Chapter 15: Hunting

Emily nestled in the dormitory and slept for a whole day, feeling for the first time that the dormitory was safe and comforting, relieving her fatigue. She still couldn't believe that she had slept in the castle so fearlessly the previous night. Thinking back now, she felt a sense of dread.

As the sun set, Emily's heart tightened, and she became increasingly nervous. But when night fell, what was supposed to happen still happened. The scent of magnolia permeated the air, and at this moment, Emily was afraid of smelling anything related to the vampires. She didn't want to catch a whiff of that scent.

She stood by the window and saw Benjamin looking at her intently. He sighed and walked away. She knew that even if she didn't go out, Benjamin would still climb up later, and the outcome would be the same.

Benjamin handed her an unwrapped box with a popular brand of smartphone printed on it. Emily's gloom instantly vanished as she opened the box and played with the phone.

Benjamin watched her with a smile. She was still just a child, so easily delighted by a gift. It was hard to believe that this girl, who was so excited about a new phone, was the same person who had been a ruthless monster last night, unless one had witnessed it firsthand.

After fiddling with the phone for a while, Emily suddenly glared at Benjamin, her expression fierce. She sternly said, "Don't think I'll forgive you just because of a phone!"

"In truth, Boris wouldn't really harm you," Benjamin explained.

"They sent ten people! Ten of them! Those monsters drugged and yet they shamelessly claim they don't want to harm me!"

"This was just a trial, meant to test your survival instincts. It increases the chances of success during the Embrace. Boris did it for your own good. If you were really in danger last night, we would have gone in to save you," Benjamin explained, although he lacked confidence in his words. If Emily couldn't handle it, would Boris go in to save her or abandon her as a pawn?

Emily snorted forcefully. "Embrace! Embrace! I haven't even agreed to it yet!"

Benjamin shook his head helplessly. What difference does it make if she agrees or not? It was a done deal.

"Tell me, what's your motive for coming to see me today? I don't want to be toyed with by you like a monkey anymore!" Emily pointed her finger at Benjamin's nose and questioned him.

Benjamin shrugged and gestured toward the phone in Emily's hand.

Emily quickly held the phone close to her chest, protecting it like a puppy guarding its food.

"I came here to apologize to you! And also to take you out to relax," Benjamin said, looking at Emily's childish expression. He smiled, and his eyelashes trembled slightly. The deep pools of his eyes seemed to dim the brilliance of the stars.

Seeing his genuine smile, Emily let her guard down. She put the phone and charger in her bag and threw the box in the trash. "Let's go, take me to have some fun!" she said, emphasizing once again, "But not the castle!"

Benjamin nodded, lowering his head to conceal the smile playing on his lips. Ever since becoming a vampire, his smiles had become rare. But being with this girl always made him easily smile, as if his once aged heart had regained its youth.

"Where do you want to go?" Benjamin asked with a smile.

Emily looked up at the sky, contemplating. The city was bustling but lacked excitement. It was nothing like the countryside where she spent her childhood – the flowing rivers, deep forests. In the eyes of city dwellers, it might be considered impoverished and desolate, but in her eyes, it was a true paradise. And it had a beautiful name: Wei Yu Village.

With these thoughts, Emily began to miss home. She wondered how her mother was doing and she still had a month until her vacation. Wei Yu Village was like an isolated utopia, untouched by modern development. Even a phone call couldn't be made when she missed her mother.

"Haven't decided yet?" Benjamin coughed twice, interrupting Emily's thoughts.

"Let's go hunting!" Emily suggested.

That sentence almost made Benjamin choke on his own saliva. "Hunting?"

Emily gave him a disdainful look. "Of course not hunting humans!"

Benjamin awkwardly chuckled. After being a vampire for so long, some of his thinking had completely diverged from that of humans. But hunting for what could a human girl possibly be hunting at this time of night?

Emily didn't explain either. She grabbed Benjamin's hand and started running when there was no one around. Two hundred kilometers away from Cyberville, there was a magnificent mountain called Miaoshan, a tourist attraction affiliated with Cyberville. Emily had wanted to come here for a long time, but Olivia and the others were homebodies who didn't like going out, so she never found the opportunity.

When they reached the foot of Miaoshan, Emily was panting heavily from the sprint. She wasn't used to exercising much, so running two hundred kilometers all of a sudden left her feeling completely exhausted. Benjamin, on the other hand, showed no signs of exhaustion.

The two of them looked up at the towering peak, experiencing a unique feeling in the darkness.

"Hunting here?" Benjamin was somewhat incredulous. Since it was a tourist attraction, it would be a place where people gathered, and where there were people, there were few animals. He couldn't understand what Emily meant by hunting in this place.

In reality, only a small part of Miaoshan had been developed for tourists. The majority of it remained in its original, untouched state. Due to the ancient forest, the government only selected a portion and built stairs and cable cars.

Emily looked at Miaoshan, her eyes shining. She pulled Benjamin along the mountain's foothills and started running, reaching a completely desolate area. She gave Benjamin a cryptic smile and plunged into the dark forest on her own.

Boris had once said that there were too many unknown things in this world, even after living for three thousand years. There were still undiscovered species. So Boris often educated Benjamin, advising him not to be rash or impulsive. If a place should be avoided, then it should be avoided. Some species could maintain their mystery for thousands of years, indicating that they must possess incredibly powerful abilities. If one were to unintentionally disturb them, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In forests as ancient as this one, Boris never allowed Benjamin to get near. But Emily had already disappeared into the forest, leaving Benjamin no choice but to grit his teeth and follow. This girl's curiosity could really be the death of her.

The dense layers of the forest were filled with trees whose roots twisted and tangled together. It was impossible to determine their age. Boris said that those thousand-year-old plants and trees had their own spirits, and if they were disrespected, they would seek revenge. Of course, these were all legends, and no one had ever verified them.

As Benjamin looked at the trees around him, he unconsciously slowed his pace. The branches swayed in the wind, taking on a sinister and terrifying appearance, as if each one was staring at him with malicious intent.

Emily, on the other hand, had a completely different expression from Benjamin's seriousness. She appeared incredibly excited, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. She looked left and right, occasionally leaping and jumping over the branches that blocked her way.

The evening breeze rustled the leaves, and birds were startled into flight, flock by flock, ascending into the sky. Other than that, it was eerily quiet. Occasionally, the hissing sound of a snake could be heard.

Benjamin watched Emily's figure from behind. Was it true that the young are fearless? How could this girl not know what fear was? But thinking about it, it made sense. If she knew fear, she wouldn't have easily followed them into the castle.

Arriving at the mountaintop, towering trees obscured the starry sky. Emily found the tallest tree nearby and leaped up, standing on top of it to admire the view. Although it was nighttime and the forest was pitch black, it still held a sense of terror. But ever since her powers awakened, her eyes had become remarkably effective in the darkness.

Benjamin quickly followed Emily's lead, climbing up to join her on a thick branch. They stood there, surveying their surroundings from the elevated mountain top. Due to the tree cover, the wind wasn't strong, and under the moonlight, it felt pleasantly breezy. After the life-and-death struggle they had just experienced, Emily found this moment to be quite serene.

She perked up her ears to listen to the sounds of the forest—the rustling of leaves, occasional bird songs, and the roars of wild beasts. As she listened intently, Emily suddenly burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Benjamin asked, puzzled.

"I heard the mating sounds of two wild boars!" Emily continued to giggle.

Baffled, Benjamin tilted his head and listened carefully. However, amidst the complex sounds of the forest, he couldn't distinguish the mating calls of two boars. He could only awkwardly admit that this young girl's abilities had surpassed his own, which secretly left him feeling a bit miffed.

As they laughed, Emily's gaze settled on a distant patch of light hidden within the forest. It flickered like a firefly's posterior, intermittently glowing and fading. Pointing towards the light, she asked, "What's that?"

Benjamin looked over but shook his head in response.

Without hesitation, Emily stomped her foot and leaped onto another tree in the direction of the light. Benjamin attempted to stop her but was a step too late. The branch beneath his feet swayed, almost causing him to lose balance. Seeing Emily already leaping far ahead, he had no choice but to follow suit. However, just as he took his first leap, he heard a scream followed by a thud. The girl had gotten carried away with her excitement, failed to hold on when jumping to another tree, and fell straight down.

Benjamin also heard the series of branches breaking as she descended, and finally, a dull thud as she hit the ground.

Benjamin jumped down in the same direction, intending to ask if she was hurt. After all, the height from which they had been leaping was not much different from a tall building. However, he quickly realized something was amiss, and his anger replaced his concern. He had been so preoccupied with Emily's well-being that he failed to notice the scent earlier.

It wasn't surprising that he hadn't noticed it. The forest was teeming with animals, and various smells were mingling together. It was understandable to overlook it for a moment. Emily leaned against a tree, and Benjamin positioned himself in front of her, shielding her from whatever was ahead. They were confronted by pairs of glowing green eyes, staring menacingly at them.