Chapter 107: Fragments of True Death
’Right. That title mentioned something about Fragments of True Death.’ Edward stared intently at the place his mind had taken him.
It was a small, cozy house on the outskirts of town. Built in such a way that anyone who visited it felt warm and welcome. Just looking at it seemed to give you a gentle hug, even as a cool breeze swept through the surrounding area.
In front of the house, four children were playing happily, running around with their pets.
Sitting behind them was a middle-aged woman, with a loving smile on her lips. Her face already showed some wrinkles, especially when she smiled and on her hands.
Behind the house stood a massive wall built of sturdy, fortified blocks. It was the wall of Rebirth City.
’Could this be a memory of his family?’ Edward looked back at the family.
But just then the view grew dark; it wasn’t over—a black cloud had simply settled over the mansion like a stain in the sky, as if trying to block out the sun.
In that instant, Edward felt a terrifying pressure on his heart and looked up sharply.
Above them was an immense gray curtain, enveloping the world around them. In the center of that curtain, floating in the air, was a vampire.
It wasn’t the vampire leader he had seen before—it was more powerful!
Below, two other vampires and a human man were fighting desperately as he tried to get his family to flee.
At one point, he begged for his family’s lives, telling the vampires they could do whatever they wanted to him, but to let his wife and children go...
Then, the most sinister smile a human could ever see blossomed horribly on the most hideous face anyone could ever behold.
The face of the vampire floating in the sky transformed into that of a monster with a round mouth that covered almost his entire head with a mass of teeth. It was so hideous that even the other vampires avoided looking him in the face.
It was the True Face of a Vampire.
Legends say that anyone who looks upon it will surely die.
Even so, the human man kept his wits about him and looked directly at it. He wanted to prove his courage to them... unfortunately, the monster soon bit into his neck. More than 40 teeth sank into him one after another, causing him to scream in terrible agony.
For him... the world went dark. His reason vanished, and an overwhelming, uncontrollable thirst for blood consumed his entire being.
Soon he leaped off somewhere, like a beast hunting its prey...
One of the most horrific scenes—one that surely deserved divine punishment—unfolded before Edward’s eyes, though he had to look away so as not to witness it.
"Tsk. A failure. I thought this one would be good, since he seemed so determined." The hideous monster returned to its usual form. "In the end, not just anyone can resist a vampire’s power." He shrugged and vanished.
Suddenly, his vision went dark, and when he looked again, he was staring blankly at the sidewalk.
"Young man? Are you okay?" The woman who leaned out the window started shouting when she noticed the vacant look on the young man’s face...
It was then that Edward came to his senses.
’I see. So that’s what happened...’
They had forced him to do something unforgivable... no wonder he wants to die so badly.
"I’m no vigilante, but I’ll make sure to avenge you. In the meantime, go to the afterlife. If you’re lucky enough to be reincarnated, I hope you become powerful. Only the strong survive in this world." Edward muttered before driving several stakes into different parts of his body, instantly destroying all his organs.
The woman watching from a corner froze when she saw this... A murder in broad daylight in Rebirth City!
"Ma’am, I’m not a murderer. I’m just a member of the Provincial Academy who came here to complete a mission. This poor man was a victim of mind control and was made to commit horrible acts... That’s why his desire to die was so strong, and that’s why I decided to give him a dignified death," Edward said.
Although he had managed to control that power afterward, he no longer wanted to live, and those vampires didn’t come back for him, so he was better off dead.
The woman still didn’t believe him, so Edward took out his 3-Star student badge and showed it to her.
"Have you seen any tall, unfamiliar people arrive in town recently? If you can cooperate, we’ll pay you well."
"Star Student!" She immediately threw the window wide open upon recognizing the badge. "You... Are you really one?"
"I am, but if you can’t help me, I hope you’ll keep quiet about what happened here—it’s for your own safety. I’ll take care of burying this body so as not to alert the town. Fortunately, no one is watching us."
Edward grabbed the body and stuffed it into a bag, which he slung over his shoulder, then turned to leave.
"Wait, young man! I’ve seen what you’ve asked me to do—I’ve really seen it!" she exclaimed.
Edward turned and stared at her. "Do you know where they’re staying?"
"9th Street, young man, on 9th Street in the upper district!"
--
After burying the body himself in the cemetery, Edward proceeded to 9th Street.
Coincidentally... he and Aurora were supposed to meet at this very spot.
9th Street in the Upper District is the most prestigious area of Rebirth City. The few nobles who live here have their mansions there, as do all the prominent businesspeople.
It’s no surprise they go there. It’s the best place to hide in a city as quiet as this one.
Edward walked through the entire Upper Sector until he reached an unassuming mansion. A man was waiting for him outside.
"Young Master Edward, it’s been a while since I last saw you."
"Butler Jerry, I hope you’re well. Though from the looks of it, you haven’t slept a wink." Edward laughed, returning his greeting.
"Are my dark circles that obvious?" Butler Jerry sighed.
"Right now, you have more dark circles than face. So don’t be surprised that I can spot them so easily."
"Sigh. A lot is going on." The butler immediately began leading him inside.
"Is Lord Ashford in trouble?"
"The whole family, young Lord Edward. That’s why I came here. I wanted to ask you to keep the young lady occupied for a while—if possible, take her on other missions. Right now, it’s not safe for her to be walking around our territory. We don’t know if we can protect her."
Edward frowned. ’Is it that complicated?’
"I’ll talk to her," Edward replied.
Although he didn’t really believe he could do anything. He, too, was being hunted. Perhaps they wouldn’t attack him the way they would an Ashford, because he didn’t think he was that important, but he was still being hunted.
If Albey and Andre were the informants for those vampires, it means they aren’t just any kind of vampires and that the organization behind them isn’t small. Although he doesn’t currently understand the reasons why they want to kill him, he has an idea.
’According to Owen, they might be interested in my magic or my fire. If I were them, I’d be interested too. Magic capable of reducing powerful undead to dust isn’t just any magic,’ he thought.
So wherever he is right now, he’ll be hunted down.
"If you speak with her, I’m sure things will go well. Until we regain full control, it’s best to stay away from Ashford territory. Especially since there are a few rats planted in various families."
"Do you mean traitors?" Edward frowned. "I have a question, Mr. Jerry. I don’t know if you can answer it."
Jerry glanced at him sideways and didn’t answer for a full minute.
"Perhaps I can."
"These traitors you mention... Are they allied with those vampires? I don’t know if you saw the report we submitted on the mission we just completed, but there were several nobles who were. Are they humans who want to expand into the cursed lands? Or are they simply after something else?"
Jerry frowned. They walked through the mansion until they reached a secret room.
"Whatever is happening, we’ll find the answer. If you can spare some time to speak with Lord Ashford, you’ll surely find the answer to your question. Until then, please speak with our young lady," Jerry said, letting him in.
’Not even he knows...’ Edward decided to ignore that topic for now and went inside.
On the other side was a table with several chairs around it. Aurora was sitting in the middle; she was the only person in the room.
When she saw Edward coming, she stood up with a smile. "Come here. I’ve found some interesting things," she said.
"I found something interesting on my way here, too." Edward sat down next to her. "What should we talk about first?"
"Let’s talk about what you found."
"A dying man who gave me some information." Edward was blunt, though he laughed at his own answer. "I saw the faces of the vampires who attacked this city. One of them is a True Vampire whose face looks dangerous." Edward was precise in his information and described everything he saw in detail.
"What do you think? I think he’s from some family of a Vampire Duke."
Aurora didn’t have to think twice before answering. "It probably is. But you said they mentioned something about a ’failure’—maybe they came here to turn people into vampires?" She shuddered slightly at the thought.
"That’s very likely. I heard from Mr. Jerry that there have been a lot of rats lately."
Aurora nodded. "That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. It turns out... the rats are moving through the city’s sewers. I found their lair. At least the temporary one."