Vampire Princess Guide in Progress - Volume 1 Chapter 73

Chapter 73: Eve of the Final Battle

***

Around 10 PM, Tilia returned home.

As soon as she opened the door, the blue-haired girl sitting on the bed lightly jumped down, her bare, slender feet touching the ground gently, and gave Tilia a small customary hug. “Welcome back, Tilia… huh, why do you smell like herbs?”

“Ah, that’s because I just went to the Hundred Herbs Pharmacy to get some more Wound Healing Potion.”

Cross’s body had mostly recovered, and her wounds had all been erased smoothly as if by an eraser. Her delicate white skin showed no trace of past scars, perhaps this was also one of the wonders of magic.

However, after this incident, Tilia felt it necessary to stock up on more potions that could remove abnormal status effects.

She closed the door and walked to the bed with Cross to sit down.

Just as she was about to check the details of the fireplace to add some firewood, she noticed that Cross had already added some, and it was still at 【Remaining Fuel: 98%】, with the fire crackling vigorously.

No wonder Cross was dressed so lightly in the room and wasn’t wearing socks, the small cabin was very warm.

What made Tilia somewhat embarrassed was that after applying the ointment that time, Cross seemed to have adopted the attitude of “we’re both girls, you’ve seen everything already, so it doesn’t matter,” and often swayed her slender white legs, becoming increasingly unguarded in front of her.

At least when they were home alone, she was wearing less and less…

Making Tilia sometimes too embarrassed to look at her.

“Tilia, for those activity points, after exchanging for the important rewards, I had some extra points and got something else.” Before she came home, Cross was still checking the game activity shop page, struggling to decide what to exchange.

But she unexpectedly discovered there was still Sweet Berry Pie available, so she immediately exchanged for one.

“Are you hungry?” Cross sat cross-legged on the bed, her finger hovering over the 【Take Out】 button, looking at Tilia who was perched on the edge of the bed.

“Ah, no. I’ll eat later.”

“Oh… is Tilia thinking about something?”

Something on her mind… yes, she was thinking about the World BOSS raid scheduled for tomorrow night.

No limit on the number of participants.

Just how many players would be fighting together on that battlefield…

Sitting on the edge of the bed facing the fireplace, Tilia’s eyes lingered on the dancing flames for a moment, then turned to look at the beautiful blue-haired girl. She spoke frankly about what she had been thinking about on her way home:

“I want to participate in the BOSS raid tomorrow.”

“The BOSS battle… actually, I was just about to talk to Tilia about this too. It’s that magical construct we encountered on our first day in the snow plains, right?”

“Yes. That big fellow.” Tilia nodded.

“At that time, it didn’t seem to have any aggro targets yet, and probably wouldn’t actively attack unless its HP dropped to a certain level. We just tested it a bit. But now it seems to be approaching the main city area, and it might destroy this place.”

“So if we don’t stop it, all players might eventually be wiped out, and the town residents here might also…”

Although she had already stepped back from the front line for a long time, it now seemed that the frontline was about to be pushed to the gates of the main city.

The fate of the more than 700 players who still survived on the third floor would be revealed in that battle tomorrow night. Tilia naturally wouldn’t stand by and do nothing. The battle time happened to be at night, and she possessed stronger vampire abilities at night, making her more powerful than anyone else.

Cross blinked and asked in agreement: “So how do you plan to participate? Fight together with other player guilds? You decide, Tilia, I’ll follow you. If there’s anything you need me to help with, just tell me directly.”

“No, I want to launch an attack before they do. And I’ll do it alone.”

Tilia had changed. In the past, she would have definitely gone silently by herself, insisting on her solo principles, acting freely and doing as she pleased. But now she chose to be honest with Cross.

Even if Cross would worry and try to stop her.

She also knew that for important friends, she couldn’t keep hiding things anymore. Last time, Cross had been red-eyed with anger toward her.

“Kilo just sent me the guild’s strategic decision, and I looked it over briefly. It seems like no one is really prepared to deal with such a giant BOSS yet. They want to keep the BOSS stationary and control it in a certain area, fighting while kiting it. But they lack someone who can actually stop the BOSS. World BOSSes don’t respond to main tank players’ aggro attraction.”

“So, Tilia means that you’ll be the initial attack DPS position?”

“Yes, actually my DPS…”

“If Tilia has already made up her mind, then go do it.”

Suddenly, before Tilia could explain further, she felt a light weight on her shoulder. Cross had embraced her neck from behind and gently rested her head against Tilia’s cheek.

Cross actually already knew the secret of Tilia’s great strength.

Otherwise, how could she have successfully escaped that day when surrounded by six red name players while severely injured? In her hazy consciousness, she had seen that crimson aura emanating from Tilia’s body, that gracefully standing and proud figure.

Contrary to what Tilia had expected.

Cross’s unconditional support left Tilia momentarily speechless.

But feeling Cross’s body pressed softly against her, with strands of blue and pure white hair intertwined, she raised her hand and gently placed her palm over Cross’s hand, saying softly: “I’ll come back safely.”

“Mm, I’ll protect you too, Tilia.”

“If the situation turns bad, please remember to retreat back to me immediately, and I’ll use the deer spirit to take you back for healing.”

……

— The next day, nighttime.

Location: Outside Ice Snow City

Time: Two hours before the Ice Crystal Colossus Golem’s arrival.

Under the moonlit night, the light was clear.

The Iris Knights, Sacred Realm Expedition Corps, and Freedom Wings Alliance — almost all members of the three major player guilds — were no longer in the city. According to the strategic plan, they were widely dispersed throughout the snow plains in various forests, lakes, and cave areas.

Special teams were responsible for clearing out elite monsters in the wild beforehand to prevent them from interfering with the BOSS raid.

“Hey, remember. Wait for the fireworks as the signal, don’t move rashly before that.”

“Understood, Guildmaster. Players with long casting times for close-combat magic skills like Yezi should just touch the BOSS and withdraw immediately, don’t get greedy. Our small guild can help a little, but the main force will have to be the big guilds.”

“Got it. Damn, this is exciting… a hundred-player battle against a BOSS… in a fully immersive VR game like this.”

“Holy shit… I’m so nervous, I need to pee.”

Everyone was in position in their assigned areas, holding their weapons while holding their breath, listening to the heavy footsteps of some giant creature coming from the distant land, making their heart rates accelerate.

And each thunderous sound was accompanied by the soft rustle of flying snow, like rainfall.

Inside Ice Snow City.

Though all buildings and shops still had their lights on, the city was almost empty.

All residents had gathered at the edge of the town, standing in a long line beyond the city railings, everyone looking up and listening to the threat coming from the distant snow and wind.

Perhaps due to the arrival of this colossus.

The wind and snow outside the city seemed to howl more fiercely for a time, and it began to snow.

“Make way, please make way…”

Ruby managed to squeeze through the crowd with her petite figure and arrived at the front.

Then, she lifted her small head.

In her crystalline pupils, she tremblingly gazed at the massive figure in the distance whose outline was becoming increasingly clear. Two red points of light visible within were the colossus’s eyes, like the gaze of the death god from the abyss.

An overwhelming pressure suddenly rose.

That ice-formed massive body broke through layers of snow mist, emerging from the haziness, and in an instant was fully revealed to everyone.

“It’s… it’s coming…” the residents in the crowd said with trembling throats, their hearts tightening in an instant.

……

Meanwhile, on the ice cliff.

A white-haired girl stood alone at the highest point.

An elegant and noble high-heeled shoe stepped firmly on the ice, black stockings winding up from her delicate ankles, calf muscles taut like drawn bowstrings. The crimson silk skirt and frost-soaked white hair both fluttered gently in the wind.

Tilia held a blood moon scythe in her hand, swinging it through the air with a powerful metallic sound and holding it at her side, staring into the distance at the massive figure advancing through the snow and wind.

In the darkness, her night-colored pupils gradually turned to crystal-like blood red, emitting brilliant and bewitching light.

Then, with dark wings like the night sky behind her, she leaped forward!