The bunker plunged into silence. Jack stood leaning against the cold rock wall, his head bowed, as if trying to piece together the fragments of his mind. From a bloodthirsty, inhuman creature, he now felt emotions: guilt, fear, and the haunting images of slaughter. More than anything, he felt the despair of remembering his wife and child were in danger.
But at this moment—something else was changing. Not Jack, but the old man. The quiet, emotionless man who always hid himself from everything… was now completely different. He was no longer silent. He no longer evaded. He stood up, took a deep breath, and clearly addressed all the remaining people in the bunker:
"Everyone! I know a tunnel that leads us out of this fortress!"
"We must leave now, before this place collapses!"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Not of joy, but of suspicion.
"What? Go with him? With a Vampire?"
"I'd rather stay here than go out there!"
"Exactly! If we surrender, at least we have a chance to live!"
"I don't trust that old man… The legend is true… wherever he goes, there is suffering!"
"I'm not going."
Their words were like sharp knives, but the old man didn't refute them. He didn't get angry. Only a deepening sadness in his eyes… No one knew how many times he had endured these words throughout his life. He simply turned his back slightly, his voice calm but resolute.
"Let's go, young man."
Jack looked up, scanning the faces around him. He saw the terror in their eyes. They didn't trust the old man. They didn't trust him. But Jack knew—if they stayed, they would die. Not a single person would survive. He had once been one of them. He understood well that Vampires would never show mercy. They wouldn't even get a spot in the blood farms.
"EVERYONE!!!" Jack shouted, his voice desperate.
"There's no hope! Please, believe me! Listen to him! This is your only chance!"
But… it was useless. He was still a Vampire in their eyes. A creature who had massacred their kind moments before. The louder he screamed—the more they recoiled. As if he were a monster. Jack clenched his fists, his eyes filled with helplessness.
"Let's go, friend. They won't understand."
The old man placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, pulling him away. Jack gritted his teeth, trying one last time:
"Everyone, please…"
SWISH!
The sound of cloth falling to the ground. A girl cast off her headscarf, stepping forward. Her voice was calm, yet it held a strange power.
"I'll go with you. We're going to die anyway… I want to die having tried my best."
The entire bunker fell silent. Then whispers broke out.
"Is she crazy?!"
"Going with a Vampire… My God!"
"Or are they accomplices!?"
But the girl didn't care. She looked directly at Jack, her gaze unwavering. Jack was stunned. This was the first time—a human wasn't afraid of him. She was very young. Only about eighteen. Long brown hair that reached her shoulders, her eyes somewhat cold… yet still radiating the gentle beauty of a young woman in her early twenties. A simple beauty, yet with something strong within.
The old man looked at the girl, then nodded slightly.
"Let's go. There isn't much time left."
No one knew why she decided to go with them. No one knew what she was thinking.
The trio quickly moved through the dark underground passage, following the refugee tunnels. Above them—screams of agony. The clash of weapons. The crumbling of walls. The fragments of a fortress reaching its end.
Beneath their feet—human corpses. Vampire corpses. No distinction between friend or foe, only cold bodies scattered in the darkness. Another fortress had fallen. And where would this world go now?
Jack cautiously observed the old man. Something wasn't right. Just a few hours ago, he knew nothing of this place. Yet now—he knew every path by heart. He led them through narrow alleys, avoiding all areas prone to blockages. As if… he had been here his entire life.
Jack and the mysterious girl stayed close behind. Suddenly, Jack spoke:
"What's your name, old man?"
The old man didn't turn back, merely lowered his voice, cautious.
"Quiet, you fool. Vampires have keen hearing. If they detect us, we'll die right here."
Jack nodded, whispering softly:
"I just want to know your name."
A moment of silence. Then the old man spoke quietly:
"John… just call me that."
Jack nodded. Beside him, the girl remained silent, but her eyes were fixed on him. Jack felt strange. He turned, their eyes met. Only for a moment—the girl quickly looked down, avoiding his gaze. Jack subtly frowned, then asked softly:
"And you? What's your name?"
The girl hesitated. As if she didn't want to answer. But finally, she spoke softly:
"Mira."
Jack nodded, intending to ask more, but seeing Mira's evasiveness, he remained silent.
Suddenly—John stopped, raising a hand to signal for quiet.
"Stop!"
All three pressed against the stone wall. Jack tilted his head slightly, looking ahead. Not far away—five Vampires stood guard at a large iron gate. John whispered:
"See? That's the tunnel. If we get past them, we'll escape."
Jack narrowed his eyes, using his Vampire sight to observe. He noticed something strange.
"They're not just standing there… They're looking for something."
John nodded:
"They surely have a map of the fortress. But they don't know how to open the gate… And I do."
Jack pondered. They had a map, but didn't know how to open it? That meant… they couldn't get inside. He narrowed his eyes, thinking.
"So what do we do?"
Jack suddenly had a crazy idea. He gritted his teeth, whispering:
"Maybe they'll recognize me. I'm still Jack the Butcher, after all… I can order them to leave."
John's eyes widened:
"Are you insane?!"
Mira also looked at him with skepticism. But Jack just chuckled softly, winking at them.
"Trust me."
Then—he lunged straight out. His voice boomed with authority:
"HEY!!! SOLDIERS!!!"
John and Mira flinched.
"What?! What is this idiot doing?!"
Both hid behind the wall, nervously watching the situation. Jack walked slowly towards the Vampires, his eyes sharp. He had only one hope—that the reputation of "Jack the Butcher" still held sway.
Jack approached the group of Vampires, maintaining his composure as best he could. They turned, their eyes flashing with surprise, but no fear. One Vampire, scarred and holding an axe, smirked:
"Jack the Butcher! You're here too? Ha! We're about to win!"
Jack subtly frowned, but maintained his natural demeanor. A plump Vampire, holding a hammer and shield, laughed heartily:
"We're looking for this tunnel! According to the map, there might be human treasure hidden inside! Interested, Lord?"
Another nodded, chuckling gleefully:
"That's right! We prefer hunting treasure to slaughter! Let the army handle that, ha ha ha!"
Jack narrowed his eyes, observing more closely. On their tunics, there was a special emblem. They were the Treasure Hunter Legion. A unit not part of the regular army, specializing in finding treasure, rare materials, weapons, and armor to serve the Vampire Empire. They usually operated in small groups, not under the command of Vampires lower than a general.
"Damn it…"
Jack silently cursed. He had no authority to order them. His initial plan—failed. Jack was about to think of a way to react, when a Vampire mage suddenly stared intently at him. He flinched slightly. The mage frowned, his voice full of suspicion:
"Jack… your eyes… why are they like that?"
Jack subtly froze. The others also began to turn and look at him.
"Your eyes… they're amber!?"
They looked at each other, their expressions gradually filling with doubt. Jack felt cold sweat trickle down his spine. What should he do?
John, from a distance, frowned, his expression annoyed.
"I knew it… This guy must have been pretty dense when he was human."
Mira said nothing, only watched, her eyes still cold. The Vampire mage still fixed his gaze on Jack, taking a deep breath.
"I smell human on your body… Are you carrying food?"
The others also began to feel something was wrong. One's eyes lit up:
"Amber-eyed Vampire? Impossible… There's never been a Vampire like that!"
All five began to grow wary, their eyes full of suspicion. Jack tried to maintain his composure, speaking with an authoritative tone:
"I was just attacked by a human mage. Perhaps I was wounded, and my eyes were affected. You all continue your work. I need to continue sweeping for living humans."
Jack feigned coldness, turning to walk away, his mind stretched taut.
"Time to bail!"
Though he was higher-ranked and stronger, these were five mid-tier Vampires—they fought as a team. If exposed, Jack, John, and Mira would surely die.
But just then—one suddenly spoke:
"Wait!"
Jack froze. His hand clenched. The axe-wielding Vampire stepped forward, his voice stern:
"Vampires like us can never be wounded like that! Lord Jack… What… what exactly are you?"
The atmosphere suddenly grew taut. Jack didn't know what to say. A chill ran down his spine as he realized he had been too hasty. There was no logical answer. If he lied again, they would only grow more suspicious. He just had to leave… He turned, calmly walking away step by step. But just then—
BOOM!
The Vampire mage suddenly murmured an incantation, his eyes flashing like embers in the darkness. A localization spell swept directly through the space!
"I used a localization spell! There are two humans hiding over there! This one is definitely a human mage in disguise!"
The Vampires roared, the entire group immediately took defensive stances, ready to attack.
Jack clenched his fists, cursing silently.
"Damn it…!"
John and Mira panicked, their eyes revealing helplessness. These weren't ordinary mid-tier Vampires; they were a Team:
The tall, obese Vampire, with a large shield and war hammer – the Tank.
The scarred, dual-axe wielder – the DPS.
The cloaked, staff-wielding Vampire – the Support.
The noble-vested Vampire, the team's leader – the Mage/Leader.
The bow-wielding, slick-haired Vampire – the Ranger.
A perfect team. And now, Jack had to face them. This would not be an easy fight for Jack, an Elite Vampire.
"KILL THEM!!"
The axe-wielding one roared like a beast, lunging forward like a cannonball.
WHOOSH!
Jack didn't dodge. He spun, his entire body surging with power, and—
BOOM!
A thunderous punch landed directly on the axe-wielder's face. The force of the blow sent him flying backward, his body slamming hard into the stone wall, creating a large crack. That was the Strength of an Elite Vampire. Jack was indeed quite strong, a true Elite. Jack possessed superior speed, strength, and Supernatural Abilities far beyond mid-tier Vampires. Jack's Supernatural Ability was "Rage"—allowing him to greatly enhance his muscle strength, physical power, and all Vampire capabilities to a higher level.
COUGH!
The axe-wielder vomited blood, his eyes wide, immediately falling unconscious. The air suddenly went silent. Jack slowly lifted his head, his amber eyes glittering in the darkness.
"Anyone who dares to touch them…"
His voice was cold as steel, his gaze sharp and challenging!
"You're facing an Elite Vampire here… Get out… BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!"
The remaining four froze.
"Huh…? He's actually a Vampire?"
"But… protecting humans?"
"Those eyes… What's going on?"
The Vampire mage frowned, his voice full of doubt:
"You… are you really Jack? Hey! We're kin!"
Jack scowled, his eyes as cold as a winter storm.
"I'm serious… If you don't believe me…"
He subtly lifted his hand—
"COME AT ME."