A Wolf’s Apology and a City’s Hope

“Uh… I genuinely thought it was merely a namesake. I never would have guessed you were actually a girl.”

“Who are you?”

As Liu Yu’s wary gaze fixed upon the suspected Vampire, the figure uttered a remark before lifting the visor of their helmet, revealing a distinctly familiar wolf’s head.

“Wait, wait, wait… You’re… the werewolf!”

A wave of surprise washed over Liu Yu. Rising onto her tiptoes, she clapped the man’s shoulder with surprising force, an irrepressible delight bubbling in her voice.

Ever since that fateful night, the Vampires taken into custody by The Supervisory Bureau had vanished without a trace. Had it not been for her unwavering trust in Senior Yao Jing, Liu Yu would have harbored grave suspicions that they’d all been subjected to human experimentation by the Research Department.

Seeing him alive and well now finally allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Easy, easy there, you’re going to break my shoulder…”

“Oh, right, my apologies!”

Liu Yu offered a heartfelt apology, recognizing that the werewolf had, in his own way, saved Villy, that lovable idiot. As Villy’s friend, it felt only right to apologize on her behalf.

“Honestly, just try to be a bit more careful next time.”

The werewolf rubbed his shoulder, a casual complaint escaping his lips. Their brief, shared ordeal within the trial world had already given him a clear insight into this unfortunate child’s peculiar nature.

‘Reckless and… disarmingly naive, yet utterly without malice.’

“I said I’m sorry!” Liu Yu boomed back.

After a moment of pleasantries, he abruptly posed a question:

“…Are you still in contact with Miss Robin?”

“Why do you ask?”

The mention of that name, unheard for so long, immediately set off an alarm in Liu Yu’s mind. She couldn’t help but wonder if the werewolf intended to settle old scores.

While Villy’s intrusive prying into others’ privacy was undeniably wrong, it certainly didn’t warrant a punishment as severe as death. Liu Yu could accept a reprimand for her ‘flat-chested’ classmate, but any talk of harm or, worse, killing, was something she would vehemently oppose!

With that, Liu Yu returned his gaze, the unspoken message in her eyes crystal clear.

“No, no, no, no, you misunderstood. I’m not looking for revenge, but rather…”

The werewolf’s voice softened considerably. “Actually,” he confessed, “I wanted to apologize to her.”

“Hmm?”

Liu Yu scratched her head, a bewildered expression on her face. For once, she found herself uncharacteristically patient enough to listen.

****

****

“So that’s how it was.”

Having heard the werewolf’s entire account, Liu Yu’s apprehension finally dissipated completely.

Despite Miss Villy’s perceived flaws—her lack of curves, her penchant for political discussions, her fiery temper, and her questionable intelligence—she wasn’t, Liu Yu believed, the type of unscrupulous journalist who deliberately exposed others’ weaknesses.

As the saying goes, ‘flies don’t bite a seamless egg,’ and it became clear that both parties shared responsibility in this unfortunate incident.

The story itself was straightforward: the werewolf’s wife had accidentally cut her hand while preparing a meal. The scent of her blood, wafting towards the werewolf — who had meticulously concealed his Bloodthirsters condition — had, by a cruel twist of fate, triggered an uncontrollable rampage within him.

The ensuing scene was horrific, and had Miss Villy not coincidentally passed by and promptly called for help, the werewolf’s wife might very well have perished by his own hand.

Had the situation ended there, it would have been lauded as a commendable act of heroism. Everyone could have discussed it openly and gone their separate ways.

Alas, his family had the misfortune of encountering Villy, the notorious keyboard warrior. Presented with such prime, sensational material, Villy was hardly inclined to let the matter rest.

Under her ‘Robin’ handle, she sensationally broadcast the ‘Dangers of Bloodthirsters’ theory across every conceivable online platform, igniting a furious public outcry.

Consequently, the werewolf not only lost his job and his wife but was also subjected to an relentless barrage of abuse, both online and in his daily life.

‘Ah, Villy, that blockhead! What should have been a straightforward act of heroism somehow became the catalyst for a family’s ruin in her hands. While the lion’s share of the blame didn’t fall on her, she certainly contributed her diligent part to the chaos.’

‘Being hunted by Vampires in the Bloodkin world was Villy’s just desserts. [Image of karmic retribution]’

Liu Yu mused with a touch of malice.

“…….Compared to the other Vampires, my condition is relatively stable now. So, I’m essentially working for The Supervisory Bureau in a semi-observational role, handling tasks. I suppose you could call me a provisional staff member.”

The werewolf reached up, touching his perfectly erect ears, his voice now imbued with a touch of weariness:

“While I still haven’t discovered a way to revert to my original form, this entirely new appearance has undeniably given me a renewed impetus to live. I no longer have to care about idle gossip, nor fear the sting of being slandered behind my back.”

“Perhaps severing ties completely with the past is, in itself, a new beginning… Heh heh, in a sense, you could say I’ve undergone my own transformation.”

As the werewolf spoke, he was suddenly called away for patrol. His teammates, utterly unfazed by his non-human appearance, walked alongside him with genuine warmth, arms slung over shoulders, their laughter echoing continuously.

From Liu Yu’s vantage point, the werewolf, having evidently cast off the shadows of his past, seemed profoundly content with his present existence. This contentment, she reasoned, was precisely why he was now re-examining his past actions, striving to atone for his previous missteps.

‘Then… am I satisfied with my current life?’

‘Or rather… is Vanguard satisfied with her current life?’

Vanguard and Liu Yu felt like two distinct entities, fractured and devoid of any shared past memories. This profound disconnect left the girl utterly adrift, unsure of her purpose or what actions she was meant to take.

In essence, she lacked a main quest, completely lost as to her next move.

[I’ll be staying here tonight, so I won’t be coming back.]

[Be careful, remember to take your medicine.]

[Oh.]

Leaving the operations room, Liu Yu ascended alone to the rooftop of a nearby high-rise. She settled onto a chair, pilfered from some unknown source, and gazed up at the luminous full moon, a yawn escaping her lips as she finally closed her eyes.

In anticipation of the grueling battle ahead, she resolved to steal a brief moment of rest.

****

****

The night passed uneventfully, giving way to the gentle light of the second morning.

Having taken her Inhibitor, Liu Yu expertly navigated the bustling crowd, her keen sense of smell guiding her precisely to Wu Liyun.

“Where has Senior Yao Jing gone? I haven’t seen him in quite some time.”

“Senior Yao Jing returned to the Bureau; he still has matters to attend to there. Before he departed, he instructed us to handle the arrangements for the upcoming battle ourselves.”

“So he’s a hands-off manager, then… Yet, that might actually be for the best.”

Liu Yu stated, “Wu Liyun, bring your Gem. We’re departing immediately.”

“But the battle deployment isn’t finished yet…”

“There’s no need.”

Liu Yu cut Wu Liyun off. “They only need to secure the perimeter. I can handle the Bloodkin inside entirely on my own.”

Her confident, almost audacious, demeanor instantly conjured the image of the silver-haired girl in Wu Liyun’s mind. ‘Like mother, like daughter,’ he mused, noting how both possessed an undeniable, trailblazing spirit when it came to battle.

“Very well.”

Recognizing Liu Yu’s unwavering resolve, Wu Liyun offered no further arguments. He led the young woman to Group Leader Li, and after explaining their intentions, Group Leader Li activated a spatial portal that led directly into the heart of the building.

This impending clash would determine the city’s very destiny. All the meticulous preparations undertaken by The Supervisory Bureau were merely intended to minimize collateral damage and buy precious time. The true beacon of hope, however, rested entirely upon this enigmatic girl of unknown origins.

Her small, delicate frame, however, bore the crushing weight of everyone’s expectations. Group Leader Li’s mind churned with a myriad of thoughts, yet ultimately, all his unspoken words coalesced into a single, heartfelt plea: “Good luck.”

Liu Yu gave a dismissive wave, signaling that she had heard him, and then, with Wu Liyun in tow, stepped resolutely into the shimmering portal.