The Threat of the Bloodkin

“Hadn’t you promised Unique you’d protect her younger brother yesterday? He’s apparently a classmate Liu Yu knows.”

‘Ah, I’d completely forgotten about that.’

Liu Yu slumped onto the table, her face a mask of utter despair, realizing she had no choice but to attend that school.

After all, Old Zheng was, by a stretch, a friend, and if he happened to get eliminated in her absence, she’d feel guilty for… a month.

“Speaking of which.”

‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you’ll win a hundred battles.’

As the conversation veered to this topic, Liu Yu asked with genuine curiosity, “Do you have any information about this ‘murderer’?”

“I know a little.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Liu Yu’s interest was piqued, so much so that she didn’t even notice the piece of meat she’d been holding with her chopsticks drop onto the table.

“Hmm… where should I begin?”

Villy pulled out her phone, scrolling through her recently acquired intelligence.

It was a personal habit of hers: collecting interesting tidbits, then taking the time to investigate each matter thoroughly before publishing her findings online to boost her popularity.

She relished the feeling of unraveling a truth, piece by painstaking piece, and then disseminating it.

“It began around the end of last month.

Mr. Reynolds, a renowned politician, businessman, and philanthropist, suddenly ceased all vital signs during a public speech.

His cause of death was… organ failure.”

“He just got sick?”

It seemed the grey-haired rascal would never utter anything profound.

Villy shot her a glare before continuing.

“Though Mr. Reynolds was past fifty, his physical condition was excellent; he had no bad habits and was constantly accompanied by a professional medical team that conducted daily full-body examinations.”

“Therefore, it’s absolutely impossible for such a person to die from sudden organ failure.”

“Thus, there’s only one answer.”

Villy raised a single finger, stating with grave seriousness:

“—The culprit used supernatural powers.”

“…So, if you can’t find a culprit, you just blame it on supernatural powers? That’s incredibly lazy of you.”

Ignoring Liu Yu’s sarcasm, Villy pressed on.

“It’s unclear whether it was orchestrated by the mastermind or a mere coincidence.”

“Soon after, the ‘Vampire’ incident erupted with a bang.

The two events became intertwined, making it difficult to discern the truth.

This includes me, of course.”

“…….”

‘A pile of nonsense?’

Having gleaned no useful information, Liu Yu pouted, her cheeks puffing out in displeasure.

“Don’t look at me like that; I’m just an ordinary person.

How could I possibly have any exclusive, insider information?

However, there’s one thing we can probably confirm.”

“Tell me.”

“The culprit… is very likely part of a group.”

Villy explained, “Otherwise, it’s impossible to explain how, not long after Mr. Reynolds’ death, a ‘Mediator’ under the ‘Council’ also died from the same symptoms.”

“…Could it be that the culprit is simply very fast, killing one person and then immediately rushing to the other side of the city to eliminate another?”

At least, Liu Yu felt she could accomplish such a feat.

“Well, it’s just a guess.

Believe it or not.”

After an exchange of stares, Villy seemed disinclined to continue the conversation.

She tossed out a remark, “I’m going to get us two glasses of water.”

With that, she rose and walked toward the water dispenser.

“Nyah nyah nyah, running away when you can’t win.”

Like a rooster that had just won a fight, Liu Yu puffed out her chest, her demeanor while picking up food now a hundred times more vigorous than before.

As she continued to wolf down her meal, a faint yet remarkably alluring scent suddenly wafted towards her.

Curiously, she straightened her posture, her gaze fixed on the two glasses of water Villy was carrying.

“I want the one on the left, the one with less in it.”

Liu Yu called out, sensing something in that particular glass of water that drew her in.

‘Are you a bloodhound?’

Villy mused inwardly.

She had just poured the inhibitor into that specific glass, never expecting Liu Yu to detect it the moment she brought it over.

With a gulp, gulp, gulp,

Liu Yu snatched the glass and downed its contents in one go, feeling herself instantly invigorated and bursting with energy.

She extended her palm, demanding from Villy with righteous conviction, “I want more!”

“There’s none left.

If you want more, go get it yourself.”

Villy shook her head, then sent the information she had just observed to Yao Jing, informing him of Liu Yu’s state after consuming the inhibitor.

Unconvinced, Liu Yu trotted over to the store’s hot water dispenser, continuously pouring cup after cup down her throat.

Yet, no matter how much she drank, she couldn’t recapture that miraculous sensation.

Just as she was frowning in frustration, Villy, having finished her report, finally noticed the scatterbrained girl acting up again and quickly dragged her away from the dispenser.

After all, while the hot water was free to drink, a young girl continuously downing two kettles’ worth and still refusing to stop…

…had already made the remaining diners restless, fearing the emergence of a ‘Hot Water Ghoul.’

****

****

“Speaking of which, why couldn’t I reach you at all today?”

“Because my phone was on silent.”

‘…So you knew and just chose not to answer, huh?’

The cool evening breeze swept over the two of them.

At that moment, Liu Yu had removed her hat, her grey hair falling freely over her shoulders.

“Thank you.”

Villy’s unexpected words of thanks drifted from beside her, causing Liu Yu to turn her gaze, bewildered.

“That’s my thanks for saving me, you know.”

“…Then why didn’t you thank me yesterday?”

Perhaps nitpicking was one of Liu Yu’s innate instincts.

Villy rolled her eyes, stating flatly, “I’ll thank you whenever I feel like thanking you.”

“Oh.”

For once, the grey-haired girl didn’t argue further.

She was pondering a serious question.

‘Should I dissuade Villy from becoming a ‘Bloodkin’?’

Gathering her wind-blown hair, Liu Yu followed behind her friend, who walked ahead, her mind swirling with thoughts.

Finally, she spoke up, “Villy, wait a moment.

There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”

Villy turned, only to see the grey-haired girl’s solemn expression.

“Could you please give up the idea of becoming a Bloodkin (TL Note: A superior, evolved form of vampire, distinguished from common ‘vampires’ mentioned earlier.)?”

“Why?”

“Because it’s incredibly dangerous.

You saw the sights of that trial ground; these so-called Bloodkin are simply evolved beings, piled up from countless ‘test subjects,’ and no one can guarantee absolute success.”

Liu Yu tried her best to make the scene she described as terrifying as possible: “If you’re not careful, your fate could very well be the same as theirs.”

‘Theirs’ naturally referred to those mediocre ‘vampires’ who were neither here nor there.

“Moreover, Bloodkin are members of the ‘Black Bloodline,’ designated by that bird.

Do you remember?”

No matter how glamorous Bloodkin might appear on the surface, they were ultimately part of the Black Bloodline.

No one could guarantee there wouldn’t be any lingering side effects.

“Are you worried about me?”

Villy seemed to have missed the point entirely.

“How could I be!”

Her mouth moved faster than her brain; before Liu Yu could even process it, she blurted out something strange:

“I’m only warning you because you’re my classmate!”

“Classmate?

Just a classmate?”

Villy leaned closer, taking Liu Yu’s hand, her voice laced with teasing amusement: “Aren’t we… good~ friends~?”

‘You wish!’

Before Liu Yu could utter her retort, a frivolous voice suddenly reached her ears:

“Well, well, what are two pretty little ladies doing sneaking around here?

Do you need us big brothers to keep you company?”

As a flurry of messy footsteps sounded, a group of sloppily dressed thugs blocked their path.

‘Wow, these guys are really asking for it, aren’t they?’