Chapter Two: The Vampire Reconnaissance Squad

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Outside the window, the night was drenched in rain.

With each flash of lightning and rumble of thunder, something inhuman drew nearer. A massive bat flapped its wings through the storm, its monstrous form illuminated in the electric light. Unlike ordinary bats, its body appeared eerily human in shape.

It was as if some fantastical creature—a bat fiend, perhaps, from a tale of magic—had come to life.

Beneath it, crawling along the winding streets of the small town, were two hunched figures. They moved with a grotesque gait, occasionally rising shakily onto two legs, as if sniffing the air for a scent.

“One giant bat, two ghouls—a classic combination.”

“What?” Arlyris asked, puzzled.

Though they had been fleeing for their lives and had fought these monsters, she had never seen such creatures before, and until now, they called all of them simply “monsters.”

“The monsters have names. Wait—hold still,” Kana said abruptly, pressing Arlyris down beside him and ducking his own head, motionless.

Startled by his sudden action, Arlyris hesitated but obeyed, becoming still as a statue.

A strange, intangible ripple swept over them.

Amidst the thunder, both felt a ringing in their ears.

It was different from the games, yet not by much, Kana thought.

This was how the giant bat scouted for prey. If one moved even slightly during this wave, detection was almost certain.

Even on a stormy, thunderous night like this, it was perilous.

The sign was the faint ringing in the ears—a warning that the bat’s probing soundwaves had passed through them, but they had not been discovered.

If the ringing came and went suddenly, like a fleeting illusion, and one happened to be moving, then the bat would find them.

Anyone unfamiliar with this mechanism would notice nothing amiss—until the giant bat hunted them down in their hiding place.

Especially now, as these monsters had only just appeared.

A guttural howl tore through the lull in the thunder—the cry of a ghoul below.

It seemed the three soldiers were done for.

“It’s safe to move now. We have to get out of here. Take off your armor—it’s too noisy, it will give us away.”

Arlyris’s armor was already battered and broken, and even the slightest movement caused it to clatter loudly.

She was also unable to move freely.

“But…” she began to protest.

“Trust me, Arlyris. We must escape from here,” Kana insisted.

“…Very well.”

She relented with a nod.

Her left leg was broken; wearing full armor was a heavy burden.

She began to remove it.

After a while, as Kana watched the window, he noticed the silence behind him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Forgive me, Your Highness, I can’t manage it alone.”

Of course—it wasn’t a game, there was no quick change of equipment. Kana realized.

“I’ll help you,” he said, wasting no time.

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He soon discovered a problem: how did one actually remove this thing?

In the game, you didn’t need to worry about such details.

“Here, Your Highness…” Arlyris guided him, watching his hands, her thoughts unreadable.

Soon, the outer armor was off. Underneath, she still wore light under-armor, offering some minimal protection.

“Come, let’s leave this building,” Kana said, helping her up and handing her sword.

Arlyris pointed to the corner.

“Your sword, Your Highness.”

“Oh,” Kana replied, realizing and retrieving it.

He glanced at the weapon in his hand, his eyes lighting up.

“Crimson Blade.”

But, judging by its appearance, it hadn’t yet been tainted by the crimson power.

Without the dark, blood-red aura, it actually looked much better.

He put it away for now—this was not the time for such thoughts.

Supporting Arlyris, they hurried down the stairs.

The old wooden building creaked and groaned under their swift movements.

“Your Highness, we’re making too much noise, we might attract the enemy,” Arlyris whispered.

They had fled all the way from the royal capital, fighting monsters they’d never seen before. Arlyris knew how sharp the monsters' hearing was.

“Don’t worry, the soldiers distracted them. Now’s our chance.”

They descended quickly. As soon as they reached a hole in the wall to make their escape, a distant scream pierced through the rain.

It was unmistakably a man’s voice.

“That’s Matt,” Arlyris recognized.

So, it was that foul-mouthed soldier.

If he had come with them, maybe his chances of survival would have been higher. Or so Kana thought to himself.

“This is our chance,” Kana said, helping Arlyris as they splashed through the muddy streets, weaving between houses and alleys.

“Which way?” Kana asked. He had hazy memories in his mind, clearer the closer he came to the time he’d crossed over.

But the original owner of this body had left nothing but panic and curses in his memory—no useful information at all.

“That way—the town’s exit,” Arlyris pointed.

So, they’d hidden themselves just after entering the town.

Thunder rolled overhead.

Suddenly, Kana stopped, squeezing Arlyris’s shoulder.

She understood instantly, and they pressed themselves into the shadows.

The ringing in their ears returned.

This was the second time, and even in her weakened state, Arlyris realized the significance.

The ringing meant they were being searched for.

But… she glanced at Kana, who remained absolutely still.

After a few moments, Kana spoke.

“Not just one patrol? Trouble.”

Had it been before, even at level two or three, he would have been confident he could clear out two teams of vampire sentinels in this town.

He had no status screen, but from experience, he could tell this body was only level one at best.

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And it was only the most basic state, the kind an utterly powerless person would have.

The sensation was all too familiar.

After all, he’d never forgotten the shock of his first virtual game beta test.

He’d played a few accounts after the official launch, so he was sensitive to the feeling and stats of a novice body.

If only he had a stats panel.

He pressed on.

Just ahead lay the plaza—wide open, no cover. They’d be easy prey.

He spotted a nearby house with a broken wall and led Arlyris inside to take a detour.

They had barely entered another room when a sudden gust swept toward them.

Crack!

A wooden club shattered.

“Monster! Die!”

Someone had attacked them from behind the door, but Arlyris blocked the blow. The club broke against her arm, and she retaliated with a punch, sending the attacker—a townsperson—crashing into the wall, unconscious.

A shrill scream followed.

They had been discovered.

So, there were still people in the town. Not everyone had fled with the main group, and some had managed to avoid the vampire patrols—until now, when they happened upon them.

“Your Highness, go! I’ll cover you,” Arlyris said, drawing her sword, bracing herself on one leg against the wall.

Kana considered her for a moment, then nodded. “Be careful.”

He slipped out the inner door.

Arlyris watched his retreating figure, her eyes holding neither sorrow nor despair.

Yes, this was how His Highness ought to behave.

She thought so.

When Kana had first awoken, his behavior had been so unlike himself that she wondered if she’d been bewitched.

Now, seeing him act as he once did, she felt reassured.

She gripped her sword, turning toward the source of the noise.

She had never imagined she could escape in her current state—her only wish was to help His Highness as much as she could before her end.

It was not out of loyalty to Kana, but to the Queen, whom she owed her life.

Only days before, when the capital fell, the Queen had asked her to protect Kana.

It was a request she had accepted without hesitation, vowing her allegiance to the kind and perfect Queen who had saved her.

She would die before His Highness.

A tremendous crash sounded.

The wooden wall splintered as the enemy burst in.