The Unruly Protector

“Be careful. If you encounter danger, drink the medicine immediately. Don’t hesitate.”

“Alright, alright, I get it. You’ve been nagging all morning, like an old mother hen.”

Liu Yu tucked the box into her pocket. Black shadows swirled across her form, coalescing into a familiar cloak that obscured some of her features, yet failed to hide her graceful curves. The alluring figure she presented stirred a faint jealousy in Villy, who silently grumbled about the shameless cow.

After a final check of her gear, the girl waved cheerfully to the room. “I’m heading out now! Remember to lock the door when you leave for school.”

Her nonchalant demeanor made it seem less like she was going into battle and more like she was off for a picnic in the wilderness. Yet, given her capabilities, even a mountain of blades or a sea of fire would likely feel like a walk in the park to her.

“Mm.”

Villy responded indifferently, continuing to clean the room, tossing countless bottles and jars into a trash bag.

‘Liu Yu might be unaffected by living in such a mess because something’s wrong with her brain. As a normal person, I, Villy, still need a clean living environment.’

****

A loud bang echoed as the door shut. Liu Yu scrolled through her phone screen, where a message and address from Senior Yao Jing awaited:

[Meet here first.]

‘How troublesome. Wouldn’t it be simpler to just charge in and end it quickly?’

Putting her phone away, Liu Yu grumbled about her teammates’ sluggishness and headed towards the designated destination.

****

[…All citizens, please evacuate in an orderly manner.]

[…All citizens, please evacuate in an orderly manner.]

Drones floated in the sky, incessantly broadcasting evacuation notices. Fully armed guards lined both sides of the street, their expressions grim as they vigilantly monitored the retreating crowds, wary of any Bloodkin attempting to blend in and cause trouble.

The news of anomalies at Sheng Hai Tower was no longer a secret. The Order Maintenance Team’s strict preparations and The Supervisory Bureau’s evacuation notices both indicated that unimaginable monsters lurked within the building.

Residents, escorted from their homes, showed palpable anxiety and panic. Under The Supervisory Bureau’s direction, they formed several streams, passing through inspection points in a continuous flow.

“Ugh, so you called me here just to watch them?”

Liu Yu sprawled across the table, her eyes darting towards the stream of people moving outside the glass window, trying to spot any hidden Bloodkin.

“That’s only part of it. The next phase of the plan can only proceed once the professionals arrive.”

Senior Yao Jing replied, visible dark circles under his weary eyes. The position of overall commander involved far more than he had imagined; he, a hunter who usually worked alone, found himself caught between various departments, constantly hitting dead ends.

Were it not for his past reputation and the old principal’s endorsement, Senior Yao Jing suspected this operation would have been delayed for several more days.

“How dare you! You dare to space out while I’m speaking?”

With a series of sharp taps on the table, the grey-haired girl’s dissatisfaction neared its breaking point. Since everyone treated her like a child, Liu Yu didn’t mind acting a little more unruly to fit the persona.

She stood up, pointing at the towering skyscraper. “I’m going in to take a look.”

Her words startled the groggy man awake. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “No, not now, at least.”

“Why not?”

“We’ve dispatched investigators into the building, but without exception, they’ve all lost contact. If you also lose contact, it would severely hinder our subsequent actions.”

“Huh? Are you looking down on me? Do you think I’ll go in and never come out?”

“I didn’t—”

“You’re looking down on me, you’re looking down on me, you’re looking down on me!”

The grey-haired girl repeated the same words like a broken record, her noisy chatter making Senior Yao Jing’s ears ring.

“Stop it,” he said.

“You’re looking down on me…”

Liu Yu feigned deafness, simply continuing her relentless repetition, which made Senior Yao Jing want to slap the troublesome girl right then and there. However, considering the vast difference in their strength, he restrained himself, put on his headphones, tuned her out, and resumed reviewing documents.

They continued in this manner until Wu Liyun entered with two other people.

“Senior Yao!”

His voice preceded him. Liu Yu looked towards the door as Wu Liyun walked in, accompanied by another man.

“Oh, you’re here.”

Senior Yao Jing took off his headphones and gestured to the middle-aged man beside Wu Liyun, who was dressed in a light grey uniform, introducing him to Liu Yu:

“This is Group Leader Li from the research department. Your and Wu Liyun’s next task is to assist him.”

Then, turning to Group Leader Li, he added, “This is Ms. Liu Yu. She is an exceptionally skilled… combatant, and will be responsible for your team’s safety during the mission.”

“Hello…”

Group Leader Li greeted her, but received only the sound of blowing in response. Unbeknownst to him, Liu Yu had already swiftly poured a cup of hot water and was blowing on it, completely ignoring him.

Group Leader Li was rebuffed but didn’t get angry. Instead, he frowned and looked at Senior Yao Jing, his murky eyes filled with doubt. While the upcoming mission wasn’t as dangerous as directly confronting Bloodkin, they were merely a group of researchers with no means of self-preservation. In a situation where they might very well come face-to-face with a Black-blooded, the chances of survival would be near zero if they lacked a sufficiently powerful protector and were suddenly ambushed.

As the group leader, he had to take responsibility for his team members’ lives, and the young girl in the black cloak clearly couldn’t inspire enough confidence in him.

“Don’t worry. Although Ms. Liu Yu looks quite young—er, actually, she *is* quite young—in her short career, she has already hunted several Black-blooded. Moreover, she is the main force in this Bloodkin annihilation operation. Protecting you all to retreat safely will be no problem.”

Sensing Group Leader Li’s apprehension, Senior Yao Jing explained earnestly. The aspect of Liu Yu that gave him the most confidence was her Shadow’s ability to dominate weaker opponents. With her absolute numerical superiority, only Irina among all the Bloodkin could potentially exploit a momentary lapse in Shadow’s vigilance with her Time Stop ability to counterattack Liu Yu. However, such a feat was clearly not something everyone could achieve; otherwise, The Doctor would have long since escaped using Time Stop.

Hence, Liu Yu’s confidence was not unfounded. To the Bloodkin, she was more akin to the predator.

‘Come to think of it, Liu Yu devouring Vampires and Vampires devouring Bloodthirsters is surprisingly similar. Could it be that the Devourer Hound Liu Yu mentioned is a high-ranking species among the Bloodkin?’

“Hmph, if you’re going into that building, I guarantee you’ll come out exactly how you went in.”

Taking a sip of water to soothe her dry throat, Liu Yu chimed in. Her previous silence wasn’t an act of feigning expertise; rather, her prolonged repetition had suddenly made her voice hoarse, startling her. She had hastily drunk several sips of water to recover. This terrifying experience gave her a new understanding of her body’s fragility. At the very least, she would never dare to speak non-stop again.

“No, we don’t need to go inside the building.”

Group Leader Li looked at Senior Yao Jing, and after receiving a nod of confirmation, he continued, “Our plan is to construct a Multi-layered Spatial Defense System around Sheng Hai Tower, confining the battle with the Bloodkin to this specific area.”

“I don’t understand, can you get to the point?”

The girl, utterly confused, replied perfunctorily. She always steered clear of anything that required her to use her brain.

Group Leader Li’s veins bulged on his forehead. If this lazy attitude were from one of his students, he’d already be considering telling them to pack their bags and leave. But for the sake of the upcoming operation, he had to suppress his temper and explain the plan to Ms. Liu Yu as simply as possible.

“Essentially… we’ll be building several layers of space next to the building using special devices. Your task is to protect us from Bloodkin attacks while we install the equipment.”

“Oh, so I’m just being a bodyguard.”

Liu Yu nodded, seemingly understanding, and then asked, “Once this is done, will the fight start?”

“Precisely,” Senior Yao Jing replied.

“Then let’s go. The sooner we finish, the sooner it’s over.”