In the endless night, the entire space sank into silence. Only the chirps of insects and the hoots of owls drifted through the air. These sounds made the dark, deep forest feel slightly less eerie.
But just then—
Boom!
A tremendous explosion shattered the quiet. A black shadow plummeted from the sky and crashed onto the ground. It rolled violently for several turns before finally stopping.
As the smoke cleared, Xueluo’s dirt-streaked face emerged under the moonlight.
*You really should get more familiar with your new body.*
“I don’t need you to tell me that…” Xueluo muttered under his breath, annoyed. He roughly brushed at his tattered clothes—now barely more than rags. Pushing himself up, he glanced down at his torn outfit. Guya’s voice echoed again in his mind.
*Seriously, look at you. Where can we even buy new clothes?*
“Well, being half-naked is a problem too,” Xueluo murmured. He tugged at the ragged cloth clinging to his thigh, revealing pale skin and a hint of chest. Honestly, his grimy face paired with these scraps made him look like a tragic girl who’d just escaped some violent thug. It’d probably work great for begging money or help.
Noticing this, Xueluo thought for a moment. He placed a hand on his chest and squeezed lightly. Then, with an oddly provocative flick of the cloth on his thigh, he muttered to himself, “Though there’s not much to see anyway.”
*I won’t react if you keep provoking me… Honestly, aren’t you tired of this yet?* Guya’s exasperated voice filled his head. Xueluo just shrugged and dropped his hand.
“Anyway… is there a way to break this… contract between us?” It’d cause trouble later. In every sense. He’d improvised to send that blond flirt packing, but he really didn’t want to hand over that key to awaken Cain.
*Well, first—I don’t know how to break it. It was a makeshift thing. Historically, no Blood Kin ever traded their life force for a thrall like this.* Guya paused briefly after replying. *About the key… I don’t want it either. But you need it to pay your sister’s tuition, right?*
“Huh? How’d you know that?”
*I saw your memories when the contract formed… Call it shared history. We’re both relics, after all.*
“The last Blood Hunter and a surviving Vampire?”
“That’s your take. I’m not that desperate. And give me some privacy, will you? I’m a teenage boy! I want to enjoy my showers without you watching.”
*Say that again, and I’ll watch you nonstop.* Guya sighed heavily. *Besides, our weird state is rare. Normally, Vampires can’t gain magic—but by drinking Mage blood, I’ve found we can now harness it.*
“Oh? That’s actually good news,” Xueluo said flatly. He pushed aside branches ahead and kept walking.
*You don’t sound interested.*
“Magic won’t help me. I can’t afford school anyway.” Money reminded him—he needed to visit the Graves family first. He hadn’t brought back the target’s head, but he’d overheard the Hymn Guild heading to their mansion. The countryside villa should be nearby.
*About that head… you could try cutting off your own.*
“Heh heh.” Xueluo brushed off Guya’s remark, shoved more branches aside, and pressed forward. Almost there.
The moment he parted the final branches, a wave of heat slammed into him. Peering ahead, he saw a massive mansion engulfed in flames. Fire devoured the garden and everything nearby. Servants sprinted out, only to collapse and burn on the ground. Beside the burning villa, a group of Hymn Guild members in white robes prepared to step through a shimmering, silver-white magic circle.
