Chapter 60

Lennix didn't know how to react as he stared at the random man who had suddenly appeared, feeling a mixture of confusion and apprehension. Meanwhile, the man grinned at him, seemingly eager for the impending fight. "Uh, who are you?" Lennix asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that you are a worthy opponent who I can fight!" the man exclaimed enthusiastically, his short, wild yellow hair rustling in the wind. Lennix raised his hand, attempting to defuse the situation. "Wait a minute, I don't want to fight. This is all just a big—" But Lennix was cut off mid-sentence as the man launched his attack, closing the distance in an instant. His fist was mere inches away from Lennix's face, causing Lennix to panic internally. *Way—WAY too fast!* he thought as he narrowly dodged the punch by turning his head at the last moment. *I'm not even under the other guy's spell anymore, and that was still hard to dodge!*

Seeing Lennix dodge his punch, the man smiled with even more enthusiasm. "Wow! You're the first guy to ever dodge my punch!" he exclaimed. Meanwhile, Vrax and his party watched in shock, their gazes fixed on the man. Many onlookers in the crowd also recognized him, their eyes widening in realization.

"Is that... is that who I think it is!?" one of the onlookers exclaimed, prompting another to nod vigorously. "Yes, that's him," he confirmed, his voice breathless with anticipation. "We're saved! That monster's going to lose!" another onlooker exclaimed excitedly.

Hearing the crowd's reactions only made Lennix's panic escalate. *Who the hell is this guy? He's probably an adventurer, but he isn't wearing a badge.* Lennix observed as his eyes traced over the man's full white leather jacket and white pants. *What even is his rank?* he wondered, feeling increasingly uncertain about the situation.

"Uncle Lennix, what happened? Can I open my eyes now?" Mari exclaimed, still in Minx's arms. Lennix, not taking his eyes off the man, said, "No, Mari, keep your eyes closed. I'm doing just fine," his voice trembling slightly.

The man looked at Mari and pointed at her with excitement. "She's so cute! Who's she!?" he exclaimed. *Wow, he's easily distracted,* Lennix thought, observing the man's behavior. As the man turned back to him, looking like an overly excited puppy, Lennix replied, "She's, uh, the girl I take care of, I guess?" The man's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Wow! That's so cool!" he exclaimed, further confusing Lennix.

Meanwhile, Minx, seeing the fight getting derailed, yelled, "That thing's a vampire, and this child is under its charm!" in an attempt to incite the man to fight Lennix again. However, the man simply crossed his arms and smiled. "No! That cute girl isn't charmed! Their relationship is completely pure!" His statement left everyone feeling bewildered.

Vrax and his party, along with the onlookers, were shocked to learn that Mari wasn't charmed, while Lennix and Mari themselves were confused as to how the man could even know. "Wha-what are you saying?" Minx asked in confusion. Once again, the man exclaimed, "Their relationship is completely pure!" Which didn't really clarify much. Still, Minx looked down at Mari, wondering, *Did we attack someone innocent?* But then Vrax interjected, yelling, "That doesn't matter! He's still a vampire—a monster that preys on others! He still needs to be killed!"

Mari was on the verge of yelling at Vrax for being wrong about Lennix, but before she could, the man exclaimed, "I don't care!" which shut Vrax up. The man continued, "It doesn't matter if he's a vampire or not! It doesn't matter if he's good or not!"

Lennix felt a glimmer of hope, thinking that the fight might be avoided altogether. However, his optimism was short-lived as the man continued, "What matters is that I can fight him!" Lennix let out a resigned sigh.

"Why do you want to fight me so badly?" Lennix asked, his frustration evident in his voice. The man stared at him, genuinely perplexed. "I thought I already said so, because you're strong," he replied with a dumb grin.

"That's not a good reason!" Lennix exclaimed, feeling exasperated. In his mind, he couldn't help but think, *Is this what dealing with me is like? Goddess, this is frustrating!*

Lennix reluctantly assumed his fighting stance, realizing there was no other option. The man, seeing this, grew even more excited, bouncing on his feet before adopting his own fighting stance. "Yes! I'm finally going to fight someone who's strong!" he yelled enthusiastically.

Lennix let out another sigh before turning to Minx and saying, "Could you move a bit further away? I don't want Mari to somehow get caught in the crossfire." Minx looked at him uncertainly before nodding and backing further away from the impending fight. Meanwhile, Vrax and the other members of his party did the same, ensuring they wouldn't become inadvertently involved.

"Okay, given the fact that we're going to fight, can you at least tell me your name before we do?" Lennix asked, attempting to maintain some semblance of composure. The man rapidly nodded. "Sure! My name's Dash Ardent! What's yours?" he exclaimed.

Lennix froze upon hearing the name, his undead heart sinking as he struggled to process the situation. "Ex-excuse me, I-I think I mi-misheard you. Wh-what yo-your na-name again?" he asked, his voice trembling uncontrollably as he felt his legs shake and teeth clatter. Dash looked at him, perplexed, and repeated, "Dash Ardent. What's wrong?"

Lennix, once again questioning his existence, wanted to cry. *Why? What did I do to deserve this? I'm a bad guy, but come on, I'm not that bad, right? Ah, fuck my unlife.*

(Who truly is this man named Dash Ardent!? Why is Lennix so afraid to fight him!? Find out next time on: The Dark Novels!)