"I see… Thanks for the help! The bear should be in that other cave. Sadly, I have important business to attend to so I can't join you on the hunt... I don't need credit, you can have it! Don't tell your other friends about me. If you say you found it by yourself, then you'll get a bigger pay right? It's for your sick daughter so you need all the money you can get!"

"Oh! You really are too kind! I don't know how I will ever repay you!"

"Hahaha! Don't worry about it! We're friends are we not? This is what friends do! And, you should probably take Peter's dead body with you, the bats in this cave were really dangerous."

"Yes of course! I'll take him back with me! If we meet again soon, I promise to give you something for all of your help. But, for now, I'll have to go! Maybe my pay will be more now since he's dead, less reward money to go around you know?" Henlo, the now fully healed soldier spoke with a mysterious glint in his eyes, a small chuckle and a subtle pinkish red shimmer almost unseen to the naked eye.

He bowed gracefully to the tall smiling man in front of him and the small fairy to his side before leaving with a lustrous torch in his hand.

"Good luck friend!" The man waved him off, a profound glint in his brilliant, blood-red eyes.

It only took a few more seconds until his footsteps were no longer heard, and Alucard could finally stop pretending, his smile fading away.

He was indeed happy that his skill functioned as intended, yet he could not help but feel disgusted at the same time.

"My Lord, is that man really your friend?" Luck asked with genuine curiosity, which even managed to break Alucard's iron gaze and make him break out into tears.

"Hahahaahahahaha!"

However, he quickly stopped and calmed his nerves before responding.

"Of course he's not my friend… I trust no one… Even the most pure and innocent of people are probably not what you expect. People are always fake. Backstabbing and betrayal are always in people's nature. If they see an opportunity to manipulate you they will use it. If I've ever learned something in life is that you can only rely on yourself, and true friendship and love are harder to come by than a nun in a strip club. At least to me… I sure haven't found it yet." He softly chuckled at himself.

"But… My lord… Am I not someone you trust?" Luck nervously spoke, making Alucard ponder for a few seconds before responding.

"Don't worry Luck, I trust you, but I don't see you as my friend just yet. But, you're definitely the best person I've met in a very long time. It's quite an achievement." He decided to be mostly honest.

"It's okay my lord! I fully understand! We've only met a few days ago after all! I promise to prove my loyalty and good nature to you more in the future!"

"Hmph," He smiled again, "I still think calling me lord is a little annoying and over the top but do what makes you happy I guess."

"Thank you, my lord!" He bowed before continuing. "Anyways, if that man was not your friend then why were you acting that way towards him?"

"Alucard took a deep breath before responding. "Simple, I charmed him with my new vampiric eyes of charm. It was much easier for me to do it considering the state he was in. Charm and domination are not the same. Doing this, I don't get complete control over him. The skill simply makes me seem like a good friend in his eyes so I had to play along. He wouldn't do anything for me that he wouldn't do for a good friend."

"I see! That's really cool! It all makes sense now!" Luck flew around with excitement, only to see his lord slowly approach the mouth of the cave. "My lord! Where are we going?"

"The charm effect will only last for thirty more minutes or so. We need to move fast if we want to reach the next cave and hide."

"I see! Do you have something in mind my lord?" Luck asked curiously as they exited the cave and were once again face to face with the bleak nighttime forest.

"Yes, Indeed I do… I've gotten a decent amount stronger hunting these past few days but I still think I'm fairly weak. I may not be able to fight all head-on, but I can certainly try other means. It was a shame I couldn't finish my meal a few minutes ago, I had to cut my feast early in that cave… For the past few days, I've been craving human blood. I haven't felt normal since, beast blood was never the same. And, it seems like I didn't even have to go searching for the meal, it just came right to me…"

****

The sky still pitch-black, nothing but the sound of odd beast cries, the wind, and crickets filling the air, small shakiness was spotted in the bushes. And, out of those bushes emerged various men, light along with completely armed with a mixture of excitement and seriousness on their faces.

"This one! The Guardian is in this cave!" Henlo, along with a group of armed men ran out of the forest and into a small, muddy clearing.

At the front of the five men was a man that clearly stood out.

Red, scruffy hair rigidly hung over his scarred, chiselled face. Clear brown eyes, sat wickedly within their sockets, as he peered deeply into that sorry excuse for a cave. His eyebrows were furrowed and his hands were placed firmly playing with his crimson beard. He stood towering over his men, seeming almost an entire foot taller. He wore standard yet pristine-looking armour with what seemed like a bastard sword hung firmly around his waist. And, something that could not have been so easily missed was the silver plate hanging off his neck like a dog tag, standing out compared to the bronze and iron ones from the people all around him.

There was nothing alluring to his look and demeanour, he seemed like a confident warlord right to his core.

"Henlo, doesn't that cave seem rather small to house the guardian?"

"The beast itself is not as big as the rumours said. I confirmed it with my own eyes!"

"Hmmmm… You sound quite confident… I trust you, I've known you long enough to do that"

"Sir, do you think that we should just blast spells from the outside and take it out?" Another man spoke from the back.

"No, that would be stupid. All the attacking spells you people know are fire spells, anyone knows that charred skin goes for much less on the market! It's best we lure the beast out into the open, and you just use your buffing spells to boost me and Henlo as we are the only good melee fighters here." Despite his look and deep voice, the leader seemed to be quite analytical and well thought out.

"Yes sir! Understood!" The man went back into his position, and backed off from the leader and Henlo at the front.

"Henlo, how deep is the cave exactly?"

"It was at least half a kilometre sir! It's very long, if I were to go in and lure it out, I doubt I would make it out alive… I'm definitely not fast enough." Henlo responded with a hint of disappointment and frustration.

"I'll do it sir! I'm the fastest on the team! I'm an assassin, I rarely ever lose in a contest of speed," Raymond, another man showed up from behind, cloaked in black and wearing abnormally light, cloth armour.

"Hmmmmm… We don't know the speed of this beast, it could very well be too much for us to handle in speed..." The leader once again took some time to ponder, rubbing his hands on his thick, scruffy beard. "You support mages, wait around the beginning to the middle section of the cave, give Raymond an initial speed boost as he goes in, and by the time he comes out and you see him again, cast your other speed spell that only lasts a few seconds, it should just about give him enough time to exit. So, Raymond, what do you think about that? Does this sound good for you?"

"Hmph," He chuckled with confidence. "I personally don't think I need the assistance but if you insist on it boss, I'll do it. Plus, I don't want this to backfire as much as all of you so I'll get this over with quick, we all need the money. But, you all have to be ready for when I come out with the beast!"

"Yes, of course, don't worry," The leader nodded with confidence, holding onto the hilt of his sword. "I'll cut it down as soon as I see it! Me and Henlo will be waiting for you all outside."

"Got it!" Raymond smiled, stretching himself before he walked up to the start of the cave, mouthing off seemingly inaudible words in a low voice that made his body glow different colours before he dashed with only a small light source in hand, the mages following behind, waiting towards the entrance of the cave.

As told, Henlo and the leader remained outside, a fighting stance taken with their hands over their blades.

That was when suddenly, they all heard a crash inside the cave, or more like a small thump, that was followed up by a loud echo from within.

"What the fuck! This cave's empty! And there's no beast in here at all!?"

"HENLO!? What is the meaning of this!?" The leader roared in outrage, a cold, thick killing intent from his gaze stabbing daggers at the clearly confused Henlo.

"I-I-I-I-I-I really d-don't know… I-I swear I checked it when I came,"

"Grph," He scoffed, and looked away from the shivering Henlo and redirected his gaze back at the cave. "Raymond! You and the others come back out! We have much to discuss!"

"Yes sir! Right away!" The response was quick and sharp, yet what followed was even quicker, sharper and stabbed deeper…

"I'm sorry… But this was the last discussion you will ever have…" A raw, distant voice softly entered their ears and slowly made its' way down their spines— something was clearly off… And, before they even had the chance to turn around, they witnessed as various spears of ice were flung from where the voice came, hitting directly above the cave.

Not too long after the impact, the entire cliffside began shaking immensely, and everything began tumbling down, rocks falling like cats and dogs.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!! AHHH! AHHHH!!"

"NIAAAAIAA!!"

[ +45 XP! ]

[ +60 XP! ]

[ +80 XP! ]

The entire cave collapsed on top of all of them, a mountain of rubble and smoke now in place of where the cave once stood.

And, watching the dust cloud with a gaping mouth and wide-open eyes were the bewildered leader of the group and the heavily sweating, ghost-like Henlo.

It was all so sudden and unbelievable…

"WHHOOOO DID THATTTT!!? YOU COWARRRRRDDD!"

And, eventually, their shock led them to turn around, only to see who exactly did what they just witnessed.

It was a man in Goldcrest city guard armour that looked less than pristine, he wore a tightly fit helmet that did not well hide his ashen hair and especially his predator-like, blood-red gaze that pierced through the deep darkness of the night.

The sight of seeing him led to absolute outrage, yet a hint of hesitation from the leader who immediately recognized him and his race. Yet, in Henlo, all that seeing him insighted was fear and disbelief unlike ever before, his face turning deathly pale as he mumbled.

"F-friend… I-is that you…"