing needles. Those look nasty...

"? Excuse me, but was not this esteemed person's name not "Echo", or was that my mistake?" asked the vampire girl. 

"That was something we came up with so that Maria, that human from before, wouldn't catch on to Garami here. Then again, I sort off bragged to...virtually everyone that I managed to join her party lately, so who knows how effective that performance was." - Black Bone

Don't throw away critical info for swine. Seeing how the possibility for that pervert in the jail to have heard about it may be true, that expression may be on the mark here. 

"Forget about the pervert for now. Time for introductions. I'm called Black Bone, but just call me Bones. This masked girl over here is Garami. You can think of her as my leader. And the bat on Garami's back is the real Echo." - Black Bone

Bones proceeded to move the conversation forward. Maybe he felt my irritation over his loose lips (even if he has no lips). And regarding Nyx and Nala, I de-summoned them for now. 

"Mhm. My name is Siel Fortum, one of the Fortum clan." - Siel

"Huh!? Isn't that the family of vampires that act like ninjas!? One of the good guys!?" - Black Bone

"I am not sure what you are referring to as "good guys", but we indeed practice the art of ninjutsu." - Siel

"No way... Please give me your signature!" - Black Bone

The vampire girl, aka Siel, took a few steps from Bones' "enthusiastic" and sudden request. Stay boy, stay. 

Bones' description of her seems to fit with what [Identification] tells me, but if she is part of some ninja clan, she may have abilities to fake her status page. Better not trust her entirely, but acting all cynical won't get us anywhere. Let's hear what she has to say first. 

"Why are you here?" I asked Siel after she'd finished writing the autograph to Bones.

"The Nobilis clan is performing a taboo. That is why I, along with others from my tribe, were sent to scout the main location of Nobilis." - Siel

"You have allies with you? I didn't see anyone like that." - Black Bone

"That is correct. My clan members were creating a distraction for me so I could sneak into this building alone undetected. It feels wrong to say so myself, but I am one of the greatest in my class when it comes to infiltration." - Siel

So you say, but your face is still as deadpan as before. Is this also a ninja power? Also, girl. You got caught in the end. That's a fail in my book. 

"And what is this Nobilis clan planning on doing?" - Black Bone

"...they wish to summon the Goddess of Corruption. The patron of the Vile Queens, Nifilmere." - Siel

*Ding!*

It seems that was enough to finish the quest. How anti-climatic...hmm? It's more than just the continuation of the current quest. Why...?

"Hey, that goddess sounds like bad news. Shouldn't we stay clear of the whole ritual thing? I don't want to be there if our intrusion causes the whole thing to fall apart and bring out who knows what." - Black Bone

"There is a risk for that happening anyway. Lord Nobilis has yet to acquire a sacrifice, and they may try to force the ritual to succeed anyway." - Siel

"Now that doesn't sound pleasant. What is the "sacrifice" then?" - Black Bone

"I think it's the life of someone with a connection to the goddess." - Siel

Hmm?

"Maybe someone who has encountered lots of Vile Queens?" - Black Bone

H-hey, hey. Even if she's the patron of those harpies...

"If that is true, I would not be surprised for those persons to have gained a title for their endeavor." - Siel

I don't have anything like that! Not at all! Zero! Zilch! Nada!

"Heck, they may even have met the goddess herself! Those unlucky punks!" - Black Bone

Okay! I admit it! I am that unlucky punk! But Bones, you're having too much fun over someone else's misfortune! Crap, this isn't good. Should I try not to get more involved with this place?

"Here. This is where the rabbit Migrant was taken away. I overheard the guards talking about it when they came for them." - Siel

"What did they say?" - Black Bone

"They said: "Rabbit stew. Yummy.", to be precise." - Siel

Oh, so that's why Siel pointed at the kitchen...this is bad! The poor player's gonna end up as an ingredient!

"I must leave now and warn my elders, but if you are planning on continuing invading this building, be aware. Something is working for the Nobilis clan. Something bad." - Siel

"Something?" - Black Bone

"Yes. I don't know who or what, but that one was the reason why I was discovered. It is strong. Be careful not to encounter it. See ya." - Siel

And with that swift farewell, Siel disappeared from the room. What was that? So cool! I can't blame Bones for wanting her autograph.

Still, this is troublesome. I already have enough problems with this place, and now there's a potential boss character lurking around here? 

Though, I can decide what to do after taking a better look at those mysterious quests. None of them seems to be the kind that must be done ASAP. Besides, we have a rabbit to save (and to blackmail reward money from).