On the road, Hill faced unimaginable obstacles, as the number of sheriffs had increased.
In the past, there was always a short stretch between each sheriff’s jurisdiction that went unguarded, and Hill had relied on that window to cross most of the small town.
But now, that once overlooked loophole seemed to have been discovered and guarded against. With the extra manpower, Hill felt that if she was even a little careless, she could be caught on the spot!
Those silver-tipped bullets had no eyes!
After much difficulty, Hill finally reached the source of the scent of alcohol. Sure enough, there was a staggering drunk slumped against the wall of a narrow alley, snoring loudly.
She had originally wanted to finish things quickly—sink her nails into his flesh, take a few mouthfuls of blood, and then leave at once. But, someone of her “kind” had arrived before her.
A chilling, rasping roar echoed out, and the air suddenly filled with a few damp, putrid threads of stench, as if some foul creature had crawled out of the sewers.
A ghoul!
This wasn’t Hill’s first time encountering another being favored by the night. In her eyes, the darkness was as bright as day. That figure, part zombie, part ravenous beast, appeared at the other end of the alley.
She couldn’t help but pinch her nose; this smell was truly… overpowering.
She wasn’t sure how strong this ghoul was, but ordinary ghouls possessed strength that even vampires found hard to match, though they weren’t as agile. More frightening was the corpse poison carried by every ghoul.
If an ordinary person got bitten, they would be infected immediately. Unlike the gentle toxins of vampires, which merely numb nerves and speed up blood coagulation, a ghoul’s corpse poison caused its victims to develop an abnormal and ravenous hunger, especially for fresh blood and flesh.
It was a kind of ritual—once infected individuals consumed too much fresh flesh, they would gradually transform into ghouls themselves. This process had to be stopped before the transformation was complete, and the infected needed to be taken to the Holy Light Church for purification by a priest.
Of course, some mages had developed potions to resist this toxin, but compared to the almost charitable acts of the Holy Light Church, those potions were far too expensive for ordinary people to afford.
Hill didn’t dare make a move. All she could do was watch helplessly as the unfortunate drunk was about to be devoured by the approaching ghoul.
These creatures could crush and swallow a person’s very bones—though Hill herself had never taken a life, she felt a pang of sympathy. But if she tried to intervene, she’d only be feeding herself to the monster—and she might even draw the attention of the nearby sheriffs.
“Sigh!” Hill glanced around to see if there was anything she could throw down, preferably to wake that loudly snoring drunk.
If he woke up in time, he might have a chance to run out of the alley and call for a sheriff.
But at that moment, a dazzling light flashed. Hill’s heart leapt into her throat; she immediately rolled for cover, searching for a place to hide, but her sharp hearing caught every sound that followed.
The special boots worn by sheriffs thudded against the ground—far too distinct to mistake. As expected, the next moment, she could already hear the voices of several sheriffs.
“The lamp detected something—it’s a monster!”
“What a foul stench… What a nightmare. Why is it a ghoul?”
“Forget it. There’s someone here too. Let’s deal with the ghoul first—don’t let that beast infect any innocent townsfolk.”
“Some people just ignore the ban—drunk and passed out in the street in the middle of the night. If a ghoul eats him, serves him right! Most of the ghouls hiding in the town used to be scum like this!”
After a bout of commotion, Hill still didn’t dare to peek out, but her keen ears burned every sound into her memory. The pistols in the sheriffs’ hands were no joke—both the barrels and bullets were blessed with holy water, and for vampires, they even had special silver bullets.
Ordinary monsters without any rank would die after taking just a few shots—maybe lasting two or three more bullets than a regular person.
Sharp gunshots pierced the tranquil night of the small town, but no household dared open their windows to see what was happening. Only some nearby residents caught a glimpse of the sheriffs’ lanterns flashing past their windows. Everyone knew—they were hunting monsters. After all, something big had happened just yesterday, though only a few people knew the details.
Once the gunfire faded, the previously wild and savage ghoul collapsed to the ground, a pool of black-green, viscous blood seeping out beneath it. As soon as it touched the air, smoke began to rise, and it quickly started to dry out.
The sheriffs who had fired strode forward, holstered their pistols, then pulled a water jug from their belts and splashed the ghoul’s body. The jug held a diluted holy water, which could prevent the ghoul’s blood from spreading its virus.
“Jack, put on your gloves, hurry up and drag this disgusting thing to that place, then burn it.” The older sheriff ordered the young man beside him.
The young sheriff, Jack, pulled a sour face. Still, to keep his job, he obediently put on his gloves, then slowly dragged the ghoul’s corpse away.
The remaining sheriffs leaned against the alley wall, chatting casually:
“Why all these extra patrols out of nowhere? Is it really necessary?”
“The Viscount’s own daughter was nearly assaulted by some damn drunk here. According to the priest, there was a vampire scent left at the scene—maybe that young lady has already been bitten! If that happened to your daughter, wouldn’t you be furious?”
“Don’t mention my daughter—she’s only three…”
“All right, let’s drag this guy out.” The older sheriff looked at the drunk sprawled on the ground, kicked his thigh with a disgusted face, and spat, “Worthless scum.”
On the rooftop, Hill caught every word of their conversation. She had guessed the girl might have a remarkable background, but she hadn’t expected it to be so high.
The “Viscount” they spoke of was likely Viscount Ryan, lord of Norcan Town and two other towns, with estates and farmland covering over a hundred kilometers—a renowned and powerful noble in the entire kingdom!
In Hill’s memory, even before the Hamill family declined, they’d never been qualified for an invitation to a viscount’s banquet. If the old Hill had attended one of those banquets, she might have recognized that strange girl last night.
But still, how could a girl of such noble birth end up sleeping in an unremarkable alley in the middle of the night?
And then she asked Hill to take her away, volunteering to be her blood bag…
Could it be that noble young ladies, repressed for too long, all start to have such wild fantasies?
Hill shuddered at the thought. Anything but that, please!
She was just an inconspicuous little vampire—if not for hunger, she wouldn’t risk coming out to hunt at all. If possible, she’d rather be a normal person, honestly gaining experience through meditation and becoming a transcendent.
Hill waited on the rooftop for a long time, only daring to come down once the sheriffs’ sounds had faded far away. The lucky drunk who’d escaped the ghoul’s jaws was still unconscious. The two sheriffs from before hadn’t bothered with people who didn’t care for their own lives—after dragging him to a more visible spot on the main street, they’d left.
This, however, gave Hill an opportunity. Like a shadow, she darted down from the rooftop and landed silently behind the drunk. Still snoring loudly, the man had no idea what was coming. Hill grinned, extended a finger, and stabbed her sharp nail into the back of his neck.
A minute later, Hill finished her meal. She patted her slightly rounded belly—the taste wasn’t great, but it was filling.
“My next meal should be two days from now… Ugh, this body can’t take in much at once, otherwise it can’t digest it.” Hill sighed. If she could go a whole week without hunting after one meal, her safety would be much improved.
After all, with the viscount’s daughter having such a serious incident in town, whether they liked it or not, the sheriffs had to follow orders and tighten patrols. Her risk of being discovered had risen dramatically.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.