Chapter 55: What is going on in Harmony Town?

October 05, 2025

Ethan had just enjoyed one of the best afternoon naps of his life - peaceful, relaxing, and most importantly, nightmare-free - on a bed that was soft, fragrant, and incredibly clean.

After stretching and yawning lazily, he reached around the bedside table, feeling around for his phone.

It was already 5:30 PM.

Which meant he'd been out cold for a full four hours after lunch.

Ethan thought that was a bit much for a nap - but it couldn't be helped. He still hadn't recovered from the sleepless night before. On top of that, he'd been forced to overexert himself earlier that morning with a combination of jogging, mountain climbing, and push-ups.

He sat up slowly and got off the bed. His whole body ached, and sharp pain shot through various spots on his legs - but he grit his teeth, endured it, and limped toward the window.

Outside the arched window of the attic room, the sun was dipping gently toward the horizon, tinting the ocean in golden orange hues. In the distance, rainbow-colored clouds drifted swiftly through the pinkish-purple sky, riding the sea breeze.

Twilight was falling over the French-style villa. As sunlight retreated from the house, the air turned cooler and more pleasant.

And just like that… all the Vampires in the house were beginning to wake up after hours of deep sleep.

Ethan could feel them approaching - through the subtle twitching at the mark on his neck. The Bloodbound mark - left by Autumn when she drank 1500ml of his blood last Friday night.

Knock knock knock.

There came a steady knock on the door.

"You guys can come in." 

Ethan called out. He was entirely sure the Vampires outside meant him no harm.

"No! You have to say, 'Please come in' first!"

A girl's voice replied sweetly from the other side of the door.

"Huh? Why? Just come in already!"

Even though he'd given permission, the door remained shut. Ethan rushed over and opened it himself.

The attic door swung wide open - but strangely, Autumn, Royce, and Felix were all standing perfectly still outside, not stepping in.

"Royce! Your skin's the thickest - go first."

Royce didn't bother arguing Autumn's order. He extended his arm past the doorway. 

Instantly, his skin turned bright red as if it had been roasted. He yanked his arm back the moment it began to emit a faint smoke.

"The main door and windows in this room have UV sensors that react to Vampires. Even a Vampire who's never tasted human blood will get burned if they cross the threshold without being invited in by the room's owner."

Ethan nodded thoughtfully at Autumn's explanation. He hadn't expected Mr. Silvan to be that thorough.

"Jeez, even humans can get skin cancer from these stupid UV rays - what do you think they do to Vampires like us?"

Royce grumbled, eyeing the hidden UV lights embedded in the doorway with visible caution. His arm had already fully regenerated the moment it was no longer exposed to that invisible beam.

"Okay… 'Please come in,' then."

With Ethan's official invitation, Autumn, Royce, and Felix stepped through the doorway safely - no sizzling, no burns.

"Whoa. What happened to you, bro? You look like a train wreck."

Royce shot Ethan a curious glance. Visible parts of Ethan's body were scraped and bruised. They were battle scars from the "Escape from Vampire" training Mr. Silvan had personally put him through that morning.

"Your wounds don't heal up right away? Human bodies are fragile, huh?"

Felix chimed in, clearly enjoying himself. No surprise - his own body had already regenerated so thoroughly there wasn't even a trace left from the artificial heart surgery.

Ethan flinched when he realized Autumn was suddenly standing right next to him.

"I'll do it myself."

Autumn was about to stick a bandage on his cheek, but Ethan gently took the small Urgo patch from her hand instead.

Autumn's face visibly fell, her expression turning sour. That reaction made Ethan feel guilty. After everything they'd been through together the previous night, he was now acting all stiff and distant.

He didn't want to push her away. Not even a little.

But his mind still echoed with Mr. Silvan's warning - that ominous message about the consequences of getting too close to his precious daughter.

And now that Ethan knew the room's doors had UV sensors, he strongly suspected Mr. Silvan might've installed cameras in here too.

Better safe than sorry. While living under Mr. Silvan's roof, Ethan figured he should keep at least half a meter of distance from Autumn at all times.

He let out a long, weary sigh like a tired little old man.

So in the end… where was really safer for him right now? Mr. Silvan's house or Harmony Town?

Then, like a spark, a thought ignited in Ethan's mind - clear and determined.

"Since the three of you are here, I want to ask something directly. I hope you'll give me a straight answer. Tell me - what exactly is going on in Harmony Town right now?"

His voice was earnest and serious. Because step one… was understanding the real situation.

"Once upon a time, about a thousand years ago… Harmony Town was just an obscure little fishing village lying by what could be considered the most beautiful beach in Vietnam today. Perhaps thanks to eating seafood and swimming in the sea daily, the blood quality of the villagers back then was said to be the best of its time. That's why the nameless fishing village fell into the vortex of war - each of the 12 Great Vampire Houses fought to claim every inch of land, every single villager. The war only ended when the beautiful daughter of the village chief married…"

Felix began in a melodic voice, like he was reading a fairy tale to children. But Royce cut him off immediately.

"Nonsense! A thousand years ago, Harmony Town was caught between two nations - Dai Co Viet and Champa. Sometimes it belonged to one, sometimes to the other. Being trapped between two kingdoms turned it into a brutal battlefield - blood flowing like rivers, corpses piled high, even the grass withered…"

The moment Royce mentioned the word BLOOD, the eyes of every Vampire in the room briefly gleamed with unmistakable hunger.

"…Meanwhile, the 12 Great Vampire Houses were also waging a war among themselves for dominance. A war of fangs and claws that left all of them gravely wounded. At that point, they needed a massive source of human blood to heal and regenerate."

"One house realized the potential of the human battlefields. They took advantage of the blood from dying soldiers of both nations. By absorbing the blood of such fierce warriors, the Vampires of that house developed supernatural abilities. Not only that, they also used the half-dead soldiers to create an army of Feral Vampires to serve them."

Ethan winced at the imagery. He was reminded of old folktales describing villagers who accidentally encountered ghostly legions of soldiers - like demons risen straight from Hell.

"In the end, the Royal House unified the 12 Great Vampire Houses and proclaimed an empire. They built their first capital in a treacherous mountainous region, surrounded by rivers and forests. The location of the current Ancient Fortress is believed to be built upon the ruins of one of the outer strongholds that once protected that ancient capital. And the Royal House held power until as late as the 1800s…"

"That's just a theory!"

Felix exclaimed, cutting off Royce's lecture on Vampire history.