#Episode 9
‘Was Thomas an insurance policy in case he got caught? Or maybe that child is also just a smokescreen…?’
Thinking this made Joseph shiver at the cunning of the vampires. He trembled slightly.
However, he couldn’t afford to show any weakness here.
The only silver lining was that the opponent didn’t seem to be a strong vampire.
The Holy Star could not repel all vampires. Powerful high-ranking vampires were not greatly affected by holy power. They could pass through the Holy Star even without an invitation.
Given that the Holy Star at the Haidus Castle gate was still intact and the vampire resorted to sending minions, Joseph could roughly gauge the vampire’s strength outside the village.
The vampire had likely sent his minions into the village last night, planning to be invited in tonight to feast.
Not attacking the village immediately last night was probably a ploy to prolong the night’s enjoyment.
Just thinking about it gave him chills.
Even if the vampire was of a lower rank, one couldn’t let their guard down. Vampires of any rank were a threat to humanity.
But it’s okay.
They discovered everything before the vampire could be invited into the village.
Father Joseph reassured the doctor with a benevolent smile.
“Sundown is approaching. If any seed of evil remains and invites the vampire, our village will be doomed. We must kill the child before the sun sets.”
To the doctor, however, this was all nonsensical logic.
“I treated the child myself. His wounds are severe and not something he can recover from by tonight! We don’t need to act so hastily; we can wait until his condition improves…”
“He is not a child but a seed of evil, Brother. If you continue to speak like this, we might have to suspect that you, too, are under the influence of evil.”
The priest cut the doctor’s words short and stared at him intently. The villagers behind the priest also gazed at the doctor expressionlessly.
Silent accusation. The doctor’s face turned pale, and his Adam’s apple bobbed visibly.
In the flickering sunset, their faces were filled with a belief that only they were right.
***
The noise outside grew louder as people began stacking firewood around the hospital.
From the third floor, Todd watched this and clenched his teeth.
They intended to burn him alive.
Suspected of being associated with a vampire, this was the inevitable result.
He had to escape from this village immediately.
But how?
Looking outside, there was no one among the villagers who seemed willing to help him, and his body wasn’t fully healed yet, leaving him with no clear way to escape.
Todd’s gaze inadvertently fell on the letters on his forearm.
‘If I summon the vampire, I could buy some time to escape… That might be the only way.’
As the priest had shouted outside, if he invited the vampire, the villagers would become its prey.
But so what?
Wouldn’t that be their just deserts?
Had humans not destroyed the Van Drake family, vampires wouldn’t be running rampant.
His father, mother, aunt, uncle…
Todd recalled those who had died before his eyes.
Van Drake, who never imagined humans could kill them, perished in vain despite having the mental strength to resist even the hypnosis of the Vampire Lord and the power to fight back.
The cunning schemes of the vampires were laid bare, but they were utterly naive towards humans.
Todd, who survived alone in that horrific hell, was hostile towards humans.
Since childhood, Todd had been told by his parents that vampires were the family’s mortal enemies and must be eradicated by any means necessary.
Mercy was a luxury, and compassion would be a dagger aimed at his own heart; he was not to sympathize with their plight.
But then, what about the humans who annihilated his family?
The royalty and the Lamphas Church?
Were they not the true enemies?
Fire blazed in Todd’s golden eyes. The flames of revenge and anger, burning more fiercely than the holy light of Lamphas, seemed eternal.
He thought, Instead of being used by the vampires, he will use them. This does not go against Van Drake’s beliefs….
Despite telling himself this, years of brainwashing to be hostile towards vampires made him hesitate to invite one.
There was still an unease about inviting a vampire into his home.
‘Besides, there’s something suspicious….’
Initially, he didn’t think much of it, but upon further reflection, something felt off.
The signal to the brand was an implicit request for an immediate invitation.
But it was still before sunset.
Ordinary vampires couldn’t move about when the sun was up, even if they were invited.
So, ordinary vampires typically sent signals to the brand after sunset.
‘Is the vampire who branded me powerful enough to walk around during the day? But a vampire of such high status wouldn’t need an invitation to enter the castle. There would be no need for such a brand in the first place.’
Was the vampire who branded him a high-ranking vampire or a lower one?
If it were a high-ranking vampire, why did it brand him?
If it were a lower-ranking one, why was it urgently asking for an invitation before sunset?
Todd alternated his gaze between the brand on his arm and the sunset outside, puzzled.
At that moment, he saw a wisp of smoke rising from the window.
Finally, people set fire to the hospital.
Todd gritted his teeth. There was no time to ponder. He had to survive first to seek revenge.
“Ego te invitare…..!”
Todd’s lips clearly enunciated the sentence with resolve.
The letters engraved on Todd’s hand turned into sound and were released into the world with the last syllable.
In that moment, a profound silence fell as if the world had stopped.
The noise outside, the crackling of flames, the distant bird calls, and the clinking of wind-chimes all ceased.
The brief silence was soon shattered by a loud crash.
It was as if the world itself had broken apart.
At the same time, dark clouds began to gather at the edge of the sky.
Suddenly, a fierce wind shook the windows violently, threatening to break them at any moment.
The orange sunset sky was quickly enveloped in darkness, and the crows in the forest cawed loudly, adding to the ominous atmosphere.
Night fell far earlier than usual, with no trace of sunlight remaining.
People looked up at the sky, startled by the sudden change in weather. Their faces were filled with anxiety and fear.
And evil did not miss even the faintest scent of fear. The dark magic that invaded their hearts shook them from head to toe.
They felt chills as if bugs were crawling on their skin, and the ringing in their ears made it hard to stand properly.
People trembled with an unknown fear.
A sinister force surged towards the village like a tidal wave.
Todd was horrified by the ominous energy surrounding the village.
The immense power swirling around felt like a natural disaster itself.
‘I didn’t expect it to be a high-ranking vampire…!’
High-ranking vampires are creatures who have lived for hundreds of years. Could they really not recognize Van Drake’s bloodline?
Too late, regret and unease flooded Todd’s mind about making the wrong choice.
But the die had been cast.
As Todd’s mind tangled with complicated thoughts, lightning suddenly flashed in the dark sky, and thunder ripped through the air.
Boom, crash!
The torches held by the villagers flickered and dimmed under the fierce wind.
Total darkness, where not even an inch ahead could be seen.
But the darkness was momentary.
The stubborn flames of the torches survived, slowly growing and illuminating the surroundings.
