Chapter Thirty-Five: The Rampage of the Vampires

The tranquil lives of the people in this small city were once again shattered, as the specter of vampires returned to their sight. No longer content to lurk in the shadows of night, the vampires now brazenly appeared in broad daylight, attacking humans with impunity. These monsters, known as vampires, sowed terror and dread among the populace.

"Miss, the vampires have begun appearing during the day," Ang reported to me as I awoke from my slumber when night fell.

"How is that possible? Vampires shouldn’t be able to withstand sunlight and show themselves during the day," I replied, unable to believe it.

"Do you remember the vampire who attacked you last time, leaving you gravely wounded?" Ang asked.

His words brought back the memory of that unusual assault. Though it was only during sunset, the three vampires had openly appeared under sunlight, seemingly unaffected by its rays. How could this be?

"The vampires killed last time—their bodies did not disintegrate into dust after death. I fear they are not true vampires, but humans who have acquired vampiric traits and powers through some method. They may not possess the full strength of real vampires, but they can walk beneath the sun," Ang explained.

Mass-produced vampires? I fell into deep contemplation. Who could have done this? The vampires themselves? Impossible. Despite being a degenerate lot, they would never stoop to consort with their prey—humans. That meant, could it have been humans? What a ridiculous notion. Humans creating monsters that feed on their own blood? How could such a thing be possible? My own conjecture left me stunned.

"Miss, what should we do now? The number of vampires appearing lately has grown rapidly. The blood clan, able to move only by night, cannot eliminate them all. The werewolves are too few to match so many vampires. Though these are inferior creations, their numbers make them difficult to handle," Ang told me.

"What about the Blood Hunters? What actions have they taken against these suddenly appearing vampires?" I asked Ang.

"The Blood Hunters have mobilized fully to hunt the vampires. But their skills are far too weak to contend with so many. Though these creatures are slightly weaker than true vampires, their immunity to sunlight makes them even more troublesome," Ang answered.

"Forget about the other humans. Just make sure someone protects Xing Yu and Le Xiaoyou," I told Ang. The fate of the others mattered nothing to me; as long as Xing Yu and Le Xiaoyou remained safe, that was enough. "And add that Mo Chen fellow to the list," I said, including him for protection. Though he was insignificant, he could barely be considered my friend.

"Yes, Miss, I understand," Ang replied. "Miss, I will remain by your side to protect you. Given the unpredictability of events, I cannot guarantee the vampires won’t attack you during the day. So, I’ll entrust the protection of Miss Xiaoyou and the two humans to Wolman and his team. I ask for your understanding."

"Don’t worry about me. They're merely a bunch of worthless scum, not even worthy of being called vampires. They pose no threat to me," I replied dismissively.

"Forgive me, Miss, but I cannot yield on this. Your safety comes first. During the day, you cannot exert your full power. If vampires attack, it would be troublesome. I will never let what happened last time occur again," Ang said in an unyielding tone.

"Very well, do as you say," I answered him. Faced with Ang's rare assertiveness, I had no choice but to acquiesce.

"Yes, Miss," Ang replied respectfully.

"Let’s go, Ang. Leave the daytime to them, but at night, I will protect Xing Yu myself," I declared firmly. Then, surrounded by a swarm of blood-red bats, I flew toward Xing Yu’s home.

"Yes, Miss," Ang replied, transforming into a shadow to follow me closely.

I stood quietly atop the building opposite Xing Yu’s room, gazing at the cold, silvery moon in the night sky.

"Well, Princess Liliana, we meet again," a lazy, cheerful voice called out from nearby.

"You’re in good spirits. Instead of hunting vampires in these circumstances, you’re here to admire the moon? Are the Blood Hunters so idle now?" I mocked the optimist.

"Heh, the Blood Hunter Guild is running ragged. So many vampires appearing at once—it’s a real headache. But for now, I can’t act. The mastermind behind the scenes hasn’t shown up, so all I can do is watch and wait," the optimist laughed at himself.

"How is Xiaoyou? She’s a Blood Hunter too, right? She must be out hunting vampires. She hasn’t been injured, I hope?" I inquired.

"Don’t worry. She’s my precious daughter, after all. I wouldn’t let her get hurt again. That ordeal—once was enough," he replied, his tone icy.

"Good. It seems you’re a competent father," I said, turning away from him to continue gazing at the bright moon.

"Princess Liliana, what do you think of the current situation?" After a long silence, he asked.

"What do I think? Clearly, someone is manipulating things behind the scenes. I don’t know their purpose, but it won’t end so simply," I replied calmly.

"Indeed, the mass appearance of vampires is no simple matter. Princess Liliana, are you interested in joining forces with the Blood Hunters?" he asked with a smile.

"Join forces? Not interested. The death of ordinary people is of no concern to me. Because you’re Xiaoyou’s father, I won’t fight you, but I certainly don’t like your Blood Hunters. Though the blood clan doesn’t take you seriously, I must admit that Blood Hunters and the blood clan are natural enemies. Have you ever seen a lion join forces with hounds for the sake of a rabbit?" I laughed contemptuously.

"Heh, true enough. Blood Hunters are weak compared to the blood clan, but we live under the sun. Some things are better left to us, don’t you think? For instance, protecting Xing Yu during the day. The Blood Hunters are surely more capable than those werewolves," he replied.

"Hmph, even if I joined forces with you, you’d still protect Xing Yu. After all, he’s Xiaoyou’s boyfriend. As a good father, you wouldn’t want your daughter to be heartbroken," I said coolly.

"Heh, you see right through me," he chuckled awkwardly.

"I’ll have the local blood clan support your people at night. I won’t stand by and let them die. This is for Xiaoyou’s sake. So, thank your daughter. If there’s nothing else, leave me be. Don’t disturb my moon gazing," I told him.

"Alright, I understand. I’ll leave you to it, Princess Liliana. But be careful—I sense this matter is far more complex. Behind the vampire rampage, I feel something is hidden," he advised as he departed.

"Hmph, a conspiracy? And someone behind the vampires. It seems this time, I’m entangled in something truly troublesome. Xing Yu, I won’t let anyone harm you," I thought quietly, gazing toward Xing Yu’s room.