Chapter 80: A Silent Death

The S-class Blood Hunter, the elder in white robes, knelt silently on one knee, his hand pressed against a deep wound in his chest that exposed bone, gasping for breath.

“Lowly human, you finally met your end,” Liliel said coldly, her eyes blazing with fury as she looked at the dying elder.

“Heh, who would’ve thought it would end in failure after all? Seems luck truly isn’t on our side,” the elder managed, coughing violently and spitting blood. “But I don’t regret a thing. If I had another chance, I would choose this path again. Humanity must break free from your clan’s shackles, or we have no future.” A faint, proud smile appeared on his lips. “At least I didn’t become a Blood Hunter who only made enemies. I managed to leave behind the last spark for Blood Hunters. With them, Blood Hunters will not vanish, and will keep resisting your kind.”

“With just them?” Liliel scoffed at his pride. “A handful of us could wipe them from existence. Resistance? How laughable.” Her contempt was undisguised.

“Perhaps humans are weak now compared to the blood clan, but one day, we’ll drive you all back to the demon realm. This world belongs to humanity.” The elder spoke with unwavering conviction.

“Enough, Your Highness Liliel,” Xuelan interjected. “There’s no need to waste words on a dying man. Let him dream his fantasies. What matters now is taking Her Highness Liliana back.” With that, Xuelan and Liliel both turned toward me, who stood silent nearby.

Fresh from battle, my body was covered in wounds and scorched marks from the sunlight lamps. Yet I paid no mind to my injuries, staring blankly at the silent, familiar houses before me. The roads, the feeling—so familiar, yet my mind held not a single memory. The contradiction drove me mad.

“Lilith, sister,” Liliel called softly, unable to resist reaching out to me in my daze. But I gave no response.

“Human, tell me—where is that boy called Xingyu? Where is he now?” Xuelan thrust her knight’s lance toward the elder’s throat, her voice icy.

“You mean the boy who got along well with the blood clan’s first princess?” The elder glanced at me in my stupor, a mocking smile on his lips. “You want to know? I refuse to tell you. Hahaha… cough, cough.” He laughed, but his laughter was cut short by another fit of coughing, blood spilling anew.

“You’re courting death. Do you still not understand your situation?” Furious at the elder’s defiance, Xuelan thrust her lance, piercing a bloody hole in his shoulder. Pain twisted his face.

“I’ll ask you again—where did that boy Xingyu go?” Xuelan’s voice was colder still.

“Heh, who can say? Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you.” The elder forced the words through clenched teeth, enduring the agony.

“He hasn’t returned?” Xuelan asked in surprise.

“No. I haven’t seen him since,” the elder replied, his voice wracked with pain.

“Blood Knight, why do you care about that human boy?” Duke Wind, standing to the side, asked in confusion.

“The boy named Xingyu should have been sent back to the human world by Ang, but the Blood Hunter Guild doesn’t know his whereabouts. Something’s off,” Xuelan explained.

“Hmph, so he’s missing. What does one missing human matter to us?” Duke Wind scoffed.

“Did you not see Her Highness Liliana’s reaction? Perhaps that human Xingyu could restore her memory. We cannot let even the smallest chance slip by,” Xuelan said resolutely.

“If that boy hasn’t returned to the Blood Hunter Guild, where else could he have gone?” Duke Wind asked helplessly.

“Who knows? Let’s hope nothing happened,” Xuelan murmured, shaking her head.

“Lilith, sister, dawn is approaching. Come with us,” Liliel pleaded earnestly, facing my vacant stare at the houses.

“I’ve told you—I don’t know you, and I have nothing to do with you,” I replied coldly, shaken from my reverie by Liliel’s voice.

“But it’s too dangerous to act alone. Though you made it through unscathed this time, who knows what will happen next? Please, Lilith, come with us,” Liliel begged once more.

“I need no one’s help. My world is enough with just myself.” I lifted my head with pride, casting a sidelong glance at Liliel. “Don’t trouble me again, or you’ll be my enemy.” With those words, I took one last look at the familiar yet strange houses, then vanished, teleporting away.

“Lilith, sister!” Liliel called out desperately, searching for me, but my presence was gone.

“Your Highness Liliel, Her Highness Liliana remembers no one and trusts no one. All we can do is protect her from the shadows. Dawn is near; we should leave. With her strength, few in the human world can harm her. After this lesson, she’ll be cautious. We needn’t worry too much,” Xuelan consoled her.

“Yes, I understand,” Liliel replied, her voice low and somber.

“What should we do with this human?” Duke Wind gestured carelessly at the frail elder.

“What should we do? This lowly human dared harm Lilith. How can we let him leave alive? But death won’t come so easily,” Liliel’s lips curled into a cruel smile as she pointed her knight’s sword at the elder.

“Enough, Your Highness Liliel. We have no time to waste on him. We must track Her Highness Liliana. Dawn is coming; let’s grant him a swift end. He’s a human worthy of respect, even if we stand on opposite sides,” Xuelan said.

“That’s too merciful,” Liliel muttered discontentedly, then swiftly drew her sword across the elder’s throat. An era ended: the S-class Blood Hunter, a peerless human, died in the cold night. At the moment of death, relief creased his lips.

“Let’s go.” Xuelan cast a final glance at the gradually chilling corpse, then pursued the direction where she sensed my presence. Liliel glanced at the body, scoffed, and followed after Xuelan.

“Even such a formidable man could only meet a tragic end. Was it worth it? Can humans and blood clan truly never coexist?” Duke Wind sighed, shaking his head in resignation, then followed after Xuelan and Liliel.

When all had departed, a figure emerged from the darkness, approaching the elder’s body.

“To think a S-class Blood Hunter would die like this—how amusing.” The figure laughed scornfully, then looked toward the direction Xuelan and Liliel had gone. “So Liliana has lost her memory? That’s good news. It might be my chance. Liliana, you belong to me.” Madness flashed in his eyes.

“The Blood Hunters must have sensed the battle here is over and will soon arrive. I must leave; it’s not time to confront them yet.” Casting a final disdainful look at the elder’s corpse, the figure vanished into the darkness.

Had I not lost my memory and been present, or had Xingyu been here, we would have recognized the figure as our former classmate, Baiye—the one who took Xingyu away, now appearing suddenly. What is Baiye planning? What does he intend to do? No one yet knows.