The next stop for Jack's group was a small town named Hollowrest. Though called a "town," it was home to several thousand residents, including both Vampires and humans. In the post-apocalyptic world of Aetherion—ever since the Red Sky erupted 70 years ago—the cohabitation of the two species was no longer uncommon, especially after hundreds of regulatory laws from the Vampire Empire. However, don't misunderstand. Humans here weren't equal citizens. They were merely laborers, slaves, servants, or even pets to Vampires. Though living in the same city, they were still forced to reside in separate districts, completely isolated from Vampire living areas. As long as they submitted enough blood, upheld their roles, and didn't break the law, they were permitted to... exist.
From the hilltop, Hollowrest appeared like a tightly packed bird's nest. The town was surrounded by steel and stone walls, towering over ten meters high—a defensive system to prevent wild lesser Vampires from outside from swarming in. Despite being located in a remote part of Ashengrave, the pace of life here was extremely vibrant. Vampires and humans bustled in and out through the main gates. The air of commerce was thick with the scent of fresh blood, machine oil, and road dust.
Hollowrest sat directly on a vital trade route of the Empire, a trade line connecting Crimvale to the Southern border. For this reason, the town was heavily guarded by checkpoints, garrisons, and the Vampire army. This military presence provided a veneer of "safety" for both Vampires and humans—at least in name.
But most importantly: Hollowrest was one of Ashengrave kingdom's largest underground black market hubs. Forbidden magical items, fresh human blood, and even... Silverium—a special metal capable of inhibiting the Vampire virus—were openly traded here.
For Jack's group, this was the ideal place to begin their search for the most crucial item for Mira: liquid Silverium.
Back with Jack's GroupThe trio was traversing a sparse forest on a hill, only a few kilometers from Hollowrest. Dusk was setting in, the red light from the sky staining the tree trunks, making everything look as if it were smoldering in the blood-red twilight.
The air was heavy.
"I can't believe you and John did that..." Jack scowled, his voice heavy with annoyance. He walked as he spoke, his eyes unable to hide the simmering anger within him.
John walked beside him, sighing. "Calm down, Jack. They were just lesser Vampires."
But Mira wasn't calm at all. Her face showed clear irritation, her eyes sharp as knives. She walked quickly, snapping, "Hmph... I knew it. John, do you see? He keeps droning on about it... Does he feel sorry for those Vampires, maybe? Perhaps because... they're his own kind."
Jack immediately turned back, shouting, "You're being unreasonable! Those two things have nothing to do with each other! They're living beings! Before... they were human! You have no right to kill them!"
Mira stopped dead. She spun around, her angry eyes seemingly wanting to pierce through Jack's chest. Her hand shot out, pointing at him without an ounce of respect: "Wake up, you idiot! There's no hope left for them! Do you think you're a god? Do you think you can bring them back to life?"
She spat out each word, stepping closer. "They're dead, Jack! Just walking corpses! And if I don't kill them... they'll kill me. They'll drain my blood."
Mira slammed her finger onto Jack's chest. "They're just like you were. You also tried to kill me once."
The words were like a cold, sharp blade, stabbing directly into the softest part of Jack's mind. Mira turned, continuing to walk, her back exuding a cold, uncaring, and exhausted aura.
Jack stood frozen. He didn't retort. Just lowered his head. Her words... were too true. Too real. He had once been a monster. He had almost taken Mira's life. And now, he was scolding her for doing the same thing... to corpses.
John remained silent. He watched the two young people walk ahead, his eyes heavy with worry. They had only been traveling together for three days... but cracks were already beginning to show.
He sighed.
And then... he recalled what had happened just two hours earlier, when the incident that caused Jack and Mira to argue began...
After waking up, the trio began their new journey. According to Jack's old map, to reach Hollowrest from this hill, they had to cross a dense forest far from the Empire's main road. This meant: no checkpoints, no soldiers, no high-ranking Vampire defenses.
And as expected.
Less than an hour after venturing deep into the forest, Jack froze. His eyes sharpened like a wild beast's. His ears twitched slightly. The scent of blood and a chilling breath began to spread in the wind.
"There are about ten of them ahead... Lesser Vampires. A whole pack. Hiding in an abandoned house. There are blood cocoons clinging to the walls. They're hibernating..." Jack whispered, his eyes vigilant. He gestured for the other two to hide in the bush to their right.
"Lesser Vampires? Perfect! Time to test out my new weapon!" Mira chuckled with interest, her hand already on her bow. Her voice rang out as if this were a hunting trip, not a brush with death.
Jack and John simultaneously turned to look at Mira, their faces slightly dumbfounded. Was the girl who trembled in the shelter that day now so bloodthirsty?
"Wait! Calm down." Jack whispered. "I can connect with them telepathically. Use my rank's influence to order them to retreat. After all, I used to be an Elite Vampire." He patted his chest, looking confident.
John scratched his head, looking at him. "Are you sure? I remember you 'showing off' like this back at the fortress, and almost got us all killed."
Mira didn't bother to pay attention. She raised her bow in front of her, the arrow shimmering under the red sky. "Pew pew pew~ Nova, let's see. Today I'll bombard those stinking heads!" she murmured to her bow as if talking to a pet.
Jack took a deep breath. "You two... trust me this time. I don't want bloodshed. There's no need to kill them. Please trust me."
The words were simple, yet sincere and deep. Mira and John both paused. Though they weren't sure how much to trust him, Jack's eyes at that moment... weren't the eyes of a dreamer. They were the eyes of someone trying to atone for something.
Both nodded. They gestured for Jack to move forward.
But before he took a step, Mira still couldn't help but sigh: "Oh, Nova... Maybe next time. This is so boring..."
Jack slowly stepped out of the bushes. Each of his steps softly sank into the thick layer of fallen dry leaves. Before him lay the ruins of an abandoned house, covered in moss, with broken walls and a nearly collapsed roof. On the rotten wooden pillars, blood cocoons swayed in the wind, emitting an unpleasantly slimy sound.
About ten lesser Vampires roamed the area. They didn't resemble conscious beings. They moved on all fours, their eyes bloodshot, mouths agape revealing fangs, their skin crisscrossed with dried bloodstains. A few noticed Jack. Their heads lifted.
They... smelled their own kind.
A few approached, their eyes suspicious. They sniffed. Sniffing around Jack's body like a pack of wild animals smelling a stranger among them. But then... they let out a low hiss. Their eyes wavered. A familiar Vampire scent. But his eyes... were a strange orange color. No Vampire had that eye color.
They hesitated.
Then slowly... they turned away. A few ignored Jack, crawling back to their blood cocoons and beginning to lick them, as if he had never appeared.
John and Mira hid behind a large tree, their eyes never leaving Jack for a second. Every movement of those grotesque beasts was within their observation. Mira still held her bow, the arrow still on the string.
Jack stood amidst the pack, slowly raising a hand to his forehead, closing his eyes. He took a breath.
Then—connected.
A strange instinct awakened. The blood within him—though purified—still carried the biological characteristics of a Vampire. And as someone who had once been a Leader, he could establish a psychic link with the lesser Vampires, a form of instinctual pack control signal.
Jack's mind seemed to glide through invisible layers of space. He felt every demonic surge of energy from the cells around him. Neurons, remnants of his Vampire self, were trying to "speak" to them.
And then—he made contact.
The feeling was so close. As if... he still belonged to them.
Just a little more...
"Just a little more..." Jack murmured, lightly raising his hand to signal Mira and John: "Don't do anything."
But... something felt... strange.
The transformation in his body—the purification, the rebirth—slowed the connection. The signal was no longer clear. It seemed... Jack's nervous system was no longer something Vampires could understand.
The lesser Vampires began to freeze.
Their once sluggish eyes now glowed with killing intent.
The fur on their necks bristled.
Then—
SCREECH!!!
A piercing shriek rang out. One lunged forward, fangs bared, claws raised high.
The whole pack shifted into attack posture. They were about to pounce on Jack.