St. Sophia's Cathedral was the largest church in Zephandrel and the headquarters of the Imperial Orthodox Church. Surrounding it were several shops. All part of the church's holdings and run personally by church stewards. Marvin stepped into one establishment specializing in alchemical goods and rapped on the counter.

  "Welcome, guest." Behind the counter, a church steward dressed in a black robe nodded slightly. "May I ask what you need?"

  "I have two shops I wish to sell to the church," Marvin replied.

  "Hmm, you must be Marvin of the Fontaine family," the steward said, recognizing his features. After all, before Marvin's original parents went missing, they donated large sums to the church every year. The steward was therefore not unfamiliar with the young master of the Fontaine family. "So you intend to sell both of your parents' shops?"

  "Yes," Marvin said. "Please give me your offer."

  "I know your two shops well. They are golden enterprises, bringing in fortunes daily. The apothecary on Theodosius Avenue, I would value at 700 pounds, and the tavern near Marina High Tower. Since the restaurant trade has been rather sluggish recently. I'd set it at 550 pounds for now."

  "But let me remind you, Mr. Fontaine, that these two properties, left by your parents, yield a steady monthly profit of about 10 pounds. If you're merely short on cash, you could apply for a mortgage from the Imperial Bank instead of selling them outright."

  "I understand," Marvin fibbed smoothly. "But I'm about to return to my hometown to get married, and I won't have time to collect the rent. So I need to liquidate them."

  The steward furrowed his brows. Return home to marry? Wasn't Marvin a native of Zephandrel? Judging by his fully armed appearance, the marriage was clearly a ruse, he was more likely setting off on an adventure.

  Since it was not his place to question another's career plans, the steward simply retrieved a standard real estate transaction contract from a shelf and placed it on the counter. "In that case, please fill in the names of the shops on the contract and sign at the bottom. Once we verify the property status, we can complete the transfer and pay you immediately."

  With other private buyers, such transactions would involve lawyers reviewing the contract, identity verification, checking property deeds and transaction records, and even a notarization by the church. A process that could take days. This was precisely why Marvin chose to sell directly to the Orthodox Church. It was far simpler.

  After signing, the steward fed the two copies into a fax machine and then invited Marvin to sit down.

  About half an hour later, the steward returned from a phone call and said, "We have verified your properties, and the transfer is complete. Would you like the funds transferred directly to your bank account, or do you prefer cash?"

  "Cash, please," Marvin replied.

  The steward then produced a neat stack of banknotes, counted them, and handed them over.

  Marvin took the money but did not rush to stow it away. Instead, he asked, "Do you have any blank soul contract templates? I'd like to buy two."

  "Soul contracts?" The steward was momentarily taken aback. "May I ask what you need a soul contract for?"

  "To get married back home, to sign a loyalty agreement with my wife," Marvin explained casually.

  The steward gave an understanding hum, thinking that nobles certainly had their peculiar ways.

  A soul contract was a vow bound by extraordinary forces, directly affecting one's mind and body. For example, a couple might inscribe on such a contract that they would never cheat after marriage. Once signed, the contract would make the very thought of infidelity unbearably repulsive; forcing oneself to break it would likely result in mental collapse. These contracts, however, were very expensive. Around 100 pounds apiece, far beyond the reach of ordinary folk. Even the wealthiest nobles seldom wasted money on them, using them only occasionally during arranged marriages. Essentially, what Marvin called a "loyalty agreement" was merely a safeguard against post-marital betrayal that could ruin one’s reputation.

  Having just received 1250 pounds and then promptly spent another 200 pounds, Marvin showed no sign of regret. He carefully stowed away the two soul contracts and then smiled as he asked, "Since we've made such a big transaction, how about adding a handgun to the deal?"

  "A handgun?" The steward, now half-convinced that Marvin was indeed planning a marriage, wondered aloud how nervous he must be about his future wife. Signing a loyalty agreement was hardly enough. Buying a handgun to carry around? Is it to shoot a cheating lover or perhaps even your wife?

  "Of course," the steward replied cautiously. "According to our rules, for transactions over 50 pounds I am entitled to a 5% discount. For 10 pounds, you could even buy a semi-automatic rifle, but that would require an automatic weapon permit."

  "I don't have a permit, so I'll stick with a handgun. Do you have any with particularly strong firepower? Preferably a large caliber, one with excellent armor-piercing capability."

  "In that case, let me recommend the 'Imperial Eagle.'" The steward reached under the counter and produced a small black box. "Its caliber is 15.2mm. With specially made ultra-heavy elephant hunting rounds, its muzzle energy exceeds 10,000 joules. It can even take down a Titan head-on. In fact, we mostly sell these to the northern Karona Empire for hunting frost giants."

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  He opened the black box, revealing a silver revolver along with a row of gleaming 15.2mm bullets, each as long as an adult's palm.

  "Excellent," said Marvin. "I'll take that one. But do you also have a rapid-fire automatic handgun? One preferably with a silencer."

  "You must be referring to the 'Aphrodite'." The steward then retrieved another box from a nearby shelf. "As the name suggests, it is specially made in the Xiris Province. A compact, agile rapid-fire handgun."

  "Goddess above, I must be honest with you. This handgun was originally designed for female nobles of the empire, yet once it came out it became a favorite among mages because its recoil is so minimal that even women and children can handle it."

  "If one handgun can suffice for self-defense, why hire mage guards at all? Still, I suggest you buy this one as a sidearm to the Imperial Eagle."

  "Then I'll take both," Marvin said. "How much will that be?"

  "11 pounds," the steward replied. "The Imperial Eagle is 7 pounds and the Aphrodite is 4 pounds. I cannot waive the remaining 1 pound; it is already factored into the discount."

  "I'll give you 20 pounds." Marvin withdrew a banknote. "The balance, please convert entirely into Identification Luminous Scrolls."

  "Identification Luminous Scrolls?" the steward smiled. "A wise choice, indeed. After all, if a scoundrel possesses extraordinary power, even the Imperial Eagle might not guarantee a kill... ahem, pardon me, I momentarily lost track of my thoughts."

  "Ah, rest assured," Marvin said, "there is no such scoundrel."

  "Understood. Your wife, then?" the steward asked with a cough, retrieving two more boxes from the shelf. "Your extraordinary partner is the primary cause of domestic strife after marriage; these two handguns are truly worth the price." He then added, "As compensation for my earlier slip, I will also gift you two boxes of ammunition: one of 15.2mm elephant hunting rounds and another of standard 9mm rounds."

  "You're far too kind. I forgive you." Marvin accepted the two handguns, ensured the Identification Luminous Scrolls and bullets were secured, and exchanged a quick gesture of blessing before turning to leave.

  "Sigh, love," the steward murmured, watching Marvin's retreating back. He imagined a once-wealthy young noble, destined for greatness, reduced to a trembling husband, daily abused and humiliated by his wife.

  "Much better to look at now." As Marvin passed a storefront, he caught his own reflection in the window. Clad in armor, sword at his side, and two handguns hanging from his belt, fully armed, like a player who had just regained full battle power.

  In the early stages of the game, firearms far outclassed swords, but as NPC levels steadily rise into mid-game, ordinary guns lose their luster. After all, the damage a bullet delivers is limited by the fixed energy of its gunpowder explosion, while a sword's power can grow with the wielder's strength.

  His original NPC body bore a striking resemblance to his pre-transcendence self. As Marvin studied his reflection closely, he noted that aside from slightly sunken eyes and a high cheekbone. The rest of his facial structure was remarkably similar to his real self. After all, the Pendragon people in the game were also black-haired and blue-eyed, with a fair complexion.

  Perhaps his soul and body had merged during the crossing, resulting in this mixed appearance? Or maybe he had simply been kidnapped, had a tube inserted in the back of his head, and was left in a nutrient bath, like something out of The Matrix or Sword Art Online? Or did a lazy programmer just copy his real face and slap it onto his character?

  Marvin shook his head, dismissing these endless speculations, for they were unlikely to have answers.

  Glancing over his gear once more, Marvin fell into deep thought. Although this body was currently level 0 and had long been used by vampires for bloodletting, his strength, agility, and endurance were surprisingly well above that of an average adult male, no one could say why. Now that the vampire hypnosis had been broken by his crossing, and since "Blood and Fire" wasn't solely about level and attributes, tactical awareness and combat skills were just as important.

  In the current state, Marvin was absolutely confident he could eliminate all ten or so unsuspecting vampires lurking in his family's estate.

  But now was not the time. He should go find Aurora.

  At dusk, in the nearby cemetery...

  "...The raging fire may have consumed her flesh, but her soul shall find peace in the Lord's Kingdom. Amen," intoned the priest in his final eulogy.

  "...Amen," echoed everyone in unison. The mourners were all neighbors from the same block.

  Marvin swung his shovel and scooped the final mound of earth onto the coffin. By imperial custom, it was the duty of the closest kin to perform the burial, and since Aurora's entire family had perished in the fire, Marvin had volunteered for the task.

  The neighbors attending the funeral sighed in relief. After all, who would dare contest with you for a shovel when you look as formidable as you do, fully armored, sword and handguns at your side?

  After the priest and the neighbors departed, Marvin sat on the newly erected tombstone and let out a lazy yawn.

  "It looks like it's about to rain," he murmured, inhaling the moist scent in the air as he glanced up at the dark, overcast sky.

  In the world of "Blood and Fire," levels and attributes are two separate systems. Attributes derive from extraordinary power, which can be obtained by slaying monsters, consuming spiritual substances, or performing rituals. Incidentally, this extraordinary power is known as EXP for short—essentially equivalent to experience points in the game.

  Once you gain this extraordinary power, you can train or fight to convert it into two types of attributes.

  The first is physical strength, known as Stamina, which increases muscle burst power, control, endurance, and reaction speed.

  The second is mental strength, known as Magicka, used to boost intelligence and willpower. Together, these determine the 'hardware' of a character's combat prowess.

  Apart from attributes, levels follow a separate system. Every player and human NPC begins at level 0 and must ingest specific substances to level up.

  In the magically advanced Eastern Pendragon Empire, this substance is called Bloodline Elixir. Whereas in the West Pendragon Empire (now extinct), where traditional technology was preserved, the Pendragon Church now uses a genetic agent. Essentially, both methods fuse spiritual substances into the body, triggering extraordinary transformations and granting special abilities.

  If attribute increases represent a quantitative boost to combat, then leveling up is a qualitative change.

  Marvin, having been transformed into a vampire, naturally possessed the first extraordinary trait— Sanguine's Sorrow I. By now, her level had increased to 1, granting significant bonuses to burst power, control, endurance, and reaction speed, along with rapid wound healing. Apart from her heart and brain, she no longer had any critical weak points.

  In the public beta storyline, having a companion like this was far more than just a 1+1 benefit for Marvin.