The strong wind howled as Zeres walked quietly around the town, his long white hair fluttered on his back. He glanced around the empty night, it was quiet, save for the loud voices coming from drunkards.

"When can I return? " Zeres mumbled, his gaze focused on the blue moon above the night sky, he just wanted to survive till they reached the conclusion of the story, but Fate seems to have a different plan—because the original Zeres hadn’t died, it was just staying quiet.

"Of all things I get transmigrated into a body where the original one isn’t even dead, just how is this possible? " he shook his head, just the thought of him sharing body with other soul was really unsettling.

Just then, his ears heard something— a heartbeat, he glanced at the place where his sense was triggered, two figure clad in black clothing ran swiftly, their faces with a mask fabric.

"Assassins? " he murmured, the assassin’s stealth was hard to pinpoint, if not for him being able to gear heartbeats and knowing the scent of blood clearly—even he wouldn’t have sensed it. His gaze followed the running figures quietly, just then—he realized something; the direction the assasins were going... It was where his classmates were at.

"I don’t have a good feeling about this" he said seriously, black feathers surrounded him for a moment, before his figure vanished—replaced by a Raven with blood-rubies eyes.

What’s going on? This wasn’t mentioned in the story at all, even the class A going on an expedition to clear a Blightlands wasn’t written—he remembered all the arcs clearly, and he was sure.. The first semester—was supposed to be just the daily life of a student.

He flapped his wings, then he flew, quietly trailing the suspicious duo.

______________

The two assassins continued to run, passing humans who weren’t even aware they’re there.

"Where should we hide after this operation? " Bern said, his grip on his twin daggers tight.

"Don’t worry too much, he’ won’t abandon us, after all, he’ called us his people" Yvern replied, they were twin, twins who had grown up from the harsh place of the underground arena—they climbed their way to freedom with their own life at stake—and here they are now, serving a person with high standing. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"I hope so"

"You worry too much Bern, when have I lied to you?" Yvern smiled softly, his hands resting on his younger brother’s broad shoulders.

"We just have to kill the second prince and all our hard work will be paid, he’ even promised as a position inside the Elite’s Faction. "

After some moments, they finally stopped at the roof of one lodgings, it was where the students of class A slept at. "We’re here" Yvern whispered as he crouched down, the crossbow in his hands gleamed under the watch of the blue moon.

"According to the intel we have, the second prince is currently occupying the room beside the terrace with a knight student" Been said, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

"Be careful, though they’re still young ones, they’re rumored to be ranked Arcanist" Yvern mumbled, though he also felt envious of those children’s talent. The normal pace for a gifted was to spend one year or more at the rank of Initiate, before ascending to the Seeker after some more time, then occultist and Arcanist—but there are fbosey who surpassed those standard, they were mostly nobles—people born with the right resources and a bloodline beaming with talent.

He shook his head, this wasn’t the time to praise the talents of those kids, they have to kill the second prince first. "Bern, are you ready—" his voice cracked at the end as he was immediately sent hurling at a dark place devoid of citizens.

"Bern! Where are you?! " he clenched his teeth, his arms had been destroyed when he tried to block the sudden attack aimed at his chest. There was someone who noticed them, someone strong enough for him to have an injured arm just from one exchange.

Just then, his head snapped at the place where the sound of steel clashing echoed on the quiet night. He ran straight towards it, there—he saw Bern, his brother with severed one arm, his body was filled with clawmarks as blood continuously dripped down the ground.

Yvern’s head then snapped at the direk his brother was glaring at, a man with long white hair stood there mindlessly, his blood-red eyes stared crazily at the moon, his expression was of pure delight, on his arms were a severed arm, his claws dripping with blood clearly not from him.

"Bern! What happened? " Yvern sprang on his feet as he arrived beside his brother. "Your right arm’s severed, just what happened here? " his vision darkened as he stared at his wounded brother.

"I’m already grateful I’m still breathing the time you arrived, but the one before us seems to have lost it" Bern sneered, his gaze still stuck on the man before them.

"Do not look away, he’s a vampire—the moment we lost him, it’s over" Yvern said quietly, already gripping his shortsword tightly, then he lunged straight at the madman before them.

The man’s crazed eyes directly stared at him, then it spoke, it’s voice filled with madness "You also want to give me a present? " it then threw his brother’s severed arm straight at him.

"You bastard monster! " Yvern yelled, but he couldn’t bring himself to slice his own brother’s severed arm so he just evaded it—and that was a fatal mistake.

"How touching" he heard the madman’s voice on the back of his ear, his head immediately snapped behind him, only to feel a searing pain on his side, his kidney was pulled out by the fucking vampire!

"You’re quite healthy" he heard the man’s voice, when he turned around, it was eating his own kidney!

Yvern’s body turned cold, only now did he fully realize that the one he’s facing wasn’t a human like him—but a far superior race. "Brother, let’s run!" His vision blurred for a moment, and when it came back—he saw Bern, his brother despite injured carried him then ran out of the town.

’I’ve marked your face you wretched vampire, don’t die until then. I will be the one to kill you! ’ Yvern clenched his fist so hard they bled, he had thought their life was now smooth-sailining; but now, they even had to hide from the nobles of the Elite Faction—or else they’ll be killed for failing a mission.

__________

Zeres stared quietly at the severed arm in the floor, his eyes still gleamed with bloodlust. His whole body went still as he traced the shape of his lips—he was smiling.

"Did my bloodthirst took over again? "

A red screen hovered before him.

[Assimilation : 2%]

"It happened again" he sighed, he let his whole body be controlled by his own bloodthirst. "Maybe this will be my downfall someday" sighing, he stared one last time at the severed arm, before he walked away.

At first he was glad, he was glad that his body quickly rose up to ranks, but it seems the more he got stronger—the more the original Zeres will awaken, he felt bitter, it was awful. The feeling of taking someone’s body wasn’t good to begin with, but the body he had transmigrated into wasn’t even dead.

______________

The scent of dried leaves and roasted meat drifted around the town as Saelyz walked quietly alongside Haslien.

They strode off leisurely, enjoying the cold wind. When they suddenly saw a group of people murmuring with hushed voices.

"Hey, did you see? "

"What? "

"They say a Forsaken appeared this night"

"I thought it was a vampire? "

"What of it? "

"A severed arm was spotted by a knight Squire while patrolling this morning" a woman fixing his apron explained.

"If it’s a vampire, the church should take a move"

Saelyz glanced at Haslien for a moment, neither speaking before they nodded to each other—then they went on the place the citizens have described.

Haslien’s face scrunched immediately as they arrived, the scent of iron assaulted her nostrils.

"This, isn’t this dark magic? " Haslien echoed, her hand still covering her nose as she crouched down.

"Must be a vampire, Forsaken will devour all flesh if the one that was here last night was a Forsaken, then there will be no flesh remaining here" Saelyz said calmly, her hand outstretched at the empty air.

"Hmm, well you’re right, it can’t be Zeres right? " Haslien laughed softly, standing up, she glanced at the trees covering the area. "So the church’s reputation outside is also not that good"

Saelyz didn’t answer, she had her eyes closed, tracing the mana—it was strangely familiar, something within her was telling her it was from a familiar person.

’Strange, I don’t know any vampires aside from Zeres’ then she froze, what if—the rumors about him slaughtering his fellow participants on the trial turned out to be true?

"This matter will be handled by the Royal Knights or some mercenaries anyway, it’s not our problem" she said, beckoning Haslien to leave the place together.