CHAPTER 658: [BLOOD MOON WAR] [3] FIRST TOWN FIRST TROUBLE

Two hours later, we were still walking.

Still no sign of shelter.

Still no water.

And the sun? Still blazing — brighter than ever.

I glanced at Alicia again. She was pushing through it, but it was starting to show. Her shoulders drooped a little more with every step. Sweat beaded at her brow, and her usual calm was slipping, replaced by sheer exhaustion.

It wasn’t that she was physically weak. Not at all. But she was a creature of the night. Born and raised in the cool, moonlit regions of her homeland — a place where the sun rarely touched the ground and a chilly mist hung in the air even at midday. Being exposed to relentless sunlight like this was... well, if not painful, definitely draining. And worse — we had no water.

And no blood.

For Alicia, that was even more critical. Vampires could go without it for a while, sure, but not indefinitely. She needed a supply. Needed to replenish what she lost.

And after what happened the last time I drank from her — no, after I forced her to give blood — I couldn’t imagine her willingly asking me to return the favor now. She was maybe still feeling awkward about it.

Still, I tried. "Don’t you have any blood stored in your spatial ring?"

I figured it’d be standard for a vampire to keep an emergency supply. Kind of like carrying a water bottle or a snack — but for fangs.

Alicia shook her head, barely turning. "No... I didn’t think I’d need it."

Right. She hadn’t planned on being randomly transported into the middle of a sun-scorched nowhere. None of us had.

Understandable.

What exactly was she planning to do if not ask me for blood?

Just stop someone random on the road and go, "Hey, mind giving me a sip of your blood?"

Yeah, right.

Whether in Ravenia or Valachia, there was an entire infrastructure in place for that—blood supply lines, purification systems, regulated markets. Everything was set up so vampires wouldn’t have to attack civilians just to survive. Even those who didn’t have a bonded partner had access to purified blood, distributed in neat little vials or packets like some twisted version of bottled water.

But here? In the middle of this sun-scorched desert?

I highly doubted we’d stumble upon a vampire blood shop nestled between cacti and sand dunes. Out here, there was no infrastructure. No cities. No civilization. Just dust and rock.

I glanced sideways at Alicia. She hadn’t said anything about it, but I knew she had to be thinking about it too—how long she could last without feeding. Hopefully, we’d reach a town soon. If not... well, I wasn’t sure what would happen.

Luckily, about two hours later, just as the sun began to bleed into the horizon and the sky surrendered to the deep crimson glow of a looming moon, something changed. The desert ground finally ended, giving way to a weathered path that led toward a settlement.

A town.

From a distance, it looked almost... picturesque. But not in a good way. It wasn’t the ruined, ghost-town type of place I’d feared—it actually looked decently intact—but there was something off about it. A kind of eerie stillness in the air, like the place was trapped in a memory it didn’t want to let go of.

It felt like stepping into a medieval European town but in the wrong time. The wrong kind, the one with curses and monsters in the dark.

The moment we passed through the town’s archway, the atmosphere changed.

People stared.

And not in the curious-but-friendly way. This was full-on suspicion.

My eyes narrowed.

High Humans?

No mistaking the features.

But... their clothes?

It was like we’d walked into a time capsule.

Women were dressed in long tunics, laced corsets cinched tightly at their waists, the skirts brushing the dusty cobblestones. Men wore collared tunics tucked into high-waisted pants held up with suspenders, thick boots stomping across the street like they belonged in some old frontier drama.

No mana cars, bike or shining skycraspers or screen projecting recent news.

Alicia and I stuck out like sore thumbs. Not just because of how we looked—but what we were wearing. Our modern attire probably looked alien to them. The stares we were getting weren’t just curious—they were borderline hostile.

What the hell is going on here?

Instinctively, I glanced down at the bracelet Viessa had given me, still wrapped snugly around my wrist. But the once-glimmering crystal embedded in it had shattered completely—only the green band remained, dull and inert.

My heart skipped a beat.

No way.

Could it be...?

Did we actually get pulled back in time?

Was that even possible?

"Kyaaa!"

A sudden, piercing shriek shattered the stillness of the town square.

I whipped my head around, just in time to see a woman tumble backward, landing hard on the cobblestones. Her eyes were wide with horror, and her trembling finger pointed straight at Alicia.

"A–A Vampire!"

The word fell from her lips like a stone into still water—and the ripple effect was immediate.

Panic exploded.

The once-quiet town square turned into chaos. Children who had been laughing and chasing each other a moment ago now screamed and bolted down alleyways. Adults dropped baskets and tools in a frenzy, shoving past one another as they tried to escape.

"The Witch has sent her army!"

What?

Army? Seriously?

"Run!"

"Call the knights!"

"Someone help! A Vampire is here!"

They were all losing it. It was like they’d never seen a Vampire before.

I glanced at Alicia beside me. She stood still, her eyes vacant and half-lidded, the lack of blood clearly weighing heavily on her. Her pale face and the dark shadows under her eyes probably didn’t help calm the masses—she looked like death incarnate, silent and unblinking.

Now maybe I couldn’t blame the kids to be terrified.

Then came the metallic clatter of boots and chainmail.

Several armored figures stormed into view from down the main street, weapons drawn—swords, lances, the works. Their armor wasn’t full-plate, more like chainmail and partial pieces strapped onto leather tunics. Light, quick, probably a city watch or a local knight order.

"Damn it... it’s true, guys!" One of them shouted, halting a few feet from us. "She’s really a Vampire!"

"But she’s alone," another muttered, confused. "Where’s the army?"

"She’s still a Vampire—don’t let your guard down!"

"I know!"

They spread out, forming a loose perimeter around us. But it was clear—they weren’t looking at me. All eyes were on Alicia.

And then a new voice stood out.

"Oh? What do we have here?"

One man stepped forward, larger than the rest. Broad shoulders, smug grin, and a longsword resting casually on his shoulder like it was a walking stick. He had that air about him—the kind of guy who thought the world owed him everything.

"Sir Ben, we found a Vampire!" One of the knights said, half-relieved.

"I can see that, dumbass," Ben replied, barely glancing at his men. His gaze swept over Alicia with quite hunger. "Damn... she might just be the hottest woman I’ve ever seen."

Alicia’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of emotion finally returning to her face—contempt, maybe, or disgust—but she said nothing.

Ben licked his lips, not even bothering to hide it. "I’m taking this one for myself."

The knights around him blinked. "But... Sir Ben, she’s a Vampire!"

"So?" He scoffed. "She’s alone. Look at her—she’s exhausted, barely standing. And have you seen her? Goddess damn. Help me restrain her, and maybe I’ll let you fuck her for a few hours after I had enough with her."

There was a pause.

Then, like dogs catching the scent, the rest of them started eyeing Alicia differently. Their stares shifted—fear giving way to something darker, something vile. They gulped audibly, their weapons lowering just a little as their minds wandered somewhere they shouldn’t.

Ben stepped forward, cocky and certain. "You look tired, sweetheart. Starving, right? Must be hard walking around without blood. Don’t worry..." He grinned, baring yellow teeth. "It’s gonna be real easy from here on out. How about you just surrender, and I promise I’ll be gentle tonight?"

"How about you call it a day, Uncle Ben?"

I stepped forward, planting myself between him and Alicia.

Alicia didn’t say anything—she couldn’t. She was pale, barely upright, swaying slightly from blood loss. The last thing she needed was to waste her energy on scum like this.

"A... Human?"

"What’s he doing?"

"Is he insane?"

"Why’s he protecting a Vampire?!"

"Don’t tell me he’s been bewitched—!"

The crowd erupted in confused whispers, and a few of the people who had fled earlier were now peeking out from behind doors and shutters, their wide eyes fixed on me. I could feel their stares—fear, curiosity... awe?

Ben’s grin faltered for just a second as his gaze swept over me. His eyes narrowed as he took in my appearance—my white hair, my clean clothes, and my overall appearance.

"Who the hell are you, little boy?" He asked, voice dipped in mockery. "I hope for your sake you haven’t fallen under the Witch’s spell..."

But even as he said it, I could tell he didn’t fully believe it. Not yet. There was too much doubt in his voice, too much uncertainty in his eyes.

"Hey, Sir Ben..." One of the knights murmured behind him. "He might be someone important. Maybe a noble?"

"Yeah, just look at him. He doesn’t look like a peasant...he looks hella clean."

They were muttering amongst themselves, second-guessing. But Ben just snorted, waving a dismissive hand.

"I’m the one giving the orders here," he said. "And I say that brat’s done for. Kill him. The Vampire’s mine. She needs to be punished for whatever spell she’s cast on him."

The others hesitated for a second.

Then nodded.

"What a bunch of wussies," I muttered, loud enough for them all to hear.

"What... what did you just say?!" One of them barked, stepping forward.

But when I met his eyes—just a casual glance—he flinched like he’d been slapped and promptly clamped his mouth shut.

I took a breath and straightened up slightly, keeping my hands casually tucked in the pockets of my hoodie.

"Look, we’re not here to cause trouble. We just need a place to stay—food, a bed, blood for her," I said. "You get us that, and I might forgive the little show you just put on."

Silence fell right after my words.

And then—

Ben burst out laughing.

Like really laughing, full belly-laugh, doubled over. His men followed suit a second later, their laughter less genuine but loud enough to echo down the streets. The townspeople watched from their hiding places, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Oh man..." Ben said between laughs, wiping a tear from his eye. "You’ve definitely been charmed by the Witch. That’s a damn shame. You’d have made a pretty nice little plaything for the noble lasses."

I sighed, the amusement gone from my face. My voice dropped several degrees as I spoke again.

"I’ll say this once —and only once," I said coldly. "Pull back if you value your lives."

Ben sneered.

"Shut the fuck up!"

One of the knights lunged forward, lance aimed at my chest, moving fast, clearly thinking I’d freeze or dodge.

I didn’t move.

"Reflect," I whispered.

-Spurt!

The sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out a heartbeat later.

The man who had attacked me choked, blood spilling from his lips as he staggered. His own lance had reversed in the air and driven itself straight through his chest. He dropped to his knees, then collapsed in a pool of his own blood, twitching once before going still.

The town square froze.

For a breathless moment, nothing moved.

Then came the screams—civilians shrieking in terror, some running, others slamming their windows shut.

But these trashes disguised as knights readied their weapons, panic morphing into aggression.

Ben’s face twisted in rage.

"Kill that bastard and restrain the woman!!" He roared.

They charged.

I slowly pulled my hands out from my hoodie pockets.

"I warned you."