Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

Chapter 607: The Mysteries of different worlds

The cold, comfortable feeling hadn’t changed.

Once they stepped into the nexus, a new world greeted them after the sudden maelstrom, but Nikolai couldn’t help but frown.

”This isn’t Al’Qutar...”

Princess Zara pulled away from Nikolai’s arm before wrapping herself in front of him. He watched her delicate face as she smirked back at him.

”Ah, because of recent issues, most people have to visit a mediatory planet first.”

”So we’ll be stuck here for a while?”

Not that he minded.

This place was somewhat familiar to him. Another standard copy of the arena’s plaza with several machines, shops and food vendors.

Clara watched the portal with wide eyes.

Unlike the main teleport, which carried a calming ocean blue, this emergency portal alternated between red, orange, and green.

”Are you interested in the portal, Sister Clara?”

”Mhm!”

”Then follow me, if you come here, you’ll see even more colours.”

Princess Zara took Clara’s hand, pulling her to the main stage.

”W-Wait.”

He called out to them, but the girls both looked so overjoyed that he couldn’t stop them.

’Clara also spent a life hidden from the world...’

’There’s too much in this world that shouldn’t happen.’

After Zara winked at him, he shook his head and gave up, letting her go.

Nikolai watched Zara silently, hiding his shock as she danced around the platform, her eyes sparkling as they waited for their turn. He’d never seen her like this, from an older sister type who taught him a skill to the Princess who put her freedom on the line to save her homeland.

And now this, a youthful woman, barely older than him, acting out as he watched. Nikolai couldn’t help but want to learn more about her.

Although she was keeping Clara company, he couldn’t help but think this bubbly and active side of Zara was part of her true self.

’Well, I can find out in the future.’

Nikolai turned away, knowing that with Zara’s current strength and the unique ability of Clara, which could nullify the abilities of any monsters that became hostile towards her, he stepped towards one of the various stalls.

”What can I get chu’ handsome?” A middle-aged woman with green skin and a single eye asked with a cackle.

On a sizzling grill, strange meats bubbled with brown, blue and dark red sauces. The scent carried mixtures of sweet, sour and honey flavours. Nikolai couldn’t help but swallow, pointing to the small beast rotating on the metal skewer, the meat a pale blue.

”What meat is this?”

”Kekeke, young man, this meat is prime kobold! Tasty, sweet, tender and cheap!”

’Kobold?!’

To Nikolai’s knowledge, Kobolds were a dog-like species; seeing them here caused quite the culture shock, but then again, he wasn’t human. With bushy wolf tails and ears, who could blame the old lady for offering him prey that his race would love to hunt in the wild?

”Credits?”

”Mhm~ or Kovak Marks! Two credits a portion.”

Nikolai shrugged and tapped his card against the overly digital payment screen. The rustic tent with a primitive fire had a high-tech touch-pay system, which made him chuckle before he pointed to the various meats. ”Three servings of everything, please. I want to try all the sauces and keep them separate if possible.”

”Oh my, what a big spender~ This old woman will do her best.”

The lady then took a blade from God knows where, twirling it with a third arm that came from her back. ’Wow, she’s skilled.’ He almost couldn’t believe that this old woman running a stall had reached the Great Elder realm!

”Brother Nikolai!”

”You’re buying this?”

Soon after the woman showed her skills, three portions of each meat, each with its own sauce, were all separated in neat packets, with the grease and oil kept to a minimum.

”Thanks for the excellent service, ma’am.”

”Kekeke, thanks for the custom, handsome wolf.”

Her wrinkled eyes curled into crescent moons, and she returned to her work, bringing out more sauces and meats to cook.

”It smells good~”

Clara wasn’t like the Princess who turned up her nose. ”What? You’ve tried stall food on Earth, but now you’re turning your nose up at this?” To Nikolai, the food sold at stalls in countries like I-Kingdom and C-Kingdom disgusted him. Even his S-Kingdom stalls weren’t clean enough in his opinion.

’But damn is the food good!’

It was the biggest reason he gave the old ladies cooked meat a try.

”Here, try this one, Clara, it’s sweet and not too hot. Fwoo, fwoo.”

Nikolai took the softest pale meat with the blue sauce and blew on it for the little fairy. He worried her fair skin, the colour of milk, might burn or blister at the lightest spice.

”Okay, brother!”

Unlike the meek Princess, the fairy just bit into the meat, soft juices bubbling from her lips as she swallowed quickly and licked the oil. ”It’s so delicious~~”

”Sure you don’t want any, Zara?”

”But it’s Kobold... we keep those things as pets on Al’Qutar.”

’Ah!’

He suddenly realised that many people in his world felt the same about people who ate baby ducks, or cats and dogs. Some sick people ate fertilised eggs, with a dead bird inside, which allowed them to understand her feelings.

’But it’s tasty...’

”Well, more for me then!”

”Don’t get too comfortable, our number in the teleportation queue is fifteen.”

Princess Zara shook her head in dismissal. Yet despite this, she kept peeking at Nikolai, who happily chewed the blue and pale meat, a soft and juicy meat with flavours similar to beef and chicken.

Obviously, seeing her two companions enjoying the meat, she eventually caved in and reached out to the bags in Nikolai’s hand.

”Hm?”

”I’ll take some of the sweet meat, if it’s no problem?”

Not long after the three wolfed down the kobold meat, their ticket finally flickered, and with a confident smile, Princess Zara stepped forward and looked back. Her eyes narrowed as she offered her hand. ”Come on, my charming little fiancé, let me show you my hometown.”

”You’re so cheesy.”

Nikolai shook his head. He hooked Clara’s waist, then took Zara’s hand, as the trio stepped towards the shimmering portal.

”Wow, look, brother!” Clara showed excitement at the image of Al’Qutar on the surface of the portal. It was the place he remembered: the vibrant markets, beautiful architecture that resembled the Middle East and yet. He couldn’t help but frown as their bodies dropped into the cool, sticky sphere.

The turbulent portal shook their bodies, tossing the trio from side to side like a washing machine on its drain cycle.

Eventually, the swirling stopped, and the cooling gel spat them out.

.

.

.

Once the cool, refreshing air vanished, a hot, biting heat suddenly assaulted them. To Zara, with skin designed to endure the heat of boiling temperatures. She just cycled her soul force to keep her body cool and danced off the portal steps.

However, for the pale fairy, a girl used to cool, damp temperatures, her atmosphere transformed as she became lethargic and leaned against Nikolai’s body.

”Brother, it’s so hot.”

The nostalgic heat struck Nikolai, too—his clan of werewolves was from a northern breed used to the bitter northern winds of Siberia.

Despite his discomfort, he pretended to be fine and pointed at a group of women passing by with drapes covering their faces and necks.

”We’ll find one of those special drapes soon; they have magic that can keep you cool.”

”Really?”

”Of course, have I lied to you?”

He remembered seeing them last time, and Selene bought a pair for them. So he turned back and called out to the distant back of Zara, hoping she wouldn’t rush them.

”Zara, wait up, we need some drapes. Huh? Where is she?”

To his surprise, Princess Zara’s figure appeared from the crowd, holding two fresh drapes, one with an ice-blue pattern with a white base, the other a peach colour with little fruits sewn across the trim.

”Why do you look so nervous, keke. Did you think I left you here?” Zara teased.

”Not at all, but are those for us?”

”Mhm, of course. Come here, Clara. This peach one is for you, cutie.”

Clara, already sweating, skipped to Zara, who quickly wrapped her shoulders, face, and cheeks with the material. At first, her eyes looked confused, but then, with a snap of Zara’s fingers, the material started to generate a cold air.

”Feel good?”

”It does!”

”This special air will protect your skin from burning, tanning and keep you cool. To recharge it, come to your brother or me. Okay?”

Nikolai watched Zara with a faint smile.

He really couldn’t fault her for accepting Clara coming with them; she treated the fairy like a true sister.

What he didn’t know is that the women met most nights he didn’t sleep with them, and told stories, played games and since his mother heard of the deal between them. Zara also got invited to those girls’ nights.

And through them, she became close friends with Anya and Clara.

Because they were a similar age.

It was something the entire harem hid from Nikolai, amused by how he treated Zara like some kind of elder. Still, in terms of Djinn years, she was barely considered an adult, and that was the reason she hadn’t already taken her role as the Princess.

The Princess wrapped the black drape across Nikolai’s shoulders before leaning close to his face. ”There, handsome, don’t say I never do anything for ya.”

”Well, thanks, Zara.”

Nikolai couldn’t help but watch her bounce away, the way she used her extra arms so useful and skilled.

”Hehe~ well, let’s hurry.”

”Tonight we’re staying at my aunt’s hotel, and preparing to meet my brother in the palace!”