Chapter 118 - No Longer Involved

Two figures sprinted down the gray-white road of Jasmine Mansion.

The one in front was extremely disheveled, leaving bloody footprints with every step. The person behind followed unhurriedly, like a seasoned hunter navigating a dangerous jungle.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Cassius quickly removed the metal cylinder, replacing it with another one from a pouch at his waist; this one was filled with arrows. The mechanical crossbow Twilight used wasn't an ordinary one; it was a specially modified tool by Hellsing, capable of rapid fire, high reload capacity, and high damage.

"

Roar

!"

A bellow, like a cornered beast, echoed from the front. Charles seemed desperate, as he twisted around and charged at Cassius while he was in the midst of reloading. With his face distorted and fangs bared, he resembled an ugly black bat.

Cassius remained calm, easily sidestepping Charles's attack. He then turned and fired four arrows. One embedded itself in Charles's neck. It seemed to have severed an artery as blood gushed out, quickly puddling into a small pool on the ground.

Charles lay on the ground, trembling as his strength dwindled along with his blood. A hissing sound came from his throat as he clawed at the floor. He went still, seemingly dead.

Cassius didn't approach. He calmly checked the mechanism of his crossbow before raising it and firing madly.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Dozens of arrows sliced through the air under the moonlight, slamming into Charles's body.

The supposedly dead Charles sprang up, staggered a few steps, then collapsed. His body was now thoroughly pierced, resembling a porcupine.

"So he's a little intelligent, but he's still too inexperienced." Cassius stood where he was, reloading his crossbow with arrows from his waist pouch.

He then cautiously approached Charles's corpse, his steps following the trail of blood. Cassius remained vigilant, knowing that with his current strength, taking risks would only waste this time-travel opportunity.

He experienced just how difficult it was to deal with these dark creatures. These beings had an incredible ability to regenerate. Minor wounds were completely ineffective against them; terrible injuries, like severing limbs or splitting them in half, were the only thing that worked. Cassius’s Azure Wind Flow, which could cover his hands with high-speed currents, would be excellent to use, but his current body couldn't handle it yet. Cassius knew he needed to improve his physical condition to regain his full strength.

His immediate goal was to retrieve the vampire's heart for the mission and then seek the Black Rain Manor in the Anta Mountains.

His thoughts returning to the present, Cassius glanced at Emily, who was trembling behind the door. Without hesitation, he drew a gleaming dagger from his waist and stabbed into Charles's chest, splattering blood everywhere.

After some cutting, he extracted Charle’s heart. It was half the size of a human heart and slightly blackened; it was still beating vigorously. Cassius placed the heart in a bag and walked out of the mansion.

Rain washed away the blood on the gray stone road. Charles's body gradually turned cold, its warmth stolen by the raindrops. Holding an umbrella, Emily made her cautious approach from the door.

Breathing heavily, she looked down.

Crash!

A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, revealing Charles's grotesque face, fangs protruding, one eye destroyed, and the other blankly staring. His face was long and ugly, and looked like a rat or a bat.

After that rainy night, rumors spread in Nington City about vampire bats preying on beautiful young women. Likewise, tales of a black-clad hunter began circulating...

The night thundered and mist hovered above the stone slabs. Using an old trick, Cassius leaped over the mansion wall and landed in a puddle.

He scanned his surroundings. Due to the heavy rain, no one was in sight.

Recalling Twilight's memories, Cassius remembered renting a room at the Ivy Inn for the mission. The inn was located at 115 Baishi Street, which he could get to just by turning right onto Chenxi Street.

Cassius walked quickly, umbrella in hand. The rain was relentless, creating a constant drumbeat on the slightly trembling umbrella. He walked on the right side of the street, where the houses offered some reprieve from the rain.

The street was lined with houses, their dim lights barely illuminating the ground. The black street lamps posted intermittently helped Cassius see any obstacles ahead.

...I didn't expect to feel chilly just from getting a little wet...

Cassius twisted his neck, a bit exasperated. Twilight's body was tall and slender, about 1.75 meters. He had some streamlined muscles, but wasn't overly built. In terms of physique, Twilight was definitely fit compared to the average person, but it was a far cry from Cassius's original physique. This body was still in the category of "an average person," which meant if it got soaked in the rain, it would probably catch a cold.

Cassius quickened his pace.

At a corner, the streetlight cast a faint yellow glow, and the water flowing on the ground shimmered. The left side of the street led into an alley with a brass trash can placed at its entrance, while an old boxy car parked on the right side. It looked like any ordinary street.

Cassius had only walked a few steps forward when a familiar scene flashed in his mind, overlapping with the present.

The rain, the dim lights, the white stone street, the old car... Twilight, severely injured, lying on the street, the woman opening the door...

Wasn't this where Twilight, gravely wounded after a desperate fight with the Blood Race, stumbled away and was saved by Julia?

Cassius could even hear Julia softly humming the melody that Twilight had heard upon waking after falling unconscious for a day. Twilight had fallen in love with her then.

But Cassius didn't care about Twilight's love. The altered events meant Julia would no longer get entangled with Twilight and wouldn't meet a tragic end.

Cassius decided to quickly walk past.

Suddenly, a creak came from ahead as the door opened.

A blonde woman stepped out, holding an umbrella. She had a bag in her left hand and a shoulder bag slung over her right shoulder. She looked around; the rain was pouring down, and the street was empty.

A figure crouched on the side of the road, hiding by the left side of the vintage car, looking exasperated. The timing was off: Cassius had killed the vampire and rushed to Baishi Street much faster than a staggering, injured Twilight. Yet, he still happened to encounter Julia right as she opened the door...

Was this a coincidence? Or was it destiny?

Determination surged through Cassius. Since he had decided not to get involved with Julia, then he wouldn’t.

Regardless of whether this situation was a coincidence or Twilight's lingering attachment, it wasn’t going to change Cassius's resolve. He had his own way of doing things, and nothing could sway him into doing something he didn't want to do.

Tap, tap, tap...

Footsteps came closer. Julia had her keys in hand, seemingly intending to open the car door.

"..." Cassius exhaled a hot breath from his nostrils.

Just as the footsteps stopped, he sprang up and shot toward the left alley like a black lightning bolt.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Huh? What was that?"

Just as she had started to bend down to unlock the door, Julia straightened up, confused. She scanned the street, but all she saw was a curtain of heavy rain. Raindrops splashed on the paved stones, creating tiny explosions of water.

She looked around again, shook her head, and put her keys back, planning to take out the trash first. She headed for the trash can.

"Damn it! You still won't let me go!"

In the left alley, Cassius squinted, rain dripping from his hair, sliding down his nose, and dripping off his chin. He underestimated how strong Twilight's lingering attachment would be and how determined he would be to meet Julia. But Cassius wasn't one to just accept things passively. He glanced around the alley.

The walls were high and covered in moss. It was a dead end. With Cassius's skills the way they were now, he wouldn't be able to clamber over them.

What if he pretended to just pass by Julia? Cassius's intuition told him that would still lead to him getting involved with her in various ways. What if he was ruthless and killed Julia right now? But that might cut his stay short and get him kicked out of this time-travel by the lingering attachment.

The best solution was to not meet Julia at all!

Cassius didn't want to live through Twilight's melodramatic romantic story. He just wanted to go to Black Rain Manor, complete his missions, and get stronger.

Rumble... Puff, puff, puff... Crash!

Thunder rumbled, and strange noises seemed to mix in the distance.

Julia slowed her steps unconsciously as she approached the alley entrance. She threw the trash into the can and then boldly stepped inside. At the end of the alley on the right, she stopped.

In front of her was a grayish-white wall with a large hole in it, jagged around the edges, as if something long and cylindrical had pierced through or shot out of it. She could see, through the hole, the dim street on the other side. The street was empty, save for the torrential rain pouring down. The rain continued to fall, and the thunder roared. A love story ended before it began.

However, this was for the best.

Ordinary people could enjoy ordinary, happy lives. Those living in the shadows shouldn't yearn for an unattainable light. It was every tragic figure’s fate to fight alone in the darkness until death claimed them.

***

The rain cleared up the next day, revealing sunny skies. A handsome man in casual clothes sat on a black bench at the Nington train station, waiting for the train, with a suitcase by his legs.

Those on the rectangular platform shot the occasional curious glance at him. The bright sunlight illuminated his face, highlighting his delicate features and elegant demeanor. His hair was neatly styled, giving him the air of a scholar.

Choo...

A distant whistle sounded, and the man opened his eyes, shattering the image of a refined scholar. He slowly turned his head, scanning his surroundings with a cold, indifferent, and imposing light that was a stark contrast to his gentle appearance.

He stood up, picked up his suitcase, and walked silently toward the platform.

A black smoke-belching train clattered into the station, and the conductor stepped down, calling out, "This train is from Nington to Anta City! Make sure you're on the right train! I repeat, this train..."

Three days later, in East Sea County, Anta City.

At the edge of the suburbs, on a fruit wagon returning from the city, a man in black gazed into the distance.

Another day passed, and in the Anta Mountains, in a remote area far from the villages, Cassius carried his suitcase, walking step by step, on a weed-covered mountain path. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting golden beams that shone on the uneven ground. Occasionally, birds chirped in the distance.

He stopped and glanced to his right.

Amidst the weeds stood a mottled bronze pillar, with indistinct patterns on its surface and a round lamp-like ornament on top, labeled, "Carriage."

Cassius raised his hand, revealing a bronze bell in his palm. Without hesitation, he gently shook it. Strangely, the bell made no sound. Cassius continued shaking it, and the bright sky began to darken, turning as dark as night in the blink of an eye. Thick clouds blocked the sunlight. As the bell kept ringing, it started to rain lightly. Rain dripped through the trees, falling on Cassius's face.

He came prepared; he opened an umbrella. Raising the edge of the umbrella slightly, Cassius noticed that the narrow, overgrown path had turned into a wide, smooth road, as if the forest had moved aside to make way. It gave an eerie, mysterious feeling.

Clip-clop... Clip-clop... Clip-clop...

In the distance, the sound of hooves grew louder. Moments later, a carriage drawn by two glossy black horses approached. The carriage was covered with black cloth, with semi-transparent veils over the windows and strange runes carved on its body. The coachman was a mysterious figure cloaked in black.

Ding-a-ling... Ding-a-ling... Ding-a-ling...

The bell in Cassius's right hand rang clearly.

His eyes flickered, and he put the bell away. He stood still, watching the carriage. Time passed slowly, and the carriage remained motionless on the road. The coachman was as still as a corpse, showing no signs of life.

Cassius glanced at his watch. More than nine minutes had passed. Just as he looked up, the carriage began to trudge slowly.

"This carriage stays in place for about ten minutes," Cassius concluded. He picked up his suitcase and quickly boarded.

The black carriage gradually gained speed as it moved along the mountain path.