Late at night.
An ink-black sky pressed down on the silent earth, scattered with dots of starlight.
Beneath the canopy, the forest was deep, damp, and cold—enough to make anyone shiver.
“Ah-choo!”
Feilin, her pointed ears poking out from her head, hugged herself with one arm while her legs trembled like a sieve.
“Fire! Fire! Get that fire started! I’m freezing to death, damn it!”
“Aren’t you a vampire too? Look at Vivian—she’s not cold at all.”
Derek dropped the firewood he’d collected from the forest and stared at Feilin in confusion.
His upper body was covered in a thick layer of mud, making him look like a terracotta warrior fresh out of the ground.
But he didn’t care about the dirt. In fact, just minutes ago he’d been bragging to the others about his new creation.
“That one’s belly is full of blood—completely different from me, a vampire born starving.”
“Say one more word and I’ll take a bite out of you tonight!”
Feilin whipped her head around and glared at Derek.
As a newborn vampire, her satiety level was barely above the minimum.
Her sanity was balanced on the edge of madness, her mind sometimes clear, sometimes hazy.
“Hmph! You think you can bite me?”
Derek raised his chin dismissively and snorted.
“With those little fangs of yours, can you even pierce my strongest Rock Skin?” He tapped the mud shell on his face with a finger, quite proud.
“I’ll bite you right now!”
Feilin couldn’t take this arrogant old man anymore. She had to teach him a lesson.
She lunged, tackling Derek, and the two rolled into a tangled heap.
“Both of you, sit down!”
Vivian dropped the dry grass she was holding and marched over to the pair, hands on her hips as she scolded them.
But the fight was in full swing—neither side giving ground—and they treated Vivian’s words like background commentary.
Seeing this, Vivian felt a vein bulge on her forehead, throbbing with irritation.
Thump! Thump!
Two dull, hollow sounds rang out.
Derek and Feilin sat down obediently like children caught misbehaving in kindergarten.
Each now sported a fist-sized lump on their heads.
Feilin’s originally pale face was now smudged with dirt—courtesy of that old man Derek.
She had tried to bite Derek in the chaos, but failed, and ended up dirtying her fur…
Feilin lowered her head, sneaking a peek at Derek, only to catch the smug curl of his lips.
Rage surged through her again, but before she could explode, another voice interrupted.
“Calm down for a moment, you two. Let’s settle our issues first.”
Nolan, also covered in dust and grime, conjured a small flame at his fingertip, lit a bundle of dry grass, and placed it on the campfire they’d built.
In the forest clearing, a single orange campfire blazed to life.
The firelight tore through the thick, inky darkness, spreading a warm halo around them.
“So, is Blood Mage Marco dead or not?”
“And how did Pastor Derek and that long-tailed rodent end up here?”
Nolan sat in front of the fire, the flames illuminating his rugged profile, making his face look especially resolute.
“Ask her. All this ridiculous, farcical mess tonight is the work of that Big Tail Rat.”
Vivian pointed at Feilin, dumping all the blame squarely on her.
And honestly, if the Big Tail Rat hadn’t stirred the pot, none of this would have happened.
“I… I…”
The other three all fixed their gazes on Feilin, one of them carrying a hint of scrutiny, as if trying to pierce through her thin frame.
“Fine… I’ll explain…”
Feilin lowered her head, nervous and uneasy.
Then she laid out everything she knew to the group.
…
“So Marco isn’t dead, and the person I was supposed to ambush was Pastor Derek.”
Nolan rubbed his chin, thought for a few seconds, and said.
Then he let out a deep sigh and apologized to Derek.
“I’m sorry, Pastor Derek.”
“No harm done. Just—my sword is still on the roof of that hay warehouse.”
“I’ll have to find a chance to retrieve it.”
Derek waved his hand dismissively, indicating he didn’t mind the small matter.
Nolan turned to Feilin and looked at her.
“Then you were forced to become a vampire, attacked by a Soul Reaper, and lost an arm?”
“What a satisfying ending.”
The corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily, a hint of schadenfreude creeping in.
That lying fox deserved to be beaten!
“You tin can! You’re laughing at me!”
Feilin jumped to her feet, glaring at Nolan furiously.
Thump!
Then another lump stacked on top of the one on her head, still steaming.
“I’m sorry, big sis. I won’t talk back anymore…”
Feilin sat back down, speaking meekly.
“Not so tough now, huh?”
Vivian reached out and pinched the lump on her head.
“Not tough, not tough—I’m a good little fox…”
“You never learn.”
“So what do we do now?” Vivian finished scolding Feilin and turned to Nolan.
“I can’t think of a good plan right away.”
Nolan spread his hands and shook his head helplessly.
Derek added, “After this, Marco will probably go into deep hiding. Remember, he evaded the Church’s search parties for decades.”
“If he hadn’t shown himself this time, I’d have thought he died in some forgotten corner.”
“So we just wait? Wait until he attacks some poor soul before we act?” Vivian said, dissatisfied.
“For now, it seems that’s all we can do,” Nolan said.
“Then what if he attacks us next?” Vivian’s tone became heated.
Having power but no target to strike—letting someone hit you first before you can retaliate, losing the initiative.
That kind of passive defense suffocated her.
Grumble~
An untimely stomach growl broke the discussion.
“Ehehe~”
Feilin rubbed her head sheepishly and stuck out her tongue.
“Um… sorry, I’m a little hungry…”
“Go on without me.”
The three of them looked at her again, making her want to sink into the ground. She could only offer an awkward but polite smile.
“Then let’s grab a late-night snack first. We’ve been busy all night.”
“We deserve a treat.”
After careful thought, Vivian proposed the most satisfying plan.
“You’re right. Now is the best time for a snack. We can’t let it slip by.”
Nolan put on a straight face and agreed solemnly.
“Indeed. Compared to a late-night meal, Marco’s attack takes a lower priority.”
“Eating is always the most important thing.” Derek nodded and chimed in seriously.
“Wait, no, no, no!!” Feilin waved her hands in protest.
“The people of Ma’en City are living in misery—the Blood Mage’s threat hangs over everyone’s heads!”
“Instead of solving the problem, you’re thinking about a snack?”
“Are you all idiots?!” Feilin shouted at the three of them.
She couldn’t understand how their brains worked.
‘Oh god, is Ma’en City really counting on these gluttonous pigs to be saved?’
“You can’t catch a vicious criminal on an empty stomach!” Derek retorted righteously.
“Derek’s right. Snack first is most important,” Nolan said.
“Now, everyone spread out!” Vivian stood up and shouted.
“Go into the forest and find the tastiest, freshest ingredients. Meet back here in half an hour!”
“Yes, Miss Vivian!”
“Mission accomplished!”
Derek and Nolan accepted the orders and dashed into the forest, disappearing from sight.
Then Vivian followed, running into the forest to find fresh ingredients.
In the blink of an eye, only a dumbfounded Feilin remained at the camp. She felt like these people had lost their minds.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Feilin screamed at the empty campsite, startling a flock of sleeping birds from the trees.