Arise

"Now, if you would be so kind as to step closer to me." 

Alvin gave a small nod and stepped closer to Vanessa. She began chanting a spell, her voice smooth and unwavering. Within moments, a magic circle enveloped them, glowing faintly before—

Woosh.

In an instant, they vanished.

The wind whistled through the now-empty battlefield, rustling leaves and carrying the scent of blood through the air. Everything moved like usual; the cloud drifted as if nothing had happened. The tall trees of the majestic forest swayed gently in the wind; the dead remained dead.

Except for the one who wasn't.

A hand twitched.

A man who should have been dead breathed once more.

The man shuddered, with his face planted into the ground, before a muffled cough broke the silence.

Wang Chen turned his face to the side and coughed violently as he spat out dust and blood.

"Pfft! …Gah!"

His arms and legs were devoid of their previous strength. Pain coursed through his limbs like fire. His breathing was ragged, each inhale scraped against his ribs like a dull blade.

Wang Chen used the back side of his hands and wrist to push and turn around slightly. He didn't dare roll onto his back as the senbons were sticking out of his flesh, so he only used his unharmed left arm as a support to lie on.

His entire torso was covered in dirt, dried blood, and crushed grass leaves. He glanced down at his right leg, his fingers curled around something. Grimacing in pain, he yanked it out and tossed it aside.

"That damned vampire!" Wang Chen spat coldly, his jaws clenched as another wave of pain coursed through his body.

He forced his head to move around with great difficulty; his ears picked up the faint howls of wild animals in the forest, and his expression darkened. "I have to get out of here."

Summoning what little strength he had left, Wang Chen pushed himself to his feet—only to stagger as pain lanced through his injured leg and arm. He gritted his teeth. The needles embedded in his body made even small movements feel very painful, but he had no choice.

'I will have my revenge the next time!'

With hatred burning in his heart, the defeated hunter dragged himself out of the forest. Eventually, he found himself on a desolate road, where a black car with matte paint and no headlights sat waiting.

Click.

Wang Chen yanked the door of the car open and pulled the small lever to open the trunk. 

Inside the trunk was a first aid kit that sat neatly in place. Sitting on the edge of the trunk, he let out a low growl as he ripped the needles from his back one by one; his fingers dripped with his fresh blood.

Wang Chen was happy that his wounds were far away from giving him any fatal injuries. He really thanked his luck for this coincidence.

As soon as he was patched up, he climbed into the driver's seat, exhaling slowly to steady himself.

Vroooom!

Then, with a firm gaze, he stepped on the pedals, and the car roared to life, zooming through the empty highway and weaving through the bustling streets of the city. He jumped several red lights, but not a single officer stopped him—not a single patrol car gave chase.

It wasn't until he reached his destination—a towering skyscraper with mirrored glass windows—that he finally hit the brakes.

The moment Wang Chen stepped out of the car, heads turned.

Pedestrians slowed their steps, their curious gazes locked onto him.

A shirtless man, bandaged and battered, walking with an air of complete indifference? That wasn't a sight people saw every day.

"Hey, who the hell is that pervert?" Someone muttered.

"Where's security?" A woman screeched in panic while sneaking glances with her head turned away from the man.

Some passersby simply shrugged and continued on their way, while others eagerly pulled out their phones to snap photos or record videos.

Despite the attention, Wang Chen remained unfazed. His expression was relaxed—almost lazy, as if he hadn't just crawled out of the jaws of death.

Then, the people who were screaming for the security to act saw something strange happen. The building's security guards at the entrance didn't stop him. They didn't even question him. Instead, they bowed slightly as he passed by them; a flicker of unease flickered through their stone-cold faces.

"Was that some rich man in disguise or something?" The scene sent a ripple of shock pulsing through the crowd. Those who were waiting for some kind of drama scowled in annoyance; they shouted some curses at the guards before putting away their phones and leaving the scene.

Ting!

Inside the building, the elevator doors slid shut behind Wang Chen as he stepped inside. 

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an ID card and swiped it inside a small vertical slot beside the keypad.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the screen flickered green. A symbol appeared—two letters overlapping, 'H' and 'X.'. Then, rather than ascending, the elevator descended rapidly.

The numbers on the screen blinked as the speed climbed to 78 km per hour almost instantly. Then 89 km per hour.

And it kept on increasing.

It was a weird sensation—descending at such a speed.

Seconds later, the speed began to decrease, and the elevator gradually came to a halt.

The doors slip open.

Wang Chen's eyes squinted a little when he was suddenly greeted by the sight of a huge monitor that glowed brightly with different tabs. Each section of the screen displayed a different scene.

Some were CCTV feeds from various cities. Others were grainy, black-and-white footage from hidden cameras. But then there were the more disturbing ones—surveillance footage inside private homes, bedrooms, and living rooms, showing people doing their own private things and even mobile device screens that kept shifting between different conversations.

'No matter how many times I see this, it never gets less disturbing.' Wang Chen shivered and paused for a second, seeing the screen. Suppressing the displeasure in his heart, he stepped forward on the metal bridge leading to the center of the room.