No Hero Volume 1: Vampire Butler
Original novel in Chinese by: 御 我 (Yu Wo)
Diary of a Butler Chapter 8: The Music that has Changed Tempo – translated by Doza
Dear Father,
Thank you for blessing me from the heavens, allowing me to have finally found a good employer. I wholeheartedly wish for these days when we can get along so pleasantly to be able to continue.
After many days of playing truant from school, the young master returned to the days when he slept and woke up early every day, attended cla.s.ses in school during the day, and did his homework earnestly upon returning at night.
Occasionally, the young master would still go out to eat midnight snacks. He would usually look for Ezart to accompany him, while I would usually drink blood by the side and occasionally utter a refusal to Ezart’s request for a fight.
Every morning, after sending the young master off at the door, I would carry a parasol as I delivered tea to the roof. Whenever I brought it up, Bramble would not say anything, not even to complain that the young master had disappeared yet again or such. However, whenever I collected the tea tray after waking up in the afternoon, the teapot would always be empty.
These pleasant and routine days continued for two weeks. Just when I thought that such a normal and routine lifestyle could at least last until the young master’s graduation, a very complicated matter arose.
One afternoon, after I had tidied up the tea tray, exchanged a few words with Dell, and greeted Bramble, I was just about to walk down from the roof when the door opened one beat ahead of me. There was a lady wearing a black hat behind the door. The wide hat brim shrouded her entirely under its shade, but it could not cover up the amorous rays radiating from her. Instead, the smooth curves of the black hat brim accentuated the enchantment of the shape of her face and her white skin, making one lose oneself in those blood-red lips on her face. She gave off the feeling that even if those pair of lips were to suck one’s blood dry, one would not have any regrets… Indeed.
An exceptional beauty filled with demonic charm like this was indeed the standard characteristic trait of a vampire. Since she appeared during the day, it was evident that her generation count was not distant. And in the world of vampires, one’s generation count was nearly equivalent to one’s strength.
At this moment, I also witnessed the excellent training of the bodyguards. Even though they were up against an exceptional beauty, their reaction was to immediately raise up their weapons. They made such a uniformed noise that it seemed as if there had only been one sound.
Facing the weapons of numerous bodyguards, the vampire beauty did not have a shred of concern. She slowly and deliberately pulled out a card from… from her bosom, and waved the card flirtatiously.
“Hold it,” Bramble shouted at everyone the instant he saw that card.
Then, he took out a cell phone and after momentarily operating it, the phone made a “beep beep” sound. He looked at the phone screen, and then nodded, saying, “Without a doubt, you are a person operating under our superiors. However, you are not in charge of this case. Whatever you wish to do, go and find my superiors to talk about it!”
“I have no intention of interfering with this case.” The fellow member of my race returned the card to her bosom languidly, and replied very seductively, “I only want to speak with him.”
The “him” from her mouth did not need any special indication. Everyone knew it was referring to me.
Upon hearing this, some of the tension in all the bodyguards dissipated. Some even laughed mockingly, and Bramble also gave me a disapproving look.
“I do not know her,” I promptly clarified… But right after that I received countless looks of disbelief, making me feel rather dejected. Are my words so unconvincing?
“However, I do know you, mister famous vampire butler.” She said, in a voice as sweet as honey, “I am Melody1, an eighth generation vampire.”
“Nice to meet you, I am Charles Endelis.” I simply replied with my name, not wishing to state my own “generation count.”
Regarding the bodyguards who understood that the roof was a dark realm, they would probably also know about the strength that “a fifth generation vampire” signified. I was currently getting along very pleasantly with them and did not want them to be cautious towards me because they knew of my generation count.
Melody opened her pair of red lips, and said with a smile, “Handsome, could I have a word with you?”
I fell silent. No matter what the fellow member of my race wanted to do, I had to resolve this matter. Otherwise, if the young master became her next target, it would be terrible. I nodded and replied, “Alright.”
I took a step towards the fellow member of my race.
“Butler! If you can’t handle this great beauty, remember to yell for help! I guarantee that I’ll be the first to rush over to help you!” Dell yelled, and his words promptly led to a burst of sinister laughter.
Immediately, someone by the side laughed as he made cutting remarks, “They’re vampires on a date! Are you rushing over to be refreshments at the dinner table?”
I turned back to glance at him and Dell blinked at me. His words were normally rude and very sarcastic, but after several days of interacting with him, I came to realize that even if he did not spare others with his mouth, he was definitely a good person. These words were probably hinting to me that if I really met with trouble that I was unable to resolve, I could also ask them for help.
I nodded, grateful for his goodwill. However, in a fight between vampires, one was not allowed to have other races interfere, especially humans. This was a consensus among every vampire.
When I walked up to Melody, her languid voice rang out again, “Don’t go to the lower floors. Let’s go to another rooftop instead. In any case, you don’t mind the sunlight either right? If we went into the apartment to talk and broke the young master’s things, the two of us wouldn’t have a happy ending.”
“Alright.” I immediately agreed, but in my heart, I also understood that a fight was probably unavoidable.
Although Melody was wearing a pair of scarlet high heels, when she set out at a fast pace she still retained her elegance. She immediately jumped off the rooftop, and I started after her and leaped onto the neighboring large building.
But it was only one jump. After leaping onto the neighboring building, she stopped. This puzzled me. She should be able to tell that the relationship between those bodyguards and me was considerably good. If we were going to battle, we should have left their line of sight.
She turned around and then impolitely studied me for a while with her pretty eyes. She said, “I’ve heard you are a fifth-generation vampire, Charles Endelis.”
“I am.”
I nodded. It was not unexpected that she knew of my generation count. Just like what Mr. Kyle had said, I was very well-known within the vampire community. I was well-known not for my generation count, but because I wanted to be a butler. Vampires have always been good at being waited upon by people, but not serving others.
Thus, I held some admiration for her. Although she clearly knew that her own generation count was three generations apart from mine, she still dared to challenge me to a fight.
Melody frowned as she said, “You really don’t seem like a vampire.”
“Is that so?” I smiled faintly as I said with disbelief, “How am I not like one? I am a pureborn vampire.”
“Don’t tell me I’ve been the only one who has said this?” Melody said with certainty, “I don’t believe it. There have definitely been many vampires who said this the moment they saw you.”
This was actually true, and it has always troubled me. It was only because of my father’s wishes that I had never looked for an artist to sketch out my appearance… I suddenly remembered the painting that the young master had given to me. Could the appearance in that painting really be the feeling I give to others? Gentleness?
A gentle vampire. I could not help but smile wryly. It was no wonder I was so well-known among vampires. Perhaps it was not solely due to my ident.i.ty as a butler.
However, no matter what I actually looked like, in any case, I had already lived a hundred and fifty years in this manner. I should settle the current situation first. I sighed lightly, and then asked, “May I ask why you wished to see me? In my recollection, it does not seem like we are acquainted with each other.”
Melody softly hummed as she walked into the shadow under the water tower. She removed her giant hat, and a head of curly hair cascaded down. She shook her head, her curly hair gently draping around her shoulders. In a relaxed posture, she leaned against the supports of the water tower with both hands crossed in front of her chest. She said with a slight arrogance, “Hmph! You don’t know me, but I know a lot about you. You stole my job!”
I froze, and then blurted out, “You are the vampire that Mr. Kyle mentioned before… The previous vampire that was sent to serve the young master?”
“So you know about that.”
The young master’s family was actually able to hire an eighth-generation vampire… The amount of vampires belonging to the first ten generations was really spa.r.s.e. They were always well-known figures in the world of darkness and few would agree to appear before large ma.s.ses of people, let alone be hired by a human.
It was not surprising that Melody would be in such rage. It was already very difficult to get an eighth generation vampire to agree to be the young master’s bodyguard, and what’s more, to actually get rejected, it could be considered immensely shameful and humiliating.
I said with sincerity, “The young master is still young. He probably selects people randomly, nothing to do with one’s true capabilities. You do not have to be so offended like this. If you really like the young master and want to work by his side, I can…”
However, Melody interrupted me and retorted, “Who would like that little brat? I merely initially thought that I had already coaxed him into submission. Who could imagine that I would suddenly be replaced. Whatever I was feeling, it was just reluctance, that’s all.”
Feeling even more puzzled, I asked, “Since you do not like the young master, is it not better that you were replaced?”
“Hmph!” Melody’s face fell, and then she said coldly, “What good is there? If I’m not the young master’s subordinate, then I can’t get close to him.”
“Him? The young master?”
“Who’s talking with you about the young master!” Melody rolled her eyes at me.
I forced a smile. Were we not discussing the young master all along?
“He is…” Melody paused, looking hesitant as she thought for a moment, then continued, “I-Is the young master’s brother.”
“You want to get closer to the master?” I was startled. I did not think that this situation would be related to the master.
“Master?”
Melody looked amused as she said, “So that is how you address him? That’s actually quite fitting. He is indeed a lofty master high above the ma.s.ses, and treats everyone as worthless dirt. The young master is the only exception. Only by being at the young master’s side, will the master spare a glance towards you…”
The moment she mentioned the master, Melody’s gorgeous face practically glowed with radiance. It looked like she truly revered the master.
However, I tried to remind her, “If your eyes are always fixed upon the master, then how can you serve the young master well?”
Hearing this, she was speechless for a while. She looked as if she comprehended what I’d said, but she still shouted obstinately, “What would you know? You’ve never seen the master before! You wouldn’t know that compared to the master, the young master is at most an obedient child. Anyone would treat the master as their idol!”
I fell silent for a moment, and then murmured softly, “If that is the case, then I can understand why the young master had to leave his home. No matter how much he loves his brother, he cannot live his entire life in his brother’s shadow.”
Melody sniffed coldly, and then gave me a warning, “But he is already destined to live in his brother’s shadow. Regardless of where he escapes to, the outcome will not change!”
I smiled as I shook my head, saying, “People will eventually become independent. The young master is not an exception, and he is already more than twenty years old… ”
“Shut up!”
Melody suddenly yelled. Her entire body had changed from her initially relaxed and leaning posture to being highly tensed, like a provoked cat. She completely lost her prior indolent att.i.tude, which made me immediately fall silent and look at her with astonishment.
“You must never speak anything that will encourage the young master to become independent, especially in the young master’s house. If not, then pray that the master will mercifully give you a quick and painful death!”
At this moment, the color of the sky gradually darkened. Melody walked out from under the shade and stood in the light of the setting sun. She looked like a prophet who was glowing and was now proclaiming an unchangeable prophecy.
“Charles Endelis, do not think that a fifth generation vampire can change anything. This world is huge, deep, and wide. It isn’t something that a vampire like you, born in a vampire household, can understand! Right now, the young master is shielding you, but even if the young master is here, the master still has many ways of eliminating you. When that time comes, perhaps the young master would shed a couple of tears for you, but he would never fall out with the master for this reason.”
I looked at Melody. A ridiculous notion suddenly welled up in my heart, but I felt that it was highly possible.
“Was it the master who had you come and give me this warning?”
Melody’s body shook, and then glaring at me fiercely, she said in an icy tone, “Do you think the master is acquainted with me?”
Even an eighth generation vampire is unable to come into contact with the master? I was a little apprehensive. Just what sort of ident.i.ty does he have…
Rat-tat!
Following two faint sounds, two sparks flashed beside my leg. Stunned, I looked down towards my feet. There were two tiny cavities in the ground, with two wisps of smoke emitting from them.
I was a little doubtful. This is…
“What are you daydreaming for!”
Melody shouted, and then charged over with the inhuman speed of a vampire. After shoving me away, she grabbed beside her with her hand and two wisps of smoke rose between her fingers. She opened up her hand. Two bullets fell out and dropped onto the floor, making a tinkling sound.
They really are gunshots!
At that moment, gunshots erupted. They were no longer the previously modest double shots, but a chain of uninterrupted gunfire. Melody and I dodged at the same time using our non-human speed, which made our silhouettes turn into flashes of shadows, thereby evading the rain of bullets.
“Why are they attacking us… Why would Bramble and the others want to attack us?”
While dodging, I also clearly saw the source of the bullets. It was from the rooftop of the neighboring building, which was also where Bramble and the others were. I even felt that I could glimpse Bramble’s gaze.
However, Melody did not have enough time to answer before Bramble and the others started firing again. This attack was more ferocious than the previous one. It was not merely bullets; they were also using energy weapons. This made the two of us even more serious in avoiding them. Perhaps the bullets would only hurt us for a moment, but the energy light rays could cut our skin apart.
Although the amount of blood loss from the energy light rays would not be much, even if the blood loss was minute, it was something that every vampire would absolutely go to great lengths to avoid. That was because blood was the source of our strength.
In the midst of this hail of bullets, Melody and I simultaneously dodged behind some cover, which was also the rear of the doorway to the staircase leading down. The moment I dashed inside, she grabbed my collar and yelled urgently, “Are you carrying any items that the master gave you?”
I pondered for a moment, and then took out the cell phone from my possessions and asked, “This is the cell phone that the young master pa.s.sed on to me. But I heard that it was from Mr. Kyle, not the master…”
“Kyle is the master’s right hand man. The things he gives are equivalent to the master giving it. Do you think that with the master’s personality, there wouldn’t be a bug inside this device?” Melody glared at me as she shouted furiously, “Call the young master now, hurry!”
Under this sort of situation, I immediately followed Melody’s instructions. However, a formal voice came from the cell phone that kept on repeating, “Your phone is unable to make any calls at the moment.”
I pressed the stop b.u.t.ton, and then said to Melody, “I cannot call.”
Upon hearing this, her eyebrows creased, yet she did not look surprised. Instead, she asked again, “Where is the young master now?”
I glanced at the color of the sky, and replied, “He should be back home already.”
“Come!” Melody flashed to my side and seized my hand, anxiously saying, “Find the young master. He is the only one who can save us.”
Before I could reply, I heard a loud sound. I turned my head to look. The iron door that was originally beside us was flying in mid-air; then it fell beyond the roof and thereafter tumbled down, leaving my range of sight… I hope there are no pa.s.sersby below the building.
At the moment, the gunshots suddenly paused, but my intuition told me that perhaps this was not a good thing. Just after I thought this, heavy footsteps came from behind us. It did not sound like just one person, yet the sound was exceptionally uniform. I cautiously stretched my head out, and Melody also leaned against my shoulders as she peered out.
A division of fully-armed troops was walking up from the doorway. They were all wearing the same clothes, a completely black military uniform with the stomach and lower vital parts protected with metal plates. They were carrying pikes in their hands, two short swords hung by their waists, and large firearms rested on their backs. The most unusual thing was, they were all wearing golden masks.
On the forehead part of the mask was a symbol that could be seen everywhere… The crest of the Sun Alliance.
Melody’s breathing became heavy; she was close to despair as she murmured, “The Adjudication Squad…”
Adjudication Squad? Is it the Adjudication Squad that Bramble spoke about, the one that would come forward to execute them if Mission: Protect to the Death failed? When I thought until this point, Melody suddenly pinched my shoulder forcefully and asked fiercely, “Charles Endelis, have you done anything that endangered the young master before?”
I blinked. The previous incident with Mr. Burt, who had wanted to capture the young master to threaten me, was simply too unforgettable and instantly rushed forth in my mind. I blurted out, “Recently, there was someone who wanted to kidnap the young master to threaten me. However, they lost the young master during their pursuit and so it did not succeed.”
“No wonder the master’s actions are so extreme!”
An expression of desperation appeared on Melody’s face as she groaned, “First, you nearly allowed the young master to become a hostage. Then, you said something that would encourage the young master to become independent. It would be strange if the master didn’t murder you. If I had known earlier that the situation had already reached this stage, I would not have come here to die with you!”
Upon hearing this, I could only smile bitterly as I said, “You should go on ahead while I block them. Jump down the building and go look for the young master.”
“Do you think that the master did not antic.i.p.ate that vampires can jump down buildings?”
Just as Melody said that icily, as if to prove her words, noises came from the edges of the rooftop and then in rapid succession, identical masked men jumped up. After that, they stood motionlessly at the edges of the rooftop, by chance forming an encircling net.
However, it seemed like that was still not enough to support Melody’s words. The loud rumbling of a helicopter’s propeller came from the sky. I lifted my head up and looked around in the sky. There were three helicopters all together; moreover, these were attack helicopters each equipped with two missiles.
“Charles Endelis.”
Melody inhaled deeply, and then harboring great hope, she asked me, “If the young master discovered you were missing, would he run up to the rooftop to look?”
Even though I hoped for the same, I could only extinguish this bit of hope and answer honestly, “The young master may think that I went out to hunt for food, not that I have disappeared. It is unlikely that he will be in a hurry to look for me.”
When I finished speaking, Melody’s face immediately fell. The eyes that were originally filled with demonic charm were now full of resentment. Matched with her pale complexion, she suddenly turned from a tender and beautiful mistress to a weak and sickly beauty.
As I looked at her, who appeared like she could wither up and die at any moment, I could only sigh and suggest, “I am sorry for involving you. I will do my utmost to block all the attacks I can. During this period, try to escape to the house. The young master should be back home already.”
Melody did not reply. Instead, her entire person suddenly nestled into my bosom, and then she seized my shoulder, looked up, and in this manner placed her red-lipstick mark beside my mouth. Following that, she giggled flirtatiously, took out a handkerchief and cleaned the corner of my mouth. As she did that, she said, “Thanks, you really are a good man, and very suited for red lipstick marks!”
I forced a smile once more. A gunshot rang out. I gently pushed her aside, and then with a wave of my hand, caught the bullet.
A sharp pain came from my palm. I opened up my fist to look. The bullet had cut into my palm, and based on the sharp pain in my palm, without a doubt, this bullet contained silver.
Furthermore, according to the knowledge that I gained over the past few days from researching firearms ammunition due to the young master’s needs, this bullet was seven centimeters long, which meant that it was an armor-piercing bullet. Armor-piercing ammo was originally used for penetrating light armor, and normally the surface of the bullet would be coated with a layer of copper. This was to reduce the damage from the overly hard bullet on the gun barrel. However, presently, this round was not coated in copper, but rather “silver.”
Armor-piercing rounds were originally considered unsuitable for usage on animals because this kind of bullet’s main attribute was its high penetration ability. It was unable to cause large amounts of bleeding. However, its penetrating attribute was indeed very suitable for wounding vampires, and then coating the outside with “silver” to send it into a vampire’s body…
“What are you daydreaming for?”
Melody yelled angrily at me, and then she violently shoved me out of the way as a few armor-piercing rounds flew through the s.p.a.ce where I was previously standing. Only then did I suddenly awake up. This is not the time for a.n.a.lyzing bullets! I hurriedly apologized, “I am sorry, recently I have been reading too many books about weapons, so…”
“Behind you!”
The moment she shouted, I instantly vanished from my original position and then reappeared beside her. Both my hands waved in front of her chest, scattering all the bullets. Even if it was armor-piercing ammo, as long as I was mentally prepared, I could still deflect them.
However, Melody rolled her pretty eyes at me and said unhappily, “I take back what I just said. You aren’t a good man, but a stupid man! You can dodge, so do you think I can’t? Why on earth would you want to receive those things head on? Also, I’m afraid they’re going to come at us for real now, so don’t blank out again.”
“‘For real’?”
I looked at the masked men surrounding us, and only then realized that with how many of them there were, around thirty men, if they opened fire at the same time, it would result in a heavy shower of bullets, that perhaps even I could not withstand and would have no other choice but to evade. However, the number of people who had fired on us just now was only three or four at most.
Melody coldly sniffed and said, “They’re warming up. They’re computing our movement patterns first, and then they will launch their true a.s.sault.”
Computing our movement patterns? I was extremely doubtful. If these people can use their eyes to capture our movements, then among the human race, perhaps they will all be experts. How then, in such a short time span, can they compute movement patterns on the spot?
Probably because my expression was full of disbelief, Melody spoke to me sternly, “Don’t treat these people as humans. They aren’t any more human-like than us.”
Humans yet less human-like than us two vampires?
Without waiting for me to dwell upon it, the opposition opened fire again. This time, it was not just a few people opening fire, but all thirty of them shooting at us simultaneously. I went full swing into evasion, but even so I could not stop a strange feeling from forming in my heart.Is not this wave of gunshots rather too uniform? As if there is someone currently counting beats and making these people open fire according to his beats.
I followed my previous evasive maneuvers; however, I abruptly realized that the opposition’s gun muzzle was already aimed at where I was about to move to. However, at such a high speed, I was completely unable to change my direction in time… No! There simply was no “direction” I could take. I could feel that in every direction there was a bullet that was either already shot or about to fly through. They had sealed off all my escape paths, so that I was completely unable to dodge.
“Idiot! Hurry up and use ‘blood ability’ to defend!”
Melody’s voice entered my ears. I was stunned. Is there really a need to? However, at the next moment, there was a pain in my leg. I looked down and saw two bullets stuck in my thigh, with only a small section of the finger-long bullets still protruding out. Without any second thoughts, I immediately drove all the blood in my body, emitting blood vapor from pores all over my body.
My body was veiled with the redness of my blood vapor. When the bullets struck the surface of the blood vapor, it made a sound like an object dropping into water. Even if it were armor-piercing bullets, they could only penetrate ten centimeters in before dropping powerlessly onto the ground.
I turned and saw that there was also red blood surrounding Melody’s body. She looked completely unharmed. Evidently, she had started using “blood ability” even earlier than I.
Blood ability was actually just when vampires release their blood outside their bodies.
The function of vampire blood is vastly different from that of humans. It is not used to carry oxygen and so on. Vampire blood is a lot more viscous than humans’. We can control our blood as we please, and the function of our blood is, in short, to move our body, and if released outside our bodies, it can also be used to attack or defend.
However, generally speaking, unless it is a life-threatening situation, vampires would rarely release their blood out. That is because when blood is released outside our bodies, there would more or less be some loss. From a vampire’s perspective, the loss of blood is even more severe than an injury to their body, and even harder to remedy.
Melody shot a glance at me and said in a gleeful tone, “The color of this blood ability is so pretty, as expected of a fifth generation vampire. Looks like we won’t have to die. Hurry up and use your blood ability to counterattack!”
I took a deep breath before giving her an apologetic look as I explained, “I am sorry. I am not good at fighting, especially in using blood ability. I can defend, but attacking is too difficult.”
Melody made extremely subtle expressions. Rigidness, disbelief, blank staring, despair… Even though they were complicated, they were all shown vividly. I could thoroughly feel the immensity of her resentment towards me right now. If it were possible, her current target to attack would most likely be me, instead of those masked men.
I was actually feeling very apologetic, but there was nothing I could do about it. My honorable father who had taught me since I was young, although well-learned and practically an omnipotent butler, was still a human. With respect to “blood ability,” he truly could not help me there.
“You’re able to defend, right?”
Melody pointed at the sky and said icily, “Then, I’ll leave those missiles to you!”
Missiles… I lifted my head and looked towards the huge warheads beneath the helicopters. Then I keenly suggested to Melody, “How about we make a break for it, then jump down the building?”
Melody did not answer me because she did not need to give a reply. When the masked men surrounding us saw that the bullets were unable to break through our blood ability, they rapidly put down their bullets and drew out the two swords at their waists. Only now did I realize that between those two swords, one was an energy weapon, while the other was an ordinary weapon that had silver embedded into it.
Melody’s expression was extremely unsightly, but she still stiffly warned me, “The cutting edge of those silver swords is diamond. You had best not be under the impression that your skin is tougher than diamond.”
“Are they faster than me?” I was already a little fearful of verifying this point, even though speed was my one point that I was always proud of.
“Of course not.” Melody replied briefly, “However, they are definitely less afraid of dying than you.”
Even less afraid of dying than vampires who are publicly acknowledged to be hard to kill? And adding on their superiority in numbers, I am afraid that it will truly be very difficult for Melody and me to break out.
However, even so, I also would not stay here and wait for the missiles to blow me to smithereens.
I withdrew the blood ability surrounding my body, and then transformed it into things required for battle. Two rapiers and full-body armor… Once more I thanked the young master for his unusual interests which made me do a lot of research recently on weapons and armor. Hence, the speed at which I transformed my blood ability into these items was a lot faster than before.
This allowed me to finally be able to block the attacks coming from all directions. The blood-red rapiers in my hands danced swiftly, but always kept to the same few simple motions. Deflect and flick aside the opponent’s attack, or strike his sword and directly knock down the opponent’s weapons. Then, after defending against the enemy’s attack, immediately counterattack and pierce the opponent’s fatal points with precision.
With these few simple actions, together with the transformation of my blood ability to rapiers of varying lengths, and a vampire’s own high speed and responsiveness, I was invincible… At least until now, I had not met with any adversaries who could challenge me, but I also had to admit that I have not partic.i.p.ated in many fights.
Melody cried out in amazement, “Aren’t you unskilled at fighting? Then what on earth are you doing now?”
As I brandished the two rapiers transformed from my blood ability, I replied, “I am not good at fighting, but as a butler, I have to adequately comprehend all of the upper society’s recreational activities, and so I have studied fencing, free wrestling, muay thai, judo…”
“… So, what do you think all those are if not fighting?”
Melody’s voice sounded abnormally agitated. I could not help but cast a glance at her, just in time to see her rip a masked man’s head off as she roared at me, “Don’t tell me it’s playing house!”
“They are…”
The two blood swords crossed, slicing open an X in the throat of a masked man, after which I spun around and stabbed above Melody’s shoulder, right into the middle of a masked man’s forehead. As I pa.s.sed her, I replied, “The master’s recreational activities.”
Obviously, Melody did not like my explanation. She replied, “Wait till I finish ripping off all these people’s heads. The next one will be you!”
“I am afraid that might be rather difficult, unless you still have strength to rip off my head after being blasted by missiles.”
I smiled bitterly as I watched the helicopters fly closer to the rooftop. The missiles underneath them were gradually moving downwards, and seemed to be entering the preparation phase before launch. Without much hope, I asked Melody, “Would they care that their own comrades are still here?”
“Go to h.e.l.l, these lunatics wouldn’t even care about their own selves!”
Melody raised her head, and evidently also saw those missiles. She clenched her teeth and growled, “Make a break for it! However more these people attack, it will never be more painful than a missile.”
I agreed, especially when the number of missiles was six.
Turning around, I cut down the masked men in front of me, and then yelled aside to Melody, “This way.” Two large blades transformed from blood ability flew out from less than ten centimeters in front of me. They hacked apart several masked men, clearing a road for a brief moment.
She ran across in front of me, tossing a sentence, “If we don’t perish, you had better learn how to use your blood ability properly, fifth generation!”
I smiled wryly and then quickly followed behind her.
However, as we ran, the masked men who were unafraid of death surprisingly did not obstruct us. It felt odd, and I turned back to look. However, I saw that there were several modified humans behind us, who were in the process of lifting up a firearm and then shooting… It was actually not an artillery sh.e.l.l, but rather multiple nets.
“Melody!”
I promptly sprinted and knocked her aside. Following that, nets covered me in quick succession. The force of the impact was so great that after knocking me down, the nail-shaped things on the edges of the net firmly drove into the ground. This net was made of metal, and there were even barbs on it. With one struggle, all those barbs p.r.i.c.ked into my skin, bringing waves of intense pain… It was actually “silver.” There was “silver” on the barbs all over this net!
“Charles!”
Melody ran two steps, then turned back hesitantly and looked at me.
“Hurry up and leave!” I raised my head with much difficulty, and yelled at her, “Hurry and look for the young master. Only he can save us, was that not what you said?”
However, Melody continued to hesitate.
Seeing this, I hardened my heart and spoke malicious words, “Hurry up and leave! You rotten eighth generation vampire, you cannot do anything even if you remain here! Hurry up already…. Hurry up and get lost!”
“Go to h.e.l.l, you rotten man! You aren’t even good at scolding people!”
Melody stamped her feet and used her blood ability to force the masked men to retreat, then rushed over to my side. As she pulled at the nets, she was p.r.i.c.ked by the silver until her tears flowed continuously. She yelled, “Your rebuke is so mild, how can you get me to leave? You’re such a rotten man, a rottenly good man!”
Through the net, I pushed her. “Melody, hurry up and go. I will not die. I am a fifth generation vampire. You know that I am very strong, I…”
“I also know that you’re very weak!”
Melody roared back angrily, “Where would there be a fifth generation vampire that can get pinned down by a few nets! You straw bag vampire, your body doesn’t contain blood but gra.s.s, huh? You’re even worse off than I, this eighth generation. You b.a.s.t.a.r.d…”
As she scolded me, she forcefully dragged at the net. The outermost nets actually did get pulled apart by her. However… It was too late!
When I saw that those missiles had already left the helicopters, I could not spare any thoughts about the nets on my body stabbing her and me. I instantly pounced onto her forcefully, tightly protecting her underneath my body. Then I forced out all the blood in my body and set up a thick wall of blood behind me… But even so, will I be able to block six missiles?
At this moment, I heard a series of unique noises a.s.sociated with missiles leaving the helicopters’ bodies. I could not help but hug Melody even closer. She was trembling, and so was I.
“Stop!”
Suddenly, a loud roar came from behind me. I froze, twisted around to look, and only saw… a pair of gigantic wings.
Boom!
The blinding light stole away my sight, and the loud sounds practically splintered my hearing. A violent wind lashed at us. I really did not know if I should consider it lucky or not, that the net covering me was pinned solidly. I hugged Melody even tighter. One reason was to prevent her from getting swept away by the gale; the second was to relieve some of my terror.
Footnotes1 “Melody”: Melody’s name in Chinese is 樂音 (pinyin: yuèyīn), which means “music note.” The meaning when the characters are flipped around (音樂, yīnyuè) is “music.” We chose a common female name related to music.