Translator: Ever (proofread by Faren & Trespasserby; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  Solitary Butterfly shielded the criminal behind her, coldly saying, “I won’t let you take Josh away.” 

  But Dark Sun said without wavering, “He is a criminal who has committed a serious crime. He needs to be sent back to the psychiatric hospital immediately.” 

  Stop arguing, the both of you… 

  Solitary Butterfly got angry, shouting, “P29 isn’t a psychiatric hospital. It’s an experiment lab! How many times have I said this? There’s definitely something wrong with that psychiatric hospital!” 

  Dark Sun went quiet for a moment and then said, “Solitary Butterfly, are you being controlled by him?” 

  After a short pause, Solitary Butterfly scoffed and said in a high voice, “So, this is it. Dark Sun, you absolutely don’t believe me, do you?” 

  Calm down a bit! Solitary Butterfly, the one in front of you right now isn’t Dark Sun, it’s DSII! Don’t argue with a robot… Darn it, these words can’t be said out loud! 

  “Solitary Butterfly, get out of the way!” 

  Solitary Butterfly scoffed, and not only did she not move away, she also pulled out her double guns and said, “Over my dead body!” 

  After he saw the opponent pull out her guns, Dark Sun also extended his metal nails. 

  …Stop it! Don’t fight. Stop fighting! Ah! You guys are going to hit me too? 

  How did things end up like this… Ah Ye, just what are you doing? 

  Don’t you want to be a hero anymore? 

  Perhaps that criminal specifically cut off the power supply because he wanted to stop the heroes from tracking him down? But being under the pursuit of so many heroes and the police, did he still have the spare time to do that? 

  I was a bit confused, but the noise of a helicopter from above disturbed my thoughts. When I raised my head, I actually saw an armed helicopter. Just as I was getting nervous, I realized that the helicopter had two large letters that said NC on it. It was the police’s helicopter. 

  I let out a sigh of relief. But why would the police navigate an armed helicopter into an amusement park? There were so many children here. No matter what the case was, they should not land here. 

  …Wait, did Dell not say earlier that the criminal had the NC’s people under his control? 

  The criminal had ordered them to stop the heroes. But even if the NC squad had stronger equipment, they still might not be able to stop the heroes. If they insisted on executing the order, then what would they do? 

  It does not look like the armed helicopter is going to land. All it is doing is circling in mid-air… 

  I suddenly had a very ominous feeling and hurriedly shouted to the crowd, “Everyone, go downstairs!” 

  A few young mothers who looked like they had already wanted to leave immediately shouted back in panic, “The exit’s an automatic door. It can’t be opened without electricity!” 

  I immediately used “x-speed” to move to the door. After breaking the glass door in to pieces with a punch, I yelled to everyone, “Get down quickly! Leave this building! Hurry, hurry!” 

  The crowd started to surge toward the door. I backed into the center of the amusement park, cautiously observing the helicopter in the sky. The helicopter was still circling in the air with no intention on landing, but it did not look like it was going to leave either. 

  The cellphone in my breast pocket rang again. This time, I said immediately after picking up, “This is Charles.” 

  “…Charles? Oh well,” First Wind said in a shaky voice, “the NC members who are being controlled want all the heroes at the Evening Sun Plaza in twenty minutes, so that they can monitor us, or else they’ll start shooting people. But I don’t know what’s wrong with DSII. He’s persistent on pursuing that criminal.” 

  So that is how it is. 

  “The NC members are circling the amusement park that is on top of this building with an armed helicopter. There seem to be two people in there. I am evacuating the people on the top floor, but even if the people were completely evacuated, the NC members will likely still find other targets.” 

  “Armed helicopter?” First Wind groaned, “Charles, can you take care of them? The type of care that doesn’t involve killing. After all, they’re just being controlled.” 

  The helicopter is at a height that I cannot jump to… I know, there is the Ferris wheel! 

  “I will try.” 

  After hanging up the phone and using two “x-speeds” in succession, I quickly scrambled up the Ferris wheel and leaped, hanging below the helicopter. Even though I had tried to make my movements as light as possible, jumping such a long distance still shook the helicopter slightly. 

  Because of the shake, the opponents immediately noticed that there was someone hanging beneath the helicopter and fired at me without any hesitation. I hurriedly jumped to the end of the helicopter to put some distance between us. A close distance would make it hard to dodge bullets. 

  But unexpectedly, the opponent actually followed along and climbed out of the helicopter while firing at me at the same time. His movements were very agile and he showed no signs of fear. 

  How amazing… Even though the NC squad has special equipment, can normal policemen push themselves this far? Is it because they are being controlled? 

  I jumped down to grab hold of the landing skid of the helicopter and then somersaulted upward, moving behind the opponent and striking his neck with my hand. The opponent was wearing protective gear around his neck, but the attack broke the gear into pieces, so he immediately fell unconscious. 

  When I jumped into the helicopter with my unconscious opponent in one arm, the pilot actually fired an energy gun at me while navigating with one hand. Does he not care about his life?! 

  After kicking his gun aside, I struck him unconscious with another chop and dragged him away from the pilot’s seat, directly ripping the seat belt off as I did so. After that, I immediately climbed into the pilot’s seat and took hold of the lever with both hands, pulling on it at full strength… The helicopter dropped only a bit before it regained balance. 

  It was a relief that vampires were fast and that I had learned how to fly a helicopter before under Father’s suggestion. Even though I did not pilot often, I believed I was still able to land a helicopter. 

  You were right, Father. As a butler, it never hurts to learn a few more skills. 

  I should call Ji Luo Chu right now to tell him that the problem has been solved…A sharp object pressed against my neck, right on my artery. 

  I glanced in the rear view mirror, but the opponent was hiding behind the pilot’s seat, making it impossible to see the opponent’s face. 

  “Don’t move. This is a very expensive fountain pen. I actually think that it’s too expensive. A lot of the money must have been spent on advertisements and not the pen itself. But unfortunately, fountain pens made from pure silver are usually very pricey, so I didn’t have much of a choice… My point is, you shouldn’t make any reckless moves, and you are not allowed to land, vampire.” 

  “Who are you?” I was nowhere near being nervous, since I was navigating the helicopter, and there were buildings all around us, so if the helicopter were to go slightly out of control, it would be possible for it to crash. I believed that this person would not want to die with a vampire. 

  “Heh, who I am isn’t the point, as who you should listen to is another’s voice.” He leaned a cellphone against my ear, and a furious shout came from it, saying, “Damn vampire, you destroyed our plan!” 

  This voice is… Xie Yuan Jie, SCIP’s leader! 

  I suddenly figured out what was going on. The people in the helicopter were not real NC members, but were ones who were feigned by SCIP members! 

  SCIP had disguised themselves as the NC members who were being controlled in order to use the citizens’ lives to threaten the heroes into not meddling with the situation, so that they could go after the criminal. 

  I replied calmly, “Using hostages to threaten heroes into not taking part in the fight, is this something that the police should be doing?” 

  “We won’t really fire. This is only a kind of trick. Aren’t heroes obsessed with saving people? Now, you behave and fly nicely in the air. Don’t try to do anything, or else don’t blame us for hurting you. I don’t care if a vampire lives or dies!” 

  The opponent hung up, and after thinking about the situation for a bit, I decided not to do anything rash. Even though a fountain pen, even one made of silver, could not kill me, a helicopter that has gone out of control could cause great harm. 

  Moreover, it did not matter if the criminal was captured by SCIP and taken back to P29 or captured by DSII… Either way, it seemed that he would still return to the Sun Alliance, the only difference was whether he fell into the elder or the younger brother’s hands. 

  “Do not tell me that you want to kill me in order to keep my mouth shut?” A fountain pen could not kill me, but if possible, I still did not want it in my neck. 

  The opponent chuckled, saying, “Please be assured, I won’t do something so discourteous. Though I am categorized as a human, I have still heard of the name Charles Endelis and am still somewhat aware of the protection that the Elysees family has issued.” 

  Only somewhat? 

  Just then, the cellphone I had on me rang again, and it kept on ringing again and again, not even stopping for a second. This really is troublesome, but I am not able to take any calls… 

  Feeling anxious, all I could do was to talk to the opponent to try to divert his attention. “Why do you use a fountain pen? A fountain pen’s lethality is really not high.” 

  “It’s capable of writing and killing, and even if I am searched, I don’t have to worry about the other party suspecting that it is a weapon. What else is more convenient than a fountain pen?” 

  “… A Swiss army knife?” 

  My opponent chuckled, “That sounds good too, but I’m only here for a part-time job, so I really don’t think there’s a need to specially prepare tools for this. A fountain pen I already have is good enough.” 

  “A part-time assassin?” 

  “You think I’m an assassin? Have I killed any people?” 

  I went quiet for a short while and then said, “You certainly have not. Even if you do kill me, it would not count as killing a person.” 

  “Heh!” The opponent chuckled, “You sure are humorous. But for me, killing vampires counts as killing people too! Think about it, are people with special powers still human? If they are human, then why aren’t non-humans human?” 

  You really should meet Father Yue. 

  “Hmm, it’s been more than thirty minutes already. Giving Leader Xie an extra ten minutes should be more than enough. Though I really want to chat some more, someone seems to be in a hurry to contact you. Go land on the top floor of any building, but don’t land in the amusement park from before. I don’t want the helicopter to get surrounded as soon as we land.” 

  Having heard that, I chose a building located between Evening Sun Plaza and the gala’s location to land. 

  As soon as we landed, my opponent said, “Open the door and get off.” 

  I did as I was told and whirled around right when my feet touched the ground, only to see that the opponent had shut the helicopter’s door. Through the small glass window, I could only see that he had short, black hair… And then the helicopter rose up and flew away. 

  Taking out the cellphone, I could see that there were tens of missed calls from First Wind, Dragon Peace, Solitary Butterfly, Bramble, and Yue Gang. This made me unsure of whom to call first. After a moment of thought, I dialed First Wind’s number, but the other party did not pick up. I then called Mr. Bramble and Dragon Peace, but their lines were also busy. 

  Should I go to the Evening Sun Plaza or go back to the gala? Hmm… Since the young master told me to investigate the situation, I think I will go to the Evening Sun Plaza. 

  Leaping with more strength, I moved quickly from rooftop to rooftop. It did not take even ten minutes for me to arrive at the plaza. 

  Since Evening Sun Plaza was located right outside the power-failure zone, it had not fallen into darkness but stayed brightly lit. The strange thing was that the plaza was very quiet, yet how could that be? The Evening Sun Plaza was one of the gathering places of young people. It should still be very lively even at night. 

  I looked down from the top of a building and saw that the plaza was almost empty with only a few people standing in groups that faced each other. I believed I saw Dark Sun, who was holding his scythe, and First Wind with his cape flowing behind him. However, I could not see the situation below clearly because I was standing at the top of a high building. 

  I stepped off of the building and was immediately pulled downward. Continuously using my blood ability in mid-air to slow down my fall, I landed on the ground silently. This technique allowed me to jump down from forty or fifty floors without a scratch, but jumping from higher floors would be somewhat hard and would not be as quiet. 

  There were two large groups in the plaza that had most of the people and which were all fully armed. One of the groups had NC written on their equipment; the other group did not have any identification on them, but I did see Xie Yuan Jie standing among them. 

  Dark Sun was standing on one end with his scythe in hand, but there was no one by his side, while First Wind and Solitary Butterfly stood in a position some distance away from him, and Dragon Peace was nowhere to be found. 

  Judging from their positions and stance, it felt a bit like they were opposing Dark Sun … Could it be that DSII is really malfunctioning? 

  “Found you!” 

  I was startled but relaxed when I turned around. “Young Master.” 

  The young master tilted his head and said in a confused tone, “Charles, where have you been? Ah Ye was looking for you! But he couldn’t find you anywhere, and then the NC members fired at him, so he got angry.” 

  …DSII? If so, then the Dark Sun who is holding the Death Scythe in the plaza is the young master? 

  I gasped, “What happened?” 

  “A lot has happened! Ah Ye got really worried after you were gone. He was afraid that you got killed! So he switched places with me. He turned into Dark Sun to look for you, but the surveillance cameras around here were all out of order because of the power failure, and he had no way to find you.” 

  “Then, we should notify the young master quickly and tell him that I am fine.” 

  DSII nodded and said, “Ah Ye knows that already. He’s looking at you!” 

  I turned my head to face Dark Sun who was standing afar, but with the large distance between us and the visor that he was wearing, I could not tell if he was really looking at me or not. 

  I stood thinking for a bit and then made a phone call. It was a relief that First Wind took the call this time. 

  “…Charles? Just where did you go? Ah Ye thinks something happened to you, and he’s worried sick.” 

  I hurriedly explained, “I was held back just now, but the opponent did not harm me. Just what has happened?” 

  “A lot of people were controlled by the criminal, including innocent citizens and the police. They would attack Dark Sun the moment they got near him, so after being attacked a few times, Dark Sun forbade anyone to go near him, even the heroes.” 

  First Wind spoke in a hurry. “Even Dragon Peace and I aren’t allowed to go near him. Dark Sun even wanted me to stay farther away than the others because my weapon can reach very far.” 

  He will not trust even First Wind and Dragon Peace? 

  “And Ah Ye isn’t the only one who is suspicious of others. Even the SCIP suspect that Dark Sun and Solitary Butterfly are being controlled, too. They’re attacking to force them to hand over the criminal.” 

  This really is a mess. I asked concernedly, “Is the young master really being controlled?” 

  First Wind said impatiently, “I don’t know. Ah Ye hasn’t been himself these days, has he not?” 

  So, even First Wind is suspecting Dark Sun? 

  A criminal who can control people really can turn the world upside down. Such a criminal really should be sent back to P29. 

  “Charles, Ah Ye wants you back home, and I’m going to keep on looking for the criminal!” Saying so, DSII grumbled, “It’s really hard without the surveillance cameras. Just how long is the power going to be out for?!” 

  The young master wants me home? I looked at Dark Sun. The Death Scythe in his hand was lowered a bit, and it looked like he had no intention of attacking, so I spoke into the phone, “Please hold for a bit,” and turned to ask, “DSII, do you have a way to speak to the young master?” 

  “Yup!” 

  “Then, please tell the young master, ‘Please come home too, let the SCIP catch the criminal by themselves. If Solitary Butterfly wants to protect the criminal, then she should confront the SCIP herself.’” I thought for a moment and then added, “Tell the young master that I will be returning first to prepare a midnight snack. Will steak, baked chicken drumsticks, fries, and cream of potatoes do?” 

  After a few seconds, DSII chuckled and said, “Ah Ye says ‘O.K., he won’t meddle further,’ and he wants you to make more food. He told me to bring Poseidynne and Briar back home to eat the food together.” 

  I answered with a chuckle, “No problem.” 

  DSII turned and left. 

  I returned to the phone and said, “First Wind, Dark Sun will likely not attack anymore, but if Solitary Butterfly insists on protecting that criminal, then please wish her good luck.” 

  “…All right.” First Wind’s voice sounded very helpless, and he even grumbled, “It looks like I’ll have to help Solitary Butterfly myself. We’re friends after all…” 

  The call was cut off. I smiled and dialed Nitewalker’s number, wanting to take the taxi home… 

  “Hey, you!” 

  Hm? 

  “Listen up…” 

  Crackle! 

  After a great sound, the Evening Sun Plaza became one of Sunset City’s broken holes too and fell into darkness. However, since there were few people in the plaza, there was not too much screaming. 

  I was surrounded by darkness, and the moon was not out tonight, but that did not hinder my movements, since vampires were creatures of the dark to begin with. 

  Using the darkness to hide my traces, I walked toward Dark Sun. It was only when I was five steps away from him did he suddenly turn around to face my direction. Dark Sun really had heightened alertness. 

  I softly called out, “Young Master, it is me.” 

  “Charles?” Dark Sun’s attitude softened a little, and he asked in surprise, “Aren’t you supposed to be home? Does this power failure have something to do with you?” 

  I quickly denied it, saying, “Young Master, this power failure has nothing to do with me. I am just conveniently borrowing it to come and tell you something. I called a taxi to take me home, but the driver Nitewalker told me that he had a passenger who looked very much like the criminal in my description…” 

  I walked toward Dark Sun while I said so. 

  Dark Sun went blank for a bit and said, “Oh? Such a coincidence? Where did he drive the criminal?” 

  “I do not know where it is. Young Master, you will have to speak with Nitewalker yourself.” 

  I used my left hand to take out my phone and hand it over. Dark Sun also extended his hand to take the phone from me. 

  All of Dark Sun’s movements are extremely precise. 

  At the same time Dark Sun took hold of the phone, I also grabbed his palm, not letting him draw his hand back. When he called out “Charles” in confusion, my right hand attacked his elbow from the outside. It was an attack that I had placed all my strength into. 

  It could be said that no matter how the flesh is injured, there wouldn’t be any effect on his movement. But if a bone is slightly askew, it will have a massive effect on his movements. 

  The instant I finished attacking his elbow, I turned to my side and gave him a kick to the knee from the side with my heel. 

  …Especially when places like joints are involved. There cannot be a single mistake. 

  “AHHH—” 

  Attack elbow joint. Attack knee joint. Use x-speed to put some distance. All three moves were completed in an instant. 

  Though I had attacked at full strength, I believed Dark Sun still had some strength left to attack. Judging from the muffled and unclear sound from before, his joints seemed to be dislocated but not yet completely broken. What amazing toughness, attacking joints from their outside should be as easy as breaking a stick. 

  Moreover, Dark Sun was still standing and had not yet fallen. 

  First Wind’s worried shout came from afar, “Dark Sun, what happened? Are you all right?” 

  “Don’t come here!” Dark Sun roared in anger. 

  With a bang, the Death Scythe crashed to the ground. It looked like the Death Scythe was too heavy for Dark Sun when he was only able to move one arm and one leg. 

  “Charles!” Dark Sun tore off his visor. His face was filled with anger, but his voice quivered as he spoke, “Why are you attacking me? Have you forgotten who I am… I’m your young master!” 

  I paused. Why am I attacking the young master? 

  Listen up, go attack Dark Sun. Make him lose the ability to pursue me! 

  I remembered that was what he had said… But who is he? Why should I listen to him? 

  There is only one person that I need to listen to in this world, and that is, that is… The young master! 

  Attack Dark Sun… 

  Listen to the young master… 

  Dark Sun is the young master! 

  I, I attacked the young master?! I actually… 

  “Charles… Charles!”


  No Hero    

  Volume 5, The Angel Falls Chapter 10: Fallen Angel; Angel of Angels

  Translator: clrfction (proofread by Trespasserby, C/E edited by lucathia) 

  Dark Sun! Good lord, what happened to your hands and feet… Charles? Why is he here? Is he okay? 

  “How dare that prisoner control Charles to attack me! I’m going to kill him!” 

  That prisoner controlled Charles to attack you… Ah Ye, calm down. Didn’t we agree to leave this to Solitary Butterfly and the SCIP? Besides, you’re so badly injured, you should go back and receive treatment! 

  But… Charles can harm Dark Sun to this degree? Wasn’t it only a matter of two or three minutes… All the injuries are on joints? So that’s it. The joints are key? 

  Even Charles, who does not specialize in combat, can ambush him successfully. I suppose Dark Sun is not that scarily invincible after all. 

  “Luo Chu-gē, give me a hand.” 

  Oh right! 

  Dark Sun grabbed my shoulders and hopped up on one foot. With a grunt, he used his uninjured foot to kick his dislocated knee back into place, then forcefully pushed his skewed elbow back… 

  … Actually, still scary. 

  Dark Sun, do you not feel hurt at all? 

  “It hurts a lot… I’m going to kill that criminal!” 

  Bright… so bright! 

  I opened my eyes but was forced to shut them again due to the piercing light. I blinked several times before my vision began to focus slowly on the scene before me. It seemed like I was still in the Evening Sun Plaza, where yelling, screaming, and crashing sounds created a din. 

  “What has happened?” 

  “You’re awake? Oh, just Ah Ye going berserk.” 

  … What? I pushed myself up hurriedly, turned, and saw that the person who had just spoken was Poseidynne! She was still wearing her ball gown, and she sat on the stairs at the edge of the plaza, also where I was lying. 

  Poseidynne said casually, “That criminal controlled you to attack Ah Ye, right? Ah Ye got really angry. So angry that he said he’d kill that criminal… Heh! Murderous Ah Ye is so handsome!” 

  Memories flooded over me like a wave: attacking the elbows, attacking the knees, twisted hands and feet… I could not stop myself from exclaiming, “I injured the young master!” 

  Poseidynne made a noise of agreement and comforted me, “Don’t worry, Ah Ye doesn’t blame you. He even told me to keep you safe!” 

  Young Master… I looked around for him but saw an astonishing scene and sputtered, “What is the young master doing?” 

  “After you fainted, Ah Ye began to madly pursue that criminal. He seems to have resolved to kill that person, so he immediately contacted everyone to help him track the criminal down. He even got me to come!” 

  Calling people to help track the criminal. But what I see right now is… 

  “But, but they are ganging up on the young master!” 

  There were roughly twenty to thirty people in the plaza, all armed to the teeth, and there were even the three other heroes, but they all surrounded a single target—Dark Sun. Yet I soon noticed that rather than “surrounding,” it was more like they stood like a wall in front of Dark Sun. Dark Sun was not forced to be on defense either. Rather, he is on the offense! 

  Dark Sun swung the huge Death Scythe and knocked people out one by one, without much effort. 

  At the back of this wall was Dragon Peace, and there was someone lying on the ground behind him who was unarmed. He seems to be unconscious… but who is he? 

  “Finally, Ah Ye really tracked down that criminal and really wanted to kill him, but the other three heroes and the police wouldn’t let him. Ah Ye was very angry, so he ended up picking a fight with all of them, saying he must kill that criminal and no one can stop him.” 

  “The young master r-really fought all of them by himself?” I was so surprised that I could not speak straight. 

  The young master is fighting one on twenty and is not losing, and he actually seems to have the upper hand. But, did I not injure the young master’s joints? Is the young master that powerful? 

  Poseidynne shrugged and said, “Not really. NC and the other heroes don’t really want to hurt him, so they can’t help but hold back a little. Dragon Peace basically just stands in front of the criminal and doesn’t even really fight. First Wind doesn’t dare use his energy whip to directly attack Dark Sun. The only people who are going all out are Solitary Butterfly and the SCIP, but with so many people around, they can’t fight properly either, since they would likely hit one of their own if they fired carelessly.” 

  I looked again, and that really was the case. The young master is using his scythe, so no one can fight him hand-to-hand. Knowing they cannot open fire easily, no wonder they are at a disadvantage… No! The young master is not killing anyone either. He is just knocking people out of the ring. To swing the huge, sharp Death Scythe yet not kill anyone is a hindrance as well. If he really went all out and killed… 

  Poseidynne said, “If only the three heroes attacked Dark Sun together with all their might, the situation would be better for them.” 

  I could not help but share my observations with Poseidynne. 

  Poseidynne tilted her head and thought about it, “If Ah Ye went all out and killed people? Mm, then I wouldn’t want to be his enemy. Not at all! You see, Ah Ye has been fighting harder as the fight progressed. At first, he was only kicking people out, and those he kicked out could get up and rejoin the battle. Now, he’s knocking people out with the handle of the scythe, and those who are knocked out most likely can’t get back up. It seems like Ah Ye is getting angrier and angrier. If this continues…” 

  The young master would not become angry enough to kill, would he? 

  “Charles!” 

  I looked up and saw that First Wind had left the battle. He shouted as he sprinted over, “You almost succeeded in sneaking an attack on Dark Sun just now, hurry…” 

  Before First Wind even finished his sentence, I refused ardently, “I cannot hurt the young master… Even though I have hurt him already, at least it is a mistake I shall never make again!” 

  First Wind ran over anyway, grabbed my collar, and said forcefully, “We have to stop him! Look at the people around here. Look at how they are looking at Dark Sun!” 

  I faltered, then turned to scan the surrounding crowd. They were the police and even Special Law Enforcement Officers, but their faces were all pale. They looked like they wanted to conceal it, but they still could not hide the fear in their eyes… 

  “Fear! Do you see it now? They fear Dark Sun, so we must prove that Dark Sun can be stopped, or else he will no longer be a hero, but an existence that people fear!” 

  So that is what he is thinking. I still shook my head. “I could successfully attack the young master last time only because he did not have his guard up against me at all. It would be impossible to injure him again with that kind of method.” 

  First Wind and I both turned to look. Dark Sun had tossed his scythe and was using his bare hands and feet to fight. 

  Seeing this, First Wind began to look relieved, but when Dark Sun landed a hard kick, sent someone flying for ten meters or so, and that person did not even budge after landing, his expression turned very sour. 

  “His anger level has increased.” Poseidynne said brightly, “I say you guys should stop protecting that criminal. Let Ah Ye kill him if he wants to! If Ah Ye gets even angrier, he might just pick up that scythe, and it’d be one death per swing!” 

  First Wind clenched his teeth and said, “No matter what you guys think, I mean well for him! We must not let him get past us and kill the criminal!” With that, he turned to rejoin the battle. 

  I believed him, because the crowd’s fear was becoming more and more palpable with Dark Sun’s every punch, jab, and kick. More and more people fell, and once they fell, it was straight to unconsciousness. 

  As soon as First Wind returned to the fight, the first thing he did was not to attack Dark Sun, but to grab Solitary Butterfly. The latter asked bemusedly, “First Wind, what are you doing?” 

  First Wind shook his head and said, “There are too many people. You can’t use your gun, I can’t use my whip, and Dragon Peace can’t swing his fists.” 

  Solitary Butterfly processed that and nodded. “I understand.” She followed First Wind to retreat. 

  With Solitary Butterfly out of the picture, Dark Sun began to knock people out even more quickly. Yet as the number of people decreased, the police could open fire more easily, and Dark Sun had to spend more time dodging bullets, so his attacks began to slow down as well. 

  But five minutes and ten minutes do not make that much of a difference. 

  “Aren’t you going to help?” Poseidynne asked evenly. 

  I answered as I shook my head, “I am only the young master’s butler, not someone who tells him what to do.” 

  “Oh? What if Ah Ye really begins to slaughter people?” Poseidynne asked curiously. 

  I paused for a bit and said, “Then, I would attempt to stop the young master.” 

  Poseidynne chuckled. “Don’t you think you are being contradictory?” 

  I was silent. Even though I cannot come up with a convincing reason, I do not believe what I am doing is wrong. 

  When only the four heroes remained, the real fight began. 

  Dark Sun picked up the Death Scythe and faced the three familiar comrades in his way. He did not say anything, but used his stance to convey his intention. 

  First Wind spoke up. “Dark Sun, we can leave the criminal to…” 

  “No!” Before he could even finish, Solitary Butterfly interjected. “We can’t leave him to the SCIP!” 

  Dark Sun finally spoke. “Dragon Peace, you’re on their side, too?” 

  Dragon Peace did not say anything, but he stayed by First Wind’s side and showed no sign of moving to Dark Sun’s side. 

  Dark Sun’s voice dropped to a lower tone. “I don’t understand why you are protecting him. He is a dangerous criminal!” 

  “Is he more dangerous than you?” Solitary Butterfly retorted coldly. “Last time you solved a problem by killing, and now you are trying to do it again. What will you do next time? And after that? Killing him is quick and easy, but you should know, Dark Sun, that we chose the most difficult path when we became heroes!” 

  “You’re saying I should not have killed last time?” Dark Sun yelled furiously, “What do you think I should have done to solve the problem of criminals using innocent bystanders to blackmail the heroes? What did you do to solve the problem?” 

  Solitary Butterfly fell silent. 

  There are no perfect decisions in this world. 

  This criminal does indeed have dangerous powers. If he goes down the wrong path, he would become a most formidable criminal. Killing him seems to be the quickest, easiest solution. 

  With that in mind, Dark Sun’s choice is not hard to understand. He is trying to get rid of a capricious time bomb. Yet the other three heroes’ choice is not hard to understand either. They are protecting an innocent person. 

  A powerful yet capricious time bomb. To kill or to protect? 

  No matter which choice they take, there will be repercussions. 

  “I won’t go easy.” Dark Sun turned the Death Scythe slightly and launched himself into… A slide step! 

  Solitary Butterfly opened fire at once, regardless of whether she could see him, because she knew what Dark Sun’s target was. She just needed to aim around the criminal. 

  Surprisingly, Dark Sun appeared in front of First Wind, who swung his whip into a circle and used it as a shield to block himself as he growled, “Dark Sun, I won’t go easy either! You be careful yourself!” 

  His energy whip moved in irregular arcs that upon first glance resembled a ribbon dance… But much more fatal. 

  Dark Sun let go of the scythe and avoided the tip of the whip with an impossible back bend, but at that moment the body of the whip brushed the ground. Just as it was about to hit his leg, the young master’s feet somehow left the ground, and he flipped sideways several times around one meter off the ground, finally avoiding all of the irregular attacks of the whip. When he gripped his scythe again, it had not even finished falling. He struck out… 

  Facing the threat of the giant scythe, First Wind was forced to give up attacking and retreated. 

  “Wow!” Poseidynne was in awe. “What incomprehensible reaction time, flexibility, strength, and speed… Mr. Vampire, your kind is famous for such abilities as well. Can you perform moves like those?” 

  “Yes, but I would not be able to use it in combat. I do not have the young master’s reaction time.” 

  To predict the track of the energy whip, immediately come up with a plan, and move to the next position no matter what your current form is before the next attack… Perhaps if I were in mortal danger, I could avoid the first wave of attacks with all my strength, but I would probably be killed by the next attack. 

  Against First Wind, I would never choose to fight him and his whip directly. That is a weapon that even X had trouble dealing with. 

  Yet Dark Sun was doing the exact opposite. Not only did he face the attacks head-on, he pressed in, dodging the whip with impossible moves. 

  While tilting his head to avoid the whip, Dark Sun’s hair extended suddenly, the glowing silver strands wrapping around First Wind’s energy whip, forcing it to stay in place. But with that, Dark Sun’s own movements were hindered. First Wind decided to go for hand-to-hand combat, and he specifically focused on Dark Sun’s knee and elbow joints. 

  … Did I reveal the young master’s weakness? 

  “Oh, so Ah Ye wants to take First Wind out first?” Poseidynne looked on excitedly as she murmured, “Ah Ye seems to fear straightforward attacks less! First Wind’s whip is more of a threat to him. Since they’re so close and fighting so quickly, Solitary Butterfly and Dragon Peace can’t do much, as they could easily hurt First Wind by accident.” 

  I see. The young master is pressing so close to First Wind because the other two are there? 

  As those two continued to exchange blows, a few snaps sounded all of a sudden, and First Wind’s energy whip broke into pieces, leaving only a handle in his grasp. 

  First Wind was disoriented for just a moment, but that was enough. Dark Sun smacked him in the stomach with the handle of the scythe, and as First Wind doubled over in pain, Dark Sun chopped at his neck with his hand. At this moment, a gunshot suddenly sounded, and Dark Sun’s head flicked to the side as his body twisted around… 

  Has he been shot in the head? Poseidynne and I both jumped up in fear, and even Solitary Butterfly, who fired the shot, froze in shock. 

  “Death Scythe, detach!” 

  Unexpectedly, Dark Sun used the momentum to complete the turn and flung the blade of the scythe out. Solitary Butterfly cried out, but she did not have time to dodge. The blade sliced clean through her calf and cut off three quarters of it, causing her to crash to the ground. Fortunately, it appeared that her entire leg had been modified, as there was no blood, so she would only need to “fix” it. 

  Dark Sun turned his head around, and some blood dripped off his forehead. He reached up to pull a misshapen bullet from the frame of his visor and tossed it onto the ground offhandedly. 

  Even though Solitary Butterfly had fallen down, she could still shoot. She raised her weapons, but Dark Sun said, “Don’t do it. Head-on attacks don’t work on me. If you could shoot while moving, you might pose a degree of threat, but you can’t, so I can avoid all your attacks.” 

  Solitary Butterfly put her gun down dejectedly. 

  “Are you going to fight me, Dragon Peace?” Dark Sun turned his head and said, “Your muscles are strong, so I can’t knock you out. If you and I fought, it would have to be until one of us is injured to the point of not being able to get back up.” 

  Dragon Peace opened his mouth to speak for the first time. He asked in his rich, deep voice, “Do you have to kill him?” 

  Dark Sun replied coldly, “Unless you have a better solution.” 

  “Turn him in to the SCIP?” Dragon Peace suggested. 

  “No!” 

  The criminal had somehow regained consciousness. He crawled up, his face full of terror, and begged in a crying tone, “B-Butterfly! Save me! I don’t want to be taken back! I don’t want to be locked up again! Help me….” 

  “Shut up!” Dark Sun bellowed. “If you say one more word or try to control anyone, I will crush your throat right now!” 

  The criminal closed his mouth, looking very pale. He looked at Solitary Butterfly, then looked back at Dark Sun, appearing to be at a complete loss at what to do. He does not appear to be an inexcusably evil person. 

  Perhaps he chose to use me to attack Dark Sun by accident? Even though I still hold my doubts, this criminal really does not look like one who knows my relationship with Dark Sun. 

  “Run, Josh!” Solitary Butterfly screamed, but the criminal was paralyzed with fear. She quickly turned to Dark Sun and begged, “Dark Sun, please, please don’t kill him. Just turn him in to the SCIP!” 

  Dark Sun thought about it, but replied coldly, “You’re planning to rescue him afterwards, aren’t you?” 

  Solitary Butterfly froze and remained silent. 

  “I won’t let you rescue him and have this happen all over again!” 

  Dark Sun walked resolutely toward the criminal. Solitary Butterfly tried to stop him by firing shots, but he dodged all of them. Then, Dark Sun recalled the blade of his Death Scythe and used it to block the bullets, so he did not even have to dodge. 

  “Hey!” Poseidynne shoved me and said, “Didn’t you say if your young master’s going on a slaughtering spree, you would stop him?” 

  I smiled helplessly and said, “The young master is not going on a slaughtering spree. Not a single person on the ground is dead.” 

  The young master is not so angry that he cannot make a proper judgment. His judgment is perfectly sound… Too sound! 

  “Dark Sun!” 

  This voice finally caught Dark Sun’s attention, because this voice could not be more familiar… It was the young master’s own voice. 

  DSII walked out from the sidelines, holding Briar’s hand. Briar looked terribly pale, but that did not stop Dark Sun’s steps. He merely glanced at her and then kept walking straight toward the criminal. 

  “Wait!” Briar cried and began to run toward Dark Sun. 

  “Briar, don’t go over there!” Poseidynne was shocked. 

  Yet that did not stop Briar in her tracks. With all sorts of people’s gazes fixed on her, whether they be fearful or regretful, Briar ran straight into the scythe’s range, even brushing past its blade, and landed squarely in Dark Sun’s arms, grabbing him tightly and refusing to let go. 

  Everyone was frozen in shock, and no one made a single sound, fearing they would agitate Dark Sun and prompt him to kill a little girl. 

  At this moment, DSII walked up to us and said, “Don’t worry, Briar won’t be in danger. She’s too weak and can’t cause any damage, so Ah Ye won’t attack her.” 

  Then, Briar seemed to be saying something, but she was not loud, so only parts of her speech were audible. 

  “Ye… I don’t like seeing you like this… It’s scary! Don’t kill anyone…” 

  The criminal began to slowly get up while still looking at Dark Sun with a rattled expression, seemingly debating whether he should run or not. 

  Seeing that, Dark Sun growled at Briar at once, “Move.” 

  Briar refused to loosen her grasp. 

  The criminal decided he had a rare chance and bolted at once. His actions seemed to have triggered Ah Ye, who pushed Briar away and rushed in pursuit. 

  Briar was shoved on to the ground by that push. “Ah!” she exclaimed, and began to cry, “Sob. Owww… That hurt! Sniff.” 

  Hearing the sobs, Dark Sun’s steps slowed gradually, and after a few more strides, he ultimately stopped and turned to look at Briar. 

  “M-my knee h-hurts!” Briar sniffled miserably. 

  “…” 

  Dark Sun looked at the escaping criminal and then looked at Briar. After a moment of hesitation, he turned and came back to Briar’s side and helped her up. 

  Yet Briar was not buying any of it. She huffed accusingly as she cried, “It hurts! My knees are all scraped! You meanie!” 

  “I’m sorry.” Dark Sun’s voice was filled with apology. 

  “Meanie meanie meanie! What were you so mean for?! You pushed me!” 

  Briar was crying and kicking and throwing a tantrum all over Dark Sun, but all the latter did was continue to apologize as he dusted dirt off of her. 

  “Can’t be taken down by twenty people yet defeated by a girl less than twenty years old.” 

  First Wind had regained consciousness at some unknown point and breathed out a huge sigh as he said helplessly, “So that’s all it takes to beat Dark Sun! All you needed was a little girl! If we had known, why would we even bother to fight him directly… I even lost a whip.” 

  Solitary Butterfly stared wide-eyed at Dark Sun being yelled at and kicked at and not defending himself at all. She relaxed against the ground and burst into laughter. 

  I looked at the surrounding onlookers, of which only the hidden reporters were left. Their faces were full of shock, surprise, and disbelief, but there was no sign of fear. Some even laughed out loud. 

  Seems like the issue is resolved… Wait! Not yet. 

  The criminal had escaped into a small side street. I thought about it and then followed with x-speed. 

  To avoid being noticed by the criminal, I consciously hid myself in the shadows and made sure my steps were inaudible. Even the young master would only notice me when I am about five steps away from him. 

  This criminal is too dangerous. Who knows what trouble he might cause if he stays in Sunset City. Let the SCIP take him! 

  I should be close… I turned sharply, but halted my steps abruptly. 

  “It’s a real talent to be able to control others through one’s voice… Or is it a mutation? Mutation is the most fundamental step in evolution, and the mutated, stronger creatures eliminate the weaklings. That is natural selection. But then again, to avoid being eliminated, many weaklings gather to become strong as one unit, and they defeat the mutated creature. That is also a human survival instinct.” 

  The person who spoke wore a khaki trench coat and looked down at the ground at… a body? 

  “Ah! I’m sorry, my occupational disease kicked in.” He smiled and looked up at me. “I’m Lieder, Professor Lieder, and I teach anthropology. I just came to Sunset City today for work. A pleasure to meet you.” 

  The person standing before me appeared to be a normal human. He wore glasses, had his short black hair combed neatly, and looked very scholarly. His appearance certainly resembled that of a young professor, but my intuition, or perhaps the silver fountain pen that was dripping blood that he held in his hand, told me otherwise. 

  The criminal on the ground is likely dead, is he not? 

  If a professional assassin (even a part-time one) stabs a silver fountain pen into your artery, even slightly off-target, then even a vampire would have a high chance of dying, so there is no chance for a human who only has special powers. 

  “You’re not going to call the police on me, are you?” Lieder blinked and said innocently, “I’m not dangerous, promise! I never kill unless I’m hired to, and my day job is being a professor. Assassination is just a side job, and I don’t kill often.” 

  I shook my head to indicate I did not mean to call the police. 

  He sighed in relief and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the fountain pen clean before sticking it back in his inner pocket. In that instant, I saw he had an entire row of fountain pens in his jacket. 

  Humans, non-humans, all those in-between, and even those outside those parameters… Everyone has gathered in this city. 

  Sunset City, you sure are one diverse city. 

  “You’re smiling.” Lieder asked curiously, “What are you so happy about?” 

  “Nothing,” I replied with a smile, “I just feel I am very ordinary.” 

  A few days later… 

  Perhaps because the criminal had died, the young master seemed to have returned to his normal self completely. He no longer sent DSII to be a hero, but carried out such duties at night by himself and sent DSII to his album promotion jobs instead. 

  Between filming advertisements, being a hero, researching and developing a new energy whip, and fixing Solitary Butterfly’s leg, the young master was so busy that he had no time to say he wanted to go out to play. 

  I took special care to watch the news for several days. The young master’s incredible prowess did generate some criticism, but Dark Sun being beaten by a little girl was the headline for several days. Briar became quite famous because of it, and she called to yell at the young master quite a few times. The young master would hang his head and listen quietly every time, not retorting at all. 

  Things have finally settled down… No! It is not over yet! 

  I actually hurt the young master! Not only did I dislocate his elbow joints, I also kicked his knees out of position! 

  My honorable father, if you heard about this up in heaven, you would probably tie me up on a cross and let me burn to a crisp in direct sunlight. 

  Sigh… 

  The young master looked at me weirdly and asked, “Charles, the distance between your eyebrows has decreased by 0.1 centimeters. You’ve been looking blue for quite a few days. Is something wrong?” 

  I could not help but apologize, “Young Master, I injured you and injured you badly. I apologize most sincerely for that.” 

  “Charles, you’ve apologized so many times already.” The young master patted me on the shoulder and comforted me. “You were controlled back then, so you didn’t mean it! Besides, Bàba has readjusted my joints already, so stop beating yourself up over it.” 

  But… 

  The young master thought about it and said, “If you really are that bothered by it, then work harder on learning how to maintain my body. That way, if I ever need to do some minor maintenance or adjustments but not so much that we’d call Bàba, I won’t have to toil over it by myself.” 

  I replied at once, “Of course. I will master it in the shortest time possible.” 

  Even though I have never studied medicine, metalworking, or computer programming before, I must learn them all to best carry out my duties as a good butler and serve the young master! 

  The young master nodded and said, “Charles, let’s head out now.” 

  “Yes, Young Master.” 

  The young master and I stood in front of a certain public middle school. It was almost time for school to let out, so the school gates were surrounded by people here to pick up the kids, mostly parents… and a fiancé. The young master is here to pick Briar up, right? 

  The young master just stood at the gates in broad daylight. All the parents there to pick up their children stared at him in shock, directly and effectively causing a traffic jam in front of the school. 

  The dismissal bell rang, and a wave of students flowed out of the building. Many children looked left and right for their parents, but all lines of vision ended up being glued to the young master’s face, and the traffic jam seemed to exacerbate. 

  “Briar! Over here, over here!” 

  The young master saw Briar at once and waved furiously. Briar’s face was filled with shock upon seeing the young master. 

  The young master hurried over to Briar’s side. The latter glanced at her peers worryingly before pulling the young master to the side. Just as she opened her mouth to say, “Ah Ye-gē, why are you here…,” the young master got down on one knee and pulled out from his pocket a… dagger, and said completely seriously, “Briar, will you marry me?” 

  …Young Master, even if you did not know to use flowers and a wedding ring for proposals, how, how did you decide to use a dagger? 

  That is beside the point though. The point is: Young Master, you are standing in front of a public middle school proposing to a thirteen-year old girl? 

  Briar seemed to be quite startled as well. She looked down at the dagger for a while, then said suddenly in a low voice, “Ah Ye-gē, this dagger looks just like the feathers on your wings?” 

  “Yeah. I pulled one off of my wings, added a handle, and made this dagger.” 

  “Who proposes with a dagger?!” Briar took the dagger. Even though she said so, she kept toying with the dagger and had a sweet smile on her lips as she said, “Then, you need to promise first! First of all, there can’t be any other girls aside from Poseidynne! Even if they get in line!” 

  “O.K.,” the young master nodded without any hesitation. 

  “And you can’t ever be mean to me!” 

  “O.K.” 

  “And whatever happens in the future, you’re not allowed to regret marrying me!” 

  “O.K.” The young master kept nodding as he added, “I’m O.K. with anything you say, Briar… Oh wait! Except for not marrying me!” 

  Hearing that, Briar pursed her lips and rushed into the young master’s embrace. “Waaaah! Stupid Ah Ye! I only want to marry you!” 

  The young master held Briar with a wide smile on his face and looked very happy. 

  I had to intervene at this time. “Young Master, we should go.” 

  “Just a bit. Just a little more hugging!” 

  “Young Master, I am afraid we cannot wait for just a bit more. I think the police are on their way. Briar… Miss Briar is only thirteen, so it is illegal for her to be engaged or married.” Now that it is confirmed Briar is the young master’s future wife, the honorifics must be added from here on out. 

  I smiled as I watched the young master. There were many students and teachers observing us all around us. The teachers had looks of shock and disbelief. Some people were even on their phones. I hope they haven’t called the police already. 

  The young master’s face crumpled as he mumbled, “What’s the big deal with getting arrested?” 

  “If you are sued, Master might uproot the police force and court system. That might not be good.” 

  The young master froze, then laughed. He picked Briar up in his arms and said to me, “Let’s go home!” 

  “Yes, Young Master.”


  No Hero    

  Volume 5, The Angel Falls Extra Chapter: The Undisclosed Fallen Secrets

  Translator: lucathia (proofread by Trespasserby) 

  [3D Breast Cushion] 

  “Kyle-gē, give this present to Gēge for me.” 

  “Young Master, this is…?” 

  “Yeah!” The young master nodded seriously as he said, “Aren told me that all guys should buy this something something cushion. I don’t think I saw Gēge with one, so I’ll give him this one.” 

  Young Master, this is a 3D breast cushion. 

  A few days later, the young master asked Secretary Kyle, “Kyle-gē, did Gēge like the cushion?” 

  “When I took out your present, the Sun Emperor first yelled, “Curs…” but when I said it was from you, he then said, “Cu…shion, right? I like everything Ah Ye gives me! I love it!” 

  “Really?” The young master excitedly said, “Gēge likes it that much? Then, I’ll give him more in the future!” 

  [Album Name] 

  “Endelis!” 

  “Yes?” I turned to look toward the newcomers, a group of girls, but though they had called me, they did not look my way. 

  “I know, I know! It’s the Angel’s latest album, ‘Endelis,’ right?” 

  So they were not calling me. Rather, they are talking about the young master’s newest album? 

  “Endelis is so great! My truest love!” 

  This should also be about the album. 

  “I love Endelis so much that I hug Endelis to sleep every day, hehe!” 

  Hug an album to sleep? 

  “I even bring Endelis to the bathroom!” 

  Oh, you mean you listen to it in the bathroom, too? 

  “Even my brother and my uncle have fallen in love with Endelis and snatched Endelis away from me!” 

  …Perhaps I should not have agreed to let the young master use Endelis as the album’s name. 

  [NC] 

  Bramble turned the newspaper and mumbled, “This special squad from the police department sure seems active lately! What’s their abbreviation? Was it MC?” 

  “No, Captain, that’s not it.” May replied seriously, “I seem to recall it’s WC.” 

  “Really? I thought it was MC…” 

  “No, it’s WC!” 

  “You’re both wrong! It’s obviously 82C!” Dell said without turning his head, eyes glued to the television screen, which showed a beautiful woman in a swimsuit.

  No Hero    

  Volume 5, Character Introductions

  Translator: lucathia (proofread by Arcedemius & Trespasserby) 

  P29: National Psychiatric Hospital #29. 

  SCIP: Special Crime Department of International Police Organization. 

  NC: Non-Human Crime Team. 

  Xie Yuan Jie: The leader of the operative squad of the SCIP. Xie Wei’s uncle. 

  Nitewalker: Part of the nightwalker race. Currently residing in Sunset City. His profession is that of a taxi driver. 

  Nitesea: Part of the nightwalker race. Currently residing in Sunset City. He operates a nightclub called “Seaside.” 

  Producer Xiao: A producer in the music industry. 

  Lin Ding: The drummer of the Aurora band. She helped Ah Ye write songs for his new album. 

  Josh: An escaped convict from P29. He seems to have the special ability of controlling others. 

  Lieder: A professor of psychological anthropology who teaches at the university An Xiang Ye used to study at. 

  Afterword 

  I seemed to have received several suggestions that the recent two books have been too fast paced, so I have slowed things down a bit, putting effort into making sure the events aren’t so compact that there’s no room to breathe. I’ve written some daily events to balance things out, which conveniently allowed everyone to see what the young master and the butler’s daily life is like. It also conveniently paves the way for future volumes… 

  As a result, I couldn’t fit in the rest of the plot again. 

  Actually, there are some plot points that I haven’t finished developing, so they will be moved to the next volume. Such as the bathtub (yùgāng) exploding… Wrong! Such as the matter of Yue Gang discovering the truth and exploding, which hasn’t actually been resolved yet. I can only ask him to let his anger burn longer, all the way to the next volume. 

  MC isn’t done yet either… Wrong again! MC was finished in five days. It’s NC that I haven’t finished writing yet. 

  SCIP and P29 will actually both appear again. Everyone, please try to remember the abbreviations. Using the full names would allow me to skimp out on my word count, such as writing, “Special Crime Department of International Police Organization,” every single time. See how long that is! 

  But! Normally, the word count explodes on me even when I don’t do anything, so there really isn’t a need to pad my word count. Everyone, you should realize that paper is made from chopping down trees, so you must save on paper. Don’t randomly let the word count explode, wasting the trees’ lives! 

  What? Then why have I written such a useless afterword? 

  Well… let’s return to the main topic! 

  Actually, I originally hadn’t intended on writing the secret side chapters at the end. After I’d already written three quarters of the story, I still hadn’t thought of a single secret. I was already thinking that maybe this volume wouldn’t have any secrets. 

  But, it happened at that moment! One night, Yu Wo’s brain suddenly snapped very seriously. All at once, Yu Wo finished writing all three secrets in an explosive manner! 

  So, this story tells us, as long as the manuscript hasn’t been submitted, there’s still time for the mind to break, anytime and anywhere! 

  Oh right, don’t ask me where three dimensional breast cushions can be bought. Please go and ask your own older brother, younger brother, or uncle (between fifteen and forty years of age). They should all know where “men’s stores” might be. 

  However, I’m not sure if there really are three dimensional breast cushions being sold, but I am sure that there are things such as 3D breast mouse pads… I really haven’t bought one. Please believe me. Thank you. 

  (If a 3D breast cushion is ever released one day, I might consider it.)

  (I’m also not telling you that searching for 3D breast mouse pads on auction sites will yield no results. You have to type “breast (space) mouse pad” for it to work.) 

  Finally, it won’t do not to have a preview. If I don’t do a preview for No Hero, I’d feel odd from head to toe. It’s practically become a restrictive tradition. 

  No Hero Volume 6: Heaven or Hell 

  The cooperation and conflict between humans and non-humans play out scene by scene. 

  The secrets behind P29, the unknown dark side of the Sun Alliance, the business war among the economic alliances… The fires of several battles continue to spread, the flames even spreading to Sunset City. 

  Probably no one expected that the person with the most insider knowledge would be a butler! 

  However, this butler has no awareness of being a main character and will continue to maintain the air of a bystander as he washes dishes and calmly watches the show. 

  Sunset City will grow more and more chaotic… Or should it be considered more and more colorful? 

  In this city where you can’t even distinguish between heaven and hell, is the person beside you a deity or a devil… Or could it be both? 

  By Yu Wo 

  Character Introductions 

  Bramble 

  Young Master’s impression: Father-in-law 

  Father-in-law’s words: “Young Master, my daughter is only thirteen!” 

  Yina 

  Young Master’s impression: Jiějie 

  Jiějie’s words: “… (Currently rubbing the young master’s head)” 

  Yue Gang 

  Young Master’s impression: Feed Me. 

  Feed Me’s words: “Hey hey! Why am I ‘Feed Me?’ What? Don’t get mad? Okay! Treat me to a meal, and I’ll stop being angry at you!”


  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Prologue

  Translator: Minna (proofread by Cesium Black; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  The curtains in the living room were already open. Even though it was still morning, it was already slowly approaching midday. The sunlight was much more vicious now than in the early morning. That was why I picked a couch in a corner where the sun did not reach to read a book named “Studies about the Dissection of the Body.” 

  Rather than reading a book about surgery, why not read a book about dissection? This was what Mr. An Te Qi had suggested. But this suggestion made me even more frightened because the target of the dissection would be the young master. If I did not have absolute certainty in myself, I likely would not have enough courage to take up the operating knife to dissect the young master… No! To help perform an operation on the young master. 

  Glancing at the clock at the wall, I discovered that time had passed without my noticing—it was already ten thirty. Maybe I should change the breakfast I am preparing to lunch? 

  Yesterday was Saturday. After breakfast, the young master had changed into Dark Sun’s outfit and left. He had yet to return. 

  The news on TV reported all kind of headlines which changed every hour. Amidst them they mentioned many super hero sightings, but the heroes were so busy that they did not even have time to stop and look at the media’s cameras. You could only see their figures, most of which were filmed from a distance, come and go on TV. 

  Although the young master had not come home to eat breakfast, he had been busy all day and night, so when he returned, he would most definitely be starving. Therefore, I had already prepared numerous dishes. I was only waiting for the young master to return, so everyone could eat to their heart’s content. 

  However, I had not thought that he would be busy for so long. I could only stop preparing dishes to avoid the food being ready too early, because by the time we finished waiting for the young master, it would already be cold and not delicious anymore. 

  While waiting, I made use of the time and delved into books. 

  These past few days, I had already studied many medical books, but the more I read the more I felt it was not enough… Books could not give me enough courage to take up the operating knife and cut into the young master’s body. 

  But it appeared that Mr. An Te Qi did not plan to let me have more time to educate myself. He just shrugged and said, “Make the cuts and you’ll know how.” Then, he said that he would bring a corpse and operating tools to let me try to dissect something for real… I was to remove the organs while I was at it and test experimental drugs on the different organs. Afterwards, I was to write down the results and complete a report to give to him. 

  It is as if I am not a clueless beginner student but have rather already become a physician’s assistant. 

  Thus, I decided to do more self-study, so as to avoid dissecting a whole corpse single-handedly under the circumstances of having absolutely no experience, and even use a large quantity of medicine with unknown effects on the corpse. 

  Looking at the dissection book before me, I could not help sighing. Even though these books were a great help with understanding the theory, they did not help at all with the actual practice. 

  After thinking a while, I still decided to make a call. “Good morning, Curtis.” 

  “Family Head? Has something happened?” Curtis sounded quite nervous. He seems to be under the mistaken impression that something grave has happened… Perhaps in the future, I should call him more often, and not just when something happens. 

  I quickly said, “Nothing has happened, I only wanted to ask you to help arrange some university classes for me. I want to… Well, start with medicine first. I need operating, dissecting and pharmaceutical classes.” 

  “Do you want to study at medical school?” Curtis seemed surprised. “The classes in medical school are very burdensome. I am afraid that you might not be able to study and be a butler at the same time.” 

  “I only need practical classes, not theory classes. Besides, you do not have to arrange for too many classes at a time. I can learn slowly…” 

  Having said that, I secretly prayed that Mr. An Te Qi would have a long life of a hundred years… No! Make it one hundred fifty years. Let me have time to polish this knowledge to the state of absolute perfection. It should not be too late to operate on the young master after that. 

  “I understand. I will have someone arrange for your enrollment as soon as possible.” 

  “Thank you very much.” 

  At the same time that I hung up, I heard a noise from the living room’s balcony. I slide stepped over to open the French window. On the porch, a red-black silhouette knelt there. On his back, a pair of silver-white wings radiated brilliantly due to the sun’s reflection, but those rays of light gradually decreased and at last disappeared when the wings slid inside the silhouette’s back. 

  Smiling, I said, “Welcome home, Young Master.” 

  Dark Sun stood up and took off his visor, his expression cold. A pair of ink-black eyes looked toward me. His eyes were without any emotions, and his whole person was like an ice-cold metal statue. 

  Shortly after, he blinked a few times. His ink-black eyes were wide and round, and he even pitifully furrowed his brow. He shouted, “Charles, I’m so hungry! Super duper hungry!” 

  At this moment, the living room’s door also opened, and Dell loudly whined, “I’m starving! Butler, serve us some food!” 

  I laughed and said, “Yes, I will immediately bring the food.” 

  “Charles, you’re attending university?” asked the young master, a little surprised. 

  While eating breakfast… or rather lunch, I told the young master that I wanted to attend university, and thus I hoped I would occasionally be able to take time off to go to class. 

  As soon as I finished speaking, everyone, who had been wolfing down their food, actually willingly stopped their action of eating. Then, they blankly looked at me, all showing equally incredulous expressions. 

  “A butler needs to attend university?” Dell wondered, “What kind of classes? Housekeeping classes?” 

  “No.” I explained at once, “It is to study medicine because I will have to perform operations on the young master for his wounds and the like in the future. Therefore, I want to gain some basic knowledge. In this way, I can save Mr. An Te Qi the trouble of having to teach me starting from the basics.” 

  After hearing this explanation, everyone stopped looking surprised and continued to engross themselves in eating. Mr. Bramble even nodded and murmured, “This is a good idea because the young master gets hurt all the time…” He stopped speaking. He seemed to take into consideration that the young master was present and did not continue that thread of conversation. 

  “I see!” The young master nodded in understanding and said, “Studying at a university is great. Bàba certainly doesn’t have the patience to tutor you step by step. I bet he already wants you to help with his experiments!” 

  Indeed. 

  The young master promptly gave his permission, “Go ahead and attend university. Nowadays, I’m not at home for very long anyway, so you’d probably be very bored at home all by yourself!” 

  “Thank you, Young Master.” While talking, I served each one of them dessert: walnut-pumpkin pie. 

  After eating a pie, the young master suddenly said, “Charles, remember not to wear clothing that is too nerdy when you go to school, or you’ll be bullied!” 

  I had not even thought of this point and promptly replied gratefully, “Thank you for the reminder, Young Master. I will keep that in mind.” 

  At this moment, Aren started to talk as well. “If you’re being extorted, don’t think that giving money will solve it. They’ll like seeking you out more and more to demand money, and it’ll be more and more money.” 

  I stared blankly and replied, “All right.” 

  The young master ate another pie. As I placed the third pie on his plate, he raised his head and said, “Ah, right! If a professor tells you to stay behind to help or wants to help you review for class, you must pay attention to whether or not their expressions are perverted! It doesn’t matter if the professor is male or female. You have to be alert with both! If they show a perverted expression, you absolutely shouldn’t do as they tell you!” 

  …Young Master, just what kind of university life did you have? 

  “Oh, that’s right!” The young master seemed to have remembered something important. He suddenly left his breakfast and ran back to his room, then rushed out again and gave me a box that looked like a magazine. Based on what I knew from the various weapons Yue Gang had purchased before, this should probably be a magazine full of hand grenades, rather than a magazine for bullets. 

  I took it and asked, puzzled, “Young Master, are these hand grenades?” But why would he give me hand grenades? 

  “They’re smoke grenades.” The young master carefully explained, “There are a total of ten smoke grenades inside. If you meet any trouble, just push this red button, and the magazine will launch a smoke grenade. When the air is filled with smoke, you can use x-speed to escape!” 

  I looked at the smoke grenades I held. Suddenly, I was not so sure if I was going to “university” or doing some kind of dangerous activity like breaking into jail. But as I looked at everyone else’s expressions, they did not look surprised at all. Aren even nodded his head in approval… Are universities nowadays really that dangerous? 

  As I held the smoke grenade magazine, I only said, “Thank you, Young Master.” 

  Completely serious, the young master said, “Charles, you must take care of your safety!” 

  “…Thank you for worrying, Young Master. I will certainly be extra careful.” 

  So, university is actually such a dangerous place? I could not stop myself from starting to worry. 

  Dear Father, please bless my quest for knowledge to be a successful one.

  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Heaven or Hell, First Level—Sunward University, Learning Knowledge and How to Remain Unperturbed

  Translator: Tentacles (proofread by Faren & Trespasserby; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  [AD 2110] 

  Why does a girl want to become a hero? 

  “I do not mean to discriminate against women.” First Wind panicked. “I genuinely feel it is such a pity for a girl to cut off perfectly good legs to install cybernetic ones.” 

  My legs were amputated because of a car accident, not for the purpose of modifying them. 

  “S-sorry!” 

  Your left arm was amputated for cybernetic modification? 

  “Yes.” 

  Modified to become a hero? 

  “Yes.” 

  Do you regret it? 

  “No,” First Wind said, “I have a reason that I had to become a hero. You? Have you ever regretted choosing to become a hero?” 

  No, not at all. I also have a reason that I had to become one. 

  First Wind chuckled. “My reason is my parents. Yours? 

  …Husband. 

  To be exact, he couldn’t be regarded as my husband, as he died on our wedding day. 

  Curtis was truly efficient. Only three days had passed since I called him, and the enrollment procedure was already done. Class schedules were also in my hands. Because of my identity as a transfer student, I could choose whichever courses I wanted. It was also even possible to directly attend courses reserved for seventh years. 

  The courses were roughly divided into preclinical and clinical curriculum. 

  First year and second year mostly covered basic courses, such as psychology, general chemistry, biology, medical sociology, and more. Only during the third year would there be clinical training like basic medical experiments, gross anatomy, and other hands-on clinical courses. Only after the fourth year would pre-medical students intern at a hospital. 

  Father had once said that, as a butler, one must possess a large variety of skills, but one must not be cursory in his learning and become incompetent. Thus, no matter which skills one were to learn, one must build a solid foundation, never mind the medical arts which involved a person’s life. Therefore, I wanted to study step by step, starting as a freshman. 

  Ring… Ring ring… 

  I lifted up the phone and took a glance. I hurriedly answered. “Hello Mr. An Te Qi.” 

  “You’re Ch… Char, Char—what was it again…” 

  “Charles,” I promptly replied. 

  “Oh, yeah! Charles, sigh, Ah Ye’s brother kept nagging me to see you or else he would shoot me. My current experiment needs a month to complete though, so I’ll see you next month!” 

  “All right.” 

  “It just so happens that I have a fairly simple experiment for you to do. Next month, don’t forget to call and remind me to meet up with you! Otherwise, I would definitely forget, and Ah Ye’s brother would murder me.” 

  “All right,” I replied quickly and firmly committed this matter to memory. 

  “Say, are there any specific kinds of corpses you like to dissect? Human? Non-human? Adult, child, male, female? Tell me so that I can keep that kind in reserve for you.” 

  “Do I really have to go straight to dissecting a corpse?” I asked back with great horror. 

  Mr. An Te Qi said definitively, “Of course! Or else, where do you want me to start teaching?” 

  I promptly suggested, “Basic chemistry or medical sociology?” 

  “What are those?” 

  Basic medical school courses. 

  Mr. An Te Qi said, “Anyway, that’s settled. I will meet you next month. I think you should start with dissecting a human corpse. To dissect a non-human corpse at the start would be too difficult.” 

  “Mr. An Te Qi, even if it is a human corpse, it will still be too difficult…” 

  Click. 

  I stared at the phone that had been hung up on me, stupefied for a long time. I shifted my eyes to the schedule of courses and then dialed Curtis. 

  “Curtis, could you please help me arrange for courses in the following: pharmacology, basic medical experimentation, histology, and gross anatomy.” 

  “Are you starting from the third year?” Curtis asked with a little surprise and then said understandingly, “You must have already learned the basics, right? However, the course load may be too heavy. You will not have time to rest.” 

  No, I have not learned any of the basics. It is just that I will actually have to physically dissect by next month. If I start learning the basics this month, I am afraid it would be too slow to meet this pressing need. 

  “The minimum amount of sleep I need in a day is only two hours. It will not be an issue even if I missed sleeping for a few days.” 

  “Yes, Family Head, but currently, the university has already started their classes quite a while ago. I am afraid that you will need to begin your studies in the middle. Will there be any problems?” 

  The problem was indeed significant, but this might actually work better. In the next month, I would have to personally dissect and experiment. If the professor was still only doing start of the term introductions, it would make me burn with anxiousness. 

  “No problem. Please arrange these courses for me.” 

  “Yes. Family Head, I have something to trouble you as well.” 

  Hearing this, I was a little surprised. “Please say it.” 

  “For the next few days, Sunset City might not be very peaceful. Please try to avoid the city center’s commercial buildings. If you really must go, please do not stay for long. During this period, I will arrange for twenty people to observe the situation in Sunset City. If you really run into trouble, you must call me. This is what I will trouble you with!” Curtis deliberately spoke in a lower voice to emphasize the last several words. 

  That Sunset City was not peaceful was not new news. However, specifically mentioning the city center’s commercial buildings was unusual. I could not refrain from asking, “Why do you say that?” 

  “Because…” 

  “Charles!” 

  This was the young master’s summon. I hung up immediately and walked into the young master’s workroom. 

  “Yes, Young Master. May I please ask if there is anything you need?” 

  On top of the young master’s desk lay two legs… Of course, they were not human legs but cybernetic ones. Those were Solitary Butterfly’s legs that the young master had sliced. To compensate her, the young master brought her legs back to repair and further enhance them. 

  The young master stood up. He pointed at the legs one by one and explained, “The left and the right thighs can be opened. The left thigh contains grenades, the right thigh contains flash bangs, the knees can shoot out energy bullets, the side of the lower leg and the toes can project blades, and the soles of the feet can project wheels for sliding. The speed of the sliding can go up to 60 km/h.” 

  Explaining up to here, the young master paused. He turned and asked, “Charles, given this, what other functions could I still add?” 

  Those really were a pair of powerfully offensive legs full of practicality. After contemplating for a moment, I bowed and said, “Young Master, I apologize. Charles really does not know what other functions could be added.” 

  The young master nodded. He relaxed a little and said, “Then, it should be good enough, right? I hope Solitary Butterfly will like them. Last time, I really gave her a lot of trouble.” 

  “I believe Solitary Butterfly will like it,” I said while smiling. 

  “Really?” The young master also smiled and then said, “Next will be First Wind-gē’s whip… Charles, what are you holding?” 

  Following the young master’s curious gaze, I only then realized that I was still holding the schedule of courses. I handed over the schedule of courses and explained, “This is what I mentioned to you last time. This is a schedule of courses for the medical major.” 

  The young master let out an “oh” and said, “Charles, are you going to study at the university I went to?” 

  I froze for a second and then remembered that the university Curtis arranged for was indeed the university that the young master had once studied in—Sunward University. 

  This result was not too unexpected; Sunset City’s most famous university is Sunward University. Curtis would obviously arrange this university for me. 

  “Charles became my underclassman!” Beaming, the young master said, “Although our fields are different, you’re still my underclassman!” 

  I humbly said, “Yes, I am much honored to become Young Master’s underclassman.” 

  “But if it is Sunward University…” The young master tilted his head while looking at the schedule of courses. He then said, “Then, I’ll prepare two more guns for you! I don’t know the medical major’s situation, but guns are quite necessary for the combat major. I don’t think you want to use your blood ability to attack your classmates, right?” 

  Of course not, but if I could, I also do not want to use guns to attack classmates. 

  “Young Master, is college truly that dangerous?” I could not refrain from inquiring. 

  The young master tilted his head and pondered for a moment. He then said, “With your strength, it might not be that dangerous. I’m more worried that you’ll be naively deceived. Remember to ignore perverted professors and also perverted classmates. Don’t buy the things suggested by classmates. Don’t eat food from unfamiliar classmates. That way you might not have a problem.” 

  Although it did not sound like there would be no problem, I could only say, “Yes, Young Master.” 

  “When are you starting?” 

  “I can start whenever. I will probably go within the next two days because Mr. An Te Qi has given me a call saying that he will teach me starting next month.” 

  “Next month? That fast?” The young master considered it for a moment and said, “Then, do you want to report in today? For the next few days, I’ll be going to Luo Chu-gē’s studio to shoot photos. I could drop you off at college along the way. After I’m done shooting photos, I could pick you up.” 

  I felt a little unprepared, but the sooner I attended the classes the better. I bowed and said, “Then I will have to trouble Young Master.” 

  “It’s no trouble at all! Charles is going to college because of me!” 

  The young master stood up. He glanced at the two legs on the table and muttered, “I’ll just bring these to Luo Chu-gē while I’m at it. His relationship with Solitary Butterfly seems fairly good. Wouldn’t it be better to let him hand over the legs to Solitary Butterfly?” 

  After he finished speaking, he looked toward me. I quickly said, “Such an arrangement is excellent.” 

  After getting my response, the young master appeared to be relieved. He turned his head and shouted, “DSII, wake up. Come take me and Charles to school.” 

  The motorcycle leaning against the wall lit up its light. A thrilled voice sounded. “Can I break the speed limit? Can I? Can I?” 

  The young master firmly refused. “No!” 

  DSII’s headlight flashed nonstop, “Please~! It’s been a long time since I went out and played as a motorcycle! Ah Ye always asks me to be Dark Sun! Being Dark Sun is so boring! I can finally be a motorcycle! Let me ride a bit faster! Ah Ye~~~” 

  “Uh…” Faced with a pleading motorcycle, the young master wavered. 

  Now, I seemed to become the one unable to stop worrying. 

  The young master glanced at me and then glanced at DSII. He said with difficulty, “Then, the speed must be under 100 km/h.” 

  “Oh yay!” 

  After getting off the motorcycle, I looked up at the school gate. Sunward University was indeed Sunset City’s best university. The gilded bronze gate was very grand and well-maintained for its shine. 

  The young master asked worriedly, “Charles, are you okay?” 

  I nodded and said, “Young Master, I am fine. A speed of 100 km/h is not too fast.” 

  I did not know if I was already accustomed to it or if 100 km/h compared to the usual 200 km/h was really nothing. I, without a doubt, felt fine. The riding experience this time was not too bad. 

  “I rode really slowly!” DSII protested. 

  “Quiet down!” The young master patted DSII on the headlight. He said with a little dissatisfaction, “How many times have I told you? Don’t speak randomly outside. You’ll scare people!” 

  DSII muttered, “Fine!” 

  The young master turned his head and said to me, “Charles, I wanted to ask you. Is the sunlight now not too bright? You will have to go to school during the day from now on. Will you be okay with this brightness?” 

  It was certainly bright, making me feel extremely hot. Fortunately, last time I bought some clothing at X-Killer that was not very revealing. Now, I was wearing a silver-gray, long sleeve T-shirt and black jeans. Olga even helped me pick out a black leather hat that was said to be popular among young people. I was currently wearing the hat, which prevented the sunlight from shining directly upon my head. 

  I answered, “Young Master, my hat and clothing already block much of the sunlight. I will not feel too uncomfortable. Also, I will soon head into my classroom. There will be no sunlight inside.” 

  The young master nodded and looked me up and down. He said admirably, “Olga is really amazing. Even I didn’t think that Charles wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and a leather hat would not be weird at all! I don’t know why the T-shirt has so many thin strings tied to it, but it looks pretty good.” 

  I also did not understand why a T-shirt required so many strings tied to it. These thin, black strings began from the edge of both sleeves and crisscrossed upward to the chest and back. They caused me to feel bound, although the strings did not intertwine tightly. 

  I asked, “If Young Master likes this kind of clothing, I can go to X-Killer and buy a set for you.” 

  The young master shook his head and said, “I said it looked good because many people are stealing a glance at you.” 

  Stunned for a moment, I looked around. He was right. Originally, people by the gate came and went with haste, but now there were some people stopping by the gate and casting their glances toward me. 

  Fortunately, the young master had not taken off his helmet. Otherwise, with his current fame, I was afraid it would not just be the problem of being noticed or not but rather of causing an uproar. 

  The young master suddenly looked toward the left behind me and said, “Oh, it seems like someone is coming to make a move on you!” 

  I froze and then heard someone shout out. “Charles Endelis!” 

  Very few people used my full name to address me. I turned my head to look. A man with black hair and who was wearing a beige trench coat walked toward me with a smile. Surprised, I said, “You are…” 

  “Lieder,” he immediately filled in. Pretending to be sad, he said, “We met each other not too long ago, and you already forgot my name. This really breaks my heart.” 

  I had not forgotten his name. It was just that I was a little surprised that he had appeared here… Oh right, at that time when Lieder had introduced himself, he had said that he had come to Sunset City to teach. Do not tell me it was as a Sunward University professor? 

  Perhaps university is indeed very dangerous. 

  The young master asked curiously, “Charles, who’s this?” 

  I quickly introduced him. “This gentleman is Professor Lieder. He just came to Sunward University to teach. I remember the professor’s subject is anthropology, am I right?” For the last few words, I turned and asked Lieder. 

  Lieder nodded while smiling. 

  Fortunately, my major was medicine. 

  “So he’s a professor?” The young master greeted respectfully. “Hello Professor! I am An Xiang Ye. I graduated from Sunward University not long ago.” 

  Lieder pushed his glasses up with his pinkie, which I rarely saw people use to push up their glasses, and then smiled dazzlingly. He said, “Student An, hello. From the day I became a professor, I have never seen such an obedient student like you.” 

  The young master asked curiously, “Professor Lieder looks so young. You can’t have been a professor for long, right?” 

  “Hahaha, young but not that young, I’m already thirty years old.” 

  “Eh? You’re only thirty and you’re already a professor? That’s so young!” 

  Seeing that the two of them were conversing so harmoniously, I hesitated over whether I should tell the young master that this professor had once pressed the tip of a silver fountain pen against my neck. 

  “Charles, do you want to report to the educational administrative office first?” The young master hesitated and said, “I’ll take you there. I’m almost going to be late, but Luo Chu-gē should be willing to wait for me.” 

  “How about I take him there?” Lieder proposed sincerely. “In any case, I don’t have much to do. Additionally, I can help familiarize him with the campus. This way, you won’t be late either.” 

  Hearing this, the young master shifted his eyes to me as if to ask, Is this okay? 

  I nodded and said, “Then, I will have to trouble Professor Lieder.” 

  With good manners, the young master thanked Lieder. “Thank you, Professor.” He turned his head and said to me, “Charles, I’ll pick you up in the evening.” 

  After saying that, the young master got on DSII and rode away. 

  At the same time I saw the young master off, Lieder came beside me, saying, “Has anyone ever told you that you have no sense of self preservation?” 

  “No one has said so in those particular words, but there was someone who had said something similar.” 

  That person’s name was E.X. 

  The original words went roughly like this: “There is no vampire as naive as you are! Compared to a ten-year-old girl, you are easier to abduct. That you’re still alive is entirely a miracle… No, it’s because Sadina made this miracle happen. She must have been unlucky for eight lifetimes to fall in love with you!” 

  Returning back to the present, I saw Lieder staring at me with a smile that was not quite a smile. With this type of smile in addition to his gentle face and polite manners, he still did not appear dangerous at all. He said, “I am an assailant who once held you under duress, yet you let your young master leave and are facing me alone. Don’t you lack a sense of danger too much like this?” 

  I politely said, “I just believe a professor would not use his fountain pen to stab and kill a student in the institution where he’s teaching in broad daylight.” 

  “Oh, I agree, so to speak.” Lieder nodded. He suddenly twisted the topic and said, “But now, in this era, if I secretly turned an inconspicuous corner while leading you to the administrative office and killed you there, this—I’m afraid—wouldn’t be too odd, right?” 

  …Indeed, it would not be too odd. 

  “Haha, I’m just kidding. Don’t be too serious.” Lieder blinked and said, “If no one has employed me, I won’t attack.” 

  There was no need for clarification. I was actually not nervous. Perhaps it was because Lieder had not harmed me at all last time when he held me under duress. Therefore, I believed he was friendly. Besides, if he really did attack, I did not think I lacked the ability to defend myself. 

  “Let’s go. If we don’t go now, I’m afraid some people will come and make a move on you.” Lieder laughed and said, “I don’t think you will be especially happy because someone hit on you, right?” 

  We walked through the school gate. By this time, the school bell had already rung. The people near us were gradually decreasing. Even if there were people near us, they passed us hastily. 

  Compared to others, Lieder and I walked at a relaxed pace. 

  From the start, Lieder was even considerate and walked under the shadows of trees without my asking, not letting the sunlight hit me directly. He then nonchalantly started to chat, “What are you studying?” 

  “Courses relating to the medical field.” 

  “Medical field?” Lieder froze a bit. He turned his head and looked at me. He asked, “Don’t tell me you want to be a doctor?” 

  “Of course not. It is just for me to serve the young master better.” 

  “To serve a master, you also need to study medical courses?” After receiving my nod, Lieder said with a smile that was not quite a smile, “A butler is such an exhausting profession.” 

  I politely said, “I believe a professor is a profession much more exhausting than a butler’s.” 

  Lieder laughed and said, “Probably the combat major professor’s is! But I teach anthropology. The students in this major are relatively gentle and quiet. They’re not hard to teach.” 

  “I see.” I said with a smile, “May I ask, what are anthropology’s main contents?” 

  “My pleasure. Is it not for a professor to be asked? It is just that I encounter very few polite students who would say ‘May I ask.’ It is such a pity that you are not an anthropology student.” Lieder blinked and said, “Anthropology delves into the similarities and differences among humans. This can begin from many aspects such as their culture, biology…” 

  While casually conversing, we walked into a building and took an elevator to the third floor. Who would have known that right after we stepped out of the elevator, we would hear a muffled boom. 

  I froze for a moment. Was that… the sound of an explosion? 

  Lieder patted my shoulder and said, “Don’t be nervous. That should be a lab exploding. This is normal. The fire alarm didn’t even go off, so it must be a small explosion.” 

  I thought only Mr. An Te Qi’s laboratory exploding was a common thing. 

  Just after Lieder walked out of the elevator, he exclaimed, “Ah, it seems to be blocked ahead. Let’s go from upstairs!” 

  Blocked? Could it be under construction… I looked ahead. In the hallway, there was a confrontation between two groups of people. Each group had about ten people. Everyone’s face was fierce. If it were an ordinary brawl, it would not be a big deal. However, all kinds of high tech weapons were in their hands; even energy weapons were no exceptions. If a gang outside of the college started a brawl, one might not even see so many high tech weapons. 

  “Those are just combat major students dueling each other.” Lieder patted my shoulder and comforted me. “Don’t worry. Death does not occur often.” 

  Not often… Which means, people have been killed before? 

  We did not get the chance to turn and leave in time before both groups started their brawl. The leading figure let out a battle cry, and everyone charged forward, using all kinds of weapons on their hands to start their fights. 

  The scene in the beginning was a little chaotic, but people soon found their own main combat target. Forming pairs, they fought each other. Instantly, the hallway was filled with various kinds of sounds from the metal collisions. There were even gun shots and humming sounds from the collision of energy weapons. 

  Bullets and energy beams flew everywhere. Fortunately, in the hallway, apart from the two battling groups, there was only Lieder and me… 

  After a quick dodge of a bullet with x-speed, I took the opportunity to return back to the elevator and then call out for Lieder. He looked back at me—I do not understand why—with a surprised expression, but he, with his head lowered, also followed into the elevator. 

  I immediately pressed the button to close the door. Only after the elevator’s door was completely shut could we then not hear the chaotic noises from outside. 

  “You sure are fast.” Once he walked in, Lieder admired, “I completely did not see when you entered the elevator. If every vampire has your speed, I’m afraid that this world’s strongest race would be the vampires.” 

  I looked at Lieder and said while smiling, “I was just a little faster.” 

  “No, in this world, speed determines everything! Power can be borrowed from external forces to level up continuously, but speed always has a limit. A human’s brain cannot handle too fast of a speed.” Lieder said lightly, “Imagine, if you are holding an almighty energy weapon, in addition to making a sudden attack, how many people will be able to react in time to block your attack?” 

  “Many people,” I said sincerely because, recently, I had seen many battles. Furthermore, those battles were all between heroes or non-humans. I really doubted my fighting capacity could be compared to these people. 

  “You give yourself too little credit. From what I see, you just need a little training, and you can…” Speaking until here, Lieder suddenly stopped. He said with a smile, “Didn’t your young master graduate as a combat major? Let him train you?” 

  This Professor Lieder sure knows many things, but does he know that the young master is Dark Sun? Since he already knows I interfered with the heroes’ and police’s business, maybe he already knows Dark Sun’s identity? 

  The more I thought about it, the more uncertain I was. But no matter what, as long as I did not reveal that the young master was Dark Sun, then there should not be any problems. 

  “Yes, the young master did graduate from the combat major.” 

  “Given his appearance, he must be really strong, right?” 

  “The young master is indeed not weak, but what does this have to do with his appearance?” I completely did not understand. Going by the young master’s appearance, he really was not the strong type; he was even leaning toward skinny. 

  Lieder did not successfully stifle his laughter. “You misunderstood my meaning. Your young master is so beautiful. If he does not have enough power or authority, how would he protect himself?” 

  I smiled. “What you have just said is right.” 

  Lieder stopped walking and gestured at the doorplate on the wall. He said, “We’ve arrived at the administrative office. Come in!” 

  Right after I walked in, I did not get the chance to say anything because Lieder immediately pulled me everywhere to sign in, register, and receive the course selection list. Watching him being so busy with my arrangement, I felt that this Professor Lieder person was a little too passionate. 

  Although I could not deny the existence of passionate, friendly people in this world, this Professor Lieder’s part-time job was actually that of an assassin. A passionate, friendly assassin was such a conflicting profession. This was something I really could not accept. I would rather believe that Lieder is scheming something, but what is his scheme? 

  “Let’s go! Let’s find the professors to get their approval.” 

  Holding a few documents, Lieder tugged at my sleeve, gesturing for me to follow him. However, once he turned, his body suddenly wobbled. Seeing that he was about to fall, I extended my hand to grab him. Only then did he not plummet to the ground. 

  I helped him stand straight. After making sure he could stand firmly, I asked with astonishment, “Are you all right?” 

  Lieder straightened up. He turned his head to smile at me and said, “I’m okay, I’m okay. I probably tripped over something!” 

  Tripped? But, there is nothing in front of him. What could have tripped him? 

  I stared at Lieder. Although he was wearing a smile, he face was very pale, and his chin had stubble. Also, heavy dark circles were hanging below his eyes. This appearance reminded me of Mr. An Te Qi… 

  “Lieder, when did you have your last meal?” 

  Stunned, Lieder frowned and contemplated, “My last meal must have been breakfast. I must have eaten… Uh, maybe I haven’t because, at that time, I was still sleeping.” 

  I continued asking, “Then, did you eat dinner last night?” 

  Lieder ruminated. He then gave up and said, “I don’t remember.” 

  It was as I had expected. He was indeed a Mr. An Te Qi type. I suggested, “The time is about right. How about we have afternoon tea?” 

  “Huh?” Lieder looked at me strangely and said, “You want to have afternoon tea?” 

  “That is just an excuse,” I said while laughing. “Is not everyone like this? Although phrased as afternoon tea, the real intention is to converse.” 

  Hearing that it was for conserving, Lieder’s eyes brightened. He agreed at once. “Okay, let’s go!” 

  Although Lieder said “let’s go” promptly, he did not know where we could have afternoon tea. In the end, he went back to ask the people in the administrative office. Only then did we know where there was food and drink served. 

  After reaching the cafeteria, I asked Lieder what he would like to eat. Apparently, he did not mind what kind of food would be stuffed into his mouth. This point was very similar to Mr. An Te Qi. The latter, except for instant noodles, ate everything; he did not particularly care what the food was made out of. 

  I could only try to order food that was both fully nutritious and aromatic. Once the food arrived, the aroma, as expected, caused Lieder to notice that he was hungry. He lifted up his cutlery. As he was about to devour his food, he looked up at me. Given his expression, he seemed to feel a little apologetic. 

  I took out a blood bag and poured the blood into a disposable cup. I then smiled and said, “I will also drink my afternoon ‘tea.’” 

  Upon seeing this, Lieder laughed. He gave me a thumbs-up and then started eating. 

  While drinking blood, I observed the cafeteria. Currently, it must be class time or so; therefore, there were only two or three students here and there. The students were either reading or watching the large televisions on the wall while eating. Each of the surrounding four walls of the cafeteria had a large television. Each television broadcasted a different news network. In this current world, there certainly were televisions wherever one goes. No matter what happened, one could always know the latest news. 

  Breaking news alert: 

  The Sun Alliance’s highest authority, also known as the “Sun Emperor,” will be visiting Sunset City in ten days. It is unknown how long he will be staying. The alliance claims that their main purpose is to meet with Dr. Ni Cai, who won an award some days ago for submitting a thesis on modifying the brain, in order to discuss a collaboration. 

  However, outsiders are speculating that the real purpose behind the Sun Emperor’s visit is to expand their economic development in Sunset City and to further establish multi-enterprises… 

  “Ri Xiang Yan will be coming to Sunset City?” Lieder exclaimed. 

  I, on the other hand, was not very surprised. Not too long after I became the young master’s butler, the master had already visited the young master’s apartment. It was a private visit then; outsiders did not know of it, and of course there was no news report of it. On the contrary, the name Lieder used surprised me more. 

  He actually directly addressed the Sun Emperor by name. Not many did that. Everyone seemed to have forgotten the Sun Emperor’s real name. If I did not know the young master, I would likely not be able to react to who “Ri Xiang Yan” was. 

  Come to think of it, does Curtis not want me to go near commercial buildings because the master will be coming to Sunset City? He might have somewhat overthought it. There should not be anyone wanting to attack the Sun Emperor. 

  Lieder was bewildered. “Sunset City’s economy is very developed, but the public order is notoriously bad. Those business top brasses rarely come here, not to mention Ri Xiang Yan. Why is he coming over so suddenly?” 

  Notorious public order, yet the young master chose to live in Sunset City. 

  The young master’s friend Ezart always participated in dangerous expeditions, but perhaps the young master liked danger even more than him, directly choosing to live in a dangerous place. 

  Lieder continued with his bewildered tone. “Dr. Ni Cai’s research is indeed impressive, but does Ri Xiang Yan value him to the point of coming personally?” 

  “I also do not know.” However, I think that he might not value him that highly. 

  Compared to that doctor, Mr. An Te Qi, who had modified Dark Sun into existence more than eight years ago, could not be inferior in any aspect. Despite that, according to Mr. An Te Qi, the Sun Emperor, would often press a pistol against Mr. An Te Qi’s forehead without worrying that it might go off accidentally. Therefore, I concluded that this doctor should not be able to make the Sun Emperor value him to the point of coming to meet him personally. 

  Mostly likely, he just wants to visit the young master on the way… No! He is specifically coming to visit the young master and just to meet the doctor on the way, right? I think, this ought to be the case. 

  I wonder if the young master knows the news that the master is coming? By any means, I should still announce it to young master when I return home. 

  Ring ring… Ring… 

  I glanced at my phone’s display screen. I simply apologized to Lieder and then walked to the side to answer the phone. 

  “Hello, Secretary Kyle.” 

  He made a noise of acknowledgement and then directly got to the main point. “Soon, the Sun Emperor will be going to Sunset City and will visit the young master on the way. He said he wanted to surprise the young master. Therefore, don’t let the young master know that the Sun Emperor is coming to Sunset City.” 

  “… But the fact that the master will be coming to Sunset City is already on the news. I am afraid that it will be the top news story for these next few days.” 

  “Therefore, during this period, you will be responsible for preventing the young master from watching the news. Don’t let him know about this!” 

  “I am afraid this is a bit difficult…” 

  Secretary Kyle coldly interrupted me, “This is a command. There is no room for negotiation.” 

  After the last syllable of negotiation was spoken, the call was ended. I stared at my phone with a small feeling of not knowing what to do. Nowadays, in this world, no matter if one were sitting in a restaurant or walking on the street, one was able to watch television at any moment. How does one prevent a person from watching the news for a continuous ten days? 

  Not to mention, this person is the young master; he can even search Wikipedia in his own head! 

  After pondering it over, there were still no good solutions. I suddenly remembered that the young master was currently in Ji Luo Chu’s studio. Maybe they are already watching the news? 

  I quickly dialed Ji Luo Chu’s phone number, but no one answered. Without any better options, I could only call Ah Da’s phone. 

  As soon as the call went through, Ah Da’s big and hearty voice sounded. He said, “Hi, Butler. Looking for Ah Ye?” 

  “No, please do not catch the young master’s attention,” I said immediately. “Mr. Ah Da, I will have to trouble you. Please prevent the young master from watching television!” 

  “Prevent him from watching T.V.? Why?” 

  “Because of some reasons, I will have to trouble you to discretely prevent the young master from watching television.” 

  “Ah? I really don’t know what you want to do, but Ah Ye and Luo Chu just went out. Because there’s a bank robbery near Evening Sun Plaza, they might go through the plaza. So if Ah Ye were to see the wall T.V. there by the plaza, then I wouldn’t know!” 

  The wall television in the Evening Sun Plaza… If I go to stop him now, it would be too late, right? 

  No, the young master went to solve the urgent matter of a bank robbery. He might not notice the wall television. Instead, on the return, he is more likely to pay attention to the wall television. If I were to go now, I might make it in time. 

  “Thank you for telling me.” I hung up and returned to the table. I said apologetically, “Lieder, I am afraid I will have to go now.” 

  Hearing this, Lieder did not say much but extended his hand and said, “Then, hand me your phone! I will enter my number for you. If you have any problems with the courses, or if the professors refuse to give their approval to get you added, you can come find me.” 

  “Thank you very much.” I handed my phone to Lieder. He easily entered the numbers. 

  Clatter! 

  I reflexively looked down. Something shiny had fallen to the ground. Upon closer look, I then realized it was actually a fountain pen. I bent down to pick it up. The carvings on the pen were very complicated, and the style was very classical. Nowadays, very few people used these types of pens. 

  I handed the pen over to Lieder and said, “Lieder, your fountain pen.” 

  Lieder lifted up his head and said, while smiling, “Your phone.” 

  We smiled at each other and took back our own item at the same time. I said, “Then, I will take my leave first. Please finish your meal and also remember to eat in the future.” 

  Lieder blinked and said, “As expected of a butler. I will try to remember to eat, so will it be all right now?” 

  This person’s personality must not be too different from Mr. An Te Qi’s. I nodded while smiling and then turned and left.

  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Heaven or Hell, Second Level—The Evening Sun Plaza, A Tangle of Noises, Ill Habits, and Bravery

  Translator: Ever (proofread by Cesium Black & Lala Su; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  Do you know Dark Sun? It seems like he’s been a hero for a long time, too. Did you or did he become a hero first? 

  First Wind replied with an uncertain attitude, “Oh, Dark Sun? I’m not sure when he first started being a hero, since he keeps such a low profile. If it weren’t for the media relentlessly pursuing us heroes these days, then he might still be unknown to the world.” 

  Can he be trusted? 

  “Heh, I don’t even know him, so how am I supposed to answer you?” 

  Then, do you trust me? 

  “Hmm? Oh, of course.” 

  But you don’t know me either, and you neither know my true identity nor what I do for a living. How can you trust me? 

  “Don’t I know you?” First Wind laughed, “Do I really not know you just because we wear masks? Would you claim that you don’t know First Wind?” 

  …You’re really optimistic. You look very happy, unlike someone who has been through a lot of hardships. 

  “Really?” First Wind said as he laughed, “That might be because I have a younger brother that I need to raise, so I don’t have any time to dwell on sorrowful thoughts… Ah, after hearing so much about me, will you discover who I am? Haha.” 

  Even if I did discover your true identity, I won’t tell anyone about it. I swear. 

  “Well, I am not worried about that at all.” 

  For the sake of reaching the destination on time, I chose to travel on top of the buildings. As I jumped from roof to roof, I thought about how I should stop the young master from watching the TV wall. 

  The truth is, it is quite easy to prevent the young master from watching the TV wall once or twice. The real trouble is how to prevent him from watching the news for ten days in a row, regardless of whether it was from the television at home or the TV walls outside. I would even have to prevent the young master from searching for news in his own head… 

  No matter how I think about it, it seems like an impossible mission. 

  I stopped my footsteps and leapt onto the railings on the edge of a building. I looked down to confirm that no one was in the alley below before I finally took a step forward and started falling down. 

  On the way down, I continuously used blood ability to slow down my fall and finally landed without a sound. 

  Walking out of the alley, a large crowd of people appeared in front of me. Some of them hastily walked on while some of them stayed at the plaza or danced to the music. There were also people who were sitting on the rim of the surrounding small, minor stages, the chairs beside them, or even on the railings. 

  Most of them were fashionably dressed young people who glowed from head to toe, since the current fad was the glowing style. 

  This was the Evening Sun Plaza, a favorite gathering place of the younger crowd. It could be said that there was not a single moment of silence from day to night, and the plaza would even get busier as the night deepened. 

  The Evening Sun Plaza was a fan-shaped area. The handle of the fan was the large TV wall that would continuously broadcast various kinds of news and advertisements for twenty-four hours every day. 

  Incidentally, the TV wall was broadcasting the news of the Sun Emperor coming to Sunset City. This time, it did not appear as an interruption to the news but as a formal headline. The Sun Alliance’s representative was on screen, explaining the upcoming meeting of the Sun Emperor and Doctor Ni Cai. 

  It looks like there is no hope of this news becoming outdated by tomorrow and never broadcasted again… 

  If something is associated with the Sun Emperor, then it is usually big news. I am afraid that the TV stations will continue to broadcast this until the Sun Emperor arrives in Sunset City in ten days, or maybe even until he leaves. 

  I lifted my head to look at the TV wall. The news story about the Sun Emperor had finished and the next one was coincidently related to the young master, which was also a popular topic these days—the Cities Representative Election. 

  In the previous elections, “the young master” had defeated “Dark Sun” and became Sunset City’s representative, but that was not the final result of the election. Next comes the competition between the representatives of each city, which was when the election would reach its highest point. The news stations and various shows had all been reporting on the same topic for days and would even provide live updates of the newest vote counts. 

  The vote counts on the TV wall at the moment showed that the young master and the representative of another city had the most votes and were far ahead of the other candidates. That other city was also one I was familiar with; it was “Daystar City.” 

  Daystar City was as well-known as Sunset City among non-humans since the Church had made the city their base of operations. As such, most non-humans would choose to avoid it, especially vampires. 

  However, for the same reason, Daystar City had become a very safe place, which was rare for big cities. 

  Go support and vote for the Angel! The Angel and that damned bastard from Daystar City have fallen into a tug-of -war situation, so everyone go and vote for him. Don’t let the Angel lose to that priest! 

  The reporter on TV sounded very passionate about this; he even used damned bastard to describe the other candidate. He also reminded everyone to remember to vote and even carefully explained every detail on how to vote, as if he were afraid that the public might decide not to vote just because they did not know how to. 

  Come to think of it, I have not voted yet either. I will vote when I return home and tell the others to vote with me! 

  After the television program finished introducing the young master, they moved on to introducing the candidate from Daystar City. His name was Alex Simon and surprisingly, he was a priest. 

  That the candidate was a priest certainly fit the fact that Daystar City was the Church’s base, but the result was still quite unbelievable. After all, the majority of voters in the election were young people, so the representatives of every city were mostly the favorite idols among the younger generation, with few representatives coming from other industries. Even the young master had also become a representative because of his position as a model and singer. 

  But this Father Alex actually became the representative of Daystar City. I wonder what kind of story there is behind that? 

  Maybe it is only because the Church is strongly supporting him… No! What I should do right now is destroy the TV wall. Why am I watching the TV instead? 

  I observed my surroundings; there were too many people in the plaza and several of them had stopped to look at the TV wall. If I broke the TV wall directly, then the shards that would fall down may harm the people. What should I do? 

  Right, all I have to do is to cut the power cables. I will not need to destroy the television itself. As for where the power cables were located, I still had to search for them. 

  “Excuse me, you’re Charles, Ah Ye’s butler, right?” 

  I was startled for a moment and turned around. In front of me was a young woman who had short, pretty black hair and was wearing a sleeveless top and a leather skirt. She was not wearing any glowing accessories, which gave her a refreshing appearance. 

  I smiled and said, “Hello Lin Ding, it has been a while.” 

  Lin Ding looked at me up and down and said in disbelief, “It really is you? I was so unsure about it! I observed you for some time before I finally had the guts to come say hi. You’re wearing a completely different outfit from before. You look like a totally different person!” 

  “Is that so?” I chuckled, “I look better, do I not?” 

  Lin Ding blinked. Her eyes were actually purple, and judging from the pattern in her irises, they did not look like eyes that a normal human would have. Perhaps she is wearing contacts or simply had surgery to change the color of her irises? 

  “Really? I think you look more like yourself when you’re in your usual outfit, though this does look more fashionable! But it just doesn’t go with the vibes that you give. Instead, there’s this ‘you shouldn’t be wearing this’ kind of feeling.” 

  This is the first time that I have heard such an evaluation. 

  “Oh yeah, what are you doing here?” Lin Ding asked curiously, “Are you waiting for someone? Waiting for Ah Ye?” 

  … The television! 

  But under Lin Ding’s gaze, I could only answer, “Yes, I am waiting for the young master.” I hoped that she would leave quickly so that I could go find the power cables. 

  “Really?” Lin Ding thought about it and said, “Then, I’ll wait with you.” 

  … This is not good! 

  After being delayed for such a long time, perhaps the young master will arrive soon? Though I felt my heart burn with anxiety, I could not think of a reason not to wait with her, so I asked, “Why wait with me?” 

  “I need to ask Ah Ye some questions about his new album, so I’ll wait with you! By the way, is Ah Ye going to stay in the music industry? Ever since he released his album, a lot of people have asked me to write songs for them, but I…” 

  After saying so, Lin Ding stopped for a bit and looked at me hesitantly. I reflexively gave her a gentle smile and waited for her to go on. 

  Father had said that a smile was the best way to help people relax and express their inner thoughts. 

  She seemed to relax and calmly said, “If it’s possible, for the time being I would like to only write songs for Ah Ye, because I don’t have that much inspiration and can’t write that many songs. Just thinking about my own band’s and Ah Ye’s songs is enough to give me a headache.” 

  “I think I understand now. You want to uphold a certain quality for all of your work, and would rather refuse others than release songs that you are not satisfied with.” 

  Lin Ding looked at me and solemnly nodded her head, but then asked in confusion, “Do you know if Ah Ye still wants to be in the music industry? Or do you think he might just want to stay as a model?” 

  “The fact is, the young master is a very easy-going person. If you can write songs that he likes, then he will be glad to continue releasing albums, but if you cannot, then he might just continue to be a model.” 

  As I explained, I thought about how I should bid Lin Ding farewell so that I could go find the TV cables. 

  “Oh yeah, I think there’s a director who wants him to be in a movie!” Lin Ding suddenly said. 

  “Is that so?” I answered in surprise, but after thinking about it, I found the news to be very normal since many singers would leave their original careers and move to the movie industry. So I asked out of curiosity, “What kind of movie is it?” 

  “It sounds like an action movie, the usual story of a hero rescuing the beauty.” 

  “And they want the young master to be the hero?” That would suit him perfectly! 

  Lin Ding looked at me with a face scrunched up from trying not to laugh, saying, “No, they want Ah Ye to be the beauty that would be saved by the hero.” 

  “….” 

  No! Now is not the time to go speechless. Regardless of whether the young master is the hero or the beauty, what matters now is to destroy the television. How can I be led astray again by a conversation about movies? 

  “Eh? Is that Ah Ye’s new commercial?” Lin Ding looked at the TV wall. 

  The television was broadcasting the newest sneaker commercial: the young master was wearing shorts and the camera had starting filming from the sneakers and panned up, revealing the calves, knees, thighs, and finally a picture of the entire person. When I first saw this commercial, I was a bit confused as to whether they were actually selling sneakers or the young master’s legs. 

  While Lin Ding was focused on the TV, I used the moment to take out from my backpack the two pistols that the young master had given me … I never thought that I would actually use them. 

  At this rate, I would not be able to find the cables anymore. Though I felt sorry for the television company and the people below about having to break the TV, I would try to shatter the screen into small pieces to the best of my abilities. Since the TV should be made of safety glass, I did not think anyone would be hurt by it. 

  Using x-speed to leave my original position, sparks danced from the rim of the gun as I fired at the TV wall. But the sound of the gun shots was even quieter than a book dropping to the ground, so in such a noisy plaza, it would not even catch the crowd’s attention. 

  The moment I pulled the trigger, I used x-speed to return to my original position while placing the guns back into my backpack. At that same time, a series of cracking sounds came from the TV wall. 

  That was the fastest I could go. I will not be discovered with such a speed, right? 

  Right then, Lin Ding abruptly turned around. My heart leapt and just as I was getting worried about her becoming suspicious about my actions, she pushed me to the ground. I turned my face to the sky and saw glass shards falling down upon us. I hurriedly flipped the both of us over so that I was now on top. I even covered Lin Ding’s face tightly, afraid that the glass shards would fall into her eyes since she was now facing the sky. 

  The glass shards pattered onto my back. The comforting thing was that the shards felt very small. I looked to the side and confirmed that it was indeed safety glass. The glass had completely shattered into small pieces, and the edges were not sharp. 

  “Are you okay?” 

  I lowered my head and saw that Lin Ding was looking at me with widened eyes. Worry was written all over her face, so I smiled and tried to comfort her, saying, “I am fine. This is safety glass, so the edges are not sharp.” 

  Looking around, I saw that the crowd had started to get up, and a lot of brash, young people were cursing loudly. Having seen that very few people looked harmed, I let out a sigh of relief. 

  “Uh, I don’t really mind this, and I actually feel like I’m the one benefiting here, but there are people watching us, and they look like they’re anticipating further development. Anyway, since we’re not going to continue this, I feel a bit sorry for the audience.” 

  “My apologies!” I hurriedly scrambled to my feet, but as soon as I stood up, loud gun shots rained upon us, making me reflexively lie down again. 

  Who was it that fired? 

  The plaza was filled with continuous screams. Right then, I heard two clicking sounds. I lowered my head to find that Lin Ding was holding a gun in her hand and had a keen look in her eyes. She was looking around. I assumed that she was looking for the source of the gun shots. 

  She told me, “Don’t stand up. Crawl away and find coverage. Alright, go behind the pillars of the veranda.” 

  I would be glad to go, but must I crawl there? 

  “Go quickly!” Lin Ding said with a somewhat harsh tone, “Remember to crawl!” 

  Since she was so persistent, I had no choice but to follow her orders and started to crawl toward the pillar of the veranda. What a shame about the clothes that the young master bought me. I hope that the elbow and knee parts of the clothing will not become torn. 

  I did not have much… experience with crawling and there was a huge crowd of people in the plaza. With such a series of obstacles in the way, getting to the pillar while avoiding being stepped on when I crawled really was not an easy task. 

  As I crawled, gun shots and screams sounded from above me, but most of the noise was created by angry shouts and curses. 

  Finally, I reached the pillar and went behind it. I stood up to examine my elbows and knees. The clothing was a bit dirty but did not seem to be torn, which was very reassuring. I was glad that I had not damaged the clothing that the young master had bought me. 

  I wonder how Lin Ding is doing? I looked out from behind the pillar. The situation outside seemed very chaotic. 

  The young people in the plaza looked like they had been through a lot of battles before, since they were either crouching on the ground or hiding behind large obstacles with various kinds of weapons in hand. They showed no sign of fear, but instead, wore ferocious expressions on their faces as they looked around for the audacious culprit. 

  Right then, a van boldly crashed into the plaza and started to spew out large amounts of something. The picture right now was very similar to the raining glass shards from earlier, but those things drifted slowly, so they were clearly not glass shards. Instead, they looked like pieces of paper. 

  A piece of paper landed lightly on the ground not far away from me. I settled my eyes on it and realized that it was… 

  Cash. 

  The flying pieces of paper in the sky are all cash! 

  Suddenly, the plaza fell into a rare silence, yet the silence only lasted for a few short seconds before the noise exploded once again. Everyone tucked their weapons under their arms and with their free hands, started to fight over the cash in excitement. Some reached out their hands to the sky to catch the money, while some bent over to pick up cash from the ground desperately. 

  I wonder where Lin Ding went? It had only been a short while and she had vanished to an unknown place. With the situation as chaotic as it was, I worried about her safety. 

  While the crowd was picking up cash, all four doors of the van suddenly opened and quite a few people who were dressed in black stepped out of the car. They carried large bags in their hands and tossed their contents out. Seeing so, the crowd quickly gathered around them, because what they had scattered was cash. 

  But why are they throwing away cash? 

  Just as I was wondering about this, ear-piercing sirens came from nearby and as the sirens got louder, flashing red lights appeared on the roads beside the plaza. At last, many police cars rushed into the outer sides of the plaza, firmly blocking the plaza’s main exit. 

  Judging from their large formation, there must be over twenty police cars here. 

  Right then, the doors of all the police cars opened and a lot of fully armed policemen rushed out of the cars, discourteously firing at the sky as signs of warning. 

  Even though their actions were very rough and rude, in Sunset City if the police did not fire first, then perhaps no one would listen to them, especially under such chaotic circumstances. 

  A policeman who had rushed to the front shouted, “Everyone outta the way! The police are on this case, so everyone leave the crime scene… Screw it! Everyone down!” 

  I think that he might have realized in the middle of his sentence that it was a rather unrealistic request for “everyone” to leave the scene since there were just too many people here. Even though I did not know what the police wanted to do, the situation obviously looked like an emergency, so if they waited until everyone left the crime scene, then I supposed the police would miss the best time to solve the case. 

  That policeman’s attitude was rude and unreasonable, but that was still not enough to make the people obey and squat down. Aside from the civilians being very fearless, the fact that they were busy picking up money from the ground might also be a huge factor… Could it be that the men clothed in black threw out the money for this very reason? 

  Even though I did consider that reason, throwing away money just to get away from the police seemed outlandish. There is so much cash, and all of these are thousand yuan bills. There might be over a hundred million yuan here. If they can throw away so much money without a second thought, then why would they live the lives of wanted criminals? 

  “Stop picking those up!” The policeman took off his helmet and shouted furiously, “Those are all counterfeits! Look closely, the serial numbers are all the same!” 

  How unexpected. It is Yue Gang! 

  It has been a long time. I looked at my friend… No, previous friend, with yearning eyes. 

  Another policeman walked to the front with a microphone in his hand. The moment he spoke, his voice resonated through the whole plaza. 

  “The cash on the ground is all fake. The serial numbers are all 000000000. This is a scheme that the bank robbers have churned up in order to evade the police’s search. Please do not fall for it. Now crouch down and let the police look for the criminals.” 

  On hearing those words, the crowd finally started to calm down. A lot of people examined the cash in their hands, and their expressions changed drastically as they cursed, threw away the money, and then squatted down. 

  Seeing so, the others also squatted down, stopping the fight for the cash. 

  Many police stepped into the crowd with a flashlight in their right hand and a gun in their left, looking for the people that were dressed in black. 

  The bank robbers? Have the young master and First Wind not already gone over to support the police? Why were the robbers still able to escape? Did something happen? 

  Even though I really wanted to go ask Yue Gang what was going on, he had already broken ties with me… I looked at Yue Gang, and as I was wondering whether or not I should go ask him, he suddenly took out his cell phone to make a phone call. At the same time, the phone on me also rang. 

  I looked at the screen. The caller was actually Yue Gang. 

  I hesitated for a bit and rejected the call. I then stepped forward to call out, “Yue Gang!” 

  Yue Gang looked toward me, frowned, and then walked to me in large steps, asking bluntly, “What are you doing here?” 

  Put on the spot, I could not find a good reason, so I went along with my lie to Lin Ding, saying, “I am waiting for Ah Ye.” 

  But at the same time I said these words, a sense of guilt flashed through my heart. Even now, I am still lying to Yue Gang… For him to break ties with me really is a wise choice. 

  Yue Gang locked his brows together and tried to ask, “Your younger brother… He isn’t a normal person, right? He’s just like you, a non-human?” 

  I was caught off guard but hurriedly said, “No, Ah Ye really is human.” 

  Having heard my words, Yue Gang’s brows knitted even tighter, and he said, “Really? Your brother was taken hostage by the robbers.” 

  … The young master was taken hostage? 

  Perhaps my expression was so shocked that Yue Gang flinched and blurted, “Your brother really is an ordinary human?” 

  The young master is a human, but he is definitely not ordinary. However, I could only nod my head and lie to him once again. 

  “This is bad!” Yue Gang scratched his head. 

  What is going on? Did something really happen to the young master? 

  Yue Gang suddenly patted my shoulder and said, “Don’t worry about it! Dark Sun is after the guys who have got your brother. He’ll definitely be saved!” 

  … Dark Sun went after them? The young master was taken hostage but it was Dark Sun who went for him? I could not understand under what kind of circumstance such an event could happen. 

  “Oh yeah, since you’re here, did you see those robbers get out of the car?” 

  I nodded my head and said, “They hid themselves among the crowd once they finished scattering the money. They have also taken off their black clothes, so unless you know what they look like, then it would be quite hard to find them.” 

  On hearing this, Yue Gang’s expression looked as if he had eaten… Uh, something that should not be eaten. He scoffed and said, “Well, the money that they robbed won’t disappear, will it? They must have it on them, so if we searched them, we would find it right away!” 

  I smiled and said, “Among the young people here, half of them are carrying large backpacks. Are you going to search them one by one? And it will not be possible to seal this area off because there are just too many exits people can sneak away through, and the civilians might not be willing to cooperate either.” 

  After hearing what I had to say, Yue Gang’s entire face scrunched up. He looked like he was very distressed. 

  “Do you see that person with a large black backpack and absolutely no glowing ornaments?” I pointed to a man who was standing not too far away from us. Waiting until Yue Gang nodded his head, I said, “He and the woman beside him are both criminals.” 

  Both of Yue Gang’s eyes lit up, and he immediately picked up his handheld transceiver to order his comrades to quietly surround the two people. 

  I waited until after he had finished giving orders and said, “You can try searching the people who are not wearing any glowing accessories. Their clothes are mostly black and they are even carrying large backpacks. The backpacks are also dark colored, and I remember that six people came out from the car, all dressed in the same manner.” 

  After hearing this, he relayed a few more points on where to search into his transceiver, measuring me up and down with a weird look in his eyes as he spoke. When he finished explaining to his comrades, he immediately said, “Aren’t you worried ‘bout your brother?” 

  I paused and went silent for some time. During my silence, the search continued on noisily behind me, but Yue Gang seemed to have no intention of joining the search. Instead, he stared at me intently, as if he could discover some kind of truth by staring at my face. 

  I sighed and said, “I am sorry, but Ah Ye is not actually my brother. I am merely his butler and the others are all his bodyguards, so there is no need to worry about his safety.” Since even the people at X-Killer knew about this, it was fine to tell Yue Gang, too. The young master had also told me to tell Yue Gang the truth. 

  After I finished speaking, it was Yue Gang’s turn to fall into silence. But not long after that, he growled, “It’s too late to say this now!” 

  Shouting so, he turned around and joined the search. He even roughly grabbed some people up from the ground along the way and searched their bags, but it seemed like he found nothing. 

  I took out my cell phone and made a call. “Mr. Bramble, this is Charles. Can you please tell me what is happening right now? I heard that the young master was taken hostage, but the hero who is going to rescue him is Dark Sun?” 

  “That ‘young master’ is DSII. Dark Sun is the real young master.” Mr. Bramble gave me a short yet clear reply. “In order to get the criminals to release the other hostages, the young master ordered DSII to pretend to be himself and then become a hostage voluntarily. The only condition was to have the criminals release all the others.” 

  I asked in confusion, “The criminals are in the Evening Sun Plaza right now, but I do not see DSII around.” 

  “There are five groups of robbers this time. They purposely robbed five different banks at the same time and even chose to rob the five banks that were the farthest apart from each other, exhausting the police and the heroes. This plan has proved to be efficient until now since only one group of the five were caught. The other groups are all still on the run, and the heroes and police are going after them in teams.” 

  It seems like the robbers these days are becoming more and more intelligent. But I still had a question. Even if someone can think of such a plan, where would they find others who also wanted to rob a bank? 

  Hmm… After thinking for a moment, I raised my head and saw that the drunken red sunset was already hanging in the sky, and therefore murmured, “It looks like it is about time to do that.” 

  “Do what?” 

  I was confused for a bit and then realized that I had not ended the call yet. 

  Mr. Bramble’s voice came from the cell phone with a question filled with doubt. “You know how to capture those robbers?” 

  “No, I do not,” Why would he think that I have the ability to do so? 

  “Then, what is that thing that you’re about to do?” 

  “Grocery shopping,” I replied honestly. 

  “…”


  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Heaven or Hell, Third Level: Market, Chaotic Bustle and Shouting Enthusiasm

  Translator: Tentacles (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  First Wind, wait! Don’t leave yet. 

  “Yes? Do you need something?” 

  There’s something I want to discuss with you. The tabloids are saying that there’s something going on between us… 

  “Ah? Is that so? I don’t have a habit of reading tabloids.” 

  …Basically, I just wanted to say to you, there is definitely nothing going on! I don’t have any intention of liking you! 

  “It really hurts my heart that you’re refuting it so strongly. Am I that terrible?” 

  N-no, I don’t mean it like that! You’re not bad at all. I just, just… Just don’t have the ability to accept anyone else. 

  “Do you want to tell me your story? You will feel much better after letting it out.” 

  …Then what about your story? 

  “Mine? To be honest, my story is quite clichéd. My father became a drug addict after his business failed. He owed many debts and jumped into the sea as a result. After my father died, my mother took my little brother along with her to try to commit suicide via charcoal-burning. Fortunately, I came back home from college at just the right moment, managing to pull the two of them back from the gates of hell.” 

  Didn’t you say both of your parents…? 

  “My mother later jumped from the hospital’s roof.” First Wind said calmly. 

  Isn’t it exhausting? Dragging a pile of debts while taking care of your little brother? 

  “Haha, after forfeiting the inheritance, the debt wasn’t a problem anymore, although I still got chased by drug dealers for money for a while. But, it’s good that I’m taking care of my little brother! I had to earn money to take care of him, and I also had to quickly pull myself together to console him. If I didn’t have to take care of him, I might have already abandoned myself to despair!” 

  I feel like I’m asking too much, but tell me something first. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to… Where did you get the money for modification? 

  “Hahaha, if I said it, you might not even believe me. I won the lottery.” 

  … 

  “Sigh, I’ve always wondered. If my father never jumped into the sea, this lottery could have cleared all his debts. Why did he give up so early, instead of persisting a little longer? Why did he choose to run away by doing drugs…” 

  I forgot to bring my shopping basket. 

  From now on, I must remember to bring my shopping basket to class. That way, after class is over, I can also buy some groceries on my way home. Then once I have arrived home, I can start cooking without any delay. We should be able to have a punctual meal this way. 

  On the road, many patrolling police cars drove by. The street was full of constantly flashing red lights and ear-piercing sirens. I watched as they rushed eastward and then suddenly rushed westward again like headless flies. They did not seem to be able to find the criminals. 

  I did not think that the criminals would be this difficult to deal with. Under the heroes and police’s coordination, the criminals were still able to escape successfully. With the heroes becoming stronger and stronger, the criminals were also getting increasingly and unexpectedly strong. It seemed this would continue endlessly… 

  “We’ve arrived at the market.” 

  I lifted my head. As I handed over the money to the taxi driver, I said, “Thank you, Nitewalker.” 

  “You’re welcome.” Nitewalker only nodded and said, “Just doing my job.” 

  “I might have to trouble you frequently over the coming days.” 

  Nitewalker nodded and said, “Then, do you want to directly deposit money here and use a deductible payment method for your car fee? If you deposit over five thousand yuan, I will give you a ten percent discount. If you deposit ten thousand yuan, I will give you a discount of twenty percent.” 

  “What if I deposit twenty thousand yuan?” I asked immediately. 

  He said expressionlessly, “Last time, Nitesea said that no matter if you take the taxi or go to the nightclub, he’ll give you a twenty percent discount. Now if I give you another twenty percent off, it’ll be a thirty-six percent discount. What more do you want? Me to lose gas money?” 

  “My apologies…” 

  After handing over ten thousand yuan, I got out of the taxi. First, I went to the noodle stall by the market entrance and asked if I needed to clear any tabs. 

  Instead, the noodle stall’s female owner said, “Your police friend hasn’t come by for a long time!” 

  He really has not come by? I bitterly smiled and said, “Yes, he has been very busy recently.” 

  “Don’t let him get so busy he doesn’t eat again.” The lady boss shook her head. “You’re best buds! He always said that if it weren’t for you, he would have already starved to death! You should persuade him to eat more than a meal a day. It’s not good for him!” 

  Hearing this, I was also very worried. I do not know if I can ask Yue Gang’s police friends to help me bring some food to him. If I requested that they conceal the fact that the food was from me, perhaps he would accept it? 

  Giving him fried chicken should be acceptable. The leftovers can be frozen and reheated whenever he wants to eat. Although it will not be delicious, it can at least fill his stomach… After saying goodbye to the noodle stall owner, I went in front of the chicken-selling stall and said, “Boss, give me a dozen chickens.” The main dish for tonight’s dinner might as well be fried chicken. 

  “A dozen?” The chicken vendor showed disbelief and said, “Charles, every time you come, I can straight up close my stall up for the day! So, who’s new to your family this time? With a dozen chickens, you could open up a business already!” 

  “No one has been added to my family. It is to be made for my friend to eat.” I explained quickly. “Please chop them all. I want to make fried chicken.” 

  “Friend? Is it Yue Gang? I haven’t seen him for a long time! Is he busy arresting people?” The chicken vendor sighed as he chopped the chickens, “Sigh, public security’s been bad lately. Even when I come out to sell chickens, I have to carry two guns to have my peace of mind. I say, Charles! You’re bringing a gun with you when you’re out and about, right?” 

  “I am!” Only after I pulled out my gun from my backpack did he nod. 

  “You really can’t go without one!” The chicken vendor complained about the public safety, “But lemme tell you! A gun is not very dependable. It’s just there to scare people. If you really need to shoot, you either miss the target or shoot some bulletproof vest. Completely useless. When shit gets real, one better use a knife!” 

  As the chicken vendor said the word “knife,” he suddenly hacked down with his cleaver. With just one strike, he cut the chicken in half. 

  “If anyone dares rob me, I’ll chop off his right hand so that he can never rob anyone again!” The chicken vendor chopped the chickens as he kept saying that he would chop off someone’s right hand. This caused my own right hand to suddenly feel cold. 

  Watching another chicken being chopped into a pile of meat, I further regretted not bringing a shopping basket. How am I going to bring this home? 

  “How about I lend you a cart?” The chicken vendor stared at the mountain of chicken and also felt that it would be really difficult to bring home. 

  Filled with gratitude, I said, “My thanks.” 

  The chicken vendor helped to put the chicken meat into the cart. After I lifted up my head and was about to give my thanks again, I saw a car crash into the market. This caused some passersby to scream and jump away, before surrounding the car to yell and curse. This style of driving is really too dangerous. 

  The car’s door opened. Five men in black clothing and wearing black helmets jumped out from the car… They are dressed the same as the criminals in the plaza! Have I coincidentally run into two of the five groups of criminals? 

  Without any hesitation, the men in black opened fire toward the sky and roared, “All of you, hands on your heads and get on your knees!” 

  The chicken vendor froze for a moment and then gave a violent glare. He turned around and grabbed his knife and gun. He opened fire on the men in black. 

  “Wait!” I was shocked. If the men in black were to see the people in the market rebelling, I am afraid they would first kill a few to demonstrate… 

  Being shot at, the men in black did not care at all. Instead, they lifted up their guns and targeted the chicken vendor. Seeing this, the chicken vendor who was in the prime of his youth actually still continued his berserk shooting. He shot while roaring, “Damned bulletproof vests!” 

  Being shot at caused their anger to rise a bit. A few among them pointed their guns at the chicken vendor. Facing the sounds from their heavy firepower, the chicken vendor finally knew fear. He let out a weird scream and quickly tried to run, but his opponents held machine guns. Moreover, they opened fire without hesitation. 

  At this time, the chicken vendor slipped to the ground in a panic. The gun and knife also flew out of his hands. Gunshots rang out soon after. The chicken vendor hugged his head as he screamed loudly… 

  “AAAAAAAAAH—” 

  After screaming for a while, he finally stopped. He even froze for a moment and checked his body and four limbs. He immediately looked up and blurted out, “Charles?” 

  I stood in front of the chicken vendor and sighed, “Do not be so rash. Did you not say last time that your wife is finally with child? Do you plan to let your young wife take care of your child alone?” 

  “Charles!” I did not expect the chicken vendor to wail, “Why did you do that?! You still have a bunch of brothers and sisters to raise! Without you, what will they do?!” 

  What will they do? The more I listened, the stranger it sounded. I said quickly, “I am fine.” 

  Furthermore, when did the misunderstanding that I am raising my siblings start? I remember that the story we spun about my family was that my father, big brother, and two little brothers, May and Dell, all have jobs. I am just responsible for cooking and taking care of the even younger siblings. When did it become that I am raising my siblings? 

  The chicken vendor wailed even more miserably, “How could you be fine?! Even if you’re wearing a bulletproof vest, your head would still have been shot! I owe you so much, I owe your siblings, your parents, sorry…” 

  “I really am fine. You do not need to worry…” 

  Bang bang bang! 

  Hearing gunshots, I turned around. Those men in black were shooting at me desperately, but their attacks were all blocked by my blood ability. They took out even more powerful guns… I hesitated. I decided to take care of these men in black to prevent the vendors from getting injured or even dying, because then the discounts for groceries I had painstakingly worked for would disappear! 

  First, I used my blood ability to form a thin defensive barrier. I used it to surround the men in black and me, lest the stray bullets affect the surrounding crowd. After forming my customary rapiers, I used x-speed to dart to and fro around them. They were unable to follow this speed at all, not to mention aim. 

  As I darted, I occasionally thrust out my rapiers. These people’s bulletproof vests were indeed very sturdy. Even rapiers formed from blood ability had difficulty penetrating them. But it was only difficult, not impossible. 

  I purposely attacked the joints. Although they were protected by the clothing too, to allow for movement, the protection was generally lower. With the additional force from x-speed, my rapier’s tip jabbed straight into their human bodies like a hot knife through butter. 

  The joint of the left elbow, the joint of the right elbow… So long as these two places were destroyed, they would be unable to hold onto their guns. Even a chicken vendor could use a knife to finish a criminal without a gun! 

  One, two… Ultimately, I finished off all the criminals. Then, I stood in front of the last man remaining. Although he was still holding his gun, he seemed to have lost all ability to open fire. He just looked at me, trembling so hard that the muzzle of his gun shook up and down nonstop… 

  “Y-You… You monster!” 

  I walked up to him. I was a little shocked. It had been a long time since I had heard this word. It likely was since… After following the young master, I seemed to have ceased hearing this word. Even under a situation where people suddenly realized I was a vampire, still no one called out this name. 

  To be honest, most people were just a little surprised. Their reactions could not even be considered shocked. The people around the young master truly were not easy to shock, especially to the point of trembling and quavering while calling out the word “monster.” 

  Sometimes, I almost forget that I myself am actually a vampire, a monster in the eyes of human beings… 

  Putting away my rapiers, I took hold of the opposing side’s muzzle. After throwing the gun aside, I gave him a single punch, resolving everything. 

  It is finally settled. Should I call the police and have them arrest these criminals? But the police might want to take my statement. I still need to go home and cook… 

  While I was hesitating, a voice coming from nearby said, “Ch-Charles, y-you… What in the world are you?” 

  I turned my head in the direction of the voice. The chicken vendor looked at me with his face full of fear. I turned to look at my surroundings. It did not matter if it was the vegetable vendor or the older woman that sold fish, they all had the same expression—fear. 

  Usually, these vendors always loved to tug on my sleeve, especially those older women, wanting me to take a look at their vegetables or their unwed daughters. Now, they all stayed far away from me with expressions filled with fright. 

  I had only thought that if the vendors became casualties, I would not be able to receive any discounts. However, if my identity as a vampire were known, then I would not be able to buy groceries here at all. 

  I smiled bitterly. It was a bit too late to have realized this now. From the moment I used my blood ability to block bullets for the chicken vendor, my days peacefully buying groceries here were over. 

  I looked at everyone. I apologized sincerely, “I am sorry. I have been deceiving you all. I am actually a…” 

  “Vampire, freeze!” 

  I froze for a moment and turned my head to look. That man was actually aiming an energy gun at me with a cold expression on his face. He had a crew cut with only his left bangs slightly longer and dyed light purple. 

  I blurted out his name, “Xie Wei?” 

  Aside from Xie Wei, many other police officers stood behind him. Only now did I realize that the market’s exit was already filled with police cars. 

  Xie Wei coldly snorted and then said, “I told Yue Gang. You and your entire family are problematic. He just didn’t believe me! Show me your hands!” 

  I complied. I did not expect him to grab my hands and handcuff me. The handcuff was even made out of silver… Am I being arrested? Why? 

  “Why am I under arrest?” I asked calmly, though baffled. If there is no legitimate reason, then I do not need to be obedient and let him arrest me, especially when I still need to go back home and cook dinner. 

  “You broke the TV wall in the square!” Xie Wei said ferociously, “Don’t you argue with me! Yue Gang reported that you were there! You should have been the one who did it! Only a vampire’s speed could escape the security cameras!” 

  I was found! And the reason I was caught was because my speed was too fast… Sigh, to be honest, I actually did not need to shatter the TV wall, because the young master went chasing after the criminals. He would not have passed the plaza, so he would not have seen the TV. But at this point, regretting it is useless. 

  I repented wholeheartedly, “I am deeply sorry. I did not mean to shatter the TV wall… Uh, honestly it was intentionally shattered. Anyway, I truly am sorry.” 

  Xie Wei roared back, “If saying sorry were enough, would this world still need police? Follow me to the police station!” 

  A visit to the police station truly seemed inevitable. Fortunately, only the TV wall was shattered, so the punishment should not be that severe, right? 

  I nodded and said, “Fine. Could you let me get the chicken meat I bought?” 

  Hearing this, Xie Wei froze for a second, “What meat?” 

  “Chicken meat. The meat for fried chicken.” 

  Xie Wei had a confused expression which quickly became an angry one. He roared, “Don’t think I’d give you a chance to grab weapons or call for backup!” 

  This time, I was the confused one. I quickly explained, “I just need to get my chicken meat. Chicken meat cannot even be used as a weapon.” 

  “Give it a break! ‘Getting chicken meat’ as an excuse? Isn’t this reason too stupid?! A vampire came to the market to buy chicken meat? Who would believe that shit!” 

  I really just want to grab my chicken meat. How do I make him believe me? If I do not take the meat, then dinner will not have a main dish. 

  “Take him to the police car!” Xie Wei roared to the armed force beside him. 

  All of the police officers pointed powerful weapons at me. Then, two police officers wearing heavy protective gear came up, used a long hook to hook onto my handcuffs, and then dragged me forward. This equipment is not bad. It can prevent physical contact between the police and non-humans. 

  A police officer said in a low voice, “Don’t struggle. This hook can release electricity at a high voltage. If you struggle even a little, the hook will automatically electrify you.” 

  …This is truly a very good design. Nearly all non-humans are afraid of electricity. Even the strongest of them just have higher resistance for electricity but no way to completely withstand high voltage. 

  Now I could only hope that Xie Wei just wanted to take me to the police station and not electrocute me directly. 

  “Wait!” 

  The police and I all froze. We turned our heads to look. The one who had shouted “Wait!” was actually a young man—the chicken vendor. 

  The chicken vendor suddenly shouted, “Charles is a good guy… E-Even if he is a vampire, he’s still a good vampire. He saved my life! Why are you arresting him?” 

  Xie Wei angrily roared, “Non-humans that have hurt humans should be taken back to the police station for interrogation!” 

  This was just like what the Church would say but a lot gentler. The Church’s Sin Elimination team would usually say, “Any non-human that has injured a human will be sentenced to death.” If it were a vampire, even if he had not hurt humans, he would still most likely be sentenced to death. 

  “The ones he hurt were criminals!” The chicken vendor angrily roared, “Where’s the logic in this if the police arrest those who protected innocent citizens! Are the police here to protect us or the criminals?” 

  Hearing this, Xie Wei’s expression turned worse, but he still did not have the slightest intention of letting me go. 

  “Li Qi.” I pleaded, “Could you keep the chicken refrigerated at your home? I will come back to retrieve it at your stall after a few days.” 

  I think there is no way to go back home and cook dinner today. 

  The chicken vendor—no, Li Qi—said miserably, “Charles! You don’t even know if you can come back out or not. How would you know if you can come back to get the chickens in a few days? Don’t lie to me!” 

  This expression of grief made it seem like I had been sentenced to death already, causing me to start to feel some fear. How do the police treat non-humans? I have only heard that the NC squad is specially used to deal with non-humans, but how do they “deal with” them after all? 

  “Everyone please think!” Li Qi shouted to all the vendors around, “Except for bargaining with you guys, has Charles done anything to you?” 

  B-Bargaining is also counted as a bad deed? 

  Li Qi jumped onto a random stall. He shouted to the grandmas and mothers below, “Charles saved me just now! But, you also have to thank him! If the criminals just now did seize us, who knows how many people would have died before the matter was resolved! Tell me, how can we let the police take Charles away? Of course we can’t!” 

  “Let him go! Let him go! Let him…” 

  His provocative words caused all the vendors to shout with him. The people of the market normally shouted and quarreled every day. Each of their voices was astonishingly loud and clear. This combined shout had the volume of an energized army singing a military hymn. The vibrations even hurt my eardrums a little, and my chest also vibrated with the rhythm of “let him go.” 

  Even though I knew Li Qi was an overly lively young man, I really did not expect him to have the bravery to go against the criminals and the police. Neither did I expect that… He would be willing to confront the police for a customer like me, who was even a vampire. 

  However, I could not let him do this, because I was certain I would be fine. I quickly shouted, “Li Qi! I truly am fine. Please do not…” 

  I had only said half of what I had planned before giving up because even I could not hear my own voice. My ears only heard Li Qi’s shouts, the vendors’ agreements, and the older women’s loud cries. 

  One side only had knife-holding vendors and basket-holding grandmas and mothers. The other side had the heavily armed, silent police force. This picture was completely disharmonized. I simply could not imagine the tragedy if they ever clashed against each other. 

  I turned to meet the police officers’ eyes, hoping they would receive my hint to take me away. However, all the police, except Xie Wei, avoided my gaze. Why? 

  “You foolish citizens!” Xie Wei roared, “Who do you think we are protecting?” 

  He even used the word “foolish.” Would this not make the situation much worse? 

  “Protecting the criminals, of course! Who else are you protecting?” Li Qi roared back. 

  Hearing this, Xie Wei’s complexion grew worse, his expression horrifying. Not only him, other police officers’ faces also changed. Some had faces red from anger. Some were dismayed and lowered their heads. 

  The conflict between both sides is worsening. If this goes on, the surreal scene of police officers and citizens killing each other in the marketplace might really happen. This is definitely not what I would want to see. 

  “Be quiet!” 

  I used my vampire ability Hollow Roar. Not only did it drown out everyone’s voices, it also made the whole site completely silent. 

  I turned to Li Qi and roared, “I am a vampire! I do not need a random person to interfere with my business!” 

  Li Qi was stunned along with the vendors, grandmas, and mothers. Seeing their expressions, my heart suddenly felt heavy. 

  Even with the acknowledgement of the existence of non-humans, even knowing that a passerby might be a non-human, there might still be a huge difference when seeing the actual horrific side of a non-human. 

  I turned my head to a nearby police officer and said, “Please take me away quickly.” 

  The police officer was surprised for a moment but then quickly took me to the car. 

  “Sorry, Charles!” 

  Surprised, I looked at the police officer by my side. He did not dare to look at me because of his guilt, but he did steal a glance at Xie Wei. Seeing that Xie Wei had not noticed, he then felt relieved. 

  I smiled, thinking, Going to the police station should be safe! 

  After being escorted to the car, the police car did not leave immediately because the police officers still needed to escort the men in black to the car as well. Also, I had broken their joints, so just moving slightly caused them to wail in pain. This gave the police huge headaches. Without any better options, they called an ambulance. 

  “I thought they had all died.” Xie Wei came into the car. He said, “You actually didn’t kill them! Why? A vampire, but still overflowing with compassion?” 

  I earnestly said, “I just thought that if I killed them, it would be very troublesome for me.” 

  Hearing this, Xie Wei frowned. He did not say anything further. He just gave an order to the two police officers sitting in front, “Drive.” 

  The car set off. As Xie Wei took off his helmet, he sarcastically said, “Don’t tell me you think Yue Gang will cover for you, so you let yourself be arrested?” 

  No, I did not think so. I just thought that the police would not go to the point of killing me. 

  “Don’t be stupid. He’s so angry he’d send you to the Church!” 

  The Church… The most that would happen is that Father Yue will just force me to eat dinner, right? 

  Xie Wei narrowed his eyes and growled, “Tell me! What were you doing at the market?” 

  I was a bit surprised and honestly said, “Buying groceries.” 

  Muffled laughter came from the front seats. 

  “What are you guys laughing at?” Xie Wei glared at the police officers in the front seats. He then said to me, “What groceries does a vampire buy? You guys only drink blood and don’t eat anything else!” 

  “Yes, but my household members need to eat.” 

  A police in the front seat could not resist turning around to meddle. “Charles is the Angel’s older brother!” 

  “What Angel. It’s An Xiang Ye!” Xie Wei glared at him and then doubtfully questioned me, “An Xiang Ye really is a human?” 

  “Yes, Ah Ye really is a human.” 

  Even though I answered, I believed that Xie Wei would not believe my words. Unexpectedly, he just uttered “oh” and did not ask further. 

  I looked at him curiously. 

  He frowned and asked, “What are you looking at?” 

  “You believe my words?” 

  “Of course not!” Xie Wei roared. He then grudgingly said, “I already found a lot of people to identify him. No one knew what kind of non-human he is. Probably human.” 

  I blinked. This is a little funny. 

  In the past, not having a human’s appearance or abilities would lead to being labeled as non-human. Now it has become “Because it is not non-human, it is human?” 

  I looked outside the window. It was near nightfall. In addition to the humans on the streets, there were many non-humans walking around. This made me relax. Even with both my hands handcuffed, I did not feel much obstruction. 

  “What generation are you?” Xie Wei suddenly asked. 

  I turned my head to him. I did not know how to answer. Do I answer honestly? But Xie Wei seems to have some understanding of non-humans. If I tell him I am a fifth generation, what reaction will he have? 

  “Forget it.” Xie Wei suddenly became disinterested. “You look weak. Yue Gang also said you’re weak. But you’re not that afraid of the sun, so you should be around tenth generation or higher. Are you over two hundred years old yet?” 

  “More than a hundred fifty years old.” 

  Xie Wei clicked his tongue, obviously relaxing quite a bit. Even his hostility decreased greatly. “You haven’t even reach adulthood yet. Wandering around so openly on the streets, aren’t you afraid of being exterminated by the Church?” 

  “Many non-humans live in Sunset City. The Church seldom comes here.” It would be best not to clarify that I have already reached adulthood. 

  “Many? Exactly how many non-humans live here?” 

  I paused a bit and then said, “Maybe around thirty thousand.” 

  “Thirty thousand?” Xie Wei jumped and almost bumped into the car’s roof. “Sunset City only has six million citizens. There are actually thirty thousand non-humans? Like that, humans and non-humans are at a ratio of two hundred to one!” 

  I quickly said, “This is only a rough estimate. I am not too sure. Non-humans do not go out to count their populations.” 

  “How is this possible?” Xie Wei still could not believe it. He said, “Other cities’ ratios are at least five hundred to one. The countryside is even a thousand to one. Daystar City even claims it has no non-humans! Sunset City is actually two hundred to one?” 

  That is why the Church never comes to Sunset City. Aside from the numbers, it is said that many legendary non-humans reside here. For example, Mr. Stone. Unless it were a huge incident, they probably would not even appear. Even last time when the Church invaded Sunset City, out of those legendary non-humans, only Mr. Stone made an appearance. 

  Maybe Poseidynne is one of those legendary non-humans? 

  It was just that I was not all that familiar with all things associated with non-humans. My honorable father had only helped me research vampires. He did not care about other non-human species. 

  Xie Wei frowned. He muttered, “If a war really started, how could Sunset City hold against thirty thousand non-humans!” 

  So he is worrying about this? I explained consolingly, “Non-humans are divided into many races. Different races have deep estrangement. They will not easily aid other races. So even an influential non-human cannot gather up more than a thousand non-humans. As you can see from last time, the Church sent so many people to Sunset City, and the non-humans who came out to fight might not have exceeded a thousand in number.” 

  Hearing this, Xie Wei relaxed a bit. 

  “Do not be so tense.” I comforted, “The non-humans would not want to destroy the city they live in.” 

  Xie Wei gave me a glance. He said angrily, “Who knows what those non-humans are thinking?” Then, he turned his head to look outside the window and did not speak to me anymore. 

  I also turned my head to look outside, wondering if the young master had caught the criminals yet. The young master let DSII be taken hostage while pretending to be him. Nothing would go wrong, right? 

  The young master is very strong. DSII is also very strong. There should be nothing to worry about. I should be worrying more about how to get myself out from the police station. This seemed more practical. Also, where should I go grocery shopping in the future…


  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Heaven or Hell, Fourth Level: Police Station, and the Justices and Evils that Come To and Fro

  Translator Ever (proofread by Trespasserby and elisa; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” 

  You hypocrite! Didn’t you generously tell me your story just so that I would tell you mine in return? 

  “Ah, so you noticed?” 

  …. 

  “Er, it’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it. I’m serious!” 

  We encountered a chase between cops and robbers on our wedding day, and all the cars had gotten caught up in an accident. 

  I was unconscious for a while. When I woke up, I found my legs stuck under a car that had toppled over. I was unable to move at all. 

  The first thing I saw was my groom, desperately trying to save me. He kept pushing on the car. His hands and body were covered in blood, and he looked as if he was on the verge of tears. 

  Seeing that I’d regained consciousness, he continued to tell me not to worry, that he would get me out of there and that we’d hold the wedding again on another day… Until he heard his younger sister’s scream. 

  The robbers had taken his sister hostage. When he rushed over to save her, he was shot in the head. He never woke again. 

  “… My condolences.” 

  After that incident, I continued to look for his sister. 

  “Did you find her?” 

  I did. She had ended up in a brothel and had already gone insane when I found her. I settled her down in a psych ward. 

  “…” 

  Oh yeah, since you told me where you got your money for your modification, I’ll also tell you where I got mine. I did the surgery with his insurance payment. 

  As soon as I walked into the station, the two policemen escorting me shouted, “Attention! A non-human was caught! Attention! A non-human was caught!” 

  Judging from how familiar they are with those words, I assume that they shout them every time they catch a non-human? 

  But the people in the station remained calm and did not even bat an eyelash when they heard the shout. It was as if they were already used to this kind of situation. One policeman even smiled at the two when he was on his way out, saying, “Good work! You’ve caught another rebellious non-human… Uh, Charles?” 

  This policeman was one of Yue Gang’s pals. Well, that was a bit of a needless remark, since everyone in the police station was his pal. 

  Because of the handcuffs on my wrists, I replied in embarrassment, “Hello.” 

  After the shout from that policeman, the others nearby also noticed me and looked toward us with widened eyes. As their gaze moved down and focused on my hands, their eyes widened even more. 

  “What did you do?” The policeman in front of me asked in confusion. 

  “I…” 

  “Don’t talk to a non-human!” Xie Wei yelled, “Put him in the non-human jail!” 

  That policeman gasped and said, “You’re putting Charles in there? But there are so many non-humans in there. It’s dangerous!” 

  Xie Wei rebuked him angrily, “Have you forgotten that he’s also a non-human? Moreover, he’s a vampire, a non-human at danger-level red. He’s the one who’s going to be a danger to others!” 

  Danger-level? Since when was there such a thing? 

  “But Charles, he…” The policeman halted in the middle of his sentence and glanced at me, and then said to Xie Wei in a low tone, “Yue Gang says that he’s really weak! If you lock him up with the other non-humans, won’t he get beaten to death?” 

  Pity that even though the policeman had lowered his voice, I was still able to hear what he had said. 

  “Beaten to what?” Xie Wei glared at him before glancing at me and said, “With so many policemen watching over him, do you think we’ll just stand around and watch him die?” 

  The policeman hurriedly said, “But that won’t be a fight between humans. Some non-humans can kill people with one punch. Even if we were looking out for him, we won’t be able to stop them in time!” 

  I am not that weak… Yue Gang, just how did you usually describe me? 

  “He’s a vampire. He won’t die that easily!” Xie Wei roared and then yelled at the two policemen who were escorting me, “What are you waiting for? Lock him up!” 

  Hearing that, the two policemen pulled me away in a hurry, and we walked all the way into the center of the station… This can’t be possible, can it? 

  I stared at the office hall in front of me. This was indeed the office hall of Sunset City’s Main Police Station. The size of the hall was that of a small plaza, but the difference was that there were tables and chairs placed in the hall with policemen working on various things. Glancing at them from afar, I could tell that there were about seventy to eighty people. Some of them were busy interrogating criminals, some of them had documents piled up like mountains, and some of them were cleaning their equipment. 

  But all of that could not compare to what was displayed in the center of the hall. A large cage was placed at the center, big enough to be called a room, and five non-humans were inside, crouching alone in separate corners. 

  I asked in shock, “Why, why is there a jail here?” 

  One of the policemen escorting me explained, “Because if we locked non-humans in the regular jails, it would be dangerous to have only one or two people standing on guard. But sending a lot of people over would be a waste of human resources, so Xie Wei decided to put the special jail over here. This way the whole station can guard them and work at the same time, saving us a lot of work. Oh yeah, the cage is double layered, so after going inside, don’t touch the outside layer because the bars have electricity running through them.” 

  Saying so, the policeman patted my shoulder and comforted me, saying, “Don’t worry, this isn’t some kind of dark and gloomy jail, and we’re all watching! We won’t let the other non-humans beat you!” 

  … No, if possible, I would still like to be locked up in a dark room. That would at least be much better than being in an exhibition, especially when everyone in the police station knows who I am. 

  As we walked over to the cage, we were seen by a few policemen that I knew, and I continued to hear murmurs such as: 

  “Is that Charles?” 

  “Are you here for Yue Gang… Hand cuffs?” 

  “How is this possible! What did he do?” 

  “Should we tell Yue Gang?” 

  The two policemen opened the large cage to let me in. The iron cage wasn’t exactly shaped like a rectangle: there was a sectioned off area at the entrance and to enter the actual cage, one would have to go through another iron door. But after I had entered the separated area, the policemen left me there and didn’t open the other iron door for me, so I stood alone in the place, unsure of what to do. 

  After I looked around, I realized that this separated place was quite small and a single chair was placed in it. This seems like a visiting room? But this cage isn’t completely sealed off from the outside, so why make a visiting room? 

  “Sit down!” 

  I turned around and saw Xie Wei sitting outside, about two arm-lengths away from the cage. 

  After I sat down, he shouted angrily, “Speak up! Why did you break the TV wall?” 

  Oh, so this small space is for interrogations? 

  I, of course, could not tell him the truth, but I was unable to come up with a good reason at the moment. Why would one break a television wall? The television shows were too boring would not count as a good reason, would it? 

  “Speak up!” Xie Wei suddenly took out a rod and whacked it against the iron cage. That action sparked up a surprisingly great wave of blue flames with crackling sounds. 

  …An electric shocking rod? 

  Left with no choice, I replied, “Because, because… Ah! Because I saw the news on the TV wall. It reported that the representative of Daystar City had more votes than my brother Ah Ye did, and that the representative was even a priest of the Church, so I broke the TV wall out of agitation.” 

  The Cities Representative Election was the only thing that I could think of right now. I realized that it was a very poor excuse. However, I could not come up with anything better. 

  “Yeah! Compared to the Angel, who does that priest think he is?” 

  The crowd of eavesdropping policemen behind Xie Wei suddenly burst into anger. 

  “The Angel is the best! I voted for him on the very first day! I even used my three-year-old son’s vote for him!” 

  The policemen shouted in unison, “Stand aside, Daystar City! A mere priest dares to go against the Angel? Serves that TV right!” 

  “Support the Angel! The Angel will win, Angel! Angel, An…” 

  Xie Wei turned his head around and roared so loud that his voice shook the ceiling, “Shut up!” 

  The crowd behind him went silent instantly. 

  “You broke the TV wall just because of that?” Xie Wei scolded me as he turned his head back around, “Did you even realize that people could have been hurt or even killed?” 

  “I was too hasty. I am very sorry. I will take responsibility and pay for the damages,” I immediately lowered my head and apologized. I did not think that they would believe my story, but I am glad that they did. 

  Xie Wei frowned again and asked, “You’re really a vampire?” 

  I paused in confusion before saying, “Yes, I am a vampire. Is something wrong?” 

  “You don’t act like a non-human,” Xie Wei said awkwardly, “You’re the first one who has said that he’ll pay up.” 

  I smiled and asked, “Well, may I leave now?” Being locked up in a cage and having all the staff in the police station sneaking looks at you and listening in on you is very uncomfortable. 

  “Leave? In your dreams! Wait for the bail! Your bail is…” Stopping in his sentence, he turned his head to ask a policeman who had a mountain of paperwork piled on his desk, “How much is the minimum bail for a vampire?” 

  That policeman scratched his head and started to look through a document. “The minimum bail is one million, but Charles didn’t hurt anyone and only broke the TV wall, so this would be hard to determine…” 

  Xie Wei said crossly, “Who says that he didn’t hurt anyone? Don’t the people who were hurt by the broken glass count as his fault? Even if you want to take his side, don’t speak so blindly!” 

  The policeman smiled in embarrassment. 

  “But no one was hurt!” A policeman beside them cut in, “The TV wall was made out of safety glass, so no one had to go to the hospital.” 

  Xie Wei turned to me and said, “Then the bail will be fifty thousand yuan, and there must be someone here to bail you out. You can’t pay your own bail!” Saying so, he turned to growl at the policeman beside him, “Lock him up.” 

  “You’re really locking him up?” The policeman started to get nervous. 

  “Does it sound like I’m joking?” Xie Wei glared at him. “Lock him up!” 

  So, with no recourse, the two policemen walked in and closed the outer door. As one person stood guard with an energy gun, the other opened the inner door to let me in. 

  As soon as I entered, the door behind me closed. There were five non-humans in total and they all looked identical to humans. I was unable to immediately identify what races they were… Wait! 

  “Vampire?” I looked at the woman in the right corner. 

  The woman glared at me and said sharply, “What are you looking at…” 

  Xie Wei said coldly from outside the cage, “Since you’re both vampires, get along!” 

  When the woman heard his words, she said in shock, “You’re a vampire?” 

  “Yes.” 

  She looked confused, but then scoffed and said, “I suppose our generations are too far apart, so I couldn’t tell.” 

  “True.” I nodded my head and sat down near the entrance after looking around the cage. 

  Xie Wei walked to the cage and surveyed the non-humans in the cage. The non-humans were all crouching, afraid to meet his eyes. Non-humans afraid of humans? I could not help but feel that that was funny. 

  Xie Wei turned around to ask the others, “Where’s Yue Gang? Didn’t you say that he just caught a group of robbers?” 

  “He went after another group of robbers.” 

  “Just how many more groups are there?” Xie Wei said in frustration, “NC is in charge of capturing non-humans. Those robbers are all humans. NC isn’t in charge of them! What is Yue Gang running around for?!” 

  The policeman shrugged and said, “Yue Gang’s the type who never takes a break, and since no one has reported a case on non-humans, of course he’ll go after the robbers. I think there are only two groups of robbers left. One is…” 

  Hearing this, I picked up my cell phone to make a call. As soon as the call connected, I said, “Melody, do you have time? Can you please come and bail me out?” 

  “Bail you out?” The recipient at the other end of the call simply said these three words and then fell into silence. After a considerably long time, the voice sounded again, “You mean like what’s in the news, like how suspects get locked in jail and need someone to bail them out with money?” 

  “Yes, just like that.” 

  “… How much is your bail?” 

  “Fifty thousand yuan.” I am glad that it is not a hundred thousand, or else Melody might not be willing to bail me out with so much money. 

  “… Five hundred million?” 

  Fifty thousand and five hundred million sound quite different. How could she mishear me? I repeated myself in confusion, “It is fifty thousand yuan.” 

  “Hahahahaha!” Melody suddenly burst into a long, piercing laugh that left her breathless. “A, a great fifth generation vampire ended up in jail and needs to wait for someone to bail him out, and the bail is only fifty thousand yuan. A fifth generation vampire is only worth fifty thousand! Hahahahaha—” 

  “… Are you willing to bail me out?” 

  “Get out yourself, idiot!” 

  Click! Beep beep beep… 

  Melody hung up. I suspected that even if I called again, she would still not agree to come bail me out. 

  Mr. Bramble and the others must be busy looking for the robbers, so who else is there that would be willing to bail me out? 

  “Oh no!” 

  A policeman yelled out, “The robbers who abducted the Angel has abducted another little boy and have separated into two more groups, one with the Angel and one with the little boy…” 

  Hearing so, Xie Wei turned really upset. He gritted his teeth and asked, “Don’t tell me that Dark Sun went after…” 

  Not waiting for him to finish, the police replied, “He went after the robbers who took the little boy.” 

  “What the hell!” Xie Wei growled, “Can’t he even evaluate the situation? Everyone’s waiting for him to rescue the beauty, yet he went for the little boy?” 

  No matter which one he rescues, it would never be the hero rescuing the ‘beauty,’ right? 

  Young Master, it looks like to the people of Sunset City, you have now become the beauty in a hero movie. Everyone seems to think that you are the one who should be rescued by the hero. 

  Xie Wei shouted angrily, “Is the network for the security cameras fixed yet? It’s just a hacker. How can this take so long to fix?” 

  “It’s fixed, it’s fixed!” A policeman shouted and soon after, the surrounding walls that were black lit up. I then realized that the walls of the police station were actually digital display walls filled with all kinds of live feed: the news, security cameras, and small cameras that the police who were on patrol had with them. 

  “Good, as long as the security cameras are working, there’ll be no place for the criminals to hide!” Xie Wei yelled, “All NC members follow me! The rest of you, keep a close eye on the criminals!” 

  Saying so, he led a group of fully armored policemen charging out of the station. 

  As soon as he left, a policeman who stayed behind laughed and joked, “I wonder who it was that said that this wasn’t the NC squad’s job and complained about Yue Gang going off on his own?” 

  Having heard what he had said, the policemen around him all laughed. 

  I thought I now knew why Yue Gang was still willing to join the NC squad even though he really hated Xie Wei at first. It was because Xie Wei had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, so no matter how harshly he would phrase his words, his actual actions were never like what he had made them sound to be. 

  “Charles, don’t worry, the Angel will be okay!” The policeman standing outside the cage comforted me, saying, “The robbers won’t recklessly harm a hostage who’s as valuable as the Angel, so he’ll most probably be safe. And even if the robbers really do try to harm him, just the Angel’s fans would be enough to tear them into pieces!” 

  I nodded and said, “I realize that and therefore am not overly concerned, and Ah Ye did graduate with a degree in combat, so his martial arts are not weak.” 

  The policeman scratched his head and said, “That Xie Wei, your brother was abducted and he’s still keeping you in here. Sorry about that!” 

  “No, this is my own fault. I should not have broken the television wall…” 

  All of a sudden, a sharp scream stopped me in the middle of my sentence. The sound did not come from where we were. It had come from the speaker, making it sound as if it had come from the other side of a wall. This should be coming from the television wall in the station? I wonder what has happened… 

  I looked toward the television wall, but there were too many different screens on there, and it was impossible to tell which screen the scream had come from. 

  “Oh my god!” 

  Now this would be a sound coming from right here… I looked confusedly at the police who was yelling. He was jumping around and shouting, “Oh crap! Enlarge screen number 500! Hurry!” 

  A screen from the left side of the wall immediately enlarged to the entire wall. It displayed a scene shot from above. Perhaps it’s being filmed from a helicopter. 

  The backdrop was a building rooftop, and there were two groups of people fighting on it. One group had about five people who were all armed with guns, their firepower very overwhelming, while the other group only had two people… No, they are not humans. They are wolfmen! 

  “What’s going on? Are those werewolves?” The policeman said confusedly, “I’ve never seen such tiny werewolves.” 

  “Those are wolfmen!” I exclaimed in shock. 

  Wolfmen are a type of mythical creature. They look like wolves but like to stand on their hind legs. They are very gentle, so they do not attack others recklessly… Wait, do not tell me that that is the roof that they were living on? If their home was invaded, then even wolfmen would attack the invaders in rage. 

  Why did these robbers invade a rooftop inhabited by non-humans? This was not a wise decision. The rooftops nowadays were not places that can be entered carelessly. 

  “It doesn’t matter what kind of non-human that is! Look over there, the railing!” 

  Half of the railing was already damaged and was hanging over the edge of the building with only a few parts still attached to the roof. It looked as if it might fall at any instant. But swaying along with every motion of such a railing was a white figure that was grasping tightly onto the end of the half of the railing that had fallen off the roof. The figure looked as if it would fall any moment. 

  The policemen all gasped, “It’s the Angel!” 

  The white figure that is hanging there is the young master! 

  He tried hard to hang on, but the wolfmen and robbers were fighting vigorously above him, and the stray bullets, broken pieces of concrete, and the wolfmen who would step on the remaining pieces of railing still attached to the roof all made the railing shake even worse. 

  Every time the railing shook, the policemen would scream and start calling for backup. 

  Suddenly, a policeman jumped up and yelled, “Yes, Solitary Butterfly is here!” 

  Solitary Butterfly rushed in from the only entrance to the roof. Though she wanted to dash through the fighting that was going on in the middle of the area, the robbers’ firepower was too great, and she was forced to dodge. She even drew out her gun to fight back, and the wolfmen would also attack her from time to time. 

  To the wolfmen, both the robbers and Solitary Butterfly were enemies that had invaded their home. 

  “Stop attacking me! He’s about to fall!” Solitary Butterfly shouted in anger as she fired her gun. “Who do you think he is? If he’s dead, then you’re all going to be dead! Take care of those two wolves. I’ll go save him!” 

  At the moment, only three of the robbers could still fight. The other two were already put down by the wolfmen, their wellbeing unconfirmed. When the three of them heard her words, they all stopped in shock and looked as if they were unsure of what to do next. 

  Solitary Butterfly used this pause to scramble toward the railing, but a wolfman chased after her and leapt over her head, landing straight down… 

  Solitary Butterfly gasped, “Wait…” 

  The wolfman landed right on top of the railing and caused another bar to break. The railing started swaying vigorously and a gasp sounded from beneath, “Ah!” 

  When she heard this gasp, Solitary Butterfly’s expression suddenly changed, and she charged to the edge of the building, ignoring all possible dangers. Looking down, she saw a white figure sprung off the railing. Silver hair floated in the dark night. The figure fell… 

  Given the situation, there was nothing that Solitary Butterfly could do but watch the white figure fall all the way down. 

  As the figure fell, he tried to grab onto things many times: window ledges, balconies, exterior decorations… But was unable to hang on to anything and fell all the way down to the bottom, disappearing after breaking a few plastic sun shades with his fall. 

  My mind went blank for a moment. 

  And then I remembered that this was DSII, not the young master. And even if the one who had fallen was the young master, his life would not be endangered that easily. 

  That was close… 

  Just then, the whole room of policemen started screaming, “He, he fell! He really fell! Oh my god!” 

  Oh no! I cannot act as if it did not matter. After all, my ‘little brother’ did just fall from a building! Should I start screaming together with them, or should I act as if I was too shocked to say anything? Maybe the latter one… Huh? 

  My right wrist was suddenly grabbed and bent toward my back. Right after that, a hand covered with nail polish clutched my throat tightly, the long nails piercing my neck and hurting me. 

  I turned my head slightly and saw that the female vampire had me clutched tightly. With her velvety lips she whispered to me as her fangs scraped against my ears, saying, “You seem to be on good terms with those policemen? Say, if I held you against the bars and electrified you, would they agree to let me out?” 

  I went blank for a moment since I had not expected that she would attack me because of the great difference in our generation numbers, but she… 

  I used blood ability to protect my neck and heart, and then slowly removed her hand from my neck. She was weaker than me, so she could not stop her hand from being pulled away, which then made her attack me in anger with her other hand. 

  The attacking hand naturally had long nails, too. A vampire’s long nails were not just for nail polish. They were real weapons that could pierce through a human body! 

  However, her nails were not enough to pierce through my blood ability shield. 

  I had asked Poseidynne a lot of questions on battle tactics recently. Even though she used water and I used blood, there were still a lot of similarities between the two, not to mention that her way of fighting suited me very well. 

  Non-humans usually would not reveal to anyone their battle tactics, especially to someone from a different race. But Poseidynne was very generous and said that, “Because of Ah Ye and because you’re no threat at all,” she was willing to teach me. 

  The female vampire stared at my shield with widened eyes—to be honest, this shield was only the size of my palm—stuttering as she tried to finish a sentence, “You, you….” 

  I pulled away my restricted hand and turned around to grab her neck. The oppressed and the oppressor had changed their roles in an instant. 

  I softly asked, “What generation are you?” 

  The female vampire did not dare to move but could not stop herself from shaking as she said, “Thir— thirteenth…” 

  That is even further than what I have estimated. I asked her in confusion, “What gave you the courage to attack me?” 

  “I-I thought that your generation number was further than mine,” she said with a bitter smile. “Just now, I thought that the reason I couldn’t sense that you were a vampire was because you were from a further generation than me, and then you said ‘true’….” 

  So this is why. 

  “You misunderstood me,” I said, feeling annoyed yet amused. “The one who’s generation is further is you, and that is why you could not sense that I am a vampire. It would usually take a vampire under ten generations to be able to notice that I am a vampire when I am not using any abilities.” 

  Hearing so, she widened her eyes and asked, “Which, which generation might thou be in?” Now she’s even using honorifics. 

  I replied tonelessly, “I do not want to answer that question.” 

  “Charles!” 

  I let go of the female vampire when I heard my name and turned around to see that the policemen were busy opening the door of the cage. 

  “Hurry! Go check on your brother…” The police who was speaking looked at me kind-heartedly and comforted me, saying, “He, he tried to grab hold of things during his fall, and at the very end, a sun shade slowed his fall, so he might, might not be dead… He’ll be okay!” 

  I purposely put on a solemn face and said, “Is it really all right to let me out?” 

  “Oh man!” The policeman said anxiously, “The situation’s already like this. Who cares if it’s okay or not! Hurry and go check on the Angel!” 

  “Thank you.” After giving him my thanks, I turned around and told the female vampire in a low voice, “Do not cause the policemen any trouble. Do you understand?” After glancing at the other non-humans, I added, “And do not let the others cause any trouble either.” 

  “Yes!” The female vampire nodded hurriedly, and her expression immediately relaxed. Her reaction was not hard to understand. Those who dared to attack a vampire of a much more powerful generation were usually put to death. If she could escape that fate, then she would feel the tension ebb. 

  I stepped out of the cage, and the policemen suggested, “Taking you by car would be faster. He should be at the general hospital. Hurry up!” 

  I knew that the young master would be all right, but seeing how worried and flustered they were, I said earnestly, “Thank you.” 

  After I had taken a seat in the police car, the policemen sounded the sirens and sped away in the hospital’s direction. 

  Even though the young master will be fine, how should we explain this later on? The building was about twenty floors high. If a normal human were to fall from it, he or she would have definitely lost their life! 

  Does the young master need to be announced dead, and only appear in public as Dark Sun from now on? That would not be good, since the young master should also have the life of a normal person. 

  With various kinds of concerns and theories in my mind, the police car reached Sunset General Hospital. 

  Unexpectedly, the entrance of the hospital was crowded with people. Both the sidewalk and roads were clogged with people, and the news vans of every news channel was there. The police car that I was riding in even had to park on a nearby lane as they could not get inside the hospital campus. 

  Having stepped out of the car, the three policemen escorted me as we forced through the crowd. The pushing had upset the media and other people, and thus, they pushed back against us. Someone even shouted, “You think you’re great just ‘cuz you’re a cop? What the hell are you pushing for?” 

  The conflict deepened and we were not able to proceed any further. One of the policemen beside me shouted, “He’s An Xiang Ye’s brother! Hurry up and let him go see his brother!” 

  After these words got out, not only did the people surrounding us not let us through, they instead huddled toward us crazily. The camera lights flashed on endlessly, causing many black shadows to appear in my eyes. 

  The three policemen stomped their feet in anger, shouting, “Stop filming! Move! Get out of the way!” 

  Yet the media did not budge, and tens of microphones were shoved into my face, some of them almost hitting me. The reporters, one by one, started to shower me with questions: “What do you think about your brother falling off from the building?” 

  Er? Well, really surprised? 

  “Do you think that An Xiang Ye is still alive?” 

  I am positive that the young master is still alive. 

  “What do you have to say to the robbers who abducted An Xiang Ye?” 

  “You…” 

  As we faced the endless shower of questions and the human wall that seemed impossible to break through, I told the policeman beside me, “My apologies, but I will be going up by myself first.” 

  The policeman went blank for a moment and then asked, “How are you going to get up there… Oh, yeah! You’re a vampire.” 

  I smiled and leapt up. Using a few people’s shoulders as stepping stones, I walked onto the hospital wall. At that same moment, the camera lights from below flashed intensely. I was amused by their reactions, since no matter how many photos they took, my presence would not be captured in an image. I could be seen through the live display cameras, but if the video was to be replayed later on, my image would still not be visible. 

  After jumping into the hospital from a window, I was immediately noticed by the staff. After explaining to them that I was An Xiang Ye’s elder brother, I was escorted to the young master’s room in a hurry. 

  I heard that the young master is in a special operating room with specialists operating on him… Wait, a surgery? 

  No matter if it’s the young master or DSII, both of them have bodies that are different from normal people and therefore cannot undergo examinations and surgeries! 

  This is bad. Will the fact that the young master is not a normal human be discovered?

  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Heaven or Hell, Fifth Level: General Hospital, Painful Yet Healthy Cries

  Translator clrfction (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  [AD 2113] 

  “Solitary Butterfly!” 

  You said you trusted me! Then why don’t you believe me? Josh is a guinea pig. He is also someone to protect. We cannot turn him back in to P29! 

  “I trust you! Calm down and think about it. Dark Sun’s way of taking care of it is not wrong. He is just, just a little callous… but there is a reason for that!” 

  What reason? 

  “I don’t know.” 

  … 

  “I know it sounds unreasonable, but that child grew up under unusual circumstances, so don’t be too hard on him! I will talk to him. He won’t brush me off!” 

  That child? Is he young? 

  “… Pretty young. Dang it! Don’t dwell on that too much! I shouldn’t divulge his personal information.” 

  He insisted on taking Josh! Your talk made no difference! 

  “That was not… Dark Sun… that was DSII.” 

  What in the world are you talking about? 

  “I don’t know either! Anyway, Dark Sun is not wrong. That criminal has a very dangerous power! To allow him to roam free in Sunset City would cause huge problems!” 

  Heroes are supposed to save people, not give up on them because of this or that! If we can give up on Josh only because he might cause big trouble, is there anyone we would not give up on? 

  The medical staff led me to the outside of the operating room, where a red “Operating” light was lit, and said, “Take a seat here! The operation might take a while.” 

  “Of course.” 

  I sat down on the bench outside of the operating room, feeling more bemused than worried. If there really is a surgery happening, then they must have already noticed something is off. Why would the surgery continue then? 

  Yet I did not dare open the operating room door, so I could only sit there. 

  Not much later, someone else was brought over by the staff as well. It was Melody. She sat down next to me and fired off, “Don’t worry. The first thing I did was notify Kyle. He was the one who sent the ambulance to pick him up, so they should be performing a fake surgery in there.” 

  “You have done well,” I said, sincerely impressed. 

  Melody gave me a look and said, “Dark Sun is still chasing the robbers out there.” 

  I nodded and asked, “Dark Sun, as in the young master?” 

  “That’s right!” She said, “I asked Bramble and the others, and they said that Dark Sun really is the young master. The one who fell was DSII, so don’t worry too much.” 

  I stood up as I said, “I should return home to cook then, in case the young master is hungry when he gets home…” 

  Before I could finish, Melody rolled her eyes at me and said, “You’re the young master’s brother. He’s in a critical state after falling off the building, and you’re saying you’re going home to cook instead of waiting earnestly outside of the OR? Do you want to end up in the headlines tomorrow? Sit yourself down!” 

  I could only sit down again with no idea what to do. Melody spoke again, “This was such a large-scale robbery. Not only did five separate groups of robbers show up at the same time, they also attacked the five banks that are the farthest apart from each other to spread the heroes and police force thin. A hacker even infiltrated the network and disabled the surveillance cameras… If you ask me, there has to be a mastermind behind this all! He was probably just sitting in the sidelines and watching the show, not even actually robbing a bank. That’s it! Maybe he’s the hacker?” 

  A mastermind? I paused. At this time, a white-robed, mask-wearing doctor walked over with a few assistants. 

  I looked at Melody, who said with a frown, “Kyle’s people should be guarding on the outside. People unaffiliated with the Sun Emperor shouldn’t be able to come in.” 

  The doctor and assistants walked straight into the operating room, but the assistants came back out a few seconds later. I asked quickly, “Excuse me, has something happened?” 

  One of them said helplessly, “The doctor said he doesn’t need us and told us to scram!” 

  “Well, this doctor has character!” Melody said brightly, “Is he single?” 

  Hearing that, the assistants looked even more helpless. 

  At this moment, the “doctor with character” walked out of the operating room. As soon as he saw the assistants, he grumbled, “Why are you all still here?” 

  Some assistants looked awkward, while some looked a little miffed, but they left one by one nonetheless. 

  To prevent Melody from asking something like, “Mr. Doctor, would you be interested in dating a vampire,” I quickly asked, “Excuse me, what is the situation like?” 

  The doctored went “oh” and said, “His bones have been knocked out of place in several spots. Fortunately, I brought back-up bones, so I just need to replace them.” 

  Back-up bones? 

  “Mr. Doctor,” Melody said with a smile, “can you take your mask off? It’s easier to talk that way!” 

  I must have worried too much. Melody would likely not mention anything about dating before seeing his face. 

  “Hmm? Sure.” The doctor took off his mask. It was… Mr. An Te Qi! 

  I glanced at Melody, who instantly transformed from a smiling beauty into an ice princess. I think Mr. An Te Qi’s looks are just fine, but why does Melody have absolutely no interest? 

  “Because I don’t want him to drag me off and experiment on me!” That was what Melody told me when I asked her later, and I thought it made good sense. 

  “How are you here?” I asked, surprised. 

  Mr. An Te Qi sighed and said, “How would I know? Kyle suddenly asked me to come fix DSII and tossed me onto a helicopter to fly me over. On the way over, someone told me something like ‘I’m here as a surgical specialist with a whole medical team to perform an operation’ and told me to not blow my cover. 

  “Anyway, Charles, you come into the OR with me.” Mr. An Te Qi waved at me and said, “Now’s a good time start your dissection class.” 

  Wai-, wait, we are starting on dissection already? I just checked in at medical school today and have not learned anything yet! 

  “Come on in!” An Te Qi urged, “What are you waiting for? Melody, you want to come in too?” 

  Melody immediately said, “I’ll keep guard out here! If anyone sneaks in, I can beat him up at once!” 

  I followed up in a rush, “Did you not say you had some experiment to do and could not teach me until a month later?” 

  Mr. An Te Qi said resignedly, “Ri Xiang Yan came with Kyle and blasted my test subject into smithereens, so what is there to experiment on anymore?” 

  Hearing about the Sun Emperor, Melody’s eyes lit up immediately. She asked eagerly, “Is the Sun Emperor good with a gun? I’ve never heard of that!” 

  Mr. An Te Qi nodded and said heavily, “The Sun Emperor is very good with a gun, but unfortunately, he misses the target occasionally as well.” 

  That is very unfortunate… 

  “Hurry and get in!” An Te Qi urged one last time, then muttered to himself, “Fixing DSII and teaching you is done more easily together, then I can get back to my experiments sooner.” 

  Under Melody’s look of “take care,” I stepped into the operating room with a heavy heart. The first thing I saw upon stepping in was a bloody young master lying on the operating table. Even knowing that was DSII, I still felt a wave of nausea. 

  “Charles!” The bloody young master… No, DSII sat up and said excitedly, “Are you fixing me too? That’s so awesome! Daddy doesn’t let me talk to him, and I get super bored!” 

  I followed Mr. An Te Qi to the side of the table and consciously tried to ignore the blood stains all over DSII, but I could not refrain from asking, “Do you feel pain?” 

  DSII widened his eyes and said matter-of-factly, “Of course I don’t! Did you think I’m human? I can imitate pained expressions though… Charles, do you want me to?” 

  I said quickly, “No! Please do not imitate such a thing.” 

  DSII nodded. 

  After that, Mr. An Te Qi began to show me all the different parts. Even though DSII cannot measure up to Dark Sun, many of his parts were structured the same way, so he was perfect to use to explain. Then Mr. An Te Qi took several X-rays to explain each part in detail. 

  Surprisingly, the X-rays looked no different from a normal person’s skeleton. 

  “Hmm?” Mr. An Te Qi said, “Of course it looks the same! I mean, what did you expect to see?” 

  “A pile of wires, gears, screws, those sorts of things….” 

  “What era do you live in? Frankenstein?” 

  “I apologize….” 

  “Nowadays, of course we try to make things as similar to the real human body as much as possible.” Mr. An Te Qi scratched his head and said, “Though if a doctor looked, he would probably see right through it. The biggest giveaway is actually weight. We couldn’t do anything to reduce the weight, plus Ri Xiang Yan keeps telling me to make Ah Ye more durable, so Ah Ye’s actually getting heavier and heavier.” 

  An Te Qi went through the X-rays as he said, “I say we should make DSII more durable too, or else if I have to come fix him every now and then, who knows how many of my experiments Ri Xiang Yan will destroy… Oh, right, I should just teach you, then I won’t have to come ever again.” 

  Wai-, wait a second… 

  “Come over here and look.” 

  From then on, we endlessly studied all sorts and kinds of human body parts while the subject of observation chattered on relentlessly. Sometimes, he would point to his disjointed left leg and say, “My femur was knocked out of place, and Daddy keeps telling me off for it, but that was a really tall building! I worked so hard to only knock my femur out of place. Daddy’s too much!” 

  Or he would motion at his bloody abdomen and say, “Actually, my liver burst when I fell too, but just a little bit! Charles, Charles look here, right here. It only burst a little, right?” 

  Fortunately, I have cleaned out all sorts of weird things from houses of previous employers before, including rotten corpses, or else I would probably be throwing up in a corner by now. 

  “Not bad!” An Te Qi looked me up and down and said, “I thought you would throw up! This is good. Let’s go straight to the next step!” 

  Wait a second…. 

  “You take this knife,” An Te Qi said as he handed me a scalpel, “and cut DSII’s left thigh open. His femur is too bent. We need to replace it.” 

  “Cut until here.” He drew a line on DSII’s leg. If I cut following that line, I would basically slice the whole leg open in half. 

  “Am, am I supposed to cut this?” I asked, horrified. 

  An Te Qi said huffily, “What. Did I give you a scalpel to cut a watermelon? Just do it.” 

  I held the scalpel, looked down at that leg, and could not make a move…. 

  “Cut it!” Mr. An Te Qi urged tirelessly. 

  “This is my first time holding a scalpel.” I felt a slight urge to tear up. 

  Mr. An Te Qi frowned and asked, “I recall that you’re not a human, so you usually don’t use a gun right? What kind of weapon do you usually use?” 

  I answered truthfully, “Rapiers formed with blood ability.” 

  He said briskly, “Let me see.” 

  I did as he said, and Mr. An Te Qi’s eyes lit up upon seeing the rapier. “Wow, this is really convenient. Can you make it into any shape? Anything you’ve seen before? How about the sharpness? The sharpest is enough to cut steel! That is so useful… right, use that to cut this leg open.” 

  I paused for a second, then did as he said reflexively and swung the rapier. A large slit appeared on DSII’s leg. 

  Mr. An Te Qi said, “DSII, report injury status.” 

  DSII said happily, “The cut was just right. It stopped right above the bone, not too much and not too little!” 

  An Te Qi looked down at the cut, turned to me, and complimented, “Great cut! You’re good with your hands, found the right place to cut in one try, and minimized the bleeding… Are you really not a doctor?” 

  I answered truthfully, “I am a vampire, so I can roughly sense the locations of blood vessels.” 

  “Oh~~ oh! So you’re a vampire!” Mr. An Te Qi reached into the slit on DSII’s thigh and nodded as he fished around. “Very good, very good!” 

  Good for what? I suddenly had a bad feeling and changed the topic, “Would you mind if I ask, what are the chances of surviving a twenty-story fall?” 

  “If you fell from that height,” Mr. An Te Qi said as he pulled a bloody femur out, “you don’t even need to go to the hospital. Might as well go straight to an incinerator. Can’t even be my test subject.” 

  “…What if there were a miracle?” I tried my best to ignore that femur. 

  “If you’re talking about something as unrealistic as miracles here,” Mr. An Te Qi rolled his eyes and said moodily, “then you can miraculously survive jumping off of a plane! Why are you asking this?” 

  I explained the entire story to Mr. An Te Qi as he took the new femur and put it in DSII’s left thigh. 

  “Why don’t you announce that Ah Ye is badly injured and needs to recover then!” He said briskly, “I might as well use this chance to upgrade him. He’s been complaining that his knee ligaments aren’t good enough. Not stretchy enough and not durable enough. Get worn out after a few times from using that slide step thing he does. Too easily damaged.” Here, he complained briefly, “What do you mean too easily damaged?! Those joints are at least twice as strong as normal human joints.” 

  Please do not let it be because of the time I attacked the young master’s joints… 

  “It took me so long to find better materials to replace the old joints… Right, I think he said he learned the slide step from you?” 

  Speaking of that, Mr. An Te Qi looked at my knees thoughtfully, from which I felt an ominous chill… 

  Ring~ Ring~~ 

  I picked up the phone quickly, feeling saved. “This is Charles! Who is speaking!” 

  “… Charles, did something happen?” It was the young master’s voice, and he said worriedly, “You sound really nervous.” 

  “Nothing has happened.” I quickly clarified, “It’s just Mr. An Te Qi is teaching me about dissection, and I worry that I will not learn well enough.” 

  The other side of the line went quiet momentarily, then said, “If Bàba wants to study you, you have permission to physically stop him! As long as you don’t kill him.” 

  “Thank you very much.” I felt much better after receiving permission and thanked the young master for his understanding. 

  “Young Master, Mr. An Te Qi asks you to feign a bad injury and stay in the hospital to recover so he can adjust your joints in that time.” 

  “Oh? O.K., then I’ll head over now. I can’t find the robbers anyway.” The young master sounded slightly frustrated. 

  This sincerely surprised me. There are actually people the young master cannot find. 

  After I finished the call with the young master, Mr. An Te Qi suddenly picked up a pile of white objects and placed them in my hands. He ordered, “Here. Now it’s your turn. Change DSII’s phalanges out.” 

  … 

  “There have been so many bank robberies lately.” The young master said anxiously as he sat on a hospital bed, eating pieces of chicken. 

  Everyone was gathered in the general hospital’s VIP ward eating fried chicken. Of course, I had not fried the chicken, as Li Qi still had my chicken meat. Mr. Bramble, Dell, and May bought these on their way over. Even Aren brought some coke and milk to “visit the sick.” 

  Actually, it would not be correct to say everyone is here. At least, Melody is still busy holding a press conference to explain that the young master is still alive, so she is not present. 

  Dell suggested eagerly, “Maybe it’s because the economy has been bad! The unemployment rate hit a new high recently. People don’t have jobs, so they have no choice but to rob the banks!” 

  “Unemployment rate?” Hearing that, the young master’s frown deepened, and he said, troubled, “That’s not something I can solve.” 

  May comforted him, “Young Master, there are so many problems in the world. You can’t solve all of them, so you can only do your best.” 

  The young master sighed and said, “My best doesn’t seem to be enough. Luo Chu-gē’s been so busy these days, Solitary Butterfly seems to be busy as well, and they both haven’t been showing up much recently, so public safety has declined lately.” 

  “Actually, you’re busy too.” Aren said uncannily, looking slightly miffed. 

  The young master turned to look at Aren and said thankfully, “Good thing you can transform during the day too now! If you still could only show up at night, then I definitely wouldn’t be able to handle it all!” 

  “It’s not good at all!” Aren threw the chicken bones he held and yelled angrily, “I’ve been spending so much time as Dragon Peace that I don’t have time to go help out at Luo Chu-gē’s studio! How can I ask to be paid for the month?!” 

  The young master was shocked by the shattered bones and said timidly, “You’re still helping him as Dragon Peace!” 

  I picked up the broken bones. 

  “Sorry for making you clean that up, Charles-gē.” Aren apologized to me, then turned to yell at the young master again, “That’s different!” 

  “How is it different?!” The young master said under his breath. Seeing Aren’s angry expression, he turned to me quickly and said, “Charles, turn the TV on for some news!” 

  “At once.” I walked to the TV, picked up the remote, and just as I was about to press the power button, I remembered—the young master must not see the news! 

  I almost forgot! I broke out in cold sweat, pretended to press the remote a few times, then turned to say, “Young Master, I cannot turn the TV on. Perhaps it is broken.” 

  Before the young master could say anything, Dell complained loudly, “Are you kidding! The VIP ward has broken TVs? I’m going to file a complaint!” 

  With that, he jumped up and was actually going to complain right away. I quickly said, “Dell!” 

  He turned. “What?” 

  I said tactfully, “Now might not be the best time to let hospital and maintenance personnel into the ward? To the outside, the young master should be a heavily injured patient in recovery, not someone eating fried chicken.” 

  “Oh, right! I almost forgot.” Dell went back to eating his fried chicken. 

  “Bàba,” the young master asked Mr. An Te Qi, “how long will upgrading my joints take?” 

  Mr. An Te Qi’s voice was muffled, as he was busily stuffing himself with fried chicken. “Changing joints isn’t as easy as the treatment from last time, plus I’m using new materials, so I need to do a lot of tests. You need to give me at least two weeks.” 

  Aren jumped up and protested, “Two weeks without Dark Sun?” 

  The young master hurried to explain, “DSII will be there. He’ll be Dark Sun in my place.” 

  Aren thought about it and said, “Oh, then that should be fine, as long as we don’t get a complicated case like we did last time…” 

  Hearing that, the young master hesitated, then asked, “Have you seen Solitary Butterfly recently? Is, is she still mad at me?” 

  “Mad for what?” Aren faltered, then said, “She doesn’t have a right to be angry! You weren’t wrong. You guys just have different ways of dealing with things.” 

  “Really?” The young master’s voice grew smaller and smaller as he said, “But you were on her side back then, and I thought I should not have done things the way I did…” 

  Aren fell silent at that. He said after a while, “I don’t know if that criminal deserved to be killed either, but the situation was out of control at the time, and if we did not kill him then, we could kill him later. If we killed him though, we couldn’t just resurrect him later! So I thought we should not kill him, have everyone calm down, and it wouldn’t be too late to decide whether we want to kill him after thinking about it together!” 

  The young master digested that, then explained, “I saw that we would not have reached an agreement, so I took action.” 

  “How would you know?” Aren said huffily, “If you didn’t chase that criminal with a scythe in your hand, Luo Chu-gē and I might not have supported Solitary Butterfly, and we would’ve won three against one! With or without an agreement!” 

  The young master laughed at that. “That’s tyranny of the majority!” 

  “Nonsense. That’s democracy!” Aren retorted assuredly. 

  “I’m full!” Mr. An Te Qi announced as he wiped his mouth. “Come, come, come, Ah Ye. Let’s go take a look at your new joints. I made a critical technical breakthrough! It’s about the ligaments. We can greatly improve your joint movability, and they’ll be more durable!” 

  “Really?” The young master said happily as well, “O.K., let’s hurry up and upgrade!” 

  On the side, Aren muttered to himself, “You sound like you’re leveling up in a game. That’s just so weird!” 

  At this time, Mr. An Te Qi patted Aren on the shoulder and said, “You too. Drink some medicine and upgrade!” 

  “A-Again?” Aren’s expression contorted. 

  “What kind of face is that?” Mr. An Te Qi said, unimpressed, “Don’t you know the best medicines are the most unpalatable?” 

  Aren growled, “Are your medicines only unpalatable to the tongue? I go through so much pain throughout my entire body when I take them!” 

  Mr. An Te Qi said dismissively, “The pain’s only around for a while after you drink it, and you don’t even need to do anything during that time. You just lie in bed in pain! Yet every time Ah Ye goes through an upgrade, even if it hurts like dying, he needs to stand no matter what. If he can’t stand, he’ll crawl. Crawl until it doesn’t hurt, crawl until he can stand, then after standing he needs to run… Did you think he doesn’t hurt? You want to go read up on rehab books and see exactly how much it hurts?” 

  “Modification and rehab hurts a lot?” Aren was rather shocked. He turned to ask the young master, “Why have I never heard you say anything? Does it really hurt?” 

  “It hurts.” The young master nodded and said simply. 

  Aren asked confusedly, “You looked so normal after an upgrade that time before?” 

  The young master tilted his head and answered, “I’m used to it.” 

  “Used to it?” Aren faltered. 

  Aren was not the only one. I also felt some confusion and curiosity. I should really find out more about the young master’s past some time to better serve him. 

  The young master did not reply. Rather, Mr. An Te Qi said, “Ah Ye was modified since he was seven, and from then for about seven, eight years, his life was all modifications and rehabilitation. Of course he’s used to it.” 

  The young master had briefly brought up this part of his past before, so everyone knew. 

  “To keep his brother from noticing that upgrades and rehab actually hurt a lot, he’s become accustomed to not making any noise no matter the pain, and he can even chat with his brother with a smile right after an upgrade! You should learn this skill, too!” 

  Hearing that, Aren did not respond to Mr. An Te Qi, but instead said to the young master, “You don’t need to hold it in with us! Say it hurts if you’re in pain, and tell us to be quiet, or ask Dell to do something stupid to distract yourself! Don’t bear it all by yourself with a smile! Why are you like this?!” 

  The young master looked at Aren and asked perplexedly, “Is smiling not good?” 

  “Of course not!” 

  The young master looked even more perturbed, but he still nodded and said, “O.K., next time when it really hurts, I’ll say it hurts and won’t smile.” 

  Aren nodded back and finally said to Mr. An Te Qi, “Let’s go. Medicine time!” 

  “Attaboy!” Mr. An Te Qi waved to me and said, “Charles, you come too.” 

  I said at once, “Might I tidy up a bit? I will head over in a moment.” 

  Mr. An Te Qi shrugged and left. The young master and Aren followed him out of the ward as well. 

  As soon as the three left, I turned immediately and said to everyone behind me, “The master is coming to Sunset City in the near future.” 

  Mr. Bramble said, “I know. Saw it on the news.” 

  Hearing that, I asked rather nervously, “Did the young master see it as well?” 

  Mr. Bramble frowned and said, “No. What is it?” 

  “Secretary Kyle said the master would like to give the young master a surprise, so he ordered us to keep the young master from learning about his visit until ten days later, when the master will ‘secretly’ visit the young master.” 

  As I finished, everyone stared at me with wide eyes, all incredulous. 

  Dell howled loudly, “Butler, tell me you’re pulling our legs! Today’s actually April Fools’ Day right?” 

  As much as I would have liked to say yes, I could only shake my head regretfully. 

  May said disbelievingly, “But the story of the master’s visit is already on the news! How could this be a secret?” 

  “That is why we must keep the young master from seeing the news on TV for the next ten days.” 

  “No TV for ten days?” May said, aghast, “But we watch the news every day when we eat breakfast!” 

  “Dell, May, break the TV right now to prevent the young master from turning it on by accident.” Mr. Bramble ordered promptly. 

  “Yes sir!” 

  As the two worked on wrecking the TV, Mr. Bramble said with a heavy expression, “Actually, we can’t guarantee that the young master won’t see the news even if we break the TV. He can look for online news in his head, so he can get news even without a TV.” 

  Hearing that, the two busy breaking the TV stopped what they were doing, but the TV screen was already half smashed. 

  I nodded and said, “So we must also work hard to keep the young master’s attention elsewhere to minimize the chances of him looking up news in this period.” 

  “I’ll get Briar to stay over for ten days!” Mr. Bramble made the call immediately. “Briar, come stay at the hospital for ten days! You have class? Study on your own here. The young master’s here, and he’s much better than your teacher is.” 

  Mr. Bramble, you have such incredible assertiveness. With you here, this impossible task now seems a tiny bit more feasible. 

  Dell suggested earnestly as well, “Getting Ezart here should help too!” 

  I said resignedly, “Mr. Ezart is exploring an ancient tomb and has not picked up in a long time. By the time we can contact him, it will probably be past ten days.” 

  “Just how are there so many tombs for him to explore?” May said stiffly, “Last time when he went to explore the polar regions he brought a huge frozen bug back as a gift for the young master. Watch him go to a tomb this time and mail a zombie back for the young master!” 

  …In some ways, vampires can be categorized as zombies as well. 

  “Please Maiden, have some common sense. Zombies are super expensive, okay! A lot of rich people out there collect those!” Dell yelled, “If he really sends a zombie, I’m selling it online! I’ll make a fortune!” 

  May said crabbily, “Did you think the young master would let you take Ezart’s gift to him and sell it online?” 

  Dell’s excitement froze at that. 

  Mr. Bramble completely ignored the two, lost in thought with a frown. He finally said, “Our only silver lining is that the young master needs to be upgraded, so he won’t be going out in the next two weeks, so he won’t see the news outside…” 

  AHHHHHH— 

  I stopped, but Mr. Bramble and the others rushed out of the door, their reaction speed on a different level from mine. I quickly followed them out. 

  The noise came from the operating room. The four of us sprinted to the operating room, and Dell and May slammed the door open. 

  Aren was lying on the ground, screaming and writhing, looking like he was in severe pain. If I saw correctly, his muscles were “writhing,” as if there were countless snakes crawling under his skin, and it was quite a visual shock. 

  The young master knelt next to him, looking completely lost. 

  “A-Aren!” The young master cried nervously, then looked up at Mr. An Te Qi. “Bàba, is this really okay? Aren looks like he’s in a lot of pain. Even if it hurt, he’s never screamed this much before!” 

  A hint of hesitation flashed across Mr. An Te Qi’s face, but he stiffened his expression and said, “Men need to toughen up to achieve more! It’s not easy to gain power!” 

  Aren seemed to hear that as well. He bit down tightly, trying so hard to bear the pain that his face twisted. He forced his screams to be as quiet as possible. 

  “But…” The young master hesitated, then asked, “Bàba, are you positive this is okay?” 

  “Sure!” Mr. An Te Qi insisted, “Nothing’s wrong!” 

  At this moment, Aren’s skin began to turn red, and it was an exaggerated red. One could not turn this red even after drinking a barrel of wine. This color is as red as a rose! 

  “Is there really nothing wrong?” The young master asked more strongly. 

  “There shouldn’t…” Mr. An Te Qi began to show signs of uncertainty, and seeing everyone’s terrible expressions, he added quickly, “At least he won’t die… I think!” 

  “Bàba, you…” The young master was close to tears. “I told you, you can’t use my friends for your experiments. What if something happens to Aren?” 

  “Ha!” Aren suddenly jumped up and yelled, “I’m all fine now!” 

  Even if he says so, he really does not look fine. Contrarily, he looks worse. On his face appeared finger-sized bulging veins one after another, his whole face contorting. Not to mention the length of his hands and feet kept changing, and random body parts would randomly enlarge. His whole body looked scarier than monsters in horror movies. 

  “That really looks terribly painful!” Dell swallowed. 

  Aren’s face twitched, and suddenly he bellowed in Dragon Peace’s voice, “Get out, all of you!” 

  Aren—or rather Dragon Peace, it was hard to tell who he was in his current state—shoved us all out of the door, leaving only Mr. An Te Qi and DSII inside, and slammed the door shut. 

  The young master quickly pressed his ear onto the door, looking extremely worried. 

  “Young Master!” I said loudly. 

  The young master turned to look at me. “Hmm?” 

  I kept the volume of my voice up as I said, “I went to class today and have several questions about what I learned today. Would you mind going over them with me?” 

  After I said that, I lowered my voice and said, “Young Master, Aren must suppress his screams when you are around.” 

  The young master paused, then nodded and said loudly as well, “O.K., let’s go back to the ward then. There’s a desk and some chairs, so it’s more convenient!” 

  With that, we stayed quiet for a bit, and soon howls of pain began to start up in the room again. The young master looked very troubled by these sounds, but after a while, he began to look more relaxed. 

  “Even though it sounds awfully painful,” I said lightly with a smile, “he sounds full of energy.” 

  The young master smiled too. “Mmhmm, I think he’ll be fine! Let’s go back to the ward! Charles, do you really have questions?” 

  I smiled wryly and said, “Actually I have not even started my classes yet, but Mr. An Te Qi…” 

  Hearing his father’s name, the young master seemed to understand. He nodded knowingly. “I’ll give you an overview of the human body’s anatomy and some vital parts you must not damage!” 

  “My sincerest thanks, Young Master!”


  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Heaven or Hell, Sixth Level: Television, the Overlooked Truth

  Translator: Ever (proofread by Trespasserby & Lala Su; C/E edited by Lucathia) 

  “Solitary Butterfly, Dark Sun finally finished repairing your legs.” 

  Finally? The spare ones really aren’t as powerful. Is your whip also finished?” 

  “Not only is it finished, it’s fantastic! Its energy efficiency increased greatly, its destructive power is greater and its battery life also increased significantly. The most unbelievable thing is that not only is it a whip, but it can also switch modes into a sword or dagger and can even fire bullets and be used as an energy gun! I don’t even know if it counts as a whip anymore, haha!” 

  Give me my legs first. 

  “Oh, oh! By the way, Dark Sun also wrote you an instruction manual.” 

  They’re my legs and yet I need to read an instruction manual he wrote? 

  “Of course! Look at my whip. If it weren’t for the instructions, I wouldn’t even know that there were so many added features!” 

  Oh well, just bring me everything there is! 

  “Hurry up, tell me what features were added to your legs.” 

  Hmm… Both thighs can be opened by pressing the silver decorative button. The left thigh contains grenades and the right leg has flash bangs; the knees can fire energy bullets; the sides of the calves and the toe tips all have extendable blades; the feet have wheels that can be extended when needed for gliding with a max gliding speed of sixty kilometers per hour. 

  “Wow, your legs are as good as cars now.” 

  … 

  “Are you satisfied with them?” 

  … 

  “Do you like them?” 

  … 

  “Just what do you think?” 

  I’m satisfied and I like them! I’m running out of time so I’ll be going first. 

  “Hehe!” 

  “Do you know the difference between man and man?” 

  I looked at Lieder in confusion and said hesitantly, “There are many differences. I am not sure of which you are referring to.” 

  “I study anthropology, which focuses on studying the differences between humans. Do you know what my conclusion is?” Lieder said as he waved a fork around. I shook my head and he smiled and said, “My conclusion is—there’s no difference at all!” 

  “Is that so?” I replied as my gaze drifted downwards. He gave me a confused look and shifted his gaze down too, and our eyes both focused on his plate. I said, “There is also no difference between your lunch from earlier when it was carried over and now.” 

  “…” 

  I shook my head and continued, “You must eat your three meals normally in order to benefit your body.” 

  “As a vampire, can you not care about my health so much?” Lieder said as if he were amused, “It feels very peculiar since I have no family, and therefore no one who cares about my health. In contrast, a vampire whom I’ve just met recently worries about my health. This feels very odd indeed.” 

  “My apologies, I may have developed a habit,” I replied embarrassedly. “Someone at home also forgets to eat, so I have to remind him quite often.” 

  On some level, Mr. An Te Qi and Lieder act alike. The only difference is that Mr. An Te Qi does not really like to lecture someone and would rather give them a scalpel right away, while Lieder is very enthusiastic about lecturing and even forgets his food when he starts talking. 

  “I know.” 

  … Pardon? 

  Lieder looked at me and laughed, “I mean, I get it. Do you have class this afternoon?” 

  “I have two classes.” 

  “Where do you plan on going afterwards?” Lieder asked and then added, “It’s not every day that I get to chat with a vampire. You don’t mind me asking this much, do you?” 

  I shook my head as I laughed, “Of course not, having someone I know at school makes me feel much more reassured. After attending my classes, I am going to the market.” 

  “Huh?” Lieder stopped and then said understandingly, “Oh, you mean the human blood market?” 

  “No, I meant the market that sells poultry and vegetables.” 

  “… Has anyone ever told you that you don’t act much like a vampire?” 

  “I hear that quite often,” I admitted honestly. 

  “Haha… Excuse me,” Lieder said when his cell phone suddenly rang. After having excused himself, he answered the call right where he was. 

  I lowered my head as I drank blood, acting as if I did not care, but it was still not possible to keep their conversation away from my ears. 

  “Oh? It succeeded? How many? Two? A bit worse than what I’d imagined. I thought that there would be at least three… Mmhmm, that’s fine. Buy the necessary stuff and transfer the rest of the funding to the place we agreed to.” 

  After finishing that conversation, Lieder ended the call and said with a smile, “There seems to be some hits and misses in my investment! Some succeeded and some failed, but at least I still profited a lot in the end.” 

  “Really? What did you invest in?” 

  “Banks.” 

  I replied in astonishment, “Banks? That sounds like a very large investment.” It does not sound like something a professor would invest in, but come to think of it, Lieder is also a part-time assassin, and assassins are usually quite rich? 

  Lieder smiled and said, “It’s not too big. It did take some money to start off, but the payoff is quite good.” 

  “Is that so?” 

  Suddenly, Lieder’s expression froze as if something had caught his attention. I spaced out for a bit and then followed his gaze to discover that he was watching the televised news. 

  It was evident that the camera had to zoom in to shoot the scene since the picture was very blurry. The video showed a group of people in black suits. Only the blond man at the center of the group was wearing a long, dark-colored windbreaker. The group walked very quickly, and the blond man glanced at the camera with irritation as they passed by. 

  To be frank, the video was not very clear. It was only a bit better than the blurry videos from security cameras. But the two large news headings and the fact that I had seen this blond man before made him easy to recognize. He was the Sun Emperor. 

  The Sun Emperor rarely appeared on the news. There were not even many secret photos of him, not to mention interviews. It was surprising that the media could record such a video. Though it was only for an instant, that instant was already a very rare occurrence. 

  “Ri Xiang Yan…” Lieder suddenly turned to me and asked, “What is your opinion on Ri Xiang Yan?” 

  “My opinion?” I was caught off guard and did not know how to answer him, so I gave him an ambiguous reply, “I do not have a specific opinion, since the Sun Emperor seems too distant for a commoner.” 

  “True,” Lieder said with a vague smile, “but do you see yourself as a commoner?” 

  “Even for vampires, the Sun Emperor is still very distant.” I mean, for vampires aside from me. 

  “You’re right, Ri Xiang Yan is practically the only emperor in the world.” Lieder said emotionlessly, “Though monarchy has vanished for a long time, is it really gone?” 

  I was caught off guard, confused about how the topic suddenly changed to monarchy. 

  Lieder then said in a mocking tone, “Or maybe it’s just that the name changed but it has continued to exist, so that the people in slavery won’t think that they’re slaves? How different are those business heads from ancient emperors?” 

  Were I not the young master’s butler, I might have discussed this topic in further depth with Lieder. But since I served the young master, then it would be inappropriate of me to discuss the master, so I answered, “Even if the Sun Emperor really were an emperor, how would that affect the common masses?” 

  “That’s the brilliant thing!” Lieder threw something with great force and said, “No one thinks that that has anything to do with them, and no one cares about it! But do you know how many businesses the Sun Alliance has?” 

  I lowered my head to look at the item that was cast on the table and realized that it was a fountain pen. “Um, many, but I do not know exactly how many… Lieder, throwing this fountain pen around does not seem like a good idea?” 

  “Don’t worry, this pen is made of stainless steel. It’s my smashing pen.” 

  Is, is that so? 

  “Walking down a street, half of the shops that people walk past belong to the Sun Alliance or partner companies, and they have no idea! They’re ignorant to the fact that Ri Xiang Yan can cause inflation whenever he wants to. No one can say a thing even if he raised the prices of everyday necessities, because a lot of industries have been monopolized by him. 

  “Life or death, eat or starve, everything has fallen into the hands of this guy. You still think he’s not an emperor? Ya think people aren’t ignorant of their slavery? People even call him the Sun Emperor. They won’t call him by his name!” 

  I did not think that Lieder would have such a strong opinion on the Sun Emperor. This made me quite worried, but I could not pinpoint why I was worried. Even though Lieder is a part-time assassin, he would not be able to assassinate the Sun Emperor, would he? 

  I frowned at Lieder, wondering what kind of advice I could offer him, but he smiled and reminded me with a carefree attitude, “The bell’s about to ring. Given your personality, you’re not the type who likes to be late for class, right?” 

  I lowered my head to check my watch. It really was time for class, so I hurriedly said, “Excuse me, I have to go.” 

  I stopped in the middle of my hurried tracks and turned around to check on Lieder. He was eating his food, and when he saw me, he forked up a big portion of food and put it into his mouth, as if telling me that he was eating his food like a good boy. 

  I smiled at him before hurrying to class. 

  Maybe I was worrying too much. Many people become passionate when they are discussing a social or political topic. Lieder should be one of them. There is nothing special about this, nor is there anything that I should worry about. 

  I scurried into the classroom just as the bell rang. The classroom was very quiet. Well, students in the faculty of medicine do study hard… No! They are looking at me! The entire class is looking at me! 

  I looked at the classroom full of students, stumped, thinking, What is going on here? 

  “It really is him!” A student gasped. 

  Some people were looking at the TVs that were hanging from the walls of the classroom, so I turned my head toward them. The news was on and there really was not much to show since there was only a hospital wall and some reporters. 

  “I saw you on the news last night and you were still visible then! And then you disappeared today. That’s so weird. According to my theory, vampires might emit some kind of electromagnetic radiation that stops an image from being recorded on film…” 

  “That was so cool! You walked onto a wall just like that, totally defying gravity!” 

  A lot more people asked out of concern, “The Angel is still alive, right? The manager didn’t lie, did she? Is his life in danger? How severe is his coma?” 

  I nodded and said, “Yes, his life is not in danger and he has regained consciousness, though he has many wounds and needs to rest for a while. He is fine.” 

  “Great!” The students cheered in joy, “That’s the Angel who graduated from combat. If he didn’t grab onto a whole lot of stuff to slow down his fall, he would have really died!” 

  I was glad to see how happy they were. The young master really did have many fans who cared for him. 

  “Student, go take a seat.” 

  I was caught off guard. Turning around, I saw a young man standing behind me. He was wearing a black leather coat and high black boots. His expression was cold, and he had an earring that had a faint, white glow on his left ear. He looked like one of the young people on the streets, but if I was not wrong, all the books he held in his hand were professional medical books. 

  He is making me sit down? Is he the professor? He looks too young to be one, even younger than Lieder, and even, even more like an assassin than Lieder. 

  “Yes,” I replied hurriedly and rushed to find a seat. 

  The classmate sitting beside me asked me in a low voice, “Do you know who this professor is?” 

  I shook my head as I took out my textbook. 

  “Ni Cai! The doctor that was awarded for his thesis on modifying brains!” The classmate said excitedly, “The school specially hired him. I heard that if it weren’t for an anthropology prof who knew him and especially asked him to, he would never have come!” 

  Anthropology… Could it be Lieder? So he knows Ni Cai. Well, he did say that if the professor would not let me into his class, then he would help me out. So it was because he knew the professor. 

  “Oh yeah, why are you starting from third year?” The classmate on my other side asked confusedly. 

  That made me a bit nervous. Should I say that I have taken first and second year courses? 

  He started talking before I could reply, “First and second years all feel horrible! They know that you’re a third year and that you’re taking classes that they can’t take yet so they’re almost crying.” 

  Crying? I asked in surprise, “Why?” 

  “Oh!” The classmate laughed. “A lot of reasons! Some like the Angel, some are into vampires, and some people became your fans after watching the news, like my assigned junior! You should become a celebrity like your brother!” 

  I smiled slightly, not feeling odd about it. Falling for vampires was not uncommon. 

  “My junior said that if I don’t get her an autograph, she won’t speak with me anymore. So lend me a hand?” 

  My classmate said very earnestly and even took out a very formal autograph board and signing pen. 

  “… My brother’s autograph?” 

  “No, yours.” 

  I was speechless. I could only take the pen and sign my name. Well, I of course left out my surname. 

  “Thanks! She actually wanted an autographed photo, but the cameras can’t capture you. I even made fun of her…” The classmate put away the board and started writing something on a piece of note paper, saying, “Here’s my number. Feel free to call me if you have any questions!” 

  After receiving the piece of paper and hearing the three words: “have any questions,” I immediately remembered that I did have a lot of questions, so I hurriedly asked, “Have you taken a dissecting class?” 

  “Yep.” The classmate nodded and said quietly, “I’ve seen it a lot of times! Because my family owns a hospital, so I help out sometimes… Cough! You know! But it really isn’t just me saying this, my skills totally match up to my father!” 

  “Can I call you, sir, when I have questions about dissecting?” I asked earnestly and saved the number into my phone immediately. Perhaps I will have to call this classmate tonight, asking him questions while I dissect. 

  “… Sure,” The classmate said helplessly, “But can you leave out the ‘sir?’ You’re scaring me!” 

  I apologized and he laughed, introducing himself, “I’m Shuu Kahl, just call me Ah Shuu.” 

  “Then, please call me Charles as well.” 

  As soon as we finished introducing ourselves, he averted his gaze and stopped looking at me. Just when I started to feel confused, he reminded me in a low voice without turning around, “Charles, look at the blackboard. The prof is glaring at us.” 

  Hearing that, I hurriedly looked toward the blackboard. Professor Ni Cai was in fact glaring at us. Actually, the glare was more like a few cold glances in our direction, but those glances were so cold that I felt like I was in an underground freezer, as if my heart were frozen by one single glance. Compared to Lieder, I felt Professor Ni Cai was more suited to be an assassin. 

  I did not know what to do under the professor’s gaze. Fortunately, his gaze only swept across us a few times before he started the lecture, and he did not pay any particular attention to me during class, allowing me to sigh in relief. 

  Professor Ni Cai had started talking about the structure of the human body. I appreciated this greatly as I felt that I could go home today with more courage to face Mr. An Te Qi’s practical lab class. 

  “Weird… Didn’t the prof already start on brain structures?” Ash frowned and then muttered to himself, “Midterm’s coming up, so maybe he’s reviewing!” 

  Hearing this, I hurriedly turned around to ask him, “When is the midterm?” 

  “In two weeks… Umm, I can lend you my notes, so don’t look like the sky’s gonna fall…” 

  The midterm is in two weeks, yet I need to practice operating under Mr. An Te Qi’s supervision every night, and I also have to serve the young master… Fortunately, we live in a hospital right now so not much cleaning is required, and we cannot cook in the hospital so Dell and May are in charge of buying food. This must be the silver lining amidst all this misfortune. 

  “Oh, and Professor Ni Cai is really strict. He said that he’ll only test us on reasonable stuff, so those who fail the midterm won’t have to come to class anymore… But, but you just joined this class so he might go easy on you? I mean might. Prof Ni Cai really is very strict!” 

  “…” 

  Just what should I do about the midterm? I worried as I stared out the car window. 

  “After applying the discount, that will be a total of a hundred and sixty-seven yuan saved. Thank you for your patronage.” Nitewalker’s toneless voice came from the front seat. 

  “Please, wait for me here. I will be back very soon.” 

  “All right.” 

  I exited the car and was a bit worried about how the merchants would react when they saw me, but I had to pick up the chicken I ordered since Li Qi had already chopped them for me. I could not let him take the loss. 

  No one in the market noticed me at first as I walked over to Li Qi’s stall, but as I walked further into the market, people started noticing me and even started to follow me. 

  I was bewildered and turned my head to check what was happening. The housewives all stopped in their tracks and then scattered in a hurry, pretending they were shopping. Seeing this, I turned around and kept on walking until I reached Li Qi’s chicken stall and said, “Li Qi, I am here to pick up the chicken.” 

  Li Qi lifted his head and stared at me with a blank expression. He said after a few moments, “Charles, my wife and I saw you on TV.” 

  “That many people watched the live news?” I asked in astonishment. 

  “A lot!” Li Qi immediately said with a nod of his head. “Do you know how many people care about the Angel? Everyone was waiting in front of the television, waiting to see how things would turn out, so of course they’d see you! Charles, is your brother really okay? The media says that he didn’t die and his wounds weren’t deadly… But you know the media, they’d make a great impression if half of what they said were true!” 

  I chuckled. “Please, do not worry, Ah Ye is really all right. If he were not, I would not be here casually picking up chicken meat, would I?” 

  Li Qi said with difficulty, “I sold your chicken for half the price! I was afraid that it was going to go bad and your brother got into that accident, so I thought that you wouldn’t have the time to pick it up.” 

  Hearing this, I hurriedly said, “That was a very wise decision. Please, let me pay for the half of the price you lost…” 

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Li Qi raised his voice awkwardly, “You saved my life! I should be the one paying you! If my wife found out that I actually took your money, then she’d definitely run off with the child in her belly! Also, my wife said that I should give you half price from now on whenever you come, or else she’s going to divorce me!” 

  Half price! And it is from here on out! 

  “Charles, are you really a vampire?” Li Qi asked, scratching his face. “I’ve heard a lot of stories about vampires, but I’ve never heard any about a vampire whose eyes would shine just by hearing that he could buy chicken at half price!” 

  I said with a smile, “I have already shown you my vampire form, and you still doubt that?” 

  “Hm?” Li Qi stopped for a split second and then said, as if everything suddenly became clear to him, “You mean that growl that you did? It’s pretty unique, but that’s what a vampire looks like?” 

  Pretty unique… I am not quite sure how to respond to that. 

  “By the way, my wife told me to ask you for an autograph, or else…” 

  “She will divorce you?” 

  “Yes!” Li Qi pulled out a board from his stall and said, “For the sake of my happy marriage, please autograph this thing!” 

  Because Ah Shuu had already asked me for one, it was not my first time and I knew exactly what to do. After signing my name and giving the board back to Li Qi, he pointed at something behind me. 

  I turned my head and jumped at the sight of tens of housewives looking at me hopefully. They were all either holding pens and paper or were looking for pens and paper. I hurriedly said, “Excuse me, but I should go!” 

  If I continued signing then there would probably be no end to it. I really cannot sign… 

  Behind me, Li Qi yelled loudly, “Hey hey, why should he give an autograph if there aren’t any discounts?” 

  Then, a set of pen and paper was given to me and a vendor told me with a very earnest expression, saying, “Thirty percent off your fish.” 

  After a moment of silence, I took the pen and paper… 

  “Thirty percent off produce!” 

  “Twenty percent off hotpot ingredients!” 

  “Ten percent off coffins… Don’t glare at me! I’m not trying to curse him. He’s a vampire! Doesn’t he sleep in coffins?” 

  “Oh,” Everyone then said understandingly. 

  …. 

  “Help me slice this piece of brain into sixths and then drop the stuff in these six test tubes on each of them.” 

  “Understood. Do we need to record the results? How long should I wait between each recording?” 

  Mr. An Te Qi looked at me and suddenly sighed, saying, “Having an assistant is still nice. At least you can do these small tasks for me quite well… Wait, I had assistants before too. Why did they make me so angry? Say, if I asked Ah Ye to lend you to me for a few years, would he agree?” 

  “Of course not!” 

  I lifted my head to see the young master come in, speaking to Mr. An Te Qi in a cross tone, “Bàba, I finally found a good butler like Charles. I won’t let you take him away from me! Didn’t Kyle-gē find you a lot of assistants already?” 

  “Tsk! I already fired all those idiots!” Mr. An Te Qi said in a displeased tone, “Not one of them had persistence. They even said that I treated them like errand boys…” 

  The young master laughed and said, “But Bàba, you do treat them like errand boys!” 

  “True… All I did was make them cook, clean, and record experiments! Quitting just because of that, don’t they even know how to handle pressure?” 

  The young master explained to me, saying, “The assistants Kyle-gē hired were all professionals. Many of them had more than three degrees. They’re respected doctors and they’ve perhaps won some very famous awards!” 

  And then Mr. An Te Qi makes them cook and clean. I guess I understand. 

  So I suggested, “I can ask my family to send Mr. An Te Qi a butler. If he only needs help with things such as recording experiments, then many butlers can handle the job well since they have served many scholars before.” 

  “Charles!” Mr. An Te Qi called out to me in a very serious voice as soon as I finished stating my suggestion. 

  “Yes?” 

  “I want someone who can cook!” 

  “… Please do not worry. Every butler from the Elysees Family must learn how to cook before they can officially become a butler.” 

  “Great!” Mr. An Te Qi nodded his head and then turned around to ask, “Ah Ye, when will you have the knee joint ligament surgery? I’ve finished all preparations. We can start right away.” 

  The young master said hesitantly, “Sunset City is pretty quiet these days… Charles, did you notice anything at school?” 

  “No, nothing troubling has happened at school these days.” Aside from the troubling midterm, but that is not something that the young master can solve for me, so it will not affect the surgery… But if the young master’s surgery was postponed because of me, then perhaps even Father would glare at me furiously! 

  The young master nodded and said to Mr. An Te Qi, “Then let’s change it now!” 

  “You sure?” Mr. An Te Qi asked again, “This time it’ll be a big operation. It won’t just be a few days of pain like before. You probably won’t even be able to move your legs for a week after the surgery.” 

  Hearing this, the young master looked hesitant, but then shook his head immediately and said, “There won’t be a better time than now, even if we keep on waiting. I’m ‘seriously injured’ right now so I don’t have to go modeling. This is the best time for the surgery!” 

  Mr. An Te Qi nodded and said, “Then let’s do it tonight. I’ve got everything ready anyways. We just need DSII to prepare the instruments.” He turned around to me after finishing and said, “Charles, stop doing the biopsy and come look.” 

  Hearing this, I asked anxiously, “I, I will not be asked to operate, will I?” 

  “Of course not!” Mr. An Te Qi refuted at once, saying, “We’ll let you operate on anything, even DSII, just not Ah Ye.” 

  I was very relieved. Thankfully, Mr. An Te Qi still had boundaries. 

  “Don’t feel bad. I’m not saying you can’t,” Mr. An Te Qi suddenly said in an attempt to comfort me, but I did not feel bad at all. All I had felt was relief. Mr. An Te Qi then explained, “It’s easy to maintain and change DSII’s parts, but Dark Sun is different.” 

  “Are they different?” I had always thought that DSII and Dark Sun’s bodies were exactly the same. 

  “The composition is pretty much the same, but of course they’re still different!” Mr. An Te Qi scratched his head and continued, “Anyways, if Dark Sun is the official version, then DSII would be the lite version. No matter if you compare their sturdiness or fighting abilities, DSII isn’t a match for Dark Sun!” 

  The young master explained a bit more, saying, “If we’re up against normal criminals, then there wouldn’t be much of a difference between us. If we’re fighting an opponent like X, there would be a tie if I fought against him, but DSII would lose in five minutes.” 

  There is such a big difference? I was quite shocked. 

  “Oh, and, DSII broke a lot of bones when he fell from twenty floors up. He was concerned about the media noticing something abnormal so he purposely fell straight down, but if it were me, I wouldn’t have broken any bones.” 

  “I understand now.” 

  At the same moment, DSII pushed the door open and said, “Ah Ye, the operation room is ready!” 

  Hmm? When did… Oh, the young master can give DSII direct orders in his head. 

  We then entered the operating room. The doctor was of course Mr. An Te Qi and the only assistant was DSII. I was merely an observer. 

  DSII said in a robotic voice, “Now operating on the thigh muscles of both legs, knee caps, and anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments. The patient is Dark Sun, estimated operating time…” 

  The young master lay on the bed, covered in separation cloth, showing only his knees. 

  After DSII’s robotic voice ended, Mr. An Te Qi walked forward and… And I do not want to describe the details of the operation. 

  I can only say that, the rule about doctors not operating on their relatives is very well-founded. Just knowing that the person lying on the table was the young master made me unable to view the operation calmly. From the first cut of the knife, all I could think of was, Why did he cut open such a wide wound? Then I saw the young master’s skin being peeled off, his flesh and blood… No! I should stop thinking. 

  “Are you okay?” 

  The operation continued for eight full hours. Mr. An Te Qi only went to the bathroom once during this period. 

  After the operation, DSII pushed the young master back to his room. Mr. An Te Qi asked me whether I was all right or not as he took off his mask, cap, and gloves. 

  Though I really wanted to say “I am fine” out of politeness, I found myself unable to say so. So I admitted with a bitter smile, “I am not all right.” 

  “That’s normal!” An Te Qi comforted me as he patted my shoulder, “Practice makes perfect.” 

  Practice… I forced a smile and asked, “About when will the young master wake up?” If I could, I would really like to see the young master open his eyes, just to make sure that the operation was completely successful. 

  “About?” Mr. An Te Qi said as he pushed his glasses into place, “I can tell you the exact time. He has already woken up.” 

  My expression probably looked too shocked, causing him to explain with a smile, “Ah Ye’s body is more unique, so we must use a very large dose of anesthetic to sedate him. But using that much anesthetic can harm the body, so I rarely do that. Instead, I have him shut himself off and DSII powers him on after the operation.” 

  “…” 

  “Let’s go see how Ah Ye’s doing.” Mr. An Te Qi said as he took off his blood splattered robe and threw it into the garbage. 

  The young master was indeed awake inside the patient room. As soon as we walked in, the young master turned around to face us, looking as if nothing had happened. He looked nothing like someone who had just undergone an operation and had casts on both legs. 

  “Ah Ye, do you want some pain killers?” Mr. An Te Qi asked. “You’ve never needed them before, but it’s going to hurt a lot more this time.” 

  The young master simply shook his head. 

  I could not help but ask, “Young Master, does it hurt a lot?” 

  The young master shook his head with a smile, but still did not reply. 

  Seeing his reaction made me worry. Just as I was about to ask him about this again, the door suddenly banged open and Aren shouted, “Ah Ye, is the surgery over?” 

  “Hey, he really did just go through an operation and needs time to rest… Oh well,” Mr. An Te Qi gave up in the middle of his sentence. 

  Aren dashed to the bed and stared down at the young master’s legs, but they were under the blanket and nothing could be seen, so the young master pulled the blanket away for him to look. 

  Because of the plaster on the young master’s legs, Aren could not see how bad it was, so he asked, “Does it hurt?” 

  The young master shook his head. 

  But Aren growled, “You’re holding it in, aren’t you?” 

  The young master asked in confusion, “How…” 

  “Who the hell doesn’t feel pain after a surgery!” Aren said undeniably, “You’re lying!” 

  The young master rolled his eyes at Aren and said with an annoyed tone, “You asked me if it hurts, and then said that it’ll definitely hurt. Who does that?” 

  Aren shouted angrily, “Of course people do!” 

  “No one…” The young master suddenly stopped in the middle of his sentence. 

  “Why did you leave your sentence half finished…” But Aren also stopped in the middle of what he was saying and asked nervously, “Is something wrong?” 

  “Nothing.” Though that was what the young master had said, I realized that as soon as he answered, he held his lips shut in a tight line. 

  “I told you he needed rest,” Mr. An Te Qi said as if he were not a part of this. “He just underwent an operation, and isn’t on any pain killers, so he’s probably in a lot of pain right now.” 

  “A lot of pain?” Aren growled, “Didn’t you promise me that you’d tell us if it was painful? What are you holding it in for right now? I howled horribly after I drank that medicine the other day. What are you scared of?” 

  After hearing Aren’s words, the young master did not look that calm anymore. His face fell, his brows were knitted, and his lips were tightly held in a line, but he still did not wail. He only said softly, “It really hurts a lot more than before. My legs hurt as if…” He tilted his head but did not say what it felt like. 

  “Take some pain killers!” Mr. An Te Qi said with a frown, “You’ve always held it in, and I know you had no choice, but now you don’t have to. These people are all your friends and no one wants to see you endure the pain in silence.” 

  I hurriedly added to his words, “Young Master, please listen to Mr. An Te Qi’s advice and use pain killers.” 

  The young master frowned and said, “But pain killers have a lot of side effects and are addictive…” 

  Mr. An Te Qi shrugged and said, “You can use it today and tomorrow. You won’t get addicted in two days! If it’s that easy to get addicted to them, wouldn’t everyone who had surgery before be addicts?” 

  The young master hesitated for a bit and finally nodded his head. 

  “I’ll go get the pain killers,” Mr. An Te Qi mumbled as he walked out, saying, “His bàba’s words aren’t effective but the butler’s are. Tsk tsk! I told Ri Xiang Yan that having a butler take care of Ah Ye would bring more pros than cons!” 

  After he had disappeared behind the door, Mr. An Te Qi stuck his head back through the doorway and called out, “Charles.” 

  “Yes?” 

  “Someone just told me that a person named Yue Gang is here for you.” 

  Hearing that, I hurriedly turned around to ask, “Young Master, would you excuse me for a moment?” 

  The young master nodded. 

  Right after I exited the patient room, I did notice someone waiting for me, but Mr. An Te Qi waved me over to him. With a confused expression, I walked with him until we reached somewhere a bit farther from the patient room. He turned around and said, “Charles, after using the pain killers, Ah Ye’s consciousness might be a bit hazy these few days, so he might be…” 

  Saying so, Mr. An Te Qi continued to make a few gestures with his hands, yet I still did not understand what he meant. 

  “Anyways! No matter what happens to him these few days, it’s all because of the pain killers, so everything will be fine when the medicine’s effect fades. Don’t worry!” 

  “Yes, I understand,” I nodded but was still very concerned, so I asked, “This pain killer really is non-addictive, is it?” 

  “Don’t worry!” Mr. An Te Qi rolled his eyes at me and said, “It’s Ah Ye we’re talking about! Not to mention pain killers, even if I gave him strong drugs, he’d still be able to quit! There’s no need to worry! 

  “Hurry up and go find that something Gang. Ah Ye’s been talking about him. Make up with him and bring him to visit Ah Ye so that Ah Ye has something else to focus on. That’ll help ease the pain.” 

  I smiled bitterly but was unable to say “yes.” No matter what Yue Gang was here for, I was sure that he was not here to resolve our conflict, so I probably would not be able to do that. 

  I was led to a meeting room. When the door opened, there were only Melody and Father Yue. Yue Gang was nowhere to be found. 

  Melody had propped her legs up on the conference table. She was wearing short shorts and her white legs on the sand-colored conference table stood out quite a bit. She was doing her toenails. There was even a bottle of bright red nail polish next to her. Furthermore, the one sitting beside her was a priest with some years on him. The scene was peculiar no matter how one looked at it. 

  She glanced up at me and said, “I saw them outside so I brought them in,” and then went back to filing her toenails. 

  I heard that wherever she went these days, such as to adjust the young master’s original schedule, she was always followed closely by reporters. It annoyed her so much that she even said that she would bite a few of them for dinner, yet even that did not seem to deter them. 

  Father Yue laughed as he said, “Thank you very much Ms. Melody, or else we wouldn’t have been able to get in! There were just too many reporters and fans outside! They’re taking security very seriously. Yue Gang’s police ID didn’t work either.” 

  “Yue Gang really came?” I asked confusedly since he was not in the room. 

  “He did, but he just left. I couldn’t stop him no matter what,” Father Yue said helplessly, and then considerately asked, “Is little Ah Ye okay?” 

  I nodded and said, “The young master is fine.” 

  Father Yue nodded and replied, “As I thought,” and then lowered his voice to say, “I actually used visiting your brother as an excuse to drag Yue Gang here, but I think he realized that Ah Ye isn’t your brother… Though he still came along, he left angrily just now.” 

  “Angrily?” 

  “Well, I accidentally said, ‘You kept saying that you won’t come, but still tagged along anyways,’ and then he ran off angrily.” Father Yue said with his hand on his forehead, “Why is this kid so shy? Come to think of it, that’s really similar to his mom. He really is her kid.” 

  “I understand now.” 

  “Come, these are all for you!” Father Yue said, but took out a pendant of the holy cross. Even Melody was distracted from painting her nails and gazed at the pendant with a slight smile. 

  Father Yue gave me the cross sincerely and said, “Because I didn’t know what to bring.” 

  Why not a fruit basket? 

  I took the cross and realized that all of it, from the cross to the chain, was made from pure silver. While I did not know how to respond, Melody went from slightly smiling to laughing uncontrollably. She laughed so hard that she could not even continue to put on nail polish. 

  Amidst the laughter, Father Yue said sincerely, “When Ah Ye saw you wearing a cross, he laughed very happily, so I thought I’d bring a cross. Plus, it’s made from pure silver so Ah Ye might laugh even more happily?” 

  Hearing that and then recalling Mr. An Te Qi’s words that distracting the young master could decrease his pain… I silently put on the silver cross. 

  Father Yue gave me a thumbs up and then took out a petite bible that was the size of a palm. 

  Melody laughed with a “pfft” sound. 

  Something did not seem quite right as soon as I felt the weight of the bible in my hands. Lowering my gaze, I realized that the cover was not made of paper, but of some kind of metal… No, it is silver! 

  The entire silver frame was covered with fancy engravings and a cross lay in the middle. The entire book looked very classy and expensive. This made me think of something and I hurriedly picked up the cross from earlier. Though silver crosses do not have a very high market value, the necklace had some parts that were yellowed with age and blackened with tarnish, giving it an antique feeling. From an antique trader’s point of view, this might also be an expensive item. 

  I asked in astonishment, “Are this cross and bible really for me? Or are you just lending them to me? These two objects look quite expensive, much like antiques.” 

  “These are indeed antiques.” Father Yue smiled. “No matter if you believe me or not, these were once in the hands of a vampire. They were his collection. Giving these back to a vampire who’ll take good care of them should count as a type of compensation!” 

  I asked confusedly, “Why not return them to their owner?” 

  “Oh….” Father Yue smiled. “Because I blasted him to ash with a shotgun full of silver bullets?” 

  “To ash? Hm?” Melody said with a smile as luscious as a rose, “How brave of you!” 

  Father Yue replied with a kind and gentle smile, “No, not at all. I was a bit braver when I was young, so against those vampires who bite people without any hesitation, I’d also shoot without any hesitation!” 

  “Oh, cute little foolish boy, when your unhesitant Melody-jiějie started biting people, your grandfather was still in his mother’s womb!” Melody laughed charmingly, “If you want to fire a shotgun at me, you probably won’t succeed! So just stay put and let your Melody-jiějie bite you!” 

  “Oh?” Father Yue replied slowly, “Since you’re older than my grandfather’s generation, then I should probably refer to you as great-grandaunt Melody?” 

  “… You!” 

  The atmosphere just then did not seem quite right. I quickly slide-stepped between them since it would be bad if they did get into an argument… 

  Bang! 

  “Charles-gē!” 

  A panicked roar sounded after the door crashed open. I hurriedly turned around and saw a very anxious Aren yelling, “Ah Ye looks really weird! He, he’s been screaming that it hurts and he wants you there!” 

  Young Master?

  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Heaven or Hell, Seventh Level: Cross, Upright and Inverted

  Translator: Michimochi (proofread by Trespasserby & elisa; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  “Who’s done dealing with the robbers on their end? The robbers I’m chasing have divided into two groups: one group seized An Xiang Ye hostage, and the other kidnapped a small boy. I’ll go save the kid first. Whoever is free, go and rescue An Xiang Ye. I’ve already uploaded the robbers’ approximate escape route to your cell phones.” 

  What? Wait a sec! I’ll go save the boy. You go rescue An Xiang Ye! You have to rescue him without fail. If anything happens to An Xiang Ye, it’ll definitely cause an uproar… 

  Click! 

  … He actually hung up on me! 

  First Wind promptly said, “Solitary Butterfly, calm down a bit. Dark Sun was communicating with all the heroes. He just stopped talking! He didn’t hang up on you!” 

  He did hang up on me because I was the only one who responded! 

  “Jeez, you are usually a cool-headed person. Why have you been so easily agitated recently, especially when it comes to Dark Sun… Ah, is it your period?” 

  Most certainly not! 

  “Oh, right. I remember now. Your period is at the end of the month, so at the end of every month you always ask me to help you watch over the northern district.” 

  Good, you remembered! My anger and period are not related whatsoever! 

  “Can you two remember that I’m still on the line?” Dragon Peace helplessly said, “Or is it that in the future, at the end of every month, you also need my help to watch over the northern district?” 

  Cra-Crap! I totally forgot that Dragon Peace is still here…. 

  “Ohh! Your help would be so awesome! From now on, at the end of every month, I won’t ever be overworked…” 

  FIRST WIND! Shut up already! 

  Melody and I hastily followed Aren to the hospital room. On the way, I could not help asking first, “What happened exactly?” 

  “I don’t know.” Aren shook his head and said, “Not long after administering the painkillers, Ah Ye kept howling in pain and then wanted you to come.” 

  Hearing this, I simply used x-speed a few times. As I darted in front of the hospital room, painful cries could be heard even without opening the door. 

  It hurts, ow… Charles! Charles, where are you?! 

  I immediately swung open the door and cried, “Young Master, I am here!” 

  The young master whipped his head to look over. I almost jumped out of my skin because his face was a mess from crying! It was not as if the young master had never cried before, but he had never cried with so little restraint! 

  “Charles! Charles! It hurts!” The young master wailed, “My feet hurt! It really hurts…” 

  I immediately slid by the bed. The young master grabbed my arm. He squeezed it so hard that it hurt. This was also an unprecedented situation because even if the young master was seriously injured and needed someone to support him, he would support the majority of his own weight, unless he really was completely unable to do so. 

  Today, the young master actually used this much force in grabbing me. Does this mean it really hurts so much that he cannot stand it? 

  I turned my head to look at the others. The young master was not the only one in the room. There was also Mr. An Te Qi, Bramble, May, and Dell—even Melody and Aren had come. It was just that only now did I have time to notice them. Besides Mr. An Te Qi’s usual composed expression, the others were either dumbfounded or had a full on flustered expression. 

  But since Mr. An Te Qi has that kind of composed expression, the young master’s surgery should have been successful, yes? 

  I hesitated for a bit. The sound of the young master’s weeping intermittently drifted over. Although he no longer bawled loudly, the tears and whimpers had not stopped. He sniffled just like a child. 

  I picked up the cross on my chest and said, “Young Master, Father Yue came by earlier to ask about your well-being. He even gave me a very unique gift. Look!” 

  The young master looked up at me. He had cried so much that his eyes were red. Crying like this, his eyes will definitely be puffy tomorrow. If there is time later, I must help the young master ice his eyes for a bit. 

  I smiled and asked, “Young Master, look. Does this cross necklace suit me?” 

  With tears still in his eyes, the young master chuckled, nodded his head, and said, “It suits you!” 

  “It is even made of pure silver!” I stated while smiling. Once I finished, the young master chuckled again. 

  I continued, “Father Yue even told me that this cross was from a vampire. Next time, shall we ask him about the cross’s story?” 

  After hearing this, the young master’s eyes sparkled. He nodded and said, “O.K.!” 

  “There is also this.” I pulled out the small bible that had the cover with the engraved cross and turned it toward the young master. At this moment, I really could not thank Father Yue enough and said, “This bible was also given to me by Father Yue. Would you like me to read its stories for you?” 

  The young master nodded and said, “O.K.” When he finished speaking, his face suddenly twisted a bit, as if from a flash of pain. 

  I hastily said, “Young Master, which piece would you like to listen… Huh?” 

  Once I opened the bible, I discovered that the text was upside-down. But just now the cover was indeed… I flipped the book over to look. When the text was right-side-up, the cross actually became upside-down. 

  What is with this bible? No, is this even a bible? 

  The young master urged, “Charles, hurry and read me a story.” 

  “Al-All right.” I opened to the first page of the bible. Only then did I realize that the text within was not printed at all but handwritten. The script was written quite elegantly. However, it seemed to use very archaic language. Even the text was in calligraphy. Nowadays, I am afraid there is simply no one who would write in such a hand. Fortunately, I have read quite a few archaic works and I could still recognize the words. 

  I started reading out loud. “As the result of many years of research, the existence of another civilization before ours can be confirmed. Henceforth, I shall call it the Ancient Civilization. Modern-day human beings, at most, can be considered the survivors. As to why the ancient civilization perished, there is currently insufficient evidence to draw any conclusions. Therefore, it will be omitted from this discussion.” 

  This content seems to be completely unrelated to the Bible? 

  “Evidence shows the Ancient Civilization was more advanced than the current one… ‘Advanced,’ I am afraid, is not exactly correct as the direction of their development was not the same. Compared to our mechanical civilization, they seemed to be experts on the modification of biological forms. I do not completely understand what their so-called ‘modifications’ entailed and only have a rough understanding. They seemed to extract their own flesh to conduct all sorts of experiments, which created multitudes of human-like but also non-human-like organisms. These organisms each had their own characteristics. Among them, many of these beings can now be found in the midst of local legends, such as vampires…” 

  “Vampires?” The young master revealed a curious expression and said, “Hurry, continue reading!” 

  “Yes.” I continued, “Amongst them, there was a race called the night race. They are among the many races created by the Ancient Civilization. Many of their features are very close to what is described in local legends on vampires. Their race is labeled as the failed product that came closest to perfection. The night race is clearly mighty. They possess immortal life, but it is accompanied with almost no reproductive capabilities as well as an inability to be exposed to sunlight, or they risk being reduced to a pile of ash…” 

  Is reading this kind of story really all right? 

  As I read out loud, I grew more and more uneasy. I felt like I was onto some enormous secret. If what was written was indeed true, then this really was a colossal secret. 

  I looked up at the others, but they looked back at me with touched expressions. This made me feel confused. Is this kind of story emotionally touching? Shouldn’t astonished and dismissive expressions be more suitable? 

  At this moment, Melody walked to the hospital bed. I followed her with my eyes and realized that the young master had fallen asleep. She pulled up the bed sheet to tuck the young master in. 

  Upon seeing this, I closed the book in my hands, stood up, and then said to Mr. An Te Qi, “Please come with me for a bit.” 

  The two of us left the room together. I thought for a bit, then walked to a corner farther away from the hospital room. 

  “Why did he only cry in pain after using the painkillers?” 

  I turned around and seized Mr. An Te Qi by the collar. I am not going to give him a chance to sweep this under the carpet! I growled, “The young master looked very much in pain. Did the surgery go wrong? Or was it that the painkillers are completely useless?” 

  Mr. An Te Qi pushed up his spectacles, abnormally calm, and said, “Don’t worry. The analgesics work, of course. It just can’t be helped that the analgesics can’t completely erase the pain. That earlier situation was due to giving a massive amount of analgesic shots, resulting in Ah Ye’s current muddled state of mind. He is unable to use his willpower to force himself not to cry out from the pain. Therefore, he will only keep crying out.” 

  I was stunned, then I continued my interrogation, “Why did you use a massive amount of painkillers?” 

  “Because a small amount is the same as none!” An Te Qi said in a helpless tone, “Ah Ye’s physique is different from the average person’s. The dose that an average person uses simply doesn’t work on him. He must use a massive amount of analgesics in order to have any effect. As a result, he was previously very reluctant to use them.” 

  An Te Qi sighed and said, “In fact, letting him holler in pain is better than letting him desperately endure it. It’s much better than chatting with you with a smile, right? There’s a big difference in the level of pain when he doesn’t use painkillers. Now, you understand how much Ah Ye usually endures, right?” 

  So it was like that. I nodded in comprehension. With this nod, I realized I was gripping Mr. An Te Qi’s collar! I hastily let go and apologized, “I am truly very sorry!” 

  “It’s all right.” An Te Qi shrugged and said, “Anyway, I’m already used to it. Somehow, the people who care about Ah Ye have always been particularly violent. You’re already the least violent among them. It’s just grabbing my collar. If it were Ri Xiang Yan listening to Ah Ye’s heart-rending cries of pain, he would probably shoot my thigh without any hesitation. Anyway…” 

  Pushing up the spectacles at bridge of his nose, he said, “‘Without legs, you can still help perform surgeries on Ah Ye,’ is how Ri Xiang Yan always threatens me.” 

  “… I am really terribly sorry!” 

  “Sorry for what? You’re not the one firing the shot!” Mr. An Te Qi sighed, “His trigger-happy brother is definitely the biggest reason Ah Ye ended up so good at bearing with it… By the way, you did very well at diverting Ah Ye’s attention. For the next two days, don’t go to class. Keep Ah Ye company!” 

  “Yes.” I nodded immediately because this was what I had planned to do in the first place. With the young master in this kind of situation, how could I leave for class? Even if I did go to class, I am afraid that my mind would be elsewhere. 

  At this moment, the door of the hospital room opened. The one who walked out was Melody. Without waiting for her to walk over, I could not help but ask, “Did something happen to the young master?” 

  “Nothing happened. He’s sleeping soundly!” Melody replied as she walked up in front of us. Then, she glanced at the cross on my chest and said, “You’re probably the world’s first vampire who’d wear a cross of pure silver.” 

  “I think so,” I agreed on this point. 

  “But, well done! Keep wearing it!” Melody picked up the cross, fiddled with it, then somewhat casually said, “If any non-humans dare to laugh at you for wearing the cross, I’ll have him skewered on the Church’s cross! Hmph!” 

  I smiled and said, “All right.” 

  “The science fiction you were reading was awful. Next time, can you switch to a different book, please? The young master should like fairy tales better, right?” 

  Science fiction? True. To be honest, that is also a possibility! 

  In the beginning, I had seen the engraved cross on the book cover, and given the fact that it was Father Yue who had personally handed the book to me, I jumped to the conclusion that it was a bible. However, this could actually just be a handwritten novel. 

  After Melody enlightened me, I smiled and nodded. “Next time, I will read a story about heroes for the young master.” 

  “That’s a good idea, too.” 

  The next morning, after the young master regained consciousness, he was no longer willing to use any painkillers, and he even burrowed completely under the sheets. Afterwards, he said with a muffled voice, “You can all leave! Go, go do your own things. Aren, go to Luo Chu-gē’s studio! Didn’t you say that you’re embarrassed to be getting a salary? Get out, just get out!” 

  Actually, no one had much to do. The young master was not modeling or being a hero, so Mr. Bramble and the others did not have to watch the monitors, although monitoring could still help the police and the other heroes. However, they were the young master’s employees in the end. Helping the police and the other heroes was just done in passing and was not their main job. 

  Melody was pretty much in the same position. Currently, she simply could not do her work as a manager. After all, to the outside world, the young master needed to recuperate from serious injuries. If his manager continued to arrange work, it was likely that the outside world would comment that the manager was cold-blooded and ruthless. 

  “Yes, Young Master!” Mr. Bramble and the other two all had dark faces, but they had to comply with the order. They could only turn around to leave. 

  “Bramble-shū.” 

  Mr. Bramble had walked to the door when he suddenly heard the young master calling. “Yes, Young Master. What’s the matter?” 

  “Don’t call Briar over. Even if she wants to come, definitely do not let her come over!” 

  Hearing this, Mr. Bramble’s expression became even gloomier, but he still replied, “Understood!” 

  He pushed open the door and left. Dell and May followed and left even though their faces showed some reluctance. Dell simply left walking backwards, and even May frequently glanced back. 

  Other than the young master, Aren, Melody, and I were left in the room. 

  Aren doubtfully countered, “Luo Chu-gē gave me a break, so I’m currently on vacation. I just want to stay here…” 

  Ring ring… 

  Aren picked up his phone. The more he listened, the more helpless his expression became. At last, with no other alternative, he said, “There are a lot of robbery cases in the southern district. I have to leave.” 

  In the end, Aren turned his head and looked at me. I nodded at him. With this, he no longer looked as worried. He then left immediately. 

  “Melody, Charles, I’m fine by myself.” The young master still had not poked his head out from the sheets, but he knew that we had not left. 

  “Okay, okay. It just so happens that the department store has been celebrating its anniversary recently. I want to buy many, many clothes!” Melody took a flyer out of her purse and said, “Young Master, how about I buy you something too while I’m there? Look! These things are excellent!” 

  Hearing this, the young master could not help but poke half of his face out. Melody immediately held the flyer before his eyes and asked, “Young Master, which one do you like?” 

  It was a flyer with different models on it. There were human models. There were also mechanical ones, such as motorcycles and sports cars and the like. 

  “Awesome!” The young master exclaimed, exposing his whole face. He took the flyer and looked at it, captivated. 

  “Great, right?” Melody chuckled. “I just knew you would like it! Look at this model of a motorcycle. Cool, right? How about modifying DSII this way?” 

  The young master smiled and said, “This model is so exaggerated. Modifying this way would be too eye-catching. I probably can’t take that out, but letting Dark Sun ride it would be pretty nice.” 

  Indeed, the motorcycle on the flyer was slightly fantastical. It was even more exaggerated than the motorcycle at home that Dark Sun used. If one really did ride that out, people would probably think that a science fiction movie was being filmed. 

  “Young Master, check these out first. I’ll go and bring even more flyers back for you to look at later today. You can make your decision then! Right now, there’s an anniversary promotion: spend five thousand yuan, get a five hundred yuan gift certificate. It’s a really good deal!” 

  As she was talking, she took out a huge stack of flyers from her purse. They were all flyers on models, which amazed me. I believed that Melody was definitely not interested in collecting flyers of models. She had likely gathered these last minute in the middle of the night. It really must not have been easy gathering this many flyers. 

  “O.K.” The young master took the stack of flyers and eagerly flipped through them. 

  At this moment, Melody turned to look at me. Although she did not say anything, I still completely understood the look in her eyes… A warning. Once she left, just the young master and I would be left in the room. If I dared to leave, I would probably be pierced by painted nails the moment I walked out the door. 

  Melody left the hospital room. At that moment, the young master raised his head to look at me. With a stiff expression, he said, “Charles, you…” 

  Without waiting for the young master to finish, I immediately smiled. “Young Master, I am your butler. Is it not my business to serve you?” 

  The young master hesitated for a moment and said, “But…” 

  “Young Master.” I lowered my eyes and pleaded, “Please do not make me leave when you really are in need of care. I will feel that I am of no use at all. You would simply not need to spend that much money to hire me, so I am resig…” 

  The young master’s eyes widened. In a low voice, he declared, “Of course you’re useful. If you want to stay, then just stay! I don’t want to hear that word!” 

  “So, I am ‘resigned’ to feeling a little heartbroken. My sentence did not just consist of that word.” I smiled as I said, “Thank you, Young Master. Then, I shall stay behind and be useful as a butler.” 

  The young master was stunned for a while. He said, distressed, “Charles, you seem to be more and more…” 

  More and more what? 

  Aggrieved, he said, “I don’t know how to describe it.” 

  “Is it a bad thing?” I was a little worried. 

  “No.” The young master tilted his head and said, “It’s just a feeling like there’s no way to refuse you!” 

  “The employer does not need to refuse the butler. If the young master wants me to leave, then I will still leave. It is just…” 

  “Ah! It’s this feeling!” The young master gestured at me and said, “It’s this ‘inability to simply command you to follow orders’ type of feeling. I felt this way before, but it’s happening more and more!” 

  I smiled and said, “That is because the young master is starting to think of me as family. The young master has just awoken and should be thirsty, correct? I will pour you a cup of milk.” 

  As I walked over to the mini fridge to get the milk, the young master’s whispered inquiry came from behind me. “Did I scare you guys, crying like that yesterday?” 

  I turned. The young master immediately buried himself under the sheets. 

  I held the milk and the cup while walking back toward the hospital bed. Pouring the milk, I slowly said, “To be honest, being able to see your fragile side is our pleasure. It signifies that, in the eyes of the young master, we are worthy of your trust. Therefore, you are willing to show this side of you.” 

  The young master slowly poked his head out and whispered, “But I feel ashamed…” 

  “Do you think that when Aren drank the medicine a few days ago, and it was so painful that he cried out, it was also a shameful thing?” 

  “Of course not!” The young master immediately refuted, “He was really in pain. It wasn’t random shouting.” 

  I smiled and asked, “Then, why do you hold yourself to a different standard?” 

  The young master stilled, as if he did not know how to answer. 

  “Here, your milk.” I handed over the milk. After watching the young master drink a few gulps, I asked, “Do your feet still hurt?” 

  “It hurts,” the young master nodded as he replied. 

  As expected, it was still painful, but the young master was unwilling to use painkillers again. 

  “What would you like to do? Doing something can help divert your attention and make it less painful.” 

  The young master thought for a moment and said, “Read that bible from yesterday to me.” 

  I was taken aback and said, “Young Master, that book does not seem to be a bible.” 

  The young master made an “oh” sound. “Its content and the Bible’s don’t seem to be related, but it mentions things about vampires. I want to hear it.” 

  “Understood.” I took the petite book out from my pocket. While looking at the cross on its cover, I opened my mouth to ask, “Young Master, there is an inverted cross on its cover. Could this be a book from an anti-church organization?” 

  The young master shook his head and said, “That’s a misunderstanding. The inverted cross is actually called the cross of St. Peter, symbolizing St. Peter’s upside-down crucifixion. That’s why the inverted cross is also a traditional symbol of the church. Probably because the cross happens to be reversed that it is often misunderstood as an anti-church symbol, but it is actually not like that. Therefore, if it were a real anti-church organization, they wouldn’t be using the inverted cross.” 

  “So it is like that.” 

  “First read it to me.” 

  “Yes, Young Master.” I opened the book, then said, “But this next page has a picture pasted on it. Do you want to skip over that or take a look?” 

  “Let me see… Huh?” The young master took the book and after taking a look, said vacantly, “This seems to be a diagram of the structure of DNA, but this book looks like it’s very old. How can there be a diagram of DNA?” 

  “It was probably added later? Young Master?” 

  The young master’s face suddenly became a bit pale. He was silent for a few seconds, then said, “Just skip all of this, then! Read the book to me.” 

  “Yes!” He seemed to be in pain again. I hastily took the book and read. 

  “These pictures are what I have collected over many years. On many of these pictures, text from the ancient civilization indicate that these are pictures of the night race. However, these pictures do not at all depict humanoids but rather incomprehensible spiral chains. If the so-called night race looked like this, then there is truly a huge gap between them and vampires from local legends. They actually do not even look like living beings, a puzzle that has never been solved…” 

  I blinked… Why do my eyelids feel so heavy? So sleepy. Is it because recently I was busy with classes and studying, and slept too little as a result? 

  “In addition, there are pictures of similar shapes marked with different names. Is it possible that the creatures created by the ancient civilization all looked like this…” 

  Reading up to here, I raised my head and looked. The young master was already asleep. The post-surgery was probably too exhausting. This was actually good. Once asleep, he should not be in pain anymore. 

  I should also stop here to avoid having the sound of my reading awaken the young master. 

  Ugh! Really, I feel so tired. But I should go and study, or else I am afraid I will not be able to pass the midterm… 

  I do not know if Lieder could help put in a word for me? But even so… Taking the test myself would still be better… 

  … 

  “Charles, Charles?” 

  Hmm… 

  I opened my eyes. It felt like my whole body was exhausted. What is going on? I was probably a bit exhausted as of late, but with a vampire’s stamina, it should still be within the range of endurance. I should not be exhausted to this degree. Hurry, get up. The young master is calling me… 

  I raised my head toward the bed, but the young master was sleeping peacefully. There was a complete absence of signs that indicated he had woken. 

  “Hi, Charles!” 

  I stilled and hastily sat up. Upon seeing someone I should not be seeing, I could not help blurting, “Lieder?” Is this a dream? Lieder cannot possibly be here. 

  Lieder laughed a little and used his pinky to push up his glasses. This action was so familiar. He really was Lieder. 

  “What are you doing here?” I crawled up from the bed… Wait, why can I not stand up? 

  No matter how many times I tried, I really could not stand up. Even raising my hands had become difficult. I promptly reached out to shake the young master. He did not even respond. It cannot be… No, no, calm down. The young master is indeed still breathing. The bed sheet above his chest is slightly moving up and down. 

  “Stop being so lively. You just breathed in a massive amount of anesthetics. You won’t be able to move for now.” Lieder said in high spirits, “But really, I didn’t expect that you would actually wake up before An Xiang Ye. Now this is very interesting. Is it because you’re a vampire?” 

  I did not understand what was going on, but I was not stupid enough to think that Lieder did not have any ill intentions. What happened to the bodyguards outside? 

  “You don’t need to look outside. The bodyguards have all been withdrawn. Don’t even think about calling for help because your cellphone…” Lieder held something up and waved it, then said, “Is here with me!” 

  How is that possible? The ones outside are all the Sun Emperor’s people. How is it possible for them to be withdrawn? But, if the people outside did not withdraw, how could Lieder even come in? 

  Lieder smiled faintly. “I guess, even if he is the little brother, being disobedient still isn’t O.K.!” 

  I was astonished, “You knew…” 

  He simply answered, “Yeah, I know that this cute An Xiang Ye is Ri Xiang Yan’s little brother. Or should I call him ‘Ri Xiang Ye?’ Or maybe I should call him… Dark Sun?” 

  I would never have guessed that Lieder actually knew so much. Which faction is he from? Could he be from the Church? I kept as calm as possible and asked, “What do you actually want?” 

  “I just said a few things, and you weren’t listening? If the little brother isn’t—” 

  “Impossible!” I immediately interrupted him, “Please, do not say that kind of thing again! I do not know how you found out about the young master’s identity, but you absolutely do not understand how deep the relationship between the young master and the master is! This sudden hostility and demanding the other’s life would never happen between the two of them!” 

  With some curiosity in his voice, Lieder asked, “You are sure? Is rivalry between brothers in an aristocratic family really that uncommon?” 

  I calmly answered, “The young master does not even have his own identity. His last name is also not ‘Ri.’ This world simply does not know that he is the Sun Emperor’s little brother. What is there to compete over?” 

  “Couldn’t DNA testing verify that they are brothers?” Lieder snickered, “Isn’t your line of thinking too simple?” 

  “The one who is thinking too simply is you.” I shook my head and said, “The master is the Sun Emperor. If he wants to deny a matter, would DNA testing laboratories actually dare to prove it? It does not matter if you take it to any laboratory to test. Even if one or two were willing to test, it could easily be written off as the young master buying out those laboratories. As long as the master does not want to recognize the young master, the young master would never be able to truly prove that he and the master are related by blood.” 

  Actually, with the young master’s “maintenance fees,” the master only needed to cut the young master’s source of money, and the young master would find it difficult to support himself. Even if he currently is a famous model and singer, it was likely he would still be unable to afford those enormous maintenance fees, unless he were willing to discontinue being hero and not allow himself to become injured. 

  “What if it’s about an inheritance?” Lieder snickered. 

  … Inheritance? 

  “If Ri Xiang Yan were to die, wouldn’t the probability of your family’s young master relying on DNA in order to seize the inheritance greatly increase?” Lieder raised his index finger and speculated, “Suppose Ri Xiang Yan recently encountered too many assassins, wouldn’t he suspect your young master?” 

  If it were like this, no, it probably still would not happen. The master, he… 

  Lieder spoke softly, “You’re shaken, right?” 

  “What in the world do you want?” Not batting an eye, I changed the topic. At the same time, I was very puzzled and asked, “Even if it were the Sun Emperor who dispatched you to come and kill the young master, then when we lost consciousness, you could have already made your move.” 

  “That’s if I didn’t have another motive.” 

  “Another motive?” 

  Lieder snickered, “Even though my side job is assassination, the side job will never be more important than the main one. Don’t you agree?” 

  Main job? But Lieder was only a professor. This was even more unrelated to the Sun Emperor. 

  Lieder walked to the window. He pulled open the curtains that reached the floor. Looking out toward the night scene, he said, “I am a professor of anthropology. After researching this many years, I have finally come to a conclusion, and I want to give everyone in the world a lecture on anthropology!” 

  “A conclusion?” I was dumbfounded for a moment but immediately recalled it. “It was what you said last time: ‘Between man and man, there is no difference at all.’” 

  “You remembered it so well. You really are a rare, diligent student. What a shame… Anyway, you’re right!” 

  He turned around and slowly said, “Even if he is called the Sun Emperor, a majestic being, he is actually not that different from the average person. His heart can be broken, he can be frustrated, he can be hurt… He can also die! Therefore, no one can be this world’s ‘emperor’!” 

  My eyes widened. Could it be that Lieder plans to kill the Sun Emperor? 

  “Ri Xiang Yan had me come and kill you two. Then, I’ll take advantage of when I go back and report the success of my mission to kill him. It really is full of dramatic irony, right? I really like this plan!” 

  I looked at him, then shook my head. “You are incapable of killing the Sun Emperor.” 

  With his thumb pointing behind him, he smiled and said, “With his help, it will be a lot easier.” 

  A person walked in through the doorway. His face held a nasty smile… An expression a bit like when a child’s prank goes successfully. I gasped, “You are that criminal from before!” 

  He heard me and snapped, “What criminal?! My name is Josh. You people really are the worst. I didn’t even do anything, and you want to kill me at every turn. Only Butterfly is a good person!” 

  “Did you not die…” After saying as much, I suddenly remembered. At that time, was it not Lieder who “killed” Josh? In fact, at that time, I only saw Josh lying on the ground. There were traces of blood under his body and on Lieder’s fountain pen. Therefore, I had determined that he had died. 

  If Lieder and Josh were accomplices, then it would have been very easy to fake it. 

  Lieder barked, “I spent so much time rescuing you from P29. In the end, not only did you not meet me directly at the meeting point, you also caused trouble everywhere in the city. You even almost got killed by Ri Xiang Ye, which would have trashed all my hard work!” 

  “Sorry…” Josh seemed to be very fearful of Lieder. 

  Looking at those two, I suddenly understood and blurted out, “You used Josh to make the guards leave. The master did not order you to come and kill the young master!” 

  “You really aren’t easy to fool.” Lieder chuckled. “Although I just spoke without thinking much, wanting to see your reactions. If even you can’t be deceived, I’m afraid that An Xiang Ye also wouldn’t believe it.” 

  The young master would never believe it! 

  “In actuality, I’m not supposed to be here. I have a ton of things that I’m busy with! You also know that the stuff that I do isn’t easy. I have a mountain of things to plan! But I really am fond of you. At the very least, I should personally send you off. It’s only polite.” 

  “You want to kill the young master and me?” 

  “No, no!” Lieder waved his hands and said, “It’s just that for short time, I won’t be able to see you and this cute young master. That said, his sleeping face is really very cute. Using ‘cute’ to describe a man in his twenties is very strange, but if it is used on your young master, it’s actually very fitting.” 

  “You’re saying that he really is Dark Sun?” Josh walked a few steps closer and lowered his head to look, making me feel very uneasy. “But Dark Sun is very handsome. An Xiang Ye looks like a kid! I also like him. His posters are all very pretty. His songs are very nice, too! Before, for the Cities Representative Election, I contemplated for so long and finally decided to vote for him rather than Dark Sun. But they’re actually the same person…” 

  “Aren’t you more of a kid?” Lieder said grumpily. 

  Why is the young master still asleep at this moment? 

  Right then, the door was pushed open once again. A person walked over and said indifferently, “It is time to leave.” 

  “Professor Ni Cai?” I was shocked. 

  Although I already knew of the friendship between Lieder and Professor Ni Cai, I never thought that he was actually one of the accomplices… This is very bad. The master’s official reason for coming to Sunset City was to see Professor Ni Cai, was it not? 

  “Why are you so surprised?” Lieder chuckled and said, “You didn’t think I’d do this kind of thing alone, right?” 

  Lieder glanced toward the young master, then turned his head to Ni Cai and said, “Should we not give him another dose?” 

  “No. Even if he were awake, there is no way that he could move around freely after using a large amount of anesthetics over two consecutive days, in addition to his recent knee modification.” Ni Cai shook his head and said, “Also, I don’t fully understand his physical condition. He’s already had the largest possible amount of anesthetics applied for the past two days. If you give him any more, he will perhaps die. Don’t you have other uses for him? You don’t want him dead, right?” 

  How dare you treat the young master this way! 

  “Then, let’s just move them,” Lieder said as he nodded. 

  I could not help but ask, “What on earth are you trying to do to the young master?” 

  Lieder first raised his index finger. “First, he will be used as a hostage to threaten the Sun Emperor.” Then, he raised his middle finger and said, “Once I’m done with my business, I will gift him to Ni Cai as a guinea pig. His pay isn’t cheap. Fortunately, you guys were available as a reward, so he was willing to help! 

  “In order to commemorate our meeting, I’ll just take something from you!” Lieder walked forward. With one look, he saw the book on the bed. After an odd “huh” sound, he said, “A bible… No, this is the cross of St. Peter. A vampire holding a bible with the cross of St. Peter. Huh, even wearing a cross necklace. You really are as interesting as I thought. I’ll just take these two from you!” 

  He took the book, and following that, reached out to take the cross from my chest. Using this chance, my right hand reached out toward his throat to stab it. If I succeed, the sharp nails will penetrate his throat… 

  A fountain pen penetrated my palm, but I did not feel any bit of pain, only regret that the attack had failed, although I had been vaguely aware that it was impossible to succeed. Just extending my nails to carry out this attack had exhausted all my strength. The attack was not even very strong… 

  “Ha!” Lieder withdrew the pen from my palm. He was not angered but actually laughed. “I’ll miss you. I will definitely miss how hard you studied along with…” 

  Ni Cai came forward and stabbed my neck with a syringe. Then, he coldly said to Lieder, “If you want to kidnap him, then just kidnap him. If you want to kill him, then just kill him. Don’t so something as dirty as robbing him.” 

  “…Your view on the morality of different crimes is very interesting. O.K., O.K.! I won’t take his cross, all right?” Lieder answered a bit helplessly. 

  My conscious gradually became hazy. In the end, I was only able to hear one thing. 

  “Anyway, farewell, Charles.”


  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Heaven or Hell, Eighth Level: Sewers, A Stifled Voice

  Translator: Trespasserby (proofread by elisa; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  “Solitary Butterfly, Dark Sun has been in a bad mood recently. Don’t start any fights with him.” 

  … You’re making it sound like I spend all day trying to pick fights with him. What’s he unhappy about this time? 

  “Aiya, you have a menstrual cycle, he also has a modification… going haywire cycle! Please don’t fight with him. Arguing with Dark Sun currently is completely pointless!” 

  I get it… How is there another robbery? What’s been going on lately? There’s been a ton of robberies! Dealing with robbers armed to the teeth is such a pain. Good thing this case is by both our boundaries. Do you want to go or should I?” 

  “What about Dragon Peace?” 

  He just went to deal with a robbery in the southern district! Don’t pick on him just because you know him!” 

  “Rock, paper…” 

  “Scissors.” 

  Scissors. 

  “Hmph… I’ll head over now.” 

  “Charles! Charles!” 

  This time, as soon as I heard that call, it did not matter how heavy my eyelids were. I immediately opened my eyes. I could not have known that as soon as I opened them I would be greeted by a scene I would never be able to forget. 

  The young master had been tied to a cross. His entire body had been wrapped in chains so that only his head was exposed. 

  I felt a burst of light-headedness. I could only weakly cry, “Y-Young Master, you…” 

  The young master lowered his head to look at me. He asked in confusion, “Charles, what happened?” 

  “It was Lieder!” 

  I struggled to stand up. I had just managed to prop myself on all fours, my knees on the floor, when the young master suddenly called out in a low voice, “Don’t move.” After I froze in shock, he asked doubtfully, “You don’t feel any pain?” 

  Pain? I lowered my head to look. Both of my palms had a chain going through the center and were badly mutilated. The chains were affixed to the floor. If I had not stopped trying to stand up, my palms might have already fallen to the ground in pieces. 

  “They’re on your feet too,” the young master warned. 

  I turned to look. My feet were also bound and similarly fixed to the ground. Only, unlike my palms, the chains had not gone through my flesh. 

  The chains looked like they were made of silver, or at the very least, silver-plated. I raised my head to reply to the young master, “It does not hurt at all. Perhaps it is because I have been injected with painkillers.” 

  “Oh.” The young master lowered his head to say, “It doesn’t hurt for me either. It’s probably also because of painkillers. How much did they even give me? I feel as light as a feather and very comfortable!” 

  No wonder the young master was not in a panic. Even his expression seemed a bit dazed. 

  “This is very bad.” The young master seemed to be trying hard to stay concentrated, but his eyes were hazy and were completely unable to focus. He asked, “The Lieder you were talking about is the university professor?” 

  “Yes!” I hastily relayed everything about Lieder’s plan from earlier to assassinate the Sun Emperor to the young master. However, I did not know how much the young master was able to take in. He seemed completely disoriented. 

  “Cell phone…” The young master had some difficulty concentrating enough to say, “Charles. Your phone is behind you on your right.” 

  I hurriedly turned. As expected, I saw the cell phone. But as soon as I picked it up, I said, discouraged, “Young Master, the cell phone’s battery has been removed.” 

  “Oh. Has it…?” 

  Seeing the color of the young master’s face, I asked with extreme worry, “Young Master, are you alright?” 

  “I feel fine. But my body doesn’t seem to be O.K. It’s a little hard to breathe. Also not feeling any discomfort is making it worse. I often forget to breathe… Charles, you should also take a look at yourself. You also don’t look quite right!” 

  I paused for a moment. Only then did I realize that I really was too calm. Under these circumstances, I should not be this level-headed. 

  I surveyed our surroundings. It was a fairly large space, but the surroundings were exceptionally dark. There were only a few dim light bulbs. I could faintly make out that the walls and floor were old, damp, and covered with moss. It smelled rank. 

  The sole exit was a steel door with bars. For most people, this place would be difficult to escape from. However, it was nothing to the young master and me. 

  But would Lieder really allow us to escape so easily? I turned my head to ask, “Young Master. Lieder intends to kill the master. What should we do?” 

  “Gēge is very far away. There’s no way Lieder could have reached him so fast. Also, he won’t be able to meet with Gēge easily. So we just have to think of a way to hurry and escape so that he won’t have us as hostages. Then, we can call Gēge to warn him.” 

  Hearing this, I finally understood why the young master was not panicking. I quickly said, “In all likelihood, the master is already in Sunset City. In addition, he is going to meet Dr. Ni Cai. The doctor is Lieder’s accomplice!” 

  The young master froze and suddenly seemed more clear-headed as he shouted, “What? How did I not hear that Gēge was coming?” 

  “The master gave everyone an order to keep it from you. He wanted to give you a nice surprise.” I remorsefully apologized, “I am truly sorry. Because of a reason like ‘wanting to give you a nice surprise,’ I acted in accordance with the order.” 

  The young master helplessly said, “You really gave me a shock. Gēge really is, really is… Ah. Toss me your cell phone. Throw it somewhere around my head.” 

  “Understood.” I gave releasing my blood ability a try. Using my blood ability to hand over the cell phone is probably a better idea… No. I should directly use my blood ability to sever the chains! I really was under the influence of painkillers or I should have thought of it sooner. 

  “…” 

  “What’s wrong?” the young master asked doubtfully. 

  “My blood ability cannot cut through the chains.” 

  “These chains are very strong. Even my plasma hair strands would take some time to cut them. You should just throw the cell phone over. Just take care not to throw it too far to the side.” 

  I threw the cell phone to the young master. His silver hair suddenly grew explosively. Several strands shot toward the cell phone… 

  Crack! 

  I froze for a moment and said, “Young Master, the cell phone has shattered.” 

  “… I know.” The young master looked like he was about to cry, but no tears came out. He used his hair to hold the cell phone up before him. His hair was not glowing. It seemed it was not in energy weapon mode. But even so, the phone’s casing had already been crushed, and all that was left were the scattered components inside. I did not know if it could still be used. 

  “I don’t have very good control over my abilities right now. So that’s why I haven’t been using my plasma hair strands to break the chains. I’m worried I’ll cut myself in half too. You also probably shouldn’t use your blood ability carelessly either.” 

  “Understood.” 

  The young master’s hair floated. It wasn’t long before there was the sound of ringing. Those broken parts could actually be used to make a call! 

  “Are you calling the Sun Emperor?” 

  “I don’t know who I’m calling. It’s too hard for me to do precision work right now. So I randomly did some things. Let’s see if the call makes it through…” 

  A voice came from the cell phone, “Who is it?” 

  This seems to be a woman’s voice? 

  “Solitary Butterfly?” The young master quickly shouted, “Solitary Butterfly, is that you? Hurry and warn the Sun Emperor not to meet with anyone. There are people trying to assassinate him!” 

  The sounds that came through in response were very unclear and were filled with static. Only a few words could be made out with difficulty, “… Dark Sun, what are you… Where…” 

  “Someone wants to kill the Sun Emperor!” The young master kept repeating these few words. Perhaps ten minutes had passed, but the static grew louder and louder. Finally, Solitary Butterfly’s voice could not be heard at all, and he had no choice but to end the call. 

  “The connection is bad.” Annoyed, the young master said, “This place might be very deep in the sewers. I don’t know if Solitary Butterfly could hear what I was saying on her end. We’d still better hurry and escape…” 

  Speaking up to here, the young master suddenly went silent. Only when the sound of an explosion came from the components of the cell phone did he speak up again. “There was a listening device in there. Charles, did Lieder have your cell phone at some point? While he had it, did the phone ever leave your line of sight?” 

  I blurted out, “Lieder recently held my phone to put in his number. At that moment, his fountain pen dropped and I bent down to pick it up…” 

  Could Lieder have put the listening device in my phone then? 

  The young master sighed and said, “No wonder he knew the best time to make a move, and just so happened to strike after I had a surgery.” 

  Because of my negligence, I gave Lieder the opportunity to take advantage of me. This huge mistake can never be rectified… Lieder! You dared to use me to harm the young master! 

  “Charles!” The young master called out in a low shout, “There’s no time to blame yourself! Anyway, as long as Josh exists, this would have happened regardless. At most, the bug just gave Lieder a better understanding of when a good opportunity was. Right now, the most important thing is to escape!” 

  I nodded. I strove to put aside my feelings of rage. I had just been overly calm, but now I was filled with fury. It really was too easy for the painkillers to influence my state of mind. I truly had no idea how the young master was able to maintain control. 

  At that moment, the young master’s hair began to glow. The tendrils of hair were directly aiming at himself… I quickly shouted, “Wait a moment. Young Master, did you not say that you were worried about cutting yourself?” 

  “I don’t have time for that!” 

  I raised my hands and said, “Young Master, please cut my chains! If you cut yourself in half, then even if you escape, you will be unable to save the Sun Emperor. Therefore, please cut my chains!” 

  The young master went silent, then said, “O.K. Consider this your punishment for being careless. Afterward, you’re not allowed to blame yourself, and you’re definitely not allowed to say you’re resigning!” 

  “Yes!” I did not intend to resign. I only want to tear Lieder into a thousand pieces! 

  “Stick your arms out. Then don’t move. You absolutely cannot move!” 

  I followed his words. Once I moved, I did not move again. 

  Two streaks of white light flashed in front of and behind me respectively. Following that was a series of sounds as the chains fell to the ground. 

  “Charles?” The young master shouted in a panic, “Blood is coming from your chest!” 

  I lowered my head and touched it. I replied, “Just a flesh wound.” Although it had narrowly missed slashing my heart, even if it had, vampires were not so easy to kill. 

  “And your legs?” 

  I turned my head to look. The chains had been severed, but my calves had several deep gashes where bone could be seen. Quite a lot of blood had been vaporized by the plasma hair strands. Fortunately, the effect of the painkillers allowed me to feel nothing at all. I replied “They are fine,” and then stood up and walked to the young master’s side. 

  At this moment, the young master’s hair had stopped glowing and the young master said to me, “I can’t see where the end of the chain is. Take a look and wrap my hair around the weakest part of the end of the chain. Then let go.” 

  I looked around. Once I did as requested, there was a flash of white light and the chains around the young master fell away. He also dropped from the cross. I quickly dashed to catch him. The young master let out a soft gasp, and I hastily looked down. The young master’s face could not have possibly been paler… The casts on his legs are missing! 

  The young master could not utter a single word. Even if the painkillers were still in effect, he seemed to still be in pain… Although the young master had not shown any sort of expression, his face was completely white, and his lips were purple. He had not shown any expression or cry of pain despite already being in this state. Why must he go so far to endure it?! 

  “Young Master, please do not force yourself to hold it in…” 

  Bang! 

  There suddenly came the sound of gunfire. Following that, a trickle of blood flowed down the young master’s forehead… Why must he always be hurt? What has he ever done wrong? 

  “Grab your weapons already! They’ve undone the chains!” A person shouted outside the gated door, “You f***ers aren’t getting away!” 

  I did not pay them any mind. I only looked down at the young master. The blood had flowed into his eyes. He shook his head and used his hand to wipe away the blood. He looked exhausted, but collected himself with great effort. He said, “Charles. Put me down. Then go to the farthest corner of the room. I’m going to use my hair to deal with them.” 

  I blurted out, “Young Master, how can I walk away and disregard you?!” 

  “Huh?” The young master was puzzled for a moment and explained, “You’re not disregarding me. It’s just that my control isn’t very good right now, and I could accidentally hurt you. So I want you to stand a bit farther away so I won’t hurt you by accident.” 

  You are in this much pain, but are still concerned about others? 

  “Hurry and move already. I still have to save Gēge… Ugh!” The young master suddenly frowned. He was unable to suppress his groan of pain. He extended a hand toward his knee, but did not dare to touch that area at all. 

  “Young Master!” 

  “I’m… Fine.” The young master growled angrily, “Move already!” 

  I gently placed the young master on the ground and said, “Young Master, please wait a moment.” 

  “Wait? Wait for what?” The young master froze. 

  I straightened up, materialized two rapiers, then charged at the steel door. 

  Behind the steel door was at least twenty fully armed people. As expected, Lieder would not allow us to walk out so easily. If my guess was correct, the bars on the door should have a high voltage current running through them; otherwise, the criminals would not have just given a verbal warning. At the very least, they would have first shot our legs. 

  “Charles!” Behind me, the young master cried out, “You don’t have to fight! I promised you! No matter the situation, you don’t have to…” 

  I looked back and smiled as I said, “Young Master, I do not have to fight. However, at this moment, I very much want to battle. You will not prevent me from doing what I wish, correct?” 

  “You want to fight?” The young master’s expression looked very strange, but it was still much better than his expression of suffering just earlier. 

  “Back off!” The criminals shouted a warning. 

  I turned my head to look at them, but I had no intention of negotiating. I used x-speed and rushed at the steel door from the side. At the same time, I increased the strength of the rapiers in my hands to the point where they could destroy steel. I used the force from x-speed and cut a Z-shape with the rapiers. 

  Because of x-speed, almost as soon as I finished cutting, I bumped into the steel bars, and the door broke into four pieces. There was a current going through its surface as I had expected, but with enough speed, that brief contact with electricity was nothing to a vampire! 

  I burst into the middle of those people, bowling down several of them. But they did not lose their heads and immediately began shooting. Bullets flew at me from all directions. Are they not concerned at all about hitting their own people? 

  I slid slightly out of the way. A bullet brushed past my right shoulder. Immediately afterward, I flipped my body and leapt onto the ceiling. All the gun points followed me up, and many bullets screamed by. 

  With a step, I used x-speed to propel myself down like a projectile, brushing past numerous bullets. As I shot downward, I stepped on a person and swept out with a rapier in each hand. I did not know how many calves I cut into. I did not have the time to count. 

  As anguished howls arose, I retreated and used my back to ram into another person. Then I stepped on another person’s thigh and leapt back up to the ceiling. If I had heard correctly, that person’s femur should now be broken. 

  With my speed, I darted amongst them. Although it was difficult to avoid being hit by the occasional bullet, they were insignificant injuries. 

  Their numbers dwindled more and more. 

  “F***!” 

  “He’s really damn fast!” 

  “Grab the other one… Hurry!” 

  Grab the other one…? 

  Young Master! 

  “Fire already. The other one isn’t weak either,” a person snarled at the same time as he opened fire at the young master. 

  I roared, “You will not harm the young master!” 

  I created a shield out of blood ability to stop the bullets. But I had no way of blocking the bullets that had already been fired. I dashed behind that person. One rapier stabbed him in the back of his neck beneath his helmet, and the other rapier went into his spine at his waist. 

  Through the blood ability shield, I could see the young master using both his hands to cover his face. In addition, there were two bullets caught between his arms! 

  He shouted out a warning, “Charles, dodge!” 

  I slide stepped, but I had already taken too long. My back was riddled with quite a few bullets. Although I had spread a shield of blood ability behind me, the vast majority of my blood ability had already gone in front of the young master to protect him. The rest had been transformed into the rapiers. The thin blood ability shield could not block many bullets. 

  But I was not worried. Even if they were silver bullets, taking a few bullets would not hinder me too much. Under the influence of the painkillers, I did not even feel the pain. 

  I turned around. I will not let these people escape. Any of them! They dared to fire on the young master… All of them must die! 

  The blood-colored rapiers swept out, and what sprayed everywhere was a curtain of blood. I stepped in the pool of blood. Then, I made more pools of blood. The color red stained everything in view… Before I realized it, there was no one left standing beside me anymore. 

  Raising my rapiers, I looked all around me to confirm there truly was no one else around before putting away my rapiers. Then, I returned to the young master’s side. 

  The young master’s eyes were wide. He exclaimed, “Charles. You’re really fast! Even with my ligaments changed, I can’t reach that speed!” 

  As I knelt down, I said, “The young master certainly can.” 

  “No way. The numbers were calculated by a computer. After switching out my ligaments, I’m probably only…” While the young master was speaking, I lifted him up in one go. He frowned. Even with his attention elsewhere, he apparently was still in pain. 

  “Let’s go! Carry me on your back. We have to hurry and warn Gēge.” 

  “Yes.” I carried the young master on my back and rushed out the gated door, but I did not know where to go. I hurriedly asked, “Young Master, which direction should I take?” 

  The young master said, “Break through the ceiling and go straight up!” 

  This is indeed the fastest way. I nodded and said, “Then, I will first find a place to set you down.” 

  “You don’t need to put me down. Just punch straight through! Hurry!” 

  Hearing this, I created rapiers that were much larger than usual. I had the blood shield block my front again so that the young master would not be accidentally injured by the debris. Following that, I jumped up and attacked. When I pierced the ceiling, I heard a faint bursting sound. This sound is clearly growing more pronounced… 

  “Damn it! There’s a bomb!” 

  As soon as the young master finished speaking, the bomb’s flame and heat came directly at us. I could only instantaneously change the rapiers I had just been using to attack into a second blood shield. But the two blood shields were unable to block the explosive force and shattered one after the other. 

  Using the time the blood shields bought, I turned my body around to protect the young master, hoping I could use my back to block the brunt of the explosion. 

  The rumbling kept going. Smoke and dust filled the air. My surroundings were very hot. I breathed in so much searing air, my lungs seemed like they were going to burst. As soon as I opened my mouth to speak, the thick smoke choked me to the point where I could not fully speak, “Cough… Cough cough! Y-Young Master!” 

  There was no response. I hurriedly checked the young master’s condition. The young master’s eyes were closed but thankfully he was still breathing… Why do I always have to be thankful for things as basic as this? 

  Still alive! The young master is still alive, just in so much pain that he fainted. Is this still something to be grateful for? 

  Cradling the young master, I was deeply afraid there were more bombs. I could only make my blood ability shield as strong as possible, and then rush upward, carving holes in the ceilings the whole way, until the ceiling was really too thick and could not be broken through. I could only look around me for another way out. 

  Suddenly, I stopped where I was. Sounds were coming from far away… An enemy? I hid in the shadows. Carrying the young master made it inconvenient to take action, and I did not want the young master to suffer any more injuries. 

  “Dark Sun! Dark Sun, are you there?” 

  This voice… The light of a flashlight grew closer and closer, along with over ten fully armed people. It seemed like too many to handle, but the voice was so familiar… If I did not respond, then I would have to spend a long time before I could manage to leave. 

  “Dark Sun…” 

  “Yue Gang, is that you?” I specifically used a vampire ability to call out. The source of the echoing roar would be very hard to locate. 

  The ten or so people stopped. The person at the very front took off his helmet and mask. It really was Yue Gang, who I could not be any more familiar with. 

  “Charles?” He peered left and right. 

  A person beside him said to him, “Don’t take off your helmet! It’s dangerous!” 

  “Shut it!” Yue Gang shot back and then shouted loudly again, “Charles—” 

  I stepped out of the shadows, saying, “Here.” 

  They all froze. Yue Gang rushed forward. As soon as he saw me, he froze. An angry expression soon came across his face. He roared, “What the hell were you doing? How’d you end up looking like a roast turkey?! T-The person you’re carrying is…” 

  “I-Is the young master. Please save him!” I said stammering. Breathing was difficult. Did I inhale too much of the smoke earlier? Or is it an effect of the painkillers… Perhaps it is both! 

  “Give him to me! I’ll carry him!” Yue Gang put his hands out. “You really look a whole damn lot like a vampire right now. Your face is as white as paper!” 

  I turned and shook my head at him. He did not understand the young master’s situation. It would be bad if he put the young master in pain by jostling the young master’s knees. 

  “D-Does your phone work?” I said, “Someone intends to assassinate the Sun Emperor. It’s Doctor Ni Cai. Inform them…” 

  Yue Gang was stunned. He turned his head to shout, “Hurry and call the higher ups to notify them!” 

  Following them, it was not long before we finally returned to the surface. Yue Gang and the others had two armed vehicles. Inside were all sorts of emergency equipment. It was comparable to an ambulance. 

  I sat beside the car. Because breathing was difficult, they brought a ventilator for me to put on. The young master was lying on a stretcher. Of course, he had already been put on a ventilator along with all sorts of diagnostic equipment. Aside from an elevated heart rate and burns to his extremities, there seemed to be no major issues. It really was a relief. 

  Yue Gang frowned as he looked at the young master, saying, “Both you and your little brother have to get to the hospital immediately. Your back is all scorched… Ah, he’s not your little brother! Tch! Whatever! Take it!” As he finished speaking, he handed over several bags of blood plasma. 

  Indeed, they were what I needed the most at the moment. I took off the ventilator and began to suck. After I finished a bag, I shook my head and explained, “He has only fainted. He does not need to be sent to the hospital.” And cannot be sent to the hospital. It will be bad if they discover the state of the young master’s body. 

  “That said, didn’t your brother just fall off a building?” 

  I froze. I had almost forgotten about that. I hastily said, “Please do not say that aloud!” 

  “’Please’ what? The whole world knows!” Yue Gang irritably said, “I just told my bros they’re not allowed to mention it and to treat it like nothing happened. Don’t worry.” 

  “Thank you,” I thanked him sincerely. 

  “Your whole family’s full of secrets!” He scolded. 

  I looked at him. I just quietly said, “Sorry.” 

  Yue Gang scratched his head and sat down next to me. He said, “I thought you were pretending to be timid… T-Tell me honestly. Are you really a vampire? This is the first time I’ve ever seen a damn vampire putting on a ventilator!” 

  “I am a vampire. But my occupation is that of a butler. Butlers do not need to be very strong…” 

  “You’re a damn vampire and you don’t need to be strong? This is the first time I’ve heard anything like that!” Yue Gang rubbed his temples and said, “But why do those words sound so convincing coming out of your mouth? I thought you were purposefully faking being weak and laughing behind my back at what a sucker I was. I never thought you really were that weak!” 

  “I am not that weak. However, I absolutely was not laughing at you.” 

  “Who would have thought?” Yue Gang huffed, “Not weak? Then why do you look like a roasted turkey?” 

  “Just a moment of carelessness.” 

  “Not paying attention for a moment and you turn into a roast turkey. Just a tiny slip up and you’re ready to be served on a table. You really were too damn careless!” 

  “I agree.” A moment of carelessness had allowed Lieder to install a listening device. A moment of carelessness and we were drugged. It was a moment of carelessness to think the heavily armed people were the final obstacle and to completely fail to notice the bomb… 

  “Why the long face?” Yue Gang had not changed his demonstrative habits. As he spoke, he slapped my back. 

  … 

  “Shoot! I forgot your back has burns all over it. Hey hey! You’re O.K., right?” 

  I smiled. “I am fine.” 

  Unexpectedly, Yue Gang stared at me with wide eyes. “You smiling looks uglier than crying, and you’re still saying everything’s fine?” 

  Hearing those words, I suddenly remembered something that I could do. I quickly asked, “Could I borrow your cell phone?” 

  Yue Gang shrugged and pulled out a cell phone. 

  As soon as the call connected, an extremely guarded voice came through the phone, “Who is this?” 

  “Curtis, it is I.” 

  “Family Head?” Curtis’s voice held some doubt, “Did you change numbers? Or perhaps it is only an additional number? Regardless, Sunset City has been chaotic recently. Please—” 

  I cut him off, saying, “I must trouble you to help me find a person… No! Three people.” 

  “Understood. Please speak and I will report back to you as soon as possible within the next few days.” 

  “Find them now! I need their whereabouts immediately!” 

  The other end of the call went silent before speaking. “Understood. If it is your wish, I can directly assist you in getting rid of them. Please do not involve yourself in anything dangerous.” 

  Getting rid of them… I was silent for a while and then said, “Find their locations first. If you can apprehend them, then directly getting rid of them is fine as well.” 

  “Understood!” 

  I hung up. Yue Gang curiously asked, “Who was that?” 

  “My cousin’s grandson.” 

  “… What the heck?!” 

  “My successor. He is the family head of an influential family of butlers, and is quite influential.” 

  “So you’re willing to talk now?” Yue Gang had a fierce expression and huffed several times. 

  I lowered my head and said, “I cannot speak about everything. I can tell you about my matters, but not of the young master’s. Therefore, I must still keep you in the dark about many things. For you to cut ties with me is an entirely appropriate choice.” 

  “Cut ties?” Yue Gang froze for a moment. Then he growled, “Who’s cutting ties with you? You think you’re a diplomat, do you? Cutting ties!” 

  I looked at him in astonishment, asking, “But you would not even answer my calls. Is that not the meaning of cutting ties?” 

  “So it’s not O.K. to be angry for a bit after being tricked for so long? Let me tell you, I’m still angry! Don’t think that there’s nothing wrong!” After Yue Gang shouted that, he shouted some more, “Drink your blood already! Your entire body looks like roast turkey. You think it’s a good look?!” 

  Hearing that, I lowered my head to drink. As I was doing so, I was not doing anything else, so I just observed Yue Gang. He seemed to be covered in equipment from head to toe. I said in praise, “You look just like RoboCop.” 

  “What cop?” 

  My apologies. I should not have assumed that other people would enjoy watching old hero movies like I do. 

  “It is nothing.” I shook my head and said, “You spent more money to buy equipment.” 

  “No I didn’t! This is the standard NC uniform.” 

  I looked at him with great skepticism. How could such high grade equipment be provided as a police department uniform? Even if it is for a special squad? 

  “… I just spent some money to upgrade it.” 

  “Not enough money to eat again?” I asked, not quite smiling. 

  “It’s just that… It’s none of your business anyway!” 

  “That is true.” I lowered my head to drink and said in a low voice, “The lady proprietor of the noodle stall said that she thinks of you. You should go there occasionally to eat noodles and chat.” 

  “I don’t have money to eat noodles!” 

  “The owner said she would let you open a tab. When you have money, just go back and pay off the tab.” 

  “The owner said that?” 

  “Yes, the owner said that.” But I would be paying the tab. 

  Yue Gang huffed a few times, and I did not know what he was thinking. However, at this moment, a sound came from behind me. I hurriedly turned my head to look. The young master had awoken. He was currently moving in a panic, seemingly wanting to sit up. I hastily climbed up into the vehicle and shouted, “Young Master!” 

  The young master removed the ventilator, softly calling out, “What about Gēge?” 

  I lightly said, “Young Master, please relax. We have already notified the master.” 

  Only then did the young master calm down. 

  I asked uneasily, “Young Master, how do you feel?” 

  “Very tired,” the young master calmly stated. 

  “Sleep if you’re tired!” Yue Gang also climbed into the vehicle. 

  The young master smiled as he said, “Yue Gang, you haven’t come over to our place to play for a while now.” 

  Yue Gang scratched his face. “I’ll go when I’m done dealing with stuff for now. Xiǎodì, your complexion is really terrible. Your brother’s a vampire, so he’s supposed to have a pale face. But you’re a human! With a face that pale, have you even been eating properly?” 

  “Yes…” 

  “Yue Gang! It’s terrible!” A shout came from outside the car, immediately followed by a head sticking in. 

  “What’s terrible this time?!” Yue Gang muttered, “All day long, things are terrible. I really don’t know when things will ever be fine.” 

  The other person was flustered. “When we notified them, we found out the Sun Emperor had already been…” 

  Yue Gang shot a look at the other person and said, “I’ll come down and we can continue talking.” 

  After Yue Gang and the other person had left, the young master’s expression darkened instantly. He said to me, “Give me a phone.” 

  I hastily exited the vehicle and borrowed a cell phone from Yue Gang. The young master dialed and said, “Kyle-gē, give me a report on my brother’s status.” 

  The young master listened to the phone for some time and then said to me, “We were a step too late. Although Gēge is hiding in the special safe room, the criminals also made it in. Charles, pick me up so we can leave here while Yue Gang and the others haven’t come back.” 

  I froze for a moment, and extremely carefully lifted up the young master. He did not utter a sound, but I did not believe that he was not in pain. Perhaps he is simply enduring it again? 

  After I left the vehicle while carrying the young master, I suddenly came to a realization. I quickly asked, “Young Master. You are not thinking of going to where the master is, are you?” 

  The young master said without the slightest hesitation, “Of course! Kyle-gē and I are the only ones who don’t need to destroy the special safe room to get in. Gēge gave me the highest authority. Charles, this is good enough. You can put me down. I have to stand up on my own.” 

  I froze, and reflexively looked at the young master’s knees. But instead I saw that the pants around his calves had been burned to tatters and his legs were black in some places and red in others. Many places had burns. In addition, he was covered in dust from head to toe. His clothes were also extremely ripped up… 

  I held Yue Gang’s cell phone in my hand, dialed, and after the call connected, pressed the button for speaker. Because I was holding the young master in my hands, I did not have a way to hold the cell phone up to my ear. 

  “Secretary Kyle, this is Charles.” 

  “I’m very busy. Talk fast.” 

  “The young master has just undergone a modification operation and is unable to stand up. However, he insists on going to save the master. I would like to ask, is it necessary?” 

  “Whether it’s necessary or not, the young master will not agree to stay back. That is a pointless question… You said he is unable to stand?” 

  “Indeed.” 

  “Then don’t let him go and cause trouble!” Secretary Kyle irritably said. 

  “Charles!” The young master seemed to have reacted. He shouted, “What are you saying? I have to go to where Gēge is!” 

  I shook my head and said, “Young Master, you cannot even stand. Where you should be going is the hospital.” 

  “I have to go to Gēge! Kyle-gē!” 

  Secretary Kyle’s helpless voice came over the phone, “Young Master, if you were hearty and hale, I would have no way to stop you. However, if you are unable to stand, your going would be a liability.” 

  “I can stand!” the young master yelled furiously. 

  “Charles, take the young master to the general hospital. Mr. An Te Qi is there.” 

  “Yes.” 

  I carried the young master and turned around to head for the general hospital. Mr. An Te Qi should be able to treat the young master’s injuries. 

  “Charles! Put me down! I have to go save Gēge!” 

  “Forgive me, but I cannot follow that order.” 

  The young master was stunned for a moment. He roared, “Charles! I am your master. I order you—” 

  “Forgive me, but I cannot follow that order!” I cut off the young master’s words. 

  The young master was silent for a while. Then he said, “Charles, if you don’t put me down, I will have to attack you.” 

  I was stunned. My footsteps did not stop. I only advised, “I cannot follow that order! Young Master, you cannot even stand up. So you will be of no use if you go.” 

  “I can’t not go!” The young master roared, “That’s my only Gēge! Furthermore, it is engraved into the microchip in my head that the only reason I exist is to protect Gēge, no matter the cost. Even if it’s my own life!” 

  After he finished shouting, the young master pushed me and leapt. Perhaps he had been planning on standing up, but his knees were completely unable to support him. He fell to the floor and yelled in pain. 

  “Young Master!” 

  I hastily went to support him. However, the young master forcefully brushed aside my hand. He slowly bent his knees, as if trying to stand. But he could only kneel on the floor. Even after a long time, he was unable to stand. He could only lower his head, silver hair covering his face. I could not see his expression. But I could see that his entire body was shaking slightly. 

  Going this far to appear strong… 

  “Young Master, you cannot walk.” 

  The young master did not raise his head. He only growled, “I have to walk! I have to save Gēge! You and Kyle-gē don’t understand… I absolutely cannot not go!” 

  Saying that, he raised his right leg with a sudden force and finally slowly stood up. However, as his other leg tried to support him, he slipped. I hurriedly went to support him so he would not fall down once more. 

  The young master waved me away. However, I was gripping him firmly. I would not let him fall again. 

  Following that, the young master’s hair began floating. The strands wound around my neck. He turned his head away, not looking at me, and just yelled, “Let go! Or else, or else…” 

  I did not know how to respond. Only, I felt my heart ache from the young master’s actions. I smiled bitterly as I said, “Or else you truly will kill me?” 

  The young master turned his head. He did not directly reply to my question. Instead, he repeated himself once more, “I have to go save Gēge, no matter the cost. Even if it’s my own life… Yes! I won’t hesitate to kill you. Let go of me now!” 

  The silver hair wrapped tighter as a warning. However, as the hair wrapped tighter and his fierce words were said, his expression was wrong. 

  Young Master, crying while threatening someone really is, really is… Really is too effective. 

  My heartache from just earlier vanished, only leaving behind the attitude that a butler should not let his employer be in a difficult situation. I proposed, “Young Master, if you would allow me to replace you in battle, then I will bring you there. In your current state, I am afraid you are not as strong as I am.” 

  The young master stopped. He asked, confused, “Y-You want to battle? Charles, have the painkillers not worn off yet? You’re really being very strange!” 

  I also did not know if the painkillers’ effects had worn off yet. Perhaps they had not, since the wounds on my body still did not hurt that much. However, I clearly understood that my decision was not because of the painkillers. 

  The young master shook his head and said, “No matter what, I promised you that you are a butler and not a hitman. Butlers do not need to fight!” 

  I calmly requested, “Then, please permit me to have a side job.” 

  “A side job?” the young master asked, stunned. 

  “Yes, may I ask if you are willing to spend an additional fifty thousand yuan to hire me as a hitman?” 

  “… Why fifty thousand yuan?” 

  “Because I broke the TV wall, I was arrested by the police and the bail was fifty thousand yuan. I escaped before the fifty thousand yuan was paid.” 

  The young master laughed until tears came out of his eyes. He finally nodded and said, “Mm. Fifty thousand yuan it is!” 

  I supported the young master so that he could sit on the ground. Then I crouched down so my back faced him, saying, “In that case, Young Master, please let me carry you on my back.” 

  In the end, I was still persuaded by the young master. I did not know if this decision was right or not. If bringing the young master there led to him being injured or… I was afraid that this mistaken decision would result in a lifetime of regret. 

  But if I did not bring the young master there, my regrets would begin now. 

  Once there was a weight on my back, I carried the young master in the opposite direction, that is, toward the business district. 

  On the way, the young master’s voice, choked with emotion, came from my back, “I’m sorry. I broke my promise and made you go fight. It won’t happen again.” 

  I had never thought before that “being treated like a hitman by my employer” could actually be something that brought me happiness. 

  “I am glad that you have entrusted the reason you exist to me.”


  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Heaven or Hell, Ninth Level: Safe Room, Safety or Freedom

  Translator: ever4493 (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  First Wind, Dark Sun just phoned me. The situation doesn’t seem good. The signal was severely distorted so I couldn’t make out what he was saying. Can you contact him? 

  “Hold on a sec!” 

  O.K.! 

  “Solitary Butterfly, he’s really gone!” 

  So you do know Dark Sun’s true identity? 

  “…” 

  Oh well, that’s not important. We should find Dark Sun first! 

  “Mhm! I’ll tell the police to look for places with bad signals. We’ll find him faster with more people.” 

  Wait, there’s another call. It’s from the police. 

  “Attention to all heroes, there are groups of armed criminals randomly attacking civilians in the business district. Their intentions are unknown.” 

  “Yue Gang?” First Wind said, “This is First Wind. We also have a problem. Dark Sun seems to be stuck in a place with almost no signal. Can you find out where he is?” 

  “… It must be the sewer! Definitely! I’ll send someone over. I’ll go over myself too!” 

  First Wind, I’ll go to the business district. You go look for Dark Sun with the police! 

  “No, I’ll go to the business district with you. One extra person looking for him won’t make a difference. Armed criminals roaming the business district doesn’t sound good. It feels a bit like the bank robbery last time. If we don’t know what their intentions are, it’s too dangerous for you to go alone. I’ll get Dragon Peace to come along!” 

  Aren’t you worried about Dark Sun? 

  “Of course I am! But someone’s with him. If they’re together, then there won’t be much of a problem.” 

  As I ran, I phoned Nitewalker to ask where he was. Unexpectedly, he was nearby, so asking him to give me and the young master a ride would be much faster than just running or contacting Melody and the others. 

  I carefully put the young master in the cab and said, “To the business district.” 

  “The business area’s blocked right now, so I can only give you twenty percent off.” Nitewalker turned his head and said, “If you pay me full price, I can drive you somewhere near your destination. You’re going to the building that’s being broadcasted right now, right?” 

  I asked in surprise, “Are you sure? Did you not say that that area was blocked?” 

  Nitewalker said emotionlessly, “Human blockades aren’t really useful against nightwalkers.” 

  I climbed into the car and said, “I will pay you double the price. Please get there as fast as you can!” 

  Hearing this, Nitewalker stretched out his hand and pressed a button. The car shook slightly as the car body lowered and the car hood changed into a rather streamlined shape, a spoiler was added to the back and even the circular steering wheel turned into one with handles on the side… The taxi had turned into a race car. 

  The young master’s eyes widened and he gasped, “That was so cool!” 

  The car started. I did not know how fast it was going. All I noticed was that the moment it started, my entire back pressed against the car seat. 

  “This mode uses a lot of gas.” Nitewalker said, “If you’re willing to pay five times the price, I can use another kind of method that uses even more gas but can get us there even faster.” 

  “For sure!” The young master shouted immediately. 

  And then the car climbed onto the side of a building. 

  I looked out the car window and could see that the tires were splashing up quite a bit of water. The car seems to be driving on water… As expected from a race from the ocean. So nightwalkers also have the ability to control water? 

  With high speed and the ability to go straight ahead no matter what obstacles there might be on the road, it did not take long before the car arrived in the business district. 

  The entire business district was full of office buildings. This place was usually as quiet as a ghost town at night. Aside from the commercials playing from some of the TV walls of the buildings, there were usually no other noises. 

  But tonight was a bit different. The roads were crowded with armed people. Judging from their clothing, there seemed to be guerrilla warfare going on between two groups. For some reason, they held their fire and continued to look for better hiding places. Direct combat was rare. 

  Since we entered the business district, Nitewalker had been driving on the buildings instead of the roads, which was why we were able to proceed smoothly. 

  The young master pointed at a few armed teams that were hiding and said, “That team, that team, and this team might have been sent by Kyle-gē. The others might be Lieder’s. The other side might not only have Lieder, Josh, and Ni Cai, as you said, because it’s not possible to control the situation with only three people.” 

  “I understand now. The people that Secretary Kyle sent do not seem to be part of the adjudication squad?” I thought the strongest team under the Sun Emperor’s control was the adjudication squad. Why did he not send them? 

  “The adjudication squad is useful for killing, but not for rescuing. Their ability to react under different circumstances is much lower than DSII’s.” 

  So that is why. 

  The young master thought silently for a while and said, “The other side’s equipment looks similar to the equipment the bank robbers who separated themselves into five groups had. They might be the same group of people. Speaking of which, the bank robberies just might have been directed by Lieder! To start one of these plans requires a lot of money. Just the equipment needed to hack into the security cameras costs a lot, and the security cameras in the business district are mostly dead right now.” 

  I spaced out for a brief while, and just then, the taxi suddenly zoomed above the building, as if hovering in mid-air, and then landed on the roof. Even while making such large movements, the car remained steady. Five times the price was definitely worth it! 

  Nitewalker turned around and said, “We’re here. The next building is your destination. I think you’ll want to get up there without any sound, right?” 

  “Thank you,” I stepped out of the car first before carrying the young master out. 

  Nitewalker peered out of the car window and said lightly, “I’ll wait for you around here. I can also pick you up inside the building, but that would be ten times the price, and if the car gets damaged, you’ll need to take full responsibility.” 

  I laughed and said, “I appreciate it.” 

  With the young master on my back, I jumped over to the next building, landing soundlessly on the wall, parallel to the ground and walked upwards. 

  As I walked, the young master took out his phone to make a call, asking, “Kyle-gē, how’s Gēge?” 

  “… I thought you went to the hospital?” 

  “I’m not going to the hospital!” 

  Secretary Kyle sighed and said, “Do you have a television near you? You can see the Sun Emperor’s condition on TV.” 

  Hearing that, the young master sliced open the building window with his plasma hair strands, and we stepped inside. The room we were in was a small meeting room with a television hanging from the left corner of the ceiling. I stepped forward to turn on the television. There was no need to change channels as the television was already broadcasting relevant news. 

  The Sun Emperor has been abducted. The business district is now completely under lockdown! 

  We ask civilians not to enter the business district under any circumstance. People may only exit but not enter the business district right now. Exiting also requires a full security scan. Our reporters are negotiating, hoping to be able to interview inside, but have not been granted permission yet… Wait, the criminals have turned on their camera again. We’ll be switching over now. 

  The television’s view switched, and the Sun Emperor appeared on screen. The black office chair he was sitting in and his dark colored windbreaker made his golden hair and red eyes appear even brighter, but beneath the bright colors, his expression was extremely cold. He did not resemble someone who had been abducted, but a chairman who was looking at an employee who had made a mistake… No, probably more like an emperor looking at his officials. 

  Regarding this, Lieder might be right. The Sun Emperor is an emperor. 

  Another person appeared on screen. The person wore a unique looking mask. It was completely white with only a red reversed-cross on the forehead. 

  The person held a gun to the Sun Emperor’s head and said toward the camera, “Have those who are here to rescue him leave the business district in half an hour, or else…” 

  Having said this, the person suddenly smashed the gunstock against the Sun Emperor’s temple. Blood trickled down the side of the Sun Emperor’s forehead, but he merely glanced sideways at the person. His glance was emotionless, as if he had simply seen an ant crawl by, as though the event did not even raise a single thought in his mind. 

  Would this kind of attitude anger Lieder? I felt a bit worried. 

  “How dare they hit my brother! Damn it, I’ll kill all of you!” The young master hollered angrily, his silver hair dancing out of control as if it wanted to tear someone to pieces. 

  Thank goodness the conference room we are in is nicely soundproofed. I glanced at the young master who was covered in injuries but was completely unaware of them. Compared to those, the scratch on the side of the Sun Emperor’s forehead was… 

  “Young Master!” Secretary Kyle’s voice sounded from the phone, “Since you’ve decided to participate in the rescue mission, please coordinate with the special squad’s actions.” 

  “Understood.” The young master nodded. 

  “Please enter the safe room through the third hidden door. Door number three is located under the main seat in the conference room. This is the door that is least likely to startle the criminals. Also, please switch your cell phone to vibrate. About ten minutes from now, I’ll have people draw the criminals’ attention away and then phone you. Please enter the room as soon as the phone vibrates…” 

  The young master looked at me as Secretary Kyle gave instructions. I nodded to let him know that I had understood them. 

  Carrying the young master on my back, we left this room and headed toward the conference room. 

  We would sometimes hear footsteps. During those times, I would backflip onto the ceiling, stepping through one of the ceiling panels and then quietly vanishing inside, waiting until they passed us before dropping down to the floor and continuing onwards. 

  The young master said quietly, “Charles, when you’re serious, you’re really hard to fight! You’re super fast and silent. Your only weakness is probably just that you don’t have enough strength.” 

  “You and X are both far stronger than I am.” 

  “But we’re not as fast as you, and if hidden, you’re harder to find. If we’re warriors, then you’re probably an assassin!” 

  I said softly, “Young Master, I am neither a warrior nor an assassin. I am your butler.” 

  The young master laughed. “Right, but I’ll need to ask you to be an assassin this time.” 

  As he said the last sentence, the young master sounded a bit downhearted, so I changed the subject hurriedly, “Young Master, do your knees still hurt?” 

  “The painkillers are still effective, so it doesn’t hurt much as long as I don’t move my knees.” 

  I asked, “Please do not fight later. If you do, use only your hair. Would that be all right?” 

  The young master did not answer. 

  I asked in a different way, “Young Master, if I have the upper hand during battle, would you stay by the master’s side and not fight?” 

  Behind me, the young master replied after a while, “Charles, you’re really weird. The painkillers’ effect on you seems to be more like the effect of stimulants? You hate fighting, and when you had to, you would think a lot about the after-effects. But when we were in the sewer, you didn’t hesitate to kill anyone, were super fast, and made all critical hits…” 

  That does seem to be the case. But I did not mind at all, since given the circumstances right now, the stronger I was then the better it was for us. I needed to be strong enough that the young master would not need to fight. 

  The young master said weakly, “I feel like I’m taking advantage of you. You’re only agreeing to fight because you took painkillers, right?” 

  I hurriedly explained, “Perhaps the painkillers raised my fighting skills, but being willing to fight has nothing to do with them. All I want is for Young Master to stop pushing yourself and not get hurt anymore!” 

  “The painkillers also made you meaner…” 

  “Young Master, changing the subject will not make me forget the favor I just asked.” I stopped walking, turned my head and said, “Please promise that if I have the upper hand during battle, you will stay by the master’s side and not fight voluntarily.” 

  The young master looked stunned and asked, “Don’t tell me that you won’t keep walking until I agree?” 

  “Yes!” I said strongly. 

  “… O.K.,” The young master agreed helplessly. 

  After acquiring the young master’s promise, I continued to walk. The young master grumbled behind me, “I’m definitely warning Bàba not to let you use any painkillers from now on.” 

  We arrived at the meeting room, but after a while, we still did not get Secretary Kyle’s phone call signal. 

  After waiting for three minutes, instead of receiving a phone call from Secretary Kyle, we were greeted with a sudden boom. The building shook violently, and the young master immediately shouted, “Call Kyle-gē.” 

  “Young Master, the call will not go through.” 

  “Try someone else!” 

  I tried dialing a few numbers but none of them went through. After checking the screen closely, I realized that there was no reception. But we are in the business district, so how can the reception be worse than down in the sewer? 

  “The signal’s been jammed!” The young master said decisively, “We’ll go in now!” 

  As soon as the door was opened, we were greeted with a gunshot. Fortunately, I had my blood shield open, so the bullet did not hit us. 

  I dodged a few times yet the bullets followed me closely like a shadow. If it were not for my blood shield, I would probably have a dozen bullets in me by now. As I dodged, I carefully looked for a place where someone might be shooting from and quickly found it. The person was standing in a shadowed corner and was firing at us continuously with a handgun. 

  I used x-speed to rush up to that person, and as my hand formed a sharp cone that aimed to pierce the person’s throat… 

  The young master yelped, “Charles, stop! That’s Gēge!” 

  I quickly forced my hand to slide off track and sunk it into the wall, but I was too slow and the nail on my pinky finger still scratched the Sun Emperor’s neck. Thankfully, there was only a red scratch and no blood. 

  I felt cold sweat dripping down my face. 

  At that moment, the gun was pressed to my forehead and I spaced out in shock… 

  Bang! 

  The gun fired. I looked to my side and saw that smoke was rising from the dark muzzle… If the young master had not pushed the gun aside in time, there probably would have been a hole in my forehead right now. 

  I dodged behind the master, and the young master emerged from where I was and jumped onto the master, knocking him to the floor while shouting, “Gēge! It’s me, Ah Ye!” 

  The master was caught off-guard and his hands let go, dropping his gun. And then, all he did was stare at the young master dumbly without any reaction. 

  “Gē!” The young master was also shocked. He had fallen to the ground just now so his knees should be hurting a lot, yet he did not react to them at all. He just grabbed the master’s shoulders and shouted, “Gē, I’m Ah Ye. I’m your brother Ah Ye! Do you recognize me?” 

  The master said in a hoarse voice, “Ah…Ye…?” 

  “Gē!” The young master was on the verge of tears. 

  There appears to be some other noise? I turned around, made a blood shield to protect the young master and the master, then made a rapier and stood on guard. Just then, a door in a corner opened and in rushed four people. They were… Dark Sun, Dragon Peace, First Wind, and Solitary Butterfly! 

  The four heroes were all here, but the young master was still here with me, so Dark Sun should be played by DSII. 

  As soon as DSII saw the situation in here, he ran over to break something… A video camera! Oh no, did what just happened get recorded? 

  “Charles and An Xiang Ye?” First Wind said in a weird tone. 

  “What the hell is going on?” Solitary Butterfly said as she looked at the young master and the master with wide eyes. 

  I am even more confused than you are. I asked in confusion, “How did you come in?” 

  DSII simply said, “The Sun Emperor’s secretary couldn’t contact you. He was very anxious, so he contacted me. He was the one who opened the door. Where’s the criminal? Have you finished him off?” 

  I shook my head and said, “When we came in, we only saw the master… the Sun Emperor by himself. He seems to have been hypnotized by Josh, so he fired at us.” 

  Solitary Butterfly asked warily, “What’s your relationship to the Sun Emperor?” 

  How should we answer this? Just as I started to think of an explanation, a soft noise came from the side. I turned around and saw that the two doors that had been open were now closed. 

  DSII hurried to one of the doors. It seemed that he was pushing buttons of some sort, but the doors did not show any sign of opening. He took out his phone and said after a quick glance, “We’re out of range.” 

  “We’re locked in?” First Wind frowned. “Did the criminals do this? Why did they lock us up?” 

  Something suddenly lit up in a corner. It was a television. The scene that was playing… 

  “Gē, I’m Ah Ye. I’m your brother Ah Ye! Do you recognize me?” 

  “Ah…Ye…?” 

  The television was showing a scene with the young master and the master in it. To make things worse, it seemed to be a news channel! 

  As soon as the video ended, the host jumped out and said excitedly, “This is the latest news that we have just received. An Xiang Ye claims that he’s the Sun Emperor’s younger brother! Unbelievable!” 

  I looked toward the young master. Actually, everyone was looking at the young master, but the young master simply glanced at the television, and then focused his attention back on the master. The young master’s expression was filled with worry. His attention was fully on the master, not leaving any room for other things. 

  “Look at the TV!” Dragon Peace growled. 

  Everyone’s attention moved back to the television. This time, there was neither a host nor the master and the young master, but a man in a mask—the person who hit the master with his gunstock! 

  On the screen, the masked man’s lips quirked a smile, as he said, “Attention to all you kind citizens. All of the heroes have gone to save the Sun Emperor and have now been locked in the safe room by us. Please take a look.” 

  The screen switched from the masked man to a very familiar scene. The master, the young master, the four heroes, and I were all on there… Are there more cameras in this room? 

  DSII rushed to a corner, and using the wall as a stepping stone, jumped onto the ceiling and tore off a video camera. 

  The news returned to the man as he smiled and said, “As you can all see, Dark Sun just destroyed the camera, so we’re back to me. My apologies. We can’t let everyone see how helpless the heroes are.” 

  This man in the mask must be Lieder! 

  Lieder chuckled. “It’s not safe outside right now, since our people are robbing places all over. If you don’t have anything to do, then please don’t go outside, just so you don’t get blasted by bombs. 

  “I hope that everyone can understand that from now on, you mustn’t rely on heroes anymore. They’re too moronic to deserve your trust.” 

  Having heard that, First Wind could not help himself and finally shouted, “Dragon Peace! Destroy this place.” 

  Dragon Peace roared and jumped in front of a door, smashing down his large fist. From what I could tell, this fist could send any door I knew flying… Aside from the doors here. This door did not even shake. 

  DSII stopped Dragon Peace from continuing his attacks and said, “This is the Sun Emperor’s safe room. Even if you bomb the entire building, this room won’t be destroyed. Even if I use my plasma hair strands, my energy would be depleted before cutting through the walls.” 

  “Don’t tell me we’ll be stuck here forever?” Solitary Butterfly gasped. 

  “No.” DSII shook his head and said, “The Sun Emperor’s secretary will sense that things aren’t right very soon. He’ll get people to open the door.” 

  First Wind frowned and said, “How long?” 

  “That depends on how strong the enemy’s hacker is.” DSII said in Dark Sun’s cool manner of speaking, “From the look of things right now, they have a strong hacker. It might take a few hours to open this door at least.” 

  “Damn it!” First Wind could not help swearing. 

  Although we knew that the outside world was probably in chaos by now, there was nothing we could do. This safe room was just too sturdy. No matter what the heroes tried, the walls and the doors showed no signs of being broken. After some time… 

  “Ah Ye?” 

  Everyone paused for a bit before realizing that the exclamation came from the master. He stumbled across his words in shock, “Why are you here? You…” 

  The master seemed to be completely awake now. 

  The master’s words were cut short when he caught sight of Dark Sun. He looked confused when he lowered his head to look again at the young master, but that confusion quickly vanished. The master lowered his head and asked in a quiet voice, “Ah Ye?” 

  The young master nodded his head unseeingly. 

  “Why did you get all hurt again?” The master, who was not moved at all when he was threatened as a hostage or even beaten, immediately flew into a rage and roared, “Who dared to hurt you? I’ll kill his entire family! 

  “Where are those who were supposed to protect you?” The master turned his head around to look at me with eyes that seemed as if he wanted to crush me. 

  The young master said hurriedly, “Charles is a butler. He’s not in charge of protecting me!” 

  “Then where are those who are responsible for protecting you? I’m going to slice them alive and feed them to the dogs!” 

  I suddenly considered calling Mr. Bramble, Melody, and the others, and telling them to run as far as they could… Wait, cell phones do not even work here. 

  The young master stopped talking and then suddenly started crying, stuttering as he said, “Gēge is going to kill the people I like again.” 

  The master immediately panicked and said in a hurry, “I won’t kill them, I won’t! Please don’t cry…” 

  Even though the young master was crying, and his tears gushed down like an open faucet, I did not think that he was very sad… These are fake tears, are they not? As the emperor of the business world, can the master really not tell that the young master is acting? 

  I turned to look at the others. Aside from DSII, First Wind and Solitary Butterfly were both so shocked that even their masks could not hide their surprised expressions. Even Dragon Peace’s eyes were wide. Although he already knew there was a master, I did not think that anyone had ever told him that the master was the Sun Emperor, and more importantly… That the Sun Emperor was crazy about his brother. 

  “Ah Ye… An Xiang Ye really is the Sun Emperor’s brother?” First Wind asked hesitantly. 

  “And didn’t he fall from a building?” Solitary Butterfly said coldly. She glared at the young master, and said crossly, “I couldn’t grab his hand in time back then, and I worried and blamed myself for a long time just because of that!” 

  “Please do not be rude toward the young master,” Or else the master might be rude toward you… 

  Solitary Butterfly glared at me. She seemed to be unhappy, but First Wind patted her shoulder in time and stopped her from talking. 

  “Charles!” The master growled. 

  I blanked out a little and turned to face the master, feeling honored yet also scared. I did not think that the master would remember my name. 

  He shouted with an anger that reached the heavens, “Why did you let Ah Ye get hurt? Why didn’t you protect him?” 

  “Gē! Charles has nothing to do with this!” The young master could not stand up, so he hurriedly grabbed the master’s hand to stop him from shooting me to death. 

  “He can’t even protect you! He’s useless! He’s better off dead!” 

  “Gē!” The young master shouted loudly, “Stop always thinking about killing!” 

  “You’re already hurt this badly, covered in burns and can’t even stand up. Do I not have the right to kill this thing that couldn’t protect its master?” 

  Hearing the Sun Emperor’s words, First Wind and Dragon Peace stepped in between us, shielding me behind them. 

  “Gē, the reason I can’t stand up isn’t because I’m hurt. It’s because…” 

  The young master stopped short since Solitary Butterfly was still here and we were not sure if Lieder had set up another camera somewhere else, so he could not say that he could not stand up due to modifications. The young master’s only identity that had not yet been revealed was that of Dark Sun. 

  “Sun Emperor, your attention toward our family head has made the Elysees very honored.” 

  That voice did not belong to anyone in the room, yet to me, it could not be any more familiar. 

  I turned around and saw that the door had opened without us noticing. A man stood beside the door in form-fitting clothes and with about a dozen armed security guards behind him. 

  “Curtis!” I said reflexively.

  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Heaven or Hell, Tenth Level: Sunset City, The Curtain Falls for Tonight and the Next Morning Shall Arrive

  Translator: Trespasserby (proofread by Lala Su; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  What kind of chaotic situation is this? What are those criminals doing running all around the business district? Don’t tell me it’s to steal the computers in the offices? Has the economy gotten that bad? 

  First Wind let out a groan. “Solitary Butterfly, the police just reported that the Sun Emperor was seized.” 

  The Sun Emperor was seized? Then we don’t have to head over, right? 

  “Why? Do you hate the Sun Emperor?” 

  It’s not that! The Sun Emperor should have a lot of bodyguards and personnel who’ll come save him. He’s the Sun Emperor! Do we really have to go? 

  “That makes sense! We…” 

  Duck! You idiot, pay attention to your surroundings. If you lost your head, then you wouldn’t even have to think about whether or not to head over to take a look. 

  Dragon Peace growled, “First Wind, Solitary Butterfly, the criminals have all run into the building where the Sun Emperor is being held!” 

  Damn it! What are they all meeting up there for? An incident isn’t about to happen where the Sun Emperor is, right? Let’s go look! 

  “Yeah!” 

  … 

  I understand now. They wanted to lure us all here and shut us in with the Sun Emperor and An Xiang Ye so they could do whatever they wanted! 

  I want to change my vote to Father Alex, damn it! 

  Seeing the doors open, First Wind, Solitary Butterfly, and Dragon Peace froze. After I called out Curtis’s name, they shot each other several glances and then rushed out. 

  As that happened, the young master shot DSII a meaningful look, and DSII immediately left with the other heroes. 

  “Curtis, why are you here?” I asked in astonishment. 

  Curtis simply explained, “I found out the Sun Emperor had been taken by the criminals, and you could not be contacted by phone. The informants I had dispatched to Sunset City could not find you either, so I rushed over in a private jet, as I contacted the Sun Emperor’s secretary. Knowing that you all had been trapped in the safe room, I immediately sent our family’s best hacker to help open the door.” 

  After he said this, he looked in the direction of the Sun Emperor. He lightly smiled and said, “I really could not believe that the Sun Alliance was unable to open their own safe room.” 

  Hearing that, the corners of the master’s mouth pulled up in a smile. But there was no trace of amusement as he laughed and said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. The last time I saw you, you were even a prisoner!” 

  Curtis spread his hands and said, “The tables have turned. This time you were the one who became the captive.” 

  “You actually still see this vampire as your family head? You’re not planning on becoming family head yourself?” The master laughed and said, “Surrogate family head and family head. Just a one word difference, yet worlds apart.” 

  Before Curtis could even speak, the young master had already interjected angrily, “Gē! You’re not allowed to pit Curtis and Charles against each other! I already told you!” 

  “… Bad habit.” The master replied embarrassedly. Then he changed the topic, saying, “And why did you end up like this again? You promised me that you’d take good care of yourself. So I removed the bodyguards and even let you have a vampire for a butler. But in the end, you still ended up like this!” 

  When he heard that, the young master lowered his head and guiltily said, “I-I just wasn’t careful for a moment…” 

  “Weren’t careful?” The master said with heartache, “How many times have you not been careful? You end up like this every time, so I didn’t want to let you leave home…” 

  I smiled. The master truly did cherish the young master. 

  “Family Head.” 

  I turned my head. Curtis was looking at me. With an exceptionally brilliant smile, he said, “Family Head, did I not tell you before that I had deployed twenty people to Sunset City? Why did you not call to request help at all and instead acted on your own?” 

  I honestly explained, “It was because my cell phone had broken and I could not access my contacts list. And in the heat of the moment, I had temporarily forgotten your phone number.” 

  Curtis’s demeanor was respectful as he said, “0911-299XXX. I must trouble you to remember this string of numbers, Family Head. If you ‘temporarily forget’ again, then please return to the family and practice learning these numbers by heart for several years. By the time you will have learned them to the point you would be unable to forget, it should not be too late for you to leave the family again.” 

  “… I understand. I will call next time.” Should I be glad that, at the very least, Curtis’s demeanor is more respectful than Sadina’s? But the way the two of them behave is becoming more and more similar. They truly are related. 

  “Ah, Family Head. You really are…” Curtis sighed. 

  “Ah, Ah Ye. You really are…” The Sun Emperor sighed. 

  The two of them were halfway through their laments when they realized that they had each said almost exactly the same thing. They glanced at each other… Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that they glared at each other, and then nagged at each of their targets again, which were the young master and me. 

  Curtis scolded, “Family Head. You are a butler. Butlers are not in charge of fighting! Even if the employer is in danger, that is still a matter for the bodyguards. You absolutely do not have to…” 

  Off to the side, the master immediately turned his head toward us to growl, “What did you say? If my Ah Ye is in danger, then I expect even the old lady sweeping the toilets to go to battle!” 

  Curtis immediately roared back, “Butlers are not in charge of fighting! The contract is as clear as day, let alone the fact that he is the Elysees family head!” 

  The young master quickly grabbed the master and shouted, “Gē! Charles really isn’t responsible for fighting!” 

  I also quickly grabbed Curtis and shouted, “Curtis! Please, do not make things awkward for the young master…” 

  I was partway through speaking when the world in front of my eyes suddenly spun. It felt like all of the strength in my body had left me. There was no spot on my body that was free of pain, and I was unable to even stand. I fell against Curtis. After giving him a huge shock, he hurried to support me. 

  I last heard the young master shouting, “Charles,” closely followed by darkness… 

  When I next opened my eyes, I was not quite able to figure out my current situation. There was not even a single ray of light in my surroundings. As I struggled to sit up, every action was accompanied by the sound of water… No. Is this blood? 

  I smelled what was on me. My entire body reeked of blood. 

  I sat up. This place seemed to be a bath. The place where I was lying was at a slant, and there was even a protrusion where my neck was, seemingly to prevent my entire body from sliding into the bath… Vampires could still drown. 

  Having just awoken, my mind was still not completely clear. I could not quite understand how I had ended up in a bath of blood… 

  Next to me, a door suddenly opened. The light outside was not strong. It was a soft, yellow light, but it was enough for me to see that the person who came in was Curtis. 

  “Good morning, Family Head.” Curtis sounded fairly happy as he spoke. At the same time, he handed over a snow white towel, saying, “After climbing out of the bath, you will be in the bathing room. Outside of the bathing room is the changing room. Your clothes have already been prepared for you.” 

  I was slightly dazed as I extended my hand to take the towel. Curtis asked, “Do you need assistance in getting dressed?” 

  “… No!” 

  “Is that so?” Curtis said with some disappointment. 

  Seeing that, I said with confusion, “You do not have to be so polite toward me. In reality, you are the head of the Elysees family.” 

  Before, when Sadina was still here, Curtis had not been so zealously servile. After Sadina had passed, I thought that he would stop heeding me sooner or later. But why does it seem like the opposite has happened? 

  Curtis said with regret, “My grandmother taught me everything a butler needs to know. I have the qualifications of an official Elysees butler. I have not been negligent in my training at all! Only when I was able to serve you before were my abilities put into use for a short period of time. Spending so much time learning something only to have no place to use it is truly a tragedy.” 

  So that is how it is. I somewhat understood now. I had learned to be a butler for so long, but before I met the young master, there was no way I could truly say that I was a butler. As a result, I was dispirited for quite a long time. 

  “Regardless, please take a bath first. I will prepare sustenance for you.” 

  “All right.” 

  After I had finished bathing, I walked out. This place had been furnished like a study, but it had something that a study would not have—a metal cabin. 

  Curtis already had a tall wine glass set out. He stood beside the dining table, holding a bottle of blood in his hands. He looked just like a dutiful butler. 

  This time, I did not ask him to be less polite. Instead, I directly strode over, took a seat, and allowed him to pour me a glass of blood. 

  Before I drank the blood, I said to him, “I will have to trouble you to report to me what happened after I fainted.” 

  Curtis glanced at me with a trace of surprise in his expression. Then he began to dutifully report, “When you suddenly fainted, the Young Master Ri assessed that you had consumed a large amount of your blood ability earlier, but did not realize you had already used up more than you should have due to the painkillers. As a result, once the effects of the drug began to wear off, you fainted. Therefore, we used the same method we used last time and soaked you in blood.” 

  Hearing this, I immediately asked anxiously, “I surely have not slept through another year?” 

  Curtis laughed and said, “I was originally worried about that as well. I had even found a hospital to provide long term transfers of blood. But please do not worry. You have only been asleep for two weeks.” 

  Put at ease, I asked, “Then, what of the young master?” 

  Curtis brought over a newspaper. He did not even have to open it at all. Written on the outside was the huge headline: “The Sun Emperor’s Younger Brother—Ri Xiang Ye.” Next to it was a picture of the young master. I had no idea why, but they had chosen to use the poster from the young master’s lipstick advertisement. 

  “That your young master is the Sun Emperor’s own younger brother has been the headline news for the past two weeks. According to speculation, it will still be the headlines for another week. He is also correctly known as Ri Xiang Ye now. 

  “Incidentally, in the Cities Representative Election, Young Master Ri was originally at a stalemate with Daystar City’s Father Alex. Their votes would constantly rise and fall, with Young Master Ri sometimes in the lead and the priest leading sometimes. But after Young Master Ri was exposed as the Sun Emperor’s younger brother, his votes never took the lead again. The end results were that he lost to the opponent by over one hundred twenty thousand votes. He even almost lost to the person who was originally at a distant third place… The Sun Emperor’s reputation is truly not very good!” 

  Hearing that, I bitterly smiled and said, “You really do not like the Sun Emperor much, do you?” 

  “Yes.” Curtis nodded, but then he also said, “There is probably no one in the business world who likes him. But at the very least, the Sun Emperor and I have common ground now.” 

  “Oh?” I truly was very curious. 

  Curtis coldly said, “The Sun Emperor and I already have a tacit agreement to suppress the Church together. Within ten years, we will topple their finances so much that they will be unable to climb back up!” 

  I was stunned for a moment. Then, I quickly asked, “Why?” 

  “It does not matter what that Lieder person is planning on doing. He knows about so many things that he must have a source somewhere.” 

  “You think that his source is the Church?” I was stunned. “Lieder does not seem religious.” 

  “He does not have to be religious. It is enough if he and the Church mutually benefit.” Curtis’s expression of a dutiful butler changed into that of a proud Elysees family head. He icily said, “At the moment, I still do not know how they mutually benefit, but they have attacked you on multiple occasions. I will not tolerate any more of that! We must let them know that the Elysees family is not to be trifled with!” 

  “Wait a moment!” I hurriedly said, “You do not have to clash with the Church because of me…” 

  Curtis used a respectful tone to say something not respectful at all, “Family Head, the Sun Emperor has said that he wants to completely destroy the Church. If not for Young Master Ri stopping him, he probably would have immediately pressed the button to launch missiles at the Church’s headquarters and started an all-out war with them. I am not quite so barbarous. I only want them to be unable to do anything, even obtaining the approval of the village head to set up a tiny chapel in a village.” 

  One person wanted to bomb the Church. The other person wanted to make it so that the Church would be incapable of doing anything. These two people sound equally dangerous… At that moment, the phone rang. As soon as Curtis accepted the call, he passed it to me, saying, “Family Head, this call is for you.” 

  A call for me? Is it the young master? I hastily accepted the phone and asked, “Is this the young master?” 

  “No, no! You’ve guessed wrong! Would you like to try again?” 

  “… Lieder?” I was shocked. I would have never expected him to call me. 

  Beside me, Curtis’s expression also changed. He pressed a different button, and on a paper, wrote several words for me to read: Extend this call as much as possible so I can track his location. 

  “Charles, are you still there?” 

  “Yes.” I kept calm and said, “Lieder, you have lost. The Sun Emperor is still alive and well.” 

  The sound of laughter came from the other end of the phone. “I’ve lost? Really now?” 

  The tone of Lieder’s voice gave me a feeling of foreboding. 

  “Have I ever said that I wanted to kill Ri Xiang Yan?” 

  I froze and tried carefully to remember. Indeed, Lieder had never said that he wanted to kill the master. He had only said that he wanted to give the entire world a lesson on anthropology. Then, he had just said that the Sun Emperor was no different from everyone else. He could be hurt and he could die. 

  Lieder explained further, “If Ri Xiang Yan died, the world’s economy would crash. Everyone would just hate on the culprit instead of questioning if Ri Xiang Yan had turned into the existence of a god. So how could I possibly kill him? I just smacked his majesty on the head lightly and then slipped out of his grasp without a single scratch on me, shattering the illusion that he is untouchable.” 

  Planning such a huge incident just to smack the master on the head once… But to even smack the master on the head once was a very difficult thing. For a regular person, even drawing close should be very difficult. 

  “That’s right. I’d nearly forgotten the reason I’d called you in the first place. I have to thank you for your inverted cross bible. There was something very interesting in it. And seeing as how you’ve given me this bible, I’ll give you a word of advice.” 

  Perhaps Lieder is saying the contents of the book are very interesting, but the way “There was something very interesting in it,” was said does not sound like he means the contents of the book are what is interesting? 

  As I was puzzling over it, Lieder lightly said, “Leave Ri Xiang Ye! These coming days will be a terrible time to be a hero.” 

  After he finished speaking, the call ended. 

  I handed the phone to Curtis. He took it, pressed a few buttons, and asked, “Did you find his position?” 

  He listened for a moment, then hung up. He looked apologetic as he said, “There was interference. We were unable to find his location. May I ask if he has said anything?” 

  I hesitated for a moment, but still truthfully said, “He warned that something is going to happen.” 

  Hearing that, Curtis sighed and said, “Am I right in saying that you definitely will not agree to staying with the family?” 

  “Of course. I am the young master’s butler. I must remain at the young master’s side. That reminds me. Where is the young master now?” 

  “Why not give him a call?” Curtis told me, “Young Master Ri specifically instructed me to have you give him a call once you had awakened.” 

  I nodded. Curtis handed over the phone. 

  “Charles, you’re awake! This is great!” The young master shouted as soon as the call connected and he heard my voice. “I thought you would sleep for another year again. I didn’t think it would just be two weeks. That’s fantastic! Is your body O.K.?” 

  “Yes. There are no large hindrances!” 

  “Hurray! We don’t have to eat fried rice anymore!” 

  Aren’s furious roar came over the phone, “Hey! Next time, I won’t even cook for you! You can go out to eat!” 

  “Come back soon, Charles!” 

  “Understood.” 

  When I arrived back at the apartment, the young master opened the door for me himself. But he was not as happy as he had been on the phone. His face had bitterness all over it. 

  As I was wondering, he opened his mouth to say, “Charles, I just found out that all of P29’s criminals were released.” 

  What? I was so shocked I was unable to react. Just having Josh escape resulted in such a huge incident. If they have all been set free, then what kind of situation are we in? 

  “How did this happen? Did Lieder break them out?” 

  “No. It must have taken an untold amount of effort for him just to break Josh out. And after Josh’s escape, P29’s security would have become even stricter. He couldn’t have freed another person… Normally speaking, anyway!” 

  Not understanding, I asked, “What exactly happened?” 

  The young master sighed and said, “My brother gave the command himself. Yesterday night, he directly told the staff at P29 to let all the criminals go. No one dares to disobey an order from Gēge, other than Kyle-gē and another one of his personal secretaries. But Gēge didn’t tell the two of them. After he gave the order, he went to bed. It wasn’t until this morning when he woke up that he suddenly realized what he had done, and he had no idea why he’d done it.” 

  I immediately blurted out, “Could it have been Josh?” 

  The young master nodded and said, “We were all tricked. Lieder’s true goal wasn’t to kill my brother. He wanted to release all of the dangerous criminals with special abilities in P29!” 

  “Lieder needed time to let Josh command my brother… You still remember when Josh was starting to give me commands before, he needed to unsettle me, and said I was a robot?” 

  I nodded. That incident had left a deep impression, since the young master had nearly killed Solitary Butterfly after that. 

  “For people with willpowers that are too strong, Josh has to shake their will before he can give a command. And I’m the best thing to use to shake Gēge’s will. Lieder probably snatched us to be hostages so that he could film me tied up or injured by an explosion and show it to my brother… Although Gēge also doesn’t remember seeing a sight like that.” 

  So it was like that. 

  Lieder has just been joined by a large number of dangerous criminals with special abilities? I felt extremely uneasy and muttered, “Will there be a war?” 

  “I don’t know.” The young master frowned and said, “But if Gēge wasn’t wrong in saying that Lieder’s information comes from the Church, then you’d best warn X.” 

  “Warn X?” I did not quite understand. What does X have to do with this? 

  “Yes!” The young master nodded and said, “The Church must be getting some sort of benefit for them to leak this information to Lieder. Although Lieder robbed a lot of money the other night, that definitely cannot be the Church’s goal. The Church doesn’t need to do that sort of thing for money. It must be for something else. 

  “What Lieder has done so far is robbing money, hitting my brother on the head, exposing my identity, and releasing all the criminals in P29. The first three things can’t be the Church’s goal, so only the last one could be! I think that among the criminals are some people that the Church wants. And the Church has been closely following X before. The criminals with special abilities that they want perhaps have to do with seeking and killing X!” 

  Hearing this much, I truly began to worry. Just Josh alone has thrown everything into chaos. What kind of special abilities do the other criminals have? They will not really capture X, will they? Once a person falls into the Church’s grasp, they would meet such a horrible fate that it is beyond my imagination! 

  The young master said consolingly, “Charles, don’t worry. I also have to catch all those criminals anyway!” 

  Having said this, the young master brought over a stack of documents from the desk. There was an eye-catching red warning symbol on the envelope of the documents. 

  “I had Kyle-gē keep this from Gēge and secretly send the information of the most dangerous criminals. These people have to be captured at once!” 

  I said doubtfully, “But Lieder caused such a huge incident here. They probably would not dare to come to Sunset City, would they?” 

  The young master nodded. He said, “So pack your suitcase. We’re going on a global hunt!”


  No Hero    

  Volume 6, Character Introductions

  Translator: lucathia (proofread by Trespasserby) 

  Li Qi: The chicken merchant at the food market. He is a towering young man who is very outspoken and straightforward. 

  Ni Cai: A rather famous doctor. He is one of Charles’s professors at the university and also Lieder’s friend. 

  Shuu Kahl: Charles’s classmate. 

  Afterword 

  Although the fifth, sixth, and seventh volumes of No Hero each focus on a different case, these three volumes actually have to be combined together for the overarching case to be considered complete. That’s why the flames from this time’s incident will burn on in the next volume! 

  In this volume, the butler sure showed off his prowess! (Even though it ended with him falling unconscious.) 

  It was only after writing up to the sixth volume that I discovered that the butler could be so impressive in battle—I really have to thank painkillers! 

  Charles, you are just like Popeye the Sailor Man. You should take analgesics in place of eating spinach! (Wrong! Good children should not copy this.) 

  Throughout the entire volume, the other heroes had nowhere to show off their skills, but they actually worked hard, too. When the criminals were firing their guns everywhere in the business district, they were actually the ones who worked with the police to wipe them out. 

  Using a first person point of view has always given me a huge headache. Back when I first posted No Hero online, I used the first person point of view, but when it came time to officially publish the series, I had once tried using a third person point of view to write the story. 

  The third person point of view has the advantage of showing many different characters’ perspectives. In this kind of story where “the hero is everywhere, while the butler is taking care of housework at home,” a third person point of view is truthfully a lot more convenient. 

  However, using the third person point of view would lose the butler’s perspective of the heroic young master. The reading experience would lose the unique feeling of slowly getting to know the daily life of a hero, of surmising the inner thoughts of the hero through his actions and words. That’s why I deleted the beginning that I had written in third person. In the end, I used first person. 

  However, the disadvantage of using first person is how I sometimes really can’t find a way to let Charles know all of the details of what is going on, and thus, the reader is left in the dark as well. It is true, though, that I can at least fill in some of the details in the beginning pages of each chapter. 

  Ever since I started writing, I have felt that both first person and third person have their benefits and shortcomings. Neither is a perfect fit without any faults. It’s just that one of them will suit the story better! 

  Fortunately, of all that I have written so far, there is no series where I would choose a different point of view than the one I had chosen, if I were given the choice to choose again. 

  I have written the Church’s image to be quite poor. Let me make it up to them by saying that this story views the Church from the perspective of a vampire butler and his young master, who both side with X. That’s why they feel very ******, but as a matter of fact, that is not the whole story. They have their reasons for acting the way they do. 

  Currently, I have plans to write E.X.’s story. Lieder and co.’s story will also become a separate book. These two series will likely involve the Church more. They may or may not help them make a comeback! 

  With those in addition to the previous Eclipse Hunter, which is the master and the young master’s story, the scope of this story universe is so huge that my hand feels weak from writing, like I won’t ever finish writing. But, you can read each series as a standalone. On top of that, since the main character is different, the style of each series isn’t exactly the same either. 

  However, the series have places where they overlap, and there are also events that lead to other events, yet they must all stand alone… 囧, my ability to dig a hole to bury myself seems to have grown even stronger. 

  Nonetheless, I always get a sense of satisfaction when I see the world inside the story develop more and the lives of the characters advance continuously! 

  It’s like I have given birth to a bunch of children, watching them gradually grow up. They each have their own lives. It’s truly a great feeling! 

  I also hope that I have given everyone a sense of how these characters are continuously making growth. 

  However, I will have to ask everyone to wait a bit for the stories to come. I still have a few series I am currently writing. In the future, I only have plans to write two series at once as well! 

  Doing it that way should be better. That way, you won’t have to wait too long for the next volume of a certain series. 

  However, the disadvantage is that you’ll have to wait longer for new series. 

  Sure enough, there are advantages and disadvantages to everything! 

  I pray to the God of Light: I wish for advantages to multiply and for disadvantages to lessen. 

  Last but not least, the seventh volume of No Hero will be the final volume. The preview this time will be very short because I want everyone to read the actual content of volume seven. I don’t want you to find out the content in the preview. 

  No Hero Volume 7: The End, the Beginning 

  Criminals with special abilities have escaped from P29. Other than humans and non-humans, there are now special ability users that are like both humans and non-humans. This world is becoming more and more complicated! 

  As the incident involving the criminals progresses, the battle between the heroes and the criminals finally unfolds. However, this is not the end but a beginning… 

  By Yu Wo 

  Character Introductions 

  Sun Emperor 

  Profession: Business boss 

  Sun Emperor’s famous words: Credibility and ruthlessness are the rules of the business world! 

  Lieder 

  Profession: Anthropology professor who part-times as an assassin. 

  Lieder’s famous words: The difference between humans and other humans is that there is no difference! 

  Xie Wei 

  Profession: The leader of the police department’s NC squad. 

  Xie Wei’s famous words: Get the handcuffs and drag them to the police station!

  No Hero    

  Volume 7, Prologue

  Translator Ever (C/E edited by lucathia) 

  I opened the curtains and the fiery sunlight outside shone in. For a vampire, its effect was no less than that of an arrow. Even as a fifth-generation vampire, pain still shot through my skin. 

  The time was only nearing five, yet the sun had already risen. Even at night, the air was stuffy and hot. This summer was unbelievably hot, the air conditioner nearly always on, or else the temperature inside could rise above thirty-eight degrees Celsius. 

  It was so hot that everyone’s appetite had gone down. There were even some leftovers these days. It seemed that I should make some more cold dishes, and every meal should have some refreshing appetizers. I wonder if the young master will like cold spicy jellyfish salad or plum-pickled radishes? He will probably like both? I can make them on alternating days… 

  “Charles.” 

  “Young Master.” I turned around in surprise to see that the young master was already standing in the living room. The young master’s footsteps have become lighter and lighter these days. 

  “Can you prepare a bottle of water for me?” The young master had already put on his workout clothes but did not go exercising immediately after saying goodbye like he always did. He scrunched up his brows and said, “While I’m out running, I usually pass by a park with a water fountain, but the fountain was broken yesterday, and the weather was so hot that I got super thirsty later on!” 

  No wonder the young master gulped down a lot of water when he came home yesterday. I had thought that the weather was simply too hot. My honorable father, my observation skills still need improving. I hope that I can be half as good as the young master in reading people’s “faces” in the future. 

  “Young Master, please wait for a moment.” 

  I went into my room and gave the young master a card when I came out. 

  “You should pass by a convenience store on the way. You can use this to buy water or milk. This would be much more convenient than jogging with a water bottle.” 

  The young master looked at the image on the card and smiled. It was of Dark Sun with his metal wings, and he was holding the Death Scythe. However, it was not a photograph but a carefully crafted oil painting. Compared to photos that could be found in newspapers, this was much more delicate and unique. 

  “Is this also from collecting points at the convenience store?” The young master stifled a laugh and said, “There’s milk and toast for breakfast again today, right?” 

  “Yes,” I confessed embarrassedly and hurriedly explained, “but this is for making honey toast. Plenty of bread is needed to make them.” 

  The young master asked curiously, “What is honey toast?” 

  I opened my mouth and was about to explain, but changed my mind shortly and smiled as I said, “This is a ‘secret.’ Please look forward to today’s breakfast.” 

  The young master’s eyes immediately lit up, and he did not ask any further but stared down at the card. He really did like secrets. 

  “Bringing a card instead is really much more convenient…” The young master stopped short and suddenly raised his head to ask, “Have you finished collecting all the secret versions?” 

  “Not yet. There are four secret versions this time, so it is a bit hard. I am still missing a Dragon Peace in leopard shorts.” 

  Thinking of this, I could not help but sigh. Collecting points at the convenience store has gotten more and more complicated. The secret versions this time were all of the heroes with different weapons, but Dragon Peace does not even have a weapon, so they gave him different shorts. This is stretching it a bit far, but I have collected all the others, and this one is the only one left. It would be a shame to not get it… 

  The young master laughed. “Then, I’ll go get drinks at the convenience store and help you collect points. We definitely have to get the Dragon Peace in leopard shorts. I’m gonna show it to Aren! Oh! Charles, can you get me a pair of extra large leopard shorts? I’m gonna give it to Aren at the same time!” 

  I laughed. “Yes.” 

  “Then, I’ll be off.” 

  The young master said so and went out happily. This was the first time that he had shown a happy expression these few days. The young master had been investigating the whereabouts of the missing criminals, but it did not seem to be going smoothly, so the young master had been very solemn recently. Looks like I will need to prepare more “secrets” in the future. 

  “Ah—Ah, I’m starving!” 

  As usual, Mr. Bramble and the other two walked in at five-thirty, and like always, Dell declared that he was hungry. They did not have to come this early, since the young master was not at home from five to seven, so even if they came, they would just be waiting for the young master to return home. 

  However, Mr. Bramble did not seem to think so. He felt that when the young master wakes up, then it was time for them to start working. If not because they did not want to make the young master go out of his way to greet them, they would have probably come at five o’clock. 

  I made a pot of tea for them and smiled. “Then, I will go prepare breakfast.” 

  Mr. Bramble had already buried his head inside the newspaper, May nodded, and Dell grumbled loudly, “Hurry up, go cook!” 

  I smiled and started toward the kitchen. To be honest, the ingredients have all been prepared, so that makes the cooking quite fast, but we still need to wait until seven when the young master comes back and wait another twenty minutes for him to shower… 

  Ding dong. 

  The doorbell rang when I had just walked to the end of the living room. I turned around to tell the others, “I will get it.” 

  From the front door security camera, I could see that a stranger I had never seen before was standing outside. Her heart-shaped face looked very fine, her features elegant. The slightly uplifted edge of her phoenix eyes gave off a classy aura, and she was also wearing classic clothing. Since the clothing was very fitting, I could see that her figure was a bit unlike a woman’s. 

  Is this a “her” with a flat figure, or a “he” with a pretty face? I really could not tell. 

  But these problems did not draw as much attention as the person’s right eye. It was a mechanical eye, and though mechanical body parts were plentiful in this age, pairing it with such a classically beautiful face was a shame. 

  “May I ask who this is?” I avoided saying mister or mistress. 

  “I’m Bai Lian Yue,” the person said lazily, “the Sun Emperor’s left hand. Understand?” 

  Upon hearing this answer, I was a bit surprised. Although Secretary Kyle had been here quite a few times, even more often than the master, I had only heard of Secretary Bai and had never met. Rumors say that Secretary Bai oversaw things that “could not be made public,” which did not have much to do with the young master, and thus never had a need to come over. 

  But what surprised me more was that this person’s voice was very unisex and could belong to a man or woman, and thus I still could not tell what the person’s gender was. I will use “her” for now. 

  “Is there any way to verify your identity?” 

  “The phone that Kyle gave you has my contact info, right? There should be a picture of me in there.” She covered her mouth and yawned lightly. Her actions were very graceful, which led me to guess that she should be a woman. 

  I took out the phone, and there was indeed contact information on Secretary Bai and a photo. Though I had been curious about Secretary Bai before, the young master had never needed to contact her, so I had never opened it before, or else I would have been surprised by how young Secretary Bai was. She looked only about twenty-five. 

  “Hello, Secretary Bai, nice to meet you,” I greeted as I opened the door to let her in. 

  Secretary Bai stepped in with gentle footsteps and glanced around the room. As soon as Mr. Bramble and the others heard that it was “the Sun Emperor’s left hand,” they had stood up immediately and turned into professional bodyguards on standby, including Dell who was originally slouched on the sofa. 

  But it seemed that Secretary Bai did not even intend to greet them, turning around directly and asking me, “Where’s Ah Ye?” 

  “The young master is out exercising,” I said in some surprise. Even Secretary Kyle did not address the young master as “Ah Ye” but used “young master,” along with me, Mr. Bramble, and the others. 

  “Oh, right, he goes exercising early every morning. Ah Ye hasn’t been living at home for such a long time that I’ve forgotten that.” Secretary Bai said with a slight frown, “Then, I’ll wait here! I heard that your cooking is good. Remember to prepare my breakfast.” 

  Living at home? Does this secretary also live at “home” with the master and Mr. An Te Qi… Stop thinking, no matter what the answer is, it is the master’s privacy. I should not have even wondered, not to mention think about it! 

  Dear father, though I am already over a hundred and fifty years old and have had much more learning time than others, I am still going against your teachings. If you were still here, you would definitely scold me relentlessly! 

  “Understood, please take a seat Secretary Bai. I will go prepare breakfast right now. How many servings would you like to have?” 

  Secretary Bai paused and raised an eyebrow. “One, of course. Do I look like two to you?” 

  “Definitely not.” But the young master does not look like six either. 

  “Are there any foods that you do not eat or foods that you prefer?” 

  After thinking for a moment, Secretary Bai said, “Then, get me some caviar cookies.” 

  “… My apologies, we have not prepared those ingredients in the house.” 

  “Oh, right. I forgot again that Ah Ye hates caviar. Then it’s fine, just avoid fried foods. I’m getting old. It’s hard to maintain my figure.” 

  Getting old… Wait, the young master hates caviar? I have never heard of that. I should note this down properly. 

  “Understood.”


  No Hero    

  Volume 7, The First Step Toward the End: Sin, the Original

  Translator: Raylight (proofread by Trespasserby & Minthe; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  “Hey!” 

  A black shadow loomed over me with a can. I took the can with a smile, thanking the other, “Thanks, Ezart.” 

  If Ri Xiang Ye knew that I was currently on an adventure with his best friend, would he immediately charge into the ancient tomb? If he really were to charge in, I guess adventuring together with him wouldn’t be too bad either? 

  “You have a high opinion of me, right?” 

  “What do you mean high opinion? Can you not talk as if I’m interested in you? I don’t lean that way!” The other person grumbled uneasily, and then admitted straightforwardly, “There’s a bunch of investors who insist on coming along on the expeditions, but very few of them actually have any combat abilities. Most of them are just a burden. You’re actually pretty strong, not too shabby!” 

  As expected of a battle manic. Even his standards for judging people are so simple. 

  “Oh yeah, Ah Shou, what exactly are you looking for?” asked Ezart as he scratched his head. “This ancient tomb looks like there’s nothing in it at all.” 

  “If I tell you that I actually don’t know either, will you beat me to death?” If I were hit by this person’s full strength, I would definitely be sent flying and splattered on the wall—that was not a speculation, but something that had already happened multiple times. 

  Ezart raised an eyebrow at that and replied, “What would I beat you up for? Whether you find it or not is none of my business. You’re paying me either way!” 

  “Do you really care about the money? These kinds of ‘adventures’ are so dangerous that if you slip up, you won’t be alive to spend the money.” 

  “I still got to make a living somehow!” Ezart snapped back. 

  I looked at him, with a ghost of a smile on my face. 

  “… And adventuring seemed interesting.” 

  “Young Master, welcome home,” I said as I handed over the towel for wiping his sweat. 

  “Charles, what happened?” 

  Unexpectedly, the moment he finished wiping his sweat and raised his head, he noticed from my appearance that something was off. His ability to read faces was still absurdly high, but this time, he did not need a reply from me. 

  “Ah Ye,” Secretary Bai greeted and stood up. 

  The young master froze and shouted, “Ah Yue-gē, why are you here?” 

  … Ah Yue… gē? 

  “I came to have breakfast together with you!” Secretary Bai said with a smile. 

  The young master’s eyes widened a little, which I believed was his expression of disbelief. However, he did not comment on it, and merely turned to tell me, “Then Charles, go and prepare breakfast first. I’ll shower after breakfast.” 

  “Understood.” 

  I first served the appetizers for everyone to enjoy before I went on to prepare the rest of the food. 

  “What is this?” Secretary Bai stared at the two appetizers without holding back any doubts. 

  “Jellyfish salad and chilled radish pickled with plum juice.” In the end, I still decided to make both dishes, though I was not sure if our guest liked spicy food, so I decided against the spicy jellyfish. 

  Seeing that our guest still had doubts about the menu, I introduced each dish in detail: “The jellyfish’s bell is rich in collagen, which has beautifying effects, as well as giving it a chewy texture when eaten. The other dish, radish pickled in plum juice, has a slightly sour taste, which is good for stimulating one’s appetite.” 

  As per usual, the young master’s eyes immediately sparkled when he saw food he had not tried before. He swiftly picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the jellyfish, exclaiming, “Ah! This is so chewy, and so delicious!” 

  The young master appears to like chewy textures. I should make a note to use more of such ingredients in the future. 

  Secretary Bai tried a piece of the pickled radish and appeared to like it, soon taking another. However, the jellyfish was left completely untouched. Secretary Bai did not eat anymore after two pieces of radish and questioned, “Ah Ye, were you thinking of looking for those escaped criminals?” 

  The young master, who had been happily enjoying his food, froze in place. Though I was extremely interested in the continuation of this conversation, I had to go back to the kitchen to prepare the rest of the breakfast. Once back in the kitchen, I used x-speed to chop the vegetables, then chopped the beef that was to be the main dish later, and put it into the oven… 

  Within a minute, I served the second dish, romaine lettuce salad with smoked salmon, together with freshly toasted milk buns. 

  When I walked into the living room, Secretary Bai was in the middle of persuading the young master, “Ah Ye, rather than going on a wild goose chase, why don’t you give me a hand?” 

  “What do you need my help with?” The young master asked doubtfully. 

  After putting down the plate of salad, I had to return to the kitchen, and hence prepared the rest of the dishes with x-speed. I assembled the main dish of beef and vegetable skewers, and then put the brick toast for the honey toast into the oven. Once that was done, I came out with the freshly grilled beef skewers and various drinks. 

  “Act in a movie?” The young master seemed not to comprehend as he inquired, “What does acting have to do with catching criminals?” 

  Movie? Though I did once hear from Lin Ding that someone wanted to ask the young master to act in their movie, there was no talk of it afterwards. To think that Secretary Bai is the one requesting the young master to act in a movie now. 

  Thankfully, the brick toast would still take a while longer to finish baking, so I would be able to stay in the living room for a short while. 

  “Have you heard of Alex Simon?” Secretary Bai abruptly brought up someone unrelated. 

  The young master nodded as he answered, “He is the representative of Daystar City.” 

  “I intend to ask him to star in this movie together with you.” 

  “Oh?” The young master’s curiosity was piqued as he asked, “Who will he be playing?” 

  “A priest.” 

  Is Alex’s profession not already that of a priest? 

  The young master seemed to have thought of that too, as he inquired with a smile, “Then, who am I going to play?” 

  “A beautiful youth.” 

  The young master is also a beautiful youth. It seemed as though there was no need to act for the two leads of this movie. Though, speaking of which, a character setting like “beautiful youth” did not seem to require any acting. 

  “This is the movie project plan. Take a look and see if you are interested in it first!” 

  Secretary Bai passed the plan over and started eating the milk buns. It seemed as though compared to the cold appetizers and raw salads, “he” preferred food that was piping hot. 

  After asking him for his choice of beverage, I poured a cup of freshly squeezed apple juice with milk for him. This was a little surprising for me, as I could not have imagined that he would pick the same beverage as the young master. From his behavior up until now, I believed that he would ask for a glass of table wine. It was fortunate that he did not though, for we only had cooking wine at home. 

  The young master looked at the plan, and then reflexively read it out loud: “The Hunting of a Vampire.” 

  … 

  “Pft!” The young master laughed as he asked, “Who named this?” 

  Secretary Bai shrugged with both hands up, saying, “Isn’t it Ah Yan? Who else could it be?” 

  Hearing that, the young master’s smile faded. He asked in suspicion, “Could it be that Gēge told you to stop me from doing something dangerous?” 

  “Aiya! Are you doubting me?” Secretary Bai’s eyes turned wide. He was not expecting the young master to actually nod his head though, so he could only helplessly explain, “The plan to shoot this movie has long been in the works, so we decided to simply make use of it for the sake of the investigation. Under the pretense of borrowing the fame of the city representative contest, we will invite the first and second place winners, Alex and you, to be the lead actors. This way, not only will it appear less suspicious, the movie is also more or less a sure hit. No matter what, it’s a good deal!” 

  The young master still did not quite believe him. He shook his head as he inquired, “Investigation? What’s there to investigate about a movie filming? Ah Yue-gē, you’re still lying to me to get me to stop pursuing the criminals, right?” 

  Secretary Bai glared with both eyes, exclaiming, “Ah Ye, am I that unreliable to you? Fine, I understand. Stop nodding your head so fast, like I have no credibility at all! Sigh, to be honest with you, Alex Simon is no ordinary priest.” 

  Up to this point, it appeared that they were equally matched. Indeed, Secretary Bai had seemed to be trying to divert the young master’s attention to other matters, so that he would not go and hunt down the P29 criminals. Naturally, the young master would not agree to that, and was instead trying to fish out some information from Secretary Bai. 

  “Within the Sin Elimination Committee of the Church, there is one person whose main job is hunting down E.X. The person in that position is called “Sin Simon.” I strongly suspect that Alex is related to that Sin Simon. Even their surname is the same. Therefore, he most likely will know some information about the criminal that the Church wants.” 

  Secretary Bai glanced at me and continued, “Ah Ye, you are friends with the Church’s nemesis, E.X, right? If that is the case, the criminal that you want to hunt down the most must be the one that the Church desires. Isn’t that so?” 

  “So that’s how it is. That’s why you’re trying to get me to star in a movie with Father Alex!” The young master then asked without batting an eyelid, “Then, who is the criminal that the Church wants?” 

  Secretary Bai shrugged, innocently saying that he “didn’t know,” not revealing any useful information. 

  The young master stared at Secretary Bai, his eyes full of mistrust. 

  Secretary Bai blinked—to think that even mechanical eyes have eyelids for blinking—as he said, “Didn’t Kyle already give you a list of all the dangerous criminals? Did you manage to guess which one of them it is?” 

  The young master shook his head. 

  “If even you can’t tell who it is with your capabilities, Ah Ye, then how am I to know who it is?” 

  The young master frowned, as though he was not sure whether to believe him or not. However, with his ability to “read faces,” he ought to be able to tell if Secretary Bai is indeed lying, right? 

  Secretary Bai sighed as he said, “The rest of the criminals are dangerous, sure, but Ah Yan is not to be trifled with either. The adjudication squad is pretty useful in their pursuit and capture, too. The most troublesome one is the one wanted by the Church!” 

  At this point, he took another beef skewer and elegantly bit off a piece of meat. He seemed very calm and composed in the midst of all these matters as he chewed, and only when he was done did he continue, “With the Church protecting that criminal, we definitely won’t be able to find him! So, we can only work on the assumption that the Church might want to use this criminal to pursue X. However, the Church is extremely thorough in their protection of Sin Simon. It is entirely impossible to find out who he is.” 

  Following that, he said no more and did not even look at the young master anymore, completely engrossed in eating the beef skewers. Even though he was the only one eating in the entire living room, he was just as content. He appeared not to mind the young master who was deep in thought, not to mention Mr. Bramble and the others. The three of them practically did not dare to touch their breakfast, and even the young master’s words to sit down were of no avail. 

  I lowered my head and requested, “Young Master, may I interrupt?” 

  The young master nodded and said, “Speak!” 

  “Actually, Sin Simon is not a person, but a position: a position that is mainly responsible for capturing X. Regardless of whoever became ‘Sin,’ he would from then on change his name to ‘Sin’ and keep only his original surname.” 

  Secretary Bai’s eyes widened as he exclaimed, “If that’s true, there’s a possibility that Alex is Sin Simon himself.” 

  “Indeed, such a possibility exists.” 

  X had once mentioned to me that it had taken three hundred years before he finally realized that the people hunting him down had already changed several times. When I had heard that, I felt a little sorry for those “Sins.” 

  It was unclear whether it was due to having lived too long, but X was not mindful of many issues. He often claimed that anyways, those humans and issues were short-lived and would disappear in time, so there was no need to spend the effort to remember them. 

  “Sins” especially were short-lived. Many were killed, and even if they were not, their lifespans were mysteriously short. Generally, they departed this world at the age range of forty to fifty. Having to hear yet another hunter’s “first meeting spiel” every once in a while made X extremely fed up, and he would even spare Sins’ lives because of it, so as to avoid hearing another new Sin’s declaration. 

  “If that’s so, then that’s even more reason to investigate!” shouted Secretary Bai. 

  “That can’t be right!” The young master shook his head and shouted, “If Alex is Sin Simon, then since he has finally gotten his hands on that criminal after a lot of difficulty, of course he would go after X. Why would he agree to star in a movie?” 

  “That’s why we have to get you there!” Secretary Bai explained as a matter of fact, “You are acquainted with X, and your butler is very close to him. No matter how busy he is, he probably isn’t willing to let go of such a lead.” 

  Once the young master heard that, he shouted unhappily, “So Ah Yue-gē, you intend to use Charles!” 

  I quickly cut in, “Young Master, it is my sincere wish to be of help to X.” 

  The young master then relaxed a little, but still appeared to be largely discontent with Secretary Bai. 

  Secretary Bai quickly assured, “Aiya, Ah Ye, don’t be nervous. The entire film crew is mine. Nothing will happen!” 

  “I don’t believe you!” Unexpectedly, the young master responded with no trace of politeness, “You and Kyle-gē are both the same. Both of you would absolutely never betray Gēge! How am I to trust you two?!” 

  Secretary Bai exclaimed, “Didn’t Kyle give you the information on the criminals? You already trust his information, so why don’t you trust me?” 

  “Kyle-gē was willing to give me the criminals’ data because he knew that if he didn’t give it to me, I would be able to find it myself. I have the highest access rights possible in the Sun Alliance and can get into any database. That’s why he just tidied things up and passed it to me, so that I wouldn’t rampage through the whole database looking for it.” 

  The young master asserted, “So Gēge must have asked you to stop me from hunting down those criminals, and the movie is just a pretense!” 

  However, Secretary Bai burst into laughter, as he said, “Do you think that Ah Yan is not willing to let you go hunt down criminals, but is willing to let you go confront the Church? Those are the strongest people of the Church, people who are hunting down a thousand-year-old vampire. Would they be easier to deal with than the criminals?” 

  The young master froze, his brows furrowed, deep in thought. 

  Secretary Bai softly spoke, “Ah Ye, what I was thinking was that rather than letting you run around recklessly till we can’t find you, which will make Ah Yan worry till his heart and stomach hurts, I might as well give you a mission. Not only can we make use of your strength, we can also keep you under our eye. That really would be more reassuring! 

  “Sigh, but I know that persuading you is just as hard as persuading Ah Yan. You two brothers sure are similar. What a pain!” 

  The young master’s face flushed red. It was not the first time that he was told that he was very similar to the Sun Emperor, but it just so happened that the person who was the most headache-inducing for the young master was also the master. Thus, this fact would always make him feel a little awkward. 

  “Thus, I decided that I might as well as get you to investigate Alex. This is a genuine, huge lead, not one made up to deceive you!” At this point, Secretary Bai noticed the young master’s hesitant expression and immediately raised his offer, “Other than this mission, if I find out that there are criminals nearby, I will inform you and let you sneak out to capture them in the free time when we are not filming. Is this okay?” 

  The young master looked rather tempted by his offer, but still questioned skeptically, “You promise you won’t tell Gēge?” 

  Secretary Bai lifted his fingers and swore, “I swear to the heavens that I absolutely will not tell Ah Yan!” 

  The young master nodded. Suddenly, he lifted his head and looked over, hesitantly calling, “Charles…” 

  “What is it, Young Master?” 

  The young master must be inviting me to go to the movie filming location with him, right? The young master always did seem a little uneasy when it came to things he had not done before, so he would want to find someone to go with him— 

  “I smell something burning.” 

  … The honey toast! 

  “Though it was a pity that I didn’t get to eat the honey toast, it’s been a long time since I have seen you make that expression like the sky is falling down, Charles! How interesting! Hahaha!” 

  The young master was full of joyous laughter, which made me feel less guilty about my mistake of burning the food. However, a different issue troubled me, and I asked anxiously, “Young Master, did I really show an expression as if the sky is falling down?” 

  “Not at all!” Dell muttered loudly at one side, “The butler only has that one expression, a faint smile! He doesn’t have any other expressions. Just now, he just froze up a little, and his smile disappeared a little. In what way did that look like the sky was falling down?” 

  To think that even Dell could spot the difference in my expression and body movement, the sky certainly was falling down! 

  Burning the toast because I was too engrossed in listening in on the conversation, and then showing an inappropriate expression as if the sky were falling… My honorable father, I really ought to punish myself by going back to the family and training for another hundred years! 

  “Charles, don’t blame yourself for it. It’s just burnt toast!” comforted the young master, who was always so magnanimous. “Just make another honey toast later!” 

  “Understood, Young Master.” I will absolutely make the most delicious honey toast ever to make up for this mistake! 

  “Charles, accompany me to the movie filming location?” 

  As expected, the young master asked this of me. Even though he was almost twenty-four, he still seemed afraid to try new things on his own. 

  However, even up to now, I felt that it might be better if the young master did not correct this habit. That was because the young master was too good at enduring painful matters. No matter how painful it might be, he would always endure it silently on his own, making others’ hearts ache in their helplessness. A small weakness like this was instead a good thing. 

  “Since I have already promised Ah Yue-gē to film, then I have to let the Church come to Sunset City. In the event that Alex really is Sin Simon, then you could be in danger. We might run into Alex at the filming location, but both Melody and I will be there so it will be safer for you. I think it’s best if I bring you along with me.” 

  So he was worrying for my safety. The young master has truly matured a lot, unlike me. Not only have I failed to become a more responsible butler after serving the young master for this long, I even keep making mistakes one after another. Even in a simple task like cooking, I could burn the food again and again… 

  “Hmm, this expression of Charles’s is so hard to read. At first it kind of looks like gratitude, then like self-reproach.” 

  I am grateful to you and reproaching myself. 

  “Young Master!” Dell suddenly interrupted, “That Bai Lian Yue, is he really a guy? His face looks completely female! I initially thought he was the Sun Emperor’s mistress—” 

  Before he could finish, Mr. Bramble roared at him, “Dell, what nonsense are you spouting? Shut your filthy mouth! Have you forgotten who the other person is?” 

  Hearing that, Dell scratched his head and muttered a few sentences along the lines of “I’m just saying.” However, he did not dare to speak up again. In comparison to Secretary Bai, Dell was more respectful to Mr. Kyle, for he would not dare to say anything bad about him even behind his back. It was highly likely that Secretary Bai’s delicate looks made it difficult for others to respect him. 

  “Ah Yue-gē originally didn’t look like that.” The young master smiled as he said, “That was done by Bàba!” 

  Mr. An Te Qi? What is the relation between Secretary Bai’s appearance and Mr. An Te Qi? Perhaps his eyes were modified by Mr. An Te Qi, but the topic in question now seems to be Secretary Bai’s rather feminine appearance. 

  The young master answered in a tone as though it was just a matter of fact, “Also, saying that Ah Yue-gē is Gēge’s mistress might be right?” 

  “…” 

  “I thought that the Sun Emperor likes women!” Dell’s eyes turned wide, and he started yelling as though he had just heard the biggest gossip of the century, “The number of women rumored to have been with the Sun Emperor before is enough to form a mountain. How can it be possible that he likes guys?” 

  The young master frowned as he said, “I don’t know whether Gēge likes girls or guys. He’s never brought a girlfriend or boyfriend home. But Ah Yue-gē frequently comes over to my house to work, so eventually he simply stayed at our place. In the morning, he would head to work with my brother… If Gēge was willing to go to work.” 

  “The Sun Emperor refusing to go to work?” Now was May’s turn to question, as he asked in confusion, “I had once heard that he was a workaholic.” 

  The young master laughed as he explained, “That was a long time ago! I heard from Kyle-gē that in that time period when Gēge was still looking for me, he really was a big workaholic! He frequently slept only two hours a day, and had even done stuff like not sleeping for five days straight when he was busy. Kyle-gē would always advise Gēge to take care of himself and not to overwork, but since Kyle-gē is also a workaholic, Gēge ignored him.” 

  When one workaholic tells another workaholic to take care of themselves and not to overwork, that is indeed not convincing in the least bit, especially if the first mentioned workaholic is Mr. Kyle. 

  “Afterwards, Gēge found me, and then became a bit lazier. Though he’s still pretty serious about his work, at least he’s not a workaholic anymore!” 

  It was a rare moment in which the young master was willing to divulge so much about himself, so everyone listened to him in silence. Even Dell was unwilling to interrupt the moment. 

  “This continued until I graduated high school and spent more time at home. At that time, Gēge became even lazier and often didn’t want to go to work. Kyle-gē was steaming mad! Therefore, Kyle-gē simply decided to send Ah Yue-gē to stay at our house. That way, he could drag Gēge to work every day.” 

  The young master gave an ironic laugh as he continued, “But the moment Gēge shows a sorrowful expression, Ah Yue-gē completely gives in to him. Kyle-gē was so furious, he said that he was going to stab both of them to death!” 

  From what the young master was saying, it felt like the Sun Emperor was very close to his two secretaries, which was largely different from the “heartless Sun Emperor” of the rumors. 

  “In the end, Kyle-gē noticed that I was really bored and didn’t know what to do, so he asked me to be Gēge’s bodyguard and drag him to work every day.” 

  After he graduated high school, he worked as the Sun Emperor’s bodyguard for a period of time. I quietly committed all of the young master’s words to memory. 

  “Young Master, at this time, all I need to ask is this!” Dell placed both hands on the young master’s shoulders and sternly asked, “Does that Bai Lian Yue share the same room as the Sun Emperor?” 

  The young master answered with no hesitation, “They use different rooms.” 

  Dell looked like a deflated balloon, as he listlessly moaned, “Oh, I thought that there was going to be major gossip!” 

  “Gossip? Which part of it was gossip?” The young master looked utterly confused. 

  Young Master, every sentence you spoke just now was gossip. If there had been any reporters in the apartment, they would have been over the moon hearing about the Sun Emperor’s secrets. In fact, it was highly likely that they would have been even more ecstatic than if they were receiving the Pulitzer Prize. 

  “Dell, May, let’s go. It’s time to work.” Usually, Mr. Bramble would head to the rooftop to work exactly at eight, but because of Secretary Bai’s visit today, they were a little late. 

  I saw the three people to the door and as per usual said, “Please take your time. I will go up and deliver some tea later.” Then, I shut the door, and upon looking back I saw the young master drinking his apple milk through his straw, his expression a little distressed. 

  Only when he finished the entire glass of milk did he sigh. “Seriously, that Ah Yue-gē, even if it’s for a mission, if I’m asked to go act in a movie out of the blue like that, I don’t know if I can act well!” 

  I immediately followed up, saying, “Young Master, you will definitely be able to do it! That’s because you have to play both the role of a weak model and a strong hero every day, so how could your acting skills be bad?” 

  The young master helplessly said, “Charles, I graduated in a combat major, so even when I’m modeling, I’m not exactly weak right?” 

  Ah…. 

  “No need to explain.” The young master smiled as he shook his head, saying in understanding, “I know that everyone thinks that I’m very weak right now. That’s probably because of the last incident when I was dressed as an angel and got captured by werewolves!” 

  Indeed so, it has completely slipped my mind that the young master graduated with a combat degree. 

  “Speaking of the mission, Charles, have you notified X about the Church and the criminals?” 

  “I have done as such, Young Master, but X merely said that he would be cautious.” After I said that, I explained further, “After all, he has already been pursued for over a thousand years, so he treats the matter of being hunted down lightly.” 

  The young master nodded. He paused for a moment and then inquired, “How does it feel to have lived over a thousand years?” He looked at me, a little hesitant in his words, as though he was a little afraid to ask. 

  However, I did not mind the young master asking about such matters. Or rather, I hoped that he would ask more, for the young master was someone who would experience it in the future, and it would be good to have some mental preparation. 

  “It is inevitable that one would experience loneliness of unimaginable depths in a thousand years. I have merely lived a hundred and fifty, yet the loneliness creeps up on me from time to time.” 

  “E-Even now, are you lonely?” The young master looked a little flustered. 

  I could not resist a smile as I answered, “Presently, I am not, Young Master.” 

  The young master’s eyes widened as he exclaimed, “It’s so rare to see Charles smile so brightly!” 

  My “bright smile” froze on my face. I wavered a little as I pondered. If the young master prefers a smile like this, would it be better to give a bright smile instead of a faint smile in the future? 

  “Young Master, I’m so sleepy…” The door opened and Melody walked in listlessly. When she looked over at me, she was shocked awake in an instant. “Oh my goodness! What’s with that expression? Butler, is your face cramping?” 

  I let my bright smile drop and went back to a faint smile. 

  “C-Cramping?” The young master laughed to the point that he nearly cramped up before he stopped. He asked, “Melody, did you play at a nightclub all night again?” 

  “No way! This time, I went for a beach sprawl.” Melody lay on the sofa, her posture appearing as though she was sunbathing on the beach. 

  “Sunset City has no beaches!” The young master seemed bewildered as he asked, “Did you go out of the city?” 

  “Of course not! The beach sprawl was just a swimsuit party!” Melody bounced back up in an instant and exclaimed, “Young Master, I do love to party, but I will never forget my job. As long as you are in Sunset City, I will absolutely not leave this place!” 

  “That was my mistake. I’m sorry!” apologized the young master, with a guilt-ridden expression. He quietly murmured, “I’m really sorry.” 

  Immediately, Melody hugged the young master tight, pressing his head to her bosom. She even rubbed her face against the top of his head, as she shouted, “I forgive you. You’re forgiven! Young Master, how can you be this cuteeeee!” 

  While buried in Melody’s chest, the young master guiltily shot a look at me from the corner of his eye. I did my best to remain expressionless, but I had never managed to hide my expression from the young master. Knowing that I had already discovered that he was acting, the young master immediately turned red. 

  Young Master, you can definitely become a good actor. 

  After a while of hugging the young master in her arms and rubbing him, Melody was finally willing to release him. She then moved onto official business. “This afternoon was originally scheduled for shooting a print advertisement, but the higher-ups just called to say that since Young Master has accepted an acting role, it has been changed to a press conference to announce that you are starring in that movie.” 

  “A press conference this soon?” I was a little shocked. 

  “I know!” Melody said a little weakly, “The higher-ups said that they were planning to make use of the young master’s press conference to try and entice Father Alex into agreeing to act in the movie. Thus, they are rushing it, to avoid Alex’s schedule getting booked by others first. Though speaking of which, that priest’s looks are really something, and he has a rarely-seen gentlemanly aura to boot! He has the potential to hit the big time, but too bad he’s a priest!” 

  “Afternoon, is it?” The young master thought about it and continued, “Then, I’ll head over to the church now. Melody, you don’t have to follow me today. Just give the details of the time and location to Charles.” He turned to me and asked, “Charles, today you will be following me. Is that okay?” 

  “Very well, Young Master. As it turns out, I do have some business with Father Yue.” 

  “Oh?” The young master looked doubtful, but he did not ask any further. It was highly likely that he understood that he would be able to find out when we got there, so he decided not to pry. 

  “Hurrah, I can go sleep then!” shouted Melody, and then she coyly said, “But Young Master, if there’s any future plans that we can meet Alex, you have to bring me along!” 

  The young master feigned seriousness as he asked, “Melody, he’s a priest. Isn’t it bad if you go and see him? Moreover, don’t you really hate priests?” 

  Melody gave an “ah” as she spoke in embarrassment, “I just want to take a look!” 

  The young master laughed and comforted, “Okay then! Don’t worry, the filming is definitely going to take a while. I still need you to help take care of Charles, so you will definitely be able to see Father Alex.” 

  “Take care of the butler?” Melody had an interesting expression on her face, and she rolled her eyes at me and said, “I’ve never heard of a fifth-generation vampire needing an eighth-generation’s care! Can you be any less disappointing?” 

  The young master quickly stepped in to explain, “Charles is a butler. He’s not responsible for fighting, so it’s fine even if he’s not very strong!” 

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I already know that the young master dotes on Charles the most.” 

  “Do I not treat you well?” The young master asked as though he had been wronged. 

  Melody smiled as she replied, “Of course you treat me well! It’s just that I slightly lose to the butler in that respect, but that’s okay. The butler is ‘weak and delicate,’ so he’s a bit more ‘lovable!’ It’s only normal to lose to him. Even that policeman wants to protect Mr. Butler from day to night!” 

  Suddenly, I felt like I could understand the young master’s feelings of being mistaken as weak. 

  After Melody left, the young master said, “Charles, help me pick some clothes! I want to go to the church sooner, and then if there’s still time, I can head over to X-Killer too. Olga told me to come over and pick up the newly released clothes from the store when I’m free.” 

  “As you wish, Young Master.” 

  Walking into the young master’s bedroom, I opened the closet that now boasted a large variety of trendy clothes as opposed to how lackluster it was before. I took out a loose shirt in red, one of the young master’s favorite colors; matched it with a pair of dark blue jeans; and finally topped it with a pair of black boots. Abruptly, I realized that this color combination looked too similar to Dark Sun and quickly changed the top to a white one. 

  I took the clothes to the changing room, where the young master was already waiting with his top off. I lifted the clothes in my hands for him to see, as I asked, “Young Master, is this combination suitable?” 

  The young master nodded. He commented, “Actually, I don’t really know either. Last time, it was Aren who helped me pick my clothes. He said that my sense of matching clothes was simply so bad that I could actually make X-Killer’s clothes look tacky. He was super impressed by that.” 

  Hearing that, I felt a little concerned. I did not feel that the young master’s appearance was tacky, so that would mean that my own fashion sense was behind the times. I decided to read more magazines and research the current fashion trends, in order to avoid the young master being called unfashionable. That would be a crime that even a thousand deaths would not make up for.

  No Hero    

  Volume 7, The Second Step Toward the End: Father, Golden-Haired

  Translator: Raylight (proofread by Trespasserby & Minthe; C/E edited by Taffygirl13 & lucathia) 

  “What the heck are these!” Ezart roared, “I’ve seen plenty of zombies before, but what in the world are these?” 

  There was no way I could stop firing the machine gun in my hands. I was also extremely shocked by these enemies that had appeared from nowhere. They had such high agility and strength that if it weren’t for the strong firepower of our adventuring group, we would probably have been wiped out! 

  Most remarkable was the fact that they were not ugly in the least bit. They looked completely humanoid, with white skin, slender eyes, and perfect figures. Their movements were as elegant as those of dancers. Such beauty… Just like the night race recorded in “that book!” 

  “What exactly are you laughing about?” Ezart shot me a glare, but not once did he stop firing the machine gun. His combat abilities were extremely incredible—the large sum of money I’d spent to employ him was definitely not wasted. 

  This was unmistakably the right place, the place recorded in the book. The design on the cover was indeed a map, just simply too large in scale. If I had not specifically gone to measure and compare it, there was no way I could have located this place. 

  Thankfully, there are computers in this world. After writing a program, there is nothing in this world that cannot be measured. 

  Fortunately, I also have a good friend, a doctor with a keen sense of intuition, who managed to tell that this design was actually a map from the first glance. 

  There were many diagrams of genes in the book. If I’m guessing correctly, this place isn’t some ancient tomb, but a giant laboratory. 

  A biology laboratory! 

  Due to the fact that there were a lot of clothes to pick up and we were going to be running all over the place today, I decided to simply book Nitewalker’s service for the entire day. 

  While we walked into the church, I advised the young master, “Young Master, it seems you require a private chauffeur.” 

  The young master tilted his head and replied, “But I can drive!” 

  “Young Master, you are already a fairly famous model, and your singing career is going smoothly. Now that you are also going to star in a movie, it is highly probable that you will have to attend some formal ceremonies in the future. Having a chauffeur to drive you around would be more convenient.” 

  At this point, I abruptly remembered how Melody once predicted that the young master would become an international superstar. Judging from the current situation, it did seem to be developing in that direction. He had only been modeling part-time at first, then began to release albums, and became the city representative. Now, he was also going to appear in a movie. Really, life is unpredictable. 

  Putting my emotions aside, I lowered my voice and continued, “In addition, both you and ‘Dark Sun’ ride heavy-duty motorcycles and have similar hair colors, so it is likely that people might associate them together.” 

  “That’s true!” The young master tilted his head, and seemed uncertain as he asked, “Do you think Nitewalker will agree to be my chauffeur?” 

  Nitewalker’s driving was extremely dependable, and as a non-human, he would not be shocked even if the young master was planning to go and meet a non-human. Moreover, he could skillfully drive the car up the side of the building. Indeed, there was no one else more suitable than him to be the young master’s chauffeur. 

  “I can ask him on your behalf.” 

  The young master nodded and excitedly replied, “If Nitewalker is willing to, that would be great. Sitting in his car is really fun—Father Yue!” 

  The young master waved his hand vigorously at the person at the pulpit. There were only three people listening to the sermon, two of which were even a priest and a nun. There was also an elderly lady who did not appear to be someone who would recognize a currently popular model. This made me heave a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the young master’s arrival would not cause a commotion. 

  Seeing the young master, Father Yue decided to simply end the sermon early. Then, he called us into the house at the back. 

  Unexpectedly, Yue Gang was actually at home. He was currently in the middle of breakfast—no, he never ate breakfast. It was most likely his second late-night snack after his work, and he was probably planning to retire to bed after. 

  Upon seeing us, Yue Gang immediately swallowed the sandwich in his mouth and shouted, “Charles, Ah Ye, why did you two drop by?” 

  “I’m here to ask Father Yue some questions!” The young master happily exclaimed, and then turned and said, “Charles, didn’t you say that you have some business with Father Yue? You can go first!” 

  “Very well.” I nodded, and then confessed to Father Yue, “My sincerest apologies, I have lost the bible that you have bestowed upon me.” 

  Father Yue froze, and immediately questioned, “What about the cross?” 

  “It is here.” I swiftly pulled out the necklace resting on my chest. 

  “Shoot! You actually wear a cross?” Yue Gang burst into laughter. “Are you even a vampire?” 

  The young master was also laughing heartily at one side. Amid the laughter filling the room, I tried my best to maintain my calm and seriously explained, “I have already lost the bible. If I lose this one too, there is simply no way I could possibly make up for it. Wearing it makes me feel more at ease.” 

  Hearing that, Father Yue’s expression relaxed, and he said, “Then that’s fine. The cross is still here, and it’s best if you are willing to wear it! Anyways, the cross is more important.” 

  I could not help but feel a little puzzled by that, but the young master was one step ahead of me in asking. There was not a trace of laughter left on his face as he questioned, “What is so special about this cross? Why must Charles wear it?” 

  Father Yue frowned. 

  “Old man, you’ve got to explain this!” Yue Gang shouted, “Charles is my sworn brother. You had better not harm him!” 

  “Ah? Why would I want to harm Charles?” Father Yue looked a little distressed as he waved his hand, saying, “Actually I don’t know what it is either. I just managed to find out its general effects. It should be able to boost a vampire’s power, but as for what exact aspect it enhances, I couldn’t figure out no matter how much I searched.” 

  “Seriouslyyyyyy?” Yue Gang pointed his finger at his own father’s nose, and even dragged out the word. 

  “Of~~course!” Father Yue replied in a singsong, like a Beijing opera performer. After that, he earnestly replied, “I kept it for decades, but never met a vampire whom I would feel reassured handing the cross to. Since I finally came across a weirdo—I mean, a good and honest vampire, who else could I give this to if not him?” 

  Only then was Yue Gang satisfied. He turned to me and said, “Since my old man said so, then you should wear it! I believe my old man wouldn’t harm you.” 

  I nodded in agreement, though internally, I was still somewhat skeptical that a cross could boost a vampire’s strength. If that is true, then it would really be too ironic. 

  “May I inquire as to what kind of effects the bible has then? Would it be anything dangerous?” 

  Seeing how the bible had been taken away by a person as dangerous as Lieder, and he had even called to say that there were some very interesting things in the book, I felt extremely worried. If the bible could also boost one’s strength, that would not be good at all. 

  Father Yue shook his head. “Nothing much, it just has some diagrams of genes. Though the creatures with their genes recorded in those diagrams are indeed quite dangerous, to make one of those creatures is not a simple matter.” 

  However, Lieder is both rich and intelligent. He also has the help of medical staff such as Doctor Ni Cai. Perhaps it is not impossible for them to research and make one? 

  I told Father Yue my concerns, but Father Yue burst out laughing. “Relax, even if it’s the Sun Emperor, he would be unlikely to get very far in this research within such a short timeframe, let alone really make one!” 

  Is that so? I felt a lot more relieved. 

  “Oh, that’s right! Charles, I just got my salary today, just in time to pay you back.” Yue Gang took out a stack of thousand yuan bills from his jacket pocket and passed it to me. 

  “You borrowed money again?” Father Yue immediately pinched Yue Gang’s ear and roared, “This child, you are truly one of the MC squad, to think that you borrow money so regularly that it’s like a monthly routine!” 

  “It’s NC squad! Ow, old man, can‘t you be gentler? My ear’s about to fall off!” 

  After counting the money, I stated in puzzlement, “Yue Gang, you did not borrow so much from me.” 

  “There’s also the money that I owe the noodle shop. Help me pay them back the next time you go to the market—ouch, owww!” 

  “Very well.” 

  The young master laughed for a long while, before he then remembered that he had important business with Father Yue. He promptly said, “Father Yue, I have something to ask you about.” 

  Hearing that, Father Yue finally let go of Yue Gang’s ear. Yue Gang’s ear was as red as a tomato. Evidently, his father had not showed him any mercy. 

  “What is it that you wish to know?” Father Yue turned to face the young master, his expression switching from furious father to amiable Father. 

  “I want to know about Sin Simon.” 

  So that was what the young master wanted to ask about. Indeed, we could ask Father Yue regarding this topic. That had not occurred to me at all, despite being X’s friend of many years. Truly, which one of us is X’s friend now, the young master or me? 

  However, it could not be said that I did not care for my friend’s safety. In the past, while I was still in the Elysees family, I had used the power of the Elysees many times in attempts to stop the Church‘s hunt for X. Nonetheless, I would always be reprimanded severely by X for it, and he would threaten to cut all ties with me if I meddled further in his business. Over time, I had developed a habit of not poking my nose into his affairs. 

  Once he heard the name “Sin Simon,” Father Yue’s expression noticeably changed. 

  “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you.” He unenthusiastically continued, “Though I am not fond of the Church’s methods, I am ultimately still a priest. I will be able to tell you some minor things, but I cannot reveal the Church’s secrets.” 

  The young master evidently had not expected that Father Yue would reply as such. He momentarily started to panic, and apologized continuously, “S-Sorry, I didn’t know it was such a big secret. I just heard that Sin Simon was the person responsible for hunting down X, so I was a bit worried about it, and thought it would be good to ask you.” 

  An odd expression appeared on Father Yue’s face as he questioned, “You two already know that he is the person hunting down E.X.?” 

  “Yeah!” The young master nodded and gave an honest reply, “But we just know that he’s the person in charge of hunting X. Charles also said that Sin Simon is not a person but a position, a position that has been handed down many times.” 

  Father Yue rolled his eyes and retorted, “Then, you two already know it all!” 

  “Huh?” Both the young master and I froze at the same time. 

  “That is it!” Father Yue shrugged as he said, “The biggest secrets about Sin Simon are what you just said. The rest are just minor details.” 

  The young master blankly asked, “Is that so? I thought that there would be more to it!” 

  Father Yue thought it over, and then spoke, “Sin Simons usually will not act alone, for there is absolutely no way they can defeat E.X. on their own. Thus, they always act as a group. Moreover, they are often not ordinary humans. Usually, they are the strongest within the Sin Elimination Committee.” 

  “Not ordinary humans?” The young master asked in bewilderment, “Do you mean non-humans?” 

  “Usually they are not, but that is a possibility.” 

  That was certainly an answer out of my expectations. Though the Church was not at the point of killing non-humans on sight, they definitely would not treat them well. Likewise, most of the non-humans hated the Church. Yet it is possible that there are non-humans working for the Sin Elimination Committee? 

  Father Yue rubbed his chin, saying, “The ones I have seen before are all a bunch of weirdoes. As for how weird, they probably have anything you could imagine. By now, there might be humans with modified limbs who are practically half robot.” 

  “Old man! What exactly are you guys talking about?” Yue Gang, who was listening in, seemed very stunned. Judging from his expression, it appeared that he was starting to think of his own father and the young master as alien life forms. 

  “This is none of your business. Shoo shoo, go to sleep! Your dark eye bags make you the spitting image of a zombie. Don’t scare people when you’re on your night shift!” 

  Yue Gang scratched his face as he muttered, “What? There aren’t any zombies in this world!” 

  In a certain sense, vampires are also considered a type of zombie. 

  “Zombies are also a type of human, so why would there be no zombies in this world?” 

  Yue Gang snorted in disdain. “If I were to follow your line of reasoning, old man, then potatoes would be a type of human, too!” 

  Father Yue roared, “Didn’t I conceive you, potato-head?” 

  With a sandwich still in his mouth, Yue Gang rolled his eyes at his father. He then waved to the young master and me to bid us farewell, turned around, and left. 

  The moment Yue Gang left, Father Yue immediately advised the young master earnestly, “Ah Ye, you’d better stay out of E.X.’s business. In any case, he definitely isn’t weak; the Church hasn’t been able to do anything to him for the past thousand years. I’m sure they wouldn’t be able to do anything to him anytime soon either.” 

  When you say that, Father Yue, you do not seem like you are part of the Church. 

  Once the young master heard that, he turned to look at me. 

  The truth was, I was extremely elated that the young master was willing to help E.X. For a split second, I even thought: If the young master and I got the Elysees family and the Sun Emperor to work together, we might actually be able to stop the Church from pursuing E.X… 

  “Young Master, E.X. does not like asking others for help.” 

  Hearing that, the young master’s expression fell, and he nodded. 

  “Okay then!” The young master agreed weakly. Following that though, was a strong assertion, “But I’m going to go capture the criminals regardless, so it can’t be considered as helping E.X. He can’t reprimand me like he does with you, Charles, nor can he stop me by threatening to cut ties with me!” 

  “Understood, Young Master,” I answered with a smile. 

  After bidding farewell to Father Yue and Yue Gang, I walked out of the church and looked toward where the car was parked. Due to the fact that I did not know how long we would stay here, I had told Nitewalker that he could go off and rest after parking the car, and I would call him again. 

  However, Nitewalker had not left the area. Instead, he was leaning against the car with a bottle of mineral water in his hand. The moment he saw us walk out, he gave us a nod and opened the car door, started the car, and drove over to us. 

  The young master praised, “Nitewalker is really cool! His driving is also so handsome! It would be nice if he actually agrees to be my chauffeur.” 

  Indeed, the word “cool” could be used to describe Nitewalker. He had a frosty look on his face and was usually seen wearing black shades that he rarely took off. Though he was not very muscular, he was fairly tall. If I were to give an estimate, I would say he was roughly a hundred and ninety centimeters. 

  No wonder he had picked being a taxi driver as his profession. If he had chosen a career that required face-to-face customer interaction, eight out of ten customers would probably run away in fear. As a taxi driver, he was always sitting down, which made it difficult to discern his height. Moreover, once a passenger gets on, even if the driver looks a little frightening, they would probably not get out of the car… right? 

  Though he appeared cool and expressionless, his driving skills were excellent. Also, despite the fact that I had told him he could go and rest, Nitewalker had chosen to stay by the car to await orders instead. His conscientious attitude made him suitable as well. 

  Once I got on the car, I told Nitewalker about the young master’s request. 

  “A private chauffeur?” There was a rare trace of shock in Nitewalker’s voice. 

  “Indeed, my young master is really in need of a chauffeur.” I quickly added on, “The employee benefits can be negotiated.” 

  “… Really in need of a chauffeur?” 

  Nitewalker sounded a little shaken by this. It was then that I remembered that nightwalkers were non-humans who had “to be needed” to survive. As a taxi driver, he did not talk much, so it was probably rare for him to hear people say that they “needed him.” Thus, the moment he heard those words, he was immediately shaken. 

  “Indeed, we are severely in need of one.” I added on, “Especially a chauffeur like you, who is loyal and responsible, with outstanding driving skills. You are absolutely the chauffeur that my young master ‘needs the most!’” 

  “… I will go back and discuss with my clansmen, before I give you two my answer.” 

  “Very well.” 

  The young master looked extremely excited, and even gave me a thumbs-up gesture in secret. Hopefully, Nitewalker would agree to it. Then, the young master would definitely show a smile as radiant as the sun. However, if he did not… I did not wish to see the young master’s expression of disappointment. 

  It had been some time since we had last been to X-Killer. That was because the amount of clothes the younger master had was enough to fill his entire closet, and many of them still had their tags attached. There was simply no way that he could possibly wear all of them. To think that now, we are bringing back more… Thankfully, the young master’s bedroom still has space for another closet. On that note, I should make a call later to order another closet. 

  Given that it was morning and a work day, it was the store’s least busy period, but there were still about six or seven customers in the store. They did not appear to have noticed the young master at first, until the young master happily called out “Olga, Luo Lun, Jill, I’m here for the clothes.” 

  All of them absent-mindedly glanced at him, and then showed various surprised expressions. Afterwards, no one was willing to tear their eyes away from him. 

  Jill rushed over as she shouted, “Ah Ye, you’re finally here! Can you give me an autograph? I’m asking for a friend.” 

  The young master nodded, but it was then that Olga walked over with a frown. She seemed displeased as she reminded, “Jill, did you forget what I said to you before?” 

  Instantly, Jill froze up. She dejectedly lowered her head as she quietly said, “No being handsy with Ah Ye. No asking Ah Ye for signatures. No bullying Ah Ye…” 

  Bullying the young master? 

  “Haha, you got scolded!” Luo Lun laughed at her misfortune, and Jill gave him a death glare. 

  “Go take care of the customers.” Olga told the two. However, I believed that her true intention was for them to go and stop the customers from charging over. After seeing Jill charge over and ask for an autograph, the customers looked like they were getting restless. If it were not for how Olga had reprimanded Jill, they probably would also have rushed over for an autograph as well. 

  However, it was evidently ineffective. The attention of the customers had already shifted from the clothes, and some of the girls even ignored Jill’s greeting as they started to head over directly instead. 

  Seeing that, Olga just told the young master, “Ah Ye, come to the back. The photo to hang in the store has already been printed. We’ll put it up after you take a look at it.” 

  “The photo is done?” The young master’s eyes shone. 

  Olga looked over at the shop assistants and said, “Luo Lun, come over and help.” 

  “Got it!” Luo Lun came forward, not forgetting to shoot Jill a provocative look, causing Jill to glare back at him with a pout. The two of them really were a quarrelsome duo. 

  We walked to the back of the store, where X-Killer’s warehouse was. There was a small table in the center for the workers to eat at. 

  The moment we stepped in, we could see the photo. There was no need for Olga to point it out, for the photo was astoundingly large, about the size of the entire wall. On it, the young master was wearing a long, red and white mottled print vest. On the bottom, he was wearing knee-length shorts, matched with a thick, metallic grey belt, and long army boots. The entire outfit gave the young master a very youthful look. 

  Olga turned to ask, “Do you like it?” 

  The young master nodded his head vigorously, and even said, “There’s a press conference today, I’ll wear that over!” 

  “Got it, I will bring you the clothes.” 

  The young master appears to like this combination of clothes, and since it was coordinated by Olga, it should be fashionable. I inwardly noted the combination of clothes, so that I would be able to pull it out in the future when picking out clothes for the young master. 

  After changing, the young master looked identical to how he looked in the photo, which was a strange and amazing sight. 

  “The photo is really big!” The young master asked in puzzlement, “But is there any space in the shop to display it?” 

  Olga explained, “We will be putting it on the wall behind the counter. There are only a few low cabinets next to the counter, so most of the poster will be visible. At most, some of the background will be obstructed, but you will definitely not be covered.” 

  The young master nodded. As he examined the huge photograph, he laughed and exclaimed, “Seeing such a large version of myself feels really weird!” 

  Olga raised an eyebrow, and asked back, “Aren’t the advertisement billboards and television screens on the streets even bigger?” 

  “But those are really far away!” The young master shrugged, and then continued, “Not like this one that’s just right in front of me. The eyeballs are the size of my fist!” 

  Olga nodded. Seemingly noticing my gaze on a box at the side, she explained to me, “That is the catalogue that we will mail to our members. There are also many of Ah Ye’s photos inside. There’s a copy for you too, already put together with the clothes that we are passing over to Ah Ye.” 

  I nodded at her. That would be extremely helpful with regards to coordinating clothes. 

  “Ah, that’s right!” The young master suddenly exclaimed and anxiously asked, “Olga, could you pick some clothes for Charles that are unlike a vampire’s?” 

  “Clothes that are unlike a vampire’s?” Olga seemed bewildered, as was I. 

  The young master nodded his head vigorously. “Clothes that are the least similar to a vampire’s!” 

  Olga didn’t ask any further. After giving it some thought, she replied, “Is that so? Then, I’ve got it. Just wait here for me, I’ll go and get the clothes.” 

  I suddenly had a very bad feeling. Exactly what kind of clothes are unlike a vampire’s? I had no idea what this kind of description meant. The only thing I was absolutely sure of, was that it would not be in line with my usual way of dressing. 

  “Please do not have it show too much skin,” I requested helplessly. 

  Olga glanced at me, nodded, and then went out for the clothes. 

  I was a little puzzled as I asked, “Young Master, we already brought a large amount of clothing home last time. Why do we need to buy more?” 

  Truly, there was already plenty of clothing in my closet. Though it could not be compared to the amount the young master had, I did not wear casual clothing often, so it was highly likely that most of the clothing tags would not need be to removed anytime in the near future. 

  “Because we’re going to be interacting with people from the Church after this! No matter what, it’s better to dress like you are not a vampire, right?” 

  The young master made a fairly interesting point. However, I did not think the clothes would make much of a difference, for the people of the Church did not rely on one’s clothing to identify vampires. Of course, one would arouse suspicion more easily if they were fully clothed in a vampire outfit, but I rarely wore that full set now. However, the most important point was—all of Sunset City knew that the young master had a vampire butler. 

  “As you wish, Young Master.” However, it would not do me any harm to try it. Perhaps dressing in a manner that was less like a vampire could let the people of the Church pay less attention to me. 

  Olga walked in. “Here’s one outfit first. Check and see if this style works; if it does, then I’ll get a few more sets for you.” 

  “Charles, hurry and go change!” 

  “As you wish.” I took the clothes from her and walked into the only toilet that one could change in. As I changed, I inspected the clothing. 

  The top had a high collar with short sleeves, with the hem reaching the knees, and it was black in color. The pants were western style dress pants, similarly black in color. It truly did not look like what a vampire would wear but looked a little traditionalist. Only the arms were exposed in this outfit. Indeed, it fit the criteria from both me and the young master. 

  The only thing was that these clothes really did not seem like X-Killer’s style. They looked fairly normal, but I could feel that something was not right… 

  I walked out of the changing room, feeling rather puzzled. Once the young master saw me, his eyes widened, and he looked me up and down continuously. Evidently, he was shocked by the style of the clothes. Is it really that strange? Or perhaps it is due to the fact that I have not worn clothing of this style before? 

  Even Luo Lun and Jill have come over. Is it really fine to have nobody attending to the store? 

  The young master gasped in admiration, “Charles, you look like a priest!” 

  … As I thought, something was not right! 

  Both the young master and I looked to Olga. She shrugged and answered, “You all were the ones who asked for clothes that aren’t like a vampire’s. Coincidentally, Father Alex was recently voted the champion of the city representative contest, which led to a popularity boom in priest garbs. I believe that these are the clothes that are the least like a vampire’s, and they don’t expose much. It fits both of your requests very well.” 

  The young master tilted his head to the side, and then walked up to me and pulled out the cross necklace. Taking a step back, he said while clapping, “Now it’s perfect!” 

  “…” 

  Jill, Luo Lun, and even Olga burst out into laughter. 

  Luo Lun said while laughing, “A-Aren’t you a vampire? Why are you wearing a cross necklace?” 

  “It was the result of several unavoidable factors and circumstances.” 

  “What the heck!” Jill was laughing to the point of tears. 

  The young master seemed extremely delighted, and asked Olga, “Do you have many priest designs?” 

  “We do,” Olga replied with a smile. “The shop just received a large stock of similar styles.” 

  “Then, bring Charles a few more!” 

  Young Master, could you truly not develop ways to be happy that are more like an ordinary young adult’s? 

  The moment I stepped out of the shop with many bags in hand, Nitewalker came over to help, putting his mobile phone in his pocket on the way. It appeared that he had been on the phone just now. He took all of the bags from me in a single movement. Though I was planning to help carry some, seeing that he still seemed to have more than enough strength, I decided to leave it at that. 

  As he helped load the bags into the rear compartment of the car, he inquired, “Is it possible to let me be on probation?” 

  “On probation?” I was a little surprised at that. 

  Nitewalker nodded and answered, “I just asked my clansmen. They have no problems with it. I wish to be a probationary chauffeur for a period of time, to try it out and see if it works.” 

  The young master immediately replied, “No problem! You can be on probation for as long as you want!” 

  Thus, I looked at the newly-appointed probationary chauffeur and said with a smile, “Then, we will be in your care for the next few days, Mr. Chauffeur.” 

  “I look forward to working with you.” Nitewalker replied concisely. As he opened the car door, he hesitated for a moment, then said, “Young Master, please enter the car.” 

  The young master smiled. But just as he had put one foot into the car, he was interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps and terrified screaming. 

  “Wait! Xiang Ye, Xiang Ye… My son! Don’t go!” 

  I froze for a moment. There were many who would call out to the young master on the streets, but never had there been anyone who would call him “son.” Even Mr. An Te Qi would not call the young master as such, though he truly did treat the young master like a son. 

  This form of address alone left me rather stunned, but in the next second, I saw something even more shocking. The young master lifted his head, and on his face was a terrifying expression that I had never seen before… Young Master? 

  The young master glared at the person running over. The man seemed to be about fifty years of age. Even though his face looked closer to forty, there were many streaks of white in his golden hair, making him appear more aged. 

  Though he had called the young master “son,” he did not resemble the young master in terms of appearance. Rather, the person he resembled was—the master! 

  He could virtually pass as an older version of the master. If the person whom he was calling “son” was the master, I would probably have immediately believed his words. However, the one he was calling for was instead the young master. 

  After running up to a distance about three steps away from us, he stood there gasping for breath, momentarily unable to speak. 

  Now that the distance was shorter, I felt he looked even more like the master. 

  After panting for a while, the other party finally had the strength to talk. In a tone as though he was returning home with mixed feelings, he stammered, “Xiang Ye, I-I’m your father. You look exactly like your mother—” 

  “I killed you!” The young master interrupted him, looking as if he was about to fall apart as he screamed, “Then, Gēge killed you again. We killed you twice! Why do you ‘revive’ again and again? How many times do we have to kill you before you will die for real?”


  No Hero    

  Volume 7, The Third Step Toward the End: Pure, the Purest Existence

  Translator: Raylight (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by Taffygirl13 and lucathia) 

  “Retreat!” Ezart roared loudly, “Everyone, go back!” 

  I had already expected that it would be a treacherous journey, so despite having to keep it confidential, I had still gathered twenty people for the exploration team. On top of that, they were equipped with heavy firepower, enough to attack a small city. However, it appeared that I was still too naive. 

  Originally, I had thought that even if this place were to still exist, any defenses that they had must have long since perished over the years. However, I’d forgotten that there must have been a major reason why this laboratory would have been destroyed in the first place. 

  Was it due to the night race in front of us? 

  Or perhaps, something even stronger? 

  I want to see—I want to see it all! 

  “Young Master!” 

  I quickly grabbed onto the young master, who looked as though he was truly about to murder the man standing before him. However, the instant I held onto him, I realized that this was not the case at all. The young master was barely able to stand. Rather than killing, it seemed that what he wanted to do more was to simply collapse onto the ground and start crying bitterly. 

  Shock was written all over the man’s face as he asked in bewilderment, “W-What are you saying? Killed me twice? This is the first time I’ve met you face to face!” 

  The young master momentarily froze, and then his crumbling expression faded considerably. After scrutinizing the man for a long while, he gently pushed me away and stood up straight on his own. He forcefully restrained all his emotions as he commanded, “Get in the car first. There are too many people around here.” 

  In reality, there were not many people around us, only about five or six people. However, they were already taking out their phones to film the scene. If the young master were to continue being so agitated, or the other person were to call him “son” a few more times, we could possibly end up appearing on the news again tomorrow. 

  “Who exactly are you?” questioned the young master, with no trace of politeness, in the very moment we sat in the car and the door was shut tight. 

  Hearing that, the other fervently patted his chest as he exclaimed, “I am Luo Ye, your father!” 

  This whole time, I had been paying attention to the young master’s expression. Once the name “Luo Ye” came up, he looked confused at first, as though he was not familiar with the name. Following that, he quickly reacted, and his expression changed to one of even greater shock than when he had first been called “son” earlier. 

  “Luo Ye…?” 

  The young master’s expression was too subtle for me to tell what he was feeling. Did that name bring out positive or negative feelings for him? Or perhaps, even the young master himself does not know? 

  The young master seemed like he wanted to say something, but hesitated in doing so several times. In the end, he just turned to Nitewalker and ordered, “Go to the press conference.” 

  “Understood.” 

  Originally, I should have been seated in the front passenger seat. However, the young master disliked sitting in the back seat alone and would always ask me to sit together with him. Nevertheless, the center back seat was not a place where I ought to sit, for that was the seat reserved for the master. 

  At the moment, I had the young master on my right, and the man named “Luo Ye” on my left. This was truly an extremely bizarre situation. However, before we had gotten in the car, the young master had distraughtly hinted to me that he did not wish to sit with the man shoulder to shoulder, so I could only take this extremely inappropriate seat. 

  Along the way, Luo Ye was talking non-stop, crying in one moment and smiling in the next. The whole time, his gaze never left the young master. 

  “All along, I thought that you were already dead. Never had I dared to hope in my wildest dreams that Ri Ji Yan would let you go. Who would have thought that I’d actually see in the news that the Sun Emperor had a little brother. At first, I couldn’t believe that it was you, but upon seeing your face, I just knew that you must be Xiang Ye. You look exactly like Wyn!” 

  The young master finally reacted. “Wyn?” 

  Luo Ye nodded his head with a smile. But when he saw the young master’s puzzled face, realization seemed to hit him. His expression abruptly changed, and he roared angrily, “Did Ji Yan not even tell you the name of your mother?” 

  Ji Yan? I had the impression that before the Sun Emperor took over, the Sun Alliance’s head was called “Ri Ji Yan,” who was also the Sun Emperor’s father. Theoretically, he should have also been the young master’s father, but from what the young master had inadvertently revealed several times, the truth was not as such. Moreover, what is going on with this person “Luo Ye” who is proclaiming himself as the father? 

  “My mother?” The young master seemed to be shocked, and turned at that. He appeared to be much more interested in things regarding his mother than his father. 

  I did my utmost to stick to the back of the seat, so as not to disturb his conversation with this Mr. Luo. 

  Luo Ye’s expression softened as he replied, “Your mother’s full name was Elowyn. I always called her Wyn.” 

  The young master murmured, “Elowyn? My mother’s name?” 

  “Ji Yan seriously never told you?” Luo Ye struggled to contain his rage as he exclaimed, “How could he be so cruel!” 

  According to the traces of information I have heard till now, that Mr. Ri Ji Yan’s treatment of the young master was most likely much more cruel than this. 

  Luo Ye pulled out a necklace from his chest. The flat pendent was in the shape of a red apple, and it did not seem like a style intended for men. Moreover, it was evidently able to store photos. He handed the necklace to the young master. 

  “Have you seen your mother before? This is Wyn’s necklace. Apples were her absolute favorite; she’d often spend the entire day eating only apples, though I frequently advised her against it. She was skinny to the point of being all skin and bones.” 

  With that, he opened the locket. As expected, there was a photograph inside. “I shoved the locket into the hollow of a tree in the streets as I passed by to prevent Ji Yan from finding it.” 

  The young master took it, and after a single glance, immediately seemed reluctant to part with it. He commented, “There are some photos of my mother at home, but there aren’t a lot, and none have her smiling so happily.” 

  The young master passed me the locket so that I could see it. The woman in the photo had a head of long and straight silver hair, glistening like strands of silk satin. She had a pair of large, black eyes, rose-like lips, and skin even more beautiful than snow. Her beauty did not seem to be of this earth. Because of her smile, her originally cold and distant disposition became breathtakingly stunning, as though roses had bloomed in a snowfield. 

  That kind of beauty was not at all foreign to me. The woman looked like a fairy in the snow, and the young master was called an angel. The two of them were practically identical in both appearance and refinement. 

  “You truly look very similar to your mother,” I remarked with heartfelt sincerity. 

  The young master seemed very joyous upon hearing so and held onto the photograph lovingly, as though he was unwilling to part with it. It appeared that he truly did love his mother a lot. 

  Luo Ye warmly said, “I was afraid that it would get destroyed, so I made many copies and hid them all over. Next time, I’ll bring a bigger picture for you, okay, Xiang Ye?” 

  Hearing that, the young master fell silent for a moment, before he answered, “I still have to go to a press conference in the afternoon, so stay in the car for a bit first. At night, we can have dinner together and continue talking then.” 

  “Nitewalker, can you help me take… him to a nearby place to sit?” The young master seemed to be at a loss as to how to address the man. 

  “Understood, Young Master.” 

  Not too long after, we arrived at the location of the press conference. I was originally a little worried that with such a large incident happening so abruptly, the young master might not be able to calmly attend the press conference. 

  However, it was evident that I had been overthinking it. After hearing the name “Luo Ye,” the young master’s mood was no longer as terrible as before. At most, the young master appeared to be at a loss on what to do, which was a lot better than his frenzied expression at the start. 

  “Young Master, please hold on for a moment.” 

  The young master turned to look at me in confusion. Just as I was about to remind him, I heard the door open as Nitewalker got out of the car and walked over to open the door for the young master. 

  This personal chauffeur eased into the swing of things faster than I expected. I made a decision that no matter what, I had to get Nitewalker to remain as the young master’s chauffeur. 

  As he stepped out of the car, the young master started smiling, and instantly, the camera lights began flashing non-stop. At this point, I too got out. Some of the cameras turned to me, but the flashes stopped after a while. It seemed like the reporters had remembered that I was a vampire, so taking photos of me would be futile. Only some of the video cameras filmed me for a short moment, for at least they would still be able to see me in the live broadcast. 

  “Is it true that today’s press conference will release details about the movie?” 

  “May I ask what kind of film it will be?” 

  “Are you intending to both sing and act in it?” 

  The reporters had many questions, but the young master merely looked at them with a blank smile. When he encountered a question he did not know how to answer, he occasionally replied, “I don’t know that either.” 

  The young master glanced around, not knowing which direction to walk, so I decided to go in front to lead the way. Although I too did not know where we were supposed to go, regardless, it would be better to bring the young master to somewhere less crowded first. At this time, we heard a familiar voice calling out to us, “Young Master, this way!” 

  The young master and I both turned to look, and the young master blurted out, “Melody, weren’t you at home sleeping?” 

  Melody walked over, her red lips pursed. She complained, “That Secretary Bai told me to come over and handle this personally. He even scolded me for sleeping at home for such an important matter, and that he would fire me!” 

  Once she said that, the reporters grew even wilder. 

  “May I ask if Secretary Bai is referring to the Sun Emperor’s left hand? 

  “Have you really been fired?” 

  Melody just gave them a glare. Rumor had it that in the eyes of the reporters, she was a shrew. However, even a shrewish vampire was unable to stop the barrage of questions from the reporters. 

  She coquettishly teased, “It’s unfortunate, dear reporters, but I haven’t been fired yet! You all still have to continue to face me, a fierce vampire whom you can’t take any photos of.” 

  That’s still better than facing the Sun Emperor’s left hand. 

  A small, almost inaudible voice spoke from somewhere. The scene fell into dead silence for a moment, but people soon started firing questions again. 

  The Sun Emperor’s left hand was nowhere as famous as his right hand, Secretary Kyle, but he seemed to be more feared by others. However, given that my knowledge of the business world was outdated by about sixty years, I was not as up-to-date as the reporters in front of me. 

  Even though I had heard a long time ago that Secretary Bai was responsible for work under the table, I did not know just how “under the table” his work extended to. Moreover, his looks were extremely refined, so he did not look like someone who would strike fear in the hearts of people. 

  “Hmph!” It seemed that Melody dared not give any comments on that statement, an extremely rare occasion. She coyly said, “All right! Everyone, there’s no need to rush. You can all ask your fill during the press conference, okay?” 

  After saying that, she turned around and said, “Young Master, follow me!” 

  We followed her onto the elevator, and Melody pressed the button to the highest floor. She briefed, “Young Master, later on, there will be reporters on the rooftop. A werewolf will capture you, and show itself at the water tower. All you need to do is act frightened; the werewolf will handle the rest of the act. The reporters will be filming for roughly three minutes, and then you can rest afterwards.” 

  The young master inquired, full of curiosity, “Is it a real werewolf?” 

  “It’s a real one.” Melody nodded as she continued, “Actually, they wanted to find a vampire for this, so that it would fit the movie theme. However, a vampire would only be seen in the live broadcast, and wouldn’t be visible in other media like the newspaper. The publicity time would simply be too short. That’s why they compromised and got a werewolf.” 

  The young master scratched his face, asking, “It can’t possibly be the one that I caught and handed over to Bàba last time, right? I feel a little sorry for that werewolf. Though he did kill at least three people, still…” 

  Melody had a complicated expression as she shot down, “Not that one.” 

  The young master’s expression fell as he muttered, “I thought so. He couldn’t possibly still be alive, right? I mean, if he already entered Bàba’s laboratory, how would he be able to leave?” 

  Hearing that statement just made it sound like “being sent into Mr. An Te Qi’s laboratory” was a one-way trip. However, that was a reasoning that I could fully understand. During the short time span that I had been taking care of Mr. An Te Qi previously, even though I was not an experimental subject, I frequently felt as though I might explode into smithereens any second. 

  Melody sized up the young master, and concluded with satisfaction, “Young Master, the clothes you are wearing today are really not bad at all. I don’t think you need to change; just wear these! Oh, but the wind is going to be strong on the rooftop, so it might be cold if you are wearing just a vest…” She seemed to waver. 

  The young master chuckled and whispered, “Dark Sun’s clothes aren’t any warmer than this current outfit!” 

  Melody asked, uncertain, “Young Master, are you not afraid of the cold?” 

  That was a question that I too wanted to know the answer to, for that would be extremely beneficial to coordinating the young master’s clothes. 

  The young master pondered for a while. Then, he replied, “I am able to feel cold, but not as strongly as an ordinary human. It would have to be roughly fifteen degrees Celsius and below for me to feel cold at all. However, if the temperature is really too cold, I have my ways to maintain my body at the temperature of when I’m exercising.” 

  The young master can wear summer wear as long as it is fifteen degrees and above. I silently committed it to memory. 

  Once we exited the elevator, we found out that the wind on the rooftop was indeed very strong. However, the young master’s expression was no different from usual. Sure enough, he was not particularly affected by the cold. 

  The rooftop had been arranged to look like ruins. Even the central area where the press conference was to be held was formed by old and broken wooden tables and chairs, and there were still some staff members frantically bringing things over. 

  A middle-aged man was brought over to us by one of the staff, and he looked a little nervous. 

  Melody seemed not to mind as she introduced, “This is the beast that is going to kidnap you later.” 

  Calling a werewolf a “beast” did seem a little derogatory, but the werewolves themselves did not think so. Most of them took pride in their feral side, and did not feel shamed when addressed as such. 

  Werewolves were indeed qualified to pride themselves in their strength, or at least, they were “in the past.” As of now, they were in the same situation as vampires, or rather, about the same as all the rest of the non-humans. Sightings of truly strong werewolves were becoming increasingly uncommon. Most of them had chosen to live in seclusion, avoiding this world that was changing too quickly to keep up with. 

  “Young Master, please go to the water tower in a bit and stay on standby. Your only job is to get ‘captured’ by the werewolf, and show an expression that will make others’ hearts ache for you.” Seeing the young master nod, Melody then shot me a glance, and she pretended to casually bring up, “Butler, you will be following the young master, correct?” 

  I understood what she was trying to ask from me. Werewolves were, after all, difficult creatures to control. If he were to go out of control, fending off the werewolf would be much more appropriate for me as a vampire than the young master as a human. However, if the young master were to know about this, he would definitely not allow me to follow him. 

  Therefore, Melody could only inquire discreetly whether I would participate in the battle like a “bodyguard” if the werewolf were to go insane. 

  “Certainly,” was my answer without batting an eyelid. “The duty of a butler is to follow their master.” 

  At this point, even if combat was the only way to assist the young master, I would not hesitate to do so. 

  Melody gave a “Mhm” in acknowledgment. It seemed that our conversation had not aroused suspicion from the young master. 

  Melody immediately followed up with, “Then, you can also go to the water tower. Just don’t stand in an obvious location. The werewolf will bring you two there. As for me, I’ll wait below for the reporters to come in.” 

  “Understood.” 

  The werewolf’s voice was stiff as he said, “The two of you, please, follow me.” 

  On the way over, the young master asked curiously, “Are you working at my gēge’s side?” 

  This werewolf looked a little nervous, as he hurriedly answered, “No, no, how could I possibly know the Sun Emperor! I was merely working at a certain trading company, without knowing that it had ties to the Sun Alliance. Afterwards, my identity as a werewolf was discovered, and I was then brought to work in the Alliance. However, I have never seen the Sun Emperor. N-Nor even the secretary!” 

  “How did your identity get discovered?” The young master seemed even more intrigued as he exclaimed, “I can’t tell that you are a werewolf at all!” 

  “I bit a supervisor who kept making things difficult for me to death, and was found out afterwards…” 

  The young master gave an “Oh” as he continued, “Then, what are you helping my gēge with? Killing people?” 

  The werewolf seemed rather uneasy when he heard the young master’s question. However, I could completely understand his feelings. Hearing an angelic-looking boy casually ask about killing others was too great of a contrast to accept without difficulty. 

  “Mostly, yes, but recently I’ve been undergoing experiments at a laboratory.” 

  It cannot possibly be the laboratory that one can never escape from upon entering? Evidently, the young master was thinking the same thing, for he fell silent and did not ask any more questions. Moreover, he even lowered his head, as though he was trying to hide the pity that he could not help but show on his face. 

  The werewolf abruptly turned around and picked up the young master in a swoop. I was shocked by the action, but the werewolf did not transform, and the young master was not uncomfortable judging from his expression either. The werewolf bent both knees and jumped a full story high toward the water tower right above us. 

  I directly walked up the walls, and as the werewolf landed, I told him, “Your strength is truly impressive.” 

  The stronger the werewolf, the more strength they could retain in their human forms. However, a vast majority of werewolves were simply no different from the average human without transforming. 

  The werewolf, however, seemed extremely shocked. He stared at me with wide eyes, as he let slip the question, “How are you so fast?” 

  The young master proudly stated, “Charles’s speed is amazing!” 

  Fear showed on the werewolf’s face, but that was not something to be mindful of. Originally, non-humans were always on guard around each other, and even those of the same race were not always friendly. I reminded him softly, “There should still be some time before it starts, so could I request for you to put the young master down first?” 

  He stiffened and nearly dropped the young master on the floor. Fortunately, the young master had quick reflexes, and naturally found his footing. 

  “I-I’m terribly sorry!” The werewolf looked as though he was scared out of his wits, as he desperately apologized to the young master, “I should not have picked you up so casually! I forgot for a moment that the vampire could take you up here! I’m truly sorry! Please forgive me!” 

  The young master seemed stunned. He continuously reassured the other with “It’s O.K.,” but the werewolf continued to look terror-stricken. 

  “Are you scared of me?” The young master fell silent for a while, before he inquired, “Did Ah Yue—Did Secretary Bai say something to you? You don’t have to be bothered by it. I won’t tell Secretary Bai anything.” 

  “Secretary Bai? Why would someone of his level personally come and speak to me?” The werewolf blurted out with alarm. Seeming to have thought of something, his face turned ashen as he stuttered with an expression of despair, “Y-You are the Sun Emperor’s little brother. Of course you are of a higher rank than him!” 

  The young master seemed to be utterly clueless as to what the other was implying. However, I understood. He had mentioned just now that Secretary Bai would not personally speak to him, but given that the young master had come to speak to him personally, he had implied in a roundabout manner that the young master was of a lower rank than Secretary Bai—However, the young master did not do roundabouts. 

  Seeing how pale the werewolf’s face was, the young master started to panic as well. I walked in front to cut between the werewolf and the young master, and spoke quietly, “Our young master does not understand such matters. All you need to do is to keep a moderate level of respect.” 

  Hearing that, the werewolf snuck a few glances at the young master, and his expression seemed a lot more relaxed. 

  “Young Master, do you know why the werewolf that had previously held you hostage stopped at the crucial moment, just as he was about to attack you?” The werewolf quickly spoke up, as though he wished to make up for his mistake by providing some information to the young master. 

  The young master shook his head, curiosity written on his face. A relieved expression appeared on the werewolf’s face, as though he was extremely happy about not having to disappear off the face of the earth for a slip of the tongue. 

  “The werewolves have their ancient sacred laws. As of now, barely anyone follows them, but they have more or less passed down through the generations. One of these laws is ‘Thou must not harm the purest existence.’ I believe that, at that time, he must have thought of this law.” 

  Vampires also had their sacred laws too, but they had fallen into oblivion even more so than the werewolves’. Even with my honorable father’s abilities, he could only find the law, “Thou must not take the last drop of blood when feeding.” However, he was unable to find out the actual reason for it either. 

  Though I did not know the story behind this law, my honorable father had still fervently warned me that even if I had no other option but to take blood from humans directly, I was not to take the last drop of blood. 

  However, a living human would have about five to six liters of blood, which was simply not an amount that I could possibly finish. In the situation where I did not want to kill the one I was feeding from, I would drink approximately a liter or less of their blood. That would satisfy me to about seventy to eighty percent full. If I had the intention of killing them, then I just had to drink over two liters of their blood, which would result in me not feeling any hunger for an entire two days. 

  Therefore, the reason as to why this law existed was completely unfathomable to me. 

  “I’m not the purest existence or the like,” the young master refuted. 

  The werewolf looked at him, and just smiled in return. He then shifted his gaze toward me, wordlessly implying, “Your young master is truly an adorable and innocent child,” or something of the like. 

  However, I could not decide whether or not to agree with such a statement. Certainly, the young master was a little innocent, but given that he also had the side of “Dark Sun” that was rational to the point of heartlessness, it was extremely difficult to judge as always. 

  “The reporters are here,” the werewolf nervously told us. 

  Over our course of conversation, the reporters had already started entering the scene. Though there were not many of them, they were entering extremely quickly, and had even done their best to squeeze to the very front. It was a pity for them that our current location was diagonally across in the back. 

  At this moment, the werewolf cried out and started transforming. The young master’s eyes grew wide, but he did not show any shock in his expression. After all, the process was not unfamiliar to him, for it looked almost the same as Dragon Peace’s transformation. The only difference was that Dragon Peace’s body was bigger, and he did not grow fur. 

  The body of this werewolf was a little bigger than the previous one that had stirred up trouble, and his fur was a beautiful silvery-gray. As expected, he was no ordinary person. It was no wonder that the Sun Alliance had recruited him. 

  The werewolf stooped down and reassured the young master, “I will have to carry you. Please don’t be afraid, for I will absolutely not harm you!” 

  The young master nodded. 

  The actions of this werewolf made me feel a little shocked. Typically speaking, even a transformed werewolf who sounded conscious would still be impulsive and easily prone to anger. A single glance at them would usually be enough to invite a deadly fist. 

  If that were not the case, the werewolf race would not have found it so difficult to avoid getting their hands stained in blood. However, this werewolf was able to maintain his calm to such an extent. Could it be that the stronger the werewolf, the calmer they are? That was not something I had heard of before. 

  After picking up the young master, the werewolf first gave a loud roar that resonated to the sky. Even the area around the water tower seemed to shake slightly. I could not help but worry that it might attract other werewolves’ attention, but then decided that if this was something that Secretary Bai had personally arranged, there should not be any problems. 

  When the roar faded, the werewolf jumped upwards and landed on the water tower, crushing it in half. Large amounts of water started gushing out from the cracks, like tiny waterfalls flowing endlessly. This made the rooftop that had been arranged to appear like ruins appear even more ruined. 

  Most likely, the werewolf is so terrifying that it actually managed to prevent the reporters from charging forwards… Or perhaps, it is because they are worried that the water would damage their cameras? 

  About three seconds later, the reporters seemed to come to a realization that the scene before their eyes was also a part of the press conference. Camera lights immediately started flashing non-stop. 

  After the reporters had filmed for a while, the werewolf angrily roared at them, “The setting sun is gone. From now on, it is the realm of the non-humans!” 

  The werewolf lifted up the young master, as though flaunting his prize, as he growled, “Be it Sunset City, or the angel, they all belong to the non-humans!” 

  This speech is really too provocative. If someone takes it seriously and believes that the non-humans are challenging humans, it could possibly stir up both parties. Is it truly wise to use these kinds of stunts for publicity? 

  “Who has the guts to try and save him? You? Or is it you?” He pointed at the various video cameras repeatedly and snarled, “Or is it the Church? Do you still have the balls to?” 

  Hearing the werewolf issue the challenge to the Church made all the reporters gasp. Even I felt rather shocked at this. Is this really just some normal movie propaganda? 

  Compared with the werewolf’s continuous taunting, the young master simply did not have a single line to speak. He seemed unsure as to what to do, and merely stared at the cameras innocently. At this moment, the werewolf abruptly threw him on the ground, and then struck the side of the young master’s head with a powerful slap … How dare you hit the young master! 

  In a single slide step, I arrived in front of the young master, shielding him. I absolutely could not let the werewolf hurt the young master again. 

  “Charles, don’t!” The young master shrieked from behind me. 

  Even if the young master were to say so, how could I possibly leave my hands out of this matter, and allow the werewolf to hurt him further just because the young master is unable to retaliate in the middle of filming? 

  “Has he really gone berserk?” I muttered. 

  As I thought, we should not have gotten a werewolf. It is too difficult to control one of their race. Using the Hollow Roar of the vampires, I warned him, “Retreat!” 

  The werewolf raised his head and laughed loudly, “Just because of you? Pesky little vampire, are you standing on the side of the humans?” 

  I had lost count how many times I had been asked this question. Naturally, humans would assume that I was on the side of the non-humans, but my behavior made non-humans suspect that I was on the side of humans. In the past, I had always been stumped for an answer, but this time– 

  “I am on the side of the young master!” 

  The werewolf lowered his head to look at me, seeming a little shocked. I began to feel suspicious. Judging from his expressions and movements, he did not seem to have lost his sanity. 

  “Charles, he didn’t hit me for real! He just gently pushed my face a little, and the slapping sound came from somewhere else,” explained the young master in a small voice from behind me. 

  “…” 

  The entire place was a sea of silence. Do not tell me I interrupted the press conference? Feeling a bit uneasy, I glanced toward the conference stage where Melody stood. She sighed as she shook her head at me and mouthed the words, “You’re so gullible.” 

  Gullible? I froze for a moment. Could it be that even the part that “I would go in front and stop him” was a part of the press conference? 

  In the distance, a helicopter seemed to be slowly flying toward us. I grew even more puzzled. Is this possibly also a part of the press conference? 

  The helicopter drew closer, and I felt that there was something off about it. If I was not mistaken, the symbol on the side of the helicopter seemed to belong to— 

  Bang, bang! 

  With a slide step, I stood in front of the werewolf, using layers of blood ability to slow down the bullets. Upon slowing the bullets down, I swept most of them away and grabbed one of them with my hand. As expected, what I saw in my palm was an armor-piercing bullet used to deal with vampires. 

  Honestly speaking, I did not need to use my blood ability to block ordinary bullets, or even a small amount of armor-piercing bullets. I could directly catch them with my hands. It was just that after I had clearly seen the symbol on the helicopter, I did not dare to drop my guard. For after all, they were— 

  “The Church!” This time, I could hear from the werewolf’s voice that he was truly enraged. 

  Everyone turned to look at the sky, and the helicopter drew closer and closer. The large cross on the vehicle seemed to excite the reporters even more. 

  The young master muttered, “The sounds of this helicopter are so soft. So it’s possible for one to be this quiet? But what is the Church doing here? Could it be that Ah Yue-gē arranged for this? But the relationship between the Church and Gēge is clearly terrible…” 

  The helicopter was already right above the rooftop, and the wind caused by the propeller blew the whole rooftop into a mess. At this moment, the door of the helicopter opened. What appeared was an extremely familiar face—a face that would make the media go crazy. 

  “Ah Yue-gē!” 

  I turned to look and saw that the young master was on the phone. His tone seemed to be one of dissatisfaction as he grumbled, “Ah Yue-gē, you must have already found Alex a long time ago and even lied about making use of me and Charles to lure him into agreeing to acting in the movie.” 

  The young master listened for a while, and then asked with his voice full of doubt, “Really? You really didn’t know? You are coming over?” 

  He stopped talking for a while, and then chuckled, “Even if you don’t come over, Gēge’s not actually going to kill you! He constantly says that he wants to kill you every day, but he still hasn’t done it yet—Ah, I’m gonna drop the call now, Alex seems like he’s coming over.” 

  The young master cut the call, and then instantly ordered, “Charles, get behind me and try not to speak.” 

  “Understood.” I immediately did as I was told. 

  The helicopter slowly landed on the rooftop with astoundingly little sound, not much different from a car. 

  The first person to step out of the helicopter was Father Alex. 

  This was the person who had received a lot of attention from the youngsters, was chosen as the representative of Daystar City, and in the end, even defeated the young master in the City Representative rankings, becoming number one. Though it was true that the master’s terrible reputation lowered the young master’s votes, his was still not an easy feat, and such a person would at least have to possess an outstanding appearance. 

  Indeed, Father Alex was extremely handsome. His head of golden hair glittered under the sun’s rays, and he had well-defined features, with a tall and slender body. If one were to say the young master was a sincere and innocent angel, then Father Alex would be a glorious and majestic god. 

  Other than Alex, ten clergymen stepped out of the helicopter altogether… Or at least, I presumed them to be clergymen, given that they were all dressed in the black garbs of a priest. However the various weapons in their hands made them look otherwise. 

  Nevertheless, Alex walked over alone. 

  The reporters rushed forward to take pictures. However, because Father Alex had a unique aura that made others fear offending him, the reporters gradually backed off as they shot questions at him, allowing Father Alex to walk over smoothly. All the time, he maintained a faint smile, and did not answer a single question. 

  Finally, he reached the bottom of the water tower. He raised his head to look up at the young master, who was currently kneeling on the floor. The young master lowered his head to look back at Alex, and the two stared at each other from different heights. Alex had a sincere expression as he said very gently, “I have always wanted to meet you. A child with a disposition like yours is truly rare these days. However, seeing you pull such a publicity stunt is somewhat regretful. This would stir up the rift between the non-humans and humans.” 

  Indeed, this kind of publicity stunt is not the best way to do things, but that was not a decision made by the young master. 

  The young master boldly retorted, “And directly firing a gun at others is better?” 

  Hearing that, Alex gave a bitter smile. “Indeed, it is not great, but please believe me when I say that my companions did not use any weapons that were too lethal.” 

  He seemed a little helpless as he looked back toward his companions. Indeed, those clergymen looked like the type who would fire without a word. 

  The bullets just now were truly not lethal. The young master seemed to know this too, and so he did not appear particularly angry. He merely asked inquisitively, “Did you come over to reject the movie offer? That’s why you opened fire?” 

  “No, no!” Alex quickly clarified, and following that, he seemed somewhat troubled as he answered, “I am here as ordained, but since I can’t really act, it doesn’t seem right to agree to it.” 

  “It doesn’t matter, right? Anyways, I can’t act either,” the young master honestly admitted. 

  Alex froze for a moment before laughing in reply, “So, the two of us, neither of whom can act, will be starring in a movie together?” 

  “Yeah, that seems to be the case!” 

  The reporters below seemed a little dumbfounded, and some of them started laughing. Even the werewolf at the side looked as though he could not decide whether to laugh or cry. 

  Alex and the young master looked at each other with smiles on their faces, seemingly getting along with each other. 

  “All right, all right!” Melody stepped toward Alex, but before she could even get close, the other nine clergymen all raised their respective weapons at her. 

  Melody’s eyes narrowed dangerously, but she did not retaliate. Instead, it was the young master who directly jumped down from the water tower to stand in front of Melody, his face full of rage. But before he could even speak, the waiters serving drinks at both sides of the press conference all flipped their tea trays and pulled out various weapons from under their trays. There were even two people holding energy swords, who walked forward to stand between the young master and the priests. 

  A mere press conference was about to become a battleground. Can the young master really finish the movie successfully with Father Alex? I could not help but feel worried. 

  “My fellow brothers, the Lord once said, ‘Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed.’ Thus, to better oneself as a human, one must use their utmost to avoid resorting to violence.” 

  Alex merely frowned, his face showing a trace of disapproval. However, one could thoroughly feel his disappointment. The priests hesitated for a moment, and then one-by-one put their weapons away with guilt on their faces. However, there were still a few who remained unconvinced and retorted, “Alex, they are vampires! Their existence is a sin in itself!” 

  Alex calmly replied, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone.” 

  “A stone?” The young master muttered with his head lowered, “Aren’t they holding guns?” 

  I quietly answered, “Young Master, it is a reference to a story in the Bible.” 

  The young master gave an “Oh.” 

  The unconvinced clergymen silently put away their weapons as well. 

  Seeing that, the young master’s expression greatly improved, and his gaze toward Alex was no longer cautious. I could not help but worry a little upon seeing this. No matter what, the incidents in the past made it impossible for them to have a friendly relationship. However, the young master was not one to hold a grudge, and if he were to get along well with Alex, it was possible that the young master could drop his guard. 

  Alex turned around, and gave a small smile. “It is an honor to be able to act in the same film as you. I will be looking forward to it greatly.” 

  The young master replied with a smile, “Me too!” 

  “May I ask you a question?” Alex abruptly brought up. 

  The young master shrugged and responded, “Sure!” 

  “Why is the one behind you wearing priest garbs with a cross necklace? Is this supposed to be a form of satire? Or perhaps I am mistaken, and this is actually his way of expressing his friendliness?” 

  The young master reflexively looked back. I was currently wearing the priest garbs that I had forgotten to change out of since changing into them at X-Killer. 

  I fell silent for a while, before I uttered, “This is… the current trend.”


  No Hero    

  Volume 7, The Fourth Step towards the End: Devil, the Dance of the Devils

  Translator: Translator 

  This night race is too strong! 

  I felt myself losing heart. I still wanted to properly research the habits of these creatures. In this book, there were so many interesting creatures listed, many of which could be matched with a corresponding non-human race. There must be a link between these! 

  But this link was one I could possibly never find in this lifetime. 

  What a waste of the opportunity of finding this book. If Charles were to know that this book caused my death, he probably would think that it was worth it? 

  Oh, that’s not right. If I died, then most likely Ezart would go down with me. That butler who values his young master so much would probably rather I continue to live on as long as I don’t drag Ezart to his death. 

  “Even at this point, you’re molesting the book?” Ezart looked at me in shock. 

  Book? Oh, you mean the one in my hand? 

  Book… Wait! If the ones in front of us truly are the night race! 

  They claimed this race was the failure closest to perfection. The night race were absolutely strong and they had eternal life, but what came with it was a lack of reproductive abilities and a strong weakness to sunlight, in which even the slightest bit of exposure would turn them to ashes… 

  “Sunlight! We need sunlight!” 

  “… We’re underground.” 

  Aren was sitting in the living room, reading a book. The moment he saw me return, he stood up and politely called, “Charles-gē.” 

  I had not imagined that it would be Aren at home. Mr. Bramble had truly planned an excellent arrangement, as Aren’s identity was the easiest one to explain. 

  I turned to tell the person behind me. “This is Aren. He is the young master’s friend and lives just next door.” 

  “Aren, this is Mr. Luo Ye.” 

  Aren looked at him and greeted him politely, “Luo Ye-shūshu, nice to meet you.” 

  Mr. Luo Ye looked at him gently, clearly happy to meet the young master’s friend. 

  “Mr. Luo Ye, please make yourself at home. I will be going ahead to cook. If there is anything that you need, please feel free to call me.” 

  “Go quick, Ah Ye said he’s hungry,” Luo Ye urged. 

  I walked into the kitchen to start the food preparation. As I was arranging the cold dish of smoked salmon, I abruptly heard a loud shout from outside. 

  “Charles-gē! I’m going out for a while!” 

  Huh? I slide stepped and got to the living room in an instant, but only managed to catch Aren rushing out the door, extremely flustered to the point he didn’t even close the front door. 

  There was only one person left in the living room. I could only ask him, “Mr. Luo Ye, may I ask what has happened?” 

  The other replied in shock, “I don’t know either. We were watching the news, and just reached an exciting point when he suddenly stood up and yelled that he was going out.” 

  I turned to look at the television and nearly cried out, too. 

  On the screen, Dark Sun was currently confronting four people. Three of them had rather peculiar appearances, but what was most important was—Dark Sun’s left arm was drenched in blood. 

  Young Master! 

  Translator: Ugh, another fight scene this month? Just how many fight scenes are there? Let me try this time machine again… This time, it has to work! 

  … 

  Ready, go! 

  To my astonishment, the television turned dark. However, this was not an old television set, as it had only been purchased after the previous one was smashed with a remote controller, so it should not be malfunctioning like this. 

  How am I supposed to know what has happened to the young master if the television is not working? 

  Although I knew I should keep up appearances for Mr. Luo Ye, that what I should be doing was returning to the kitchen and pretending that the news held none of my interest, I could not help but rush forward toward the television. I pressed the power button several times, but nothing happened, completely forgetting that I could also watch the news on my phone. 

  Just as I was considering heading next door to borrow the television there, Mr. Luo Ye walked over and gave the television a whack. 

  The screen came back on. 

  Both Dark Sun and his opponents were scrutinizing a man who had not been present at the scene before the television went dark. He had his hair tied in a ponytail and was oddly wearing a jacket over another one, despite the weather not calling for so many layers. He, in turn, was studying both sides. 

  Where did this man come from? 

  Dark Sun was the first to take action, seemingly ignoring the strange person who had suddenly appeared for the moment. Instead of using a gun or some other weapon, he charged forward at a tall and skinny middle-aged man on the opponent’s side. Then, he threw a slow punch, his movements sluggish and nowhere close to his usual standards. 

  The tall man did not even dodge, as Dark Sun’s hand froze before the punch even landed. 

  They must have ability users, like Josh! I suddenly realized. It might even be that tall man, which was why Dark Sun had thought to take him out first, even if he had to punch him instead of using a weapon. 

  With Dark Sun frozen, he temporarily posed no danger. The tall and skinny middle-aged man then looked back at the strange person who had appeared out of nowhere and said, “Did the boss send you as reinforcement? If your ability is to teleport, then go deal with Solitary Butterfly over there! I already have my hands full here!” 

  Solitary Butterfly has arrived! I felt a lot more relieved. Though she had many clashes with Dark Sun before, I believe she would still help Dark Sun with no second thoughts. 

  However, before Solitary Butterfly reached Dark Sun, she also froze on the spot. 

  With her out of the picture, two others and a woman with bone like spikes poking out of her all turned to glare at the man with the ponytail. 

  “He must be one of the heroes’ reinforcements! We don’t need to capture small fry like him! Kill him!” the woman shouted as the spikes began to transform. 

  A hero? I have never seen this hero before. 

  The man, however, was clearly not on their side, so perhaps he was indeed on the heroes’ side. He pulled out a dagger that looked to be made of ice. Blades of ice even began forming at his feet. But before he did anything, Dragon Peace burst into the scene with a deafening roar. 

  He scooped up Solitary Butterfly and leaped away with her. Then, he rushed over and snatched the frozen Dark Sun as well, but of course, the other side gave chase. 

  How dare you chase him! 

  Translator: Okay, this isn’t how it should go. Let me turn this dial thingamabob…. 

  Even though it was terrible manners of me, I grabbed hold of the television, not wanting to miss a single moment. All of a sudden, I fell through the television set! 

  Translator: …Whoops. 

  When I stood up, I was right at the scene I had just been watching. Without thinking further, I rushed out and formed a shield out of my blood ability to block the oncoming attacks, giving Dragon Peace time to escape with Dark Sun and Solitary Butterfly. 

  As I left, I heard someone on the other side snarl, “If we can’t bring back a hero, we’ll have to settle for you!” 

  I looked back just in time to see the enemy lunge at the man with the ponytail, about to stab him… 

  Translator: Uh, nope, no way, I can’t have you dying here, Jiang Shuyu! Let’s try this again… 

  But then the man vanished into thin air, as if he had never been there before. 

  Translator: There! He should be back in his own series now. Wait… you’re telling me he’s not? What? Is this machine broken? Can I have Luo Ye give it a magical whack? 

  As I ran behind Dragon Peace, I wondered just how I had fallen through the television to arrive here on the scene. Is this perhaps a skill of vampires I never knew about? 

  It could very well be why vampires could never be filmed if we had mastery over televisions!

  No Hero    

  Volume 7: The Eighth Step Toward the End: Pandora, Box of

  Translator: Raylight (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by Taffygirl13 & lucathia) 

  Three hours? I wish to stay here for three years! 

  “You might as well stay here your whole life, and then bury yourself here!” Ezart roared, “Three hours! Not a single second more. By the way, time was ticking away during our conversation, so you already wasted fifteen seconds!” 

  Damn! What exactly should I look for? 

  There are so many things here, and each and every one of them appears to be precious research material. How could I possibly make a choice between all these— 

  “Ah Shou, Ah Shou! I’m calling you!” 

  What? 

  I glanced left and right, but I did not see any trace of Ezart. 

  “Look up!” 

  When I looked up, I saw Ezart standing above me, waving his hand. I was flabbergasted and asked, “How did you get up there?” 

  “By pressing random buttons.” 

  That answer would make anyone vomit blood. Aren’t you scared of pressing something that will cause the whole laboratory to instantly self-destruct? 

  “I only pressed the buttons on the counter and the wall. Who would put the self-destruction button outside? Wouldn’t they be worried that they would press it by accident?” 

  That is true. Doesn’t science always develop in the direction of intuition and simplicity? It appears that this held true for this laboratory, too. 

  It seems that even though I have studied to the point of becoming a professor, I still cannot match up to Ezart. 

  The hotel door abruptly opened without warning, and the visitor invited himself in without reservation. 

  Nitewalker jumped up from the sofa, and the mineral water on the table suddenly exploded out of the bottle. The water split into two portions and then wrapped around Nitewalker’s hands, forming two short tridents—So you were a ninja turtle? 

  No, now is not the time to be reminiscing about old hero films. 

  The leader merely looked at him coldly, but the people beside him had a huge reaction. The extremely destructive-looking weapons in their hands all pointed toward Nitewalker, and it seemed as though they were about to fire! 

  I immediately shouted, “Nitewalker, quickly put down your weapons! This is the master, the young master’s brother.” 

  Nitewalker shot a look at me before stowing away his tridents. Evidently, he too knew that if he did not move quickly, a fight could possibly break out. 

  The master looked at me as he spoke, though he was not addressing me. “Other than the adjudication squad, everyone else needs to get out of the room. That includes you, too!” As he said the last line, he glared at Nitewalker. 

  I nodded my head at Nitewalker for him to leave. After all of them left, the only ones remaining in the room were just me and the master, along with five masked adjudication squad members. According to what I had previously discovered, they were merely modified humans and did not seem as human-like as DSII. 

  I waited for the master to speak while secretly observing him. The master was wearing his usual dark-colored, long trench coat. His hair seemed to be slightly longer than before, though it was somewhat messy, as though he did not have the time to style it properly. Since the moment he stepped in, his face had been very cold—I meant, even cooler than usual. 

  It did not appear to be a serious issue, but it had upset him to the point where he did not have the heart to take care of his appearance. What I found more peculiar was that Elian, the bodyguard who was always by the master’s side with a constant smiling face, the one called El-gē by the young master, had not come. 

  Is it a matter related to the young master, yet something he does not want the young master to know? 

  The master asked, “Where is he?” 

  “The young master has gone to the film location.” 

  The master growled, “I am not talking about Ah Ye, but ‘that person!’” 

  “He has gone with the young master to the filming location.” I calmly advised, “Master, if you make a move against Mr. Luo Ye, the young master will be very upset.” 

  My original intent was to dissuade the master a little, but unexpectedly, these words caused him to erupt into a violent rage. “Ah Ye will always be upset! Everything I do is wrong. He’s just completely lost all hope in me. Otherwise, why would he leave the house, leave me? Even after graduating, he refused to return and stay!” 

  “The young master likes Sunset City very much.” I could only comfort him in such a way, unable to say the true reason since it would anger the master. 

  “You liar!” 

  The master collapsed on the single seat sofa, and dryly laughed. “I’m a bad person. Ah Ye has grown up and understands that. But how could I possibly… ‘turn over a new leaf,’ ha! Once I lose my power, I will lose everything! ‘They’ will pounce and chew me up to the point where even no bones remain!” 

  Striking a person painfully while they are down, taking all they have left and dividing it up until practically nothing remained—this was the unchanging law of the business world, especially when it came to the Sun Emperor. How many of those people smiling at him were actually burning with hatred and fury toward him in their hearts—or perhaps the question was actually the inverse. How many people did not hate him? 

  The master looked at me, and coldly laughed as he said, “The Elysees aren’t any cleaner, either! Sadina’s a vicious one, and her grandson was taught well.” 

  “I am aware, Master.” I maintained my calm as I said, “Though it was something that happened a long time ago, I was the head of the Elysees for ten years. Moreover, in the late stages of his life, my honorable father was unable to work for long periods of time due to his growing age, and had to pass much of his work onto me. So, in actuality, I controlled the family for about twenty years.” 

  That period of time had been the hardest to endure. 

  Thinking back now, I actually could not remember anything important from that those twenty years. All I remembered was the worrying for my father’s health and the matters between Sadina and me. There was only—suffering. 

  The master gave me a look. “I couldn’t tell at all. Moreover, you actually managed to walk away. You sure are carefree, and even luckier to have the protection of a Sadina.” 

  I sincerely said, “I am not carefree. It is precisely because there is a Sadina that I was able to leave. Master, you are actually also the young master’s ‘Sadina.’ The young master can only live the way he wants to because you are there.” 

  The master fell silent. His expression seemed to soften slightly. 

  Despite my previous attempt ending in utter failure and, as a butler, I really ought not to speak any further, I could not refrain from trying once more as I recalled how troubled the young master had looked. “Master, Mr. Luo Ye does not appear to have the capability to fight you for the inheritance. Is there a need to mind him, and even strain your relationship with the young master?” 

  “Inheritance?” The master’s expression seemed a little odd. Had I incorrectly guessed his reasons? 

  “If it is not the inheritance, then why—” 

  The master coldly interrupted me, “You are prying too much!” 

  “Understood.” I lowered my head and apologized. Due to the fact that the young master was the type to prefer having the butler help think matters over, I had forgotten as time passed that the majority of masters would prefer their butler to be invisible. 

  “Trick that guy out and bring him to me.” The master indifferently mentioned, “You can tell Ah Ye that he escaped, and it is fine even if Ah Ye suspects that I have captured him. I guarantee that he will never appear again.” 

  …What? 

  Finally understanding what the master had come here for, a cold chill suddenly struck me. The only thing I could do was immediately refuse him, “I deeply apologize, Master, but I am the butler of the young master.” 

  “I pay your wages.” The master’s face turned cold again. 

  I remained silent for a long time, and did my best to suppress the negative emotions brewing inside me as I calmly said, “Master, would you feel at ease letting someone who has betrayed the young master stay by his side? Even if the reason for the betrayal is your own order?” 

  The master seemed to interfere with the young master fairly often, but looking at the people currently staying at the young master’s side up until now, their loyalties seemed to lie with the young master and not the master. 

  The master roared in rage, “Don’t presume things on your own! Even if I sent him those people, he was the one who chose to keep them. That child just never listens! Hand over ‘that person,’ or else he will definitely harm Ah Ye!” 

  Harm the young master? I was a little puzzled, and said, “I do not believe that Mr. Luo Ye has the ability to harm the young master.” 

  “That’s right, Ah Ye is really strong! But how many times have you seen him injured?” 

  The master grabbed the armrest of the sofa, his breathing seeming to quicken. He raised his head and glared at me with reddened eyes. He asked, “Tell me, if Ah Ye is so strong, why does he always suffer heavier injuries than others? Why is it that the stronger he gets, the more injured he gets instead!” 

  Because the more powerful you are, the more you are unable to hide behind others. Moreover, the young master would never be willing to hide behind someone else. 

  “Whatever he wants to get, or whoever he wants to kill, can’t he tell me? Isn’t everything that I have gained so far all to protect him and make him happy? But in the end, Ah Ye always charges into danger himself, and gets himself hurt from day to night. He is always sad more than he is happy. Why— 

  I can kill off all the people who make him sad! Destroy everything that could possibly hurt him! But Ah Ye would only become unhappier if I did so!” 

  Eyes red from crying or eyes mad from killing, only at this point did I discover that it could be so hard to tell apart the two different types of red eyes. 

  The master buried his face in his left hand. There were no sounds of crying to be heard, and I did not believe that he would truly start crying in front of me. As expected, in less than a minute, his mood stabilized, and he returned to his usual cold and proud demeanor. Even his eyes were not red anymore, and of course, there was not a single tear to be seen. 

  The master calmly judged, “Ah Ye is too naive, and always gets deceived. He holds no caution toward others.” 

  Prior to this, Lieder seemed to have reprimanded me using the same words. 

  “Ah Ye likes to fight, likes to pursue criminals. That is all fine. I did promise him that he can do what he likes. However, everything that can possibly make him sad yet can’t be killed as a solution will all be destroyed by me!” 

  Why would there be a possibility of Mr. Luo Ye making the young master sad? Is it because he is not the young master’s father? But the young master has known about this, and he was not saddened by it. Rather, he was worried that Mr. Luo Ye would be upset by it. 

  The master gave a smile with no friendliness behind it as he said, “Charles Elysees, if you do not hand that fellow over, I will hand over information regarding E.X to the Church.” 

  My heart skipped a beat. I kept my calm as I politely answered, “My name is Charles Endelis. Master, please do not lie to me. You do not have such information.” 

  “I do.” The master slowly said, “There’s too much contact between him, you, and Ah Ye. I have never brought what I don’t have to the negotiation table, since such a practice is too unreliable.” 

  The master is merely deceiving me with something that he does not possess—I am unable to convince myself of that! 

  Although I only had his email address, and X was the one with the young master’s and my cell phone numbers, he would only make an occasional call through the internet. Moreover, he said that he had his ways to not be tracked, and there simply were not many leads on him. The Church had been chasing him for so long to no avail. However, the one currently tracking him down was the master, and both the young master and I were far too careless. 

  Would the master really do so? No, of course he would truly do so. He is—the Sun Emperor! 

  The endless doting he gave the young master and the little trifles I heard about him between him and the secretaries seemed to have so much emotion, which made me gradually think that the Sun Emperor was not so cold and callous, and that the rumors were greatly exaggerated… 

  At the moment, the Sun Emperor sat on the sofa, appearing like a monarch even though it was not a throne. He had the corners of his mouth raised slightly, knowing that his victory was at hand, taunting his opponent! 

  I could not suppress the blazing rage that ignited in my heart any longer, and glared at him as I growled, “Sun Emperor! If you touch X, there will be no room for negotiation!” 

  “Who are you to speak?” The Sun Emperor said with extreme disdain, “If it weren’t for Ah Ye, I would have killed you long ago! Don’t think that I would be scared of the Elysees’s revenge. Sadina might still make others afraid, but now it is Curtis. He doesn’t have Sadina’s ruthlessness and would not drag the whole family to their graves just to avenge a dead person! 

  “You are nothing!” He stood up and eyed me arrogantly, “I will give you one week. Deceive that guy and get him to the location I specify, and then you will have nothing further to do with this incident. However, if Ah Ye finds out about this, I will hand both you and X over to the Church!” 

  “Stop it!” I said with disbelief, “What do you think you are doing? You are forcing me to betray the young master!” 

  The Sun Emperor’s expression darkened for a moment, but soon returned to normal. He gave a cold snort, “Think as you wish.” 

  The other turned to leave, yet I was unable to think of any way defy his threat. If I wanted to protect X, then I had to betray the young master? If I did not betray the young master, then X would fall into the hands of the Church—Why have things turned out this way? How could I possibly make a decision, and why must I have to face such a multiple-choice question? 

  “Young Master is a hero!” I could not control myself and shouted, “You were the one who forced him to the point where he had no choice but to leave. Otherwise, the person he would have to fight in the end would probably end up being you!” 

  The Sun Emperor stopped in his tracks, and turned his head slightly as he said, “You are very bold. Do you think Curtis will protect you? Playing your butler game and dealing with the Church is one thing. Opposing me is an entirely different matter. Or do you think that Ah Ye will protect you? If I killed you, the two of them would probably fight against me for a few years. But, that’s just about it.” 

  “Watch your tone, Ri Xiang Yan!” 

  I absolutely cannot let him threaten me as he pleases. I attempted to revert back to the attitude of a “Family Head” and rebuked, “When I was doing business, your father, Ri Ji Yan, was but a mere child!” 

  The Sun Emperor finally turned around and looked at me with piqued interest. “All right, then, ‘Senior.’ Since you have already been in the battlefield of the business world, then you should know that abandoning one’s authority means that you no longer have any power to protect the people you wish to protect!” 

  My lips curled into a smile as I indifferently said, “You stand at the peak of the world. Yet when it comes to something like protecting, I believe you would most likely get a failing score.” 

  The other’s smile finally faded, and he stared coldly at me. Being able to make the Sun Emperor change expression could be considered a type of achievement, although this was not something to be proud of. I just happened to know that the young master would always be the biggest chink in his armor. 

  “You have one week’s time.” 

  Without any intention of continuing a verbal battle with me, he turned to leave. This time, I could not find any words to stop him with. It had been sixty years; I certainly had not been the “Family Head” for a long time. Other than being able to gain an advantage in a verbal fight with a single line, I could not do anything else! 

  The room door closed. It opened once more, and Nitewalker walked in. He looked at me seriously and asked, “What’s wrong?” 

  Betray X, or betray the young master… 

  Even if I claimed that I would never pray again, I had previously still internally prayed to the young master in the end. However, who can I pray to this time? 

  Dark Sun? 

  Heroes must always be impartial. That was how it was always portrayed in movies. Those heroes would never let personal feelings get in the way, and were ready to punish one’s own family if justice demanded it. At the end, they always found that the greatest evildoer was one of their most trusted loved ones. There were quite a few movies with such a plot. However, the heroes would always be able to make the correct choice. 

  —I can’t not go! That’s my only gēge! Furthermore, it is engraved into the microchip in my head that the only reason I exist is to protect Gēge, no matter the cost. Even if it’s my own life! 

  “How could it possibly be done?” 

  When the doorbell rang, I followed the same routine as the past few days and went to receive the young master. When he walked in, his face looked a little fatigued, and he visibly heaved a sigh of relief the moment he saw me. 

  “Shūshu went over to Nitewalker’s place,” the young master explained, most likely having noticed my glance behind him. 

  As of now, Nitewalker had moved to stay in the room over, with Mr. Luo Ye staying together in the same room. However, the young master would bring him along whenever leaving to film—leaving Nitewalker to stay behind. Moreover, Nitewalker spent most of his time in this room. It was very clear that his mission was to guard me. 

  On one hand, the young master was worried that Mr. Luo Ye would be killed by the master; on the other hand, he was concerned that I might be captured by the Church. At the same time, he had to rush to work and act in the film. These few days, Secretary Bai had also sent him information about some criminals. DSII would also send him some troublesome cases from time-to-time, inquiring as to how to handle those. As a result of all these, the young master had not slept much for a period of time now. 

  “Young Master, you have returned.” I smiled as I said, “There is a visitor for you!” 

  “Visitor?” The young master’s expression stiffened as he asked, “Don’t tell me it’s Gēge…” 

  Before he completed his sentence, he saw the visitor and froze for a moment. Then, he immediately dashed up to him frantically, and in the end, even directly jumped onto the other person to hug him tightly without letting go. 

  “Ezart!” 

  Ezart lazily said, “What are you doing? You’re so excited. It hasn’t been that long since we last met, right?” 

  The young master shouted, “I really missed you! You never even called!” 

  “How do I call when there’s no signal?” Ezart managed to move normally even while carrying another person, walking to the refrigerator to get a cola. Following that, he flopped backwards on the sofa, conveniently tossing the young master onto the seat beside him. 

  “Besides, isn’t there still El and Eli? It’s just Eloise who ran off to who knows where. It’s too ridiculous, actually; how many years has it been since she contacted us?” He brought up a few names that I had yet to hear of before. 

  The young master muttered, “But El-gē and Eli are at Gēge’s place…” 

  “So what? What’s with that look on your face? Threw another temper tantrum at your brother?” 

  Ezart truly knew the young master too well. 

  “It’s Gēge who is throwing a tantrum at me!” The young master immediately refuted. 

  Ezart rolled his eyes at the young master and said, “Isn’t it the same thing? You two brothers really are cut out of the same mold! Here, your souvenir this time.” 

  The young master had frowned, about to justify himself, but all was forgotten once he saw the present. He quickly took it and asked, “What is it?” 

  It was a box slightly larger than one’s palm. From its appearance, there did not appear to be anything special about it; it was just a normal box with some years to it. 

  “I don’t know. Anyways, it’s like the stuff from before, things found while adventuring. But I can’t open it, so you think of a way to pry it open yourself!” 

  The young master gave an “oh” and did not seem very interested in this extremely ordinary souvenir. He handed it over to me casually. “Since it’s a box, then I’ll give it to Charles. You can use it to store stuff!” 

  “As you wish.” I took the box from him. It did not look antique, so perhaps it really could be used for storage. I briefly attempted to open the box, but as expected, it stayed shut. There was a keyhole on its side with a very unique shape. Moreover, the shape looked a little familiar. However, since we did not have the key and had no idea of its value, it seemed like it could only be placed in the climate controlled display cabinet. 

  “Ezart, are you still going adventuring?” The young master pleaded, “If you haven’t accepted your next expedition offer, could you please hold off accepting any for a while and help me protect someone?” 

  “Protect who?” 

  “Luo Ye.” 

  “Who…” At this point, he seemed to have abruptly recalled something, and blankly asked, “Didn’t he kick the bucket?” 

  So Mr. Ezart also knows Mr. Luo Ye? 

  “No, he said he had gone into hiding. He came to find me because he saw my advertisement.” 

  Ezart responded with an “oh” and asked, “Don’t tell me that’s why you had a quarrel with your brother?” 

  “Yeah, Gēge said he would ‘deal with’ him.” The young master’s expression seemed to sink a little. 

  Instantly, Ezart’s expression became somewhat odd. He did not speak for a long time, and ultimately scratched his head as he said, “You can’t possibly protect him forever, right? Just go speak to your brother face-to-face. All you have to do is pout and sulk at him, and he’ll directly surrender!” 

  “This time it’s different. Gēge seems to really hate him. I called him to ask him to at least meet Shūshu once, but he refused, and also would not tell me where exactly he was. I can’t find him at all!” 

  “He doesn’t want to see you pout, so he decided to simply hide from you!” Ezart huffed twice before saying, “What kind of bizarre situation is this? You’re protecting Luo Ye, but the person who wants to kill him is your brother?” 

  The young master said softly, “Gēge said that he will hurt me, but Shūshu has been very nice to me and has absolutely no intention of harming me.” 

  “Does he know that you’re not his son?” I did not expect that Ezart would know about this, too. 

  “He doesn’t know,” the young master responded melancholically. 

  “Why don’t you tell him?” 

  The young master seemed discouraged as he said, “I just can’t say it. H-He kept calling me son, and he seems really happy. If I told him the truth, I feel like he would become very pitiful!” 

  “To be able to create such a messed-up situation despite how few family members you have, all I got to say to all you rich people is, you win!” Ezart grumbled unhappily, but then immediately agreed, “Fine! I’ll help you protect that guy ‘til your brother is willing to see you. Anyways, as long as you keep saying to him that you want to see him, it shouldn’t take long before your brother surrenders!” 

  Hearing that, the young master empathically answered, “Okay.” Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, “Oh yeah, help me protect Charles as well.” 

  “Are you kidding me?” Ezart growled and asked, “Didn’t you say he’s stronger than me?” 

  “He is stronger than you!” The young master nodded as he answered, “As long as he fights seriously.” 

  “Holy shit! Already having to rely on others for protection but still not fighting seriously? Then when is he going to be serious?” 

  Normally, I would dismiss his words with a smile. However, under the current circumstances, I really could not laugh at all. The young master even defended me on my behalf, “Charles only seems like Charles when he isn’t that strong! That one time from before when he became stronger, he really gave me a shock!” 

  “Became stronger?” Ezart asked in curiosity, “How did he become stronger only once? How did he change?” 

  “By being injected with tranquilizers!” The young master answered earnestly. 

  “Hey, aren’t tranquilizers supposed to make people weaker?” 

  “Charles is different. That time it was…” 

  The young master excitedly talked about the incident that happened not too long ago. He had not been this happy for quite a period of time, so it was really great that Ezart had decided to drop by at this time. 

  “And then… the Bible was taken away… Thankfully the cross was still there. Father Yue had even said that the cross could make vampires stronger—” 

  “It’s the cross!” Those words escaped my mouth. 

  The young master and Ezart both turned to me. 

  “Charles, what’s wrong with the cross?” The young master nervously asked, “Could it be that you lost it, too?” 

  “That is not the case.” I pulled the necklace out from under my clothes and said, “There was a keyhole in the box just now, and I had thought that the shape of it was unique yet familiar. Thanks to your words just now, I realized that it is the shape of the bottom of the cross.” 

  I lowered my head to take a look at it. Indeed, my guess was right. 

  “Speaking of which,” Ezart asked, “Ah Ye, you just said that Lieder is a professor? The name of my employer this time is Jiao Shou.”1 

  “…” That sounded like something lacking in taste that Lieder would do. 

  “Do you have his phone number?” The young master immediately asked. 

  Ezart shrugged and said, “I do. He said that if the box was opened, I had to give him a call.” 

  The young master was hesitant. “Would it be dangerous if we open it?” 

  “I doubt it! ‘That kind of place’ definitely couldn’t have been a trap that he set up. We were nearly goners at least three times, and he gave me the box on the spot and didn’t take it back with him.” 

  The cross can make a vampire stronger… I took off the necklace and inserted it straight into the keyhole of the box. It was a perfect fit, and it could even turn. This “necklace” was indeed a key! 

  “Charles! Why did you just open it like that?” The young master yelled in shock. “We don’t know if it’s dangerous!” 

  “You sound like your brother!” Ezart interrupted the young master while rolling his eyes. 

  I stared blankly at the item in the box. No matter how I thought about it, I would not have imagined the item that could increase a vampire’s strength would be this. Bewildered, I raised my head and asked, “Ezart, if I recall correctly, the place that you went on an expedition was an ancient tomb?” 

  “Yeah!” 

  Then… I looked down once more at the item in the box in astonishment. The young master also squeezed over to take a look out of curiosity, only to become equally stunned. 

  It was a glass test tube, and the fluid inside that filled up about eighty percent of the tube appeared to be a dark red to black color. It would not be strange at all if this appeared in Mr. An Te Qi’s laboratory, but the box had appeared in an ancient tomb, had to be opened with a cross, and was related to vampires? 

  I had an odd feeling as though I had suddenly jumped from a period drama to a sci-fi film. 

  “Hey!” I did not know when Ezart had made a call. He said into his phone, “What the heck are you planning? Ah Shou…no, ‘Lieder’?” 

  Following that, he changed it to speakerphone so that we would all be able to hear. 

  “Hehe, discovered so quickly?” As expected, it was Lieder’s voice. 

  Ezart shot a glance at the item in my hand and asked, “What’s in the box? Poison?” 

  Lieder unhappily said, “Would I risk high danger, to the point of nearly dying three times, just to find a tube of poison?” 

  I inquired, “Lieder, is the item in the box capable of making vampires stronger?” 

  “Hehe, so as expected, you know about it, too? I found various pictures of genes from the bible, as well as a hidden ‘treasure map,’ so I got Ezart and went on an adventure.” 

  “Did you look for Ezart on purpose?” The young master said extremely furiously. 

  “Hehe, it wasn’t something I purposely went out of my way for. I inquired around for expedition teams that had the best reputation among the people, one of which was the expedition team that Ezart was in. I’m not sure why, but I get the impression that those around you are no ordinary people. To make sure I stayed alive, it’s only natural that I would seek him out. 

  “Right, to answer Charles’s question: I’m not sure about the item on your side, but mine isn’t limited to vampires.” 

  “You have one, too?” The young master keenly discovered and pointed out the hidden information within his words. 

  Ezart took the initiative to say, “There were three boxes in total, and Lieder only gave me one.” 

  “Giving you one is already being nice! Who knew you would actually give it away to someone else in the blink of an eye? Weren’t you going to sell it?” From his tone, it sounded like Lieder was on pretty friendly terms with Ezart. 

  “I’m not lacking in money right now. What would I sell it for?” 

  “For equipment! Have you already forgotten that we nearly died three times? Yet you’re still not buying some better adventuring gear!” 

  Ezart snorted and said, “If the person you hired wasn’t me, it wouldn’t take three times; you would’ve died the first time! Also, equipment that you can buy from elsewhere is nowhere as good as what Ah Ye makes. Are your eyes just for show? Have you seen the weapons that I use on the market before?” 

  There was a long period of silence from the other end of the phone, before there was mumbling, “So I see. If that’s the case, then I really owe him my life… Charles? Are you listening?” 

  “Yes.” 

  “Your voice is different. I can hear it. How interesting. Didn’t we just talk over the phone a few days ago? That time, you were just like usual. But now, your tone sounds… thirsty for strength.” 

  “How could Charles possibly want strength!” The young master turned to look at me, and seeing that I did not refute his words, he seemed to freeze a little. He asked, perplexed, “Charles, why do you suddenly wish for strength?” 

  I looked down as I said, “I only wish to be of help to you.” 

  Is that all? 

  The young master grabbed my shoulders and said, “What nonsense are you saying? You are my butler, not my bodyguard or hitman. You don’t need to fight!” 

  “If I am a little stronger, at least you need not worry about my safety.” 

  Is it truly only for that reason? 

  “I’m not that worried about you. The person I’m more worried about is Shūshu!” 

  I asked back calmly, “Then, why do you leave Nitewalker behind? Wouldn’t it be better to have another person watching Mr. Luo Ye while you are filming?” 

  The young master froze, unable to say a reason. 

  “Ever since the conversation with Curtis about whether the Church would make a move against me in Daystar City, you have had me stay in the hotel. Was it because you did not wish for the priests to come and stir trouble for me? Despite such an arrangement, you were still worried that something might happen. That was the reason you had Nitewalker watch over me, which also decreased the number of people by your side. My words are correct, are they not, Young Master?” 

  My string of questions rendered the young master speechless. His head hung low. He did not dare to look at me. He had clearly only had my safety in mind, yet seemed apologetic upon being exposed. Young Master, you are truly… 

  “Young Master, as a butler, becoming the master’s burden is the greatest possible shame!” 

  Liar, going so far as to deceive the master—this is not the reason at all! 

  Closing my eyes, I broke the seal on the test tube and drank it down in one shot. 

  “Charles—” The young master dashed forward to take the test tube away from me, but I had already finished the fluid inside. He was so angry that he immediately began to angrily rebuke, “You are even stronger than Bramble-shū and the others! They are the ones who are bodyguards, and you are a butler. How much stronger do you want to be? Do all the people around me really have to be strong? What about Briar then? You idiot, just drinking it without even knowing what exactly it is—Ah! That’s right, hurry and throw it up. You’ll be fine!” 

  Saying that, the young master actually punched me in the stomach with so much force that I fell to my knees on the ground, my head a little dazed. 

  From the side, I heard Ezart’s voice commenting, “Why is it that you have always liked punching people in the stomach?” 

  I had merely drunk a mouthful of the liquid. I could not throw it up, nor was I willing to. 

  Seeing that the young master looked ready to punch me a few more times, I quickly said, “No, Young Master, I do not wish to throw it up!” 

  The young master’s fist hung in mid-air. As he looked at me hesitantly, I could only do my best to return his gaze with a determined gaze of my own. The young master had always been soft on those by his side, excessively so… 

  Thus, you made use of that, and drank something that belongs to the young master, vainly attempting to get more strength to resist… the person that the young master would protect with his life! 

  I turned my head to the side, unwilling to look at the young master any longer, unworthy to look anymore. 

  The young master lowered his fists and snatched Ezart’s phone to yell, “It’s all your fault! Making Charles drink some mysterious fluid! What do we do now? If anything happens to Charles, I’ll definitely kill you!” 

  “Hehe, but you originally already wanted to kill me, right? Don’t worry though. I have tested it on myself, so you don’t get to come and kill me twice over.” Lieder changed the topic and asked me, “Charles, do you feel anything?” 

  I focused on how I felt, but there was no difference other than my hurting stomach—which I believed to be due to the young master rather than the medicine. I was a little disappointed as I replied, “I do not feel anythi—” 

  “Charles?” The young master asked nervously, “Why did you suddenly stop speaking?” 

  I was abruptly assaulted by an intense wave of sleepiness. I had never felt my eyelids to be so heavy before, for it was even faster and more intense than the time Lieder had injected me with a large dose of tranquilizers! 

  No, I absolutely must not sleep! The Sun Emperor only gave me a week’s deadline. I cannot sleep at this time, for I do not know how long it may take to wake up again. If I wake up and find out that X is in the hands of the Church… 

  I used my blood ability to forge two short spikes and exerted strength to stab down onto my thighs. The intense pain temporarily chased away my drowsiness, but it did not last long. As I felt the sleepiness grow, I could only pluck out the spikes, intending to stab myself once more— 

  “Charles!” 

  The young master grabbed both of my hands, but he could not hold the spikes formed from my blood ability. As my hands let go, the thorn still dropped and pierced into my thighs. The young master cried out while sobbing, “Charles, what are you doing! Stop stabbing yourself!” 

  With the drowsiness and pain, my consciousness was slowly fading away. Even the young master’s face started to blur. If this continued, I probably would not even be able to gather my blood ability anymore. I held on desperately as I said, “Y-Young Master, I really want to sleep, but absolutely must not. Please, don’t let me fall asleep. I am begging you…” 

  “Why do you refuse to sleep?” 

  “When you drink it, it will cause you to sleep for a few days. It’s no big deal, just sleep!” 

  “But Charles doesn’t want to sleep!” 

  “Sleeping a few days won’t kill him.” 

  I could not tell who was saying what. My drowsiness grew stronger, and I had already lost the concentration required to gather blood for inducing pain onto myself. If this continued, I would truly fall asleep… Once I fell asleep, exactly what kind of situation would I face upon waking up? 

  Notes: 

  > 1.”Jiao Shou”: This name that was given to Ezart sounds the same as “professor” in Chinese, which led to the nickname of Ah Shou.

  No Hero    

  Volume 7: The Ninth Step Toward the End: Rapidly, Godspeed

  Translated by Raylight (proofread by Minthe & Trespasserby; C/E edited by Taffygirl13 & lucathia) 

  There were three boxes on the floor above—the truth was, there were over a thousand boxes, but only these three were specially arranged in the center. Even the countertops that they were placed on looked fancier than the others. Could these be a trap, with the actual goods stored elsewhere? 

  “That’s possible.” Ezart did not refute the idea that it might be a trap. He continued, “These are a bit heavy, so we can bring back at most seven or eight of them.” 

  They actually can’t be opened? I still have other things that I want to take and cannot just take eight boxes at random, not knowing what’s inside! 

  “So what? Adventuring is a gamble in the first place. You bet both your luck and life!” Ezart’s words were really starting to make more and more sense to me… Hm? 

  “What’s wrong?” 

  Nothing really, just spotted something familiar. 

  The box in the center had the same designs as “that book,” and the keyhole in the box on the left also seemed to… 

  I’ll bet on it! 

  Intense pain came from all my limbs, and it hurt so much that I abruptly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the young master who was wearing a very guilty expression. For unknown reasons, he was apologizing frantically to me, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Do you still feel like sleeping? You probably don’t feel like sleeping now right?” 

  I looked at the young master, a little uncertain about what the current situation was, although the drowsiness was still strong… Urgh! 

  The pain sent tremors through my entire body for a while, before it finally subsided. This time, I was truly awake and conscious. I stretched my hand out to wipe my face, but the young master immediately grabbed my hand to stop it. Only then did I realize that my fingertips were all covered in blood, and were throbbing in pain. 

  The young master said with his head lowered, “Because you said that you didn’t want to sleep, I pricked a lot of places that hurt a lot, including the areas under your fingernails. I’m sorry, I’m really sorry!” 

  So that is the reason why the young master kept apologizing to me. I said sincerely, “Young Master, I am extremely grateful that you did so.” 

  Hearing that, the young master finally showed a relieved expression. He nodded and said, “I’ll go and get some blood for you. After drinking it, your wounds should heal faster, right?” 

  I briefly assessed the injuries on my body. The young master was truly skilled, for the wounds he had inflicted dealt a lot more pain than the stabs I had made into my thighs, yet the injuries were much less severe. If I had let the young master do this earlier, the majority of my injuries could probably have recovered by tomorrow. 

  “Charles, after drinking the medicine, what was the type of strength that you desired the most in your heart?” 

  Lieder is actually still on the line? I asked in bewilderment, “Are you not afraid of being traced?” 

  “I am. That’s why what I gave Ezart was not a phone number, but a cell phone. Even if your young master were to trace the call, it would probably still take up to an hour to trace me. Right now, I still have… ten minutes.” 

  Ten minutes? So I still fainted after all? 

  “What exactly were you thinking of?” His tone was full of curiosity. 

  I replied on reflex, “I was thinking that I absolutely cannot fall asleep.” 

  There was a long silence from the other end of the phone, before he managed to ask with much difficulty, “Didn’t you crave strength?” 

  “Indeed, I did.” However, how does this have any relation? I was perplexed as I said, “Recently, there have been many matters that need to be settled. If I fell asleep, it was possible that it could take several weeks to wake up again. That was why I was thinking that I absolutely could not fall asleep. I do not think this should conflict with my wish to be stronger?” 

  “Unfortunately, they did conflict. Also, congratulations, you will never need to sleep again! To think that you chose the power to not require sleep. Do you find your eternal life span as a vampire not long enough? I’ve got to hand it to you!” 

  As soon as Lieder finished speaking, he hung up. Although he had just declared that I would never need to sleep again, he sounded as if he wanted to make me sleep forever instead. However, I did not know that I was supposed to think of a “power” at that time. Is there no way to choose again? 

  The young master hugged the blood bag while laughing so hard that he first collapsed on the sofa, then rolled onto the floor. “N-Not needing sleep really does sound like a superpower that Charles would choose!” 

  So, just like that, I missed a rare chance to get stronger? 

  “Charles.” 

  The young master passed the blood bag over, his eyes filled with mirth. This made me feel less upset in an instant. After all, it was not strength that belonged to me, and even the medicine had not belonged to me. Though the young master would not mind, I… 

  “Young Master, my sincere apologies. I have drunk what belongs to you.” For the sake of gaining a little more power to resist the Sun Emperor. 

  As expected, the young master did not mind and said, “It’s not mine either. We couldn’t have opened it without your cross. Enough of that and hurry and drink some blood!” 

  As I lowered my head and drank the blood, I saw that the whole floor was covered in blood. I should clean the place up later; it would be too pitiful if I left it all to the hotel staff. Perhaps not needing any sleep is a good ability, for at least it would give me more time to handle tasks… Urgh! 

  I touched my neck and plucked out a short… Needle? 

  The young master was stunned and yelled, “Ezart! Why did you shoot Charles with a gun?” 

  “To test and see if he really doesn’t need to sleep!” Ezart even said righteously, “It’s just a tranquilizer. He won’t die from it, relax! He happens to be injured anyways. Maybe he’ll make a full recovery after sleeping!” 

  After saying this, he scratched his head and added, “But those are specially-formulated, extra-strong tranquilizers. Vampires are harder to sedate anyways, right?” 

  “Ezart!” The young master cried without any tears, and hurriedly asked, “Charles, are you okay? Sorry, Ezart didn’t do it on purpose!” 

  Young Master, it was clearly done on purpose. 

  “D-Do you feel like sleeping?” The young master seemed worried but inquisitive, and turned to ask, “Ezart, roughly how long does it take for your tranquilizers to take effect?” 

  Ezart lazily replied, “I should be asking you, since you were the one who gave them to me!” 

  “I gave them to you?” He seemed puzzled for a moment, but then his eyes suddenly widened as he stammered, “Those were the s-super strong tranquilizers that I gave you for sedating large animals— Charles!” 

  There are always so many issues that make the young master worry ceaselessly. It really has been a long time since he last showed the smile of an angel. In this world that is like a living hell, who can still smile from the heart? 

  I gave a small smile as I replied, “Young Master, I am fine.” 

  The young master seemed relieved, and asked curiously, “Then, do you feel like sleeping?” 

  “No, I do not wish to sleep. I merely wish to—” 

  With a glide step, I dashed up to the other person and grabbed his collar from the front. 

  “Mr. Ezart, please do not do this again!” I unconsciously switched to the Hollow Roar of vampires as I shouted, “If I collapsed, who would attend to the young master?” As well as X! 

  Ezart instead laughed, and tilted his head to shout at the young master, “Ah Ye, why didn’t you tell me sooner that this guy would be so interesting after getting tranquilized?” 

  “I also just found out recently—Don’t give him any more tranquilizers!” 

  “Do not do anything that the young master forbids you to do!” I picked up the tranquilizer gun with one move and tossed it far away. It seemed that I had not controlled my strength properly, for it struck and broke something. However, that was fine. I would just have to tidy it up along with the blood on the floor later. 

  Ezart grabbed my hand, and I instantly felt a prickling pain from it. I exerted force to swing him off, and then realized that there was a pinprick in my hand. 

  I looked toward Ezart, and the other raised his hand to show that he was wearing a dragon-shaped ring with a needle extending from the palm side. He proudly said, “A gun isn’t all I have. If you don’t want me to continue tranquilizing you, then fight me!” 

  “Ezart, Charles doesn’t want to fight! Don’t make things hard for him…” 

  “As you wish.” 

  “…Charles, what are you saying?” The young master stared at me, his face full of disbelief. 

  “Young Master, Ezart has already made this request many times. In my opinion, Young Master, I might as well fight a round with him, and thoroughly put an end to this. However, he must promise me that once this battle is over, he will not issue any more battle challenges!” 

  “Tsk! Then, how is that worthwhile?” Ezart bluntly stated his conditions, “If you win, I won’t bother you for three years, but if you lose, then you have to fight me every time I come looking for Ah Ye!” 

  I was not entirely happy with these conditions, but at least I would not be harassed within three years, which did not seem too bad. 

  “If you don’t say ‘no,’ I’ll take it as you agreeing?” With a roar, he swung a fist toward me. However, it was too slow, and I evaded it easily. 

  “W-Wait a moment!” The young master dashed over, seeming as though he wanted to cry but was unable to do so. 

  Afraid that I would break even more objects, I tried my best to dodge the opponent. However, the other did not hold back at all, and with every attack he would destroy something in the room. As it happened again and again, the room quickly spiraled into a scene of chaos. How is the young master supposed to rest and sleep in this room afterwards? 

  With a turn and a backwards leap, I jumped onto the ornamental piano in the room, and growled, “Please stop! Do not destroy the room any further!” 

  “Damn, you’re good at dodging!” Ezart shouted in anger. He seemed like he was about to charge at me, but the young master hugged him tightly and refused to let go. As he struggled, he shouted, “Can you only f***ing dodge? What’s the point if you don’t attack?” 

  Can only dodge… 

  I— 

  The doorbell rang. The young master originally did not pay it any mind, instead sternly reprimanding Ezart in anger, “Ezart, that’s enough.” However, as the doorbell rang with more urgency, he looked at the two of us anxiously and instructed, “Don’t fight anymore,” before he was forced to open the door. 

  It was the hotel staff that had come over to inquire about what was going on. The young master barely cracked the door opened, carefully hiding the actual situation within the room, and then apologized frantically. 

  Breaking so many things has indeed troubled the young master! 

  Using my x-speed, I charged at Ezart with a great amount of momentum, causing him to go flying and break the window. As the two of us dropped down from high above, I clutched onto Ezart tightly and said, “Do not move. We will fight on the streets so as to avoid troubling the young master.” 

  “… You just shattered the glass completely, and you’re still claiming that you don’t want to trouble Ah Ye?” Ezart broke into loud laughter… 

  “F***ing hell, I should have injected you with a ton of tranquilizers earlier!” 

  I used my blood ability continuously to slow down our descent, forming a thick cushion with the blood ability at the very end. As we landed on it, I released Ezart and retreated a short distance away. 

  “Vampires sure are convenient! To be fine even after such a high drop.” Ezart got to his feet and said, “Next time I’ll consider getting a vampire as an adventuring companion.” 

  “That would not be a bad idea, but please take care that you do not become his emergency rations.” 

  Ezart gave a laugh and said, “You’re really pissed at me, aren’t you?” 

  “… A butler does not judge the guests of their master.” 

  “You really are pissed at me.” He concluded. 

  I growled, “I said that I do not judge the guests of the master, not that I was p…peeved at you.” 

  “But you really are pissed at me.” 

  I did not know the reason why, but I started smiling. Was it a smile from extreme anger? I decided to admit simply, “Indeed, I am a little peeved at you.” 

  “Good, ‘cause I’m pissed at you too! What I hate the most in my life are strong people who act like weaklings, just like you!” 

  Ezart charged toward me. To be honest, he was not slow and packed an astonishing amount of power in his punches. If a punch were to land, the outcome would be unimaginable. A normal person would probably have to spend a lot of effort to avoid his blows, but not me. To me— 

  He was too slow. 

  As I dodged the incoming fist, I refuted, “I do not pretend to be weak!” 

  “Like hell you don’t!” Ezart roared in anger, “From the start, Ah Ye told me that you’re stronger than me. Afterwards, he would even report to me from time to time that you learned whatever blah blah ability, and even learned it faster than Ah Ye could modify himself to do the same! No matter how I think about it, you should be a crazy strong guy, and now you’re telling me that you still need my f***ing protection? If you’re not pretending to be a weakling, then what are you doing?” 

  “I am not pretending to be weak!” I forged a rapier out of my blood ability, and looked straight at him as I answered, “Since you think that I am a strong person, then please, go ahead and test how strong I am.” 

  “Why are you holding a needle?” Ezart taunted. 

  I gripped my rapier tighter and increased the width of the blade from two fingers thick to three. The center dented in to form an irregular fuller, with one side of the sword sharp and the other saw-toothed… 

  Ezart gave a “Ha” and then said, “That’s starting to be more like it!” 

  His two hands reached down the sides of his thighs, where a claw-shaped metal accessory hung on both sides. Though their size was a little outrageous, they did not seem very out of place on someone like Ezart, who had a tattoo on his left cheek. With two clangs, he raised his hands that were each equipped with a set of knuckles. So those were actually his weapons? 

  The ring could be used for sedation, and the metal objects on his legs were actually knuckles. It seemed that while Ezart appeared to be covered in accessories from head to toe, he was actually not fond of “ornaments,” but rather attached more value to practicality. 

  “Be careful.” Ezart punched his fists together, the metal clang resounding as he said, “I don’t care whether you’re going easy on me, or if you’re Ah Ye’s butler. Either way, I’m gonna smash my fists hard into your face!” 

  He was serious. I went into the standard fencing stance, with the feeling of being in an official competition, as off as that impression was. I could not help but remember the time when I had first begun learning fencing. At that time, the first instructor had merely taught me for an afternoon, but a look at his gaze had been enough for me to know that he would not come back the next day. 

  I really enjoyed fencing, so my father had employed another instructor. By then, I had learned to conceal my inhuman movement—At that time, I had not known that it was called glide stepping. 

  However, I could never attend a fencing competition, no matter how good I became, because… 

  Because he is a vampire, someone who has never been human. He is strong and undying, how could anyone compete? 

  I stepped forward and used my x-speed, moving at an almost unparalleled speed. However, Ezart evidently had plenty of battle experience, for he did not plan on stopping my attack. Both his fists blocked the vital area of his chest, letting me attack other areas freely. 

  Those metal knuckles were most likely unbreakable. They had a familiar glint of gray that was very similar to the blade of the young master’s Death Scythe. 

  With a stomp and twist of my ankle, I brushed past the side of Ezart’s body and swung the sword in my hands, slicing across the other’s knee. Unexpectedly, there was the ring of clashing metal, and the resistance made me sluggish. However, that feeling from my hand meant… It can be broken through! 

  I exerted more force in my hand and heard the sound of something breaking, just as I expected. However, before I could take it a step further, the alarm bells in my head immediately went off. What quickly followed was a gust of wind that swung toward my face. I immediately did a backflip, and with one step, swiftly drew a distance between us. However, it seemed that I had dodged a little too late, as I felt a stab of pain come from my face, although it was just a light injury. 

  “You are really damn fast!” As Ezart removed the broken fragments on his knee, he cursed, “Even Ah Ye isn’t as fast as you! Didn’t you just stab a few holes in your thighs earlier?” 

  There were actually knee guards underneath his jeans? Then perhaps he is wearing protective gear over all his vital areas? “When I stabbed them, I did avoid vital areas, so that it would not hinder much. Even without these injuries, I would not necessarily be any faster.” 

  “Would not be any faster?” Ezart cursed, “How much faster do you want to be? It’s practically like you disappear and then suddenly appear beside me!” 

  As he spoke, he suddenly reached behind his waist and threw an object at me. As I did not know what it was, I immediately moved away from my original position using glide steps, but the object unexpectedly exploded. Then, five bullets headed straight at me. 

  With no time to use x-speed, I could only fall back on the glide steps that I was more accustomed to out of pure reflex. However, only the first bullet landed on the ground, and the other four continued to pursue me—They have homing abilities? 

  I abruptly drew back, but right behind me was the wall of the hotel, leaving me nowhere to retreat to. With the bullets giving chase quickly, I bent at the knees slightly before I leaped upwards, letting the bullets shoot into the wall… No! There were actually two still chasing me. 

  I stabbed the rapier into the wall as a foothold. Stepping on it, I swiftly descended, and at the moment I landed, shifted my position again. Another bullet struck the ground. However, another was still incoming! 

  Exactly what kind of bullet is it? Should I block it with my blood ability? However, this looks like an armor-piercing bullet, one in Ezart’s inventory, no less. Can I really block it? Or should I continue to avoid it? 

  Can you only f***ing dodge? 

  I could just… I could only… The bullet flew by as though it was in slow motion. I took a step to the side, and as that silver flash brushed past my right side, my hand automatically swung downwards. I felt a small resistance against my rapier, and a crisp sound akin to paper tearing rang out. Then, it all ended. 

  I lowered my head to look down at the floor near my feet, and saw half a bullet shell. The other half was nowhere in sight. 

  Amidst my daze, I heard Ezart’s voice saying, “You can even dodge this kind of bullet? The only person I’ve seen dodge these before is Ah Ye, but he told me that he actually did it by calculating the bullet trajectory and not dodging it with pure speed.” 

  I did not fully dodge all of them. I cut through one of them… I can actually cut through a bullet? 

  How could this be possible? Blocking the bullets and evading them is one thing, but cutting them? 

  I raised my head to look at Ezart, wanting to ask if he had also seen that happen, or if I was perhaps just seeing things. It was possible that I did not cut the bullet, but merely dodged it… However, if that was the case, how could I explain the half a bullet shell lying at my feet? 

  “He said that you can actually dodge a rain of bullets and can be ‘extremely strong.’” Ezart raised his fists, and from his eyes, I could see his fighting spirit growing more intense. He continued, “I didn’t believe it at first. But even after seeing how well you dodge now, I still don’t believe that you can be really strong, you coward!” 

  “I am not!” I glared at him and felt indescribable anger flare in me as I said, “Do not say that to me again! I have lived in the human world since I was young, but I am a vampire! If I am too powerful, everyone would treat me as a monster!” 

  My honorable father always said not to be a lion among rabbits! I cannot be a lion! 

  “Idiot, times have changed!” Ezart roared, “If you want to stay by Ah Ye’s side, then you better not be too wimpy. Otherwise, others will treat you as Ah Ye’s weak point, and use you to threaten him all the time. You got that?” 

  I am the young master’s weak point… That is not wrong, for I indeed am. Is that not precisely the reason the master targeted me? In the pursuit of X, the Church had also always tried to use me, is that not so? 

  What will follow? Will Curtis’s enemies also strike using me? 

  My honorable father, in the past, how many people tried to topple you by using me? 

  “Hey, quickly get the fight on, or I’m gonna shoot you with a few more tranquilizers!” As he said that, Ezart actually raised his gun. However, had his tranquilizer gun not been thrown away by the young master? 

  He suddenly opened fire. I did not move from my position, for his aim was shockingly terrible… No, he was not aiming at me! 

  With a few glide steps, I now stood at Ezart’s side, my right hand wielding my rapier. I was also prepared to form a shield at any moment. 

  There were a few people hiding in the darkness, covered by the shadows above the pillars. That was a blind spot that vampires rarely noticed. Usually the ones hiding at the ceiling would be the vampires themselves. 

  Those that would be so proficient at hiding in a vampire’s commonly overlooked spot, would typically be— 

  “The Church!” 

  Ezart clicked his tongue. “Your eyes have gone completely red. Just now I kept calling you a coward non-stop, but even then, your eyes weren’t this red. You really are super pissed off at the Church, yeah?” 

  I did not know why, but I smiled once again. “Indeed, they would always ceaselessly bother my honorable father and Sadina. Afterwards, they even inconvenienced the young master because of me. Toward them, I truly am extremely… pissed off!” 

  “Ha!” Ezart gave a long laugh. 

  A few priests walked out from the shadows. All of them were wearing the priest garbs of the Sin Elimination Committee, with the large cross on their chest. In their hands were various weapons, of course, with guns being the basic equipment. The leader of the group was actually a familiar face, the person who had previously led a group of young priests to stir trouble with me at the entrance of the church. 

  I could tell that he was extremely furious, yet possessed good self-control and did not make any reckless movements. It seemed that this was his true personality. 

  “Do you think that this is Sunset City, the kind of place where devils dance? Daystar City will not allow non-humans to cause trouble here!” 

  “Oh? I’m human.” Ezart raised his head and proudly claimed, “And I’m the one making trouble for him too. What are you gonna do about that?” 

  The priest coldly answered, “I do not reckon you are human.” 

  Really, he “did not reckon” so. As of now, the number of extremely strong humans was increasing ever the more, and quite a few possessed special abilities, too. If one did not want to acknowledge that they were human, then how could they prove themselves? 

  As for something like an identity card, that was something that I had, too. I even possessed a birth certificate. If one only looked at the documentation, I would absolutely be human—Though the age on the identity card was twenty-five and had never changed. 

  Ezart gave a cold laugh as he said, “Then I’ll beat you till you admit it!” He turned to look at me and said, “Hey, let’s call a temporary ceasefire. How about we talk again after we beat them up ‘til they’re lying flat on the ground?” 

  “It would be my pleasure,” I answered with a smile. 

  “You have a pretty damn good smile on right now!” Ezart praised my smile. “Why don’t you just treat tranquilizers like coffee and drink a cup every day?” 

  I laughed as I said, “That would certainly kill a person.” 

  “You’re not human anyways!” 

  As we spoke, I used my left hand to forge a shield. This was so as to avoid the case that the fight broke out abruptly and under such serious time pressure, I would only be able to pick between forming a shield or using my x-speed. 

  “Ten?” Ezart’s eyes narrowed. 

  “Twelve. However, according to my experience, there will usually be another two so well-hidden that it is difficult to locate them. Therefore, it is best to assume that there are fourteen or fifteen of them.” 

  “You fight with them often?” Ezart continued to speak. However, I could tell that he was well-prepared to fight, and was likely only talking to buy some time to locate the enemies that he had not discovered. 

  “No, not frequently.” I looked at those priests, and said with a slight smile, “They do not have the guts to touch me.” 

  Ezart burst out laughing, but also threw out a mini-grenade at the same time. The backpack behind him was truly destructive and powerful. 

  The priest at the side immediately drew out a long weapon. At first, I thought he was going to knock the bomb away. However, contrary to my expectations, the bomb did not explode upon coming into contact with the long weapon. Rather, it caused the bomb to float in mid-air. What a truly unfathomable object. 

  At this moment, large amounts of smoke began to pour out from the bomb. It was actually a smoke bomb. 

  The priest did not seem to care, and merely took out more equipment that I could not name. In a matter of seconds, the smoke had all been sucked away, all effect instantly lost. 

  “Stop the petty tricks.” The priest coldly said, “Those are ineffective on us.” 

  Ezart responded with a “Ha,” his expression still looking rather haughty. He looked as though it was absolutely no setback to him. Rather, it was the clergymen’s faces that changed—I had already concealed myself in the darkness. 

  The lead priest pointed to Ezart and ordered the others, “Catch this one first!” 

  Their movements were extremely swift and skillful. Ten of them surrounded Ezart, not leaving a single gap. As for Ezart, he allowed them to surround him and merely gave a cold snort. Following that, he charged toward the people in front and smashed his knuckled-fist downwards with great force. 

  That person was so terrified that he dodged hurriedly. Evidently, he had not managed to dodge the attack fully, for he let out a shout of pain when Ezart’s fist brushed past the side of his waist. 

  Another three people caught up to Ezart from behind, their attacks approaching Ezart’s back. However, he merely laughed, and with a turn of his body, he swung a fist toward the nearest person. As for the other two attacks, he actually did not seem to pay them any mind. I watched an energy sword being swung toward his arm, and a chain knife on the verge of quickly stabbing through his back— 

  The rapier chopped off the hilt of the energy weapon and the blood ability shield blocked the chain knife. As I stood behind Ezart’s back, I asked, “You truly believed that I would step in? If I had not done so, you would be severely injured.” 

  Ezart raised an eyebrow, “What the hell is ‘if?’” 

  I could not stop the corners of my mouth from rising. The ill will that I held toward him before was fading… Wait a moment, ill will? 

  As a butler, how could I hold ill will toward the master’s good friend? Is the effect of the tranquilizers still there after all? 

  “You are not allowed to inject tranquilizers into me next time!” 

  “We can chat later.” 

  The chain knife shot out once again. In addition, three bullets were also aimed at us, all of them armor-piercing bullets specialized to deal with vampires. My speculation was the bullet tip must be made of silver, and its power definitely could not be anything the usual armor-piercing bullet could compare to. 

  I wanted to dodge the attack, but Ezart was standing behind me and was clearly too engaged to dodge bullets, for he had already started fighting one of the enemies. 

  I thickened the blood shield in my left hand as much as I could and used it to knock away one of the bullets. Following that, I leaned my body to the side to avoid the bullet aimed toward my calf. 

  Judging from the angle, it would not harm Ezart even if I dodged it. However, my true attention was actually focused on the last bullet. 

  I concentrated to the utmost, and watched the bullet slowly shoot toward me. It was originally aimed at my shoulder; after I leaned to the side, it would land on my right arm. In the end, I waved my hand, and I felt the sensation of cutting through something along with a crisp sound akin to paper tearing. 

  When I was done with this string of motions, I felt cold sweat on my back. However, I had truly done it. Not only had I used my blood shield to knock away an armor-piercing bullet, I had even managed to cut another one at the very end. So that time before had been, as expected, not a mere fluke! 

  Bang! Bang! 

  “Don’t let down your guard!” Ezart raised his gun and shot down the priest who had fired. He rolled his eyes at me and said, “Even if the enemy falls to the ground, you still got to stomp on him twice before it’s really over!” 

  So that was the case. What a truly vivid explanation. 

  “Oh yeah, I can’t really handle the other side, so I’m leaving it to you!” 

  Hm? Before I could react, Ezart grabbed my waist with one hand, lifted up my whole body, turned to another direction, and placed me there. 

  His opponent had been the leading priest. In the priest’s right hand was an energy sword, and in his left was an energy device. Was it a gun? However, the shape seemed a little unique, for it was a disk with a handle. It simply did not look much like a gun. 

  No matter what kind of weapon it is, it would still do no good if it could not land a hit. 

  Using my x-speed, I charged at him. However, a light abruptly flashed from his left hand, and inwardly I felt something was wrong. I could only swerve away from him at the last moment. A burst of pain shot through my knee to thigh area, although I did manage to dodge the opponent’s attack in time. After I stopped in my tracks, I felt a sudden, sharp pain in my left arm. 

  I looked down and noticed that there was a hole burnt in my clothes, and a patch of skin on my arm was burnt. What is going on? Could it be that the enemy could actually swing his sword and strike me when I moved at x-speed? 

  Once I observed the enemy, I understood what had occurred. In his left hand was a shield, an energy shield, in fact. I most likely had not managed to avoid the whole shield just now, and that was the reason why my arm was burnt. 

  No wonder Ezart had claimed that he was unable to deal with this person. Even if Ezart’s fist was able to break open the shield and injure the one behind controlling it from behind, Ezart himself would likely receive even more damage from doing so. 

  The technology of the Church was truly developing well. Previously, there had been a helicopter that emitted little noise. This time, there was the equipment to prevent bombs from exploding, and the energy shield. All these technologies were quite amazing. 

  “Speed!” The clergyman at the side suddenly shouted. What does it mean? Is he warning the others of my speed? 

  “I can see it!” The leader said angrily. 

  “Are you certain about that?” I spoke by his ear. My rapier strikes now! 

  His eyes widened, and the energy sword swung at me. However, I had already achieved my goal, and quickly retreated without a second thought. 

  The energy shield abruptly vanished without a trace, leaving the priest staring at the handle of the shield in shock, which now sported a hole that I had stabbed into it. All products of technology were this way; no matter how powerful they were, they would become scrap metal once damaged, regardless of how high the user’s fighting spirit was. 

  Without the shield, the priest seemed like he did not intend to make any more big moves. I looked over to the other side, where Ezart had also dealt with three priests. Though it appeared that his injuries were worse than mine, his fighting spirit seemed to have increased. 

  Being at such a disadvantage, the leading clergyman merely said in a cold tone, “Evil will never prevail.” 

  Following what he said, footsteps came from around us, and it sounded like there were many of them. 

  Have the reinforcements arrived? That is right. This is Daystar City. The Church would be able to get as much assistance as they needed here. Fighting them here was truly an unwise move. 

  The two of us were heavily surrounded, and it was simply impossible to see how many of them there were. 

  I looked at Ezart. Despite being in such an unfavorable situation, Ezart was still behaving like a ruffian as usual. He shot me a grin as he cocked his head to one side. I looked over in confusion and saw three people. In the rear were Nitewalker and Mr. Luo Ye, and the person leading them in front was the young master. 

  “Stop! All of you, stop!” 

  The young master walked over in large strides, his aura overwhelming all others. His voice was stern as he told the people from the Church, “What are you all doing? Have you forgotten the agreement?”


  No Hero    

  Volume 7, The Tenth Step Toward the End: Messiah，Please Save Me…


  Translated by Taffygirl13 (proofread by Minthe & Trespasserby; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  What an interesting key design. If I line up “that book” against the box’s decorative designs and press down, the box opens. 

  This one with a keyhole probably cannot be opened, unless I provoke a certain master-and-servant pair. In that case, I might as well use this for another bet. I guess I’m starting to get a bit addicted to gambling. 

  “Ezart, I’ll give this box to you. Just treat it as a reward.” 

  But how to get this box passed down from Ezart’s possession to that butler’s hands is not a point of consideration for me. 

  Right now, I can only focus on this test tube in my hands. 

  If I drink it, will I die? 

  Or, will it have some kind of interesting, unexpected effect? 

  I think I really have fallen in love with gambling. 

  “There’s indeed an agreement allowing that vampire to enter Daystar City, but the agreement also clearly states that he is forbidden from causing trouble while in Daystar City!” 

  The leader of the priests huffed in extreme indignation, “You broke the agreement, not us!” 

  The young master’s expression darkened upon hearing these words. He shot a fierce glare at Ezart, but the latter maintained his usual roguish appearance of complete indifference. 

  The young master’s fury grew even more at this. However, he did not seem to intend on clashing with Ezart before outsiders. He simply turned to angrily rebuke the priest, “Is the agreement all you are considering? You never dared to make a move against Charles before this, but not because of me, right? And now you want to act? Have you really thought it through?” 

  I quickly said, “Young Master, there is no need for you to do this for my sake—” 

  Before I could finish my words, the young master turned around with an expression of anger I had never seen before, shocking me to the point where I could not speak. He furiously roared at me, “Charles, you are not allowed to speak anymore!” 

  I froze. Immediately, Ezart came up to me and jokingly covered my mouth, even pulling me backward a few steps. He laughed. “Okay, okay, he won’t speak. Neither of us will speak.” 

  The young master was so angry that his chest was heaving heavily up and down. He spun back around to glare at the leader of the priests, who likewise hesitated upon seeing the young master’s fury. The priest simply said, “I will ask for orders first.” 

  “Do whatever you want!” The young master spat out these words in his rage before shouting back, “Charles, phone!” 

  “Yes, Young Master.” I tossed Ezart’s hand away and swiftly pulled out the phone before asking, “Young Master, who shall I call for you?” 

  The young master walked over and swiped over the phone to dial a number. “Curtis, come pick Charles up.” 

  “Young Master!” I was extremely alarmed. 

  The young master looked at me indignantly with an expression he had never used toward me before. However, he did not reply, and instead continued to talk on the phone. “What happened isn’t important! If you want Charles to be fine, bring a bunch of bodyguards to personally bring him back!” 

  The young master’s fury seemed to fade slightly, having likely received a reply of confirmation. He nodded and then passed the phone back to me. He then turned back to face the leader of the priests. 

  “Charles will leave immediately,” the young master told the priest. 

  The priest nodded and said, “Our side can agree to this condition as long as he leaves immediately.” 

  While speaking, he glanced in my direction. I did not know if it was personal bias or the effects of the painkillers, but I felt that his look harbored ill intent, as if he were scheming something… 

  The Church’s agreeable words finally allowed the young master’s anger to subside. He faced me and took a few deep breaths before saying, “Charles, I know this isn’t your fault. You were just injected with too many painkillers.” 

  With this, he shot Ezart a glare and continued, “But you have to leave with Curtis first. After I finish filming this movie, I’ll go back to Sunset City and call you back, all right?” 

  Seeing the dark shadows of both mental and physical exhaustion on him, it was impossible for me to refuse his plea no matter how many painkillers were injected into me. “As you wish.” 

  As the helicopter rose upwards, all I could see was the young master’s disheartened expression. Despite the fact that I had brought him a large amount of trouble, he still felt upset about the matter of my leaving instead of feeling relief. Is there a limit to how exceptional the Young Master is? 

  I continued to look at the young master’s figure that gradually grew further and further away, until it finally became a mere dot on the ground, and then disappeared entirely. However, I could not shift my gaze away, as I murmured almost silently, “I do not wish to leave the young master. I should not be leaving at this time. Moreover, there is still the Sun Emperor’s threat, a week of time…” 

  “Family Head?” Curtis had an expression of confusion on his face. 

  We should be far enough now. I turned to say, “Curtis, have the helicopter fly lower. I will jump down.” 

  Upon hearing this, Curtis immediately flipped open the arm rest and pressed a button. Dozens of bands immediately burst forth from around my seat, wrapping around my body so tightly that even the lower parts of my legs were completely covered. 

  “…” All I was able to do was turn my head to look at Curtis. 

  He asked in bewilderment, “Family Head, you truly seem somewhat off today. Your young master as well. What exactly occurred?” 

  “I… how should I describe it? ‘Took drugs’?” 

  “You touched narcotics?” Curtis asked in astonishment. 

  “Painkillers. It was not of my own volition. Someone else injected them into me.” 

  “Young Master Ri did mention last time that painkillers allowed you act with fewer apprehensions.” Curtis inquired in confusion, “However, even if you have been injected with painkillers, why must you jump down?” 

  “I simply do not want to return with you.” As I answered, I secretly tested the strength of the bands. They could likely be destroyed using my blood ability, and just as I was planning to sever them— “The bands are specially designed and cannot be easily cut. In addition, I will immediately call your young master to notify him if you jump off.” 

  “Do not threaten me!” I furiously declared, “I must return. The Sun Emperor has threatened me; if I refuse to betray the young master, then he will give information regarding E.X. to the Church!” 

  Curtis narrowed his eyes dangerously. “He threatened you?” 

  His expression forced me to recall the words that the Sun Emperor had spoken, and I could not restrain myself from uttering, “The Sun Emperor said that if he killed me, you would at most fight against him for several years, and that you would absolutely never drag the entire family to their graves to avenge me. Is that true?” 

  Curtis’s whole body stiffened upon hearing this. However, he still calmly answered, “Yes. If you died, I would not use the entire family to avenge you.” 

  So that is the truth after all? Although this was the inevitable and expected result, I felt slight disappointment. Was it also the result of the painkillers? Had I become pettier because of the painkillers, turning irate and lashing out fiercely, or had I simply become more honest? 

  Curtis’s gaze remained locked on me, with a somewhat strange look. 

  “Is there something wrong?” 

  “This is the first time you have not agreed.” Curtis said in astonishment, “Do you not typically respond with answers such as ‘That is only proper, there is no need for you to protect me,’ or the like?” 

  “…You still do not need to look after me.” 

  Curtis’s expression turned even stranger as he looked at me and said, “This is also the first time I have ever heard you speak so unwillingly.” 

  How else should I be saying this? 

  Curtis smiled. “Family Head, I think you misunderstood. I would not use the entire family to avenge you because I care more about the living. Therefore, I can promise you that, as long as you are still alive, I will protect you to the end, even if it requires the strength of the entire family!” 

  “Even if the opponent is the Sun Emperor?” After receiving such an answer, I instead felt angrier. “Do you not fear that the Sun Emperor will eradicate the Elysees family? For my sake alone, you plan on endangering the entire family?” 

  “We are the Elysees family, an influential family of butlers that has existed for many generations. We will forever retain the role of support, even in the business world.” 

  Curtis calmly recounted, completely unrelated to my question, “Our subsidies have assisted many companies in establishing themselves. Family Head, you should know this the best, since this had first been developed and carried forward by you.” 

  Of course, I knew this well. At the time, I had been reproached countless times by my honorable father for lending money and technology to help businesses that were just starting. If it had not been for the fact that quite a few of those businesses did finally establish themselves in the end, giving greater returns than losses, my father would have truly forbidden me from touching the family assets ever again. 

  “You have good foresight, Family Head.” Curtis said in a praising tone, “Now, up to seventy percent of all companies have current or past relations with us in the business world. Even the Sun Emperor’s Sun Alliance is no exception. In reality, the Sun Alliance had originally received quite a bit of financial aid from you when it first started, am I correct? However, that was when the Sun Alliance had not yet fallen completely to the Ri family.” 

  Hm? Now that it is mentioned, that does seem to be the case. No wonder the “Sun Alliance” sounded somewhat familiar. 

  “Ever since I was young, my grandmother had repeatedly told me of the business you had made. As a result of your actions in the beginning, the Elysees family transformed into an unusual existence in the business world, involved in the existence and deaths of many companies. 

  “If the Sun Emperor wants to attack the Elysees, it would likely place him in a position where he would injure ten thousand enemies and lose five thousand of his own. If his plan is to ‘completely eradicate’ the Elysees family, he will have to knock down thousands of companies, regardless of their size.” 

  Curtis leaned forward and earnestly pleaded, “As a result, you should never feel threatened by the Sun Emperor. The Elysees do not fear him. Moreover, you are our family head, so you should not need to be afraid of ‘anything’!” 

  “I am your family head?” From the beginning, I had never understood why Curtis could regard Sadina’s will so seriously. Sadina and I had always shared a deep bond since I was young, but Curtis never had one. 

  “Yes, ‘for eternity,’ Family Head.” Curtis smiled as he said, “The family assets are yours for eternity. The Elysees will never land in any property disputes, even if it suffers a severe split.” 

  “…I see, that was the idea you had come up with.” 

  “This idea was actually thought of by your father.” Curtis leaned back on the chair while calmly saying, “I am simply continuing the tradition. But do not worry, you will never be a mere figurehead.” 

  I lowered my head to look down at the bands around my body, then smiled at Curtis. 

  Curtis coughed and swiftly used another button to loosen the bands. “Please forgive me for my lack of manners, Family Head.” 

  I slightly moved my legs that had grown stiff from being bound by the bands for so long. I then ordered, “Curtis, have the helicopter fly slightly lower. I wish to jump down.” 

  Curtis immediately stood up to look at me with wide eyes. “After I spent so much time telling you all those words, you still wish to jump off?” 

  “Indeed. However, the reason is now entirely different.” 

  I bent over to walk to the helicopter door. However, it was locked, so I ordered without any room for rebuttal, “Open the door! I wish to return and assist the young master.”


  No Hero    

  Volume 7, Toward the End Extra Chapter: The Behind the Scenes Story About Taking Drugs that Cannot be Told to the Young Master

  Translated by Taffygirl13 (proofread by Minthe & Trespasserby; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  [Forbidden From Calling] 

  “X, there seems to be a slight issue with our channel of communication. If there is anything off about my messages, do not pay them any attention. Do not, under any circumstances, come searching for me in this period of time. Do not call me or the young master either.” 

  After I sent the message, I relaxed slightly. I could now focus on handling other matters… 

  Ring, ring~ 

  I picked up the call. The voice over the line could not be any more familiar. “Endelis, did something happen?” 

  “…Did I not say to refrain from calling me?” 

  “Should I be listening to your words?” 

  “If you do not listen to my words, should I be listening to yours?” I angrily roared, “When I typically call you to confirm if you are safe and sound, you never return my calls. Now when I ask for you not to call me, you just have to call immediately. What are you going to do when someone traces your location later? Why must you always ignore people’s advice, not caring at all about the concerns of others?” 

  The other person on the phone was silent for a long time before finally asking, “Endelis? Is it you?” 

  “…It is not, I am an imposter. Do not call again!” 

  I half seriously cut the line. Since X’s temper has never been good, he should get angry at me and ignore me after I hang up on him— 

  Ring, ring~ 

  “…” 

  [If You Keep Disturbing Me, I Will Not Fight You] 

  After I knocked on the door, a tall figure opened it and leaned against the frame. 

  “Are you sure you want to do this? When I got your call, I seriously suspected you had been secretly replaced. There was no way it could be that cowardly butler!” 

  “Please do not speak of me in such a way again,” I sincerely requested. “Otherwise, I may have to…refrain from fighting you ever again.” 

  “Damn, what a good butler. Even your threats are opposite from other people’s! All right, it’s not like you’re cowardly now. I won’t say it anymore, ok?” 

  Ezart then mischievously said, “But you know, Ah Ye will explode with fury. I’m telling ya, he’ll explode without a doubt! Man, I’m getting excited just talking about it. It’s been ages since he last blew up!” 

  Will the young master truly get that angry? 

  Although I did not wish to see the young master’s hurt expression, I was more unwilling to… 

  “It is still better than him shouldering all the responsibility himself with an exhausted expression.” 

  Ezart barked out a laugh and said, “I’m just afraid you’ll become a coward again once the painkillers lose their effect!” 

  “In that case—may I borrow your tranquilizer ring?” I inquired with a smile. 

  [If You Keep Disturbing Me, I Will Not Allow You to Pour Me Blood] 

  “Family Head, I truly do not recommend you to personally deal with this matter.” 

  Curtis spoke as he placed a cup before me and picked up a milk bottle filled with blood to pour some. “It is fine to leave everything to me—” 

  I whisked away the cup to keep him from pouring anything. 

  Curtis stared at me in confusion. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him and he walked over to grab another cup of a different style—the previous one had had a classic and elegant style, while this one was an extremely simple style. 

  He placed this cup down and once again spoke as he prepared to pour out blood. “Even if it is a confrontation against the Sun Emperor, I can guarantee it would be handled to your satisfaction—” 

  I took that cup away as well. Then, a third cup with a hand-painted style was placed before me. As Curtis continued to ramble on, I retrieved that cup as well, just as before. My honorable father had said before that a good butler must possess exceptional patience. 

  Then there was the fourth, six, and ninth cup… 

  “…All right, since you are so insistent, you may go as long as you promise to stay safe—but please, I request for you to allow me to properly pour you this cup of blood.”


  No Hero    

  Volume 7, Epilogue: Character Introductions

  Translated by lucathia (proofread by Trespasserby & Taffygirl13) 

  Sin Simon: The leader of the Church’s Sin Elimination Committee. “Sin” is actually a position. Once someone becomes Sin, they must forfeit their original name, changing their name to “Sin,” leaving only their family name. Sin Simon’s current identity is unknown. 

  Ri Ji Yan: The master and the young master’s father, but their actual blood relation bears investigation. 

  Luo Ye: Ri Ji Yan’s brother from the same father but different mother. According to his position in the family hierarchy, he can be considered to be the master and the young master’s uncle, but the actual relation is much more complicated. 

  Elowyn: The master and the young master’s biological mother. 

  Dong Fang Lei: Curtis’s personal butler. 

  Afterword 

  I accidentally went over the word limit again. My original plan was for this to be the final volume. In fact, in the very beginning, this was going to be five volumes long. Then came volume 6, volume 7… And now, I’m afraid that it will take volume 8 for this story to conclude. It will be eight volumes1 just like The Legend of Sun Knight, so that might be a good thing, too? 

  I already had plans since Eclipse Hunter to write about the business side of the Sun Emperor, along with his scarier face. I didn’t think that it would take me an entire series just to write about matters between the brothers. It took me until the latter half of No Hero before I could develop this plot. When I began writing, I knew it would be an involved process, but I didn’t expect the magnitude to be even more immense than I imagined! 

  Not only was I unable to conclude No Hero in the planned amount of books, I even ended up with this whole plot revolving around Daystar City (*holds head*). In fact, during volume 7, I had this frightening thought of wanting to write about Charles’s past, but I still have other stories to complete. I am really conflicted about which plot bunnies to tackle first! 

  I experimented with having more dialogue in this volume, in order to have some of the details explained more clearly. However, I was also afraid that too much dialogue would make people feel more… more what? I don’t really know how everyone would feel about having more dialogue. 

  I can only forever continue the endless search for a better balance. 

  Charles is an extremely stubborn guy. In fact, I’m the same too, so I guess you can say that I took this trait from myself and “exaggerated” upon it. So, he is really super stubborn! 

  Even when he feels negativity, he won’t ever give voice to it. He won’t even complain to himself. Just how stubborn can he be? I don’t even understand! Also, whenever I want to write about his true feelings, I’m unable to write directly about them. No matter what I write, I feel like they aren’t feelings that Charles would allow himself to have?Just how utterly stubborn can this guy be? He won’t even allow himself to entertain the thought! 

  So, the author can only make him take drugs. 

  P.S. Painkillers can indeed make people dizzy, but they probably won’t have the same effect on humans as they had on Charles. If you aren’t a vampire, please do not try this. 

  After getting drugged, Mr. Butler is finally more honest. I can finally write about his true feelings toward Ezart and Curtis without going against his gentle and sincere nature. 

  Why did I choose such a difficult fellow as the main character of a first person story in the first place? 

  With each book I wrote, I would wonder whether my brain had stopped working. But before I knew it, my brain had stopped working seven times, and I had completed seven books. 

  Although I was doubtful and the writing process was difficult, I never regretted choosing him as the main character of a first person story. As to what kind of contradiction this is, I sometimes really want to investigate just what kind of structure my brain has. 

  Strange, the topic has derailed too far. Let’s get back to the scary face of the Sun Emperor. There is a gap of around six to seven years between Eclipse Hunter and No Hero. Many things happened during these years. I tried to depict it in No Hero for everyone. 

  All in all, this pair of brothers (who are also like father and son) will endlessly fight, forgive, and love each other. It’s really just the same as any other family. 

  Maybe others wouldn’t be as theatrical, but children will always have a rebellious phase, just like how a cocoon must be forcefully burst open during a metamorphosis. Parents will always have a hard time getting used to their child no longer being a child. Although they’re happy to see their children spread their wings, they also cannot accept the fact that their child is about to leave the nest. 

  Besides, our Ah Ye always forgets to call home to comfort his petulant father… I mean, gēge. 

  Fine, I really did treat the brothers like father and son as I wrote. 

  This time, it even involves the love and hate of the previous generation. It’s becoming more and more like a soap opera. After all, I always take inspiration from real life—but I haven’t been watching any soap operas! I don’t understand how I ended up writing something that is so much like a soap opera~~ 

  In this volume, I also put into words the relationship between Curtis and Charles. I always felt that everyone needs an excuse for what they do. He clearly thought of him as family, was clearly very devoted, was clearly a loyal dog butler, yet he always needed a sufficient and satisfying excuse that could convince himself that he wasn’t a loyal dog. 

  Therefore, Sadina, who understood her own grandson well, already helped find an excuse for him. 

  It isn’t anything easy to honestly admit that you are willing to sacrifice yourself for someone else, no matter how grave the sacrifice, no matter how right or wrong, no matter how completely and utterly biased. 

  However, regarding this, Ri Xiang Yan and Ri Xiang Ye have always been very good at it. 

  By Yu Wo 

  Character Introductions 

  Nitewalker 

  Profession: Taxi driver 

  Young Master’s opinion: How cool! 

  Alex 

  Profession: Priest 

  Young Master’s opinion: Seems like a good guy. 

  Ni Cai 

  Profession: Doctor 

  Young Master’s opinion: Kill him!

  No Hero    

  Volume 8, Prologue: Vampire Assassin

  Translated by Taffygirl13 (proofread by Trespasserby & Minthe; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  I quietly walked through the darkness without a sound, making it impossible for anyone to detect my presence. This was an innate ability of a vampire, a naturally-born race of the night—being able to tread silently while retreating under the cover of the dark. 

  However, I was not currently wearing an old-fashioned suit and cloak, the traditional clothing of a vampire. Compared to that type of complicated style of dress, black, skin-tight clothing was more appropriate for my current task. 

  The young master had once said I was very strong, but my strength was a different type compared to his or X’s. If they were warriors, then I was an assassin. 

  If this had been spoken by any other person, perhaps it would be purely words of flattery, or even a joke. However, the one who had stated this was the young master. Since he had already said it in such a way, I was more confident that I could be a successful assassin. 

  I have to be! 

  Aside from assassination, the main type of work an assassin performed was stealth investigation. I currently needed to do the latter. However, if absolutely necessary, I would not reject the idea of executing the former either. 

  There were many distressing matters at the moment, the greatest one being the master…the Sun Emperor. However, the choices he had presented were extremely simple: betray the young master or betray X. There was nothing that needed to be scouted out, and there was also no room for negotiation— 

  A vibration suddenly came from my chest pocket. It was my cell phone that had been changed to silent mode. Perhaps I should have completely turned the power off before formally starting. Although it was a quiet, subtle vibration, I was certain that there were many humans or non-humans that could sense the faint sound. 

  I answered the phone. “Ezart, is something the matter?” 

  “Hey, you have to promise me! If you plan on coming to blows with someone, you have to contact me! Otherwise, I’ll tell on you to Ah Ye!” 

  “I do not want to make any move. I am simply investigating under cover.” If I truly do make a move, I would kill, not fight. 

  “Investigate… Hmph! So boring!” Ezart evidently had no interest in a task like scouting, which relieved me. “Did the painkillers’ effects wear off?” 

  I thought this over. It was actually not an easy determination, similar to how a drunk person would not believe they were drunk. I did not believe I could necessarily differentiate between the conditions of being or not being under the influence of the painkillers, but since a great amount of time had passed, there was likely not much of an impact left even if there was any remaining. 

  “I believe it has worn off.” 

  “And you still want to do this?” 

  “Indeed.” 

  “Pfft! You have more guts than I thought!” 

  “…Thank you for your praise.” I abruptly thought of another matter and quickly reminded him, “Ezart, please do not mention me to the young master. The young master’s ‘ability to detect changes in expression’ is extremely powerful. He will recognize if you are lying.” 

  “Hahaha—” Ezart burst out into laughter for a long time. “Relax! If anyone could deceive Ah Ye, it’s definitely me! I’ve tricked him to the point where he has no idea what parts of my words are lies! As a reward for how gutsy you’re being, let me teach you how to deceive him. Do you want to learn?” 

  I should not be lying to the young master, but currently… 

  “I do.” 

  “Then, you have to fight ten rounds against me!” 

  “…Three rounds.” Haggling typically started from cutting seventy percent, with the final deal ending at thirty or fifty percent. This was common bargaining knowledge. 

  “Pfft, fine!” Ezart did not seem to be particularly skilled at haggling. How fortunate. “All you have to do is lie to him often. After a while, he’ll be desensitized to it.” 

  “I do not understand your words, and I am even more unwilling to lie to the young master ‘often.’ Moreover, you do not seem to lie to the young master frequently.” 

  Ezart snorted and replied, “I’m going to go skiing. There isn’t any danger. I’ll be back in a few days.” 

  …It turned out to be an extreme exploration that was highly dangerous, and he did not return for several months. 

  I understood. It was not truly lying, but rather exaggerating or concealing details. However, after enough occurrences, the young master would be unable to determine which words were exaggerations and which were actual lies. 

  “How about it, useful, isn’t it? You got away cheap for just three rounds!” 

  “In reality, I feel it is very bad.” I absolutely did not want to learn how to lie to the young master. 

  “But it’s very useful!” 

  “It is quite useful.” I could not help but admit that at this time, I indeed needed the skill of “deceiving the young master.” 

  “Butler,” Ezart suddenly called out. 

  “Yes?” 

  “Seriously though, don’t accidentally die!” 

  “I will try my best.” 

  “Not just try, but guarantee it!” Ezart stressed emphatically, “If Ah Ye goes crazy, it’s no joke. He’s not all that different from his brother, and what makes him lose control the most is when those by his side get injured or killed!” 

  I understood this very well. When I had previously been captured by Madam Avexila and had gotten injured heavily to the point of near-death, the young master had been extremely furious. From then on, I was the only person left that possessed the surname of Endelis. 

  “I understand. I will be highly cautious. However, I must turn off my cell phone from now onwards, and will be unable to be contacted for a period of time.” 

  “Get in touch with me in at least three days. Otherwise, I can only tell Ah Ye that you might have been captured by somebody again!” 

  “That is fine.” If I could not be reached after one day, Curtis would likely start to rashly attack others, let alone after three days. Besides…I do not think I get captured often? Why use the word ‘again’? 

  “If the situation looks bad, use painkillers immediately. When you’re under painkillers, your strength fucking explodes! Even Ah Ye can’t catch you at that speed!” 

  I glanced down at my left thumb where I currently wore a ring with an outrageous style. Previously, Ezart had worn it on his middle finger. However, I could only wear it on my thumb in order to barely keep it in place. 

  “I will try not to use the painkillers.” 

  “Whatever, just don’t die!” 

  “I will try my best.” 

  Having lived for over a hundred years, the words “resting in peace” were constantly on my mind. When Sadina also passed, this intention had even reached its peak. Only now did I finally stop thinking about following after them. How could I bear to give up my current life? 

  I turned the cell phone’s power off and raised my head to look up. In the evening, the distant cross was especially conspicuous. Daystar City was unlike Sunset City, which had multicolored lights glowing at night, making it as bright as daytime, a rainbow-colored day. Still, Daystar City was not lacking in light either. The streets could be said to be very bright, which was disadvantageous for concealing one’s whereabouts. However, to a vampire, this difference was not a significant one. 

  Shadows always existed underneath light. Regardless of how many streetlamps were lit, the roads were filled with areas of darkness, which I traveled between. Despite walking among crowds of people, no one could sense that a vampire was currently brushing past them. 

  I walked up to the church, its doors securely closed. Fortunately, there were a few windows open. This was extremely lucky, as “open windows” were an extremely rare sight in Daystar City. That was likely a result of the stifling hot weather, which resulted in air conditioning being on for all hours of the day, naturally making the windows impossible to open. 

  After flashing through the window in the furthest corner, I stood in the left corner in the very back. The inside of the church was very bright. There were not many shadows for me to stand in and advance through without attracting the attention of others. 

  The fair-haired pastor was currently standing at the altar, giving a sermon. Despite being busy with filming a movie, he still discussed with the production team to leave his Sundays open for him to preach. Consequently, the young master would also use this time to search for the whereabouts of the criminals. 

  The seats below were filled with believers, a stark contrast from the scattered little groups of “believers” in Sunset City. They were brimming with piety, almost to the point of being somewhat…zealous. 

  As I followed their line of sight, all I saw was the blond priest: Alex Simon. 

  He stood there giving his sermon, with his bright gold hair shining brilliantly, his voice gentle, and his expression extremely friendly. There was probably nobody that could ever hate such a person unless they were intentionally trying to stir up trouble. 

  “The Lord said, If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 

  Alex adopted a tone of pity and distraught. This story was not unfamiliar, as it was related to the city of sin. 

  “Man asked, What if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? The Lord said, For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” 

  His sermon was extremely agreeable and moving. Every pastor had their own preaching style. In my younger days, I had often been curious about the contents of sermons—Obviously, I did not personally attend a church, but would ask for other family members to go and record, or occasionally find a family member that was a believer to ask them questions. Although, the family members that were of the faith were always panicked and at a complete loss as to how to act in my presence. 

  Father Alex’s style of preaching was undoubtedly the warm and gentle type. He did not reject questions of validity, and even accepted the fact that due to difference in time periods, some contents of the Bible were meant to be symbolic as opposed to literal. 

  What a truly amazing pastor. If I was a believer, I would very likely have chosen this church, too. It’s no wonder that the believers here look so devout, to the point of near fanaticism, as if the God they believed in was standing right in front of them—Maybe that was not exactly incorrect either. They seemed as if they would do anything Father Alex said. 

  After listening to a portion of Father Alex’s sermon, I was able to confirm his skillfulness in his field. Regardless of his objective or his true identity, there was no doubt that he did his job as a pastor very well. 

  Based on the reactions of the believers, it appeared that Father Alex had likely preached for a while now. However, that did not signify much, since sermons were mostly only on Sundays, which meant that he had plenty of time to do “other things.” 

  I shifted my feet and leapt out from the window once more. Then, I circled around and walked in through the back of the church. The door was actually unlocked, which was truly unexpected. Was it that their public security was just extremely good, or that they believed the church did not have any items of significant worth? 

  After entering from the back of the church, I located the pastor’s room with great ease. This church had a similar layout to Father Yue’s church, just larger in size. Considering Father Alex’s fame, this church’s scale was actually smaller than I had expected; it was simply a typical community church. 

  I was stunned upon walking into the room. The walls were completely covered with crosses of various designs, and even from different time periods. By rough approximation, there were likely over fifty of them in total. At first glance, it was truly extremely shocking—especially to a vampire. 

  Father Alex had stated before that he enjoyed collecting antiques, and had even asked me in the past if I would give him my cross necklace. It seemed that his fondness for ancient crosses was a true fact. 

  Up to this point, there did not seem to be anything suspicious. Even I felt as if I was being overly paranoid. However, since the matter involved both X and the young master, I truly needed to be extremely careful. 

  The person that concerned me the most in this matter was actually Alex Simon. 

  The Sun Emperor, the young master, the Church, and even Lieder, were all seeking something from recent events. Only Father Alex had seemed not to have any wishes. However, he had still appeared and gotten deeply involved, which meant that he undoubtedly had an objective. 

  I searched all over the room, but did not spot anything questionable. There were not even weapons to be found. Even Father Yue at least had a few ancient firearms collected, but Father Alex did not have anything related to a weapon. 

  Finally, I found an extremely simple-looking notebook in the drawer. The corner of the cover had the words “Alex Simon” written on it, so I concluded that it was likely his diary. 

  There should be quite a bit of information inside. However, I truly feel indisposed at the thought of secretly going through a private diary. Must I really do so? I had not found any suspicious evidence no matter how I searched. Could Father Alex truly be innocent? 

  While hesitating, the sound of footsteps came from outside before I could even make a decision. I hurriedly returned the notebook to its original place and flashed over to a dark corner to hide in. 

  The person who entered was Father Alex; it appeared that he had already finished his sermon. I had acted too slowly. Do I have to leave before thinking of or finding out anything? Perhaps I should take a minor risk and attempt to search other rooms while he is in this one? 

  After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to first see what he would do. If he did not do anything suspicious, I would then go and look around other rooms; there would still be plenty of opportunity to do so. 

  Father Alex walked up to his desk and retrieved the notebook that I had just returned to the drawer. He then sat down before the desk and lifted the book. Is he going to write in the diary? 

  After watching for a period of time and confirming that he had no intention to go off and do anything else, I decided to leave and scout around the other rooms. However, the moment I shifted my feet, Father Alex shut his notebook. He raised his head to look up at the crosses on the wall. Originally, I thought he was admiring his collection, but he unexpectedly spoke instead. 

  “You have been watching me for half a day now. If possible, could you show yourself so that we could talk face-to-face?” 

  I was silent for a long time, checking that nobody else was speaking up. This place truly did not have any other people present, which meant he was undoubtedly referring to me. 

  Alex warmly said, “Do you have any doubts you would like to ask me about? It is fine if you just come out.” 

  “You can see me?” I could not help but ask. Perhaps I was not as skilled at concealing myself as the young master had said. 

  “I cannot. I am merely able to ‘sense’ you.” 

  Sense? As in, similar to a sixth sense? I could not comprehend it at all. 

  Alex asked with interest, “Are you curious about the Lord, or are you curious about me?” 

  “I am not a believer.” 

  Alex let out a soft sigh and said, “So you are here for ‘me’ then? Although that is not at all surprising.” 

  Doubtful once again, I could not restrain myself from cutting straight to the point and asking, “Are you ‘Sin?’” 

  He smiled and replied with another question. “Are you E.X.?” 

  For a moment, I was stunned, unsure of the reason behind this assumption. Finally, I intentionally answered, “And if I said I was?” 

  “Then, I would be very regretful to say that I must question that statement.” 

  Alex stood up. “You are not E.X., and I am not Sin. If my guess is correct, I believe that you are ‘Dark Sun,’ and I would like to chat with you under the recommendation of a mutual friend. I hope that you can come out and see me in person.” 

  A mutual friend? What kind of mutual friend would Dark Sun and Alex share? The young master never mentioned such a matter before. 

  Father Alex glanced over at the door, which was then slowly pushed open by someone! 

  I could not help but feel somewhat anxious. Alex’s abilities were unknown, and all I had to rely on was my speed. Originally, I was sure that regardless of his ability, I would be able to flee as long as I made full use of x-speed. However, now with one more person, it would unfortunately be quite dangerous. Should I take this chance to run first… Run? 

  It seemed that the effects of the tranquilizers had indeed faded, as my first thought was not to “fight,” but to “run away.” 

  I glanced down at the ring on my hand, and after mustering a great amount of resolve, barely restrained myself from injecting the painkillers into my body. 

  Now that the door was open, all I could do was prepare myself as thoroughly as possible. Perhaps fleeing would be unavoidable. However, if confrontation was possible, that would be best. Moreover, I would absolutely not use the tranquilizers until the final moment! 

  Even when the young master had just undergone surgery and was in such great pain that he could not be himself, he remained unwilling to use painkillers. In that case, how could I use painkillers for an excuse as shallow as “not escaping as usual?” 

  I placed the ring-bearing hand behind my back and stopped my thoughts from running wild, instead concentrating my full attention on the person walking in. The door opened, and the person who walked in also wore priest garbs. To my surprise, it was— 

  Father Yue!

  No Hero    

  Volume 8, The Beginning No. 1: The City of Sin

  Translated by Ever (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by Taffygirl13 & lucathia) 

  I took a sip of black coffee. It was strong and bitter, which made me frown subconsciously, but cleared my head up quite a bit. 

  The secretary sat beside me, either typing or directly voice messaging. Although paper wasn’t used much these days, there were still mounds of documents piled up on his desk; how extremely busy he was. 

  “Kyle, report today’s schedule—” 

  “Ri Xiang Yan!” Someone hurtled in like the wind with a frantic expression on his face. Having not tidied himself in who-knows-how-long, his appearance would instantly fit in with the homeless if he were tossed out onto the streets. 

  How dare he call my full name again. I expressionlessly said, “Bill, drag him out and kill him.” 

  As always, Kyle did not lift his head from the computer monitor. As he dealt with the screen full of messages, he said, “Just based on how he made your bad habit of calling my name wrong reappear after it had finally been corrected, he deserves to die. However, he has not yet finished teaching the young master’s butler. So for the sake of the young master, please wait a bit more.” 

  Ah Ye… I frowned and asked crossly, “Not yet still? How long has it been already?” 

  “Less than half a year,” that damned Kyle reminded. 

  Half a year was indeed too short. No mistakes were allowed with Ah Ye, so even a decade of learning would not be enough. 

  “Ri Xiang—Ah, no, no, Sun Emperor, just listen to me!” An Te Qi waved his hands around, so excited that he could fly, as if he did not feel the murderous intent around him grow stronger and heavier. 

  Why is this guy getting crazier each day? Yet I can’t replace him… I growled angrily, “I don’t want to listen to you!” 

  “It’s about Ah Ye!” 

  “… Go ahead.” 

  “I’m guessing you won’t need a drink?” 

  Father Alex brought over a tray with a coffee pot and two cups, and then smiled at me as he said, “But if you have a needle for drawing blood, I can also provide you with such drinks.” 

  I smiled bitterly and tactfully responded, “I am not very used to conversing with someone while drinking their blood.” 

  Although I have done it before. 

  Alex laughed lightly. “That is true; if I had steak for lunch, I wouldn’t want to see the cow first.” 

  However, as soon as he finished talking, the “steak” calmly sat down beside the vampire and started brewing coffee. The room was immediately filled with the coffee’s strong aroma. 

  Father Alex was sitting beside me, and the smiling Father Yue was sitting across from me. Normally, it would have been enjoyable to chat over coffee with these two, even if they were priests. 

  But at the moment, I could only find it ridiculously bizarre. As a spy, how did I end up sitting down to have coffee with the target of my investigation? 

  “I thought Dark Sun had come,” Father Yue said as he looked at me with interest, “I hadn’t imagined it would actually be you.” 

  Hearing this, I suddenly remembered that Father Yue knew that the young master was Dark Sun. Then does Father Alex know? 

  “I know,” Alex stated without warning, yet he remained calm as he picked up the coffee pot and filtered the boiled coffee into the cups. 

  It took me a moment before I could respond. But, but how did he know? Was it my expression that revealed something… No, I was not particularly surprised just now. Although the young master always tells me that my eye brows or lips curved by a few millimeters, I do not believe there are many people with the ability to detect a few millimeters change on someone’s face. 

  Moreover, even if my expression did change, could one so easily guess that I was thinking about the young master? 

  “What do you know… Ah! Is it about Ah Ye?” Father Yue concluded before he finished his question. As Alex handed him the coffee, he grinned and said, “Alex does indeed know about Ah Ye, but it has nothing to do with me. If the high levels of the Church know, why would he not?” 

  I asked calmly, “So Father Alex is a high level of the Church?” 

  The other two momentarily froze, before Father Alex gave Father Yue a helpless look. 

  “Ah! Oh no!” Father Yue said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Alex, but Charles seems to have this special power that makes people want to tell him a lot of things.” 

  Father Alex had already regained his composure as he responded, “You’ve told me that before. It does seem that way at the moment. Such an unfathomable power, isn’t it?” 

  All Elysees butlers have this unfathomable power to some extent. 

  After finally receiving some useful information, I asked persistently, “Father Alex, who are you?” 

  Alex sipped his coffee helplessly and under Father Yue’s amused expression, he sighed. “Actually, I’m a spare.” 

  Spare? I asked in confusion, “A spare for what?” 

  Alex smiled slightly and said, “A spare for Sin.” 

  Sin’s… I slightly opened my mouth but did not know what to further ask, especially since Father Yue was currently looking at Alex with an expression of pity… 

  Alex glanced at Father Yue and the latter gave him a smile. He then went on, saying, “Around a hundred years ago, there was an unimaginably strong ‘Sin.’ It was said that he had really caught E.X. then, but E.X. later escaped.” 

  A hundred years ago? Was it the time that X went without a word for many years and left the mansion to me? His wordless farewell was because he had been captured? Or perhaps I am mistaken, since “around a hundred years” is too vague. 

  Alex indifferently described, “Although incredibly strong, the Sin at that time was still human after all, and would die of old age. As a result, the Church had always wanted to train successors that could match up to him. However, they were unsuccessful from beginning to end. At last, they decided that only that Sin could reach that level, so they—” 

  “Cloned?” I immediately blurted out. With the young master as an example, this was the first thing that instantly came to mind. 

  Alex looked at me curiously and said, “No, even now, clones have not been able to overcome the flaw of being unintelligent, much less a hundred years ago.” 

  Ah… That is indeed true. The young master had mentioned this before as well. DSII was also controlled using a microchip, so DSII was technically a robot that was modified from the young master’s clone—Although I have always thought that DSII is more human than many actual humans. 

  “I was mistaken.” I nodded to gesture for him to proceed. 

  “They simply thought that a son would do as well as the father, so perhaps this kind of power could be inherited.” Alex laughed. “So they used artificial insemination. But not all children are like their father, so there would be many candidates. They would pick the strongest one among the children to become Sin, and the rest—like me—would become spares.” 

  I understood now, and surmised, “So you are Sin’s brother, and he sent you here to get close to the young master…” 

  “No, no!” Father Alex stopped me and chuckled. “In order to prevent rebellions and the like, spares are excluded from the Sin Elimination Committee. It seems that there were some precedents in the past. And saying that I am his brother not quite accurate either. In reality, I’ve only seen him once from afar; all candidates received separate training.” 

  I remained silent for a while, as I could not find any gaps in his story. Furthermore, Father Yue was also present and had not refuted at all. Perhaps his statement of being a “spare” is true? 

  However, even if there was an explanation behind Alex not being Sin, this just made me even more confused. I asked, “Why are you telling me so much?” 

  “Why not?” 

  I did not expect Father Alex to respond in such a way. He then praised, “Charles, your hiding abilities are truly very strong. When you came in, none of our brothers sensed your presence. If it were not for this, I wouldn’t have dared to meet you in private, let alone explain all this. I do not have any ill intentions. I simply wish that you and Ah Ye would stop misunderstanding me.” 

  Being monitored? I frowned, “The Church treats you so…” 

  Alex laughed and said easily, “You’ve misunderstood me slightly. My brothers treat me very well. Although they don’t need me now, they ‘might’ need me in the future. Yet they did not lock me away from sunlight in some secret underground institute. Even when I asked to become a normal priest, they granted my request. What’s so bad about all this?” 

  “Yet they sent you after the young master.” I still could not believe that the Church would let a spare for Sin become a normal priest. The training alone likely costed them a fortune, and yet the result was becoming a normal priest? This was truly hard to believe. 

  “Please believe me, this was only a big coincidence.” Alex smiled bitterly, “My becoming the spokesperson of Daystar City was really a great mistake. Some brothers signed me up for fun, and after realizing that this was a great way to spread the gospel, they secretly helped me, which eventually led to such a situation.” 

  He said helplessly, “In fact, I thought I would definitely lose to Sunset City’s spokesperson. I’ve seen An Xiang Ye’s commercials before; he really is an adorable boy, befitting of the title Angel. So I let the brothers do what they wanted, thinking that as long as I didn’t get first place, this fame wouldn’t last long. In that case, why not use this time to minister to the people and let more of them accept the gospel? But I had not imagined that…” 

  Had not imagined that the young master’s identity would be revealed, and that the Sun Emperor’s reputation would instead help him up to the first place seat. 

  “Please believe me, the Church is also troubled by what the brothers did.” Alex said softly, “Sin isn’t really happy about this. He does not enjoy watching this ‘brother’ of his become too famous.” 

  I looked at Alex. His expression was very sincere. Up until now, there was also nothing suspicious about him. Should I believe him and stop investigating him, and spend my time on someone else? 

  It would be great if I could tell the young master all this. The young master would be able to deduce more conclusions. As for myself, all I felt was confusion, uncertain of what could be trusted and what was suspicious. 

  Taking a deep breath, I thought: Whether or not to believe Father Alex is not important, since I did not reveal myself because of him, but for someone else. 

  I turned toward this someone and said, “Father Yue, can I trust that you will not harm the young master?” 

  “Of course,” Father Yue said immediately. “How could I ever hurt that child? If I dared, even my wife would divorce me.” 

  I thought you two never married? 

  “But, what about X?” I stared at him, refusing to miss a single change in his expression. “The person the Church wanted was never the young master. It was X. Do you want to help them catch X, Father Yue?” 

  Father Yue’s smile faded, and his expression turned serious. He stared back at me, and without any intention of avoiding my question, sincerely answered, “Believe me, I have absolutely no plans to hurt E.X.” 

  I thought: Aside from believing, I do not have much of a choice. 

  I carefully walked into the hotel, as this hotel was more heavily guarded compared to the others. Since the young master and the rest of the cast lived here, the Church had sent people to guard its surroundings. Despite this, no one detected my presence. However, I still concealed myself to the best of my power, since the young master’s abilities were very astounding, and he was quite familiar with the way I moved. 

  The young master had once said that as long as I was within five paces from him, he would always sense my presence. However, he was not as confident if I was ten paces away, and was definitely powerless if I hid further than that. Thus, I decided to stay twenty paces away. 

  Before I left, Ezart had been staying in the room beside the young master. Since he also shared the room with Nitewalker, there was a possibility that I could be noticed by Nitewalker if I barged in rashly. It was also possible that Ezart was currently with the young master or Luo Ye right now, so going into his room was simply too risky. 

  I opened my phone and checked that no one had called before dialing, saying quickly and quietly, “Ezart, it is me.” 

  An “oh” came from the other end, and then he started talking to himself, saying, “I’m at my high school classmate’s place. Yeah, you know, that Angel, Sunset City’s spokesperson… Where are you?” 

  Ezart said a long string of words, roughly hinting that he was with the young master. I lowered my voice even further. “I am in the hotel, but I am afraid to go to the floor where you and the young master are staying.” 

  “Oh? I transferred some stuff to our base. Go ahead and take a look first. I’m not in my room right now so I don’t have a computer. I’ll meet you online later when I’m back. ‘Kay, I’m a bit busy, talk to you later!” 

  Having said so, he hung up the phone. I carefully thought about what he had said. First, it was “our base” and then he mentioned “room,” so did he mean he wanted me to go over to his room first and wait for him? What did he mean by “transferred some stuff?” 

  After pondering over this, I decided that Ezart was unmistakably hinting for me to go over to his room first. In that case, I shall head over. 

  I climbed the fire escape up to the floor where the young master was staying and slowly pushed open the door. Looking into the empty hallway, I began to worry if the young master would just happen to push open the door at the exact same moment. However, I then realized that it was a baseless fear, since such a coincidence could never happen. Moreover… 

  Using x-speed, I arrived in front of Ezart’s room in an instant, and at the same time, swiped the door key that I had already taken out. After the door unlocked, I immediately flashed in and closed it. 

  Even after accounting for the time that the sensor took to read the door key, the entire process only took three seconds. If even this would “just happen” to be seen by the young master, then being discovered would likely be unavoidable. 

  “Charles Endelis?” 

  I started, and raised my head immediately to see a light blue figure. 

  “Poseidynne! Why are you here…” 

  I had not yet finished my sentence before another person peeked out from behind Poseidynne’s back with an extremely timid expression on her face. This time, I was so shocked that I could not find any words. 

  Poseidynne being here was simply somewhat surprising, yet it was obvious that she was here for the young master. 

  For non-humans, Daystar City was very dangerous, and what the young master was currently doing was also dangerous. But Poseidynne was a powerful non-human, so even if Daystar City prohibited non-humans, there was a possibility that it was not as dangerous to her—as long as she did not try to confront the Church directly. 

  However, that person behind Poseidynne should not be here no matter what! 

  “I’m sorry, Charles-gēge.” The person lowered her head like a child apologizing and said, “I know I shouldn’t be here.” 

  If you know, then why did you come? I said helplessly, “Lady Briar, if you know, then why did you come here? Does the young master know that you are here?” 

  “Ah Ye-gē doesn’t know… Charles-gē, don’t call me ‘Lady’!” Briar said uncomfortably, “It sounds so weird. I’m not anything like a lady.” 

  I smiled slightly and responded, “Since you are the young master’s fiancée, I should address you as ‘Lady.’” 

  “And don’t use honorifics!” Briar looked at me aggrievedly and sighed, “Charles-gē, I don’t have a big brother, so I’ve always saw you as one. But now Gēge is calling me ‘Lady’…” 

  Gēge? I lowered my head to look at Briar. Although she was quite mature for her age, she was still a thirteen-year-old little girl. And right now, she was staring at me with wide eyes, appearing indeed similar to a younger sister—a younger sister who was being mistreated by her older brother. 

  “As you wish. Before Lady… Before Briar turns sixteen, I will not use honorifics, but after that I must, since this is my obligation as a butler. Is that acceptable?” 

  “No, at least until I’m eighteen!” Briar immediately refuted. 

  I felt as if I was bargaining at the market, with one of those extremely sharp vendors raising the price instead. Encountering this type of vendor typically only resulted in the basic twenty percent off. 

  I chuckled. “But are you certain that you will not become the young master’s bride before you turn eighteen?” 

  Briar finally cheered up and laughed. “Daddy said that I am not to even mention the word ‘marriage’ before I’m eighteen, or else he’ll shoot himself.” 

  Eighteen? I though Mr. Bramble would say at least twenty. I guess that over these past years, Mr. Bramble has also started to accept this better. 

  “I see. Eighteen it shall be then.” I asked sincerely, “If Briar is going to see me as an elder brother, then listen to your elder brother and return to Sunset City, okay?” 

  Briar widened her eyes at me and firmly declared, “No!” 

  Saying that, she hid behind Poseidynne. Poseidynne also stepped forward, as if saying: Try forcing the girl if you dare. 

  It would be fine if it were only Poseidynne, since she was a formidable non-human. If she wanted to stay in Daystar City or even go sight-seeing at the Church, I would not have any intention of stopping her. Yet Briar was different. She was merely a defenseless thirteen-year-old girl with no means to protect herself. 

  I took a deep breath and lowered my tone to warn, “Poseidynne, if the young master knew that you brought Briar here, he would be extremely upset!” 

  Poseidynne hesitated for the first time upon hearing these words. This made me sigh in relief. Thank goodness she still cares about upsetting the young master; otherwise, I truly would not know how to convince her to take Briar home. 

  Briar’s eyes reddened with tears as she shouted, “No! I’m not going back! I’m the only one who never gets to go. I can only watch Daddy leave for work, and sometimes he even comes back hurt. And now Ah Ye-gē too. He’s always hurt so very badly…. Ah Ye-gē said that he was very strong, but why does he still get hurt so much!” 

  I was shaken by the words that sounded so familiar. 

  “Bri, don’t cry.” 

  Poseidynne turned back toward Briar and knelt down. Seeing that tears had started dripping from Briar’s eyes, she immediately took out some tissues and gently wiped away Briar’s tears as she promised, “I won’t let anyone send you away. You don’t have to worry. No one will touch even a hair on your head!” As she spoke, she turned around and glared at me sharply. 

  “Mhmm!” Briar resolutely nodded her head. 

  It seemed that Poseidynne had grown even more attached to Lady Briar than the young master. Recently, she had also been spending more time with Briar than the young master did. When I recalled how “she” actually had androgynous characteristics and could switch sexes as she wished, I suddenly had a somewhat foreboding feeling. 

  But no matter what, the thought of such a ridiculous love triangle that flashed across my mind just now could never truly happen… Could it? 

  Although Poseidynne’s glare was very deadly, Briar was too important to leave alone, even if it meant that I might be drowned in a gulf. Since using “Young Master” as the reason had failed, I tried something else. 

  “Bri, Mr. Bramble would be very worried about you as well. If you were hurt, he…” 

  The situation grew stranger as I went on. Briar remained unconvinced, which was not too odd, but why was her response to laugh at me? 

  I stopped speaking and just as I was about to question her, the door behind me suddenly rattled. Did the young master return? 

  Alarmed, I then discovered that both Poseidynne and Briar appeared to be hiding their laughter. Since they were currently hiding from the young master, they would not have such an expression if the young master were the one to open the door. Could it then be Ezart? But why would they look at Ezart this way? I turned around to see the person entering— 

  “Mr. Bramble!” Dell and May as well… 

  The three of them were carrying plastic bags emitting a faint fragrance, which indicated it was likely food. When they saw me, they immediately froze in place—the same reaction as mine. 

  We stiffly exchanged a few glances until Poseidynne urged, “What are you all spacing out for? Come in quick and close the door. What if Ah Ye finds out?” 

  May immediately turned around to close the door. As the three walked in, I took the plastic bags from them and started organizing the contents. As expected, a few contained food, but there was also something that concerned me even more: toothbrushes. 

  With so many people hiding here, the hotel room’s complimentary toothbrushes would undoubtedly be insufficient—which also meant that “everyone” was planning on staying here for a while. 

  As soon as I set out the food and utensils, Poseidynne immediately sat down and waved at Briar to eat together. Dell and May also sat around the table, eating intently with their heads lowered and refusing to look up. 

  I looked at Mr. Bramble. Although he originally also planned to sit down and eat, he did not do so under my gaze. As if nothing had happened, he feigned ignorance and asked, “What? Is something wrong?” 

  “Why are you here, Mr. Bramble?” 

  Mr. Bramble coughed a few times and said, “We are the young master’s bodyguards. No matter if it’s climbing a mountain of knives or diving into a sea of blood, where the young master is, we are too!” 

  If these words came from a normal bodyguard, I would have greatly admired their professionalism. However, given the young master’s identity and current status, I only felt helpless. 

  “In that case, why is Briar here?” 

  Upon hearing the word “Briar,” Mr. Bramble’s expression immediately crumbled and he said painfully, “The child insisted on coming so strongly that I had no other choice!” 

  I furrowed my brows and replied, “Mr. Bramble, it is too dangerous here. Please take Briar home immediately. I am sure you absolutely do not wish for any harm to come to her?” 

  Briar immediately lifted her head, but did not say anything, only holding on to Poseidynne’s hand tightly. 

  “Of course!” Mr. Bramble confessed, “Poseidynne promised me that she would protect Bri with her life. Why else would I have let this brat come along?” 

  I shook my head. “Daystar City is where the Church is most powerful. It is said that no non-humans exist here. It is already extremely difficult for non-humans to protect themselves here.” 

  Mr. Bramble appeared to hesitate. It seemed that he was not difficult to convince. Come to think about it, he probably does not want Briar to be in such a dangerous place either. 

  Just then, Poseidynne stepped up and coldly declared, “No one can even dream of touching a hair on the person I protect with my life, not even the Church! If you have doubts about my abilities, you can go ask Nitewalker. He’s also here, isn’t he?” 

  I nodded. 

  Poseidynne snorted. “You guys have quite an eye for people. Nitewalker’s also one of his clan’s top fighters! If it weren’t because of the disastrous situation the nightwalkers are in right now, he wouldn’t even have responded to your invitation a few years back!” 

  To be honest, the young master and I were drawn by his driving skills, not fighting ability. Before we asked him to join us, we did not even know that he could fight— A sudden “bang, bang” made everyone jump in fright. As we turned our heads to look toward the direction of the sound, we heard Ezart’s voice. “Tsk, this door’s a bit stuck!” 

  “Stuck? Do you want me to try?” That is the young master’s voice! 

  “You? Hmph, you think your raw strength is greater than mine?” 

  “Probably not. Why don’t we get the hotel staff to help us then….” 

  Everyone frantically spurred into action. Poseidynne pulled Briar into the washroom without hesitation. Mr. Bramble and the other two started swiping the plates and utensils off the table. Seeing this, I immediately helped to clean up. 

  “Ah, it seems to be working again!” It was apparent from the high decibel of Ezart’s voice that he was giving us a warning. 

  Mr. Bramble and the other two immediately turned and ran off. Mr. Bramble pulled open the wardrobe and ducked inside. May actually crammed himself into the cabinet under the TV, while Dell rolled under the desk. 

  After watching this unfold, I could only pick up all the utensils on the table, back flip onto the ceiling, and lay against the beam. Thankfully, the luxurious room had a high ceiling with decorative beams for me to barely hide on. Otherwise, I would not have known where to hide, as all the other spaces had filled with people. 

  The next second, the door opened. 

  Ezart walked in first, and it was indeed the young master who followed behind. However, I did not dare to survey the scene and only heard his voice. “Huh? Why do I smell food?” 

  “It’s probably the chicken cutlet I had this afternoon!” Ezart’s lying abilities might actually be much stronger than I imagined. 

  “You weren’t full after lunch? Why did you buy food in the afternoon?” 

  “I saw people lining up when I was walking by, so I bought some!” 

  “Oh, was it good?” 

  “Awful. The store looked really fancy, but their chicken cutlet was a hundred times worse than a street vendor’s!” 

  As the voices gradually moved from the entrance to the small living room, I did not dare to move in the slightest. The young master’s abilities were not to be underestimated. The distance was so close that it would not be difficult at all to get discovered. 

  “Ezart, you’re really not going to stay in the same room as me?” The young master asked in confusion, “The room’s really spacious! Come help me take care of Shūshu!” 

  “Isn’t Nitewalker already there? Why would I squeeze in, too? By the way, you should also be more careful now.” 

  “Of what?” 

  “Don’t you know that you’re really famous now? When my expedition team found out that I knew you, everyone questioned me non-stop. Some even asked me if we did this and that… What’s that supposed to mean! If I even stayed together in a room with you and the media found out, then it would really be this and that!” 

  “What this and that!” The young master laughed out loud. “Okay, it’s up to you. I’m here at night anyways, so I can take care of him myself.” 

  “I think you should take care of your older brother first. Or else, how long are you planning on looking after him?” 

  The young master sighed. “Gēge is still avoiding me.” 

  “You can’t find out where he is?” 

  There was a moment of silence before a sentence floated up, “Maybe.” 

  Then, another long period of silence passed. Although I really wanted to know why the young master would not look for the Sun Emperor when he had the ability to, Ezart did not question any further. It was only after a long time when another sentence was voiced. 

  “Ezart, why is Gēge so insistent on killing his own father?” 

  …. His own father? 

  “How would I know! You all have such a messed-up blood relationship. But considering how immoral your previous dad was, it’s not weird that he wouldn’t want another dad to pop up.” 

  “But Shūshu doesn’t seem as bad as Bàba!” The young master muttered. Suddenly, he said, “I wonder if Charles is home yet. I’ll call him and ask.” 

  … Oh no! I had already turned on my cell phone earlier and trying to turn it off or switch to vibration now could possibly alert the young master. At such close proximity, it was impossible to move at all without the young master’s notice… Ezart, please stop the young master quickly! 

  “Are you the butler’s nanny? Take your time, I’m going to shower first!” 

  Ezart! 

  “Oh? Then I’ll go back to my room first. Having only Nitewalker look after Shūshu isn’t the best.” 

  I had not imagined for the young master to respond in such a way. Could Ezart have guessed the young master’s reaction? If that is the case, then my inability to do so as his butler is truly a great failure… 

  “Ezart, what are you going to do after showering?” 

  “Surf the net. There’s someone waiting.” 

  “Oh, yeah, that phone call… Remember to not take on any missions! Help me take care of Shūshu first.” 

  “‘Kay!” 

  Next came the sound of the door opening and closing, then the sound of the television turning on. Lastly, Ezart’s voice lazily announced, “You can come out now!” 

  I flipped down from the beam, quietly standing behind Ezart. When he turned around and suddenly noticed me, his entire body started and he nearly swung out his fists out of reflex. I hurriedly took a step back. 

  “Where’d you come from?” Ezart stared at me blankly as he relaxed his fists. 

  I pointed at the beam and explained, “I was hiding up above and flipped down.” 

  Ezart widened his eyes and whooped in disbelief, “You were hiding up there? How’s that possible? And here I thought you were in the washroom…” 

  At this point, the washroom door abruptly opened as Poseidynne and Briar walked out. 

  “Or in the closet.” Mr. Bramble pushed opened the closet door and stepped out. 

  “Hiding under the desk wouldn’t be bad either.” Dell stood up. 

  Ezart said in disbelief, “And yet you decided to hide on that impossible beam? Looks like that brat, Ah Ye, was right, you really are made of natural assassin material!” 

  Just then, May stepped out of the television shelf in an exceptionally bizarre position and began to untangle his body, stretching out his limbs as he loosened his muscles and bones. 

  Ezart paused in a moment of confusion before laughing out loud, gasping for breath as he wheezed, “Are you all from the freakin’ circus? The people around Ah Ye are all so interesting!” 

  But for some reason, no one was paying attention to him and instead, they were all staring at me. Just when I was about to raise a question, my cell phone rang. I lowered my head and saw that it was the young master, so I immediately answered the phone. 

  “Charles, have you arrived at Curtis’s place?” 

  I instantly responded, “Yes, I arrived last night.” 

  “…Are you angry?” 

  “No, Young Master, how could I be angry?” 

  I only felt ashamed. As a butler, not only was I unable to help, I had also brought my master trouble. Although this was due to the effect of the painkillers, this still indicated that my level of self-control was truly too poor. 

  “Oh, that’s good then.” The young master sighed in relief and asked worriedly, “Has the effect of the painkillers passed?” 

  “Yes, it has,” I replied as I glanced at everyone else. They were all staring at me intently, not even daring to breathe, afraid that the young master would catch them with his sharp ears. 

  “Where’s Curtis? Is he beside you?” 

  “He is not here, perhaps in a meeting. He has always been quite busy.” 

  I had not actually lied; Curtis was indeed not here and with how busy his work was, he could very likely be in a meeting. This was the “concealing way of talking” that Ezart had taught me. I hoped that it would not raise the young master’s suspicions… But why do I feel so awful? Although I did not lie, does this really not count as deceiving the young master? 

  “Then, get some good rest and use this chance to learn some medical skills from Ah Shuu!” It seemed that the young master was not suspicious of me. 

  “Understood.” It looked like I would have to spend some time to “study” with Ah Shuu now. 

  After hanging up, I lifted my head to find everyone studying me with suspicious and confused expressions. 

  Poseidynne asked with a strange look in her eyes, “We’re hiding because we came here secretly and can’t get discovered by Ah Ye, but what are you hiding for? Weren’t you beside Ah Ye to begin with?” 

  Before I was able to reply, Ezart loudly laughed. “This guy stirred up trouble and Ah Ye sent him home!” 

  This trouble seems to have been stirred up by you, Ezart. 

  Everyone stared at me with widened eyes as if in disbelief. 

  “What trouble could the butler have possibly caused?” Dell asked in an unconvinced tone, “Isn’t he just in charge of washing dishes, cooking meals, mopping floors, and cleaning toilets?” 

  “You guys all underestimated him like Ah Ye! This guy fought me and even broke the French window in the hotel room!” 

  As I abruptly remembered this matter, I ignored the others’ stares and hurriedly asked, “With the French window broken, why is the young master still staying in his original room?” 

  Ezart shrugged. “Ah Ye didn’t want to change rooms ‘cuz he was afraid that his brother might set up some kind of trick in the new one, so he asked the hotel to fix it during the day when he was out filming.” 

  So that is the reason. 

  “Charles Endelis!” Poseidynne loudly exclaimed, “So you’re also a stowaway! How dare you use ‘Ah Ye might get angry’ as an excuse to send Bri back? Hmph! If Ah Ye really did get mad, I don’t think any of us could think about staying by his side; we all might as well just get ready to be sent back! But if we really do get sent away, heh…” 

  Stowaway… Was the explosion from the washroom just now from the tap or the bathtub? 

  “I know that vampires can also drown! You haven’t forgotten what I am, have you?” 

  Yes, a merperson… I suddenly missed the days when non-humans did not appear so brazenly, and fish stayed in the water as they should.

  No Hero    

  Volume 8, The Beginning NO.2: My Eve

  Translated by Raylight (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  ”Bill, aside from me, who do you think is the most important person to Ah Ye?” 

  “It’s Kyle.” The words came from Kyle with no hesitation. 

  “…” 

  The secretary gave a few awkward coughs, and then said, “I was just correcting you that my name is Kyle and not Bill. That was not an answer to your question.” 

  “Do you think that correcting me is more important than answering my question? Bill?” 

  Kyle immediately answered, “Undoubtedly, it is the butler—If you ignore Dr. An Te Qi.” 

  As expected, it is that vampire! I said spitefully, “So even the fiancée is not as important as the butler?” 

  “… You really are ignoring Dr. An Te Qi. He is just right here, though he is fast asleep on the sofa.” 

  “What did you say? Say it louder?” 

  That Kyle is really getting more and more audacious. Should I demote him… No, no matter how much I demote him, his job would still be the same, which is being a secretary at my side, right? 

  I should lower his salary—Damn, previously he seemed to have mentioned having earned some money from some stocks. I forgot how much it was, but I recall it was several times over his yearly bonus. 

  It’s probably better to just drag him out and give him a good beating. But if he took the chance to apply for sick leave, then these documents… Giving him a good scolding seems to be the way to go. 

  My face darkened as I growled, “Bill, you really have gotten rather auda—” 

  “Sun Emperor, there is a special reason as to why the young master would value the butler as thus.” 

  To think you even interrupted me—Hm? What reason does Ah Ye have? 

  Kyle seemed unruffled even now, and said, “I believe that the existence of the butler is relatively unique to the young master. For him, Charles Endelis is not just a butler, but also a ‘similar existence’ to himself. Both of them are stuck in the boundary between humans and non-humans—” 

  I interrupted him in a towering rage, “Ah Ye is human!” 

  “Yes! I was wrong. It was a momentary slip of the tongue.” Kyle admitted his mistake with no hesitation. 

  Unforgivable! This time, don’t even bother trying to give an excuse! 

  Kyle sincerely said, “Sun Emperor, I truly do not suspect the young master as such. The young master is the one who suspects himself. If you wish to punish me, you can demote me, suspend my salary, or beat me up. But please, finish listening to me.” 

  “… Speak.” 

  After the young master left, everyone gathered around on the sofas and continued their meal. However, they looked a little nervous, and would look toward the door from time to time. They seemed rather afraid that the young master would suddenly barge in—Would the young master really not come over to look for Ezart out of the blue? 

  “Ah Ye doesn’t have a keycard to this room, so he has to use the doorbell before coming in.” Ezart looked around at everyone’s nervous faces, seeming to find it very amusing. He sat on the single seat sofa, with a can of cola in his hands as he lazily said, “Butler, any results?” 

  I was in the middle of tidying up the chaos in the room, and had even found a bag full of leftover chicken bones. When I heard the question, I could not help but remember what had happened in the church, and replied a little weakly, “Yes, there is even too much information.” 

  Suddenly receiving so much information made me feel a little overwhelmed. No matter how I thought about it, I would not have imagined that Father Yue would be involved in such matters. Thankfully, Yue Gang did not know anything, or else it would probably be rather difficult to maintain a simple friendship with him in the future. 

  I ought to find an opportunity to tell the young master all of this, but as of now I am… one of the “illegal stowaways.” How should I inform the young master of such, and yet not let him discover that I am currently hiding here? 

  Yet another thing to be distressed about. I gave a sigh, and inquired, “How was the young master’s shooting of the movie today? Did it go well?” 

  When I asked that, it was obvious that Briar and Poseidynne’s attention was drawn. 

  Ezart shrugged his shoulders and answered, “Not much happened. It’s just filming. That boring director even pestered me about joining in, but it’s not like I need money right now. I’m not interested.” 

  “Does the young master enjoy acting in movies?” I was extremely curious. Though the movie was just a front, the young master’s “occupation” was after all… What exactly was it again? 

  I suddenly felt a little uncertain. He originally started as a print model, but then went on to shoot for advertisements. Later on, he released an album, but only one to date. Now he is starring in a movie, though the movie was still in the works. So it was hard to determine whether the young master should be considered a model, a singer, or an actor. However, seeing that currently most of his work is still print advertisements, he should still be considered a model? 

  “Not bad! He finds it quite fun. That guy was good at faking it in the first place, and later on he had to lie to his bro all day and night, so his acting skills are top-notch!” 

  This method of training one’s acting skill truly makes one feel extremely helpless. 

  Ezart tore open a bag of snacks with his mouth, and in his hand was the remote control as he randomly pressed the buttons and switched the channel. He continued, “However, he said that the character is too much like himself so there’s no challenge at all. Next time, he wants to try a role that isn’t as similar to himself.” 

  This was the first time that the young master had clearly indicated that he wanted to continue doing something. When he had finished his album previously, he had not mentioned anything about making a second one, so it seemed that the young master indeed did immensely enjoy acting. 

  From the side, I heard Briar’s quiet mumble, “Ah Ye-gē is getting more and more famous.” 

  Poseidynne asked curiously, “Isn’t it good to be famous?” 

  Briar shook her head, saying, “Then, more and more people would like Ah Ye-gē, and he’s so terrible at rejecting them…” 

  She did not continue her words, but I believe everyone at the scene understood what she meant. 

  Poseidynne’s brows furrowed as she said, “Bri’s right. We have got to watch Ah Ye closely! As expected, it was right for us to come here!” 

  At the side, Mr. Bramble tilted his head. Though he remained as silent as always, I believed that his feelings had to be very conflicted at this moment, seeing how his daughter was merely thirteen but had to worry about problems such as her fiancé possibly cheating on her and being too famous and attractive to others. 

  My cell phone rang, and I hoped that it was not the young master. I truly did not wish to lie to the young master anymore… Thankfully, it was not him. 

  When I received the call, Curtis reported to me in a polite tone, “Family Head, we found him.” 

  They found him? I heaved a sigh of relief, but then started to worry. I quickly asked, “You managed to find him this easily?” 

  If Curtis was able to find him with such ease, would it mean that others would be able to find him just as easily? 

  “No, it was not that easy.” Curtis paused for a moment, before he added, “However, it is rather easy with your help. When searching for someone, the absolute worst option would be not having a single place to start, and thus being able to search only for a needle in a haystack, which is the most inefficient method. That person seemed not to keep in contact with anyone, but only you are the exception to that. With your help in matters such as providing his email address and phone number, it was a great deal easier to find him.” 

  No wonder the people looking for him would always come and find me. What exactly should I do to not become his weakness? It is just as well that Poseidynne is here with us. Should I ask for her guidance in teaching me more battle techniques? 

  “Family Head, should we bring him back to the family?” 

  If that was possible, I would also want to do that. However, it would not work, for he absolutely would not go with Curtis. I could not help but sigh. 

  “Family Head?” Curtis’s voice immediately turned stern and he pursued the topic, “Has something happened?” 

  “Nothing has happened,” I quickly said. 

  “… Perhaps your young master is right. You ought to come back to the family and rest for a while.” 

  I emphasized, “I am truly all right! I was merely thinking that he would definitely not go with you, and felt a little vexed.” 

  Curtis merely calmed said, “I can make arrangements.” 

  “No, he would not go with you. I ask for you all not to come to blows with him!” 

  I suddenly became worried. His temper had never been good, and though I had already sent a letter over to explain my reasons, asking him to cooperate would probably be an impossible feat. It would already be considered great if he did not immediately run away. 

  “Just follow him. If you are discovered, then show yourself and reveal your identity. Do not mind what he says. If he wants to make a move, then leave immediately, and then continue to tail him secretly… However, Curtis, please promise me that you would not come to blows with him no matter what happens.” 

  Curtis did not agree immediately. Instead, he asked, “May I ask how important this person is to you?” 

  I froze. His importance… 

  “He is both a father and a brother.” 

  “Understood.” 

  Understood? I was about to remind Curtis that that person did not like it when I meddled in his business, especially by using the influence of the family. However, in view of the current circumstances, I did not truly wish for Curtis to stay out of his business. I opened my mouth a few times, but still failed to say anything to stop him. Instead, the words that came out was, “I am sorry for troubling you.” 

  I merely hope that that person would not fly into a deep rage… 

  “It is my duty.” Curtis replied simply, and then said, “Family Head, I agreed to let you stay in Daystar City, but I hope that you can be cautious and stay safe. Please give a call every day, so that I can confirm your safety. Remember not to—” 

  “I will do so. Tomorrow I will call as usual.” 

  With that, I immediately and decisively hung up. When I raised my head, I saw everyone staring at me, especially Ezart. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Who was that?” 

  “Curtis.” 

  “What were you two talking about?” 

  I frowned, and did not give him a reply. 

  Ezart sat up straight, and said in dissatisfaction, “I helped you hide things from Ah Ye, and you’re planning to repay my kindness by hiding things from me? If you wanna do that, then I’m not doing this anymore! I’m gonna go tell Ah Ye right away that his butler is right here, so that you won’t get a chance to do that!” 

  “It’s regarding X.” I said so, thinking that it should be enough to stop Ezart from asking further. However, I abruptly remembered that Ezart had never met X before, and it was highly likely that he would not know who he was. I quickly added on, “X is my—” 

  Ezart said in understanding, “I know, your big bro right! Ah Ye said before, that you really love your bro, like how he loves his bro.” 

  Did the young master say it that like that? I said with a smile, “I am afraid I would probably not match up to how much the young master values the Sun Emperor in his heart.” 

  Ezart waved his hand as he said, “It’s about the same! That Ah Ye, though he can’t even bear to see a small scrape on his brother, he usually wouldn’t even remember to call his bro.” 

  That was indeed true. The young master even made me remind him to call the Sun Emperor once it reached a fixed period of time; otherwise, it would probably result in the Sun Emperor calling us instead. 

  Not too long ago, there was once a time that three days passed and Curtis had not called to ask me if anything had happened. I was extremely curious—and yet I did not want to call to ask. On the fourth day, his call finally came, and he sounded extremely exhausted. 

  As it turned out, the Sun Emperor had been busy. According to Curtis, he was “razing everything in his path, with rivers of blood flowing down the battlefield, aiming to take down ten thousand enemies even if it meant losing five thousand of his own men. It is unknown whether there is a grand plan behind it…” 

  I gave it some thought, and realized that the young master had not called the Sun Emperor for ten days or so. After I reminded the young master to do so, Curtis returned to his regular schedule of calling me daily to ask if I was fine. 

  Seeing that everyone was nearly done with their food, I took the plates into the kitchenette next to the room. Though the hotel would send someone to clean up tomorrow, I intended to wash the plates first so as to prevent the room from smelling like food. 

  “Butler, brew some coffee!” Dell’s voice came from the living room. 

  I took a quick look around, and in the end, I took a pot of black tea to the small living room. As I poured the tea for them, I said, “There are only the free sachets of instant coffee here, and they are all the three-in-one kind. I believe that none of you would like it, so I brewed some tea instead. However, there will not be any more tea bags after this serving.” 

  Mr. Bramble’s brows furrowed. He did not like coffee, but always had a cup of tea every morning. May and Dell instead needed coffee daily, but on top of that, Dell would drink cola like water, and May would drink fruit juice like water. 

  “I just knew that there was something I forgot to buy!” Dell smacked himself, and cried out in agony, “I’m an idiot, how could I only buy cola?” 

  Only bought cola? I ruffled through the plastic bag slightly. There really was only a copy of the evening newspaper, cola, cup noodles, and a few toothbrushes inside, not even a towel. Though we could request a few more towels from the hotel, there were too many of us. It would arouse suspicion if we wanted an extra five or six towels. 

  If it were just Mr. Bramble and the other bodyguards, it would not be an issue if they stayed here temporarily for a few days. However, seeing how Briar and Poseidynne were also here, and we were also highly likely to be staying here for a while, I believed that these items were far from enough. 

  I sighed, and said, “I will go out to buy some necessities.” 

  “Coffee!” 

  Dell immediately yelled, his voice loud to the point I was a little worried. However, the sound of a loud explosion came from the television right at this time, for there was an action film playing and it had coincidentally reached the scene where there was a series of explosions. I suddenly felt like I could understand the reason Ezart turned on the television the moment the young master left, and even left it playing at a loud volume. It seemed that he was not as brash as his appearance would suggest, but rather, he was extremely attentive to small details. 

  I nodded and inquired, “Is there anything else that you would like me to purchase?” 

  Mr. Bramble took one look at me, and said slowly, “If it is you, I don’t think we need to explain further. Just do as you see fit.” 

  I nodded with a small smile, and answered, “As you wish.” 

  “Charles-gē, I’ll go with you,” Briar abruptly said. 

  I did not expect that she would say so, and stared at her in puzzlement as I replied, “It is fine for me to go by myself.” 

  Briar was extremely insistent as she said, “I’m going with you!” 

  I shot a glance at Mr. Bramble, and he looked at me and nodded his head. 

  This shocked me a little. Although we were merely going to the supermarket and Mr. Bramble did not object, we were in Daystar City after all, and it would be wise to be cautious. 

  Poseidynne seemed a little nervous as she said, “Bri, let me come along too! This is Daystar City—” 

  Briar shook her head as she said, “I am just a small human girl, and Daystar City is a lot safer than Sunset City where we live, isn’t it?” 

  “You are with a vampire.” Poseidynne spoke in a small voice, “To the Church, that would be enough.” 

  “Poseidynne, didn’t you say that Charles-gē is very good at hiding? Then it would be fine as long as he doesn’t show up.” Briar turned to me and said, “Charles-gē, it wouldn’t be good if you appeared at the supermarket, right? It’s not like there are any fewer surveillance cameras here than in Sunset City. Charles-gē, if you walk around the supermarket, you will really stand out. Everyone’s heads will turn to look at you!” 

  “I am not wearing a vampire’s attire.” I looked down. I was wearing black from head to toe, which was extremely great for stealth—however, perhaps a little unfitting to walk in a supermarket full of grandmothers and mothers? 

  Briar looked at me and sighed. “May-gē, Dell-gē, if you didn’t know Charles-gē and saw him in the supermarket, would you give him a second look?” 

  Dell answered with no hesitation, “I absolutely would!” 

  May pondered for a moment, before he answered, “Agreed.” 

  As expected, it is too conspicuous to wear black from head to toe? I quickly replied, “I could change into something more casual.” 

  May shook his head saying, “It has nothing to do with the clothes. You just look out of place.” 

  However, I had already been going to the supermarket and the traditional market for a period of time… Though speaking of which, it was true that when I first started going, it did attract a lot of attention. 

  Briar raised an example, “If Ah Ye-gē’s brother were to carry a basket and pick out carrots in the supermarket, would Charles-gē do a double take at that?” 

  The Sun Emperor carrying a basket in the supermarket, picking out carrots… I would freeze on the spot, and be unable to move for the whole day! 

  When I looked around the whole room, everyone’s faces had turned similarly pale. The power of this example was really to be feared. 

  “I am not the Sun Emperor.” I shook my head as I said, “Not to mention, I do not have that kind of imposing aura.” 

  Briar said with a tone as though it was but a matter of fact, “But Curtis-shūshu calls you Family Head pretty often! Even if you aren’t as powerful as the Sun Emperor, it’s still pretty powerful, right?” 

  It may be true that I was once a powerful figure, but now, all that is left are memories … Also Briar, you address me as Charles-gē, but call Curtis Shūshu? 

  Briar said earnestly, “Charles-gē, you can bring me to the supermarket and then hide well. I’ll take care of the shopping. Otherwise, you definitely will be spotted! Really!” 

  Hearing that, I too became hesitant. There would not be any fewer surveillance cameras in Daystar City than in Sunset City, so if the Church had any intentions of monitoring the hotel surroundings, I might possibly get discovered. 

  “Let’s go, Charles-gē!” Briar walked to my side, and then automatically held my hand. If it were not for that, I believed that I was on the verge of forgetting the fact that she was still a thirteen year old girl. 

  I looked at Mr. Bramble, who picked up the evening papers, seeming not to have any objections. 

  “Bri, let me come along!” Poseidynne said gently, and she looked a little like she was acting coquettishly. 

  Briar shook her head, saying, “Poseidynne, stealth isn’t your specialty. Charles-gē can carry me away, but he wouldn’t be able to do that for you. Anyways, we’ll be back really quick.” 

  She was just short of saying the words, “Be good.” What exactly happened in that year I was asleep? How did the relationship between Poseidynne and Briar become so friendly? Moreover, I could vaguely tell that between the two, Briar was the one in charge. 

  “Charles-gē.” Briar raised her head and looked at me, as she asked, “Should we go?” 

  I gazed at her, and finally nodded and agreed, “All right.” Miss Briar. 

  Putting Briar down, I told every item that I needed to buy in detail to her. 

  “Can you remember that?” I was a little worried, for I had listed quite a few items, and remembering all of them without missing a single one was not too easy. It was a pity that I did not have any paper on hand so that I could write it down. 

  Briar nodded as she said, “It’s pretty similar to the things to prepare when Bàba’s going on a business trip.” 

  Hearing that, I felt truly relieved. In certain aspects, perhaps Briar was the one who reassured people the most in that whole room. 

  “Then I’ll be heading over!” 

  With that, she turned and headed to the supermarket. She looked just like a normal student walking around the supermarket after class, and indeed true to what she had said, she would not attract any attention from others. 

  I hid myself in the small alley, which I had already closely inspected and deemed to have no surveillance cameras. Briar had also agreed on that, for she said that the young master had taught her many methods of recognizing surveillance cameras as well as discerning their locations. 

  With nothing to do, I could only stay alert to my surroundings. The alley was rather clean, and it did not feel awful to stay there. If this was Sunset City, the alleys would always be a place filled with garbage, and on the ground, there would always be foul-smelling homeless people lying there—Or perhaps dead bodies lying there. 

  At this moment, I heard a ringtone coming from my chest. Ever since I started serving the young master, this phone rang a lot more often, from no one giving me any calls even in ten days, to picking up calls at least ten times in a day. Furthermore, it seemed like the number of times was growing with each passing day. 

  I took a glance at the cell phone screen. At the moment, this was truly the phone call I did not want to receive the most, but I still had to press the key. 

  “Did you think that if you left Ah Ye’s side, I would let you off?” The other person did not even start by stating who he was—Perhaps that was because he never needed to state his identity, for the whole world knew who he was. 

  “I did not think that, Sun Emperor,” I answered calmly. 

  The Sun Emperor’s tone was extremely cold as he commanded like a monarch, “The time limit is the same. Within ten days, if you don’t bring that person to the specified place—” 

  “Luo Ye.” 

  “What?” The other person froze. 

  “‘That person’ that you speak of is called Luo Ye.” I abruptly realized that the Sun Emperor had never spoken the person’s name since the beginning. Was this a coincidence or deliberate on his part? 

  “His name is not important at all!” 

  The Sun Emperor sounded like he was getting angry. Why was that so? It was but a name. It seemed that he was not accidentally omitting his name, but deliberately not wanting to mention the other’s name. 

  “Mr. Luo Ye is your uncle.” 

  I tried to remind him that the person he wanted to kill was not a stranger, but a blood relative. In the Ri family’s current situation, a relative was considered something very rare indeed. 

  “He is not. He is nothing!” 

  The Sun Emperor’s voice sounded like he was bursting in anger. Should I perhaps not continue to agitate him? However for some reasons unknown to me, I felt that compared to facing the cold Sun Emperor, I felt better facing an angry Sun Emperor. If he was angry, it meant that he was at least not indifferent to what I said, and better still, he was not coldly calculating something. 

  I tried harder to persuade him, “No matter whether you acknowledge it, you are still related by blood. Killing him for no good reason—” 

  “My father searched for him for so many years, yet he has only suddenly appeared now. Where has he been all this time? Do you think that it is that easy to escape the Sun Alliance’s search for someone?” 

  The Sun Emperor rebuked in a burst. This was… An explanation? 

  “Ah Ye told me that he was living in Daystar City. Like hell he was! The headquarters of the Sun Alliance used to be in Daystar City. No matter where he was hiding, there is absolutely no way he could be hiding where the Sun Alliance’s headquarters were!” 

  The more I listened, the more I fell into deep thought. Indeed, it was so. Daystar City was an area where many economic alliance’s headquarters were located, and there were countless surveillance cameras around. Under such circumstances, could an ordinary person really hide for so many years? 

  Even for a vampire specialized in hiding, it would also be an extremely difficult task to spend so many years in hiding. This could be seen just by looking at X, for due to the Church’s pursuit, he could only spend many years in hiding, and become a wandering vagrant across the whole world. 

  “Why don’t you go back and ask the one in your family, how many sets of eyes he has in Daystar City and how much combat strength he has. If the person he is looking for is hiding in Daystar City, ask him if it’s possible that they wouldn’t be able to find or catch him!” 

  Hearing that, I knew that I did not need to ask Curtis about it. After all, if the Sun Emperor was saying so and even specifically told me to inquire about it, then I believed that the only thing I would hear from Curtis was a confirmation that what the Sun Emperor said was right. 

  I was a little puzzled as I inquired, “Why did you not bring up all these suspicions before?” 

  The Sun Emperor fell silent, and following that he roared in anger, “I do not need to explain anything to a butler!” 

  I explained further, “But the young master needs all these explanations.” 

  The other end of the line suddenly went quiet. 

  “Have you ever brought up all these suspicions to him?” 

  Silence remained on the other end of the line. 

  I could not comprehend in the slightest as I asked, “Why did you not tell the young master?” 

  The Sun Emperor finally answered. In a stiff voice, he said, “Ah Ye does not need to worry about such things. All he needs is to live his life happily!” 

  However, it is rather evident that the Young Master is unhappy due to whatever is happening between Sun Emperor and Luo Ye, so why would he not tell the young master his suspicions, so as to seek his understanding? Even now, the person he chose to tell is me and not the young master. 

  Thinking back on it, back then when the young master failed to call home after a long period of time, the Sun Emperor also called me to give me a warning instead of calling the young master directly… Is the Sun Emperor not very good at communicating with the young master? 

  I was about to ask the Sun Emperor if he wished for me to pass on all these words to the young master, when he just said, “Remember, the time limit is ten days,” and hung up. Evidently, he did not wish to speak any further—or perhaps, he did not want to hear me speak any further. 

  I put away my phone. It seems like the items that I have to notify the young master of has somehow increased by one more. 

  Behind me, I had felt movement that had been going on for a while. Turning around, I was unsurprised to see Briar standing behind me, and walked up to her to carry the plastic bags for her. 

  Briar asked curiously, “Was that call just now from Gēge?” 

  “Gēge?” I froze, not understanding who she was referring to. 

  She quickly explained, “Ah Ye’s gēge. Because Ah Ye-gē calls him Gēgē, I also followed along.” 

  I wonder what kind of reaction the Sun Emperor would have if Briar calls him Gēgē straight to his face? I smiled and answered, “Indeed, the call just now was from the Sun Emperor.” 

  “Gēge has also called me before.” Briar paused for a moment, before she continued, “Actually, he gave me a phone.” 

  The Sun Emperor gave… I looked at Briar, a little surprised. Soon afterwards, I did not find it strange anymore. Given how much the Sun Emperor values the young master, it would not be possible for him to ignore the fiancée that the young master chose, unless he took the fiancée matter as a children’s joke. However, most people would take it as a joke. After all, Briar was currently merely thirteen. 

  However, the young master was serious about it, and I believed that the Sun Emperor fully knew that too. After all, the two of them were brothers, and no one understood the other more so than them, even if they always threw tantrums at each other. 

  “What did the master talk to you about?” In that moment, I started pondering if I should tell the young master. If I told him that Briar had called me to complain about it, then it ought not to raise the young master’s suspicions. 

  Briar tried to recall it in detail and said, “Gēge asked me if I was serious, whether I really love Ah Ye-gē a lot, and if I’m willing to sacrifice my life for him.” 

  I frowned. Asking all these questions to a thirteen-year-old seemed to be going overboard. 

  “What was your answer?” 

  Briar replied honestly, “I told him I didn’t know.” 

  “Has the Sun Emperor made you feel troubled?” I sincerely feel like I should talk to the young master about this. 

  Briar shook her head, saying, “I thought that Ah Ye-gē’s gēge definitely wouldn’t let me be together with him.” 

  Indeed, rich and powerful families would usually carefully pick their prospective marriage partner based on how well-matched they are in social status. Given how much the master values the young master, naturally he would be even more particular about the young master’s partner. Briar was merely the daughter of a bodyguard, and there was a ten year age difference between the young master and her. Furthermore, she was still young and only thirteen years old as of now. Any normal parent or brother would object, let alone the master. 

  “But Gēge did not say that he forbids us to be together. He even said that if I want to be Ah Ye-gē’s wife, I have to get at least a Ph.D. in Economics.” 

  Economics? I was confused for a few moments. Perhaps he wanted to have Briar help manage the Sun Alliance. After all, the Sun Emperor did not have any relatives, and the young master clearly had not even stepped into the world of business. It also seemed that the Sun Emperor had no intention to have the young master help manage the Sun Alliance. 

  Briar pondered a little, and continued, “And also to go for a check-up after my period arrives, to see if my body is healthy and able to bear children.” 

  Master, you… talked to a little girl of thirteen about periods and bearing children? 

  Briar abruptly lowered her head, and softly said in embarrassment, “I even thought that Ah Ye-gē was unable to have children!” 

  “Hm? Why would you think so?” Actually, what I wanted to inquire more was the reason she had considered such a thing. Would an ordinary thirteen-year-old think about something like having children? 

  “Because Ah Ye-gē said that his entire body has been modified, and was filled with metal all over. S-So I thought that he couldn’t. Hearing Gēge say that, I’m not sure whether Gēge just didn’t think about whether Ah Ye-gē could have children or not, or he really is able to…” 

  No matter how mature and understanding Briar behaved, it seemed that she was too embarrassed to continue further. 

  “I will help you ask Mr. An Te Qi. I believe he is the person who will be the most knowledgeable on this.” 

  “Okay!” Briar happily nodded. It seemed that this problem had been bothering her for a long time. 

  At this point, I realized that in that year that I spent asleep, I had really missed many affairs, be it the relation between Briar and Poseidynne, or between Briar and the Sun Emperor. These were all people who were the most important to the young master, but I was completely in the dark about them. How could I possibly serve the young master well like this? 

  “Charles-gē?” 

  Briar looked at me in confusion. I quickly came back to my senses and told her, “Bri, you are merely thirteen. You do not need to be so troubled over so many issues.” 

  “I’m almost fourteen.” Briar shook her head, and said, “If I want to get a Ph.D. in Economics, then I have to start studying hard now. Gēge even said that I can’t just read the textbooks. I also have to take some time to do an internship starting in high school. If it’s like that, then I really have to work very hard.” 

  Briar spoke with a maturity over what a thirteen-year-old girl ought to be like, “At first, Bàba said that it’s impossible between Ah Ye-gē and me. Even if Ah Ye-gē was serious about it, there was no way the Sun Emperor would let us be together! Bàba even told me not to get too serious with Ah Ye-gē! But now Gēge is willing to give me a chance, so I obviously have to work very hard!” 

  Indeed, the Sun family was undoubtedly the richest and most powerful family at the moment. Even if there were not many people in this family and the young master was rather easy-going, it still stands that it was still impossible to freely fall in love without any obstacles, for the weddings of such families were mostly for a certain goal. I did not think that the Sun Emperor would actually be able to accept Briar. I was rather surprised. 

  Moreover, with how much the Sun Emperor valued the young master, I believed that if Briar started working hard now to be the young master’s wife, it may very well not be considered too early. 

  At this point, I started to comprehend something, and asked, “Bri, the reason you insisted to come out with me, was it to have a conversation about this?” 

  As expected, Briar nodded, and seemed embarrassed as she said, “Gēge said not to tell Ah Ye-gē that he contacted me, so I couldn’t tell him. I only brought it up to Bàba a bit, but I couldn’t say too much either. If Bàba were to know that Gēge told me to get a health check-up in the future to see if I can bear children, he will definitely be mad!” 

  I can understand Mr. Bramble’s rage. 

  “But…” Briar hesitated as she said, “I-I really wanted to talk to someone about this, but I can’t tell Bàba, nor Ah Ye-gē. I definitely can’t tell my classmates, and when Poseidynne heard a little, she became really angry, saying what’s so great about the Sun Emperor. But—” 

  I interrupted her words that were faltering more and more, “The Sun Emperor is indeed great. No matter what people think of him, the Sun Emperor has created an incredible business empire, and is indeed worthy of his title of ‘Emperor.’” 

  Briar nodded her head repeatedly, looking a little worried. 

  “The young master too.” I gave a helpless smile as I specially mentioned, “Other than being the most precious little brother of the Sun Emperor, he is also a hero. Now he has actually also become a celebrity. It really makes one want to ask him not to be this kind and hardworking.” 

  Briar gave a smile, but her smile looked a little bitter. 

  Seeing that, I squatted beside her to look her in the eye, and said, “Bri, the future that you are walking toward is definitely going to be a difficult road. Perhaps, it will be so harsh that you will regret agreeing to the young master’s proposal—” 

  “No!” Briar immediately refuted, “I absolutely will not regret this!” 

  Seeing that she was this resolute, I felt relieved. The young master’s attitude toward Briar had never changed, and if Briar could be as unwavering as him, then perhaps the two of them really would be a good match together. 

  I asked with a smile, “Do you like the young master that much?” 

  Briar’s face turned red, but she still nodded vigorously as she replied, “Yeah!” 

  At this point, I abruptly remembered the interaction between her and Poseidynne and quickly asked, “Do you not mind the matter between the young master and Poseidynne anymore?” 

  Briar pouted, and showed a rare display of a little girl’s willfulness as she complained, “Ah Ye-gē said that as long as I am still around, he would not be together with Poseidynne. Otherwise, I absolutely would not forgive him!” 

  Her expression turned frustrated as she said, “Ah Ye-gē is really good, that’s right! But my Bàba says that a rich man’s kid would usually have a lot of women. If he becomes like that, I-I… Anyways, I wouldn’t stand for it!” 

  At this point, she suddenly raised her head and asked, “Ah Ye-gē has kissed Poseidynne before, right?” 

  “Indeed.” I nodded my head. That was the young master’s first meeting with Poseidynne. At that time, it was what Poseidynne requested in order to save Yue Gang, and the young master had actually obliged. 

  “How awful, awful!” Briar was so angry that she kicked the pebbles on the road continuously. She muttered softly, “Poseidynne says that if I kiss Ah Ye-gē twice, I would win against her. B-But, I’m still too young. Bàba would be angry, Ah Ye-gē…” 

  “The young master would not be mad.” He would be very happy about it. That was what I strongly believed. 

  Briar’s face turned sour as she said, “But he would want to keep kissing, just like how he wanted to keep hugging after my showers… I’m just thirteen!” 

  I nearly broke into laughter. It seems that I would not need to worry about the young master letting others go into the queue. His private life would probably be the same as now, and it seemed that it would not change for many years. 

  At this time, Briar suddenly turned to me with curious eyes, saying, “Charles-gē is definitely different. It seems like I can tell you anything, and I feel more relaxed after doing so.” 

  “You are welcome to talk with me at any time.” I said as I patted her head. Though it was simply not a dignified thing to do to the future mistress, as for now… It would not hurt to treat her as an ordinary little girl. 

  Briar nodded her head with an extremely sweet smile, giving off the feeling of a dainty and delicate lady. Perhaps, the young master, who was a late bloomer, with the little miss, who was an early one, really was a match made in heaven.

  No Hero    

  Volume 8, The Beginning NO.3: The Purest Criminal

  Translated by Taffygirl13 (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  “It seems to me that, while the young master was originally very concerned about his body having undergone a significant amount of modification, it began to worry him even more ever since he found out about the issue of his life expectancy.” 

  Upon hearing these words, I turned my head to glare at An Te Qi. If it weren’t for this overtalkative bastard, how would Ah Ye have found out about his life expectancy issue so early? Although Ah Ye had asked the question first, couldn’t this guy have just dodged the topic? 

  “Sun Emperor, if you found out that Dr. An Te Qi was acting half-heartedly toward the young master, what would you do?” 

  Kill him! 

  Kyle sighed, and I seemed to hear a mutter along the lines of “keeping company with a lord is like keeping company with a tiger.” Before I had the chance to order for the secretary to be dragged out for a beating, he spoke up once again. “But ever since you hired that butler, the young master appears to have been mentioning his own modifications less, as if he no longer minds as much.” 

  That was indeed the case. Why else would I be willing to put up with that damned vampire by Ah Ye’s side! Ah Ye causes enough trouble by himself. There’s no need for another one—For shame! What am I saying? Ah Ye is a lovable and sensible child, he would never cause…cause… 

  “Sun Emperor.” Kyle comforted, “Regardless of what thoughts regarding the young master you are having right now, dispel them! Overthinking will cause you to age prematurely.” 

  I narrowed my eyes dangerously and asked in suspicion, “You don’t normally try to intervene with Ah Ye’s matters. If it weren’t for my orders, you would avoid it if you could. Why are you suddenly bringing this up voluntarily today?” 

  Kyle honestly responded, “Because I feel like you want to do something after hearing Dr. An Te Qi’s report, Sun Emperor, and it makes me uneasy. For the sake of preventing an imminent catastrophe, I think intervening a bit is worth it.” 

  “What imminent catastrophe?! Anything I would want to do is for Ah Ye’s bene—what is that expression on your face right now!” 

  He lowered his head and quietly answered, “But Sun Emperor, the young master will be upset.” 

  “You don’t even know what I was planning on doing, yet you are confidently saying that he will be upset—And what is that face this time?! 

  “Kyle, you’re really becoming more impudent now. The fact that I placed you in an important position does not mean that you are necessary!” I stated frigidly, “Call Bai Lian Yue here. Starting from today, you are to go to another branch!” 

  Kyle not only remained fearless, he even seemed extremely worried as he replied, “You are transferring me, Sun Emperor? What exactly are you planning—” 

  I slammed my hand down on the table and roared, “I just said, get out this instant!” 

  Kyle sighed. “Understood.” He immediately began to collect his documents, laptop, and other items. 

  Before he walked out of the office, he turned around to look at me in concern to say, “Sun Emperor, before you do anything, please think about the sight of the young master crying.” 

  “…Scram!” 

  Just as I was thinking of bringing Briar back, my cell phone rang once again. Perhaps it would have been more accurate to say that I answered at least ten to thirty calls daily. 

  The moment I picked up the call, Ezart’s voice came from the other end. “Butler, Ah Ye just received information about a criminal that escaped from P29. He asked me and Nitewalker to watch over Luo Ye, so I couldn’t follow Ah Ye there.” 

  Receiving a criminal’s information was nothing out of the ordinary. In the past, the young master would often have me and Nitewalker watch Luo Ye as well while he went out searching for the criminal himself—Now that I think back, perhaps the young master was actually having Nitewalker watch over me and Luo Ye. 

  “The bodyguards all said that the criminal is the one that wrecked havoc in Sunset City before, and that the guy had made Ah Ye act really strangely in the past. They don’t want Ah Ye to face that person alone, so they want you to follow.” 

  The criminal that can control people with his words? If I recall correctly, Solitary Butterfly said that his name is Josh. If he has appeared, does that mean Lieder is also currently in Daystar City? Could he still be scheming something against the young master? 

  “Just go along and see. You’re the only one who can secretly follow Ah Ye anyways! The bodyguards know Ah Ye’s location. They said something like sending the coordinates to your cell phone like before.” 

  “Understood. I will go and shadow the young master—” Just then, I suddenly spotted Briar and hurriedly said, “I must first escort Briar back.” 

  “No need, Charles-gē. Ah Ye-gē isn’t exactly slow. If you bring me back first, you really won’t be able to catch up.” Briar smartly added, “Have Daddy come pick me up. I can go back to the supermarket and wait for him there.” 

  That was indeed a possibility. Regardless of Daystar City’s true appearances, the public security seemed quite decent. The supermarket was brightly lit, and many people flowed in and out. Even if a girl was there alone, she would likely not be in any danger. 

  But I thought that Bri would make a fuss about following me. After all, did she not come all the way to Daystar City to follow the young master? 

  I asked in slight concern, “Bri, you are not by any chance planning on secretly following me, are you?” 

  Briar stared at me with wide eyes and replied in disbelief, “Charles-gē, how could I possibly follow you without you knowing? I don’t even think Poseidynne could do that! For that matter, even Ah Ye-gē said that he has no way of tailing you!” 

  That is true. I nearly flushed at the stupidity of my own question. However, tracking the young master down was the most important task now; there was no time to feel ashamed. 

  Briar urged, “Charles-gē, go quickly. I hate that criminal since he made Ah Ye-gē turn very weird last time. Don’t let Ah Ye-gē chase after that person by himself.” 

  “Understood. I will head out immediately.” 

  Although I said this, I still hid in the darkness for a bit. Once I saw Briar walk over to the supermarket entrance, I finally turned and left. 

  Upon checking the navigation on my cell phone, I discovered that the young master was not far from me. His speed was not that fast, so he did not appear to be using any means of transportation. 

  I spun around to scale up the walls and began to sprint horizontally across the walls above the fourth floors. This was also something that the young master had taught me. The surveillance cameras would rarely capture the walls of the middle floors, since nobody could advance quickly in such a place… At least, not in the past. As a result, it would be much more difficult to get filmed in this area if one walked this way. 

  This knowledge was extremely useful for a vampire. The young master needed to use various methods to walk in places like this, such as crawling, climbing, grabbing, or leaping forwards. However, I could directly step onto the walls and sprint as I did on flat ground. 

  It did not take much time before I arrived at the young master’s vicinity. According to the phone’s indication, I was around fifty to a hundred meters away. After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to turn off my cell phone again before looking around for the young master’s whereabouts. 

  The area was an extremely empty and spacious park rather than a building. While it was not completely deserted, there were not many people flowing in and out, so it would likely not be difficult to locate the young master. 

  The park had many shadows cast from the trees. Now that the sky was already darkening, I could simply walk underneath the shade as the most effective method of concealment. Despite this being the case, I searched for a long while to no avail, and began to consider the possibility of turning my phone back on to confirm the exact location… 

  “Gēgē, could you help me pick up that ball?” 

  I raised my head to see several children standing next to a fountain, staring at a small ball inside the pool with sorrowful expressions. The person they had pleaded for help from was a young adult. He turned around to stretch out his arm and fished the ball up with a single sweep, passing it over to the children. They happily left without voicing a word of thanks. 

  The young adult did not seem to mind and returned to his seat next to the park’s fountain. He wore a hooded T-shirt. Although he pulled the hood down to cover the majority of his face, I could still glimpse the thick, black-rimmed glasses he wore. Both of his hands were stuck into his pockets, giving him a laid-back appearance. 

  There was no sign indicating this young adult had any relation to the young master, but I still recognized it was him with a single glance. 

  His straight back exuded a lonesome yet strong ambience. Even in Daystar City, he still attracted people’s attentions. The young master truly was ill-suited for concealment. All those passing by could not help but secretly shoot him a glance. 

  Perhaps it was not by coincidence, but by fate that the young master has taken the path of becoming a model? 

  I approached with slow steps. The young master had previously mentioned that I needed to move within ten meters distance for him to detect my presence. 

  With belief in the young master’s words, I slowly moved until I was at the boundary of approximately ten meters. Since I already knew that the young master had arrived here to search for a criminal, I had to move as close to him as possible; if I stood too far, I would not be able to help the young master in a timely manner if anything went wrong. 

  With absolutely silent footsteps, smooth breathing, and an unwavering mindset, I shifted over to the shade of a tree that was not far from the young master’s side. He does not seem to be moving, which should mean that I have not been discovered…perhaps? 

  I calmly studied the other person, now even more certain that it was the young master. He had a hood for concealment; however, his figure and the curve of his chin…were things that I would never mistake! I had even used a surgical blade to cut into DSII, who shared an external appearance identical to the young master, so my recognition of the young master’s appearance could not be any sharper. 

  Why is the young master sitting next to the fountain? His posture did not shift in the slightest. Despite his eyes not being visible, his head did not turn in any direction to look around. He was not searching for something, but looking at something… 

  I followed the direction of his gaze toward the sandbox where the children played. There was a silhouette that appeared to belong to an adult rather than a child—It’s him! 

  Josh. 

  He was crouched next to a sandcastle in the sandbox. From a normal perspective, an adult playing in that type of sandbox was an extremely peculiar and conspicuous sight. There were quite a few children playing around in the other park facilities, but Josh was alone in the sandbox. Judging by the expressions of the parents around the area, it seemed they also harbored some misgivings regarding Josh. 

  The young master quietly watched Josh. After a period of time, the sky finally turned pitch-dark, and all the roads lit up. The parents in the area all gradually took their children and left. When there were no people remaining, he finally moved. 

  The young master walked over to the sandbox, silently standing still. No matter how immersed Josh was in playing, it was impossible not to notice the young master. 

  Josh raised his head, his expression initially one of utter confusion. However, as he was crouching and looking up, he seemed to catch a glimpse of an angle that the hooded clothing could not conceal, and that single look caused him to leap up. With a finger pointed at the young master, he stuttered “You, you…” repeatedly, unable to complete his sentence. 

  The young master calmly responded, “Sit and don’t move.” 

  I was not certain of what Josh had seen, but his face was as white as paper as he obediently followed the command. For once, he turned his head away, not daring to look at the young master. 

  “Is Lieder also here?” The young master had evidently been wondering this, too. 

  Josh started, then hurriedly waved his hands as he responded, “I don’t know—I really have no idea!” 

  The young master still stood in the same spot. However, Josh panicked further and began to explain as if his life was at stake. 

  “Lieder wanted me to just stay here. He didn’t say where he was. He said you would come find me, b-but he also said that you were the only one who could make sure I wouldn’t get caught again. So he forbad me from running, telling me to listen to him and wait for you to arrive here.” 

  The young master tilted his head at this and said, “He wants me to kill you and eliminate future danger for all eternity.” 

  Josh was dumbstruck for a moment. He then shouted, “As if! Lieder isn’t that kind of person!” 

  The young master coldly chuckled. 

  Josh appeared to be too afraid to retort to the young master. He spoke with great grievance, “Although Lieder is very vicious, he would never deceive me. He said that if you found me, I should inform you that he wants to make a deal with you.” 

  “A deal?” The young master’s tone was flat, seemingly not very interested. Perhaps he had already resolved to erase the prospective troubles forever. 

  Since the beginning, the position that the young master had adopted was to capture Josh and bring him back to P29. After Josh utilized me to attack the young master, the young master had been furious and had been wanting to kill the other person for a long time. After that incident, Lieder had later used Josh to capture me and the young master, then went a step further to harm the master… 

  Truthfully, I already felt it extremely unexpected that the young master had not killed Josh the moment the latter had been located. The young master never dawdled—perhaps he simply wanted to inquire about Lieder first. 

  Josh nodded repeatedly as he answered, “Lieder, h-he’s had this strange power ever since he came back from exploring the ancient tomb. He wanted me to tell you that he is willing to tell you what power he got from the ancient tomb in exchange for my freedom.” 

  When Josh said the word “freedom,” extreme longing showed in his expression. He was terrified of the young master, yet the person he was appealing to for his freedom was also the young master. 

  The young master stood up straight. With his hands in his pockets, he lowered his head to ask Josh, “What kind of power did Lieder obtain?” 

  Josh was overjoyed at hearing this. He quickly replied, “As long as Lieder is able to see the entire process of someone using their ability to its full extent, he can replicate it to use himself, like my ability to make others listen to me. B-but it’s not as great as he imagined, since he can only retain one ability at a time. If he wants to change abilities, he needs to give up the one he previously possessed.” 

  As I listened to this, I suddenly realized that the young master had not actually agreed to the exchange. Perhaps… 

  “Copying other people’s abilities?” The young master murmured to himself. He let out a deep sigh as he said, “These special abilities really are troublesome.” 

  “Y-You aren’t going to catch me anymore, right?” Josh inquired apprehensively before frantically adding, “Crap. I forgot to say something. Lieder said this was really important, and that I had to say it or else you would definitely not let me go.” 

  The young master remained silent, but he did not make any move to kill the other either. 

  Josh raised a hand and earnestly stated, “I swear that unless I’m in a life-or-death crisis, I will never use my ability again!” 

  The young master did not respond. 

  “I just want to be an ordinary person! Lieder even helped me find a job as a school guard. I’ve already worked there for quite a few days already. E-Everyone really likes me!” 

  Seeing that the young master still did not reply, Josh began to panic even more, to the point where tears were nearly about to fall from his eyes. “Really, I won’t ever use my ability again. I-I don’t want to be locked up anymore! P29’s people are horrible, always sticking tubes into my body and making me take all kinds of drugs. Getting stabbed with tubes really hurts, and consuming the drugs always makes me feel terrible. Please don’t drag me back there, I beg of you!” 

  I inwardly sighed. Josh truly was as innocent as Solitary Butterfly had stated. At the moment, the young master was likely thinking of handling Josh by directly killing him, rather than bringing him back. After all, the young master currently had to watch after Luo Ye, film a movie, and continue chasing after other criminals. Unfortunately, he might not have any mental capacity to watch Josh. 

  The young master finally opened his mouth to ask, “They used you as an experiment?” 

  Josh stared at him blankly for a moment. Then, he answered with a perplexed expression, “I just remember them saying something like exploiting my ability, not experimenting on me.” 

  The young master let out a bitter laugh—At least, I think it’s a bitter laugh? I honestly had no way to confirm, as the young master rarely made any sound similar to a “bitter laugh.” As “Ah Ye,” he would never do so, while as “Dark Sun,” it was a possibility. However, most of the time, his face was void of expression as Dark Sun. Or, when he was threatening criminals, his expression would turn frigid and his tone would carry his wrath. 

  Why is the young master letting out a bitter laugh? 

  Josh wrung his fingers together anxiously but did not dare to continue speaking. 

  After a long period of time passed, the young master finally spoke, “Deal accepted. I will completely erase your files from P29. But remember, you can only use your ability in a life-or-death crisis. In addition, whether it truly is a critical situation like that is up to me to decide, so it’s best you never use it at all.” 

  Josh let out a breath of relief. I was somewhat astonished that the young master had unexpectedly chosen to let Josh live. Although the young master possessed two entirely different faces, he would typically act more like “Dark Sun” in situations such as these—merciless and direct. 

  The young master coldly stated, “Your freedom is limited. You can only move around Daystar City. You must never leave this place.” 

  “All right! As long as you don’t kill me, anything is fine!” Josh agreed, then after a moment’s hesitation, asked, “I can’t go out for a vacation? I was planning on eventually going out to find Little Butterfly—” 

  A pistol pressed against Josh’s forehead. Aside from the hand holding the gun, the young master’s stance did not change in the slightest. His other hand was still stuck into his pocket as before. 

  “The moment you take a single step outside of Daystar City, I’ll blast your head off! I recommend you don’t even go to the outskirts of the city. If you cross what I believe is the city’s boundaries, I will still kill you!” 

  Josh’s eyes welled up with tears as he frantically nodded. 

  The young master sharply stowed the gun away, and without any intention of fighting, immediately turned to leave. 

  “Are y-you really Ri Xiang Ye?” 

  The young master stopped in his tracks. 

  “Are Dark Sun and Ri Xiang Ye really the same person?” Josh asked disbelievingly, “Lieder said that Ri Xiang Ye is extremely kind-hearted and would agree to the deal, letting me live. But y-you… Are you actually Ri Xiang Ye’s twin? You just share the same face?” 

  The young master remained quiet for a while. His head was lowered, and with his hood, I was unable to see his expression. Before long, he began to walk away again without giving any sort of response. 

  Josh, the young master truly did let you live. 

  I only dared to pursue the young master once I adjusted my emotions so that they returned to their stable and steady state. Fortunately, the young master did not walk quickly, at a pace that made it seem as if he was merely strolling. He did not seem in a rush to return. 

  Is the young master not concerned about the Sun Emperor killing Mr. Luo Ye? I was somewhat puzzled. 

  I could only follow behind him as he walked from the park onto the street. Although there were quite a few people on the roads, I was worried about the surveillance cameras capturing me. As I walked, I lowered my head and suddenly realized that the young master’s choice to wear clothing with a hood was truly the most appropriate decision. 

  When I saw the young master stop to glance at the items in a shop’s window display, I quickly darted into the neighboring shop, and while the staff was not paying attention, grabbed a black cap—of course, I did not forget to toss some money onto the counter. 

  With the cap on, I felt significantly more at ease, especially since the cap’s design had the brim stooping very low, allowing it to cover most of the face… Wait, where is the young master? 

  I glanced around but was unable to locate him. I lost him? Did he return to the hotel? Should I also go back—Calm down! Do not panic. The young master was just looking at the store’s display, perhaps… 

  I walked over to the display window and peered inside and really did catch sight of the young master. He was currently standing at the counter to pay for his purchase, and he now wore an additional army-green windbreaker that was roughly thigh-length. The measurements appeared to be quite a few sizes over, which made his figure seem wider. This made it even more difficult to recognize the young master. 

  As expected, the young master is thorough. I should buy one later, too. 

  Before the young master exited, I quickly concealed myself into the darkness and watched him pass right in front of me, feeling somewhat anxious as the distance between us was only around five steps. This was much lower than the ten steps that the young master had mentioned. 

  As the young master walked by, I counted to myself. Only once he walked over ten steps away did I begin to follow. However, the moment I moved, he abruptly froze—I have been discovered! 

  A second later, the young master began to advance forward again. However, he pulled out a cell phone from his pocket to answer it. So it was actually the phone ringing? 

  I sighed in relief and continued onwards. 

  “What?” The young master suddenly cried out in alarm. “What is Bri doing here?” 

  Bri? Who is the one that called? Were Mr. Bramble and the others discovered? 

  The young master’s shout was not small—while in Sunset City it would be insignificant considering how there were howling youths everywhere on the streets, nobody on the streets of Daystar City shouted. While the street itself was still noisy, several people still shot him glances when he cried out. 

  It seemed as if he also noticed that he had been too loud. He lowered his voice, and since I could only hear intermittent words, I was forced to summon the courage to approach closer. Then, I turned around and feigned looking at the coat on display. I was currently less than even five steps away. 

  “…Poseidynne is also here? You guys… Where exactly did Bri disappear?” 

  Bri disappeared? 

  “You, you guys are so infuriating!” The young master’s footsteps grew more and more frantic as he ground out through clenched teeth, “Tell Ezart to drive to the supermarket entrance. Bramble, May, Dell, and Poseidynne are all to go to my room and protect Luo Ye with Nitewalker. And call Melody to tell her to set aside her manager duties. You are all to stay in my room tonight. Aside from you guys, nobody else is allowed to enter, and you are all forbidden from leaving as well! You are not allowed to call room service either!” 

  Briar has gone missing? She was an intelligent child and would not have run off by herself, which meant she had definitely been taken somewhere… I really should have escorted her back to the hotel! 

  The young master hung up the phone and immediately began to break into a jog. He now appeared extremely worried. The supermarket was not far; it seemed as if he planned to run there. I swiftly followed behind. 

  Upon arriving at the supermarket entrance, the young master began to look around. Then, he entered the alley where I had previously waited for Briar. Has he already discovered my presence? Did Mr. Bramble mention me or not? 

  Not long afterwards, the young master walked out again, his brows tightly furrowed together. I could not tell if he had found any clues. 

  While he was walking to the supermarket entrance, I darted into the alley from the opposite side. After sneaking a glance at the young master and confirming that he was waiting for Ezart at the door, I made a call. 

  “Curtis, how many surveillance cameras do you have in Daystar City?” 

  Curtis immediately replied, “As many as the stars in the sky.” 

  “The Sun Emperor too?” The young master should have a way to sneak into the Sun Emperor’s surveillance network. 

  “Yes. While he has already relocated his general headquarters, he should not have removed the cameras that had originally been here. After all, this place is still the largest business metropolis. Even if the headquarters is not in this location, the Sun Emperor would still need to be in control of everything here. Is this explanation to your satisfaction, Family Head?” 

  “…It is.” However, I felt somewhat apprehensive by suddenly being asked a question in return. 

  “Then, I hope that you will also provide a satisfactory explanation in return.” 

  Despite Curtis’s extremely calm tone, I felt as if I was listening to the Sun Emperor’s frigid words. I hurriedly gave a simple description of the course of events. I then reported the supermarket’s name and the surrounding streets as I anxiously asked, “Are you able to see me through the surveillance cameras?” 

  If Curtis could see me, I feared it meant that the young master could discover me as well. 

  “Family Head, please wait a moment.” After this statement, his voice grew somewhat distant. “Dong Fang, help me check the surveillance cameras. The street name is…” 

  Dong Fang? Ah, the butler Dong Fang Lei that I met last time. His efficiency seemed to be quite high, as Curtis replied in the blink of an eye, “We did not see Family Head on the surveillance cameras, but we did see the girl. She left the supermarket and walked into the alley a second time, and never exited again.” 

  She entered the alley a second time? Why would Bri walk into this alley again? 

  “Found it.” 

  “What is it?” 

  “There is a gate in the middle of the alley. A male wearing a windbreaker brought her inside, then left from another road. A car picked them up.” Curtis sighed in admiration, “We still cannot locate any trace of you, Family Head. Your concealment abilities make me feel quite uneasy.” 

  “My sincerest apologies…” 

  “That was a compliment.” 

  Was it truly? 

  Curtis voiced, “Family Head, there is no need for concern. I am sure that your young master has also discovered her tracks. He seems to be waiting for a car… and it has arrived.” 

  What? I instantly looked out and swiftly shut my cell phone. 

  Indeed, the young master had gotten into a car and was sitting in the front seat. The driver was Ezart. Oh no, what should I do now? 

  Click. 

  That sound is… I stared at the trunk that was now open. Ezart even began to press down hard on the gas pedal a few times without moving, as if sending me a message. 

  Taking the opportunity, I instantly lowered myself and flashed into the trunk before weakly shutting it so as to avoid closing it too loudly and alerting the young master. 

  “Ezart, hurry up and drive. Make a left after the second traffic light…” 

  The voice in front gave an indistinct reply. I was currently lying down inside the trunk that was fortunately not overly cramped. When I heard the voices, I made a great effort to shift forward in attempt to hear more clearly. 

  The young master was flustered and frustrated as he asked, “Why did Bri come to Daystar City? Did you know, too? And you didn’t tell me!” 

  “Huh? She just got here! I was just about to tell you, and then this happened.” 

  The young master shouted emotionally, “You should have told me first thing! And how could you have let her go out by herself?!” 

  “She wanted to go herself, saying that since she was just an ordinary little girl, going to the supermarket would be fine. She said it would be much better than us going, so she went.” 

  Briar had not been alone. If she had been, I was certain that Mr. Bramble, Poseidynne, or even Dell would never allow her to go. However, the fact that Ezart had said it this way meant that my existence had not yet been exposed. 

  “Bri, she…” The young master stopped midway, seemingly at a loss for words. 

  “Ah Ye, is it all right for you to appear so openly? Why don’t we go back and have the others look for her?” 

  Ezart attempted to divert the topic. Regardless of what he said, letting Briar go the supermarket “alone” was simply too suspicious. 

  The young master indifferently replied, “It’s fine. The Church already knows my identity. Plus, I called DSII to take a plane over. As long as DSII and I appear at the same time, they won’t be able to accuse me of anything.” 

  Ezart shook his head as he said, “You can’t always rely on DSII as an alibi. Would people really be unable to guess that DSII is a robot? The streets are filled with people that have body modifications now.” 

  “They won’t be able to, even with a direct confrontation. DSII possesses all my memories, so he can respond and act exactly how I would. If he did not state that he was DSII, even Luo Chu-gē would likely be unable to tell.” 

  The young master fell silent for a moment before continuing, “DSII is really weird. Even though he’s controlled by a microchip, his responses are too much like a real human’s. Bàba said that within the near future, there will probably be nobody, including himself, who could ever make a robot this similar to a real human. Back then, Gēge burned all the other microchips and the researchers in a fire in order to cover up the secret of my modifications.” 

  Burning… even the researchers? 

  Ezart snorted. “Although your brother can be f***ing excessively heartless, sometimes it really makes sense.” 

  “But Charles was able to tell,” the young master suddenly said. “Not long after he arrived, he was able to tell that DSII wasn’t me, even before I had told him everything!” 

  Ezart retorted in exasperation, “You’ve already told me hundreds of times, idiot. Can you please stop constantly flaunting how amazing the butler you found is?” 

  “Have I said it before…” 

  “Hundreds of times!” 

  “Oh, make a right in front.” 

  The car abruptly made a sharp turn. I exerted a great amount of effort to support myself with all four limbs in order to prevent my head from striking the walls. Ezart’s driving skills were identical to his outward appearance, and it only made me feel more grateful that the young master had found Nitewalker as a chauffer. 

  “Why are you all silent with that sullen look?” 

  The young master truly did sound depressed as he asked, “Ezart, what if Bri is hurt?” 

  “She’s a hostage, and a little girl at that. They won’t hurt her for no reason. If you’re that worried, why not ask Poseidynne to help? I think with regards to looking for people, she would be more useful than me.” 

  The young master instantly answered, “No way. Poseidynne is a non-human, so having her use her abilities here would give the Church a reason to open war against us.” 

  Ezart did not appear to mind as he said, “What difference does it make? The Church was looking to pick a fight with you anyways!” 

  “Picking a fight and opening war are not the same.” The young master’s tone was strict as he stated, “The Church cannot decide whether or not to open war just because of a single person. Gēge is more like a dictator. He can make these decisions by himself. But the Church has many people. Even when it comes to major matters like chasing E.X., not everyone believes that they need to capture him.” 

  That is indeed true. I had originally investigated these matters in secret without informing E.X. However, I had not imagined that the young master had done so, too. 

  When it came to hunting, the Church would occasionally keep a close eye on the target and occasionally be very lax, depending on the mindset of the main party involved at the time of the event. This was the reason E.X. could even reside in an ancient castle for a period of time, employing myself and my honorable father as his butlers. It was a great contrast to how he was now constantly migrating around. 

  However, what remained unchanged was the fact that since the very beginning, they had never given up on pursuing E.X. 

  “But if any non-humans cause havoc in Daystar City, the Church will not allow it no matter who is the source of influence!” The young master angrily said, “Like the matter when you injected Charles with painkillers and created a disturbance with your fight. If it weren’t for the fact that you two were fighting each other without involving others, and that Charles’s status is more on the special side, the matter would have been very serious!” 

  “Well, nothing happened in the end anyways!” 

  The young master let out a big huff. “If Poseidynne appears this time too, and even uses her abilities, the Church would never let her go!” He paused for a moment before continuing, “Right now, it’s best not to use any more non-humans to upset the Church. In the beginning, I had only said that I was bringing Melody and Charles here. Then Nitewalker was added, and now Poseidynne as well…” 

  “So that’s why you locked them all up in the hotel room? I guess that’s good too. It’ll keep the situation from worsening.” 

  “It’s already worsening!” The young master cried out loudly, “Why did Mr. Bramble and the others bring Bri too? She isn’t even able to protect herself. It’s so dangerous for her to be here!” 

  “She was the one that wanted to come.” Ezart said, “You’re too overprotective of your fiancée! If you just toss her to one side and charge into enemy lines all by yourself without even a call to say you’re safe, how could she not worry?” 

  The young master fell silent for a moment. Then, he weakly vented, “There’s just been too much going on recently. It’s been busier, so I just–just forgot to call.” 

  Ezart ignored the justification and continued to scold, “Forget Briar, you didn’t even bring your bodyguards. Is there something wrong with your head? What do you see your bodyguards as? Are they protecting you, or are you protecting them? How much more could you be looking down on them?” 

  “I’m not looking down on Mr. Bramble and the others—” 

  “You’re definitely looking down on them!” Ezart immediately interrupted. His tone was even indignant as he said, “And the bodyguards are being abandoned at home because following their master is too dangerous. F***ing hell! If I was your bodyguard, I would just quit my job! And why? Because you’d be treating me like a freeloader!” 

  The young master remained quiet. 

  “Your terrible trait of trying to carry everything on your shoulders is something that will never change!” 

  The young master finally opened his mouth to quietly defend, “I did change. I asked you to stay back and help me.” 

  Ezart’s voice finally softened somewhat upon hearing these words. “All right! I guess you did change a tiny bit.” 

  “Turn right.” 

  Another sudden turn. I began to wonder if it was perhaps not a problem with Ezart’s driving skills, but rather an issue with the timing of the young master’s cues. 

  “Stop.” 

  The instant the command was voiced, the car was sharply braked. This time, I was extremely certain that the timing of the young master’s prompts was more concerning than Ezart’s driving ability. 

  After the car’s engine was turned off, I stealthily opened the trunk a crack to see the young master and Ezart leave the car. There seemed to be a hotel in front of us, but with my limited vision, I could only see half of a large entrance. The doors were highly luxurious and not at all lacking in elegance. It was a hotel that was at least four or five stars. 

  Ezart tossed the car keys at the young valet staff, who furrowed his brows but cheerfully and respectfully inquired, “May I inquire if you are lodging here?” 

  He was likely expecting a tip for the valet parking. I had the strong urge to dash forward and help the young master pay. 

  The young master’s back was facing me, making it impossible to see his expression. He replied simply, “Looking for someone.” 

  The young valet staff unexpectedly started in alarm and hurriedly answered, “Understood, I will help you park your car immediately.” He took the keys and immediately headed over to drive the car… Why is he in such a rush? 

  With no other option, I could only make a split-second decision to open the trunk and use x-speed to dart backwards, charging past the car lane in front of the hotel and hiding behind a statue decorating the courtyard. 

  My heart was racing so quickly that it felt as if it would jump straight out of my chest. I made sure to wait several seconds before turning around to glance at the young master just in time to see Ezart spin around and ask the young master, “What do you want to do?” 

  “They dared to touch my Bri!” The young master’s voice was beyond furious. “No matter who it is, I’m going to make them pay!”


  No Hero    

  Volume 8, The Beginning NO.4: That Which Hides in the Darkness…


  Translated by TaffyGirl13 (proofread by Trespasserby & EvlNabiki; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  “Ah Yan…” 

  “It’s Sun Emperor!” I furiously glared at the other person. One of the two secretaries is impudent after staying for so long, while the other, though he obeys commands, is impolite because he lacks the ability to differentiate personal and professional matters. Neither of them is satisfactory! 

  Bai Lian Yue said in a grieved voice, “I simply wanted to ask what you wanted to eat for dinner.” 

  “You won’t be here by dinnertime. I’m going to have you go over to Ah Ye later.” 

  “Did you request for me to come here just to dispatch me to your younger brother’s side—” Bai Lian Yue immediately burst out. However, he realized his own mistake midway through his words. “No, Kyle is not by your side, so you wouldn’t send me out as well.” 

  Definitely disobedient. But, as expected of a secretary I had personally chosen, he was still on the more intelligent side. I ordered, “Of course. Go handle the matter with Ah Ye in the afternoon and return here for work at dawn.” 

  “You…” Bai Lian Yue’s expression fell as he said, “Never mind. You have always thought that secretaries do not need to sleep. Kyle has really spoiled you! What do you want me to do with Ah Ye?” 

  “P29’s criminals escaped. Ah Ye will not just let it go.” I looked at the secretary with a frown. “Kyle said P29 is an organization under your management. What did you do there?” 

  “I did not really do much. Most of it was research-related to see if any of those abilities could be replicated. However, there have not been any results yet. I have already cut the expenditure as much as possible, only continuing with a small amount of research and drills. The worthwhile people are brought out to be used, but there are not many of them. Nearly all of those people have issues. The majority of them truly are criminals. P29 is a failing business, yet it has to continue, hmph! Fortunately, I was able to gain quite a decent subsidy from the government to help break even by threatening to release all the criminals.” 

  I sneered. “Anyone with power would want to use it, thinking that they are absolutely unrivalled. How many people are as good and honest as my Ah Ye, who possesses the greatest strength and support yet has not become corrupted?” 

  “Yes, yes, yes, your Ah Ye is the most lovable, most powerful, and most compassionate—So my task is to prevent Ah Ye from hunting down those criminals?” 

  “Ah Ye will not do as he is told.” I spoke somewhat gloomily as I tossed a binder down. “That is why I want you to take this film project and distract him with it. If the criminals indicated in there are located, let Ah Ye go and deal with them.” 

  “Understood.” After agreeing, Bai Lian Yue thought of something else and quickly asked, “Wait, Ah Ye’s authority is higher than mine in the Sun Alliance. It will be too difficult to hide anything from him.” 

  “No need to hide it from him. There are no lies in the plans. It not only involves the Church, it also points to criminals that are all dangerous.” 

  Bai Lian Yue stared at me curiously as he inquired, “You are really willing to do this?” 

  I was silent for a moment. “I’m not. But rather than letting Ah Ye charge into unknown dangers, it’s better to have him go capture targets that he is more than capable of dealing with. The Church must have their apprehensions about me, which makes them much better than those absolutely disgraceful things that have recklessly knocked a blow on me before. The Church will not rashly make a move against Ah Ye.” 

  “That’s reasonable.” Bai Lian Yue nodded. “However, why not just have me deal with the Church? There is no need to get Ah Ye mixed in.” 

  “That will not do.” I calmly replied, “I want Ah Ye to get mixed in.” 

  Bai Lian Yue’s eyes widened. I could understand his shock. If it weren’t for An Te Qi’s report, I definitely would never have allowed Ah Ye to get involved in any trouble— 

  “You…you are definitely not Ah Yan. Who are you? You dare to disguise yourself as the Sun Emperor?!” 

  “…” 

  “Another hotel. Why can’t they find a more abandoned place to hide?” 

  The young master’s voice carried some resentment as he angrily huffed, “If we break into a fight here, it would be impossible not to draw the Church’s attention!” 

  “It might be those Church guys that actually captured your wife, you know!” Ezart plainly stated, “They obviously would not be afraid to draw their own people’s attention.” 

  The young master first retorted, “Not my wife yet,” before adding, “They shouldn’t have been the ones who took Bri. We are still collaborating on the film. Plus, it’s unlikely for them to actually turn hostile. I have my gē backing me, so I doubt they really want to open war. That’s why I don’t think they would kidnap Bri.” 

  Ezart replied with an “Oh.” He then raised his head to glance up the long staircase as he asked, “Is it okay for us to just casually stroll up? Although this is the fire escape, won’t we still be discovered?” 

  “I was originally going to take the elevator.” 

  “I see…” 

  “But I was afraid they would blow up the elevator. If we cause too much of a disturbance, it won’t go well.” 

  I was grateful that the young master had not taken the elevator. If the young master and Ezart had done so, I would have had to stay back to first watch what floor the elevator stopped at before instantly racing up by myself, rather than continuing to follow them closely as I was currently doing. 

  The emergency stairs were spacious and sealed; however, the slightest noise would be greatly amplified. This forced me to stay extremely cautious. Everything would be fine if I could continue following the young master. 

  “When they took Bri, they didn’t try to specially avoid the surveillance cameras, which means they wanted us to follow. They might want to discuss conditions.” 

  It was no wonder the young master did not seem to be in a rush. If the other party was planning on discussing conditions, they would not harm Briar. 

  The young master hesitantly said, “I think it might be Lieder that took Bri. The person was wearing a long, khaki trench coat that looked similar to what Lieder wore before.” 

  “Ah Shou? Then don’t worry. That guy might have a few loose screws in his head, but he sticks pretty closely to his principles. He won’t hurt your little wife. Tch, it seems like finding a little girl to be your wife wasn’t bad at all.” 

  “I already told you she’s not my wife yet!” The young master sounded somewhat annoyed. “Lieder has done so many bad things, yet you’re speaking up for him!” 

  “How am I speaking up for him—” 

  At that precise moment, the young master spun around sharply and swung a fist in Ezart’s direction. With a miserable cry, a person heavily crashed into the wall and collapsed nearby… 

  Ezart remained in the same upright standing position, staring in disbelief at the figure that had appeared only after being knocked down. He roared out indignantly, “Invisibility? That’s breaking the rules!” 

  “That’s why I hate these kinds of annoying abilities the most!” The young master ground out through gritted teeth. 

  Ezart sent another kick flying at the person, who let out a faint groan, and could not even let out a shout before falling unconscious. Ezart then turned to ask, “How did you notice that guy? Damn, he’s only wearing socks on his feet. I bet his footsteps didn’t even make a sound!” 

  “He was too close. I could hear his breathing.” 

  The young master lowered his head to look at the unconscious person. After some hesitation, he stomped down strongly on the person’s calf. The crack of the shattering bone accompanied another scream. However, the victim’s scream did not last long before he fainted from the pain once again. 

  I should truly focus on maintaining a distance of ten or more steps. 

  “You’re not killing him?” Ezart frowned, “Invisibility is a pretty annoying ability. If he fired a gun from a further distance away, even you wouldn’t have been able to notice, right?” 

  “A lot of people escaped from P29. There are too many that would need to be killed.” The young master shook his head and stuffed something into the person’s clothing as he continued, “Kyle-gē will come and take this person back to P29. This person might not have done anything bad yet. Maybe he just escaped from P29. Since he needs to run around and seek refuge, he likely didn’t have any time to do much.” 

  “Your heart has gone soft.” Ezart clicked his tongue as he said, “In the past, you would kill anyone that harmed your brother or the people around you even faster than someone chopping up radishes.” 

  The young master furrowed his brows at these words and asked with hesitation in his voice, “This doesn’t seem to be a good thing?” 

  Ezart instead replied, “Nah, it’s pretty good.” 

  The young master glanced at Ezart without much of a response. Instead, he said, “Put your knuckles on. There are others.” 

  “Mm, more ability-users?” Ezart frowned. 

  The young master’s voice turned cold. “No, they’re vampires!” 

  Not good, I have been discovered! 

  As Ezart removed the knuckles fastened to his thigh, he asked, “How do you know they’re vampires?” 

  “Their style of movement and hiding places are very similar to Charles’.” The young master then let out a “hmph” as he added, “But they’re much worse than Charles!” 

  … So the vampires the young master is talking about do not include me? 

  Just after Ezart put his pair of knuckles on, a mass of shadows descended from the ceiling. There were approximately a dozen or so people total. They did not wear the “standard vampire outfits,” instead sporting simple black clothing. However, the fangs at the corners of their mouths indicated they were indeed vampires. 

  “Didn’t you say this city doesn’t have non-humans?” Ezart growled, “What are those then? Humans with teeth modifications?” 

  The young master did not respond, only murmuring, “As expected, it wasn’t the Church that kidnapped Bri. But who dispatched so many vampires?” 

  Ezart slammed his knuckles together with a resounding clang as he shouted, “Who cares! Anyways, we need to wait until we snap their legs first. Then we can find your wife and take our time asking the questions.” 

  The young master did not reply any more, simply extending his silver claws without a sound. 

  Compared to Ezart and the young master, these members of my race were not quite powerful enough. Based on the color of their blood ability, I doubted their generation number was very low. They would have to spend a tremendous amount of effort and many years in order to become truly powerful vampires. This was perhaps the reason they had been hired by humans. 

  The young master’s slide steps made all these vampires stare at him in astonishment, almost in disbelief at their own eyes. In that moment of shock, the young master grabbed one of the vampires’ heads and slammed it strongly into the wall. With a bang, a large section of the wall fell off, and the vampire weakly slid down onto the floor, no longer showing any signs of movement. 

  Ezart raised an eyebrow and commented, “You trying to kill them?” 

  “They’re vampires. If you don’t hit a bit harder, they’ll run away when we go up and look for Bri later.” 

  “Oh!” As soon as Ezart replied, his fists smashed into another vampire’s stomach, nearly causing them to vomit. 

  That is hitting too hard… They might die. I felt some sympathy. Perhaps it was my own resilience that had given the young master the impression that vampires could endure such severe damage? 

  However, I was a pureborn vampire, of the fifth generation as well. While my age was on the lower side, I possessed an innate superiority. These vampires that were many generations higher were likely nowhere as resilient. 

  Truthfully, the scene of their fight with the young master and Ezart was too tragic to describe with words. It was not a fight; it was a purely single-sided massacre… and the side with smaller numbers was beating the side with greater numbers. 

  “Stop, stop! No more fighting, I’ll speak! I’ll tell you everything!” The final vampire fell to the ground and stuttered in terror, “The hostage is on the highest floor and is n-not injured!” 

  The young master nodded and reached out a hand to grab the vampire’s head, slamming it down onto the ground with a loud bang. The vampire’s skull surprisingly did not burst. Perhaps… it is the empty emergency staircase that is amplifying the sound. 

  “Ezart, don’t put your knuckles away. The situation is getting stranger.” The young master glanced around the floor covered in vampires with an expression of doubt and suspicion. However, he shook his head and said, “Forget it, let’s just go rescue Bri first.” 

  “O.K.” 

  While the young master had been bickering with Ezart along the way, he was finally unable to continue joking now that they were nearing their destination. Instead, he anxiously charged up in a rush, kicking open the fire escape doors upon arriving at the entrance. The strike forced the sturdy double doors to hang limply, rocking on each side. 

  I did not dare to enter the brightly lit corridor, and instead hid inside the stairwell to stealthily watch the young master. He did not hold any misgivings with regards to which room he should enter as he walked straight toward his target. The moment he left my range of vision, a loud bang echoed out, indicating that the young master had likely used his foot to kick open the door as he had previously. 

  Thinking that he should have already entered the room, I gathered the courage to step out into the bright hallway that offered no protection and discovered that this was probably a “presidential suite.” There was nothing along this corridor aside from the elevator and a large, hinged door. It was an extremely elegant wooden door that even sported an old-fashioned lock with a keyhole. This was also the reason the young master could kick open the door. 

  “Bri!” 

  Upon hearing the young master’s shout without being able to see what was occurring, I abandoned my concerns of being discovered and stealthily walked over to the door. Ezart was standing at the entrance. 

  “Ezart, this is Charles.” I spoke in hushed tones, “Do not move. I require your assistance to cover me.” 

  The other person froze, then purposely knocked his fists together to emit a sonorous clang, taking the opportunity to answer, “Don’t speak, Ah Ye will notice!” 

  I pinched his back to indicate that I understood, then secretly stole a look inside the room to survey the situation. 

  “Ah Ye-gē, I’m sorry…” 

  Briar stood next to the sofa, too timid to raise her head. However, she did not appear to be injured, and a wave of relief instantly washed over me. 

  “It’s O.K. Bri, don’t move.” 

  Briar looked at up the young master in bewilderment. 

  The young master coldly inquired, “What exactly are you planning? Taking Briar and hiring those weak vampires to block my way. Those vampires had absolutely no intention of hurting me!” 

  Just then, I finally noticed that there was another person sitting on the sofa. His back was facing the doorway, so that all I could see was his hair and collar—the collar of a khaki trench coat. 

  The other person did not reply. Instead, Briar’s eyes widened in great astonishment. She turned to glance at the man, then shifted her gaze back onto the young master as she asked, “Ah Ye-gē, didn’t you ask him to come pick me up after finding out that I had snuck into Daystar City?” 

  “What?” The young master replied in exasperation, “Why would I send him to pick you up? Bri, have you lost your mind? You would just walk away with anyone?” 

  Briar froze, shame coloring her expression. However, it vanished in a flash, and was followed by a look of understanding as she responded in an upset voice, “Oh, right, Ah Ye-gē is fighting with Gēgē right now, so you wouldn’t have asked him to pick me up. I forgot.” 

  Regardless of whether the young master was fighting with the Sun Emperor or not, he would never have sent Lieder to fetch Bri. Bri, what exactly do your words mean? 

  The young master evidently did not understand either. He stared blankly at the trench coat-clothed man whose back still faced him. After a moment of contemplation, he unexpectedly used a commanding tone to utter, “Stand up.” 

  The other person really did stand up, to my disbelief. Is Lieder such an obedient person? 

  “Turn around and look at me.” The young master gave another order. 

  The man once again obeyed, turning to face the young the master. However, it was unexpectedly— 

  Mr. Kyle! 

  Mr. Kyle always wore a well-ironed suit, as he was currently wearing. He had simply added an additional khaki trench coat over it. His expression seemed somewhat helpless. 

  At this point in time, I finally understood why Briar had quietly followed him away, as well as why she had been taken aback by the young master’s rebukes. If it had been Mr. Kyle, even I would not have harbored any suspicions, let alone Briar. 

  The young master’s face was extremely unsightly, yet he did not appear surprised. He had likely realized who it was when he had used a commanding tone to speak. 

  “Kyle-gē, was it Gēgē who sent you here… Oh no! Shūshu!” 

  The young master dashed forward to pick Briar up, then shouted, “Ezart, we’re leaving!” 

  Mr. Kyle opened his mouth to warn, “It is too late, Young Master.” 

  The young master did not look back as he answered, “It is not too late. Melody and the others are all there. Don’t underestimate my people.” 

  Mr. Kyle slowly stated, “Young Master, your people all belong to the Sun Emperor. They have no way of disobeying him.” 

  The young master finally stopped and spun around to glare at Kyle. He simply emphasized once more, “You underestimate my people.” 

  Mr. Kyle did not respond further. Although his expression did not shift much, it was evident that he did not agree with the young master’s words. 

  “Why does Gēgē want to kill Luo Ye so badly?” The young master furiously shouted, “Why is he unwilling to meet him even once? If he agreed to meet and talk a bit, I wouldn’t care what happens after!” 

  Mr. Kyle weakly said, “Young Master, I am just a secretary carrying out my orders. I do not know what the Sun Emperor is thinking, but I will pass your request onto the Sun Emperor.” 

  The young master angrily answered, “Don’t pass it onto him! Gēgē wouldn’t listen to you. Tell him to pick up my call and hear me out!” Then, he turned to leave without stopping. 

  Mr. Kyle loudly shouted, “Young Master, you can leave Briar here. I will take responsibility for her safety.” 

  The young master did not pay him any mind, nor did he let Briar go as he walked straight out the door. 

  Not good! I had absolutely no time to flee. Just then, Ezart took a step backwards to push the large shuddering door open. On the outside, it appeared as if he was helping to open the door for the young master. However, I immediately understood his intent and hid behind the door, even going as far as temporarily holding my breath—I had not forgotten that invisible person’s fate. 

  As the young master walked past, he spoke in a low voice, “Bri, hold on tightly. I run very fast, so it may be a rough ride.” 

  Briar replied with an “Mm” before quietly apologizing, “Sorry, Ah Ye-gē. I caused you trouble.” 

  The young master simply rubbed her head as he ran and softly said, “Don’t worry, it’s fine as long as you’re unharmed.” 

  Ezart huffed in exasperation, “If you guys continue flirting over here, your uncle might be so long dead that his bones could be used as drumsticks!” 

  “As if!” The young master replied in a vexed voice, “Anyone ‘dealt with’ by Gēgē won’t even have bone ash left, so there’s no way there would be bones to play on a drum with!” 

  Ezart was struck speechless. 

  Despite the two continuing to ceaselessly throw jabs at each other, their steps were extremely swift. They bounded out of the room and charged directly into the elevator. During this period, the young master’s expression remained wooden and frigid. If not for Ezart’s words constantly easing the tension, the young master’s appearance might even have frightened Briar. 

  The current young master… was likely at least halfway to Dark Sun’s frame of mind. It was as clear as day to me. 

  Just now, when the young master passed by me, there was merely a door between us… Perhaps due to the fact that he was focused on Briar, or because he was anxious over Luo Ye’s situation, or possibly as a result of the door’s aid… I decided to attempt decreasing the distance between us to five steps as I tailed behind. This allowed me to see the young master’s facial expression more clearly. 

  The young master was indeed correct. 

  I am an assassin.

  No Hero    

  Volume 8, The Beginning NO.5: Red Balloons

  Translated by Taffygirl13 

  “An Te Qi reported that he found something critical.” 

  That damn Bai Lian Yue just kept staring at me with a dubious expression on his face, not caring at all about what I was saying. It was as if he was still wondering if I really was the Sun Emperor or not. 

  “If you keep staring at me with that suspecting look, I’ll—” 

  Bai Lian Yue raised his chin. “You’ll what? Have Dark Sun kill me?” 

  Dark Sun… I roared in anger, “What are you blabbing about? Even if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t make Ah Ye do it. I’ll call the adjudication squad in here right now and have them completely dismember you!” 

  “So merciless yet so doting to Ah Ye. You really are Ah Yan.” Bai Lian Yue let out a sigh of relief. 

  “…” I pushed the telecommunications button on my desk, but another hand immediately covered it. 

  “Alright! I won’t fool around anymore. Ah Ye’s matters are most important. Go ahead and tell me, what exactly is this critical finding that would even make you want Ah Ye to clash with the Church? Such a thing is beyond inconceivable!” 

  I pushed Bai Lian Yue’s hand away and calmly elaborated, “Dark Sun’s microchip has an eternal command that forces him to always protect me. Even if it requires him to sacrifice his own life, he will do so without hesitation.” 

  Bai Lian Yue stared at me blankly. “Isn’t that something we were aware of since a long time ago?” 

  “But I will eventually have to die.” 

  “What nonsense are you saying?” Bai Lian Yue’s eyebrows furrowed as he said, “You are only in your thirties, why are you talking about death? Everyone’s expected life span is past 120 nowadays, and Ah Ye is only ten years younger than you. You two brothers are—” 

  “Ah Ye can live up to thousands of years.” 

  Bai Lian Yue was shocked as he asked in disbelief, “Really?” 

  “I don’t have the spare time to tell you lies!” 

  Kyle would never ask such pointless questions! But he would spout more nonsense to try and stop me. Really, neither of these secretaries is perfect! 

  I pulled the topic back. “If I, his target of protection, dies, what do you think would happen to Ah Ye?” 

  “What would happen?” 

  “I don’t know. An Te Qi conducted various tests, and each result was different. The only similarity they shared was that—” 

  When I recalled Ah Ye’s “results”, I had to take a few deep breaths before I could continue. “None ended well.” 

  Bai Lian Yue understood. “So, you need Ah Ye to protect you without using his life? Is that possible?” 

  “It wasn’t, up until a few days ago.” 

  Bai Lian Yue happily exclaimed, “That’s great then! From now on, you no longer have to worry about Ah Ye getting injured for the sake of protecting you.” 

  Do you really care? You’re probably just acting happy. I looked at him with a smile that did not reach my eyes as I said, “The fix is very simple. The difficult part is that there is no way of truly confirming if it really was fixed. No matter what happens, Ah Ye will always act if I am in danger, regardless of whether or not that damned microchip is in his brain.” 

  “Having a young brother like Ah Ye really must make you feel both proud and worried.” 

  Both proud and worried. These few words really do describe everything. Ah Ye, what are you doing right now? I hope you’re working on your modelling job rather than being a hero. 

  Ah Ye, oh Ah Ye. I’m proud of you for being a hero, yet I also hate that you are a hero. Do you understand? 

  I stood on the street and watched the car turn to immediately leave. This time, there was no opportunity to secretly jump into the car. Since the young master was in a great rush, he had personally decided to drive, and Ezart naturally had no way to help me open the trunk from the front seat. 

  What should I do now? Race up to the rooftops and charge forwards…No, the distance is too great. Even if my speed passing through the rooftops was as fast as the cars on the streets below, I was afraid I would not be able to maintain it for as long as cars could. Moreover, if I did manage to successfully endure until the end, I would likely not have any more strength to do much else afterwards. 

  As a result, I called Curtis to request his fastest car. While I felt that pompously using the main leader of the Endelis family as a butler was a behavior that truly could not be more inappropriate, I was still grateful that Curtis was in Daystar City to help me resolve so many issues. 

  “Understood, Family Head. The car will arrive immediately.” 

  “I apologize for the trouble.” 

  “It is no trouble at all.” 

  Soon afterwards, a car came to a sharp stop before me. The car was entirely black on the outside, and there were also black screens stuck onto the windows to block the sun. The car was slightly longer than a typical car. Overall, it did not have the appearance of a domestic vehicle, however, it was not overly eye-catching either, especially seeing as I had noticed a large number of luxury vehicles speeding on the roads here during my past few days at Daystar City. A slightly longer black car would not be sufficient to draw attention. 

  While Sunset City did not have so many valuable cars, I believed that it was because Sunset City had too many brawls that would result in the cars getting scraped or hit by stray bullets. Maintaining a car’s glossy exterior would be much too difficult. A luxury car in particular would be the first thing to get attacked in Sunset City. 

  The other party walked out of the car, seemingly in an attempt to open the door for me. However, since time was pressed, I had long since entered the car. He paused for a moment before sitting back in the driver’s seat and turning to inquire, “May I ask where you would like to go, Family Head?” 

  “Dong Fang Lei?” I stared at the other person in slight astonishment. 

  “Yes. What is your command?” His eyebrows and gaze were collected and displayed a great amount of respect. The obvious enmity from before had vanished without a trace—or at the very least, had been concealed very well. 

  “Go to the hotel the young master is residing at—” 

  Mid-sentence, I began to wonder if this person knew which hotel it was. However, Dong Fang Lei instantly responded, “Understood.” 

  Seeing as he expressed no confusion and immediately started the engine, I decided that there was no need to explain further. He pressed down on the accelerator and charged straight out, forcing my body against the back of the seat. 

  Fortunately, having experienced the driving skills of DSII, the young master, and Melody, I no longer minded the driving style comprised of astonishing speed and thrilling evasive maneuvers. 

  I was slightly anxious about the young master’s situation. However, I could only sit here in the car and wait. The atmosphere was heavy for unknown reasons as well. I’m afraid that Dong Fang Lei still disapproves of me. Yet he can drive without a word, while I have nothing to do. After thinking over this for a moment, I decided to make a call. 

  “Curtis, why did you send over your personal butler?” The moment I spoke, I realized that the frequency of calls I made seemed to increase daily, just as much as the calls I received. 

  Curtis answered in a matter-of-fact tone, “It is because you requested the ‘fastest’. This specially modified car in addition to Dong Fang Lei as the driver is the only way to conform to your request. Is the speed to your satisfaction, Family Head?” 

  I was at a loss for words. It seems like I must only say “very fast”, rather than “fastest” in the future. Otherwise, I may one day accidentally request for the “fastest plane” and something unimaginable could appear. 

  “I have truly inconvenienced you.” 

  “It is not a problem. I hope that you are not frightened by Dong Fang Lei’s driving style. With Daystar City’s traffic situation, using such a method is the fastest method.” 

  I did not mind the driving style. On the other hand, Curtis sounded quite delighted. It was as Sadina had said; he truly possessed the enthusiasm to serve. Perhaps I did not need to worry about troubling him after all and should give Curtis more orders instead. This would allow him to feel more like a butler. 

  “Family Head?” 

  “He drives very well.” I spoke honestly. He undoubtedly drove quickly enough. Moreover, his speed and evasive technique was already extremely stable. While there was still a disparity compared to Nitewalker, I believed that comparing Dong Fang Lei to a non-human species that could control water on the pavement while driving was much too unfair. 

  “In that case, I will leave Dong Fang Lei by your side for the time being.” 

  “Hm?” 

  “You will likely often require a car in this time. Considering your personality, Family Head, I do not believe you would drive quickly.” 

  “…I understand.” I had absolutely no way to refute this point. 

  “Dong Fang can help you handle many matters. Please do not hesitate to give him your orders, especially when it comes to combat—” 

  Suddenly, a loud sound came from nowhere as the car violently swerved. Just as I was feeling astonishment that Dong Fang Lei drove even more wildly than Melody did, one side of the car left the ground—Something is wrong! 

  I twisted my body and crossed the space between the front seat and the driver’s seat. My left hand caught hold of Dong Fang Lei while my blood ability burst out from my right hand to block the shattered fragments of the windshield. Then, I passed through it to exit the car. At that moment, the vehicle was already flipping through the air. 

  With x-speed, everything slowed down, just as it did in films. I had faintly felt this in the past, but as I grew more used to x-speed, the time around me seemed to flow even more slowly. 

  A huge television wall was before me, one of the few in Daystar City that was currently running advertisements. Although I was currently flying through the air at a quick speed, I could vaguely make out the image of a peaceful looking island in the commercial, and some sort of Getaway Package you could purchase to live on that island. 

  Unable to easily change my direction, I let myself continue to fly at the television wall, intent on landing on it. However, when my feet touched upon the television, to my surprise, I sank right through it! 

  I landed on soft sand after I fell through the television, with a feeling that this had happened to me before. Is this truly a skill of vampires I have not heard about? 

  With such a skill available to me, I was truly the perfect assassin. In the current age, nearly everyone had access to a television, whether it sat in their living room or whether it stretched across the walls of buildings everywhere around the city. If I could travel via televisions and jump through television sets at my target… 

  Wait, I am not trying to enact a horror movie here! 

  Horror movies were not very to my liking. I enjoyed movies about heroes a lot more. 

  In any case, I needed to get to the young master’s side. That meant I had to ascertain my location first. I was definitely no longer in Daystar City. 

  However, despite not knowing where I was, the scenery looked familiar. 

  Is this not the island I just saw on the television? 

  It made some sense that I had landed here, as the commercial was what had been playing on the television. From what little I had seen of the commercial, the island had been described as part of a Getaway Package. The island did appear to be quite peaceful, a lovely location for a vacation, but it was nowhere I wanted to be. 

  Perhaps in the past, I would have wished to seclude myself in an ancient castle or on a peaceful, uninhabited island such as this one, but what I wished for the most at the moment was to be by the side of my young master. It did not matter if it meant staying in Daystar City where non-humans were unwelcome, or throwing myself into a fight and embracing the fact that I was the perfect assassin. 

  I looked behind me at the ocean that stretched far into the horizon, then back toward the island. Unfortunately, I could not swim all the way back to Daystar City, nor could I fly there. My only way back would be to head inland to see if I could find transportation. 

  Just as I stepped forward, my foot ran into something. I looked down and saw that it was a clear, glass bottle. I bent down and picked it up. There was a card inside the bottle. 

  Could this be an SOS like what I see in movies? 

  I opened the bottle and pulled out the card. It had an acorn on the back. On the other side… It was a DIY recipe for a juicy-apple TV. 

  My eyes widened as I read the recipe. Based off of what it says on this card, I just need ten apples and two iron nuggets to build this TV? 

  While I knew in my head that televisions were not so easily built, if I truly could build a television with only apples and iron nuggets, then I could use the new vampire skill I discovered of traveling through televisions to return to Daystar City! 

  I spun around, spotting apples growing on trees in the distance. I immediately used x-speed and flew toward the apples at my top speed, hand reaching out to pluck the three apples off the tree. 

  This isn’t enough at all! 

  There were unfortunately only two apple trees, and for some reason, there were only three apples on the other tree as well. I followed a path marked by intricately planted flowers to look for more apple trees. I still needed four more apples. 

  It was then that I heard talking further down the path and noticed the four people walking inland. In the front was a woman with a classical beauty, and behind her were two young men who were huddled over a phone, and a man with blond hair who looked very similar to one of the young men. They must be related. 

  Although I had found apples, I did not know where I could find iron nuggets for this DIY recipe, nor where I could find a workbench to make this television. While I did not wish to talk with anyone and delay my return to the young master, I weighed the benefits of asking and decided that it would be faster to ask than to search on my own. I was no explorer, unlike Ezart. 

  Mind made up, I slide stepped in their direction and made no effort to hide my presence. But even so, my presence should not be so easily discoverable. The young blond man abruptly whirled in my direction, eyes wary, one hand raised in front of him with two fingers pressed together. The older blond was also in a battle ready stance, but neither of them held any weapons. 

  Could they have modifications on their body? 

  The other young man suddenly blurted, “House Keeper? Why are you here? Did you come with Yu Shu?” 

  I did not know how he knew that I was a butler, but the fact that he knew instantly made me wary. It could very well mean that he had connections with the Church or the Sun Emperor. 

  “No wait,” he continued, eyes widening. He quickly covered his right eye and gasped. “Since when did you come true? Oh no, Yu Shu is going to kill me!” 

  “I do not know this Yu Shu you speak of,” I said, confused. 

  “You don’t know Yu Shu?” he rambled. “Did you lose your memory…” 

  Once again, the young man paused, and his eyes seemed to widen even more. “Charles? Are you actually Charles?” 

  He even knows my name! 

  He turned to the young blond and asked in worry, “Do illusory familiars lose their memories when they come true?” 

  Unable to wait any longer, I held out the card I had picked up and said, “I need to build this television to get off this island.” 

  The woman spoke up and said, “What a lucky find! That recipe is usually only given out by Tom Nook. You are lucky to get it so quickly after joining us on this island.” 

  The woman was suspiciously knowledgeable. “Can you tell me where I can find iron nuggets and where I can build this television?” 

  “Why in the world do you need to build a television?” the young man who had been staring with wide eyes asked me. 

  “To get off this island,” I said. 

  “How can a television help you get off of this island?” the young blond man asked. 

  “I can travel through them,” I simply said. 

  The two young men both stared at me, in disbelief that I could travel through televisions. Then they stared at each other and said at the same time, “Right, it’s April 1st.” 

  Oh, it is indeed April 1st. 

  I took another look at my surroundings. They weren’t familiar only because of the commercial. Wasn’t this island exactly like the one in the video game that Dell was playing? 

  “You can get iron nuggets from hitting rocks with a shovel. You can also find them in presents carried by balloons,” the woman helpfully said. 

  Okay, iron nuggets appear by hitting rocks with shovels. As I did not have a shovel, I decided to hit down as many balloons as I could. The two young men watched me with wide eyes as I slide stepped and chased after the red balloon I had just seen. I extended my hand in a drill shape and tore the balloon apart. 

  Wait for me, Young Master! Charles will not give in to island life and spend all his time picking fruits and selling turnips on the stalk market like Dell!

  No Hero    

  Volume 8, The Beginning NO.6: The Silver Pieces of Betrayal

  Translated by Raylight (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by Taffygirl13 & lucathia) 

  “Gē.” 

  With that one word from Ah Ye, I immediately felt that something was off. The good mood from finally receiving a call from him instantly vanished. With this tone and this hesitancy, there must be something wrong! 

  Could it be that he’s wounded again? That’s not right, if he received an injury, Ah Ye would definitely keep it from me rather than giving me a call. Something even more serious must have happened! 

  “Ah Ye, what happened? Who dared to touch you—” 

  “No! Nothing big happened, don’t panic…” 

  “You’re hiding things from me again! If nothing big happened, then why would you call me!” 

  “What do you mean if nothing big happened, I wouldn’t call you! Don’t I always call you at night?” 

  Hearing that, I snorted and said, “Recently you only call once in three days.” 

  Actually, it’s not even once in three days, but I should not say the truth. Otherwise Ah Ye will definitely take it for granted and follow the same duration of time before calling again. Honestly, it would be good if I could hear from him even once in five days now. If this continues… It’s all that butler’s fault! Isn’t he even capable of reminding Ah Ye to give a call? 

  “O-Once in three days isn’t infrequent…” 

  I threw the paperweight on the desk violently at Bai Lian Yue seated beside me. He caught it with one hand and even rolled his eyes at me. Then, I inquired calmly, “Ah Ye, tell Gēge what exactly happened?” 

  Now is not the time to debate over how many times he calls. It’s rare for Ah Ye to seek help from me, so if I continue steering the topic away, he’ll be even more unwilling to call me for help in the future. 

  “Gē… Luo Ye is still alive.” 

  I was unable to speak for a long time. Never would I have guessed that it was that kind of thing from the past. How could he still be alive? That year, our father had cast an inescapable net in the area. The only way of escaping that was if he was dead. How could he still be alive? 

  Moreover, Father has been dead for so many years, so why would he appear now? Why did he contact Ah Ye and not me? Is it possible that he knows the truth… No! Let’s not think about all these for now. Ah Ye is still waiting for me to speak. He definitely must be at a loss as to what to do. Ah Ye trusts others too easily, and would probably believe anyone with just a bit of coaxing. 

  To be able to survive under Father’s merciless pursuit, Luo Ye is definitely not an ordinary person. 

  I opened my mouth, finding my voice a little hoarse as I said, “That person is with you, isn’t he? Hand him over to me. I will deal with him.” 

  Once I finished speaking, I knew that I was in trouble. If I said something like that, Ah Ye would definitely refuse… 

  “No! If you dare to do that, I’m never going to care about you again!” 

  The line cut off. To think that Ah Ye actually hung up on my call… It sounds like he’s extremely angry and it seems like he won’t hand that person over. How could I be so careless and make the mistake of telling Ah Ye that I intended to “deal with” him? Things will be troublesome from now on… 

  “Damn it!” 

  “You have my gratitude, Ah Shuu,” I sincerely thanked. In these past few days, not only had he helped me save Mr. Luo Ye, he had now also given my legs their usual mobility. He was truly a good friend who could not be any more dependable. 

  “No need for thanks, just please don’t continue challenging my limits.” Ah Shuu said weakly, “Though I did my best to secure your injury, I have to warn you that pain is unavoidable. I believe you can endure it, but please, I beg you. You should rest properly if you get a bullet to the knee and not go to a shootout! Promise me that once your thing is settled, you will really rest and recover.” 

  “Very well.” As long as the matter reaches a closure. 

  “If there are any issues with your wound, you have to tell me.” Ah Shuu looked extremely uneasy as he said, “This is my first time helping a seriously injured person take part in a shoot-out. Don’t make me regret this for all eternity.” 

  “Understood, I will certainly inform you.” 

  I got off the vehicle and moved my leg. As expected, I could move it with ease now. I was not sure if I could use x-speed, but at the very least, I would not need to be supported by others. 

  “Family Head.” Dong Fong Lei came dashing out from the driver’s seat about to lift me onto his shoulder once more. I quickly took a few steps back. 

  He looked stunned for a moment and looked down at my feet. I calmly said, “I said that I can manage on my own. Hurry! We do not know what has happened on Curtis’s end, and should delay no longer.” 

  “Understood!” Dong Fang Lei turned to the others and said, “Move out.” 

  At this moment, the red bowtie squad had all returned their guns back into their business briefcases as well as buttoned up all the buttons on their suits, immediately transforming from a special operations squad back to a secretary squad. Dong Fang Lei gestured to me and then took the lead. I walked behind him, surrounded by the red bowtie squad members on all sides. 

  The hotel staff came up to receive us, and Dong Fang Lei indifferently said, “We are going to the hundred-and-sixth floor.” 

  The staff started and their attitude became more polite as they answered, “Understood.” Following that, they rushed to press the elevator for us. The elevator was indicated as an “exclusive elevator” that was not usually open for regular hotel guests. It was as large as a cargo lift, and thankfully so, or it would not be possible for all of the red bowtie squad members to ride it together. 

  The young master had not stayed on a floor that required the exclusive elevator to access, since the room that he was staying in had been booked by the movie crew. Secretary Bai must have given special orders for the crew to be able to stay in this luxurious hotel, and perhaps the reason behind the entire crew staying here was for the sake of not letting others say that the young master was receiving special treatment. 

  “Family Head, have you all arrived?” Curtis’s voice suddenly came from over the earpiece. 

  I pressed onto the earpiece, and hastily replied, “We will arrive soon.” 

  I fell silent for a moment. Despite knowing that I ought not expose the fact that we knew that something was off, I could not resist asking, “Why did you suddenly want for me to come over? Has something happened?” 

  Curtis actually gave chuckled as he said, “Nothing much. I merely miss my grandmother and wish to converse with you, Family Head. Remember that time when you were captured in the cage together with Grandmother, I—Let’s leave that for later, we will talk more when you arrive.” 

  When I was captured in the cage with Sadina—Curtis was being controlled by Avexila’s childe! 

  “Curtis is being controlled by someone,” I informed Dong Fang Lei quietly, worried about the possibility of surveillance cameras in this place. 

  Once I said so, Dong Fang Lei’s expression immediately changed. His face that could be considered delicate contorted in rage, and actually turned as terrifying as that of a demon. It was simply like a vampire’s Face Morph! 

  I was shocked by this, and subconsciously looked around to see if the others were equally as astonished. Instead, I was greeted by the sight of over ten demonic faces… 

  Though my first reaction was shock, I soon felt joy afterwards. If the red bowtie squad felt such rage toward Curtis being caught in a perilous situation, that indicated their fairly good relationship with Curtis, and that could not be any more wonderful. 

  The elevator doors opened, and two human silhouettes stood in the corridor pompously, one on the left and another on the right. Though the corridor was wide enough for five to walk shoulder-to-shoulder and still have room left over, with the two standing there like that, it somehow gave off a feeling that it was impassable. 

  The chandelier above them was extremely bright, making it difficult to see their faces clearly. However, a strange feeling abruptly formed inside of me, and I walked up to attempt to see the other party more clearly. I had barely walked a few steps before I was stopped by Dong Fang Lei’s hand. Even so, I still managed to gradually see the others’ faces as my eyes adjusted to the brightness of the chandelier, and my disbelief grew more and more. 

  “Father Yue?” I said with disbelief, “Why are you here? W-Why are you involved in these matters?” 

  Father Yue’s face was apologetic as he said, “I need the whereabouts of E.X.” 

  X again? Even if he is living in that practically abandoned church in Sunset City, Father Yue is truly still someone from the Church, and seems to have a complicated background as well. I had clearly already known all of this, and should not have trusted him so much—However, I still felt a strong fury that stemmed from a sense of betrayal! 

  This person was Yue Gang’s father and had always been very friendly to both me and the young master, allowing us to form a rare friendship with someone from the Church. I had even optimistically thought that if I could continue a friendship like this, perhaps the grudge between X and the Church could be resolved one day. 

  However, it turned out that this was an unachievable dream. With the rage from being deceived, I growled at him, “You promised before not to harm X!” 

  “I will not!” Father Yue quickly said, “Trust me, I do not want to kill him!” 

  “We only want to resolve the hatred between E.X and the Church.” 

  The other person, Alex, sincerely and honestly said. 

  I continued staring at Father Yue. Regarding Alex, I had always reckoned him to have ulterior motives. If it were not for Father Yue, the scenario from before when the three of us had sat down and talked would never have happened in the first place. 

  Dong Fang Lei seemed to have trouble holding himself back as he asked, “Family Head, the steward’s situation is unknown. Can we forcefully break through?” 

  “Hold on for a moment.” Despite being extremely worried about Curtis’s situation, I still patiently asked, “Father Yue, who is it that wanted you to be informed of X’s whereabouts?” 

  Although I had a faint guess, I still wished that it was not that person. That enemy was way too powerful, to the point where one could not help but feel their blood run cold… 

  Father Yue’s brows furrowed together. 

  “Is it the Sun Emperor?” I abruptly dropped the name of the speculated person. 

  Father Yue did not have much reaction to that. Instead it was Dong Fang Lei who suddenly turned to give me a look. 

  “What is he receiving in exchange for X’s whereabouts?” 

  This was the point I was truly concerned about. If possible, I hoped that he was only targeting me and not Curtis. I simply did not wish in the slightest to see the Elysees Family clash with the Sun Emperor, for though Curtis had mentioned earlier that the Elysees Family would not lose to the Sun Emperor easily, the Sun Emperor was still an opponent that we had to avoid clashing with at all costs. 

  Father Yue hesitated for a moment, but another person spoke up first. 

  “Judas betrayed his mentor for silver pieces. Despite knowing the lessons of the past, but as of today, someone has cast down silver pieces and I still have no choice but to bend down and pick them up, bowing to him willingly. Indeed, as expected of—” 

  Alex gave an embarrassed smile and said, “While I don’t approve of that person’s behaviour, I still have to commend his capabilities. Sorry though, we do not admit that this has anything to do with the Sun Emperor.” 

  Do not admit that it has anything to do with the Sun Emperor… So it indeed has something to do with the Sun Emperor? But why? The Sun Emperor only wants to kill Luo Ye. Is that not so? Just the news about X would be enough to threaten me. There is completely no need to drag Curtis and the Elysees Family, or even the Church into this. That would only complicate matters. 

  Or perhaps it is actually the Church? After all, both Father Yue and Alex are members of the Church. Or even worse… 

  “Has the Sun Emperor started working with the Church?” I deeply hoped that the situation was not so disastrous. 

  “We do not represent the Church.” Father Yue shot down the notion firmly, and even clarified immediately, “The Church does not know of what we are doing. They only wish to kill E.X, which is different from our motives. Alex and I are moving on our own.” 

  I started and realized that the other was not wearing his priest garbs. It was just that the style of his clothes was not too far off from the priest garbs, so I had not noticed until now. 

  I was still unclear about the current situation; however, I did not intend for us to stay tangled in this mess. In comparison to the Sun Emperor, the Church, or even the two cooperating together, Curtis’s safety was currently still the most important! 

  I ordered, “Dong Fang, let’s go—” 

  “I am very sorry, but we cannot let you all go over right now. Please stay right here. It doesn’t need to be for long. Just twenty minutes will do.” 

  As he spoke, Father Yue picked up a black exercise bag at his feet. That bag was so big that the young master could be stuffed into it, but judging from the sound it made, it was clearly not a person but a heavy metal item inside. 

  Following that, Father Yue pulled out a spear from the bag. The style was very classic, just like the silver spears that I had seen before in his firearms collection cabinet. 

  “Family Head, what should we do?” Dong Fang Lei turned to look at me. His expression still looked very controlled, though perhaps it was just my imagination, but I thought his eyes seemed to be a little too red. 

  Once I heard “twenty minutes,” I felt uneasy. What will happen in those twenty minutes? 

  “Force your way through!” 

  Dong Fang Lei quietly asked, “Do we need to take their lives into consideration?” 

  Their lives… The other person is Yue Gang’s father, but… I gritted my teeth and shouted, “What needs to be taken into consideration is Curtis’s life. If anyone dares to stop us from advancing, annihilate all of them!” 

  The warning had already been issued. If Father Yue still refused to let us through, then I would no longer show any mercy. After all, Curtis’s situation was still unclear, and I did not wish for Dong Fang Lei and the members of the red bowtie squad to be injured as a consequence of holding back. These people were important combat power for the family, and under the situation where it was unknown if our enemy was the Sun Emperor or the Church, or even the both of them together, I absolutely could not let them get injured so easily! 

  At this moment, Father Yue had actually slung the giant exercise bag onto his back, the pocket of the bag already open to reveal gun muzzles of various firearms. He praised, “Charles, it hasn’t been long since we last met, but you seem a lot more daring now.” 

  Under such a situation, I did not wish to chat more with the other, and directly ordered, “Prepare the rocket launcher!” 

  “Please do not do so.” Alex was still unarmed, and merely clutched onto the cross on his chest. He sincerely said, “It will affect many innocent civilians. Perhaps you all do not care about that, but it is not like you know the location of the person you plan to rescue. To resort to rocket launchers so hastily, are you not afraid of causing a regretful scene to happen?” 

  Although I knew it was very possible that he was making excuses because they were unable to withstand such heavy firepower, I had no choice but to take his point into consideration. Curtis was merely an ordinary person, and really could not withstand the power of a rocket launcher. 

  “Family Head!” 

  Dong Fang Lei suddenly pushed me away. He charged forward and used his gun to block the flash of silver flying over. In the next second, however, his gun left his hand and was pulled back all the way into Alex’s hand. 

  Alex’s cross had become a chain knife. A thin silver chain extended out of the cross’s tail, and a sharp blade had popped out of the tip of it. That was precisely what had flown over and pulled away Dong Fang Lei’s gun. 

  “Fire!” 

  Dong Fang Lei commanded, but Father Yue was even faster. His bullets shot out with unfathomable speed, forcing our side to retreat and dart behind the corner, using the wall to block the bullets. Dong Fang Lei was forced one step further, having to take out his briefcase shield before he could safely retreat around the bend. 

  On the opposite side, Father Yue did not even have a shield. He merely dodged continuously left and right, and with added protection of the bullet rain, he thoroughly executed the use of offense as the best defense. 

  If Yue Gang had half the skills of Father Yue, he probably would have only needed to purchase guns out of all the heavy equipment. 

  At this moment, Alex took out even more crosses, which were clearly all chain knives. However, he did not seem to be in the role of offense, for he swung the chains like a net. It was unclear what kind of material the chains were made of, for even when the bullets struck them unceasingly with clear ringing sounds, the chains did not break. It seemed like the chains truly could block the bullets. 

  From time to time, those chain knives would be wrapped around our side’s weapons or shields, pulling them away to become new weapons for Father Yue. 

  “Dong Fang!” I was a little anxious as I shouted, “What is the problem? Are you all unable to hit him?” 

  Considering how dense the rain of bullets was, even if Alex really had cast a net, the bullets should still have been able to pass through the gaps, not to mention that the density of the blades were still far from that of a net. 

  “There is something about their priest garbs. We definitely shot them!” Dong Fang Lei gritted his teeth and said, “Family Head, please order us to use the strength of the Extraordinaries!” 

  Extraordinaries? I froze and stared at him, not understanding what he meant. However, he only returned my gaze with an unwavering one. Given how urgent the situation was, I should have immediately said, “Go ahead.” However, the expressions on his and the red bowtie squad’s faces made me hesitate. It was not an expression of one about to demonstrate their amazing prowess but rather one of resolve. 

  Anything that requires resolve is usually not a good thing. 

  “Why don’t I break through with my x-speed—” 

  “Family Head!” Dong Fang Lei growled angrily, “You are the target of our protection, and not the person protecting us!” 

  I know that too, but their resolve… I gritted my teeth. Since they all had such resolve, who was I to deny their determination? 

  “Red bowtie squad members, use the power of the Extraordinaries!” 

  The moment I yelled that, I watched on as Dong Fang Lei’s appearance started to change unusually. First was his forehead, as blue veins started to burst out from his brows all the way to his forehead. Then his neck also erupted with protruding veins. However, he was not done, for even his eyes also changed. His pupils expanded at least twice the original size, making it nearly impossible to see the whites of his eyes. With that, the Dong Fang Lei who had initially possessed delicate features now looked completely unlike a human, now as ferocious as demon. 

  However, the extraordinary features Dong Fang Lei showed were the most tame, for the others had much more prominent ones. One person had scales sprout out from every inch of their skin, even including their face, which reminded me of that woman who had worn her bones on the outside. 

  Another person’s hands became extremely long, curving in a peculiar manner when he was moving as though his entire hand was boneless. It had transformed into something akin to an octopus’s tentacle. 

  Someone’s back had sprouted eight spider-like legs. Another person even turned completely transparent, while clearly still retaining a basic human figure. However, it would occasionally “shift” into an irregular shape… 

  Are they non-humans? It seemed that they were not. They merely had many “extraordinary features,” each one drastically different from the other. They were unlike any non-human races that I had heard of before. 

  “Abnormals?” Alex quietly exclaimed, “I wouldn’t have thought that the Elysees family had gathered so many abnormals. I thought that only the Sun Emperor’s P29 had so many abnormals.” 

  Dong Fang Lei and the others glared fiercely at Alex, clearly feeling very outraged by the term “abnormals.” 

  I was extremely confused. Since when had the world materialized “abnormals”? However, I caught the keywords from Alex’s sentence—“P29 had…abnormals.” If I was not mistaken, abnormals likely referred to those humans with special abilities. 

  Dong Fang Lei glanced at me, appearing slightly nervous for some reason. However, perhaps I had seen wrongly, for it was difficult for me to gauge subtle emotions with his current appearance. 

  Regardless, now was not the time to be concerned about emotions. I commanded him, “Hurry and break through!” 

  Dong Fang Lei and the other squad members stared at me with stunned expressions. After a moment of hesitation, Dong Fang Lei asked, “Do you not find us strange?” 

  I blankly answered, “I am a vampire. Do you think that I am in a position to be calling you all strange?” 

  Dong Fang Lei’s mouth curled into a smile—In his current appearance, it felt as though a devil was grinning at me. 

  “Family Head, head over first. Leave the rest to us.” 

  “How should I cross—” 

  Dong Fang Lei turned to yell at the others, “Charge!” and the person with the transparent fluid shape was the first to charge in. Father Yue’s frenzied gunshots rang out again, and it all hit the person. Numerous bullets became stuck in the flowing water, not a single one making it through this “human barricade.” 

  Due to this barricade, Dong Fang Lei and the others were able to go on the offense again. The scene was simply unlike one of humans attacking, if I were to put it in words, perhaps the phrase “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons” would be rather appropriate. 

  “Yue, change to energy weapons!” Alex said anxiously. 

  Father Yue immediately threw down the guns in his hands and used his feet to bring out another two weapons. However, Dong Fang Lei had already appeared right in front of him and swung a fist, forcing Father Yue to dodge and give up on picking up his weapons. 

  I managed to see this happen with extreme clarity. Dong Fang Lei had still been in the same spot in that second, but in a blink of an eye he had already appeared in front of Father Yue. Truly, speed did not seem to be the question here. He… teleported? 

  After Father Yue and Alex were held back by the crowd, that transparent human barricade suddenly lurched at me, securely wrapping around me. Following that, it ignored all the enemies on the other side, and charged toward them like a wave.

  No Hero    

  Volume 8, The Beginning NO.7: The Serpent and the Forbidden Fruit

  Translated by Raylight (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by Taffygirl13 & lucathia) 

  Bai Lian Yue was completely shocked. “What is wrong? Your complexion looks terrible.” 

  “I have a mission for you.” 

  “… You really don’t treat secretaries as humans, do you?” 

  Bai Lian Yue’s work efficiency was only slightly worse than Kyle’s, but his ability to complain was higher than Kyle’s by at least three or four times! 

  “Fine, fine, wipe that scowl off your face. Just give me the job. It’s not like I won’t do it. Do you really need to put on such a frightening expression?” 

  “Go and kill someone.” 

  He casually responded, “I thought it would be some kind of grand mission. That’s simple. Who do you want me to kill?” 

  “Luo Ye.” I calmly said. 

  Bai Lian Yue’s eyes turned wide as he exclaimed, “Where did he pop up from? Wasn’t he already long dead? Are you certain it’s your fa—” 

  I gave him a look. 

  “Urgh, you don’t have to mind that much, right? It’s just your biological father.” 

  Bai Lian Yue still said it. This secretary was really so daring, for he still had the guts to continue on even as I shot a glare at him. “So what even if you are not Ri Ji Yan’s son? Right now, who in the Sun Alliance has the authority to question you about this? The only person qualified is your Ah Ye, but if he wanted this Alliance, you would give it to him with both hands. Need he even question you?” 

  Hearing Bai Lian Yue say that, it seemed like the term “biological father” held absolutely no meaning. In that case, why should I concern myself with such a thing? 

  I suddenly calmed down. Even if I was not Ri Ji Yan’s biological son, even if I had my hands stained in his blood for the sake of saving Ah Ye that year, he had never done anything to let me down. He only targeted Ah Ye, and later on we had also verified that it had not been completely without reason… 

  “Ah Yan, are you all right?” 

  I shook my head, and sternly declared, “My father is Ri Ji Yan, not that Luo Ye person! Don’t ever bring up biological fathers again!” 

  Bai Lian Yue lowered his head and admitted his mistake, “Understood. Then I’ll send people to have him killed now—” 

  “Hold on.” I indifferently said, “There is no rush to kill him. Go and find out who is pulling the strings first. He is my father’s brother and ought to know what our usual way of handling problems is. It was not easy for him to hide until now, so daring to appear means that he feels secure knowing that someone has his back. We must first find out who or what exactly he is relying on. Also…” 

  I looked toward the table. There was a folded photo frame there. The left side was Ah Ye as a child with his unbeatable cuteness, and the right side was Ah Ye’s recent photo. Initially the photo in the right frame kept on changing, but now it had not been changed for two or three years. That was because Ah Ye would never grow again. Even if his hair got longer, there was absolutely no change at all in his facial features. 

  A lifespan of over a thousand years… Ah Ye, what kind of arrangements do I have to make so that you will have nothing to worry about for a thousand years? 

  I said to Bai Lian Yue with a smile, “Perhaps Luo Ye will be a good serpent and tempt Ah Ye into eating that forbidden fruit.” 

  Bai Lian Yue, Yue Ya’er who had always supported me, finally showed a change in expression. 

  “Isn’t it just making sure Ah Ye won’t lose his life to protect you? Don’t go over the top! Ah Ye loves you very much. Wanting to protect you is natural. It isn’t because it’s set into some microchip!” 

  “I will not go over the top,” I calmly replied. 

  No matter how over the top it is, it would not top a thousand years. 

  “Curtis!” 

  I burst into the room. I originally expected to see a trussed-up Curtis, but there was nothing of the sort. Within the room, there was only someone that I would have never expected to see. 

  “Sorry to disappoint you. He is not here.” 

  How is this person here? He would actually come in person to such a dangerous place? 

  The Sun Emperor. 

  He sat behind the office table. The only person by his side was Secretary Bai. However, two whole rows of adjudication squad members stood on both sides of the room. 

  I sized them up. Perhaps I would not be able to defeat them all, but as long as I used my x-speed, they would likely be unable to stop me in time if I wanted to do something. 

  “Where is Curtis?” I asked as I walked, hoping to draw a little closer to the Sun Emperor. If I had no choice but to take action, it would be better if the distance between us was as short as possible. 

  “His whereabouts are not important.” The Sun Emperor answered with a smile that made me feel uneasy. He continued, “The important thing is that he made a deal with me.” 

  I froze in my tracks, lifting my head to look at the Sun Emperor. His smile was extremely carefree and relaxed, as though he was completely unafraid of me verifying that. I held my earpiece and quietly called out, “Curtis.” 

  “Yes, Family Head.” 

  Curtis truly is all right. I opened my mouth, and in that moment, I actually did not know how I should begin my line of questioning. 

  “Where are you?” 

  “I have already evacuated the premises.” 

  I fell silent for a while, and then asked, “The Sun Emperor said that you made a deal with him. Is that correct?” 

  “… Indeed.” Curtis’s tone was a little hesitant, and he seemed apologetic as he said, “My apologies, Family Head, I—” 

  Even after a drawn out wait, Curtis did not continue on. He was likely at a loss as to how to begin. I removed the earpiece, but then heard the sound of something shattering. Looking down, I belatedly realized that I had actually crushed the earpiece. 

  “There’s still the phone.” The Sun Emperor appeared to be unfazed by my actions and even reminded me of that with what appeared to be kind intentions. 

  Once he said that, my phone coincidentally started ringing. I reached my hand into my pocket, and with the use of my blood ability, the thing in my pocket shattered to pieces. Since the other person was at a loss as to how to tell me, then why must I hear an explanation? 

  “I told you before.” The Sun Emperor remained unruffled as he said, “Playing your butler game is one thing. Opposing me is an entirely different matter.” 

  I calmly answered, “He originally did not need to protect me anyway. Now we are only returning to how it was before.” 

  “How open-minded.” 

  The Sun Emperor’s elbow rested on the completely empty table. Rather, it was Secretary Bai seated beside him who was awfully busy. Even under such a situation, he was still glued to his laptop, typing away with furious speed. In comparison to his busy secretary, the Sun Emperor appeared very idle, making it hard to believe that he was the leader of the world’s biggest economic alliance. 

  He asked with a smile, “But now, what will you use to protect your beloved vampire?” 

  X… 

  “While saying that you don’t need authority, you use the Elysees family as a shield against the Church, and also turn to them when necessary to protect those you wish to protect.” 

  The Sun Emperor scoffed and said disdainfully, “Giving up your authority? How pretentious! From the beginning up until now, you have never ‘given up’ on authority! It’s just that I use my organization, money, and power to get people to work for me, while you use emotions and you bloodline to tie them down, Charles Elysees.” 

  “I am Charles Endelis!” The roar came out of me before I realized that I had opened my mouth… I clenched my hands into a fist, my nails digging into my flesh. The pain made me a little calmer, and only then could I continue, “Sun Emperor, stop sowing discord. What exactly do you want? I have nothing!” 

  “Since you want me to be straightforward, fine—I have already given the Church X’s whereabouts, Charles ‘Endelis.’” 

  I stared at him, stunned. 

  The Sun Emperor indifferently stated, “Not to the two outside. Since you are already here and to make up twenty minutes, there’s still… ” 

  He glanced at Bai Lian Yue lazily, and the other did not even look up as he answered, “Eight minutes.” 

  “That was worse than what I expected. Clearly, their obstruction failed, so of course they won’t be rewarded.” 

  “Why?” I yelled agitatedly, “Is it because I did not hand Luo Ye over to you? You said ten days! It has not even reached the set date!” 

  “I exchanged a kind of ‘merchandise’ with the Church.” The Sun Emperor paid no mind as he said, “I am a businessman. If someone is willing to pay for my product upfront, why should I wait for a customer like you, who might not pay up even after a few days? Furthermore…” 

  He looked at me, with a smile of understanding as he said it in a matter-of-fact tone, “You did not intend to bring Luo Ye out to hand over to me, isn’t that so?” 

  Indeed… If I could hand him over, then why would I be so troubled about it! However, I cannot admit that now. Perhaps the Sun Emperor is only testing me and is not that certain about it. 

  I forced myself to stay level-headed, and then asked back in confusion, “Why are you so certain about this? To me, Luo Ye definitely cannot be compared to X. He is not the least bit important to me.” 

  The Sun Emperor kept his smile and asked, “Luo Ye is not important to you, but how about Ah Ye?” 

  I froze. 

  He no longer seemed relaxed as his expression turned stern and he proclaimed, “You are right. Luo Ye isn’t important, but Ah Ye is extremely, extremely important! Everyone who stays by Ah Ye’s side must revolve around him as the center, and never ever betray him!” 

  The Sun Emperor growled in fury, “Today for the sake of X, you can be threatened by me and debate whether or not to betray Ah Ye. Tomorrow for the sake of something else, you could betray him once more!” 

  His expression was unstable as he muttered, “You are even involved with the Elysees family and the Church… If I had known beforehand that you were such a troublesome character, I absolutely would not have let you stay by Ah Ye’s side!” 

  The Sun Emperor glared at me hatefully, and gave his verdict like a monarch, “Charles Endelis, I have given you a test, and you have failed!” 

  I suddenly felt a violent chill. Only now did I truly understand everything. 

  “So you did not truly want to kill Luo Ye? This was simply a test for me?” 

  “What foolish nonsense are you saying, of course I want to kill Luo Ye.” The Sun Emperor coldly said, “But I don’t need you to be able to kill him. I was merely making use of this incident to test you in-passing.” 

  Making use? In-passing? I stared at the Sun Emperor in disbelief. 

  “One has to pay the price for failure, but I don’t intend to deal with you personally. It’s pretty troublesome when Ah Ye gets angry.” 

  The Sun Emperor gave a cold laugh as he said, “After losing the protection of the Elysees family, you and that dangerous thousand-year-old vampire will naturally be dealt with by the Church. Even without me personally making a move, I can get quite a bit of the battle spoils in return!” 

  The Sun Emperor smiled and continued with a relaxed tone, “You want to know what kind of grand prize can be exchanged for X, a magnificent thousand-year-old vampire?” 

  I roared, “Say no more!” 

  To go as far as using others’ lives as a test… Never mind testing me for the sake of the young master, but X… X… This has nothing to do with him! X has escaped death for over a thousand years, only to be caught like this—from a test where he was “made use of in-passing” because of me! 

  The Sun Emperor tapped the table gently with his finger, seeming a little vexed as he said, “It does not seem like the Church intends to kill that thousand-year-old vampire immediately, which is a little troublesome. I have to keep it from Ah Ye, to prevent him from hearing that vampire is getting abused or the like, or he will secretly run out to save him—” 

  X… Abused… 

  “I told you to say no more!” 

  I charged at the Sun Emperor, and he did not even manage to react in time. As expected, the Sun Emperor had no fighting capabilities. To think he dared to appear here, did he believe that the adjudication squad could protect him? 

  In an instant, I stepped onto the office desk, towering above the Sun Emperor as I looked down at him. This person who caused me so much agony was so close that if I reached out my hand I could touch him… I suddenly felt pain in my leg, and turning around, I discovered that a whip was wrapped around my calf. The whip was even barbed, and a burning pain came from my legs. Clearly, it was silver powder at work again. This weapon that I had experienced from Avexila seemed to have become popular. 

  The person using the whip was Secretary Bai. I would not have thought him to be a fighter, given how his slender figure made him look like someone unskilled at fighting. 

  Secretary Bai’s face had turned pale in shock, as he exclaimed, “He’s so fast! Ah Yan, hurry and go. If he were to go all out, I probably can’t hold him off—” 

  His words vanished within an ocean of loud shattering, the French window destroyed. I raised my head. Under the moonlight was the sight of frenzied strands of hair, their silvery-white glow that filled the sky bright enough to hurt the eyes. 

  “Young Master…” I murmured. 

  The young master looked at me coldly. He was dressed in casual wear and was not wearing his visor, but I could still recognize that that was not the young master. He was—Dark Sun! 

  Dark Sun was currently staring at me with a look as chilling as ice. 

  Why? Confusion arose, and in the next moment, the young master’s words from before rang in my head once more. 

  Gēge is my only family! It was engraved into the microchip in his head that the sole reason for his existence was to protect the Sun Emperor, no matter the cost—even if it was his own life! 

  I had the intent to attack the Sun Emperor. Could it be… I quickly explained, “Young Master, I-I did not mean to. The Sun Emperor, he…” He revealed X’s whereabouts to the Church. 

  My reasons vanished upon looking at Dark Sun’s expression. He looked at me, unfeelingly, heartlessly, desirelessly, just like the adjudication squads on both sides. I seemed to be merely—an enemy target. 

  The young master right now… No, Dark Sun right now, does he still remember that I am Charles, the butler who signed an Endless contract with him? 

  I was unable to verify this, but then a mass of wild silver hair came rushing at me, giving me a clear answer. With a turn of my body, I forcefully broke free of the whip wrapped around my leg and dodged all these attacks—Or at least, I dodged the majority of the attacks. 

  The only thing that the young master would care about now is… I pounced toward the Sun Emperor, and as expected the young master immediately blocked in front of him. Even if just now my back was full of openings, he would not be able to pursue and attack, and could only go in front of the Sun Emperor. 

  The silver hair charged toward me again. I turned and evaded it, then feigned an attack on the Sun Emperor from the left side. The young master blocked it wonderfully, making sure there was absolutely no possibility that harm would come to the Sun Emperor. Just then, I put all my power into my feet for a powerful launch, then dashed past the young master and the Sun Emperor with my x-speed. Passing through the broken French window, I dropped straight down. 

  I escaped! 

  I heaved a sigh of relief. At least I avoided having to fight with the young master. Regardless of whether it was due to the microchip in his brain or due to true anger that I had raised my hand against the Sun Emperor, if the young master personally injured or even killed me, he would be upset… was that not so? 

  “Charles, save me!” 

  Young Master? Save me? I quickly turned back to look. The young master was standing by the side of the broken window, both hands holding guns with the muzzles pointed downwards. His facial expression was still that of merciless Dark Sun’s. Afterward, the flashes that fired out from the guns made it impossible for me to see the young master’s expression clearly. Only the sound of non-stop gunfire and items getting blasted to bits continued to ring out. 

  Pain surged through my shoulder. I stepped onto the surface of the wall and drew to an emergency stop, turning my body toward another direction. With a burst of my x-speed, I immediately left the area. 

  “Urgh!” 

  In the middle of using x-speed to charge forward, I felt my knees suddenly give way, and my entire body fell forward. Falling with such speed caused me to roll for ten or more times before I barely managed to stop, and I lay on the ground with my entire body in pain. 

  No, I have to stand up quickly. I have to hurry and leave. If the young master catches up… I turned my head to look behind, and only then did I realize that the hotel had not been visible for a long while. I had been running with x-speed all along, and though not much time had passed, I had already managed to run quite a long distance… Urgh! 

  My knees burned with pain, as though they were on fire. Even attempting to sit up was difficult as my legs felt limp and weak. As expected, I had pushed it too much. My knee had just been hit by a bullet, and Ah Shuu had also warned me not to overdo it. However, not only had I attacked with x-speed, my leg had also been wrapped by a whip covered in silver powder. Ultimately, I even used my x-speed to escape and sprinted for quite a long time. 

  Pain throbbed in waves from various parts of my body, and my knee that was already injured to start with had long since become numb from the pain. A bullet had also hit my shoulder just earlier. At the time, I had not even had the time to inspect it. Thankfully, the shoulder injury did not affect my arm movements, and compared to the pain in my knee, the pain from my shoulder could almost be ignored. 

  I wanted to get up to take a look at my knee. If the cloth securing my injury has come loose, perhaps… 

  I was unable to speak for quite a while, the pain causing my whole body to sweat profusely. This would not do at all. I was completely unable to move. I shakily pressed one hand onto the finger of my other hand. A ring of an outrageous style was on that finger, the tranquilizer ring that I had borrowed from Ezart. Though I had previously claimed that I would not to use it rashly, I believed that given the current situation, it would not be considered rash to use it. 

  I pressed it once, sending the tranquilizer flowing into my body. However, I was still in so much pain that I kept sweating, and I had to press it again. It was still of no help until I pressed it for the third time. I then felt the pain gradually subsiding, and I was finally able to stand again. 

  I had been lying on the ground for far too long just now, and now I needed to make haste. I only hesitated for a moment, and immediately injected another shot into the knee that had taken a bullet. At the same time, I remembered that I had seemingly forgotten to ask Ezart how many tranquilizer shots this ring possessed… No, what exactly am I thinking? 

  I had already injected myself with four shots. Previously, Ezart had merely injected me with two, and I had lost control and started fighting with him on the spot. Now I had already injected four shots, and yet I wished to continue injecting more? 

  The pain gradually faded; it appeared that the tranquilizers were taking effect. Perhaps I ought to have waited earlier rather than taking four shots at once—Never mind, perhaps it is better this way. There are still many things to do, and it would be problematic if I were hurting all over. 

  There are many things to do… At the moment, the most important task is… 

  Once again, I moved on, switching between x-speed and glide steps. Whenever I felt that I reached my limits, I switched back to advancing at a regular speed, but as long as I recovered a little, I immediately went back into the world of glide steps and x-speed. 

  Under the effects of the tranquilizers, I did not feel pain or fatigue. The only problem was that, as I went on, I went from wheezing to nearly being unable to breathe. However, I had no desire to stop and continued running onwards, intending to deal with it only if I actually collapsed. Instead, after a while, my breathing became smoother, completely different from the state of overusing x-speed. 

  I truly do not know what happened, but the only person who would be so anxious as to send hundreds of people to investigate because of something unusual about my condition had already been dead for many years. 

  My honorable father, if you knew what I was about to do now, how would you react? 

  I stopped in my tracks, for I finally saw my destination. It was a gorgeous and large hotel, some distance away from all of the buildings around it. I stepped onto a building taller than it, then jumped down directly. I released a great amount of my blood ability from my back, the blood transforming into a pair of wings. 

  I glided over and as I flew over the hotel, I did a large turn in the air. I reined in my blood ability slightly, letting the tips of my wings point forward, and then smashed through a French window to crash into the hotel. When I landed, my blood ability turned into two rapiers, one in each hand. 

  Three on the left, two on the right. 

  With my knees slightly bent, I raised my rapiers with both hands. Using x-speed, I passed through the two on the right. When I came to a halt, the two slowly collapsed. 

  I glanced at them from the corner of my eye and was shocked to discover that the heads were still attached to their necks. The rapiers had clearly sliced across their necks in the attack just now, so it was quite surprising that they had not severed completely with the extra boost from x-speed. The strength of these people was truly far above any ordinary person. If it were not for the fact that I had a secret weapon like x-speed, I probably would not be able to kill them?—The reputation of Sun Emperor’s adjudication squad was well-justified indeed! 

  However, having one’s neck completely or partially cut off made no difference, for the end result was still the same. They would not be able to crawl back up. 

  After dashing past the two, I did not linger around. I immediately stepped onto the wall behind him, and with a leap, I reached the ceiling. Once more, I dropped straight down, stabbing the two rapiers directly into their backs. The final person left standing kept firing at me non-stop, but he was completely incapable of hurting me as a result of failing to keep up with my speed, in addition to harboring apprehensions, unable to fire at will. 

  Even so, his firepower was strong and the continuous gunshots were deafening. If I were to draw closer, I would likely have to pay dearly for it. 

  With a dodge, I picked up the gun on the floor in passing and started shooting back in retaliation. What I did not anticipate was that it was much more troublesome than using rapiers. Though the other was hit by bullets repeatedly and his whole body was ridden with holes, he still persistently refused to fall. It seemed that the damage done to him by the bullets was greatly inferior to a slash from a blade. 

  I decided that I could hold it no longer. In reality, all this happened in the span of a few seconds, but the more it dragged on, the more likely that a mishap would occur. I threw away the gun and dashed up to him with the resolve to have to take a few bullets on the way. Once more, my surroundings moved in slow motion as I used my x-speed. While I was naturally unable to keep track of such a vast number of bullets, I was able to see the direction the gun muzzle was pointed, and with that, the bullets became significantly easier to avoid. 

  I focused hard on the muzzle and advanced in a zig-zig pattern. This allowed me to evade the majority of the bullets. While there were some that slipped through, they mostly just brushed past me and did not cause any major harm. 

  I stood in front of the other person. Though bangs were still ringing from the gun in his hands, the muzzle had long since been pointed past me. Two rapiers stabbed him in an upwards motion to pierce his throat, coming back out through the back of his head. 

  When I pulled out the rapiers, he fell to the ground. What was frightening was that the gunshots continued for a while before they came to a complete halt. These modified humans were truly unbelievable. 

  Bang! 

  I darted a meter to my left and turned around to look at the only person remaining in the room. He was standing by the office table, and the calm demeanor that he had always retained had finally been broken. While his arms were raised with a gun, he seemed to know that it was of no use, so he did not fire. Instead, he stared blankly at me with wide eyes. 

  With another glide step, I arrived right in front of him. Unexpectedly, he praised, “You really are fast!” 

  It seems that I am hearing this remark all the time recently; I am certain that I truly am very fast. Moreover, in the current situation, speed seems to be the only thing I can rely on. 

  The opponent had never been responsible for combat and likely did not have much ability in self-defense, similar to the Sun Emperor. However, he did not have Secretary Bai at his side, let alone Dark Sun. 

  “Charles, what are you—Urgh!” 

  I knocked the other person unconscious with a single punch.

  No Hero    

  Volume 8, The Beginning NO.8: Pandora’s Box

  Translated by TaffyGirl13 (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by J Tao & lucathia) 

  “Why?” 

  Ah Ye stood before the shattered French window. He looked down below as the strong winds blowing outside caused his hair to fly all over the place. My first instinct was to take off my windbreaker and put it over his shoulders, but I refrained from doing so, since I knew well that cold of this degree simply couldn’t affect him. Rather, I was the one who needed the jacket at all. 

  He turned around, asking simply, “Why?” His expression was one of utter loss and helplessness, as though there had not yet been enough time for him to register grief. 

  I indifferently explained, “It was just to draw you away from Luo Ye. No need to go downstairs. He’ll definitely be dead either way!!” 

  Ah Ye stared at me with the strangest emotion in his eyes and shook his head with a bitter smile. 

  Since when did my Ah Ye start holding back his tears? That child had clearly loved to cry before. All it took was for someone around him to be injured, and he would weep and cry out in pain. Yet now, that butler had even been shot at, and Ah Ye is still able to hold back his tears? 

  “Gē, you still don’t understand. I simply can’t leave. Charles wants to kill you, and he’s so powerful, I can’t leave your side. Forget Luo Ye, even if the adjudication squad was sent to dispatch Melody and the others, there’s no way I could leave you.” 

  No way… as in “would never,” or “not possible”? 

  “Gē, why did Charles attack you?” He stared straight at me, as though he believed in that butler even more than he trusted me. 

  I gave a displeased expression as I replied, “He’s the one who attacked me, yet you’re asking me why?” 

  Ah Ye opened his mouth, but could not explain. He turned his head away and said, “Charles left. I can’t ask him.” 

  “In that case, just wait until I find and drag him back here. You can ask him then.” 

  A look of fear suddenly showed on Ah Ye’s face as he pleaded, “Gē, please don’t bring Charles back. Don’t go searching for him!” 

  I froze. This had not been part of the plan. Immediately, I feigned anger and shouted, “He dared to raise a hand against me. No matter how you beg, I just have to make him pay!” 

  “Make him pay?” 

  Ah Ye’s smile was filled with indescribable pain. It was an expression I had never seen him wear before. 

  Ah Ye, you’ve only been living outside for a few years, yet you’ve grown up so quickly. Your gēge is starting to feel that he can’t keep up. Could you go a bit more slowly and let Gēge take care of you for a few more years? 

  “Gē, Charles has already raised a hand against you. The moment I see him, I… I’ll have to kill him. As for payment… if only it could be resolved with a simple punishment.” 

  I finally saw tears welling up in Ah Ye’s eyes. Although the sight was heart-breaking, it was also slightly relieving. 

  Not yet. He had not yet grown to the point where he wouldn’t cry anymore. 

  In the end, I couldn’t suppress the desire to comfort him and said, “You may not even be able to kill that guy in the first place. Did you see how fast he is?” 

  Ah Ye hesitated for a moment, and his look of agonizing despair finally eased a bit as he nodded and said, “Mm, he was probably the one tailing me before. I felt like something was off the whole time, but I could never find anything. So, turns out it was Charles… Ah!” 

  “What’s wrong?” I hurriedly asked. 

  Ah Ye’s face fell as he answered. “Ezart! He must have been helping Charles hide right under my nose.” 

  His pupils flashed unceasingly. This wasn’t a metaphor; a great many symbols were actually flashing by in an orderly fashion. This phenomenon would happen whenever he switched into “Dark Sun mode.” Every time I saw those eyes, I would always wonder just what kind of world Ah Ye saw through those eyes of his. 

  Ah Ye would always say that it wasn’t very different, but he had been modified when he was seven years old. Could he really still remember how the world had originally appeared? 

  Ah Ye took out his phone to make a call. “Ezart, come up right now, I’m on the… Help me, quick, I—” 

  While I was stunned, Ah Ye had already hung up. From beginning to end, his expression remained calm and unruffled, yet his tone was as urgent as if he were on the brink of death. It was just like before, when he had said “Save me” to fool that butler into turning around. 

  He looked at me with a cold and detached expression. The tears in his eyes had vanished without a trace. 

  Now Ezart had also become involved. While this was advantageous for my plans, it also raised the stakes. If something went wrong, Ah Ye would… 

  Did I bet a bit too much this time? 

  X, get away from here. I deeply apologize, but please, you must leave immediately. Do not respond to this, and do not trust any other messages. Flee now, and hide someplace where no one can ever find you! 

  Just as I sent this message out, I immediately prepared to close all my browser windows and leave. However, a new unread message notification suddenly appeared on the screen… Can he not listen to advice even once? 

  I hesitated for a moment, but was still unable to restrain myself from opening the message. 

  Where are you? 

  If this were the only line, perhaps I would not have even dared to reply, afraid that the Sun Emperor or Curtis would intercept the mail. For that matter, it was possible that it had not been written by X at all. However, these three words were followed by a line of fine print: In the past, when you were working as my butler, there was a woman by my side. What was her surname? 

  Tong. I could not give him my location, since our messages could be monitored. I had to leave within five minutes. What was Miss Tong’s first name? 

  That young miss… Thinking back to that time, X had been enshrouded in as many secrets as there were stars in the sky. However, the only way to get along with him in a friendly manner was to not investigate his matters. As a result, I could only swallow down his many secrets. 

  Xiao Ai. You’ve seen the directory log in the cell phone I once gave you, haven’t you? My number is in the log. Call me. 

  I stared for a moment. The cell phone, an ancient model to begin with, had already been broken when it was sent and had been impossible to turn on. Moreover, it had been left in the metal cabin back in Sunset City. 

  What could X’s words mean, then? I considered it carefully. While the cell phone had been unable to be powered on, there had been an accessory hanging from it with a phone number and written message: “Please call this number to return this phone if found.” 

  Although the phone was not currently in my possession, I did indeed remember that phone number. At first, when X had suddenly sent the phone to me, I would curiously flip it around now and again to inspect it. However, since I had been afraid of provoking X’s rage, I had not dared to actually call the number. 

  Is it possible X wanted me to call that number? After considering this for a moment, I responded with one final message before shutting off the device and standing up to leave. 

  The cell phone is not in my possession and I cannot check the directory. I must leave. What happened to Miss Tong in the end? 

  I did not know the answer to the last question. Of course, I did not expect a response from X either. 

  When I walked out of the internet café, it was only after stepping straight into a puddle that I belatedly discovered it was drizzling. I pulled my windbreaker’s hood up further. I had never considered that this piece of clothing might also function as a raincoat and provide cover from the rain. It was truly an essential piece of clothing for staying hidden. As expected of the young master… 

  A sharp pain suddenly came from my left shoulder, where a bullet had been embedded. I had not yet had the chance to treat it. Despite having painkillers which numbed the pain, I would still have to find an opportunity to remove the bullet. Otherwise, it would end up impacting any future movements. Fortunately, it was not a silver bullet—a truly rare occurrence, seeing as all of my recent injuries had contained traces of silver. 

  The young master had not prepared to face me as an enemy… I shook my head. 

  He had used his words to deceive me into turning around, and had then fired at me without hesitation. The bullet in my shoulder was even still aching faintly. The situation has already come to this. What am I still thinking! If I make the slightest mistake now, I will have no hope of reprieve. I cannot have such hesitation anymore. 

  Concealing myself in the darkness, I treaded up the walls and moved between buildings. After crossing several streets, and with much difficulty, I eventually found a public telephone booth, something that was truly hard to find in this day and age. It rang over and over, and just as I was starting to think I had mistaken X’s intent, the line finally connected. 

  “Endelis, where are you?” 

  It really is X’s voice… 

  I could not help but furrow my brows as I stated, “X, the phone might be monitored—” 

  “Shut up with your nonsense. Where are you?” 

  I fell silent, uncertain of whether or not I should tell X. His troubles were already plenty enough, and the city I was located in was simply too dangerous for him. If I told X, and he actually came over… 

  X coldly said, “Charles Endelis, if you don’t speak up, don’t think about ever seeing me again!” 

  “If you do not see me again—that may be for the better.” 

  I no longer had the protection of the Elysees Family. Based on my previous experiences, I was afraid that I would become X’s greatest weakness. If X truly did end up being captured by the Church because of me, a hundred deaths would not be enough to make up for my responsibility! 

  I took a deep breath, only then gathering the courage to say, “So long, X—No, it should be farewell.” 

  “Charles!” X roared in fury, “If you dare actually mean ‘farewell,’ I’ll go to the Church in Daystar City right now and scream your name!” 

  “…” I was a bit nostalgic as I answered, “It has been a long time since I last heard you call me just ‘Charles’.” 

  “Charles. Endelis!” X ground each word out individually through his teeth, “Where in the world are you?” 

  I helplessly replied, “X, what would you do if you knew where I was?” 

  “Go find you.” I never thought X would be so straightforward. 

  I chuckled bitterly and shook my head. “This is Daystar City, the city where the Church’s headquarters are located. How could you come here? Moreover, what could you do even if you did?” 

  “Give you blood and money.” 

  …These really were things I urgently required. I did not have much cash on me, and I could no longer use a debit card or credit card. However, X could not come to Daystar City under any circumstances. I had to persuade him to give up on the thought. 

  After speaking for so long, I raised my head to glance outside the telephone booth, deeply terrified that people might be lining up outside. Only then did I discover the force of the rain was actually getting stronger and stronger. The people on the street passed by, one after another, and there was nobody waiting outside the telephone booth. 

  I suppose that makes sense. These days, who would still be using a telephone booth? 

  Thinking back to the past, there used to always be people lined up outside telephone booths. Even when it was raining, there were many people who would refuse to leave. Who could say for what or for whom, but they would stubbornly persist in lining up outside in the pouring rain to make a single phone call. But then, cell phones appeared, and the even more advanced smartphones came out immediately afterward. How could something as outdated as telephone booths not be replaced… 

  “Charles? Where is your hideout?” 

  “By the ruins at the edge of Daystar City, inside a standalone red building.” As soon as I said this, I suddenly realized that I had actually exposed myself! Why is that? Could it be related to the tranquilizer’s effects? 

  “Ruins? That place with a lot of abandoned buildings? 

  “You know of it?” X had come to Daystar City before? This city, where the Church has its headquarters? 

  “I’ve lived there, in the past.” 

  I closed the door as I entered the room and walked over to the bed. The person tied to it turned his head to look at me, his expression no longer stupefied, but completely serene. 

  I placed some clothing down next to him and said, “I apologize for my rudeness, Head Butler Kyle.” 

  “I’m a secretary!” Head Butler Kyle raised a brow and replied, “How many times must I correct you for you to no longer mistake my title? Charles Endelis, it seems you are not as obedient as your outer appearance indicates.” 

  I untied the ropes binding his hands and feet. 

  Head Butler Kyle stared blankly for a moment, then sat up and stared at me suspiciously as he asked, “Are you sure you want to release me?” 

  “I am right here. Moreover, if I do not release you, how could you change clothes and eat something?” 

  Head Butler Kyle was currently only wearing a bathrobe. Although the night was not very cold, having him wear such clothing while trussed up was truly too humiliating. 

  Since there had been no way to confirm what items on his person may have had hidden tracking devices, I could only leave everything in the hotel and grab a bathrobe to clothe him in. 

  I had even given his teeth a once-over. After all, movies often included plots where transmission devices were hidden in someone’s molars. Fortunately, Head Butler Kyle’s teeth were clearly untouched—I had not wanted to remove any of his teeth on the spot. 

  Head Butler Kyle unworriedly donned the clothing and ate all the food without asking a single question. Once he cleared every bit of food, he put down the utensils and unflinchingly asked, “Why did you capture me?” 

  “Head Bu…you should know something.” I omitted his title. There was no longer a need to speak respectfully to anyone, including the young master—no, including Ri Xiang Ye! 

  Head… Kyle furrowed his brows. He was not wearing his glasses, which was honestly an unfamiliar sight for me. However, I could not complain, as I had been the one to discard his glasses. 

  “No, I do not know anything regarding this issue.” 

  I remained unmoved as I said, “You act in the highest position of head butler for the Sun Emperor. How could you not know anything?” 

  “That highest position is ‘secretary.’ I really don’t know anything.” Kyle massaged his temples, feeling a headache come on as he answered, “What did the Sun Emperor do this time?” 

  I smiled thinly and answered, “I did not say the matter was caused by the Sun Emperor.” 

  “If you came to capture me, that means the issue is not about the young master. Only the Sun Emperor would make you think of me, correct? You knew I was staying in this hotel because the young master brought you—” 

  At this point, Kyle abruptly paused before continuing as if he was speaking to himself, “No, the young master would actually have you return to the protection of the Elysees Family, because he would not want you to wade into these murky waters, which means he would not have helped you hide in Daystar City.” 

  He raised his head to look at me, asking in a somewhat uncertain tone, “You followed the young master to my location? You actually have a way to tail him?” 

  “I do. Now it is your turn to answer questions. Why did you lead Briar away?” 

  Kyle studied me but did not take long to respond. “The Sun Emperor wanted to kill Luo Ye, so he had me lure the enemy away from its territory and deceive the young master into coming out. Those were the orders I received. Anything after that is likely Secretary Bai’s affairs. He has recently been staying at the Sun Emperor’s side. I was assigned elsewhere, so I do not know much.” 

  He sighed and added, “Since the situation has now come to this, I more or less understand why the Sun Emperor has recently been bringing Secretary Bai around and delaying my transfer back to my original position. I would urge the Sun Emperor too strongly not to interfere with the young master’s matters; however, Secretary Bai would not do so.” 

  At this point, he met my gaze with utmost sincerity and said, “You must first tell me, what exactly did the Sun Emperor—” 

  A sound suddenly came from outside the building, as if someone had kicked a metal can. The two of us glanced backwards. When Kyle guessed, “Perhaps it’s a homeless person,” I knocked him unconscious once more. 

  “Charles Endelis!” 

  I started. This voice is— 

  “X?” 

  I promptly rushed out and spotted him in the hall without too much searching. It truly is X! 

  I stared in disbelief as the person walked over. He wore a formal suit, which was a rare sight. He even wore a pair of glasses, which made him look like an everyday white-collar worker. To be precise, he seemed to be the kind of white-collar worker Kyle was: one filled with an imposing confidence. 

  “X, you…” I stuttered in shock and asked one question after another. “You… How were you so fast? Don’t tell me, were you in Daystar City from the start? How could you hide from the Church’s pursuit?” 

  “Mm.” X’s only answer was a sound of affirmation as he removed his glasses and stowed them in his front pocket with a look of extreme loathing. 

  “You were actually staying in the city where the Church’s headquarters are!” Completely exasperated, I asked, “What could you have been thinking?” 

  X indifferently replied, “Generally speaking, I don’t stay here much. But—why not?” 

  I anxiously said, “This place has many of the Church’s troops, you—” 

  He waved a hand impatiently to cut me off. “It’s not like I plan on facing them head-on. When it comes to the ability to escape, who could beat a vampire?” 

  Who could beat you, you mean? 

  X looked me up and down. “What exactly happened? You’ve even stopped trusting in the Elysees?” 

  I fell silent for a while before I gestured toward the room Kyle was in, and said, “Let us first go inside.” 

  Since I was in a rush earlier, I had not tied Kyle up. Leaving him in the room alone made me uneasy. I was afraid that if he managed to escape, X and I could face impending disaster. 

  Fortunately, Kyle was still inside, head against the bedside, just as I had left him after knocking him unconscious earlier. I placed him back on the bed before rebinding his limbs. 

  During this time, aside from raising an eyebrow at the initial sight, X paid no attention to who this person was, without asking a single question. He simply watched as I lifted Kyle onto the bed. Only then did he turn and glare at me with an extremely dangerous expression. If I did not clear up the situation, I would likely not have to wait for the Sun Emperor to get rid of me. 

  I could only tell X the full story, omitting no details. However, the narrative was riddled with my own doubts and suspicions, as I could not comprehend why the Sun Emperor would personally appear. Moreover, exactly what exchange had he made with Curtis and the Church? 

  After hearing everything, X only let out a cold chuckle. “Using you for a transaction? Hah, regardless, you are all alone in the world now. It does not matter what truly happened—” 

  “No!” I interrupted with an angry roar. “It is very important!” 

  I was filled with unfathomable fury. Is it due to the tranquilizer? However, I could still feel the stabbing pain from my left shoulder, which meant that the tranquilizer’s effects should have mostly subsided already. 

  I was so agitated I could barely control myself, yet the other person remained as calm and unwavering as before. This was nothing like my usual interactions with X. Typically speaking, the opposite was true instead. I was truly too upset, which was not good… I must calm down. Calm down! 

  X unexpectedly asked, “Exactly what is very important?” 

  I raised my eyes to look at him. Since I had been trying to calm myself down the entire time, I had trouble understanding the meaning of X’s question. 

  “What?” 

  X seemed to take pity on me as he asked, “Kaius died long ago, and recently, so did Sadina. To the you of the present, what else is important?” 

  I had not expected X to say such a thing. I stared at him blankly for a while before demanding in a low, enraged voice, “X, what is the meaning of your words?” 

  X answered even more coolly, “I mean to say that since all your loved ones have died, is the ‘very important’ thing you just spoke of actually important? Right now, there should no longer be anything important to you. In that case—” 

  “You are very important!” I glared at him. The fury that I had just managed to somewhat restrain flared up once more, and this time, I could not hold back. 

  X paused upon hearing this answer. 

  “The young master is very important.” After opening my mouth, I could no longer stop. Face after face flashed through my mind as I shouted out each name. “Curtis is very important. Melody is also very important. Mr. Briar’s group and DSII are very important. The heroes are very important. Even the apartment the young master and I reside in is very important!” 

  Without my realizing, the number of people and things that were important to me had become very large. After losing my honorable father and then losing Sadina, the amount of important matters had instead continued to grow… I did not want to lose it all. I did not want to lose the young master I had finally found after so much difficulty! 

  However, as matters stood, I had ultimately raised my hand against the Sun Emperor. The young master’s instinct was to eliminate all of the Sun Emperor’s enemies. Is there really any opportunity to recover the situation? 

  Why has everything advanced so suddenly? Even as I thought we could return to our daily lives in Sunset City after the matter was resolved, have things already reached the point of no return, right before my eyes? 

  “The truth is very important… I want to know everything! I want to know why the Sun Emperor is set on killing Luo Ye. I want to know what the unspeakable secrets the young master had referred to are. I want to know why Curtis betrayed me, and what deal it was that he made with the Sun Emperor. And most of all, I want to know—” 

  I halted sharply. I had really lost control… However, I really did want to know; I desperately wanted to know exactly what had really occurred that had suddenly caused me to lose everything!

  “Most of all, you want to know what?” 

  X stared straight into my eyes, not giving me any chance to avoid the question. I had already lost control to such an extent, yet he still had to be so forceful! 

  Having been pushed to this stage, I could no longer differentiate the emotions rising endlessly in my chest, and I had long been unable to tell apart anger and grief. If it were not for the fact that X was my elder who I regarded as both a father and a brother, I might have already thrown a punch at him. However, even now, both my hands were clenched tightly into fists, and I was unwilling to flee from any more questions. 

  “Most of all, I want to know if the young master had even the slightest hesitation when he shot at me.” 

  The pain in my left shoulder was growing stronger and stronger. Have the painkillers already worn off? I really should have removed that bullet. 

  X suddenly laughed and lightly exclaimed, “Very good! You’re finally acting like a young person.” 

  “… I am already a hundred and fifty years old.” 

  I weakly opened my fists, finally understanding why X had to say these things. Even in these heated circumstances, just as he had in the past, X had actually used any means necessary to exasperate me. 

  X uncaringly replied, “You are not even two hundred years old. Compared to someone as old as me, a vampire as young as you could even be considered an infant! Any other arguments?” 

  I was at a loss for words. 

  Somewhat impatiently, he said, “I don’t know when it started, but you’ve always been completely apathetic like this. After Kaius’s death, all you wanted was to quietly hide until your own death, as though you, and not I, were the one who had already lived a thousand years. Do you know how many more centuries, or even millennia, you would need to wait before dying? Do you plan on living like this forever?” 

  “I don’t even want to live for millennia.” The mere thought of passing a thousand years was incomparably terrifying. 

  “Then, what are you afraid of?” 

  “What?” I was dumbstruck. Afraid? 

  X grabbed my shoulders, the pain forcing a low grunt from me. However, he did not pay it any mind, and he continued aggressively, “You’ve lived a hundred and fifty years and already feel like you’ve lived long enough, so what are you still afraid of? Why must you force yourself to live cowering in fear, daring to do less than even someone like me, who is being hunted? If you really want to understand those great secrets, you must throw caution to the wind and be willing to risk your life!” 

  Throw caution to the wind… If that is what needs to be done in order to learn the truth of why I lost everything, so what if I use my life in exchange for it! 

  “Understood,” I bit out through clenched teeth. 

  X showed a rare happiness when he heard my reply, as though he were not hearing about circumstances in which lives may be lost, but rather about some momentously joyous occasion. If I did not understand X as well as I did, I might have assumed that he was looking forward to me throwing my life away. 

  “X, please release me. I was shot in the shoulder.” 

  X went so far as to ask, “Shot by your young master? Does the injured area hurt?” He then actually grabbed my shoulder again. 

  “Yes, it hurts…” 

  X was silent for a moment. Then he answered, “I merely rested my hand on it. Your knee injury seems far more severe. If anything, that should be what hurts. What in the world did you do? I feel like there’s something off about your condition—your complexion is white as a sheet of paper.” 

  “Perhaps it is due the effects of the tranquilizer. I injected myself four times.” 

  However, as I spoke, I also became uncertain. Even if the painkiller effects had faded, X was correct: it should be my knee that hurts instead. Why is it that my left shoulder keeps hurting? Is there something special about the young master’s bullet? Or… 

  X’s eyebrows furrowed as he said, “From what you’ve said, you must have exceeded your limits already. Even with the tranquilizers, it’s been so long that you should have already passed out from pushing your limits. But from what you described, it sounds like you didn’t pass out even once?” 

  “I never lost consciousness.” After a moment of contemplation, I continued in confusion, “I seem to have no sense of sleepiness either, despite having been active for over thirty consecutive hours. Moreover, most of that time was spent in battle and using x-speed for long periods of time. What exactly—” 

  I suddenly recalled—Lieder’s drug! The power to not require sleep! 

  “You’re not feeling any pain at all.” 

  “What?” I looked at X, not understanding his words. 

  X’s brows were knit together as he explained, “While you were in a daze just now, I pressed hard on your shoulder, but you didn’t react at all. The painkillers’ effects have not subsided yet.” 

  I started. If the effects have not disappeared yet, why does my left shoulder keep hurting? 

  “Your young master hurt you too severely.” 

  After saying this casually, he lifted the suitcase he was holding and dropped it on the table, before pulling blood bags out of it and throwing them at me. 

  “Drink these quickly, and listen to me in the meantime.” 

  I nodded and bit down on the blood bag. As soon as the first sip of blood entered my throat, I realized just how thirsty I was. These tranquilizers were truly dangerous, especially when combined with the ability of not requiring sleep… Could it be that I no longer even have the ability to lose consciousness? 

  This was a truly unnerving turn of events. Fainting was actually a defense mechanism to notify you that your body has exceeded its capacity and can no longer continue… Never mind, if I am throwing even my life to the wind, not being able to pass out is a good thing. 

  “I do not have much cash. Most of this is gold.” 

  X opened the suitcase. The items inside had been divided into multiple boxes, making it impossible to identify them. He opened one at random and showed me the gold baubles inside. Moreover, since they all seemed old-fashioned, bringing them to a pawnshop would not actually draw too much attention. 

  “You should only sell off one or two of these gold accessories at a time. Too many would draw unnecessary suspicion. The others are blood bags. There are not that many since they take up a lot of space and were harder to pack. If no one is too close on your tail, just find some human to drink blood from. Only, do not kill them.” 

  I asked in confusion, “However, if they make it known that I am a vampire, the Church may be able to gradually close in on my location.” 

  “Relax.” X said, undisturbed. “This is Daystar City, a city I am very familiar with. The people here would not casually say anything like ‘I was bitten by a vampire.’ They are terrified of being treated as an abnormal or lunatic, and fear others’ suspicion that they might turn into a vampire after being bitten. So as long as you do not fatally harm them, they will not publicize this information lightly.” 

  X reached out to open a flat box in the suitcase, revealing a suit. He then opened another, square-shaped box, containing a bundle of brown hair that was likely a wig. 

  As he pointed at the objects, he explained, “Your disguise is not bad, but in this kind of city, dressing up as a white-collar businessman is more appropriate.” 

  I bitterly smiled and asked, “I thought you were an old-fashioned vampire that did not care for mundane matters. I never would have imagined you would turn out to be capable of integrating into the masses of mankind.” 

  X was silent for a while. Then, he spat out with an immeasurable amount of resentment, “You’re right, I do not care for mundane matters. At the very least, I did not in the past, up until every city became full of surveillance cameras, and every human possessed cell phones and could contact others at any moment. There is also the damned internet that can broadcast information to the entire world!” 

  I quietly listened. Although it had not been for long, I had already started to experience the terror of surveillance cameras myself. If not for the young master’s prior advice on how to evade them, I likely would have no way to stay on the run and avoid capture for very long. 

  “If I did not learn how to assimilate with humans, the Church would have latched onto me like maggots, impossible to get rid of. There would be no place I could find shelter, and no moment I could relax! This, this… damned world!” 

  I did not know how to console the other person, especially since, in a few years, it was possible that I might also be complaining of such things—if I were still alive in a few years. 

  X put the clothes and wig in my hands as he said, “Charles, wear this wig and glasses. If the Elysees Family will no longer protect you, you will be in great danger. Following me will not be any safer either. Two people together make too obvious a target. Moreover, the Church is always right on my trail.” 

  As he spoke, his brows knit together more tightly, as if the person fleeing for their life for the first time was him and not me. 

  “You should not have any issues though.” X studied me, his expression easing slightly as he continued, “You have always lived among humans, and you appear to be gentle and easy to pick on. As long as you do not encounter people you are well acquainted with, nobody will believe you are a vampire.” 

  Is that a compliment? 

  “Toughen up, Charles, and become stronger!” X forcefully patted my shoulder. “I know Kaius did not want you to become too powerful, but those were the 1960s when you could stand still, letting the humans shoot at you, and still not die!” 

  X, there must be something wrong with your perception of a vampire’s strength. Sadina once nearly killed me with a letter opener. 

  “Yet because the Elysees Family Head was your father, Kaius, he had enough power to protect you. Now, however, the humans keep modifying themselves to become stronger, and Kaius has long since passed away. With Sadina dead now as well—” 

  I suddenly looked up at X, who only raised a brow rather than avoiding the subject. He had always been like this, even in the past: when my honorable father had passed, X had also acted like this, as if someone’s death was nothing to grieve over, or was even a happy occasion worth celebrating… To someone like X that has lived for millennia, perhaps death truly is a joyous event? 

  After making this connection, I no longer minded if X constantly mentioned Sadina or my honorable father. 

  I placed the empty blood bag down and asked with a bitter laugh, “X, I am too weak, am I not?” 

  X laughed and passed another bag of blood to me and, contrary to my expectations, answered, “You finally care about strength. In reality, you are not weak considering your age. Rather, you are exceedingly strong.” 

  “Exceedingly strong?” I shook my head. “Are you certain you are referring to me?” 

  He disinterestedly responded, “What kind of vampire less than two hundred years old is not darting around in hiding? Who would be like you: you, who knows me, whose residence everyone knows the location of, who even found a hero for a young master? It would be easy if you lived on Elysees territory the whole time, but you did not stay there for very long, did you?” 

  I quietly said, “Despite not living there, I still received the family’s protection.” 

  “That’s right.” X nodded. “So I’m quite satisfied that the young master you found knows how to stir up trouble, which has given you substantial training.” 

  “Young… Ri Xiang Ye, he…” Is very well-behaved. Yet, after recalling everything that had occurred these past few years, I could not say these words out loud. 

  “Your young master is indeed not bad. However, since you have already had a falling out with him, he has become your most frightening enemy.” X’s gaze locked onto me as he stated, “He taught you a lot, but it is precisely because he taught you that he is also the one that understands you best. If anyone could capture you while you are in hiding, it would have to be him!” 

  Indeed, anything he did not teach me was taught to me by Poseidynne, which was not too different, since Poseidynne was right by the young master’s side. 

  How can I become stronger in a short period of time? Strengthening my blood ability was impossible; it was an ability that could only be improved bit by bit over time. The only part that could be improved to some extent was fine control, but that had already been enhanced greatly under Poseidynne’s guidance. Even she had once mentioned that my ability could only continue to advance through engagement in actual combat. 

  After pondering the idea for a while, I suddenly recalled a previous conversation with Lieder. 

  “X, would an energy weapon help my strength at all?” 

  X turned his head to look at me. After a long moment of silence, he answered, “You could purchase a dagger-type.” 

  Dagger-type… I really am an assassin. 

  “Why did you think of using an energy weapon?” X furrowed his brows and asked, “You are a vampire. A blade produced by our blood ability is a vampire’s source of power. Although your current situation is an emergency for which you might use an energy weapon, you absolutely must absolutely not lose sight of your bearings. A vampire’s strength is their blood ability!” 

  “I understand.” I quickly explained, “Someone once told me that I could be very powerful because of my extremely high speed. He said, abilities can always improve with external help, but speed will always be a limit, so no one could stop me if I possess an insurmountable weapon.” 

  After saying this, I was a bit unsure. While Lieder had spoken these words confidently, X, the one standing before me, could already resist me easily. Claiming that no one could stop me was truly an exaggeration. However, with the urgency of the current situation, I could not care whether Lieder’s words were excessive flattery or not. 

  “My blood ability is very far from the level of being insurmountable, which is why I thought of using an energy weapon to supplement the deficiency.” 

  X frowned deeply, his expression giving me a somewhat uneasy feeling that reminded me of the young master… No, Ri Xiang Ye! Why am I unable to change how I address him? If I have no choice but to face him directly, and I call him Young Master while fighting him, it would truly come out as too derisive! 

  I took a deep breath. Ri Xiang Ye also used energy weapons and was undoubtedly much more practiced in using them than I. In that case, what could I even do with an energy weapon? It was merely wishful thinking to hope that using an energy weapon would allow me to become stronger. 

  The corners of X’s mouth tilted upward, his smile not quite reaching his eyes as he stared at me. I had witnessed him smile more today than I had over the past hundred years, a realization that made me feel profoundly powerless. X seemed very happy that I had finally been caught in dangerous circumstances… 

  However, he did not harbor any ill intent. He simply believed that I had been too well protected, and that my combat ability was too lacking. I could not continue relying on the family forever, and the current situation was proof of this. X was correct. 

  “Charles Endelis, perhaps you are a being more terrifying than even your young master.”


  No Hero    

  Volume 8, The Beginning NO.9: The Chosen One

  Translated by Raylight (proofread by Trespasserby; C/E edited by Taffygirl13 & lucathia) 

  Ezart charged into the room. This guy was Ah Ye’s first friend. He had his hair dyed orange red, a tattoo on the left side of his face, and a very muscular physique—When I first heard that this kind of person was Ah Ye’s friend, all I wanted to do was kill him. 

  If it was not for An Te Qi claiming that it would have a bad effect on Ah Ye if his first friend died violently or disappeared off the face of the Earth, I really would make him vanish without a trace! 

  Ah Ye has no standards to speak of when choosing his friends, accepting riffraff of any sort. At first, I thought that it was because Ah Ye trusts people too easily. However, all the people I picked for him were adept with the pen and sword, yet he refused to keep them by his side. It wasn’t that he did not want to keep anyone that I sent over though, since he accepted that female vampire and the three bodyguards. 

  To think that those people all passed the test. 

  Perhaps Ah Ye has a much more discerning eye than I had originally thought. This way, perhaps I do not need to be too brutal… 

  The moment Ezart saw the situation in the room, he unclenched his fists and then looked suspiciously at Ah Ye. 

  Ah Ye’s face was mournful as he said, “Ezart, Charles attacked me.” 

  “The butler attacked you?” Ezart started at this and asked, “How could ‘that butler’ possibly make a move against you? Besides, he can’t possibly defeat you. Is he simply asking for death?” 

  Ah Ye froze, and said, “Charles is very strong. He’s even faster than before. He attacked Gē—He attacked me!” 

  Ezart’s face was still full of suspicion, that bastard! He dared to not believe Ah Ye’s words… Though they were indeed lies. 

  “Charles said that you are on his side, too?” Ah Ye’s face was sorrowful as he asked, “And even aided in hiding him. Is that true?” 

  Ezart scratched his head as he said, “I did help hide him, but that has nothing to do with whose side I’m on! Ah Ye, are you mistaken? That butler would actually not stand with you? Is he being controlled by someone again?” 

  “No, his head was clear.” Ah Ye seemed unable to continue lying much further, and cut to the main point, “Ezart, where is Charles hiding? I’m going to find him to ask him clearly!” 

  “How would I know!” 

  Dark Sun’s cold expression flickered across Ah Ye’s face for a moment as he asked, “Are you really on his side?” 

  “What nonsense are you spouting!” Ezart’s expression changed and he roared, “He’s your butler, not my butler. Why would I stand on his side?” 

  Ah Ye fell silent for a moment, and then said, “I can’t tell.” 

  “What?” 

  “I can’t tell if what you said was the truth or a lie.” 

  Ezart’s expression shifted. He stared hard at Ah Ye, and only said two words, “Dark Sun?” 

  Ah Ye did not reply back, but the look on his face was true to what Ezart had guessed. It was Dark Sun. 

  “Why did you become Dark Sun?” Ezart slowly retreated, and warily asked, “What exactly have you done to the butler?” 

  “Where is Charles?” 

  Ah Ye drew closer to Ezart step by step. Faced with his good friend of many years, Dark Sun’s face did not falter one bit. However, I could hear his anguished cries, the helpless and frail Ah Ye that was hidden behind Dark Sun’s face… 

  If I simply cancelled the plan and explained everything, Ah Ye would immediately stop suffering now. However, the phrase “thousand years” immediately came to mind. His pain right now was only temporary. For the sake of his thousand years, all of this was required. All of this was necessary… 

  All for the sake of Ah Ye’s upcoming thousand years. 

  My current state was truly strange. I did not feel the slightest desire to sleep, and even if I were to shut my eyes to try and get some rest, I would get up very quickly. 

  Though in the current situation, not requiring sleep may perhaps be a good thing. However, would it really not become an issue in the long run? 

  As for Lieder’s medicine, X was also unable to come up with an explanation for it. He merely told me to drink more blood, which I did and drank four full bags, with each bag containing two hundred and fifty grams of blood. In the past, drinking a thousand grams of blood would be enough to make me not feel hunger for the entire day. If I was not too active, there would be no issues lasting two days on it. However, as of now I had chugged down four bags in one shot, and my hunger was still not satiated. I probably would have been able to drink more if it were not for X’s concerns that we did not have enough blood bags, hence chasing me out to find some fresh human blood. 

  “Go and hunt for food! You must drink till you start feeling full, to test how much you need to drink before it’s enough.” 

  Once X gave an order, there was no room for negotiations. I had merely just removed the bullet from my left shoulder when I was forcefully chased out, not even having enough time to advise him to leave quickly. 

  I put down the man in my arms and lay him leaning against the alley wall. There were already two others there, all young men in their twenties. Losing five hundred grams of blood would not cause them too much harm, and given the excellent security of Daystar City, it ought to be fine leaving them in the alley. 

  This time, I finally began to feel somewhat full. If I add the thousand grams of blood I drank earlier, with the five hundred grams or so each from three people, that means it took about two thousand five hundred grams of blood for me to be satisfied? Is this normal, or is it perhaps because of my heavy injuries that I need so much blood? 

  I was uncertain of how long this blood could last me. Though it was not difficult to get blood in this current era, it would still be largely inconvenient if I would feel hunger periodically. 

  After I had drunk my fill of blood, I felt much more energized, and the heaviness I felt from my knee seemed to have lightened. Pain still throbbed in my shoulder from time to time, but it did not hinder my movements. 

  I moved my hands and feet, making sure that I had no problems with a range of motions before I then rushed over to the location. What I was about to do was truly risky and required utmost caution. 

  I wore a disguise of a brown wig, an office suit, and thick glasses. Without a closer look, even I would be unable to recognise myself. However, I was still extremely worried about being discovered. I hesitated for a long time before I got on a taxi. If I did not use x-speed and merely walked and glide stepped, it would take far too much time and energy. 

  I got out of the car two streets away from my destination, and then slowly walked in the shadows, going through numerous hidden sentry posts along the way. This place was simply much too dangerous, but I had no choice but to return here—the hotel that I had just escaped from. 

  Walking up the hotel walls, I carefully avoided the surveillance cameras that were practically everywhere. I looked at the French window, the majority of which was covered in cracks spreading in a spider-web pattern. With much difficulty, I managed to find a small patch that was still transparent and looked in, inwardly thankful that the people inside had not switched rooms. 

  Everyone in the room was injured, and I could tell that their injuries were casually bandaged. Bramble seemed depressed as he drank his tea. It appeared that there were no more tea bags and what he was drinking was canned tea. Every time he took a mouthful, he frowned. Bandages were wrapped around his left arm, and the rest of him was covered by his clothing, so I could not tell where else he was injured. However, there were quite a few areas stained with blood. 

  May was seated on the sofa, not saying a word with his head hung low. On the left side of his face was a massive bruise, and his left eye was so swollen he could only keep it partially open. Half of his face remained delicate while the other side was disfigured, making him look rather frightening. 

  Dell was lazily sprawled over the three-seater sofa. He was not wearing a top, and half of his chest was wrapped in bandages. Though he wore a lazy expression, his face looked extremely pale. 

  Melody was seated on the only office chair, idly looking at the nail polish on her fingers. On the table was a nearly emptied glass of blood. For someone who valued beauty over all else, her neck to shoulder was covered in charred black burns. They were not bandaged, since for a vampire, it would be more effective to drink more blood than apply medicine. 

  I walked to the other window. The curtains were drawn, but there was still a small gap. When I peered through the gap, I saw Briar lying on the bed. She did not seem to be having a restful sleep, as she would roll around from time to time. On the bed, another person was seated while looking at her with worried eyes. That person was Poseidynne. It seemed like these two were unharmed. 

  Nitewalker was standing behind Poseidynne, right in the utmost corner of the room. It looked like he was guarding the two. 

  At this moment, the bathroom door opened, and Ezart walked out. He was not wearing a top either, and his abdomen was bandaged. However, some parts of the bandages were reddish in color, so it seemed that quite a bit of the blood had seeped through the bandages even after he wrapped it up. 

  He exchanged a look with Poseidynne, the two of them not speaking a single word. Then, Ezart headed toward the living room. 

  At this point, the situation in the room was fully clear to me, unless there were more people in the bathroom. However, I believed that Ezart could not possibly have been sharing the bathroom with someone else. 

  Where is Luo Ye? Was he already killed? 

  I pondered for a while, and then jumped off the building. I targeted someone who had just wrapped up his conversation on his phone, and brushed shoulders with him. In-passing, I took his phone and of course, I did not forget to throw a golden ring into his pocket. 

  Then, I returned to my original spot above the hotel’s French window, and dialed Melody’s number. 

  “Do not speak.” 

  Inside the room, Melody’s eyes turned wide. 

  “You should be able to recognize me from my voice. Now, leave the room by yourself and do not alert any others. Do not bring any electronics with you, and then walk to a place with fewer people. If you contact anyone else or have someone accompany you, I will leave immediately.” 

  Melody had already composed herself by now and calmly said, “Is that so? Okay, I’ll go and pick it up from you now.” 

  When she met the questioning gazes of everyone in the room, she explained, “The blood delivery I ordered arrived. He’s waiting outside. I’ll go and get it. You all better look after the young master’s two precious wives well.” 

  Dell made a cutting remark, “Of course Bri goes without saying, but to look after the other… I think it’s more like she’ll be looking after us!” 

  Bramble’s face turned darker and May’s head hung even lower. 

  Melody raised an eyebrow, and said, “What are you saying, bodyguards?! That fish is strong indeed, but her sense of alertness is terrible! By the time she discovers the danger, she’s probably already half-dead! If you all don’t keep watch, then who will?” 

  Dell sat up, May raised his head, and Bramble finished his canned tea in one gulp. Dell chuckled and replied, “Of course we’ll keep watch!” 

  “That’s more like it.” 

  Melody gave a snort, and then took out a silk scarf from her bag to cover up the burn marks on her neck. Her footsteps rang loud and clear as she stepped out of the room. After waiting for a while, I saw her exit through the hotel doors, and she rejected the attendant’s suggestion to call a taxi for her. She walked by herself on the road, her graceful and beautiful posture attracting many admiring gazes. 

  After walking for a distance, she turned into an alley and moved all the way in. She then shouted, “Come out! This is the only alley around with no surveillance cameras, and I can’t be too far from the hotel.” 

  I checked the surroundings for a while, and just as she was about to impatiently leave, I jumped to the alley entrance and blocked her exit. 

  Melody froze and said, “Your skills sure have improved really quickly. Could it be an advantage of a pureborn vampire? Forget it, that’s not important here. Butler, did the young master call you here to say something?” 

  I remained silent, not sure how much the youn—Ri Xiang Ye had told Melody. She seemed not to know of the clash between me and Ri Xiang Ye. 

  “I wish to know the exact events that transpired last night. Where is Luo Ye? Is he dead?” 

  “The young master and Ezart didn’t tell you? Oh right, what’s up with Ezart? He doesn’t answer my questions. Putting aside the fact that he suddenly rushed out in the middle of a fight yesterday, there hadn’t been a wound on his stomach when he’d left, and it looked as though his stomach had been sliced open when he returned. I asked him who injured him, but he didn’t say a single word and only wore a foul expression. 

  At this point, she looked at me and asked in suspicion, “Could it be that you injured him?” 

  I shook my head and answered, “I did not see him yesterday.” 

  Melody nodded. She seemed not to suspect what I said and merely asked, “The young master is at the Sun Emperor’s place right? When he called back, his only orders upon listening to our report was for us to stay here and await orders. He didn’t say anything else and wouldn’t let Bramble and the others follow him. The three of them were so disheartened that they nearly wanted to quit their jobs.” 

  Quit? At first I was astonished, and afterwards I quietly said, “Perhaps it may be a good thing if they quit.” 

  Melody froze. She stared at me in disbelief and asked, “What did you say? Y-you’re the butler right? That butler?” 

  “… If the butler that you are referring to is Charles Endelis, then I am indeed ‘that butler.’” 

  Melody glared at me, seeming to finally realize that something was off. She retreated a few steps and said cautiously, “You don’t seem like him. ‘That butler’ cannot defeat me, but you… keep giving off a dangerous vibe!” 

  “I was injected with a lot of tranquilizers.” I could not help trying to explain, but once I said that, it felt like a foolish excuse. No matter whether or not there were tranquilizers at play, I was no longer “that butler” from before. 

  “What exactly happened?” Melody inquired seriously, completely retracting her casual attitude used with familiar people. She added, “Don’t come over!” 

  Such a distance would be nothing with x-speed. I did not remind her, and merely asked with some curiosity, “Did Ri Xiang Ye not tell you?” 

  Her eyes widened, and in a strange tone, she shouted, “What did you call him?” 

  I fell silent for a moment, then repeated, “Ri Xiang Ye.” 

  “Charles. Endelis. Did you raise a hand against the young master?” Melody’s expression was stern, and her voice turned into the Hollow Roar unique to vampires. 

  “…. No.” He was the one who raised a hand against me. 

  Her expression eased a little, but her gaze was still sharp as she said, “Fine, I’ll tell you what happened. But you also have to tell me what on earth happened between you and the young master! As well as what matter of business Ezart has been up to!” 

  “I do not know of Ezart’s business.” 

  Melody shouted in rage, “Even if you really don’t know what happened to him, you must at least know something! Right?” 

  I pondered for a moment, and then nodded my head in agreement. 

  Melody drew a deep breath, and then started narrating the events of that day. 

  “I was summoned back by the young master, who then ordered all of us to stay in his room. We didn’t know what to do so we could only look at each other helplessly. Not that I want to say it, but I really don’t like that guy.” 

  “To whom are you referring to?” I asked in puzzlement. Could it be possibly Ezart? However, at that time he was rescuing Briar with the young master, so he should not have been in the room. 

  Melody’s lips were pursed as she said, “Who else is there aside from that Luo Ye!” 

  “He looks similar to the Sun Emperor.” I was a little surprised, for I had thought that Melody would like him because of that. It would not have occurred to me that she would instead dislike him. 

  Melody gave a cold snort and said, “One high and mighty monarch is enough. He isn’t that person, so showing such an attitude only makes one dislike him! Who does he think he is? Hmph! But even if I dislike him, the young master wanted us to protect him, so we had to follow orders.” 

  At this moment, her expression suddenly turned strange as she said, “But the people who burst in that day, were no other than the adjudication squad.” 

  As I expected. I stared at Melody with furrowed brows, recalling Kyle’s words: The young master’s people all belong to the Sun Emperor. 

  Melody, where do your loyalties lie? 

  “My!” Once Melody stepped through the door, she saw many familiar faces seated on the sofa with dark expressions. However, among those people, the only person who was supposed to be here was Nitewalker. She could not resist asking, “How long have you all been here?” 

  “We just arrived today.” Dell seemed discouraged as he lamented. 

  Melody burst into laughter. “Are you all even professional bodyguards? To think you would be discovered by the young master in less than a day!” 

  The three bodyguards were unable to retort. Dell had a pitiful look, while May and Bramble looked rather surly. 

  “It’s fine!” Melody comforted, “I mean, who’s our young master? It’s extremely difficult to hide things from him. Even if he found you all, it’s no big deal. I’ll help speak up for you guys. You guys know our young master’s personality too. He can’t stay angry for long. I don’t even think he could punish you.” 

  “Briar is missing.” Poseidynne clenched her fist. If it were not for Ah Ye sternly forbidding it, she definitely would have gone out looking for her. 

  Melody was shocked and exclaimed, “You actually brought Briar over, too?” 

  She received a confirmation from reading everyone’s faces, and then weakly said, “Did you all feel masochistic and have nothing better to do? To bring the young master’s precious one to this kind of place, are you forcing him to punish you?” 

  “Who is Xiang Ye’s precious one?” Luo Ye suddenly asked. 

  When they heard the words “Xiang Ye,” everyone almost could not react, for simply too few people addressed the young master as such. If they did not call him Young Master, then they would be calling him by his nickname Ah Ye. 

  “His daughter.” Melody casually pointed at Bramble, and then continued, “She is also the young master’s fiancée.” 

  After saying that, she pointed at Poseidynne and said in poor taste, “This is the backup fiancée.” 

  “Xiang Ye is already betrothed to two people at such a young age?” Luo Ye asked in astonishment, “Was it arranged by the Sun Emperor?” 

  Melody nearly rolled her eyes at that. The main point was that he was too young, and not that he had two betrothed? Damn these rich people… She tried to remain patient as she said, “Of course not. If the Sun Emperor arranged it, would he arrange for Ah Ye to marry a bodyguard’s daughter?” 

  Bramble raised an eyebrow, but did not say anything. After interacting with each other for so long, everyone knew each other’s personalities, and he understood that Melody had no ill intent. 

  Luo Ye coldly answered, “It is precisely because he is the Sun Emperor that he would do such a thing.” 

  “This is the little girlfriend that the young master found on his own. If anyone were to stop him and Briar from dating, he will immediately fall out with them.” Melody intentionally exaggerated, to prevent this person that popped out of nowhere from ruining the young master’s happiness and stirring up a lot of unnecessary trouble. 

  Luo Ye frowned. It seemed that he too had realized that now was not the time to be meddling with such matters, and hence he did not speak any further. 

  Melody turned to ask everyone, “So that means, someone snatched Briar out from your hands?” 

  Everyone fell silent, while her gaze shifted left and right. Bramble and the others were trained professionals, so their expressions were unfazed and could not be read. However, Poseidynne was not trained. She too knew that she would not be able to conceal her emotions, and thus turned her head to one side, refusing to look at Melody. 

  Melody felt that something was really off, and questioned, “You all couldn’t possibly have let Briar go out on her own, right? Hm, I don’t think so. She’s Bramble’s precious daughter. It’s absolutely impossible… Who was with Briar?” 

  Everyone forcefully suppressed their panic. It was really much more difficult to hide things from Melody than the young master. 

  “Is it Ezart? Is he also missing?” 

  Everyone seemed to be sticking to the rule of “silence is golden.” 

  “I understand.” Melody looked deep in thought as she said, “It’s the butler, right? He hadn’t left at all.” 

  Everyone’s expressions changed. 

  “I knew it!” She clapped her hands together. 

  “How did you know?” Poseidynne finally could not resist asking. 

  “How hard could it be to guess?” Melody laughed. “There aren’t many people by the young master’s side, and most of them are already seated here. Within the remaining people, how many of them are trusted by you guys? I would say if it isn’t Aren or First Wind, then it’s the butler. But someone you don’t dare to name could only be the butler that the young master had sent home!” 

  Everyone looked at each other in dismay, and Dell quietly said, “Thankfully the young master isn’t this smart.” 

  Melody snorted and said, “Our young master is just overly concerned and therefore unable to make a good judgment right now. Once he realizes it, he will most likely figure out something is wrong too. Just wait for your punishment!” 

  “It’s none of our business!” Dell wailed loudly, “When we first met the butler, we didn’t even know that the young master had sent him away!” 

  “You’re the ones who brought Briar.” Melody rubbed it in further. Glancing at Bramble’s and Poseidynne’s expressions, she comforted, “Don’t worry, regardless of who captured Bri, they would not purposely harm a little girl.” 

  Bramble frowned and did not say anything; Poseidynne’s expression was full of dismay, clearly not believing what Melody said. 

  Luo Ye seemed displeased as he said, “Why would Xiang Ye get involved in so much trouble? Do you mean that as his older brother, Ri Xiang Yan did not lend a hand to help him resolve these problems? This should be just a small task for the mighty Sun Emperor. Is he not willing to even help with this? 

  Melody laughed out loud and said, “Our young master’s hobby is looking for trouble, and nobody can stop him from that, even the Sun Emperor himself!” 

  Luo Ye shot a glance at her. Though her words sounded a little derogatory, everyone’s expressions looked proud at that. He understood that he was being kept out of the loop, so he fell silent and did not speak further. 

  There was nothing to do while they waited, and everyone just stared at one another. Because Briar’s safety after disappearing was unknown, even Dell was unable to joke around. Only Melody seemed to not know what silence was as she bugged Nitewalker to remove his sunglasses so that she could take a look. However, Nitewalker did not even respond to her and simply changed the television channels. 

  Suddenly, the three bodyguards jumped to their feet. Seeing that, Melody knew that something was up. With a quick glide step, she dashed in front of Bramble and the others. It was not that she looked down on them, for even she would be afraid of their firepower—if there was a distance between them, she would not have an advantage. That was precisely why she would choose to stand in front of them, so as to let them fire bullets from the back and achieve the maximum efficacy in battle. 

  At this moment, Nitewalker joined Melody at the front. She looked at the two short tridents the other held, and then understood that he also specialized in close combat. She gave a smile and said, “This weapon is pretty uncommon.” 

  Everyone was facing the room door, and Melody had planned for the worst. The door being kicked open was a small affair, but if they were down on their luck then it would probably be blasted open. What they did not expect was that the room door opened normally. 

  “Young Master, you’re back?” She shouted gleefully. 

  Hope appeared on everyone’s faces, but the person that entered was not the one they were hoping for. There were several people, all dressed in black military clothes. They wore masks, and right in the center of the masks was the sun emblem that everyone recognized. 

  Though the adjudication squad in front of them and the people in the room answered to the same boss at the very top, there were still countless layers in the middle to reach there. In other words, Melody, Bramble, and the others had no intention of treating the adjudication squad as colleagues. 

  However, regardless of whether they wanted to treat them as colleagues, at the very least they could not treat them as enemies. As the person with the highest authority at the scene, Melody took the initiative to walk up front to deal with them. 

  One of the adjudication squad members also walked up to her. Without saying a word, he handed her a document. 

  Melody received the document, and upon taking a look, her expression immediately changed. This was an execution order, personally signed by the Sun Emperor, and the target was—Luo Ye. 

  She knew that she would only have a few seconds to decide what to do. The adjudication squad were not human; they would not give her ample time to respond, nor would she be able to delay time by befriending them. They simply executed orders. 

  Melody turned and yelled, “Call the young master!” 

  May immediately sprung into action, but as soon as he glanced at his pulled-put phone, he immediately put it back down. 

  “The phone has been turned off remotely.” 

  Been turned off? At this point, Melody was out of ideas. The adjudication squad sure was “good.” They did not have room for negotiations nor compromises. Unless they were all utterly annihilated, they would execute their orders to the end. 

  The rest of them also realized that something was wrong. Even though the people they were facing were the adjudication squad that answered to the same superior, they did not have any intentions of putting down their guns. 

  Melody’s expression was pained as she said, “They have come under the Sun Emperor’s orders to kill Luo Ye.” 

  Luo Ye stood up. His face had turned a little paler, but he still kept his composure. 

  Melody first looked toward Nitewalker, who gave her a small nod, and then she turned to Poseidynne. These two were the only people who did not need to follow the Sun Emperor’s orders, and neither of them were weak, especially Poseidynne. If she was willing to help, they might be able to fend off the adjudication squad here with the two. If that was the case, then the others would not need to choose between the young master’s protection orders, or the Sun Emperor’s execution orders. 

  Poseidynne raised an eyebrow, and said, “Don’t look at me! I’m not a bodyguard, and the only person I promised to protect is Briar!” It’s a no go! Melody shot Poseidynne a hateful glance, but she knew that the other had not done anything wrong. She could only feel resent by herself. 

  The adjudication squad made a move, and the person at the very front walked past Melody. In that moment, she was at a loss as to what to do. Bramble and the others also frowned, and though she did not know what they would do, she knew that as the person with the highest rank here, what she did would have the largest impact on the three bodyguards. 

  Young Master… Sun Emperor… 

  “Nitewalker, let’s go!” Melody gritted her teeth, and then roared to the three bodyguards, “You all decide for yourselves!” 

  As she finished her words, she formed a blood claw and taking advantage of the adjudication squad’s inability to react in time, she made a large swipe. 

  I’m so dead. This time, I’m really dead meat, right? 

  Melody smiled, her mood suddenly turning happy. Perhaps this time, I can finally meet my beloved. 

  With both the blood claw and the trident simultaneously striking, the adjudication squad member in front fell, not blocking the view anymore. Melody saw the Bramble and the others raise their guns. 

  Will the target of their shots be me or… 

  Before she could finish her thoughts, bullets screamed out. 

  “You all opposed the Sun Emperor’s orders?” 

  I felt a little shocked at that. It was not unexpected for Melody to make a move, for even though she looked like she did not care about anything on the surface, I could feel that she actually valued the young master a lot. If she could choose an address for the young master, I believe she would definitely call the young master “little brother.” However, even Bramble, May, and Dell had opposed orders? 

  Melody did not continue her story after she stopped here, but since she was standing here now and had even been in the same room as Bramble and the others earlier, I believe that the target the guns had pointed at had not been her. 

  “Yeah. If it were you, you would definitely fight, too. Why are you so shocked?” 

  I… Taking a deep breath, I calmly asked, “What happened after that?” 

  “After that, we fought of course!” Melody suddenly burst into laughter. “But Poseidynne also helped out. Though she said she wasn’t going to help, she was secretly using her water currents to lend a hand. Then…” 

  She suddenly frowned. I could not hold back my curiosity and asked, “Then what happened?” 

  “Reinforcements came.” She indifferently said, “Those adjudication squad members are pretty good, but not to the point of being terrifying. After all, we are still people who were sent by the master to stay by the young master’s side. Those adjudication squad members can’t do much to us, but they have an advantage that we don’t—there were so many of them it was like toys from a factory line. We were heavily surrounded and even Poseidynne had to become serious…” 

  “We can’t stay here any longer!” 

  Melody retreated as she fought, and not having the time to turn around, she directly roared in her vampire voice, “We can’t care about the young master’s orders to stay here anymore! Jump out of the window!” 

  For Bramble and the others, jumping out the window was simply certain death. Normally they would be able to descend using the equipment on them, but given that they were surrounded by enemies right now, they really had no choice but to “jump” out the window. However, the three of them were not vampires, and definitely would not suddenly sprout wings to fly. 

  However, since Melody said so, they started retreating backwards without any hesitation, escorting Luo Ye while firing shots. Upon turning back though, Dell cursed quietly while May immediately shouted back to report, “There are enemies outside the window. We are surrounded! I repeat, we are surrounded!” 

  Melody was so busy, she practically had to do ten attacks with two hands. Regardless, she had no choice but to glance at the situation, and then realized in shock that a whole crowd of military men in black were dropping down outside the window. Though she did not know why they had not broken in through the window, it was clear that they would not let them escape out of the window safely. 

  Melody drew in a sharp breath. The best case scenario that she could imagine right now would be that the adjudication squad would complete their mission to kill Luo Ye and leave directly after, not eliminating her and the others in passing. 

  She understood that there was no chance of that happening. Though they were not colleagues, she was different from the bodyguards like Bramble and the others. She too had received missions to “eradicate” and “annihilate,” and of course in those missions, adjudication squad members were also in the team. 

  As long as no one stopped them, the adjudication squad members would eradicate anyone who dared to raise a hand against them, because that was regarded as declaring war against the Sun Alliance. 

  “Melody!” 

  She felt heat on the side of her neck, and immediately glide stepped away, even knocking away a few adjudication squad members in the process since she was surrounded by enemies. Immediately, her whole body cried out in pain, but she did not have the time to check on her injuries before she was forced to defend herself. She could barely keep up with the assaults from various directions, and could only barely block a few attacks aimed at vital areas. As for the rest of the body, she could not afford to pay any mind… 

  Something flashed in front of her eyes, reducing her vision to a large sea of white, while sounds akin to the ocean’s waves reached her ears. Melody’s eyes turned wide, but she did not dare to move a muscle, for water currents were on both sides of her. They were far from a trickle of water; such an imposing sight would probably only be seen at the seashore during a typhoon. 

  The adjudication squad in front was cleared out like the autumn wind blowing away fallen leaves. Melody stood up, panting heavily. Only then did she feel a sharp pain from her neck, which made her break out in cold sweat. 

  Someone walked to Melody’s side and placed a hand on her neck. The pain at her neck immediately subsided, and she felt as though it was being bathed in warm water. 

  Melody was so comfortable, she was almost starting to feel a wave of lethargy come over her. She said, “You can both attack and heal. Poseidynne, you must be a legendary non-human, right?” 

  “Legendary what?” Poseidynne snorted as she said, “A dull title!” 

  Melody did not speak any further. Since a legend like White Stone whom all the non-humans of Sunset City knew about existed, it was natural for there to be a legend that did not want to let others know of their existence, such as Poseidynne. Regardless, it would be wise to follow as they wished. 

  “When is the young master—” 

  Their words were interrupted by the sound of uniform footsteps. Clearly the water currents just now were unable to immobilize the adjunction squad, and they had returned. 

  Poseidynne’s expression was uncertain and clouded. However, Melody and the others were quite courageous, completely unwilling to ask Poseidynne for help and not even casting a single look at her. This instead made Poseidynne feel guilty. She gritted her teeth and turned to say to them, “You all owe me one! Hide behind me.” 

  Everyone felt very upset about having to be protected by others despite being bodyguards, but they did not intend to pay with their lives for it, and promptly gathered by Poseidynne’s side. 

  Water rushed out from all sources, from the faucet in the bathroom to even the fire sprinklers on the rooftop. Though this was a high-rise building, in current modern day society, tap water could be found everywhere. Moreover, they were in a hotel, and one simply could not compare the number of water towers on the rooftop and the volume of water that could be held to an ordinary household’s water tower. 

  As long as she had an endless supply of water, Poseidynne was equipped with unlimited weapons. She stepped forward bit by bit, the lower half of her body submerged in the translucent water with a slight tint of blue. What was strange was that the people standing behind her were not wet in the least bit. 

  Water was truly something hard to defend from. Watching the enemy being swept off their feet by something that was everywhere and usually not noticed like water, Melody sincerely hoped that Poseidynne would be blissful with the young master to the end—Being lovers with her was definitely better than being her enemy! 

  “W-What exactly are they made of?” Poseidynne seemed flustered and exasperated as she shouted. Even after a few waves hit them, the adjudication squad members would still stand back up. 

  “Mix of metal and human flesh?” Melody replied honestly. 

  “… Your description can’t be any grosser!” Poseidynne gritted her teeth and complained. 

  Melody raised an eyebrow, and said, “Your future husband is also a mix of metal and human flesh.” 

  “…” Even Bramble, Dell, and May cast a sidelong glance at that, especially Bramble, given that this “mix of metal and human flesh” was also his daughter’s “future husband.” 

  Footsteps were heard once again, and Poseidynne finally went berserk as she shouted, “I don’t care anymore! It’s fine even if we destroy the building, right?” 

  No, that would be a big problem. Destroying an entire hotel under the Church’s eyes isn’t something that one can escape unscathed from. Melody felt her scalp tingling. 

  “Go ahead and destroy it.” Melody weakly said. They had already defied the Sun Emperor’s orders anyways, and doom was certain. It wasn’t as if they could die a second time by adding the Church to the mix. 

  Poseidynne immediately raised both her hands high, and the water currents became so violent that everyone felt as though they were in a storm at sea. If it was not for the fact that everyone thought of themselves as trained bodyguards and wanted to keep their pride intact even in death, they would be huddling together and shrieking in fear instead. 

  The footsteps stopped abruptly, and Poseidynne also froze in her movements. Her expression was cold as ice as she waited for the person to step in. She did not care whether they were a mix of metal and human flesh or not. Even if they were fully metal, she would turn them into scrap metal! 

  A figure turned the corner, and with a wave of Poseidynne’s hand, the water currents rushed toward them violently. However, her beautiful eyes suddenly turned wide, and she gave a low shout. She forcefully turned away all of the water currents, but it was too slow and accidentally destroyed the door and decorative fireplace. 

  She gleefully shouted, “Ah Ye!” 

  “Young Master!” Melody happily shrieked. The savior’s finally here… Strange, what’s that stick that the young master is holding? Ri Xiang Ye stepped forward a little more, immediately answering her question. What was attached to the back of the long stick was a giant blade—the Death Scythe. 

  Did the young master bring the Death Scythe here? Melody was bewildered for a while. 

  “Ah Ye!” Poseidynne ran to Ri Xiang Ye’s side, and smilingly said, “You’re finally back. Where’s Bri?” 

  However, Ri Xiang Ye did not say a single word. His expression was cold, and he did not pay any heed to Poseidynne, instead staring straight at Melody and the others. 

  “Ah Ye?” Poseidynne looked around but did not see Briar. Ri Xiang Ye also did not respond back to her. Gradually, she started to feel that something was wrong. 

  Melody’s scalp started tingling. She recalled that a microchip was embedded in the young master’s brain that caused him to be unable to defy orders, and he would obey the master’s orders. In the past, the master pampered the young master to no ends, and would not give the young master any orders. But now… what exactly was this situation? 

  Ri Xiang Ye reached out to grab the Death Scythe resting atop his shoulders. In that moment, the glint of the blade kept flickering, causing everyone watching to feel as though they had been cut several times. In their hearts they started to realize, but still they did not wish to believe… After all, they had just made the decision to defy the Sun Emperor’s orders for the young master. How ironic it would be if they did not die from the adjudication squad under the Sun Emperor, but instead was killed by the young master’s own two hands! 

  “Ah Ye, what are you trying to do?” Poseidynne’s eyes turned wide. She stared at the Death Scythe in Ri Xiang Ye’s hands and started to feel more and more anxious. 

  The young master calmly said, “Poseidynne, Nitewalker, this has nothing to do with you two. Back down!” 

  Everyone’s expressions changed. Nitewalker frowned. He seemed hesitant yet did not back down as ordered. Poseidynne looked at Melody and the others with conflicting emotions as she said, “Ah Ye, are you going to kill them?” 

  Ri Xiang Ye actually nodded as he said, “They defied Gēge’s orders, so Gēge wants me to kill all of them. It can’t be helped.” 

  Poseidynne’s heart sank. Though at first she had only gone to the apartment because she liked Ah Ye and had gotten acquainted with Melody and the others as a result, they had already spent quite some time together. Poseidynne did not think she could be so cold-blooded as to watch them be killed indifferently. 

  “Ah Ye, go and plead to your brother.” Poseidynne beseeched, “Your brother listens to everything you say. If you go and beg him, he will definitely listen to you and let them go.” 

  “No.” The young master drew closer step by step, and said, “Gēge has set an order. I must obey.” 

  Melody finally started to retreat slowly, but Ri Xiang Ye charged forward with a twirl of the Death Scythe. She immediately evaded with glide steps, but Bramble and the others were incapable of such a feat. They could only split up in three different directions with good coordination. This way, even if Ri Xiang Ye really attacked them, he could only pursue one person. As for who that person would be, that would depend on who was unlucky. 

  May suddenly felt a chill at the back of his neck. He was abruptly kicked by someone, causing him to crash on the ground, and his face immediately slammed into the ground. However, he had no time to shout in pain. With a quick turn of his head, he just happened to see a silver light flicker past. At his side, Nitewalker squatted down to dodge this attack. If it were not for his timely kick, May would already be decapitated by now. 

  However, the danger was not over. May twisted his body left and right, dodging in succession the sharp blade that attacked continuously. However, no matter how flexible he had trained himself to be, there would always be a limit. The scythe brushed past his waist, instantly drawing blood. Just as he was about to be tragically cut in half, May’s entire body unexpectedly moved backwards as Bramble and Dell dragged him away. 

  Ri Xiang Ye continued to give chase, intending to swoop up the whole lot of them, including the disobedient Nitewalker. Then, a large dark-red blood claw swung at him, sending him flying into the wall. 

  “Melody!” Poseidynne shouted loudly, “Don’t you dare raise a hand against Ah Ye! He was forced—” 

  Melody roared back in reply, “He is not the young master. He’s DSII! The young master’s movements are more fluid and using the Death Scythe isn’t this strenuous for him. The young master can glide step too, while DSII can’t! Not to mention—Would the Sun Emperor really send the young master to come and kill us?” 

  Everyone froze. Melody confidently continued, “If the Sun Emperor wanted to kill us, there are many methods of doing so. Would he send the young master to kill us personally? We are the people closest to the young master. Imagine how sad it would make him to have to kill us with his own two hands. Would the Sun Emperor really bear to do this to him?” 

  Everyone started to have their doubts, with only Luo Ye having an “as I expected” tone as he said, “I already warned you long ago that the Sun Emperor definitely wouldn’t have good intentions toward Xiang Ye, and that it’s just his facade, but none of you believed me!” 

  However, there was no way they could believe these words. They had seen and experienced how the Sun Emperor had treated Ri Xiang Ye before, simply pampering him to no ends. If it weren’t for that unique personality of Ri Xiang Ye, the world’s strongest prodigal son would probably have appeared a few years ago! 

  Ri Xiang Ye crawled up, and indifferently said, “Melody, no matter how you change the topic, it’s of no use—” 

  “DSII!” Melody sternly interrupted him, and roared, “If you want to kill us, then just do it! Don’t pretend to be the young master anymore! I don’t know if the young master has to obey the Sun Emperor’s orders or not, but he absolutely would not kill us with an indifferent attitude, definitely not!” 

  “That’s right! The young master definitely isn’t that heartless!” Dell shouted loudly. 

  “Seconded!” May said resolutely. 

  Bramble merely nodded. 

  Ri Xiang Ye coldly observed everyone present—and then smiled, his entire demeanor changing. His smile did not display the coldness of Dark Sun, but neither did it look like Ri Xiang Ye. If one were to compare, it would be like Ri Xiang Ye had gotten a more mischievous brother. 

  “Melody is great! Gēge told me that if you guys can tell that I’m not Ah Ye, he will give all of you a final chance—Kill Luo Ye and you will be pardoned.”


  No Hero    

  Volume 8, The Beginning NO.10: King’s Game

  Translated by TaffyGirl13 (proofread by Mangomochi & Faren; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  “Where is Charles?” 

  Ah Ye’s hands were pressed against Ezart’s abdomen, restraining him against the wall. In addition, I had just personally caught sight of Ah Ye extending his metal fingernails. 

  He fiercely threatened, “If you don’t say it, I’ll tear your intestines out!” 

  Ezart grimaced in pain and ground out through clenched teeth, “I’ll say—say that the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life was getting to know a bastard like you!” 

  He dared to talk like that to Ah Ye?! I quickly glanced at Ah Ye, whose expression was as cold and unfeeling as before. However, his eyes had widened significantly, as if he was making a supreme effort to endure the pain… 

  “Ah Ye!” I hurriedly shouted, “I think he really doesn’t know. There’s no need to press him further.” 

  Ah Ye remained indifferent. 

  I gritted my teeth and commanded, “Dark Sun, I order you to release him!” 

  Ah Ye went rigid. I was starting to worry that he would choose to continue extorting him for a confession because of the supreme doctrine of “hunting down all my enemies.” This was not a part of my prepared plans. Ezart could not get pulled into this matter. He is the final insurance and cannot become involved! 

  Fortunately, Ah Ye chose to let go. As soon as Ezart was freed, he let out a cold snort and turned to leave with his arm clutching at his bleeding stomach. 

  “Where are you going?” Ah Ye asked. 

  Ezart viciously replied, “Going down to see if your bodyguards are all dead!” 

  Ah Ye stared at Ezart’s back. After a moment of silence, he said, “If you think knowing me is terrible, you can actually leave, Ezart.” 

  Ezart stopped in his tracks for a brief moment before continuing forward, not even turning his head as he huffed angrily, “Want me to get lost? Too late! Don’t even dream about it! You owe me so much, I’ll never let you weasel your way out!” 

  Ah Ye watched Ezart leave. Only when he could no longer see the other person’s figure did he turn to face me. “Gē, what exactly do you want to do?” 

  It’s here! I calmly answered, “Mainly eliminate Luo Ye, while using the chance to also force out the hidden strength of the Church and Elysees, particularly the latter. That butler’s family is too skilled at concealing themselves. I originally hadn’t paid them much attention, until I recently discovered that they were actually quite complicated.” 

  “Is that so?” 

  As I saw Ah Ye’s probing gaze, I suddenly felt my scalp go slightly numb. I immediately answered, “Of course! The fact that I have the adjudication squad was made public ages ago. How could I let them continue hiding their forces!” 

  Ah Ye calmly asked, “That’s not it, Gē. I meant to say, ‘Is that it?’” 

  I started, then showed an injured expression as I helplessly replied, “What else should I be doing? Are you suspecting me? Do you think I’d harm you?” 

  Ah Ye shook his head and stated, “Gē obviously wouldn’t harm me.” 

  “It’s good that you know that.” I’m always doing what’s good for you. Everything is for your sake, Ah Ye… 

  But right now, “letting Ah Ye trust me” was not a part of my plans either. 

  “That damn butler actually tried to kill me. Stay by my side for the time being. If he appears again—” 

  “I’ll kill him!” Ah Ye’s tone was so cold that I felt goosebumps form on my skin, and I once again wondered if I was truly gambling on too much this time. 

  An Te Qi, you’d better be successful. If you fail and let Ah Ye… I’ll seriously make sure you know what wishing for death means! 

  *** 

  “You killed Luo Ye?” 

  I stared at Melody as I felt a pain in my heart. Protecting Luo Ye for the sake of the young master or killing Luo Ye for the sake of protecting themselves. The situation was just like the choice I was faced with, of being forced to either betray the young master or betray X. 

  Seeing as they were all still alive and Luo Ye had disappeared, I thought it likely that they had chosen to protect themselves. While the young master might not truly blame them, could he truly be without grudge toward Melody, Bramble, and the others? 

  First, it was forcing me to choose between X and the young master. Now, it was forcing Melody and the others to choose between the Sun Emperor’s orders and the young master’s orders. Why does the Sun Emperor feel the need to go as far as trapping us all in this dilemma? 

  “No.” Melody’s expression was somewhat peculiar. “Before we could even make a decision, Ezart came back.” 

  “Did the young master return?” As soon as I spoke these words, I sensed something was wrong. Did Melody not just say Ezart had returned? 

  If the young master had also returned, Melody definitely would not have said that Ezart had returned. Even if Ezart had been walking in front of the young master, their focus would always be the young master, not Ezart. 

  I watched Melody grin with a smile that did not reach her eyes. What does that reaction mean? I truly cannot understand. 

  “You called him ‘Young Master’ again.” 

  I started, then hurriedly explained, “It was a mistake due to habit.” 

  “Why force yourself?” Melody sighed and said, “I really don’t know what would’ve happened for you to fall out with the young master. Whatever, forget it. Just listen to me finish, then quickly tell me what happened.” 

  *** 

  “Hey—You guys aren’t dead yet, are you?” 

  Melody and the others blankly stared at the doorway. They could recognize Ezart’s voice, but really did not know how to react this time. 

  Ezart dashed over and instantly spotted DSII. He froze and said, “Ah Ye, how were you faster than me… No! Who are you?” 

  “DSII.” This time, DSII openly admitted it. 

  “Ezart, where is the young master?” With the young master still nowhere to be seen, Melody was starting to feel like crying. Right now, the only person that could save them still had not appeared. 

  Ezart frowned at the Death Scythe in DSII’s hands as he replied, “Don’t know. Right when we arrived at the hotel entrance, he suddenly shouted that he ‘needs to go save his gē’ and then ran off.” 

  The Sun Emperor was attacked as well? Melody was stunned. She truly had no idea what the current situation was. Could it be that the adjudication squad hadn’t attacked them on the Sun Emperor’s orders at all, but rather, that the Sun Emperor had been forced to issue that document? 

  The more she thought, the more confused she got. In the end, she decided to stop caring. If the Sun Emperor did not want to kill them, then everyone would be fine. If he really did want to kill them, then they could only see if the young master could protect them. If he couldn’t, she could only go and see her beloved. 

  “DSII, did Ah Ye tell you to come protect them?” Ezart began walking over toward Melody and the others as he said, “You came so quickly. Ah Ye didn’t mention you had arrived.” 

  DSII stopped him and declared, “Ezart, there’s no need to go over.” 

  Ezart shot him a sideways look and asked in discontent, “What is that supposed to mean?” 

  “You do not need to make a choice.” DSII raised his scythe and pointed it at Melody and the others. “But they need to choose!” 

  Choose? Melody was starting to sense something was not quite right. DSII was essentially no different from the adjudication squad. He could not act on his own initiative; he could only obey commands. If he had received the order to kill Luo Ye, he would have directly done so. Yet he was currently demanding for them to make a choice… Don’t tell me the Sun Emperor is testing us to see whose words we would listen to? 

  Then, whose orders should we choose to follow as the correct choice? The Sun Emperor’s? Or the young master’s? 

  “What choice?” Ezart stood between DSII and Melody’s group. 

  DSII grinned. “If they kill Luo Ye, I won’t kill them. If they refuse, I’ll kill them. This is their choice!” 

  “Oh.” Ezart nodded in comprehension, then suddenly smashed a fist at DSII while roaring, “Then I choose ‘get rid of you’!” 

  Melody felt a surge of joy in her heart, to the point where she almost wanted to run up and kiss Ezart. She quickly dashed forward to support Ezart, attacking with great force and not holding back in the slightest against DSII. She had seen the young master behead DSII before, only for it to get reconnected! So rather than getting her head cut off, she would rather DSII’s head get cut off. His could be reattached, while hers could not. 

  As gunshots boomed, Bramble and the others also made their decision. They had originally still been conflicted over what to do, but the choice that Ezart had brought up wasn’t bad at all. Melody did not hesitate in the slightest as she charged forth. They refused to believe they could not defeat a single DSII if they all combined their strength together! 

  *** 

  “So, you won?” 

  I really wanted to know what had happened afterwards, since Melody standing here now indicated that they had indeed won. If that was the case, then there was no need to hear about the course of the battle; I did not particularly want to hear about how they had beheaded DSII. In the current circumstances, that would just remind me that my final ending might not be much different from DSII’s. 

  “Yes, we won. DSII is still far inferior to the young master. It might have been different if he had brought an energy weapon, but he was only carrying the young master’s Death Scythe, which was completely useless! That’s why he wasn’t too hard to defeat. Poseidynne used a stream of water to make it impossible for DSII to stand, Nitewalker slashed at his body who knows how many times, and in the end, Ezart broke his neck.” 

  At this point, everything had been explained; however, there was still one thing that had not been answered—What about Luo Ye? 

  I looked at Melody. She seemed to know what I wanted to ask as well and directly stated, “We also thought everything had come to an end, but then the adjudication squad appeared again. They still wanted to kill Luo Ye but didn’t ask us for our choice again. Even though we could defeat each one, there was no end to them, so the fight wouldn’t end.” 

  “The injuries on your bodies are from that moment?” 

  “Mostly, yes.” Melody nodded and simply answered, “Their firepower was too great, and their weapons were extremely diverse, impossible to effectively defend against. Fortunately, they didn’t want to kill us. They just wanted to kill Luo Ye. As a result, nothing too extreme appeared.” 

  Such as missiles? It was a pity that they were unaware that the reason a missile had not been used to blow up the hotel was because the Sun Emperor had been on the level above them. 

  “The hotel staff did not do anything?” Considering how both sides had come to blows like this, even Sunset City’s police would have made an appearance. Is it possible that Daystar City’s public security falls short of Sunset City’s? 

  Melody clicked her tongue. “At the time, many of the floors above and below were all sealed off. They said to the hotel staff that they were ‘filming a movie,’ and since there weren’t rocket launchers and such, nobody paid any mind.” 

  A production cast and crew claiming to film a movie is truly a flawless excuse… 

  “When the battle was at the point where we were starting to think twice, Ezart actually answered a call and said, ‘I need to go save Ah Ye,’ and ran off. We nearly spat blood. Fortunately, Poseidynne and Nitewalker didn’t run off with him, or else we might as well have slit our own throats.” 

  “Save the young master?” I urgently asked, “When I left, the young master was not in any danger. Is he all right? Is he injured—” 

  My words abruptly came to a stop. Why did I… 

  Fortunately, Melody did not notice this. She merely continued, “Don’t panic, let me finish. Someone then appeared right after we had disposed of a wave of adjudication squad members all at once.” 

  Melody took a deep breath and said, “The instant he arrived, he shouted, ‘Don’t move,’ and then we really could not move. I think he’s probably the person that controlled the young master before…” 

  I furrowed my brows and shot down this conjecture. “No! It is not Josh. I believe that was Lieder. He obtained an unusual ability that allows him to copy others’ special abilities. Was he wearing a cream-colored windbreaker and a pair of glasses?” 

  However, why would Lieder want to take Luo Ye away? He should not have had crossed paths with Luo Ye at any point. 

  Melody shook her head and answered, “He wore a large, dark jacket and a mask… Oh right, there was also an inverted cross symbol on the forehead.” 

  It was indeed Lieder. 

  “That bastard commanded for us to hold the adjudication squad off as he grabbed Luo Ye and used the opportunity to escape. Soon after he left, we discovered we were free of control, so we did not continue attacking the adjudication squad. Since they did not see Luo Ye there, they did not continue fighting either. While we were still hesitating about whether to run away or not, Ezart returned with a wound on his stomach.” 

  Melody raised her head and smiled grimly. “Although Ezart wasn’t willing to say much, he did mention that the young master was fine.” 

  She did notice after all. I was slightly embarrassed. 

  “Now it’s your turn.” Melody calmly asked, “What exactly happened that caused you to have a falling out with the young master? I’d sooner believe that the apocalypse was tomorrow than believe that you and the young master became enemies.” 

  “We indeed did not become enemies.” I could not help but refute this first. 

  Melody simply gazed at me without a question, quietly waiting for me to speak. 

  I took a deep breath and said, “It was the Sun Emperor. He used X’s whereabouts to pressure me to kill Luo Ye. The alternative would have been him revealing X’s tracks to the Church.” 

  “Another choice?” Melody frowned as she muttered this to herself. She then asked, “What did you choose?” 

  “Before I could even make a decision, the Sun Emperor had already exposed X’s location to the Church.” 

  Melody cried out in shock, “X was found by the Church?” 

  “No.” I shook my head and answered, “Fortunately, X did not listen to me. He did not stay under Curtis’s protection—” 

  “Wait a minute! What’s wrong with staying by Curtis’s side?” Melody said in confusion. “Aside from the Sun Emperor, the only person I can think of that could protect X from the Church is your nephew.” 

  I smiled dully and replied, “My nephew deliberately pretended to be in trouble to lure me to where the Sun Emperor was.” 

  Melody murmured, “X and then Curtis too… No wonder you’re angry enough to refuse to call him ‘Young Master’…” She lifted her head to ask, “So when the young master told Ezart he was going to rescue his brother, it was from your hands? You really wanted to kill the Sun Emperor?” 

  Had I really wanted to kill the Sun Emperor? I had undoubtedly been furious. The Sun Emperor had set up such a difficult dilemma, joined hands with Curtis to plot against me, and even endangered X. I had indeed lost my mind in anger and had actually made a move. However, would I have personally killed the Sun Emperor? Murdered the young master’s most important Gēge…? 

  I tossed aside the unnecessary thoughts and continued, “In short, I did not successfully harm the Sun Emperor. The young master suddenly appeared, preventing me from continuing my attack, and then I fled.” 

  Melody continued to mutter to herself in a low voice, as if contemplating something. I quietly said, “I should leave, but I will not say we will ‘meet again.’ We may be enemies the next time we meet—” 

  “Wait! Don’t you think the Sun Emperor is scheming something? Rather than saying he wants to kill Luo Ye, the more important objective seems to be ‘wanting us to make a choice.’ And this time, the Sun Emperor doesn’t seem to care at all if the young master will be broken-hearted or not—” 

  At this point, Melody’s expression suddenly changed. She urgently stated, “Go, now!” 

  I had also sensed it. I immediately turned around to see a figure standing at the end of the alley that could not be more familiar. Even with his back facing the light, only revealing his silhouette, I could still instantly recognize him. 

  Young Master! 

  How long has he been there? How much did he hear? Will he understand that I was forced with no alternative? I softly called out, “Young Master, I truly did not…” 

  Before I could even finish speaking, I received my answer. The metal fingernails that could tear through flesh were silently extended outwards. Without a single change in expression, he stated, “Melody, leave.” 

  Melody hesitated for a moment, then sighed as she walked over to the young master. At the same time, she turned her head to silently say to me, “Hurry up and run.” 

  I touched the ring on my thumb, debating whether to inject myself with the tranquilizer. However, even if I did, would I really be able to fight the young master? No matter how much I tried to correct myself, “Ri Xiang Ye” would never leave my lips as naturally as “Young Master.” If I could not even change how I addressed him, how could I possibly be able to intentionally injure him? 

  I slowly backed up, deciding to leave in the end. My foot stepped onto the surface of the wall. As long as I used x-speed, the young master would not be able to catch up. 

  “Freeze!” The young master let out a low growl. “If you dare try to flee, I’ll execute you.” 

  Execute me? I froze and watched the young master reach out to grab a suitcase next to the wall. When he pressed a button on it, several silver threads shot out from inside and swung outwards. The Death Scythe’s immense blade lay horizontally at the bottom of the suitcase, with multiple sections of the scythe covering the top lid. 

  This was a clever variation of Dong Fang Lei’s briefcase. Simply putting something inside the case would prevent others from noticing it, thus allowing one to carry it around however one pleased, no matter how dangerous the item inside was. 

  The young master truly did plan to kill me. Despite having realized this to an extent earlier, in this precise moment, I still could not bear the grief. I could not help but ask, “Even though the young master knows that this stage has been set by the Sun Emperor, you still plan on killing me according to his plans?” 

  The young master did not answer. Because of the glare of the light, his face was hidden in the darkness—I suppose that is for the better. Regardless of whether the young master’s expression is cold or, even worse, indifferent, I would rather not see it. 

  I pleaded, “If you will not let me escape, can you at least let X go? He has absolutely no relation to any of this!” 

  The young master was silent for a while. Finally, he said in a low voice, “I will try my best.” 

  I let out a sigh of relief. Despite the young master being unable to give an absolute answer, merely saying he would “try his best,” he always kept his promises. “Trying his best” was already enough. 

  Since I had already procured X’s safety in exchange for not running away, I merely stood motionless in place. Despite having waited for death for so many years, I was unable to keep myself from trembling now that the day had finally arrived. 

  If this was before I met the young master, before we signed the Endless contract, perhaps I might be able to face death more calmly. But all I feel right now is slight regret… 

  The Death Scythe swung down toward me. I shut my eyes, waiting for the conceivable pain. With the young master’s strength, perhaps it could end with a single strike. That would probably be less painful, would it not? 

  Even though I had shut my eyes, my pureborn vampire instincts could still sense the relative position of the blade. I felt my heart clench. It is here— 

  Bang! 

  …There is actually no pain. Have I died? Amidst my confusion, a roar of unrestrained fury rang by my ear. 

  “Charles, why did you refuse to listen? I told you to leave Daystar City. Why didn’t you leave?! Why did you have to stay here?!” 

  My eyes snapped open. The young master stood before me, the massive blade by my side, embedded deeply into the wall instead of me. At this moment, I was finally able to clearly see the young master’s expression. His appearance was one of incomparable sorrow, streams of tears flowing down his cheeks… It really was the young master, not Dark Sun. 

  The slight regret in my heart suddenly vanished without a trace. 

  He wailed out, “Why did you have to make a move against my brother?! You already know I cannot disobey the fundamental reason for my existence. I have to protect Gēge, I have to—kill you!” 

  The young master pulled his Death Scythe out, his actions the complete opposite of his words. He urged in a low voice, “Run! Charles, run into that building. I can’t send my blade out in places that are too narrow, and I can’t catch up to your speed. Run, now!” 

  I have to run first! I did not want to die anymore, at least, not by the young master’s hand. 

  Before I could even move, the Death Scythe’s hilt swept into my stomach. The burst of pain made my vision black out, and I instinctively rolled off to the side as the blade slammed down ruthlessly with so much power that it pierced halfway through the ground. If I had stayed still, I might have been the thing being pierced instead. 

  The young master was inconceivably strong when using the Death Scythe. The enormous blade cycled through the air without stopping, blocking off all escape routes. I could not even grasp any opportunity to use x-speed, afraid that the instant before I did, I would instead be sliced in half. 

  The only thing I could do was dodge for my life. However, there had already been several times where I had just barely evaded the blade. Can I actually keep this up— 

  “Ugh!” 

  The hilt struck the corner of my forehead with so much force that I collapsed on the ground, my head hurting so much it felt as if it would explode. 

  “Charles, hurry up and dodge—” 

  I lifted my head only to see a silver glint flash— 

  “Neither of you move!” 

  I felt my entire body abruptly lock in place. The darkness gradually faded from my vision, and I finally saw that the tip of the blade with its silver glint was stopped right in front of my face, only a few centimeters away, so close I could not even breathe. 

  Behind the scythe, the young master did not move either. His face was deathly pale. 

  I wanted to stand up and flee but discovered that I could not move a single step. It was at this moment that I suddenly realized something was wrong. Who shouted “don’t move” just now? 

  “Looks like I arrived just in time. I was almost too late.” 

  A figure walked up next to me. I tried my best to shift my eyes, an action I had never imagined would be so difficult. Finally, he crouched down next to me, and I could clearly see his face. 

  Lieder. 

  “I won’t waste my breath chatting.” Lieder carefully pushed aside the blade right in front of my eyes and then lifted me up to carry me across his shoulders. He sighed and said, “Thank God you’re even lighter than you look. How interesting, are vampires all lighter than humans?” 

  Not at all. 

  Lieder walked past the young master, deliberately shifting away as he said, “Your young master has successfully disobeyed before, so it’s best we don’t linger around here any longer. Your young master is really inconceivably strong. If he actually frees himself, we might become souls reaped by that scythe. As always, if everything else fails, one must retreat.” 

  Although Lieder spoke as if he was joking, his actions were extremely swift. He charged out from the small alley, stopping in front of a black car and tossing me into the front seat. 

  “Lieder!” The young master roared from the distance. “Just wait and see what happens if you dare hurt Charles! I’ll kill you and completely dismember your body!” 

  “You nearly killed him, yet you still care if I hurt him or not?” Lieder sat in the driver’s seat and softly said, “Tsk, tsk, Charles, you and your young master are honestly a bit like partners in a love-hate relationship—Ah, that isn’t true, is it?” 

  I glared at him and finally ground out two words through my teeth, “What nonsense…” 

  Lieder let out a snort with a look of disappointment, and then the car raced out. However, there was something extremely strange: With a target as large as a car, how did he evade the surveillance cameras? 

  “Charles, oh Charles, I have been completely defeated by you. You and your young master were first played with by the Church, then you were used as a prop by Ri Xiang Yan.” 

  Lieder let out a deep sigh as he said, “No matter if you’re a thousand-year old vampire or even the head of an influential family of butlers, Ri Xiang Yan doesn’t care at all. He only uses you as a tool to achieve his objective. Have you finally understood his true face?” 

  I could only glare at him, unable to respond. 

  “What do you want to say? Just say it.” Lieder asked curiously. 

  I immediately blurted out, “How is that any different from you approaching me in the beginning only to use me?” 

  Lieder’s face stiffened, then relaxed again as he replied, “You always surprise me, Charles. You’re right, I’m not any different. Everyone is the same.” 

  I can speak now? Upon discovering this, I immediately asked, “Lieder, what do you want to use me for this time?” 

  “Ah, I’m truly sorry this time.” Lieder looked remorseful as he said, “I was being chased everywhere by the Sun Emperor, so I really had no alternative but to seek for shelter by cooperating with the Church. My task was to wait for an opportunity to hand either E.X. or you to them as soon as I had the chance.” 

  My heart nearly froze over. I wanted to run away, yet I could not even move. I did not even have the ability to commit suicide… 

  “Charles, I honestly really like you. If it were any other situation, we probably could have been friends.” 

  Lieder wore a look of regret as he softly stated, “Once I hand you over, I’ll try to find a way to kill you if I get the chance, I swear.” 

  “That won’t do.” 

  I started. The “that won’t do” was not spoken by Lieder, and naturally had not been spoken by me—There is someone sitting in the back? 

  I glanced at the rearview mirror, but the back seat was much too dark. The car windows on both sides had blackout curtains drawn. However, despite being unable to clearly see the other person, I could see a pair of legs, suit pants, and leather shoes. Who could it be? That voice just now… is admittedly a bit familiar. 

  Lieder stretched a hand out and the lights in the back suddenly lit up. The face that appeared in the rearview mirror rendered me completely speechless. 

  Lieder chuckled softly. “Do you know why I called you all foolish now?” 

  I ignored him, instead shouting at the person in the back seat with matchless fury. “Why? The young master is your son! Moreover, he has been protecting you the whole time!” 

  “Is that so?” Luo Ye’s gaze was indifferent, his smile insincere. His expression made him look… like the Sun Emperor. 

  He knows! I realized with a start. In actuality, Luo Ye had known the young master was not his child at all! 

  “Why?” My thoughts were in chaos, and I could only ask this single word. 

  “Without anyone’s protection, I can’t leave P29.” Luo Ye calmly stated, “From beginning to end, I’ve lost over twenty years of my life already. I would even use my real child, let alone someone that isn’t my child.” 

  P29? I was suddenly somewhat confused as to why P29 had been brought up. 

  Lieder laughed out loud. “You still can’t remember? This Mr. Luo is the Church’s wanted criminal, the one you guys have been searching hard for. In the past, he had been locked up by P29. In order to come out, he could only seek the Church for protection, just like I had. However, he was much more useful than I was. I only had to stay nearby to act at the slightest chance, while he was sent to stay by your side.” 

  Luo Ye’s expression darkened as he said, “I wasn’t locked up by P29. I hid in there myself.” 

  Lieder sneered, “You couldn’t leave either way, so what’s the difference between hiding and being locked up? How is the current situation of being controlled by others any better than being locked up either?” 

  Luo Ye is actually that criminal? I did not know what to think. In the end, the Sun Emperor had been right. Luo Ye had indeed harbored malicious intentions. 

  “It’s much better.” Luo Ye murmured in a low voice, “Wait until you can only stay inside a room for over twenty years, then you’ll understand. It’s really much better. Even though I’m being restricted, it’s worth sacrificing everything for!” 

  He looked up at me and smiled. “Perhaps you will understand after this.”


  No Hero    

  Volume 8, Afterword

  Translated by lucathia (proofread by Faren & J Tao) 

  The afterword contains spoilers for the plot. Please finish reading the story before coming to read the afterword. Thank you. 

  *** 

  This volume should be named the volume of the Sun Emperor’s machinations. 

  From this volume, you should be able to tell that Luo Ye isn’t a big deal at all in the Sun Emperor’s eyes. Our great Sun Emperor only ever takes action for Ah Ye’s sake, especially now that Ah Ye’s thousand years are at stake. In comparison, Luo Ye is simply as unimportant as a single leaf to the Sun Emperor. 

  I wonder, as everyone read the book, were you able to guess just how many goals the Sun Emperor wished to achieve? Perhaps, after reading volume 9, you will discover even more goals. 

  The great Sun Emperor is very busy, so he wants to finish everything in one shot, giving the author a huge headache, too. I just want to yell: Are you done yet? Isn’t this enough? Just what else do you plan on doing?! 

  *** 

  Because this series uses a first person perspective, I need to use many methods to bolster what has happened to present the full story to everyone to the best of my abilities. As a result, some things are shown out of order. I hope it does not cause any problems for anyone. 

  Originally, No Hero was supposed to conclude with this volume, but for some reason, the plot exploded on me again. It exploded so much that there’s a whole extra book now. I have really underestimated No Hero. I would never have thought that a single moment of carelessness would have led to No Hero having more volumes than The Legend of Sun Knight. Nine volumes sure is a fascinating number. Nine, everlasting.1 Fine, it can be considered lucky. 

  I will do my best to conclude the story with the next volume. I hope I won’t have to change it to a perfect ten (sweats). I really don’t dare to announce the number of volumes again in the future. It’s inaccurate anyway. Just as inaccurate as the date I turn in my manuscript. At most, I’ll say one to five volumes, five to ten volumes, or ten to fifteen volumes. I can handle announcements with a large range like that. 

  So, if I start a new series in the future, don’t ask me in too much detail how many volumes it will be, since my prediction will be as inaccurate as poe divination.2 You might as well throw the poe pieces and see how they land! 

  *** 

  Addressing matters regarding Luo Ye in No Hero surprised even me. Even though I had already planned during Eclipse Hunter for this old man to still be alive, I had not known where he could make an appearance. 

  It took all the way until the late volumes of No Hero for him to rush out on his own. This is likely due to how, when it all comes down to it, No Hero follows the trajectory of the young master’s life. He just has to solve this case of his dad who is not his dad what the heck. 

  Writing stories is truly mysterious at times. Plans that I thought of but haven’t written are stacked as high as mountains. A series will have countless elements hidden behind it, many that I have thought of but might not write out. Sometimes, the difference with the story’s time period is too great. Sometimes, it is simply a choice I made for the sake of the plot. But in any case, these elements already live in the author’s brain. I really don’t know what brain space it is taking up. 

  Luo Ye, this hidden setup that has lived in my brain, suddenly leaped out on his own one day to seek abuse. Everyone, how about guessing how he feels about his own son and his not-son? 

  His not-son who wants to protect him and his son who wants to kill him, hehe, what else can this be other than jumping out on his own to seek abuse? 

  *** 

  Normally, No Hero always has a preview of the next volume. However, since the original plan was to conclude with this volume, I did not include a preview last time, thinking that I’d let everyone read the ending for themselves. I didn’t think there would be another volume. 

  Uh, so this time, I will show a bit of a preview to make up for everyone’s injured spirits from not getting the ending. 

  Please look forward to the appearance of the heroes who had no role in this volume! 

  Because the word count of this volume already exploded, I did not include the short character stories I had planned on writing. The next volume will definitely be the conclusion, so no matter if the word count explodes like a grenade or a nuclear bomb, I will still include short character stories at the end. 

  Even though I want to give a preview of what they will be, I’m afraid that what I say will be as inaccurate as divining by tossing poe. Who knows, maybe I will think of even better short stories to write and switch to those instead. So, I can only say “maybe,” “possibly,” “probably,” it will be DSII and Dragon Peace, Briar and Ah Ye, and a story that will take place far in the future. 

  P.S. I am super happy that the Earth peacefully survived 2012. I wish everyone a happy 2013! 

  By Yu Wo 

  *** 

  Character Introductions 

  Poseidynne 

  Connection: The young master’s back-up fiancée candidate 

  The Young Master’s Impression: So strong! I love her! 

  Luo Ye 

  Connection: Said to be the young master’s father, the master’s uncle? 

  The Master’s Impression: Kill! 

  Shuu Kahl 

  Connection: The butler’s classmate. 

  The Butler’s Impression: Medical Encyclopedia. 

  Note: 

  1 “Nine, everlasting”: Yu Wo mentions that nine could be considered lucky, as nine (九, jiu) sounds like the jiu in 長長久久 (chángcháng jiujiu), which means everlasting. In other words, “endless.” 

  2 “Poe divination”: A traditional Chinese divination method that involves dropping two wooden pieces on the floor. The position of the pieces after landing indicates whether or not a future course of action is favorable.

  No Hero    

  Volume 9 Endless Days, The End NO.1: Desire

  Translated by TaffyGirl13 (proofread by Xuan & Trespasserby; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  “How is Dark Sun’s condition?” 

  Receiving inquiry. Source of voice: group of doctors from laboratory. Speaker is Lv.3 in command. Determined to be no danger. 

  “His condition is good. It’s truly unfathomable. I hadn’t thought that implanting the chip would actually succeed. Now, Dark Sun’s level will definitely triple and the previous speed restriction will finally be resolved!” 

  Starting self-inspection. 

  “An order just came from above: it must immediately be confirmed that Dark Sun no longer has any emotional responses. Sigh, a surgery as major as implanting a chip is already an unprecedented success, but in the end, the first thing we need to verify is instead this?” 

  Chip operations normal. Head injury not yet recovered. Restoration status normal. Pain index: 5. 

  “Lower your voice! In any case, we just do whatever the higher-ups say.” 

  Current situation determined to be in a surgery recovery period. No major orders on short-term. Automatically entering stand-by mode. 

  “But, how exactly do we confirm that Dark Sun no longer has emotional responses? He’s usually very indifferent and has already been untalkative these past few years. Even when we ask him questions, he simply nods or shakes his head in response. He didn’t have many emotional reactions in the first place. 

  “We could use detectors for brain waves and heart rate. Have An Te Qi speak with Dark Sun—only he can make Dark Sun respond.” 

  “That’s true. But speaking of An Te Qi, where is he? It’s really weird. Didn’t he like Dark Sun a lot before? Whenever Dark Sun finished undergoing any surgeries in the past, he would always wait by Dark Sun’s side for days, yet he didn’t come at all this time.” 

  “It’s not strange. He was the one most against this surgery. He probably didn’t want to come and see how Dark Sun is now.” 

  “Look guys, is Dark Sun sleeping?” 

  “That’s his standby mode.” 

  “Oh, right, I nearly forgot about that setting…” 

  I quietly stood motionless. In front of me was a fairly tidy, small room that was completely vacant, without even a table or a chair. All four walls were as white as snow. It was simply an empty, bright room; the only darkness was my own shadow beneath me. 

  They were always very skilled at making others recognize their own dark side. 

  Despite having stood for a long while, I did not feel anxious. I even hoped that no one would walk in at all, and just leave a vampire like me to stand alone here until I decomposed into dust. 

  “Charles Endelis.” 

  Yet even decomposing was an extravagant hope. I could only raise my head to face the person that had arrived. The man in front of me was not quite a stranger; while his face was only slightly familiar, his outfit was one I knew extremely well. The attire for the Sin Elimination Committee had never changed significantly since ancient times. Even vampires were unwillingly forced to change with the world by wearing suits and ties, yet the Sin Elimination Committee dressed the same, unchanging since time immemorial. 

  As I scrutinized him, he also focused a steadfast gaze on me. 

  It was then that I understood why I thought this stranger seemed familiar. His fairly rough features were similar to Father Alex’s, but with a taller and sturdier figure. Moreover, his expression was ice-cold, unlike Father Alex’s warm temperament. However, if they were to appear together, they would in no doubt look like a pair of brothers. 

  He was undoubtedly a Sin, a leader figure in the Sin Elimination Committee dedicated to hunt X. 

  “It has been over a century.” Sin said, “There was a period of time when I once thought that a trail like you was not worth the effort since you were tightly blocked off by the Elysees’ meddlesome troublemaking.” 

  You do not appear to be over a hundred years old. I did not voice this statement. Alex had previously mentioned that every Sin must read all the previous Sins’ memories and regard themselves as the same person. They were all “Sin,” who has lived over a thousand years like X. 

  A thousand years, countless Sins dedicating their entire lives, all for the sake of capturing X. If I did not know X, I might admire their perseverance. 

  “Yet time will solve anything. Aside from the unchanging path to eradicate evil, everything else will change, including the shelter of the Elysees family.” His icy expression finally shifted, the lips of his mouth curving into a sneer as he asked, “Is that not so?” 

  “There is something else that will not change with time,” I emotionlessly stated. “Which would be that I will not tell you anything of X’s whereabouts. There is no longer anything you can use to threaten me into speaking.” 

  I had not imagined that losing everything would actually have this advantage. There was no longer any person or object that could make me spill X’s matters. 

  “No need.” Sin coldly chuckled. “We just need to send out the news of you being in our hands. Do you think E.X. will come?” 

  I remained silent. 

  He would not only come, he would come extremely quickly as well. 

  X was in this very city. 

  Sin did not require my answer. His face clearly indicated that even if I claimed X would not arrive, they would not believe me. Furthermore, I had to admit that he was right—X would come. There was no suspense in the slightest, and I was entirely helpless in this situation. 

  They had evidently known this, as after capturing me, they had not even removed my gear before confining me in this room. Afterwards, Sin walked in without any apprehensions. 

  I did not quite hold any expectations on being able to defeat Sin. Even if I could, I would not be able to use Sin as a hostage. If Sin were to be defeated by a barely mature vampire like myself, his will to live would vanish along with the defeat, let alone allow himself to become a hostage. 

  “Your only usefulness comes with staying here.” Sin mocked, “This lifestyle is quite easy. Don’t even think of fleeing. Even if E.X. was the one shut here, it would be similarly impossible for him to escape!” 

  Perhaps because I did not respond, he did not seem to have any interest in continuing to converse and turned to leave. 

  “Why must you stay so attached to X in this way?” 

  I could not help but ask, “What exactly did he do? Since ancient times, has he not committed less crimes than humans? A single atomic bomb could kill millions of people, while X could not possibly get close to that number even if he ceaselessly killed for a hundred years. Could he truly have committed an even heavier crime?” 

  Sin sharply whirled around, his gaze like a torch that burned with blazing hatred and fury. Yet I still could not fathom how X could have possible done something that could incur such resentment considering what I knew of his character. 

  “E.X. is the source of sin and must be completely eradicated!” 

  Source? I did not understand. What do these words mean? 

  In the past, I had studied multiple church texts and had never come across a single work that mentioned X, let alone pointing at him as the source of sin. Perhaps this was an extreme way of thinking that only the Sin Elimination Committee had? 

  After all, the Church could not pay attention to the matter of hunting X in every single period. If he truly was the source of sin, the Church would not have held this “capture or not” attitude. 

  After reaching this understanding, I no longer clung onto wondering what X had done. Sin had pursued him for thousands of years; this dispute would never be resolved easily, and was not something I could put my hands into here. 

  I calmly asked, “What condition did you use to make a deal with the Sun Emperor?” 

  Sin glanced at me, appearing not to be too interested in replying. However, he did not directly stride off to leave, which gave me the opportunity to continue speaking. 

  “The Sun Emperor is a person who would not wake up early if there were no potential for profit. At the same time, he is also a figure whose thoughts are far too complex to grasp. Are you certain that working together with him will allow you to obtain the benefits that were only agreed to on the surface?” 

  Despite Sin’s constant frigid attitude, I was certain I saw a slight furrow of his brows. However, he immediately stated in an even colder tone, “For the sake of thoroughly eliminating sin, we are willing to pay a price heavier than you could ever imagine, vampire!” 

  With this statement, he turned to walk away without fighting any further. This time, aside from lunging forward to attack him, I no longer had any means of keeping him here. 

  I took a step forward, but an energy beam suddenly shot out before me. Then they continued to increase in number, crossing to form a web. I stared at the energy net in front of me silently for a while before retreating, and the web vanished beam by beam. 

  If I had activated x-speed the instant the web had materialized, I undoubtedly could have reached Sin. Yet even in the best-case scenario of having defeated Sin and captured him as a hostage, I would likely only obtain a corpse, which would provide no help to the current situation. 

  Sin paused in his tracks but did not look back, simply letting out a cold chuckle as he walked to the wall. Before the door opened, the energy net reappeared around me, so densely packed together that I could not pass even a palm through. If I attempted to forcibly break through, either my blood ability would vaporize, or I would be sliced into countless pieces. 

  Once the net completely assembled, the door opened, and Sin exited. 

  Compared to Sin’s safety, not letting me flee seemed to be what was truly important. 

  Once the door shut, the web disappeared once more, and the room returned to its empty state. 

  The vacant room also had time. This room would turn off the lights at set four-hour intervals to submerge completely into darkness to suit a vampire’s required conditions for rest. While I no longer needed to rest, I would still lay down on time to avoid this secret from being exposed. 

  Twenty-four hours without needing to sleep while having nothing to do. 

  All that remained were my thoughts. 

  The previous chain of events had arrived in great number rapidly and messily, giving me no time to stop and ponder over them. I had only been able to bear with them one after another. 

  The Sun Emperor’s advancement step by step, Curtis’s betrayal and intervention, Father Yue and Alex’s interference, Luo Ye and Lieder’s appearance… The suspicions in my heart continued to pile up high as the situation worsened further. 

  Only after I had been seized and taken in the car had I discovered that the Luo Ye that the young master had been protecting this entire time was the criminal he had painstakingly searched for. Moreover, I had become a prisoner. Despite how disastrous the matter was, it actually calmed my anger and sense of defeat. 

  The bright room also allowed my mood to stabilize, although light ought to make vampires feel anxious. Brightness had always been an environment suited for humans, while darkness was what vampires loved the most. However, this did not apply to a vampire like myself who had been born and raised among humans. 

  I had adapted so much to sunlight that whenever I pulled open the curtains in the morning, I would frequently forget about the light shining on my face until the pain pricked through my eyes to remind me that I was not a race of the sunlight. 

  My emotions surged slightly once again. I quietly stood motionless as I dispelled all emotions and mulled over everything again and again, yet I only grew more and more confused. 

  What does the Sun Emperor truly want to do? 

  He said he did not care about Luo Ye. Could it be that this whole matter from beginning to end was merely a test? To test our loyalty toward the young master? 

  Melody and the others qualified, while the Sun Emperor used X’s whereabouts to threaten me and command me to deceive Luo Ye. I hesitated and was unwilling to do so, so I did not qualify? 

  No, the Sun Emperor had personally stated that I had no intentions of handing Luo Ye over to him. If I never betrayed the young master, why did I not qualify? 

  Could it be because I did not firmly reject the Sun Emperor’s command? However, every person has someone they care about. If the Sun Emperor had seized Briar away, Mr. Bramble would likely have become the first to disqualify. 

  Furthermore, if it were merely to test us, there would be no need at all to involve the Elysees family and the Church. This instead makes the situation more complicated, even presenting Lieder an advantageous opportunity to take Luo Ye and me away. 

  Aside from killing Luo Ye, aside from testing us, is there something else I am not aware of? And does the young master know of it? 

  No, he undoubtedly does not know. In this time, the young master and the Sun Emperor’s relationship had only gotten stiffer. If it were not for the young master’s instinct to protect his older brother, I am afraid that he would have long since blown up from anger and turned away to leave—Wait a moment. 

  Recent events suddenly flashed past in succession—the Sun Emperor had been unwilling to meet the young master to converse while hunting Luo Ye. The Sun Emperor had also used X and Curtis to anger me, forcing me to raise a hand against him, which the young master just happened to return in time to see, driven to have a falling out with me. He even attacked as forced to take my life. 

  During this period, he also tested Melody and Mr. Bramble’s group, using DSII to act as well. Practically all those by the young master’s side were involved with no exceptions. 

  It was as if the Sun Emperor was announcing to the young master that his everything was given by the Sun Emperor. When the Sun Emperor wants to disrupt the waters, the young master cannot resist in the slightest and will just find himself… abandoned and betrayed by all. 

  No one would be happy to be tightly controlled by someone, with the other party able to destroy their world with a single shift of their fingers, no matter how deep their relationship is. 

  The Sun Emperor should understand this fact, yet he intentionally made this type of declaration. Would the unrestrained king of the business world truly be foolish enough to do something with this result? 

  It would only make the young master feel unhappy with the Sun Emperor…Wait, what if this was what the Sun Emperor desired? Did he purposely provoke the young master? 

  But why would that be? I could not comprehend it. There must be something I am unaware of that is the Sun Emperor’s true objective. 

  It is undoubtedly related to the young master. 

  As I was unaware of other clues due to my lack of knowledge and failure to understand the whole situation, I could only let it go for the time being and raise another messier and more difficult issue. 

  Curtis, or perhaps, the attitude of the Elysees family. 

  When I thought of this, my heart fell. Although I had long since not considered myself the family head and had mentioned countless times to Curtis “not to pay any mind to me,” now that I was truly forsaken, I could not calmly face it. My former words were truly pretentious. In reality, I had still hoped the family would forever stand behind me. 

  If I had lost the Elysees family when Sadina had left, I would likely not have felt a loss as great as this. After all, Curtis had not actually been obligated to do anything for my sake. 

  However, after he had repeatedly voiced his commitment, I had begun to embrace that hope, that perhaps the relationship between the family, him, and myself could be as it had been when Sadina was still in this world. Even when I did not return to the family, I knew I still had that bond. It was not at the point where I had nothing to keep me afloat, where I had no space that belonged to me despite the vast, wide world. 

  I had once wondered if it had been because this small sense of belonging was missing that X was so embittered, unable to assimilate into this world in any way. 

  If I lost the Elysees family, would I be like X and not hold any longing toward this world? 

  No, no, not “if,” I have already lost the Elysees and I have just not been able to accept it. Curtis did just turn around and leave, even abandoning me with the Sun Emperor… 

  I can promise you that, as long as you are still alive, I will protect you to the end, even if it requires the strength of the entire family! 

  No! Curtis had no need to protect me yet still made such a promise. I do not believe he would say anything he was unwilling to do. When he made that promise, he undoubtedly wanted to carry it out. However, the Sun Emperor may have made a massive threat that gave him no other option but to abandon me? 

  You should never feel threatened by the Sun Emperor. The Elysees do not fear him. Moreover, you are our family head, so you should not need to be afraid of anything! 

  “If he was not threatened by the Sun Emperor, then why abandon me… Or did you not do that at all?” 

  I began to think back to the whole sequence of events. Curtis had left the red bowtie troops to me, which had included quite a number of “Extraordinaries.” This was evidently the Elysees family’s secret weapon. If he had wanted to give up on me in the end, he certainly would not have dispatched these troops and meaninglessly exposed the family’s strength. 

  Over the phone, he had constantly hinted about being controlled by the Sun Emperor, which also proved that Curtis had no intention of abandoning me then either. After Dong Fang Lei and I arrived at the hotel, the red bowtie troops revealed the true face of the Extraordinaries and blocked off Father Yue and Alex while I went looking for Curtis and the Sun Emperor… 

  I pondered back and forth, unaware of how much time passed. As before, I did not feel any sleepiness, only an increasingly powerful sense of hunger. 

  At this moment, the door was suddenly opened a crack and a tray was pushed in with several bags of red liquid. Before any thought could come to mind, I had already raced forward to bite through the bags and drink the blood in my extreme thirst. 

  It got more difficult to think in the following days. I was very hungry, extremely hungry. The blood that was delivered periodically was not enough to satisfy a vampire, only enough for maintaining 70% fullness or so. The Church clearly did not want a vampire to have too much vitality. 

  However, ever since I drank the medicine Lieder sent, I had not needed to sleep and had in turn needed a significant amount more blood. This current amount was not enough to even keep me half full. 

  I was getting hungrier. 

  Although I was a pureborn vampire, I rarely felt thirsty for blood because my honorable father always took care of his child well. My honorable father might have even known better than a vampire what the necessary amount of blood for a vampire was; he would never be even a drop short. 

  This was the first time I had ever felt a such an obvious desire for blood. 

  I need blood. 

  Time passed slower and slower. Now, the only means to determine time was to rely on the number of times the blood was delivered, though I did not know if they had extended the timing or not. It may have simply been a misconception from my starvation, but the interval between each time felt like it was stretching longer. 

  It also started feeling colder despite the fact that I rarely felt the cold. Usually, I always felt hot. The moment I saw sunlight, my body would turn into a stove and heat until my blood was about to boil. 

  Currently, time had almost frozen like ice. As it slowed down further, each minute and each second were distinct. I had an incomparable desire to lose consciousness for just a single second, or even have my consciousness blur a bit. Yet I remained so clear-minded that it was impossible to suffer a single lapse in concentration. I knew something better than anything else… 

  “I need more blood!” 

  When a crack was opened once again, I had already holed up next to the door to frantically shout this. Yet I did not receive any response. After waiting in torture for a while, the delivered blood was still the same amount. 

  I was beyond thirsty as I drank the blood, the sense of satisfaction vanishing in a flash. The amount in the blood bag was honestly too little. It felt as if I drained it in a single sip, the blood disappearing instantly only for an intense lack of contentment to surge forth. I desperately squeezed the bag, but only a few drops of blood landed by my lips. I licked them again and again until there was nothing more to taste, though I still could not resist continuing to lick my lips and the inside of the blood bag. 

  I need blood… 

  Need blood… 

  Blood… 

  The door opened slightly again. I swiftly reached out to grab the other party’s hand and pulled the entire arm through the crack. The screams sounded so beautiful. Even with the skin as a barrier, I could smell the concentrated fragrance of blood with a hint of rust that was so intoxicating. I bit down with my fangs, the sweet and salty blood pouring into my mouth, giving me such euphoria. 

  The other party was not very obedient, struggling as hard as possible to retract their hand. However, I kept a steadfast grip on the…food. 

  I was beyond thirsty, so my absorption was extremely quick, and was caught off guard when I was suddenly not sucking anything more. After a delayed response of extreme confusion, I took another hard suck and still could not extract anything. At this moment, I came to the sudden realization that the hand no longer felt normal. The previously thick arm was now shriveled dry. 

  Words instantly flashed through my mind. 

  Thou must not take the last drop of blood when feeding. 

  Could it be… Just as I was about to look down at the food in my hands, alarms began to go off loudly in my head and I hurriedly retreated with x-speed. However, I still felt a pain from my hand, as I had not escaped quickly enough and was still burned. The fingers in particular were half blackened. If I had been just the slightest bit slower, I might have lost my fingers entirely. 

  After finally drinking my fill, my awareness had cleared significantly. I looked up to see the energy net that had appeared before. An abnormally pale arm remained in the crack of the door, completely motionless. 

  Did I drain all of this human’s blood? Will I die as a result, or will nothing occur? Is there a root to the prohibition of not drinking the last drop of blood, or is it just a rumor so that vampires do not suck humans dry? 

  Despite all this, I currently did not feel anything wrong. I even felt very good because that unbearable thirst that had practically driven me insane had vanished. Now, my body was filled with energy and my consciousness was very clear, to the point where I understood that I was…a vampire. 

  In that moment when I had been starved to an extreme point, I had not been able to sense anything except for sustenance, just like a starving beast that wanted to tear the head off from its prey and happily enjoy the flesh. 

  If the owner of that arm just now had been the young master, had been Curtis, would I have been bitten it? 

  This was the first time I felt glad that my honorable father and Sadina were no longer in this world. 

  The door opened and Sin’s fury hit me full force, despite the energy net in between us. A dead body fell down next to his feet, abnormally shriveled and pale. 

  “Non-humans should all die!” His eyes were spitting out waves of hatred. 

  I remained silent and did not voice any retort. 

  Some other people wearing lab coats appeared behind Sin. They appeared to be either doctors or research-type scholars. They were either standing or squatting down next to the corpse, their expressions filled with amazement and excitement as they occasionally looked up at me. Their gazes of eager excitement at the corpse immediately made me loathe them more than Sin. 

  “Unfathomable!” The lab coats animatedly discussed with each other, “He actually drained a human dry? My god, this is worthy of examination. Bring him into the laboratory.” 

  Sin’s expression changed as he twisted his head around and shouted angrily, “He is absolutely not allowed to leave here!” 

  “We must study him.” The scholars in lab coats showed no fear of his wrath and patiently explained, “He drank all the blood of an adult male. No vampire should be able to drink this much blood. They don’t have the ability to transform this much blood.” 

  Transform? I could not comprehend their words but silently continued to listen. These people from the Church have hunted non-humans for so long, especially the vampires whom they detest. It was possible that they understood vampires more than vampires themselves. 

  Sin remained furious, but these people’s following words made him freeze amidst his anger. 

  “He is unlike other vampires and is unique like E.X. They might have a common point or even a shared weakness. We can find it.” 

  X does not have any common points with me. I just drank the medicine from Lieder that mysteriously made it impossible for me to sleep or faint, requiring me to need a large amount of blood. Up until now, the disadvantages have outweighed the advantages. I honestly regret drinking that medicine. 

  Sin looked at me with conflicting emotions before turning to ask the scholars doubtfully, “Are you certain he has a connection to E.X.?” 

  “It isn’t certain,” a scholar candidly replied. He hurriedly added, “But he is definitely not normal. An adult male’s blood volume is over 5000 milliliters, and he should have stopped after drinking half due to an inability to transform more. Especially for a vampire that is only just over 150 years old, drinking 5000 milliliters of blood would be absolutely fatal!” 

  Sin was quiet for a while, and my own mood grew more complicated. Being able to leave this prison was naturally good, but turning from a prisoner into an experiment sounded even worse… No, regardless of the situation, it’s better than remaining powerless while locked inside this room. 

  Perhaps the experiments themselves would be unbearable, but the thirst I experienced over the past few days made me understand that there was no torture that was more frightening than endless hunger. Going to the laboratory was a change in pace. At least, there would be people coming and going there. I may have a chance to find a way to escape. 

  Upon thinking this through, I calmly watched Sin furrow his brows and somewhat reluctantly agree to these lab coats’ suggestion. He gestured toward some direction, and an entire row of pastors dressed in the Sin Elimination Committee’s garb walked in. 

  They were all fully armed and faced me vigilantly, bounding me with chains. These were not the chains used in the past, but instead were completely silver. They appeared to be very advanced technology, as they were rather heavy despite not being bulky. I did not know what they were made of, but I was certain they had silver components. 

  The instant I exerted any strength, an electric current raced through, the numbing pain making me twitch uncontrollably. I had to tightly clench my teeth in order not to let out a shout. As expected, these truly were not simple chains. I could not even see where the keyhole was. Considering that any pressure would invoke electricity, it appeared that forcibly breaking out was impossible. Even though this was to be expected, I still felt some disappointment. 

  Sin coldly chuckled but did not say anything. He really spoke very little, basically never talking unless it was necessary. 

  As I exited the prison, I put on an act of curiosity to examine the surroundings. My head had been covered when I had come here, and by the time the covering had been removed, I had already been in the room. 

  Outside the prison was a bright white corridor. Entirely contrary to my expectations, this place was more like a research center rather than the Sin Elimination Committee. The walls were a glowing pure white, and multiple instruments with simple designs that did not have obvious functions were placed around the area. The surroundings gave a strong scientific atmosphere, similar to the science-fiction films I had seen in the past. 

  I was slightly uneasy, as science and technology had never been a vampire’s specialty. In addition, there was not a single window in the vicinity. Even if my hands were not chained, I would only be able to run down the hallway and attempt to find an exit. Though, according to films, these corridors might have a bunch of sluice gates fall down at any point in time to block the path. Then, I would still be captured and locked in a cage. 

  In the beginning, there had not been any people in the hallway. Only after we had turned a few corners did people gradually appear. These figures wore different-colored robes, though most were white. The white robes were similar to doctor coats, so I guessed they were probably doctors or scholars. 

  Then there were the black priest robes. These people were easy to identify; they were the priests of the Sin Elimination Committee, the type responsible for capturing non-humans. Most of them were in groups of two or three escorting a handcuffed criminal. I believed these criminals were all non-humans, though I could not discern the difference races. The only thing I was certain of was that there were no vampires. 

  The handful of criminals all had fallen expressions, evidently feeling there was no way to survive, which was the likely reality. I had heard before that eighty to ninety percent of non-humans captured by the Sin Elimination Committee never came out again. Now that I had seen this lab-like Sin Elimination Committee, perhaps being killed on the spot was better than being seized here. I did not think they would be imprisoned here. Being experimented on is more likely. 

  One of the people shot me a particular look. Or rather than a person, it was a wolfman. This type of non-human’s appearance was not much different from that of a stray dog. They typically pretended to be stray dogs as well, though they were undoubtedly non-humans more proficient in standing upright on two legs rather than with four limbs on the ground like a dog. 

  Yet this one looked more like a wolf than a dog. The fur that covered its body glowed black, and its figure stood practically at the height of an adult. Wolfmen this outstanding were truly a rare sight, very similar to a werewolf. I subconsciously glanced at him multiple times, instead drawing him into baring his teeth. However, he was immediately pulled back and began twitching as the priest behind him firmly tugged on his chains. 

  This surprised me somewhat. Wolfmen were a race that did not make offenses against humans if the reverse was also true. There were very few wolfmen that were this violent. Perhaps it was in a poor mood because it knew it would not live long? 

  Sin unhappily looked at the priests escorting it. After straightening their backs upright, they immediately yanked the wolfman back to one side to clear a path. No one spoke. The people standing on the side only secretly shot glances at me, though they concealed it well. There was no doubt that management here was very harsh. 

  “What crime did he commit?” Sin frowned at the single wolfman and said, “Wolfmen aren’t a belligerent race.” 

  A pastor came forward and explained, “He was searching to kill a human, seemingly seeking revenge. The opposite party had previously killed the human that had taken him in.” 

  “He killed the human?” 

  “No, the opponent’s firepower was too great, and he did not have the chance.” 

  “Firepower was too great?” 

  The pastor lowered his voice to reply, “It was a weapons merchant that had dealings with us. He was the one who reported this case.” 

  Sin furrowed his brows. “Investigate this entire matter thoroughly. If you cannot reach a clear conclusion, then just kill it.” 

  As soon as he said this, the priest seemed slightly shocked, although I was not certain if the shock was due to Sin not killing the wolfman immediately, or if it was due to the command to kill it if the investigation yielded an unclear conclusion. After all, the wolfman had not killed anyone; he was also not from a race that the Church would want to eliminate at first sight like vampires. 

  “For the interim, do not bring too many non-humans back, especially those that are highly dangerous or have unclear origins. It’s best to just kill them on the spot.” 

  “Yessir!” 

  Sin turned to glare angrily at me. “I won’t give you any chance to escape!” 

  I started, then smiled bitterly. What a needless warning. I had no idea where the chance to flee would be. The surroundings were well fortified, the personnel adopting a cautious attitude. If no mishap occurred, there was no possibility of being able to run away by myself. 

  While it was certain that X would arrive, and he was very powerful, he was also powerless against an entire organization. X bursting in to face against Avexila’s clan alone might not have yielded good results if the young master had not found so many people at the time, let alone facing an organization as enormous as the Church. 

  Aside from X, did I have anyone else I could rely on? 

  Young Master… 

  Curtis… 

  “Don’t think you can flee!” 

  I raised my head to look at Sin, whose striking resemblance to Father Alex reminded me: Perhaps I was not as alone as I imagined. 

  Even in a world without justice, could I still look upwards and gaze at the sky with hope?

  No Hero    

  Volume 9 Endless Days, The End NO.2: Lie

  Translated by TaffyGirl13 (proofread by Xuan; C/E edited by lucathia)“Ah Ye?” 

  Confirming identity: Dr. An Te Qi, Lv. 2 in command, waiting to receive orders. 

  “Ah Ye?” 

  Waiting to receive orders… 

  “…Dark Sun.” 

  “Yes, Dr. An Te Qi.” 

  Waiting to receive orders, analyzing Dr. An Te Qi’s condition: Sad, pained. 

  Executing action: Inquire. 

  “Dr. An Te Qi, how may I help you?” 

  “…Heavens! I shouldn’t have done this surgery, I really shouldn’t have! But if I hadn’t, they would still have found someone else to do it, in which case I might as well be the one to carry it out. At least I can still persuade them to make the part that represses emotions reversible…” 

  Analysis: Not an order, not a question, unable to execute action. 

  “Ah Ye… no, Dark Sun, do you still remember the Gēge you repeatedly called out for?” 

  Analysis: Question, Lv. 2 in command. 

  Executing action: Reply. 

  “No, memories have been sealed.” 

  “Ah Ye, you always said that Gēge would come and rescue you, but where is he now? It has been so many years. Just where in the world is he?!” 

  “I do not require the action of being rescued.” 

  “You do not require… Hahahaha! Indeed, you do not need it anymore as you are now. Perhaps that’s good, or better! At least you won’t be eternally waiting for the Gēge that will never arrive; you don’t need to smile at me, the rotten person who doesn’t dare save you! Repressing your emotions may be for the best, haha…ah…hic…” 

  While I had thought that I would have possibly had my blood taken and my flesh dissected into pieces, my days in the laboratory instead started with simple questions. If it were not for the fact that my hands and feet were chained to a chair, it would have been exactly like being interviewed. Except rather than interviewers or journalists, it was doctors in white-robes instead. 

  “Is E.X. the vampire that bestowed First Kiss onto you?” 

  “I am a pureborn vampire. I did not receive any First Kiss from another vampire,” I honestly answered. This was a matter that the Church also knew of; there was no meaning in lying. 

  Hearing the term pureborn vampire, the white-robed doctor interrogating me suddenly turned enthusiastic, his eyes glowing as he pressed, “He’s your father? He had you together with a female vampire?” 

  “No, X and I do not share any blood relation.” I could not help but suggest, “Perhaps you should first read my data before asking questions. There is no doubt that the Church has a file dedicated to me in their database.” 

  The white-robed doctor nonchalantly replied, “There is no need. Information obtained from investigations may have mistakes. Also you have no way of lying here.” 

  So that is what these are. All the equipment connected to my body is actually for detecting lies? 

  “Have you drunk E.X.’s blood before?” 

  This question was somewhat contrary to my expectations. Typically speaking, a vampire would not drink the blood of other vampires, like how a human would not want to eat food from another person’s mouth. However, after personally having experienced extreme hunger, I believed that I could have also drunk a vampire’s blood if there were no other alternatives. 

  “No.” 

  The white-robed doctor eyed the equipment monitor and seemed slightly disappointed. He furrowed his brows and said, “You did not lie, but that may not be the truth either. Perhaps E.X. fed you without you knowing.” 

  “Is X’s blood very special?” I stared at the doctor in confusion. Is this perhaps the true reason the Church relentlessly pursues X? 

  The white-robed doctor reflexively answered, “Yes…” 

  “Shut up!” 

  At this point, Sin’s furious roar could be heard. However, he was not physically present. It sounded as if the voice was being transmitted through a broadcasting device. The white-robed doctor jumped in shock and apologized repeatedly, his complexion slightly pale. Not daring to do anything else unrelated, he continued his questioning. 

  “Has he ever told you of his history?” 

  “Never.” I calmly replied, “He is reluctant to speak of his past, refusing to even say the origin of the Church’s intense hatred. You do not need to ask these types of questions. I do not know anything of his history.” 

  The white-robed doctor habitually checked the meter’s monitor. His eyes suddenly widened and he showed an excited expression as he announced in delight, “You’re lying!” 

  I started and automatically said, “I’m not… Ugh!” 

  An electric current passed through the cuffs on my hands and feet, spreading through my entire body, leaving immense pain after the numbness. I shot upwards, but due to the obstructions on my limbs, I could not move, only able to stay chained to the chair. All I could do was struggle in pain like a captured fish brought ashore. 

  “Think back!” 

  After the current passed, the white-robed doctor’s voice came again. I took a deep breath, but before I could even recall anything, another wave of electricity and twitching came. 

  “What about E.X. do you know?” 

  I undoubtedly do not know of anything related to X’s past… Miss Tong? 

  The electricity came to an abrupt stop. I no longer twitched, though I was unable to stop the faint trembling of my body. 

  “You thought of it?” The white-robed doctor stuck his head closer. “Don’t deny it. Your body index cannot hide it.” 

  I tried my utmost to stop shaking as I widened my lips into a smile and answered, “I am very sorry, but I cannot think of anything.” 

  The white-robed doctor’s face dropped. 

  As my muscles tensed in preparation to endure another electric attack, the door slammed open. Sin charged in to grab my collar, lifting me up. Only my cuffed wrists and ankles were left on the chair, causing a pain that felt as if my limbs were on the verge of being torn apart. 

  “Do you think electricity is our only technique?” Sin bellowed out angrily, “Charles Endelis, no matter how much you struggle, no one can conceal anything from us while in our grasp! With what we will do to you, you’ll wish you were in Hell rather than continue living! Right now, you have one remaining chance to say everything. Once E.X. is in our hands, you can leave!” 

  I sincerely replied, “Then I may as well stay here for eternity.” 

  Sin’s face twisted like a vampire turning hostile. I should really brace myself now for either an electric attack or a more painful technique. 

  “Sin!” A black-robed pastor rushed in with a somewhat panicked look. “Outside…” 

  “Be quiet!” Sin interrupted him and reprimanded, “What are you all flustered for?!” 

  The black-robed pastor immediately went silent and his attitude turned solemn. However, his ashen face exposed his anxiety. Sin frowned in discontent, though he did not lash out again. Instead, he turned his head to order the white-robed doctor, “Continue investigating and dig up everything E.X-related from his mouth. Do not let the slightest detail slip. Understood?” 

  The white-robed doctor earnestly nodded. 

  Sin and the black-robed pastor left. While Sin maintained his composure, the black-robed pastor’s footsteps were a bit rushed. I wonder what occurred for him to be so nervous? 

  At this moment, the white-robed doctor let out a sudden sigh. When I looked at him, he sympathetically said, “You should just speak. No one can endure unending pain. The situation is even worse for you, since you’re a vampire and cannot die easily. This will only make things more terrible, understand?” 

  I remained silent. Actually, Miss Tong had already been dead for many years, so speaking of her would likely not be an issue. However, I absolutely would not say a hint of a word. Never! 

  I had never received training on how to deal with interrogation by torture. I was terrified that the moment I spoke, I would lose control of my mouth. If I were tortured to the point where my mind was no longer clear, I was afraid both lies and truth would all come out. 

  Perhaps I did not know too much of X’s past, but I was very familiar with his combat style, possessed his email address and the secret phone number on that cell phone, and knew what disguise he had used a few days ago and how he had obtained cash… 

  I honestly should not have known so much. 

  Through the little information I had provided, Curtis had once found X. The Church would certainly not be outdone. The torment of seeing X being detained here would be even more terrifying than any torture. 

  The white-robed doctor sighed again and urged, “Since you will eventually speak, you might as well say it now. To be honest, I don’t have much interest in torturing others, but I must stay here to monitor the instruments. It’s only electrocution for the moment. I don’t even want to be here to witness when those pastors take over later. You should just be good and confess so I can return to the lab and you can regain freedom. It would be good for everyone.” 

  “Those pastors?” I showed faint curiosity as I asked, “Are you not a pastor?” 

  “Do I look like a pastor?” The white-robed doctor responded in amusement. “You should at least be able to discern black robes and white robes, right?” 

  I smiled and replied, “Naturally. However, I thought that the white robes were also a unit established under the Church.” 

  At this point, the white-robed doctor chuckled and said, “I’m Deason.” 

  Before voicing his name, Deason had paused for a moment and used a smile to conceal it. Despite being a very small gesture, it was already sufficient to a butler. We were always very skilled at observing the subtle expressions of the employer. 

  There was no doubt that he was wearing a hidden earpiece, with someone speaking to him or even commanding him. 

  Trying to appeal to my emotions? Then I shall keep you company. “I am Charles Endelis. However, I am sure you already know this.” 

  “Of course.” Deason spoke in high spirit, “You know Endelis is an extremely ancient vampire surname, right?” 

  “Yes, I know. It comes from a second-generation vampire.” 

  This was a matter that my honorable father had found out. However, it was uncertain if Madam Avexila had truly inherited this surname, or if she had changed to this surname out of vanity. The behind-the-scenes details related to vampires from ancient times had been intractable for even my honorable father, and my brief interactions with the madam were not enough for me to understand much about her. 

  “You’re a fifth-generation pureborn vampire that holds the Endelis surname!” Deason praised. He then studied me with a complicated expression as he lamented, “You have absolutely no idea what this means.” 

  I furrowed my brows without concealing my inquisitiveness. I was indeed a bit curious about this, though I did not find it particularly important. 

  “Second-generation vampire, Donovan Endelis, was an extremely powerful vampire. He once established a non-human city that even the Church did not dare to enter.” 

  A non-human city. This sounded like a place that even non-humans would be unwilling to reside in. Despite being a vampire myself, I had to admit that too many non-humans gathered together was not a good thing. If I had to guess, even if it had been a non-human city, there was a high chance that it had many humans living in it as well. Just like… the current Sunset City. 

  “Charles Endelis, with enough time, you will become even stronger than E.X.!” 

  I suspect that Avexila’s surname might have been stolen. There are still two generations between second and fifth. Too much could have happened in the time between. 

  Deason shook his head. “He really isn’t worth you sacrificing your own life. If you knew E.X.’s true face and what he had done, you would not want to protect any of his secrets.” 

  “What did he do?” I asked in confusion. “I have puzzled over this for a long time, but he has never been willing to tell me.” 

  “E.X. obviously wouldn’t tell you. If you knew such things, you would have cut ties with him long ago. In that case, how could you have been caught by the Church? Let me tell you, he doesn’t care about any life. He was even called a demon after his massacre centuries ago…” 

  Don’t tell me that the vampire Dracula was modelled after X? That would honestly be a bit too much like a movie plot. 

  Fortunately, Deason did not mention anything about Dracula. I continued wearing a mask of doubt and bewilderment as he continued to describe the various crimes X had committed, such as slaughter, slavery, abuse, and even sucking the blood of infants under the age of three as a result of his carefree affinity for draining human blood. 

  Every bloody crime was hung over X’s head. While I might have been unable to ascertain in the beginning if X had committed these types of deeds before, I grew increasingly confident as Deason spoke that the person he spoke of was not X, but E.X—the reprehensible E.X. that the Church had built up. 

  Although X might have done several things in the past that had resulted in the Church chasing him non-stop for so many years, the figure Deason was currently talking about was not him. The X that I recognized was not a vampire who would commit such crimes. 

  In the end, the action of specially conversing with the other party had not provided any useful information. This Deason did not understand X better than I did. He was just like a student, the not very hard-working type as well. He had been taught by a teacher like the Church about what type of historical icon E.X was and what crimes he had performed without any doubt about the unreasonable parts. He did not go further to pursue the truths from falsehoods. He also had never even seen X on top of that. 

  “So, are you going to endure torture for this type of person?” Deason stated in disbelief, “You were originally free, yet you were captured because of him. While you’re suffering here, he’s instead killing people and feeding on blood as much as he likes outside. This is a bit unfair to you.” 

  “It is indeed unfair.” 

  “Yes!” Deason agreed, “Let him suffer for the crimes he committed himself. You don’t need to be his sacrificial lamb. You look very gentle and polite, nothing like a non-human with no regard for law or discipline. You shouldn’t have to suffer this cruelty!” 

  I smiled in response. The other party seemed very happy, believing I had been convinced. 

  “I have previously been struck with a whip sprinkled with silver powder, had silver needles stabbed into all my fingertips, been burned by a brand, and been tied to a pillar under intense sunlight so that the rays burned every inch of my skin! How about you show me some more original methods of torture this time?” 

  This was the first—and what I believed the only—time I felt grateful for the past torment that Madam Avexila had inflicted. 

  The turn in conversation was so dramatic that Deason did not quite manage to follow it. After a long moment of silence, he let out a soft exhale and said, “You know, I’ve been doing this job for a long time now. The vast majority of non-humans that come here are nothing good. Opening with electricity and persuasion is merely a formality. Torture is actually the quickest method. It’s been ages since I played good cop to persuade so earnestly.” 

  Sin had been the bad cop. Deason had played the good cop. At the very beginning, Sin had even reprimanded Deason, creating the image of the two not being “cut from the same cloth.” Then, Deason had begun to appeal to my emotions, putting on an act of showing deep affection. He had indeed played the part well. 

  Deason calmly stated, “The methods of torture we will use are more or less similar to the ones you speak of, but a bit more scientific. We will also use hypnosis and drugs as support. You won’t be able to endure it. This isn’t something you can bear just by wanting to, because by that point, your consciousness will no longer be clear.” 

  Hypnosis and drugs. My heart sank…Wait a moment! Speaking of hypnosis, does Lieder’s new ability not count as the most powerful type of hypnosis? Typically, Lieder could use his words to control my movements. If he commanded me while I was in a dazed state from the torment, it would not be difficult at all for them to know of X’s secrets. 

  This was the simplest method, yet they had not adopted this solution. Could it be that they do not know of Lieder’s new ability at all? 

  That would not be strange either. If such a terrifying ability, even at Josh’s level, were to actually land in their hands, the consequences would be endlessly frightening. What is more, it is currently in Lieder’s possession. If the Church knew he had this type of power, then his chances of walking out from the Church may not be any higher than mine. 

  “How about it? Just say it directly. Don’t continue delaying things like this.” Deason looked at me expectantly. My silence just now had seemingly been assumed to be hesitation. 

  I remained completely silent. Torture, drugs, and hypnosis: would I truly be able to keep my lips sealed? 

  Deason remained good-tempered as he said, “All right, I’ll leave you to yourself. Think it through well. I’ll come back later.” 

  He stood, but I spoke up to stop him. 

  “No, there is no need. I want to meet a person. There are explanations that I must receive regarding several matters. As long as you let me meet with him, I will tell you anything related to X.” 

  Deason shook his head and replied, “We won’t let you meet with any outsiders. Just give up, it’s impossible.” 

  “Not an outsider. He is the person that brought me here.” I bluntly stated, “Lieder. I want to meet Lieder.” 

  The other person furrowed his brows without a word, seemingly considering this. However, I guessed that he was listening to instructions through his earpiece. 

  “I have to discuss with others.” Deason added in a distressed tone, “But don’t expect too much. Sin is tightly monitoring you, and I don’t think he will agree. But fine, I’ll give it a try.” 

  He turned and walked out of the room. In that moment, an energy cage surrounded me again. Although I had changed locations, the precautions were equally strict. 

  “Tong Xiao Ai.” 

  Deason stopped in his tracks and looked back to ask, “What?” 

  I explained in more detail, “When I first met X, he had a girl with him named Tong Xiao Ai. Her mental state was very unstable, and she frequently shouted various things by herself. Most of the time, they were just words or phrases; I did not understand the contents much. However, since I had strongly yearned to understand X’s situation at the time, I remember everything she had said before. I believe that her words should be more meaningful to you than me.” 

  Deason glanced at the equipment before inquiring, “Just a meeting with Lieder?” 

  I firmly answered, “Just a meeting with Lieder.” 

  He nodded and turned to leave the room. 

  Torture, drugs, and hypnosis—even if I could endure the process of the interrogation by torture, the longer things dragged on, the higher the chance was that X would bring himself to their front steps. By then, would there be any meaning in having lasted without saying a word? 

  I had to find an opportunity to escape as quickly as possible. At the moment, the only target I could think of using was Lieder. He had originally been hunted by both the Sun Emperor and Curtis. If his voice control ability was exposed, even the Church would not let him leave easily. By that point, his situation would undoubtedly be much worse than X’s. 

  Lieder had no choice but to help me, or else he would not be able to keep this secret. Worst case, he could also come up with a way to kill me. 

  It was not long before Lieder entered alone with a bag of blood. 

  For the decision to have been made so swiftly, either Sin had been waiting outside, or Deason’s position was higher than I had imagined. 

  Lieder sat down, a bitter expression on his face as he met my eyes and sighed. “You really can’t let me go, can you?” 

  I replied matter-of-factly, “You used me more than once, harmed both myself and the young master, and finally captured me to bring to the Church and land me in a situation where I must face torture or see my loved ones get hurt. Why would I let you go?” 

  Lieder rolled his eyes and retorted, “Hey, hey! I don’t have anything to say about the past, but my seizing you back to the Church just happened to save your life this time. How can you count it against me? It’s definitely a favor too!” 

  I calmly replied, “The young master would not kill me. Even without you, he would have stopped.” 

  Lieder snorted angrily and sneered, “There might be a difference in perspective, because that was not the situation I saw.” 

  I leaned forward and said, “Even ‘Josh’ could not stop the young master. Why do you think that you could?” 

  Lieder’s mouth opened, his eyes suddenly widening. 

  I smiled. 

  He coldly scoffed and spoke in a tone of disdain. “Josh’s mental state is like that of a child’s. It’s normal for him to be unable to defeat your young master. However, my methods are far superior to his. Weren’t you also duped at the time?” 

  “So how could I not drag you down with me?” I smiled as I looked at him. “You can see it as my revenge.” 

  There was no doubt that people were listening in from the outside. I could not speak directly, or else I would be giving the Church a super powerful hypnotizer in vain. Thus, I could only use Josh to hint at Lieder that I would expose his ability. Lieder clearly understood, even replying that his ability surpassed Josh’s. This truly gave an uneasy feeling. 

  “Besides, do you think my current situation is better than death?” 

  Lieder was quiet for a moment. He then said with difficulty, “You’ll be fine. E.X. will quickly come looking for you here. By then, you will no longer be of any use, and I will try my best to win over your departure.” 

  I coldly stated, “Do you think I would leave if X comes?” 

  “Then, what do you want to do?” Lieder furiously shouted, “I can’t help you escape. That’s impossible for me!” 

  “I was not hoping to escape. I merely want you to help investigate a matter for me and tell me the results. Then, I’ll confess everything related to X!” 

  Lieder paused for a moment, then asked, “What matter?” 

  I roared out emotionally, “What exactly was the reason for the great steward of the Elysees family, Curtis Christopher, to betray his family head?!” 

  There were still lie detectors connected to my body, but I was not worried in the slightest about these noting anything off. After all, this fury was more real than anything. I truly wanted to know why! 

  If he had abandoned me merely after getting threatened, why had he made that pledge with me in the first place? Sadina’s grandson would not be a person who would speak without thinking nor go back on his word! 

  Lieder frowned as he replied, “I can’t get access to the Elysees steward.” 

  I reminded, “You even struck the Sun Emperor’s head with the butt of a gun.” 

  Lieder angrily huffed, “Do you know how many years I spent planning and preparing for that? Fine, wait three years, and I’ll be able to find out everything you want to know!” 

  I furrowed my brows and replied, “Dong Fang Lei. He is Curtis’s personal butler, as well as the one that manages the red bowtie troops. He must know something. Do not tell me that even access to him is not guaranteed, or else there is no point in further discussion.” 

  Lieder’s forehead creased in thought as he appeared to be contemplating this. However, my guess was that, like Deason, he was being directed through a hidden earpiece. 

  He sighed in distress. “The Elysees family is not one to provoke. Moreover, this needs time as well.” 

  “The Church can definitely provoke them.” I mockingly asked, “Is the Elysees family head not bound right before you?” 

  Lieder rolled his eyes and retorted, “Trust me, the Sun Emperor contributed the most.” 

  My face fell. Indeed, if it were not for the Sun Emperor this time, the situation would absolutely not have been this disastrous. 

  “If the Church can help, it really would be much easier. But why would they help me?” 

  “In order to make me speak.” 

  Lieder helplessly replied, “Sin probably believes torturing you will give faster results.” 

  “They can try and see,” I coldly declared. 

  Lieder curiously asked, “Why are you so confident?” 

  Because I have been tortured by Madam Avexila, hypnotized by Josh, and have even fallen into an unusual state when injected with tranquilizers. My guess was that I had a certain level of resistance to torture, hypnosis, and drugs. Although I did not know whether or not I would succumb at the end, I could at least delay for a period of time. 

  Furthermore, any words I would say while having an indistinct conscious would likely be incoherent. The Church would need to spend quite a bit of time discerning truth from falsehoods; it would not be a simple task. 

  I chuckled and shook my head. “Because I’ve had an extremely ‘interesting’ life.” 

  Lieder sighed, “Interesting indeed. 

  “I promise you that I will try my best to attempt this. No matter what happens, I will investigate for you. However, the Church may not necessarily accept your condition. If they refuse to help me, I’m afraid I won’t be able to find anything within a short period of time.” 

  Lieder looked deep into my eyes as he swore, “I will strive my hardest by any means possible.” 

  I nodded, accepting this promise. Perhaps it was just hope that I would not be disappointed once again. Regardless of whether he honestly wanted to help investigate or if he was thinking of directly killing me, he could not let me down. 

  Lieder stood and picked up the blood bag he had casually placed down as he suggested, “I’ll give you blood to drink, then I must leave. They only gave me half an hour, but now there are only eight minutes left—” 

  The ground suddenly shook, cutting off his words. Layers of energy nets instantly surrounded us, making it impossible for even Lieder to leave. 

  Lieder smiled, spreading his hands out as he helplessly said, “I suppose plans can’t ever keep up with changes?” 

  I furrowed my brows. Is this an earthquake? But this type of vibration does not seem like an earthquake, but rather more like an explosion. However, I did not hear the sound of an explosion. Could it be that this room’s soundproofing is too advanced? 

  “Give me blood.” Regardless of the circumstances, I had to drink the blood first. If possible, I never wanted to experience the feeling of losing rationality due to extreme hunger again. 

  Lieder started, then came forward to feed me the blood. He could not help but ask, “I heard that you were starving to the point of draining an entire person dry?” 

  I bit into the blood bag and nodded as I drank. 

  He clicked his tongue as he looked me up and down, asking in confusion, “Where in the world does it go? That’s over five liters of blood. Even if it were water, one would want to throw it up if they drank that much!” 

  I did not know where the consumed blood went, but the reason was clearly Lieder’s drug! 

  Since drinking that drug, I had never again experienced losing consciousness, and I was even starting to miss sleep. A vampire’s lifespan was already excessively long; there was truly no need to save sleeping time. 

  The chair suddenly shook with another vibration that was even more intense than the last. 

  “Hurry up and drink,” Lieder advised. 

  I immediately finished in one breath. 

  “…” Lieder stared at me blankly, then back at the empty blood bag in his hands as he murmured, “No wonder you were able to drain a person dry even while being monitored. This speed isn’t any slower than firing a gun at someone.” 

  “What happened?” I asked with wrinkled brows. Who knows if this is another one of the Church’s acts or if something unexpected had actually occurred? 

  Lieder opened his mouth but stopped speaking last minute. He shrugged and responded, “I can’t tell you anything, just give up.” 

  Has something truly happened? It can’t be that X has arrived? 

  Lieder worriedly asked, “Your complexion looks horrible. Is there something wrong with your physical condition?” 

  I anxiously pressed, “Is it X? Is it him?” 

  If he’s currently presenting himself at the front door, then everything I just did has lost all purpose! 

  “Um, I can’t tell you anything.” Lieder frowned at me as he placated, “But calm down a bit, calm down.” 

  Calm down? How could I calm down? X is… 

  My racing heartbeat gradually slowed, my breathing also stabilizing. While I was puzzling over this, a flash of realization passed through me. This was Lieder’s ability. 

  “Take a deep breath, very good. As expected of an Elysees butler. Don’t fret, it isn’t like panicking will be of any use. We’re locked here. What else can we do?” 

  I looked at Lieder and inquired doubtfully, “They do not plan on releasing you either?” 

  “They’ll let me out eventually.” He shrugged and laughed. “Otherwise, your food will be me.” 

  This was not the least bit humorous. I could not say for certain if I would bite the young master or Curtis after being hungry for several days. But drinking Lieder’s blood? It didn’t sound like anything that I would want to restrain myself from. 

  Another vibration. 

  Perhaps it really is not a show this time. 

  Now the question is, who has arrived?

  No Hero    

  Volume 9 Endless Days, The End NO.3: It Has Come

  Translated by Ever (proofread by Trespasserby & Minthe; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  Dìdi, do you not recognize me? It’s Gēge.” 

  Awaiting orders. 

  “You must call him Dark Sun for him to work. That was the name we inputted. Of course, you can also change it. You only have to give the command and clearly say what his name will be changed to.” 

  “What the hell are you talking about? Dìdi? Ah Ye?” 

  “Dark Sun. Turn around and confirm your highest priority master.” 

  Order received. 

  Taking action: verify highest priority master. 

  “Confirming highest priority master. Appearance: Match. Iris recognition: Match. Preliminary confirmation of Master verified. If a second matching profile and iris is found, will proceed with DNA confirmation. Does Master wish to initiate the name changing sequence?” 

  “Change names? Change what name? Your name has never changed! You are not Dark Sun! You are ‘Ri Xiang Ye,’ my only dìdi!” 

  Interpreting: change of name ordered by highest priority master. 

  Taking action: initiating name changing sequence. 

  “Ri Xiang Ye. Name changing sequence completed. Dìdi also accepted as a nickname.” 

  Analyzing highest master: sad, bitter, coughed blood. 

  Taking action: inquire. 

  Taking action: send to hospital. 

  Taking… 

  Warning: someone intends to assassinate the highest master! 

  *** 

  Another big quake. 

  I was now very certain that this was not an earthquake, but was definitely an explosion. Such a big explosion. Is someone trying to break into this place? Using such strong ammunition does not seem like something X would do. 

  I let out a sigh of relief, but was not completely reassured, since I had just seen X undercover, and he did not seem to be as old-fashioned as I had thought. There were a lot of things that I did not know. 

  “From the looks of the current situation, the Church is not as in control of the situation as I had imagined.” I said as calmly as possible, “It seems that someone is trying to break in.” 

  Lieder’s expression was fairly strange as he muttered, “Break in? This level of explosion was definitely caused by a missile.” 

  Missile? Before I had time to think about anything, Lieder started to shake vigorously, falling off the chair and across the floor, his body jerking uncontrollably. 

  Electrocuted? I felt a sense of glee. Although delighting in others’ suffering was not very nice, Lieder had brought too much trouble for us. Whenever I remembered how the young master had been tied to a cross after he had just undergone surgery; when the young master could have rested and rehabilitated in peace and quiet, but was forced to run around with a hurt knee, I wished Lieder would get shocked more often. 

  Lieder crawled back onto the chair with difficulty and once again declared, “I cannot tell you anything.” 

  I nodded my head, determined to try my best to lure him into talking. 

  “If it was a missile, then it should not be X?” 

  Lieder opened his mouth, but immediately closed it again. 

  I laughed and said, “If you do not speak to me, how will you get information about X from me?” 

  Lieder frowned and was silent for a while before saying, “It’s not E.X. This has nothing to do with you. It’s some other enemy.” 

  Other enemy? With a sudden turn of thought, something dawned on me and I realized this was Lieder giving me a hint. Perhaps I should not have wanted to see him get shocked so much. 

  How many forces were there that dared fire missiles at the Sin Elimination Committee of the Church? Even if there really were other enemies, the probability of them attacking coincidentally at this time was not high. 

  Who was it? Was it the young master or Curtis? 

  I cheered myself up. No matter whom it was, I would definitely not let myself become a burden, so I should stay calm… Calm? 

  I could not help but look at Lieder. His hand was shaking as he put a piece of candy in his mouth. When he noticed my gaze, he asked out of courtesy, “Would you like one?” 

  “Sure.” 

  Lieder’s face was suddenly filled with surprise and he asked, “Vampires eat candy too? I was only asking. I didn’t think you would really eat it.” 

  I smiled and said, “No, candy is almost tasteless to vampires. I simply wanted to get revenge on you. Even eating a piece of your candy would be good.” 

  Hearing so, Lieder rolled his eyes exaggeratedly but still gave me a piece of candy. 

  I savored the candy in my mouth, and as expected, I could not taste any sweetness, but when the outer shell melted, a strong taste of blood shot up my nasal cavity. The flavor was so strong that it could let any vampire suddenly become alert. 

  Lieder asked me curiously, “It seems like you’re enjoying it. Do you taste anything?” 

  As he asked, we felt the building shake again. I really admired how strong this building was, although this was not good news for those trapped inside. 

  “Yes. The candy is yours, and with the shaking sound of missiles hitting, I have tasted revenge strongly.” 

  Lieder said in frustration, “I’ve at least saved your life once. Can’t we count that as even?” 

  With the help of what Lieder had said earlier, I was able to stay calm throughout. I still had many devices attached to me, so I could not risk letting them analyze anything from me. Thankfully this situation itself was strange enough, so it would be more difficult for them to figure out the truth. 

  “I have already said so before. Even if you did not come, the young master would not kill me, so that time does not count. Instead, we need to count this time when you brought me to the Sin Elimination Committee. So if we were to keep a tab, you have much to pay back.” 

  Lieder laughed out loud, jeering, “Why, you’re actually getting serious! You’re already trapped here. Even if I wanted to pay you back, I have no way of doing so. Guess I can only give you a few more candies!” 

  I frowned purposely but still said, “Give it.” 

  Lieder helplessly gave me another candy. 

  I ate another one, and as I thought, only the outer part of this candy was made of sugar, while the inside was actually made of condensed blood. I wonder if the one Lieder ate initially was a candy made without blood, or did he try his best to eat the same ones? 

  Aside from blood, does this candy provide any other effects? Is Lieder doing this voluntarily or did someone bribe him to help me? 

  Just when I was thinking about this, the current situation changed again. Lieder suddenly stood up and turned around to face the entrance. I also followed his gaze and saw that the door had been opened, and two people in priest robes stood there. However, the layers of energy nets were quite thick and blocked my vision, not allowing me to see the priests’ faces clearly. 

  Is one of them Sin? 

  I frowned as the other party walked in. It was indeed Sin, and beside him was another priest—Father Yue? 

  “Calm down!” Lieder suddenly said, “Don’t get stirred up just because Sin is here. As long as you cooperate, he won’t even touch a single strand of your hair.” 

  Following Lieder’s words, I slowly calmed down and smirked. “He is the head of the Sin Elimination Committee. You want a vampire to stay calm in front of Sin? Perhaps only when the Sin Elimination Committee stops targeting vampires will this be able to happen!” 

  I fought back lightly with words and used Lieder’s power of words to stay calm at the same time. I tried hard not to look at Father Yue too much, only glancing at him briefly, making sure that it was Father Yue indeed. The Father Yue right now looks serious and cold, like all other priests… 

  And then, these two men bolted inside. Despite being priests, they looked more reckless than vampires. 

  “Tsk, why is this energy net still here?” Father Yue looked very impatient. If he was fully armed like last time, perhaps he would have attacked already. 

  Sin lifted his arm and looked at the watch on his wrist, saying, “We’re here early. There’s one minute left.” 

  “Can’t they be early for a minute? Why do they have to be so on time? The more time we can save the better. This is the Church’s Sin Elimination Committee! Every extra second here might kill us!” 

  Father Yue scrunched his brows, looking very irritated. This impatient attitude made him look exactly like Yue Gang. Even the tone and speed they spoke in was very similar. There was no doubt that they were father and son. 

  To my surprise, Sin comforted him, saying, “Calm down, Yue Jin. Why have you become more and more aggressive?” 

  “I’ve told you already. Once I pick up the gun again, I’ll never be able to calm down!” 

  I looked at the two of them, dumbfounded, having absolutely no clue about what was going on. 

  Sin sighed and said, “If you don’t pick up the gun, do you want me to handle the deal we’ve made with the Sun Emperor alone? Those people who call themselves the Extraordinaries are not easy to handle.” 

  The Extraordinaries? Looking at Sin and Father Yue, an idea suddenly dawned on me, and I realized right then that this person was not Sin, he was—Alex! 

  “It’s gone!” Father Yue said happily. 

  The energy net started to fade one strand at a time, and at the same time, someone started to tear off the devices that were attached to me. It was Lieder. 

  After Lieder ripped off those cables, he turned his head around and shouted, “Did you guys get the key to the handcuffs?” 

  Without the energy net blocking their way, Alex and Father Yue walked toward us. I was very confused at this moment and opened my mouth to speak but did not know where to start asking. Looking at the Alex that was wearing Sin’s face, I was even more dumbfounded. Is this the superb makeup transformation seen so often in movies? 

  Alex took out a card and waved it at Lieder. 

  “Then open it. What are you waiting for?” Lieder asked in confusion. 

  “The signal.” Alex explained, “This type of lock is very complicated. We need to initiate the unlocking sequence from the main control room before we can use this card. If any one of these steps went wrong, it will not only tighten its grip on Charles, but also send strong waves of electricity through his body until he faints.” 

  That sounds very awful. Especially since I am unable to faint right now, I can only stay awake and endure the torture. 

  As Alex was busy unlocking the handcuffs, I looked at Father Yue who had nothing to do, and finally found my tongue and asked the question that I wanted to know the most. 

  “Who sent you to save me?” 

  Father Yue glanced at Lieder and said, “It’s actually Lieder who contacted us first. When I heard that he was going to save you, how could I refuse?” 

  “Why not?” I asked very seriously. 

  Father Yue sighed and said, “Alex and I really want to resolve the hatred between E.X. and the Church. Not everyone in the Church wants E.X. dead. There are also very many who are tired of endlessly giving up lives, especially when E.X. hasn’t caused any trouble in many years. The recent events were all started by the Church’s pursuit, just because of something that happened long, long ago. Do we have to keep sacrificing human lives?” 

  “Just what happened back then?” I could not help but ask. 

  Father Yue shook his head and said, “It’s a very long story, and I only know the Church’s point of view. But this is not the time for that. Let’s get out of here first. If you die in the Church’s hands, then we can give up on trying to resolve this hatred. It used to be the Church pursuing E.X., but if you die, then E.X. might turn around to pursue the Church, too!” 

  Alex agreed as he opened the handcuffs and said, “We do need to leave fast. The Sin Elimination Committee is not an easy place to escape from. They are distracted by missiles right now, so this is the best time to escape. If we miss this chance, then we would not stand a chance later on.” 

  “The missiles were also launched by you?” I still found it hard to believe that a priest who was holed up in a run-down church had suddenly turned into a fighting master armed with heavy weapons. And not only is he equipped with heavy weapons, he also has the ability to launch missiles? 

  Father Yue denied immediately, “We have nothing to do with those. I don’t know which side initiated the attack. We wanted to investigate things thoroughly before we started, but you asked to see Lieder at this time, which was a one in a million chance, so we came in a hurry without figuring out what was happening outside.” 

  I looked at Lieder, but before I was able to ask, I heard Alex say, “It’s open. Let’s hurry.” 

  I looked down and saw that the indestructible handcuffs had been opened. I took my hands out immediately. The feeling of freedom is so wonderful. Even though I have not walked out of the jail yet, simply freeing my hands feels wonderful. 

  “Charles.” 

  I lifted my head and Lieder gave me a palm-sized bag. I opened it and saw that it was filled with candy. 

  “Aside from blood, what else is in the candy?” I asked in confusion. If they only contained concentrated blood, then there seemed to be no need for them. This amount of blood was too little to take any effect, not even to satisfy hunger. It was at most an energy drink for vampires. 

  “I heard that it contains high caffeine content. Certain effects are similar to anesthetics, and might be able to increase your abilities. The researcher has tried to lower any side effects, but still doesn’t recommend taking it long-term. Oh right, eat at most ten a day. If you overdose…. Er, the person said, ‘nothing will really happen, it’ll just burn up your life energy, and after you’re burned out, you die.’” 

  That sounds exactly like Doctor An Te Qi! 

  I became absentminded with shock. I had thought that the situation had developed to the point of no return, but perhaps I did not lose anything at all? 

  “The young master sent you.” 

  Lieder spread his hands and denied, “My apologies, no.” 

  I felt very surprised. No? But only the young master knows about the anesthetic… No, Curtis also knows about it too. 

  “Is it Curtis?” 

  Lieder shook his head again. 

  I have now become utterly confused. Could it be E.X.? But it was impossible for E.X. to be so familiar with Lieder to the point that he could persuade him to do something this dangerous. This did not make sense. 

  “Hurry!” Father Yue urged, “We haven’t escaped yet. Don’t let your guard down!” 

  Lieder also nodded seriously and said, “Although my hacker is so impressive that he was able to lock down the Sun Emperor’s safety room and could temporarily control the Church’s system, escaping from here quickly is still the way to go. Once we are discovered and those armed priests surround us, my hacker won’t be able to save us even if he can fly.” 

  I felt it was laughable and asked, “Is it Doctor Ni Cai?” 

  Lieder glanced at me, smiling as he gestured for me to stay silent, and then motioned for us to go quickly. 

  As soon as we stepped outside the room that had held me captive, the building shook again as if we were on a battlefield. 

  There was no one in the hallway. I wonder if they had all gone to rescue the others from missiles or if Lieder had done something to lure them away, but this was not the time to ask. Everyone followed Alex with a quickened pace. He seemed to be very familiar with this place. Perhaps he had also stayed here for a period of time before. 

  “Just who is attacking?” Alex said worriedly, “If it weren’t because the Sin Elimination Committee is located in a remote area and has extremely sturdy defenses, firing missiles this relentlessly would result in lots of casualties. I wonder what the situation is like outside. Should we go and help them?” 

  He looked at Lieder and the latter immediately said, “I don’t know. The missiles are definitely not ours.” 

  “Are you sure that your employer did not do this?” Alex asked in doubt. 

  Hearing so, Lieder replied hesitantly, “Probably not. If it were them, then they’d tell me to act accordingly, but I didn’t receive any orders regarding this.” 

  Father Yue said impatiently, “Okay, stop discussing this. The Church has stood unshaken for so many decades. It will not go down because of a few missiles. But we will! Don’t even mention missiles, a few bullets can kill us! Hurry up and walk!” 

  I doubt a few bullets would be able to kill even one of us. 

  After turning a few corners, we saw a priest that looked as if he was in a hurry. He was holding a folder and seemed to be in a rush to go somewhere. Because of how focused he was on walking, he was very startled and stared at us blankly when he noticed our presence. 

  “Sin?” He asked in surprise and hurriedly saluted. But after saluting, he looked at me with his brows furrowed in suspicion. 

  “Sin, why are you here? The battlefront is very serious right now…” He glanced at the others and asked in confusion, “Is this enough people to transfer such an important non-human? He seems not to be wearing any handcuffs?” 

  Alex said in a cold, harsh tone, “The situation has changed, and he is now one of us. He will help us capture E.X. at all cost.” 

  He said as he walked toward the person, and as the person glanced at me in suspicion, Alex pushed out his palm, twisted the person’s wrists, pushed him to the ground, and knocked him unconscious by hitting the back of his neck. Alex’s actions were beautifully fast, swift, and clean. 

  “Quick, let’s go!” Alex said and everyone left hurriedly. 

  However, I stooped to pick up the cylinder object that was hanging from the person’s waist. I had seen something similar in the young master’s collection of weapons. If I was not wrong, this should be an energy sword or whip. 

  After pressing the switch, a white light immediately stretched out at a very fast speed. I twirled the sword around and found that it was a bit too long for my liking. Although I was accustomed to using a rapier, long swords were more difficult to control when using x-speed. 

  I looked at the hilt of the sword. I remembered that when the young master adjusted First Wind’s weapon, he had said… Although the Death Scythe is the best weapon for me, energy weapons are very convenient too! 

  First Wind’s weapon is an energy whip, but if we adjust the length and user mode, it could also be a sword, and if we shorten it even more, it can become a dagger! 

  But not a lot of people use energy daggers, because no matter how we adjust them, energy weapons will still glow, making them unsuitable for assassination, which ruins the point of using a dagger. Hm, but if the formation of the blade is fast enough, then the glow shouldn’t be a problem. Let me try adjusting it a bit more… 

  Recalling how the young master adjusted weapons, I quickly found a way to turn the energy sword into a dagger with a suitable length. I then tested the speed of the blade formation and found that it was very fast. It seems that the Church did not do any less research in this area than the young master. 

  “Charles! What are you still doing there?” Everyone stood far up ahead and looked back at me in disbelief. Their expressions seemed as if they wanted to beat me up. 

  With a step of x-speed, I arrived at their location in an instant. Standing beside them, I said, “Here.” 

  Just then, everyone slowly turned their heads to look at me with widened eyes. If the young master were here, he would definitely say that their eyes have widened zero point seven five centimeters. 

  Lieder exclaimed, “You’ve become even faster. Is this because of the candy?” 

  “I am not sure myself.” 

  After learning x-speed, I had not tested how fast my speed was, and was unable to judge based on sensation. There was no difference between fast and faster once a certain speed was surpassed. 

  “This speed is great!” Father Yue said happily, “If there’s any danger, you go on and escape first. With your speed, as long as there’s a path, then you can definitely escape. Don’t worry about us. The Church won’t do anything to us.” 

  I turned to look at Lieder and asked in confusion, “The Church won’t do anything to you either?” 

  “Of course they will do something to me, but if there’s a chance, you must run!” Lieder said sincerely, “You must escape in order for me to survive. If you die, then I’m really finished! I don’t mean to complain, but the person protecting you is really… Anyhow, I would rather go hit the Sun Emperor’s head again than imagine what would happen to me if you died.” 

  The building shook again. This time, I clearly heard sounds of explosion. And then, a siren actually sounded in the hallway, which made Alex and Father Yue’s expressions change immediately. 

  Alex ripped off the mask he had on his face to reveal his gentle and handsome features, and said to me apologetically, “Sorry, Charles. I’m afraid you and Lieder will have to go the rest of the way on your own. He will bring you to meet up with the others.” 

  Father Yue nodded seriously and said, “The Church’s defensive wall has been broken, and the enemy will probably start to break in. We cannot leave at this time. Our brothers need our help.” 

  “I understand.” I nodded. Although I was not entirely sure of what was happening, knowing that Father Yue was not a definite enemy was enough. I would not want to be in a life or death situation against Yue Gang’s father. 

  Alex reminded us carefully, “Lieder, escape from the route I told you before. If everything goes well, you won’t encounter too many people. If you see any of my brothers, remember!” Alex’s gaze suddenly sharpened and he said in a serious tone, “You promised me to not harm any of my brothers. Remember your words. Do not go back on them.” 

  Lieder did not seem to appreciate being doubted and replied crossly, “I promised you, so I will definitely do it.” 

  “If your words are true, then that’s all I need.” Alex turned back into his gentle self, and even showed Lieder an apologetic smile. 

  “Alex, let’s go.” Father Yue waved him over and laughed, “Sin is going to be really crossed when he sees you. It might be better if you went with Charles.” 

  “No!” Alex refuted softly, “Normally Sin would not want to see me, but he is a rational person who prioritizes the situation at hand. During times like this, he would still welcome me, since I have also gone through the training to become Sin and would make a good addition to their forces.” 

  The two of them exchanged words as they left quickly. Father Yue turned around suddenly to smile at me, and even blinked a few times. For some reason, I felt that the smile was not out of good will, but also not out of bad will…. Perhaps it was… a prank? 

  It was the same expression that Father Yue had when we had first met. He knew that I was a vampire, but before exposing me, he urged me to eat some more breakfast. It was that kind of mischievous attitude. 

  “Charles, over here.” 

  Lieder pulled me over and walked in another direction. He pushed open another door and entered a hallway that was located in a remote area. This hallway no longer had a white, technological feeling and seemed much humbler. The floor was not as clean as well, with some carts and baskets piled up on it. 

  Perhaps this is a passageway used by servants? 

  Lieder carefully reminded me, saying, “If you see someone, stay calm, don’t attack. You know my ability. Let me handle it.” 

  I nodded and followed him quietly. 

  Perhaps it was because of the missiles, so all the servants had gone into hiding, but we did not see anyone in the hallway. It was so quiet that only Lieder’s footsteps were heard. 

  As we walked, Lieder suddenly turned around, and seemed to be startled when he saw that I was behind him. 

  I looked at him quietly, quite confused. 

  Lieder let out a sigh of relief and explained, “I didn’t sense anyone behind me and thought you didn’t trust me and ran away by yourself.” 

  “I was following you all along. I did not go anywhere else.” I said frankly, “To be honest, no matter whom you hand me over to, it would not be any worse than the Church.” 

  Lieder started walking again. This time he remained beside me instead of walking ahead. He laughed and asked, “Then, how about I hand you over to the Sun Emperor?” 

  “That would still not be worse than the Church…” Saying so, I became hesitant. If the Sun Emperor were to capture me, would the young master be forced to kill me? 

  Lieder asked curiously, “Oh? You don’t sound very confident?” 

  I shook my head. No matter what, the Sun Emperor would not capture me just to let the young master kill me. This kind of action would only hurt the young master and had no other meaning. 

  But speaking of which, the Sun Emperor’s various actions recently all seemed to be trying to anger the young master. What was this for? Was it only to punish the young master for not being obedient? 

  The Sun Emperor has always spoiled the young master. Would he really punish the young master this time? 

  Lieder said softly, “Charles, hide for a bit.” 

  I took a step back into the darkness, and watched as Lieder confronted two people walking toward us. They did not wear white nor black robes, but only normal work clothes that looked like they were designed to be stain resistant and convenient to move in. This was definitely a special passageway designed for servants. The two people looked at Lieder suspiciously, but Lieder did not hide nor run, which confused them. Perhaps because they were also not of high status, they did not dare to suspect Lieder easily in case they offended someone important. After listening to Lieder speak, they nodded and left, as if they had never seen Lieder before. 

  Who would be able to force Lieder to come here to rescue me, when he possesses this kind of power? He’s Lieder! 

  Lieder turned around and paused, asking hesitantly, “Charles, are you still there?” 

  I frowned in thought, and then used a vampire’s Hollow Roar that echoed, which made the distance from the sound’s source unidentifiable, and asked, “Who hired you to save me?” 

  Lieder laughed and said, “Someone you know. I swear that you will be happy to see that person too.” 

  I did not know if I should believe him. 

  “You know, I could force you to come with me.” Lieder said honestly, “But if you keep struggling, then it will only make the process more dangerous. If possible, I don’t want to do so.” 

  I did not say anything, but decided to trust Lieder in the end, since no matter what happened, it would not be as bad as falling into the hands of the Church. If they used me to lure E.X. here, then that would be more horrendous than anything else. 

  Following Lieder, we did not encounter any more obstacles. This was probably only achievable by hacking the Church’s main computer? 

  “Doctor Ni Cai is very impressive.” I said sincerely, “Was he able to control the entire security system here?” 

  “This isn’t even anything worth mentioning. He was able to control the system without the enemy knowing at all!” Lieder said proudly, “Ni Cai has helped me hit the Sun Emperor on the head. You can’t find a second person with his skills and guts!” 

  That is very true, especially when the person needed to risk his life, all just to hit the Sun Emperor on the head. 

  “Ni Cai was really hard to hire. Even though I’m good friends with him, the payment he asks for every time is always so high that I feel like coughing up blood.” 

  “Oh?” I asked without batting an eyelash, “What did you give him this time to help rescue me?” 

  Lieder glanced at me and said, “Well, this time, his pricing was the same as mine.” 

  I looked at Lieder intently, not letting him change the topic. 

  He admitted helplessly, “They agreed to help us settle the Sun Emperor’s and the Elysees family’s hostile pursuit of us.” 

  This condition was not very surprising. There were only a few people who had the power to do this, but since Lieder had vetoed all of them, no matter how I thought about this answer, it felt like a lie. 

  “We’re here!” 

  Lieder pulled at me excitedly and pointed to an entrance in the middle of the wall, which seemed to be the door to a garbage chute. 

  He asked slyly, “You don’t have mysophobia do you?” 

  “I am a butler. What do you think?” 

  Lieder shrugged and said, “Then I can only say, hope you don’t risk your life for the sake of keeping yourself tidy.” 

  “You misunderstood me. As a butler, even when I see rotten meat buns, stinky underwear, decaying carcasses, or even a bed full of used sex toys, I must still clean and tidy them up.” 

  Lieder blanked out for a moment and asked in disbelief, “You really did all that? The great leader of the Elysees family washed stinky underwear for others?” 

  “Yes.” 

  “That’s very respectable—but I’m sure I don’t want to be a butler now.” Lieder gestured toward the garbage chute and said, “After you, Mr. Butler.” 

  I laughed and jumped into the garbage chute, sliding down the entire way. This was not hard for a vampire, since gliding was one of the basic skills of a vampire. I landed on the ground steadily on both feet, took a step aside, and reached my hand out to catch the falling Lieder. 

  He stood up straight, pushed his glasses up, and said, “Thanks.” 

  Only then did I notice the surrounding environment. Immediately in front of us were clumps of weeds, and not far away was a small grove. If we lifted our heads, we could see a city, which was probably Daystar City. On the way here, I was forced to wear a head cover, and not only could I not see, I could not hear either. However, based on the time that had passed, we should not be too far away from Daystar City. 

  The sound of a sudden explosion made me turn my head around abruptly. The first thing that came into my sight was a cement wall that reached high up as if into the clouds. The wall’s surface was very rough, with no finishing nor decorations, unlike normal buildings. 

  I could not help but take a few steps back to get a better view of the building. This building was very large, and it was not the only one, but was part of a community with other buildings of various sizes. There were also many wires and pipes in the air, and there was even a cluster of chimneys further back. This seems to be… an abandoned nuclear power site? 

  The site appeared to be very run down, and there were many warning signs hung up around the place that said things such as to be cautious of radioactive particles. An abandoned nuclear power generation site was undoubtedly a good way to prevent unwanted people from trespassing. 

  Because this site was too big, it not only blocked my vision but also absorbed a lot of noise. In the opposite direction of the abandoned nuclear site, I could hear lots of gun shots, explosions, and shouting; however, the noise was not very loud, and my vision was blocked by the buildings, so I could not see anything. 

  Who is attacking the Church? If it is Curtis or the young master, then… 

  “Forget all that. You didn’t hear anything.” 

  I turned around and asked, “Pardon me?” 

  “Let’s go. There’s no more time to waste.” Lieder pointed at the woods and started running immediately. 

  I followed closely beside him. After crossing a small grove, we saw a road up ahead as we walked out from the trees. A car was parked there, which was probably the people here to pick us up. 

  I looked at Lieder, and as expected, he nodded his head and walked toward the car. 

  “Charles, come meet the employer that you’ve been thinking about for such a long time.” 

  Lieder’s employer has also come? I looked toward the car. As the door to the passenger seat opened, a tall figure stepped out. When the darkness that was brought by the blinding back light had vanished, I finally saw the person’s face clearly…


  No Hero    

  Volume 9 Endless Days, The End NO.4: Merciless

  Translated by Trespasserby, Ever & Raylight (proofread by J Tao; C/E edited by lucathia) 

  Enemy: Lv. 1 in command, Ri Ji Yan, intends to harm the highest priority master. Eliminate! 

  Analysis of highest priority master’s condition: sorrow, rage, pain. 

  Lv. 2 in command has approached the highest priority master. Threat level low. No danger determined. 

  On standby. 

  “The higher-ups ordered a microchip installed in Ah Ye’s head to suppress his humanity, leaving behind only a robot that will obediently follow orders. Your little brother places your safety as the highest priority. Even if you command him to stop protecting you, it’d be useless.” 

  “I didn’t have a way to rescue him. All I could do was persuade those theorists that perhaps their employer would prefer to have a bodyguard with emotions. Also, if eliminating Dark Sun’s humanity negatively affected Dark Sun’s judgment, then what? So an alteration was made to the microchip, to include the option for retrieval in the settings…” 

  Change in the highest priority master’s mood. Analysis uncertain. Searching for additional examples to make a determination. 

  “So, give Dark Sun the command! Tell him to stop suppressing his humanity and emotions. Let him recall his memories. Ah Ye will remember you, his gēge, even though a brother like you took so long to get here!” 

  “Ah Ye.” The highest priority master spoke. “Stop suppressing your emotions. I don’t want to see you like this. You are my dìdi, not a robot bodyguard!” 

  Command received. 

  “Understood.” 

  Initiating action: Cancel emotion suppression setting. Processing… 

  Warning: Emotion suppression is classified as a core setting of the microchip and is unable to be changed. Unable to follow command. 

  The highest priority master has issued the command. Following the command has highest priority. 

  Unable to follow command. Following the command has highest priority. Unable to follow command. Following the command—changing core setting. Attempting to restart. 

  “Ah Ye!” 

  *** 

  “Aren?!” I cried out. 

  “Haven’t seen you in a while, Charles-gē.” Aren jerked his thumb in the direction of a car and said, “Get in, then we’ll talk. Our hacker notified us that his interference has been discovered, so the Church should just be finding out that you’ve escaped now. We’d better leave.” 

  My thoughts were in complete disarray. I had never guessed that the employer was Aren. To be honest, even if the Sun Emperor himself appeared here, it would have been somewhat less surprising than Aren showing up. 

  But the most important matter at hand was to flee, so I immediately pulled open the car door and jumped in. Someone was already seated inside. 

  “Yue Gang?” I once again cried out, “W-Why are you here?” 

  Yue Gang rolled his eyes and irritably said, “My old man said you’d been kidnapped and they were keeping you out under the sun. And, that you were about to turn into vampire jerky from how dried out you were getting. How could I not come?” 

  Actually, I had not even seen a glimmer of sunlight. However, these words and what Father Yue had said were truly very similar. Neither of the two “could refuse to come.” They truly are father and son. 

  I looked toward the driver’s seat. The chauffeur Nitewalker was wearing sunglasses like he always did and he had not even turned his head to look back. Even after Lieder also sat down in the car, he still wordlessly started driving. He was going so fast that it felt like this had to be the world’s fastest racecar, but the car’s outer appearance was clearly an SUV! 

  During this, I was not sure how I should react, as I was still confused. Out of the corner of my eye, my gaze swept over Yue Gang and I blurted out a completely trivial question. 

  “You skipped work?” 

  “To hell with work! I haven’t taken a day off in eight hundred years! I’m just catching up on vacation right now.” Yue Gang unhappily said, “As soon as that jerk Xie Wei heard I was going on vacation, he was so happy that there was a smile on that dead fish face of his. He even said I should take all my time off at once and just come back a year later! He’s really making a mistake! He makes such a mess of things that if I hadn’t always been there to stop him, he would’ve been killed off already! Instead, he’s wishing for me to take time off and never come back. Ungrateful bastard!” 

  For the first time in recent days, a smile crept onto my face. 

  Aren looked back and said, “There’s a box of tools beneath the footrest. Check if the Church did anything to Charles-gē.” 

  I shook my head and said, “You do not need to conduct an inspection. They did not do anything to me.” 

  Lieder disagreed, saying, “The Church has more vile schemes than you can imagine. What Sin did can’t even be counted as very egregious, since he really didn’t intend to harm you. As long as you drew out X, they’d leave you alone, since you still hold the title of the Elysees family head, after all. If the Church could avoid making another enemy, then it would. But they’d still let Sin use a few small tricks. Like, drugging you after you had fallen asleep and making his move afterwards. I believe he isn’t so upright as to avoid that kind of tactic.” 

  I looked at him earnestly and said, “Believe me. They did not do anything. Ever since I drank your drug, I have not lost consciousness. They have not tampered with my thoughts.” 

  Lieder was startled and curiously asked, “You can’t even faint?” 

  “I cannot.” 

  “I don’t know if that’s good or bad.” Lieder frowned and said, “You had better be careful not to use up too much of your energy. Otherwise, I’m afraid that one day if you do collapse from overwork, it’s because you’ll have dropped dead.” 

  “What do you mean dead?” Yue Gang listened, stunned. Then he forcefully slapped me and scolded, “Haven’t you already been rescued? Are you going to die over nothing? I’m warning you, I used my time off to come save you. If you still dare to die on me, you’re never going to hear the end of it from me!” 

  If I am already dead, how are you going to never let me hear the end of it? I smiled and said, “Fine. I will not die.” 

  “I don’t know if death would count as losing consciousness? If you can’t fall unconscious at all, then perhaps…” 

  Lieder suddenly let out a couple of sentences, but he had not even finished speaking before he fell deep into thought again. His expression was complicated. 

  … Do not say that even death is impossible. Even hearing it is extremely alarming! 

  “It shouldn’t be like that.” Fortunately, Lieder refuted it while muttering to himself. “This drug isn’t that strong, so it shouldn’t be able to stop the march of death. If not, then how could those remnants we found have died?” 

  Hearing that, I sighed in relief. The lifespan of a vampire was already too long. I was absolutely incapable of accepting an outcome like eternal life. 

  Aren said with regret, “That’s a pity. Otherwise, wouldn’t Charles-gē be unable to die?” 

  Only once I looked at Aren did I remember the most important issue. 

  “Aren, did the young master send you?” 

  Aren glanced back at me and calmly said, “Ah Ye didn’t tell me to come save you. He just phoned me about everything that happened.” 

  Hearing that, I could not help but feel some regret. In the end, the young master was unable to disobey his instincts? 

  “When I was done listening, I asked him, ‘You’re not going to save the butler?’ But he said he couldn’t go to save you and that he even had to kill you because you raised a hand against his brother.” 

  So it truly is impossible after all. 

  Even though the situation was like this, after that time in the alley and seeing the young master’s tears falling as he wanted me to flee, I felt that even if I really had been killed by him, I would have had no complaints. I would only be concerned that the young master would blame himself, perhaps even to the extent that it would create a permanent rift between him and the master. 

  Aren continued to speak. “I asked him, ‘If you won’t rescue him, then is it fine if I go?’ He said I wasn’t one of his subordinates, so he couldn’t regulate my actions. If I wanted to go to your rescue, then of course I could.” 

  I was stunned. I lifted my head to look at Aren. 

  The corner of his mouth curled up and he said, “I asked him for a pretty big sum of money, then borrowed Melody-jiě, the chauffeur, Bramble-shū, and the others. If they hadn’t helped with the planning, I wouldn’t have even known where to look for you. Ezart originally wanted to come too, but Ah Ye wasn’t doing so well, so all he could do was stay back and look after Ah Ye.” 

  I quickly inquired further, “What happened to the young master? Why is he unwell?” 

  “Uh,” Aren stammered a moment, then confessed, “It was my fault. When I borrowed the money and personnel from him, he was quiet for a long time, with his entire face contorted and flushed red like an apple. Finally, he forcefully squeezed out just the word ‘fine.’ Scared me to death! I was almost about to give up and say that he didn’t have to lend them to me. But if I didn’t have people or money, what would I have used to rescue you, Charles-gē? All I could do was watch him struggle.” 

  Young Master… 

  “Charles-gē, Ah Ye didn’t mean to hurt you, and it’s not that he doesn’t believe what you said, he just can’t do anything about it.” Aren looked at me in concern, saying, “He didn’t explain much to me, but I can tell, he really didn’t—” 

  “I understand.” I interrupted him and emphasized again, “I really understand.” 

  Aren looked at me for a while and then grinned as he re???positioned himself steadily in his seat, saying in ease, “I’m gonna go laugh at Ah Ye. He said you’d never forgive him, ‘cuz his brother made you lose your family, brought X into this, and even fired a gun at you. After hearing all that, even I started to worry that you might hate Ah Ye. But still, Charles-gē is Charles-gē!” 

  All I knew was that these were all unrelated to the young master himself. How could I blame someone for things that he had never done? Just then, the car suddenly swerved to the side, and I saw a silver reflection blocking the road, crossing the car’s original path. The object’s outline was very familiar…. 

  Something landed heavily on the hood of the car. Upon such an impact, the car’s back wheels, which had been moving at a high speed, immediately left the ground and almost tipped the car over. However, Nitewalker did something to force the car down, making the back wheels land heavily on the ground. 

  These sudden movements forced everyone forward uncontrollably, lifting them up from their seats and almost hitting the roof. To avoid crashing into each other, I immediately used my blood ability to keep the two normal human beings and myself in our seats. 

  “Ezart you jerk!” Aren’s outraged shout sounded from next to me. “Didn’t you say that you’d phone immediately if Ah Ye’s behaving weirdly?” 

  I stared fixedly at the thing that landed on the hood of the car—or I should say, the person. 

  A pair of wings came into sight first, flashing with silver light, followed by hair that flashed the same silver-white. At first glance, the person seemed incomparably divine, as if they were an angel, but after looking more closely, one would discover that the pair of wings was actually made of blades stacked together. They were so sharp that one could feel the pain just by looking at them. Those were a pair of wings that could not be touched; they were the wings of slaughter. 

  The person crouching on the hood of the car lifted his head. He did not have a visor on to cover his expressionless face and dark pupils that were black as the night. 

  The cold, heartless, Dark Sun. 

  Young master… no, this is Dark Sun. 

  He slightly turned his neck to face me. The movement was not natural at all, as if a robot, having calculated the exact angle, executed the action without the smallest deviation. His pitch-black pupils gazed at me directly, as if they had found their prey… No, I was at most a “target.” Predators looked far more spirited than this when they found prey. 

  “Charles-gē, does Ah Ye look really weird?” Aren swallowed nervously and said, “He looks like… uh, I really don’t know how to describe his condition.” 

  “Like a robot.” 

  Aren immediately replied, “Right, that’s exactly it.” But just as he completed his sentence, his expression darkened immediately, and he looked very concerned. 

  I was concerned as well. The young master had never acted like this in the past, even in his Dark Sun mode. Is the young master right now another step closer to a robot with no human feelings? 

  Even DSII looked more like a human being than the young master was right now. 

  Dark Sun jumped off the car neatly, holding a stick in his hand. After waving the stick, a giant silver blade extended from the top, chilling everyone who saw it to the bone. 

  The Death Scythe. 

  “Aren.” I called. 

  “Huh?” 

  “When Dark Sun comes after me, you and the others must leave. Do not look back, and do not try to stop him. Until this entire thing is over, do not make contact with him.” 

  Hearing so, Aren immediately turned around, saying in frustration, “But—” 

  “Believe me!” I interrupted him and said hurriedly, “He is not the Ah Ye you remember anymore. To kill me, Dark Sun will use anyone, so you absolutely cannot play with fire! He will kill you, truly!” 

  As if to prove my words, Nitewalker suddenly shouted, “Go!” 

  Everyone’s expressions turned frightened and they hurriedly pushed open the doors as Dark Sun brought the blade down on the center of the car. A loud noise erupted as the Death Scythe split the car in half. 

  “Run!” 

  With that, I immediately dashed out of the car, but did not use x-speed. If I left Dark Sun too far behind and he felt that he could not catch up, he might go back to retrieve Aren and the others. 

  “Charles, Charles, stop running! 

  “I have something to tell you. 

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t do that on purpose. 

  “I’m not Dark Sun anymore, really!” 

  Behind me, the young master called out, his voice filled with pleading. My heart quivered when I heard his cries, but I did not dare look back. 

  Roughly speaking, this far should be enough. I could only hope that Aren and the others had left, as discussed. I started to use x-speed, but as soon as I moved, I heard a gunshot. Immediately, I shifted my body, but still felt a hot pain in my foot. It was not very painful, so it was likely not too serious… Or perhaps the aftereffects of the candies lowered my sense of pain. I could no longer tell the difference. 

  The bullets came from behind at a frantic rate. Even though I had x-speed, I had to slow down sometimes to dodge the bullets. Additionally, no matter how fast x-speed was, racing against bullets was still insane. I could instantaneously surpass a bullet’s speed, but that was definitely not something that could be done for a long period of time. 

  Perhaps I should change direction and head toward the part of the grove where the trees were dense. Although that would greatly decrease my speed, it would affect Dark Sun even more. 

  Just as I was about to change paths, there was suddenly a particularly muffled gunshot. I estimated its direction based on the sound and immediately retreated a few paces, just to find that the grove I was headed toward had actually exploded. Right then, I heard a few more gunshots, and felt pain once again, this time from my arms and legs. The young master’s aim was chillingly precise, and his predictive abilities allowed me no room for escape. 

  I had no choice but to continue running forward. I tried to hide into the denser part of the grove, but the explosions followed me closely. Though I could avoid all of them, and so received no more injuries, the other paths were all cut off by explosions. I could only continue to run forward. 

  This cannot go on anymore! I used blood ability to form shields around the back of my head, heart, and knees. I had no time to worry about the other body parts, but as long as these three places were not damaged, then I could continue to move. 

  I slightly bent my knees and dashed out, using x-speed to its fullest and running relentlessly. I focused all my attention on avoiding obstacles such as trees and bushes, and so was unable to mind the bullets coming from behind. I could only hope that the shields were strong enough to block them. 

  Soon, I emerged from the grove and saw the deserted nuclear plant again. I continued forward, as though there was nothing in my path, running up the walls and setting my feet on various parts of the buildings. As long as there was a foothold, then there was nothing a vampire could not climb. I only hoped that this could get rid of Dark Sun’s chase. 

  The young master had said before that he could never learn to walk on walls. 

  After crossing the entire nuclear plant, I stilled my footsteps. Standing on top of the last building, I was speechless as I looked down at the mess below. 

  This was a battlefield. 

  There were gunshots, cannonballs, and explosions. Thousands of people were killing each other. Such loud noises should be audible from even a long distance away, but why, upon seeing all this, did I only hear the chilling noise from below as if soundproof curtains had suddenly been drawn aside? 

  One of the parties in battle was the Church. I did not know who they were fighting since I was too far away and could not see clearly. 

  Suddenly, I realized that Dark Sun had used the explosions not to force me to change paths, but to drive me to this place. 

  Just then, two combat aircrafts closely flew by. I lifted my gaze and broke out in a cold sweat at the sight of red bowties on the airplanes. I felt as if my blood was about to freeze. 

  Red bowties! 

  The other party is the Elysees! 

  I jumped down from the building and dashed madly to the edge of the battlefield to observe the two party’s uniforms. Although I was not familiar with the Elysees’ most current battle uniform, those armors, guns, and tanks were all marked with red bowties. 

  My clansmen, they were firing bullets at the enemy, they were shot by bullets, and they lay silently on the ground…Curtis, you really never gave up on me. 

  As long as I am alive, would you expend all resources to protect the head of the Elysees –No, no, no! 

  I dashed into the battlefield, running between the fighting people and saving the hurt ones, shouting, “Cease fire” as I did so. However, for a battlefield of a few thousand people, this was only a drop in the ocean. 

  “Stop!” I used Hollow Roar, “I am Charles Endelis, leader of the Elysees Family! This is an order—retreat!” 

  This one time, even the Hollow Roar of a vampire was unable to attract any attention. The noise of the battlefield was deafening, and the clash of thousands fighting was too chaotic. They were already unable to see any other options other than kill or be killed. 

  I could only try my best to save them, for every life saved was one more man who could live on. 

  Right at this moment, I abruptly sensed danger and dodged to the side with a twist of my body. A giant scythe nearly grazed me as it swung by. 

  It was Dark Sun. He had finally caught up to me. Or perhaps, he had long calculated that once I reached this point, I would flee no further. 

  This was the battlefield of the Elysees family, who were battling for their Family Head. How can I possibly flee? 

  I took numerous steps back, without the slightest desire to continue engaging with Dark Sun. Though I knew it to be futile, I could not stop myself from begging, “Please, Young Master, I do not wish to fight you. My clansmen are still out there fighting, dying one after another! I beg of you, please help me end this war to prevent further casualties. I beseech you!” 

  Dark Sun’s answer was to advance step-by-step, still wielding the Death Scythe. 

  Seeing that, I could only grit my teeth and prepare for the incoming fight. A rapier formed in my right hand while my left held an energy dagger in a reverse grip. The blood shield no longer floated in the air, but rather clung to my body in the shape of a vest that extended to the middle of my thighs. I then formed over-the-knee boots with my blood ability to firmly protect my lower legs as well. The moment my speed was affected, I would no longer have any advantages whatsoever. 

  Compared to a blood shield, blood armor would stick closer to my body, and would take me less effort to maintain. The downside was that I could only protect myself, but that was not a big issue, as I could just form another shield if I were to need one again later. 

  Forming a rapier, maintaining x-speed, using blood armor, and even continuing to forge blood shields—I was not confident of my ability to do those simultaneously. However, given the current situation, I have no choice but to do even the impossible! 

  This blood armor was inspired from the red bowtie squad and Church members around us. They were all dressed in armor—not the kind from the past; instead it looked rather high-tech. Perhaps calling it a robot shell would be a more fitting term than armor. If it were not for the shell, thousands would lay dead on this battlefield of such extreme and violent gunfire, rather than the current handful of casualties. 

  Just a handful, but still far too many! 

  Dark Sun approached with his Death Scythe, and I could only dodge while searching for an opportunity. Neither my rapier nor my energy dagger could meet the Death Scythe head-on. The young master had once said that his scythe was made of a special material. It was made without regard for any manufacturing costs and was the only one of its kind. It was practically indestructible, and even energy weapons did not pose a problem for it. 

  Thankfully, the surroundings were very chaotic. The young master was holding such a large scythe and looked so extremely dangerous that both the Elysees and the Church treated him like an enemy. From time to time, someone would launch an attack at him, forcing him to dodge them. 

  On the other hand, perhaps my appearance seemed very harmless. The blood armor clung to my clothes and my skin, and, without a closer look, it would probably pass off as simple pieces of clothing. As for the weapons I held, they merely included a rapier and a dagger of three fingers’ width. In the middle of all the gunfire, these weapons just looked like a joke. I was seen as a complete non-threat, and no one targeted me specifically. 

  Even when he had to occasionally dodge, the young master still approached me at a steady pace. He was unbelievably strong, and his movements were clean and precise. He would use the smallest movements possible to dodge or block the majority of the bullets, a feat that looked exactly like the result of precise calculation. 

  The young master had only one weakness. Due to his extremely precise movements, if his joints were to be damaged, it would greatly affect him. However, when facing such a reluctantly heartless young master, is it even possible for me to follow through? Would I really be able to hurt him? And… Am I really going to hurt him? 

  Just then, an explosion occurred from not too far away, and both of us were forced back by the blast as smoke filled the air. When it cleared, the young master’s face was gradually revealed. It was void of expression, and beyond cold. That face was entirely unlike a human’s; it was the face of Dark Sun. 

  “Young Master,” I could not resist asking, “Do you still remember our first meeting?” 

  Dark Sun’s answer was a swing of the Death Scythe, which I quickly avoided using x-speed. I watched as he was forced back a bit by bullets from the battlefield. 

  “At the moment I saw you, I felt that you were truly a serene young man, especially suited to walking in the moonlight.” 

  Serene and clear, limpid as glass, and with an almost artificial quality. It was no wonder that he had been harassed by thugs back then, even without doing anything in particular. It was difficult not to notice that kind of temperament, and no matter how old-fashioned the style of his clothes were, or how little they fit the current standards of beauty, he would still naturally attract attention. 

  An unnatural beauty. 

  I gazed at Dark Sun, and that feeling only grew stronger. Whether he was wielding his Death Scythe, in battle, or taking life, that expressionless face of his remained so serene, entirely unaffected by his bloody actions. 

  It was as though murder was the same as cooking. Be it a scythe or a kitchen knife—they were both merely tools, and killing people was no different from dicing up pork. 

  “Melody once said that you were able to kill humans like slaughtering pigs, and you admitted that this was indeed true. The one who admitted that was you, not Dark Sun!” 

  In order to block the wildly flying bullets, Dark Sun spread his wings. An angel with wings of steel. Has he fallen, or is this his true nature? 

  “Young Master, do you truly not hear what I am saying?” 

  Dark Sun turned and flew past, his wings turning into a most terrifying sight, a hurricane of sharp blades. 

  “Actually you can hear me, can you not?” 

  All of us had forgotten that angels originally could fight. The weapons that they held in their hands could be used to protect, but could also be used to kill. 

  “Ri Xiang Ye, and Dark Sun.” I could not suppress the hypothesis I had harbored for a while now. “The truth is, you have always been both of them, have you not? There is no difference between Ah Ye or Dark Sun. It has always been you! 

  “You took all the behavior that falls outside of your brother’s expectations, all the ideals that are unacceptable to society, and any characteristics that could be deemed ‘evil,’ and pushed them onto Dark Sun. This ‘Dark Sun’ persona is just a refuge for you to seek solace in!” 

  Dark Sun’s movements halted abruptly. He stared at me, clearly devoid of any expression, but for some reason, I felt like I could read his face screaming: 

  Don’t say it! 

  But, I could not stop. 

  “I have served you personally. No one is able to see this more clearly than me. When the criminals used hostages to threaten the heroes, you decided on killing to end the killing. When Josh’s ability became a threat, you decided to simply eliminate him to prevent any further trouble. When you made these and many other cold, calculated decisions, it was not as Dark Sun.” 

  If “Ri Xiang Ye” made such cold decisions from the start, then why was there the need for “Dark Sun”? 

  “Your coldness and innocence intertwine into an indivisible individual. How could you possibly separate them into two? They had never been two different people in the first place!” 

  I looked at the young master, and though my heart was heavy, I had to reveal the cruel truth. 

  “Young Master, you are the one who does not want Dark Sun to vanish, because Dark Sun is your excuse for being unable to adapt to this world!” 

  The angel was unwilling to admit that he was no longer his brother’s obedient child. He had already fallen long ago, and his original kindness was dead and buried in the sea of endless modification experiments. 

  The young master worked so hard to be a good person, and as long as one did not cross his bottom line, nothing would anger him. But this was not kindness—he simply did not care. 

  For an angel who watches over the world as it flies through the sky—to him, is there really a big difference between a colony of people and a colony of ants? 

  I gazed directly at him as I said, “If you wish to kill me, then do not claim that it was the work of Dark Sun, for this is work of your own hands!” 

  Dark Sun stared at me, unmoving. During this time, he even endured many bullets, but continued to stare at me, without flinching at all. 

  Young Master, this is not what Dark Sun would do, is it? 

  “Do you know? Charles?” 

  The young master finally spoke. As expected, he did not speak in the cold voice of Dark Sun, and I could even hear exasperation in his voice as he said, “Your rating on my significance scale has reached ninety-one point five percent. This is a percentage exceeding An Te Qi-bàba, Ezart, and close to Gēge, but this cannot be right!” 

  Significance scale? I froze. The young master even had this kind of measurement setting? How exactly did the world appear through his eyes? 

  “You are not my gēge who rescued me, you are not my bàba who accompanied me in the lab for seven years, and you aren’t even my first friend! How exactly did you become this important to me?” 

  I fell silent. This kind of comparison is not right! “Young Master, there is no way to compare them. People who are significant to you are simply significant to you. How could you use points to calculate that?” 

  The young master growled, “I’m the kind who would calculate that! That’s just how I am!” 

  I was unable to refute him any longer. After all, I was unable to understand the world through the young master’s eyes, so how could I possibly deny his values? If I had such a variety of figures flying through my own head, constantly reminding me of the significance levels of those around me—I was completely unable to imagine what kind of world that was, or how I would be expected to view others. 

  “You must die, because Gēge ordered me to kill you. If I disobey him, then you are… That is not right! That can never happen! Absolutely not!” 

  Looking at the young master, a realization suddenly dawned on me. If he disobeyed the Sun Emperor’s order, meaning… I am more important than the Sun Emperor? 

  “Charles Endelis!” The young master’s enraged shout resounded across the whole battlefield. “You must die!”


  No Hero    

  Volume 9 Endless Days, The End NO.6: Family Head

  “I forbid you from saving that vampire. You cannot have others do it either. He wanted to kill me! Don’t tell me your butler is more important than I am?” 

  Highest priority master has asked a question. Initiating action: Reply. 

  What kind of question is Gēge asking?! 

  “Gē, Charles is not more important than you.” 

  But why is Charles’ score so high? 91.5? Since when did it become that high? If he surpasses Gēge, then what would—No, impossible! 

  The purpose of Dark Sun’s existence is to protect Gēge. No one can be more important than him. 

  “Charles did not really want to kill you. I know it was your scheme from the beginning. What exactly do you want to—” 

  “Ah Ye, if I want you to kill Charles Endelis, what will you do?” 

  Highest priority master has issued a command. Initiating action: Obey. 

  Kill Charles Endelis—No! Charles cannot be killed. 

  “Gē, don’t say that! Don’t! I can’t control it anymore, Charles is—” 

  “Answer me!” 

  “…” 

  Highest priority master’s command received. Initiating action: Obey. 

  “I will follow your order and kill Charles Endelis.” 

  Initiating action: Kill. Target: Charles Endelis. Immediately taking effect. 

  “Ah Ye, wait a minute!” 

  “Yes, Gēge.” Turning, awaiting orders… 

  “You are not allowed to die. No matter what, your life is the most important.” 

  Command received: Own life takes precedence over assassination task. 

  “Yes, Master.” 

  *** 

  I quietly lay in bed with a slight hunger in my stomach. However, this amount of hunger was just enough to curb the pain in my limbs without burning off rational thought entirely. It was the most comfortable period, as well as the only time I could think things over. 

  Recently, it seemed that the pain was becoming more tolerable, though there was no knowing whether it was a result of getting accustomed to the pain after so long or if it was truly subsiding. My mental clarity had gradually increased, and I had significantly more time for my own thoughts. 

  I had a feeling and instinctively looked out the window to see a figure as expected. His back faced the brilliant sunlight as he gently pushed the window open and quietly stood in front of the French window to watch me. The sun’s rays spilling over his face were too blinding. It still did not suit him as much as the moonlight in the dark. 

  I slowly sat up and gazed at him. Perhaps this would be the last time I could see him. 

  “Charles, you look very terrible. I’ve never seen you so…” He tilted his head, seemingly uncertain of how to describe it. “Pale and weak. It’s like even Briar could easily kill you.” 

  I smiled and asked, “Did the Sun Emperor order you to stop chasing after my life?” 

  The young master nodded and replied, “Curtis is very formidable in negotiations. It was my first time seeing Gēge get so mad at a conference table.” After a moment’s thought, he added, “In the past, Gēge said that Curtis would not be as fierce as Madam Sadina and use the entire family to protect you. However, he was wrong.” 

  I had worried that the Sun Emperor had been wrong. The situation on the battlefield had truly been a terrible sight, one that a person would be unwilling to witness for a second time. 

  “Did you come all this way because you wanted to tell me something? 

  I went straight to the main topic without delay because the young master’s hands were trembling. It was certainly not due to pain; rather, it was caused by forceful suppression. His glinting metallic nails would extend and then retract without stopping. He did not even dare to move. Perhaps if he did, his sole action would be to pierce those silvery nails through my chest. 

  Even though the Sun Emperor had issued a command, it seemed that it had not been entirely effective. As expected of the raison d’être implanted in his brain’s microchip; anyone who dared to move against the Sun Emperor would instantly and unfailingly face punishment from the Death Scythe. 

  The young master was restraining himself, as was I. The difference was that he wanted to kill, while I wanted to die. I could only endeavor to recall Curtis’s expression as he had stood by my bed; otherwise, I might have crawled over of my own volition and pled to be freed from this world. 

  The young master remained silent. 

  I could only remind him, “Young Master, I cannot maintain a clear mind for long.” 

  It was extremely difficult to stay conscious. Restraining myself from seeking death was even harder. 

  Finally, he opened his mouth and asked, “Charles, if one day both X and I are in mortal danger, who would you save?” 

  I nearly laughed out loud when I heard this question, but then wondered why there was a need to keep it in and simply laughed out loud anyway. 

  “Young Master, you know, a very long time ago, the most impossible question to answer between lovers was ‘if your parents and lover simultaneously fell into the water, who would you save?’. I once thought Sadina would eventually ask me this question; after all, I yearned for my honorable father so much. However, she never asked me. Yet in the end, I hear it from the Young Master’s mouth instead…I truly do not know whether to laugh or cry.” 

  The young master quietly watched me laugh, though he did not have any trace of emotion on his face. He was both similar and dissimilar to Dark Sun; despite being expressionless, he did not give off the artificial feeling that Dark Sun did. 

  “Then, who would you save?” The young master was exceptionally fixated on knowing the answer. 

  I suddenly felt beyond furious. Even though I knew the young master was not to blame, he was currently right in front of me, demanding an answer as to who was more important and forcing me to decide between two important people. He could not comprehend that such comparisons could not be made! 

  I angrily stated, “Young Master, I can die for you, but I cannot let X die because of you. Similarly, I can die for X, but I absolutely cannot sacrifice you for X’s survival. This question should not exist at all!” 

  The young master asked again, “Then if it’s X and the Elysees family? Who would you save?” 

  This simply made me feel powerless. When someone assigned their entire world numerical values, how exactly could I explain to him that important people were simply important, with no one’s significance level higher than another’s? 

  I could only chuckle bitterly as I thought about the possibility of never meeting him again. I could not help but advise once more, “Young Master, you must fix your habit of looking at people using numbers.” 

  The young master was silent for a while before he flatly replied, “I can’t fix it. It’s imprinted in my brain’s microchip.” 

  “Even if your brain has numbers, your heart cannot have them! Think about the future; if you marry Briar and take her as your wife, you might even have children. When that time comes, will you compare the significance levels of your wife and children with the Sun Emperor’s? What if they nearly surpass the Sun Emperor’s value? Will you kill them too?” 

  I could not imagine how terrifying it would be for a frail mother and child to be threatened with the Death Scythe by the person who was the husband and father. That was why I had to make the young master understand! 

  The young master shook his head and replied. “Charles, the reason your score is so high is because ‘time’ is too superior of a variable. You can accompany me for a very, very long time. This is something that no one else can do.” 

  I was stunned. So is that what it was? 

  “So the others do not lose to me, but rather to time.” 

  I suddenly felt it was somewhat ironic. “Time” was why I had chosen to return to the young master’s side back then, yet time was also what had forced the young master to try and kill me. 

  After some contemplation, the young master suddenly smiled. “Hm, you’re right. It’s a pity that I cannot kill ‘time’; I can only kill you.” 

  “…Curtis would definitely loathe your current smile.” 

  The young master did not seem to mind. “He hates me so much as it is. Even with my smile, he couldn’t possibly hate me more! He even gave me a warning right in front of my brother, saying that if I ever dared to harm you again, he would throw me into a cremation furnace until I melted into metal pieces. It made my brother explode on the spot, and he nearly declared war right there and then.” 

  I laughed at this, completely able to imagine the situation. The Sun Emperor and Curtis had found each other disagreeable from the beginning. Every time they saw each other, they would make sure to go measure for measure. However, after today, there would be no further opportunities to witness such an amusing scene again. 

  I could not help but ask, “Young Master, you still want to kill me, is that not so? 

  The young master did not reply directly. “You already know the answer.” 

  I did indeed. 

  He said in amusement, “But Charles, you’ve become super strong. It’s hard to say who would kill who! I did say ages ago that you were very strong!” 

  “I am not strong in the slightest. This is the result of burning away my vitality to fight against you.” I smiled bitterly and raised a trembling hand as I sighed. “Only being able to attain victory by bringing myself to the point where I have no will to survive, yet remain unable to seek death cannot count as being formidable, can it?” 

  “Why can’t it?” The young master bluntly stated, “When I was in the lab, I also struggled between life and death for a full seven years. That’s how I became this strong.” 

  I was stunned for a moment and could only stare at the young master. An entire seven years was truly enough to leave one at a loss for words. I could not even endure for seven days, though I could no longer track the passing of time. Under the tortuous cycle of unending hunger and pain, time had lost all significance. 

  The young master consoled me. “Charles, you will become even more powerful. You just need to endure through this. It’s always like this; the operation hurts, and your recovery will hurt too. But once the pain subsides, you’ll become strong. Just hang in there for a bit.” 

  He hesitated for a moment before continuing, “But Charles, you shouldn’t eat that candy anymore. It’s only for you to use in emergencies. I didn’t think you would eat a bunch in one go. It’s too dangerous; the things that Bàba makes really cannot be eaten in large amounts. You’ll die!” 

  I smiled. As expected, it was something that the young master had asked Mr. An Te Qi to make. Even if it had been passed off under Aren’s name, it was ultimately the young master’s doing. 

  “I had no other option and was truly forced to do so, but I do not dare repeat it.” Next time, I would likely rather kill myself than eat that candy. The consequences were honestly unbearable. 

  The young master sadly replied, “There was indeed no other option. Honestly, Charles, you’ve done very well. If you hadn’t decided to eat that candy, the situation might have ended terribly. I didn’t think Gēge would dispatch the adjudication squad as well. If the three forces had really started fighting, it wouldn’t have been resolved even if everyone there had died. The aftermath might’ve been even more terrifying.” 

  I understood. “It would have caused a three-way war.” 

  The young master explained further, “That’s not all. With so many people lost from all three parties, there’s no way the matter could be left like that. The fight would continue on, and there might be many others apart from the three powers. Some might be allies joining the battles, some might be enemies taking advantage of the crisis to secretly attack. There might even be people just waiting to reap the profits afterwards. The entire world would fall into chaos.” 

  I was dumbstruck. I had not imagined the situation to be even more frightening than I had thought. 

  The young master dejectedly continued, “My brother might even have hoped for that to happen. I don’t understand what exactly he’s thinking. Gēge’s way of doing things is too complicated. I can only guess at a part of it.” 

  “What part?” I asked in confusion. 

  “The part about me.” The young master hesitated for a moment but still elaborated, “My guess is that he wanted to test everyone by my side, especially you and Melody, since you guys can stay with me for a very, very long time. But Melody-jiě’s situation is simpler. She has no concerns, so she easily passed the test.” 

  Meanwhile, I did not qualify because I was too complex, involved with both the Elysees and the Church? 

  “Sorry. You ended up like this because of my brother’s test.” The young master’s head fell as he quietly said, “I will make up for it.” 

  Make up for it? I smiled bitterly. Now that matters had reached this point, we could only go our separate ways. What is the point in discussing compensation? 

  Right then, my hunger began to intensify again. Although I felt that it was a pity since we might not meet again after this farewell, and I really did wish to interact with him for longer, I also was unwilling to let the young master see me starving to the point where my eyes turned red as I looked at him like food. 

  “Young Master, please leave. I am too hungry to control myself.” 

  The young master quietly stared at me. “I wonder whether you need candy once you’ve lost rationality from hunger. Would you become as strong as before?” 

  “Young Master, please leave!” I firmly requested, “You can see how poor my condition is at the moment. If I attacked you, how would that be any different from committing suicide? If you want to kill me, please do not use such a method. I do not wish for my final action before death to be attacking you!” 

  The young master was quiet for a moment. Finally, he turned to leave, standing outside the French window. The glare from the sun’s reflection on the glass covered most of his expression. 

  “Charles, what is the fundamental meaning of your existence?” 

  I was taken aback as the reflected light from the glass pierced my eyes. After I had blinked in pain, the young master had vanished without a trace. 

  Definite numbers and a definite meaning to one’s existence. How could a person’s life be so defined, with knowledge so thoroughly overriding feelings until they must use another personality to draw the distinction between reason and emotion? What exactly was this lifestyle like? It was truly unimaginable. 

  We can blame someone for being too impulsive, for doing things too emotionally. But how can we blame someone for being too rational? How can they be rebuked for following the fundamental meaning of existence? 

  How can I beseech him to overthrow the fundamental meaning of his existence? 

  I sat up at the edge of the bed. The hunger had not chased away all my processing ability. It appeared that my condition had indeed taken a turn for the better. 

  The door opened, and I shifted my line of sight. Dong Fang Lei was holding a tray of blood bags with Curtis standing right behind him. When they saw me, the two were dumbstruck for a moment, but then showed expressions of pleasant surprise. 

  Curtis even passed in front of Dong Fang Lei to walk straight to my bedside. He excitedly said, “Family Head, you appear significantly better.” 

  The young master just said I looked terrible, to the point where even Briar could easily kill me. So in the past few days, exactly how terrible had I looked for Curtis to say that my condition has improved? 

  Fortunately, I was not a butler during this time. Otherwise, I would have to deeply repent to my honorable father. 

  Dong Fang Lei was full of smiles as he placed the tray down on my bed and then retreated to the side. Compared to his initial politeness and disaffection, he was currently filled with goodwill and respect, which was extremely difficult to grow accustomed to. 

  I picked up a blood bag and did not suck it dry in a single breath. Rather, I slowly sipped it to make the hunger subside more slowly. 

  Curtis directly sat at the edge of my bed and said, “Can you listen to my report as you drink blood?” 

  I nodded. 

  “The Sun Emperor and I have reached an agreement. I witnessed him personally order Ri Xiang Ye not to kill you, so I have released your young master.” 

  “I know, the young master came by.” 

  Curtis’s expression shifted, and he twisted his head to glare furiously at Dong Fang Lei. The latter’s face fell too. 

  I voiced my support, “Don’t blame him. The young master is not a normal person.” 

  “Family Head, no one who is able to threaten the heads of the Elysees is a normal person!” 

  That makes sense. Thinking about it now, Lieder was able to smack the Sun Emperor on the head; how can that count as normal? 

  Curtis coldly stated, “Dong Fang, there cannot be a second time! You will await punishment later!” 

  “Yessir!” 

  Upon hearing this, I saw that Dong Fang Lei did not show any discontent, seemingly only full of shame instead. As a result, I did not try to stop it again. Operations within the family had to follow certain standards. While the young master breaking in to meet me this time was nothing major, what if an assassin broke into Curtis’s room? 

  Curtis took a few deep breaths to calm down before continuing his report. “The Sun Emperor and the Church have both agreed to provide compensation. This payment has been directly transferred to your personal assets. There is no need to receive it from the family’s trust funds management.” 

  I stared at Curtis in astonishment. 

  Curtis indifferently stated, “One party sent someone to kill you, the other party imprisoned you. Receiving compensation is already the minimum I can accept. It cannot be any less!” 

  No, the main point is, you managed to make the Sun Emperor and the Church pay money? 

  Curtis continued to coolly explain, “I have previously explained that because you have given support to many rising companies, the Elysees has a large number of business relations. This is still true today. I have many methods to legally make them pay an even greater amount as compensation! In reality, this matter had been in progress long before we attacked the Church’s Sin Elimination Committee. Their compensation is merely a stop-loss point.” 

  I did not have much interest in financial matters and was unwilling to waste the time that I remained clear-headed on this point. I reminded him, “These are all fine with you managing them. Is there anything else?” 

  Curtis hesitated. 

  I suddenly felt an uneasy premonition and hurriedly questioned, “What is wrong? Did something happen?” 

  “Can you promise me that no matter what has happened, you will not leave without permission?” 

  “I cannot!” I furiously answered. “If you do not speak, I will leave right this instant. Moreover, you will not even be able to tell whether I exit from the window or the door.” 

  Curtis was stunned for a moment. He looked towards Dong Fang Lei for confirmation, and the latter nodded. 

  He sighed and said, “The Church has captured E.X.” 

  I stared at him in a daze. Fear began to rise from the bottom of my heart; the last thing that I had wanted to happen had inevitably occurred in the end. 

  “When did this happen?” 

  I asked with difficulty, only hoping that this had happened not too long ago. 

  “The news was provided two days ago, but I cannot confirm when. I can only confirm that E.X. currently is indeed in their hands.” 

  It has already been two days! My heart clenched in pain. With how much the Church detested X, two days was enough to torture him until he was disfigured. However, the most important thing now was to calm down! 

  I took a deep breath and asked, “Did you look into what they want to do with X?” 

  Curtis nodded and replied, “The Sin Elimination Committee wants to kill him as quickly as possible. If it were not for a few researchers stopping them, he likely would have been eliminated on the spot.” 

  “They dare?!” I roared. 

  “I fear they truly do dare. I sent a warning, but they did not even send a response. It appears that with the extremist faction leading, they will not shrink back from any enemy when it comes to E.X. Therefore I require your orders to determine the next plan of action.” 

  “Naturally, that is…” To rescue X. 

  Before I could finish speaking, I saw Curtis’s earnest expression and my words fell silent. He was clearly just waiting for the family head to give him the command to actually carry out. Even if this order was for the sake of a vampire completely unaffiliated with the family, he would dispatch troops to fight head-on with an evenly matched opponent. Another several hundred, several thousand, or even several hundreds of thousands of elites from the family would die. Or perhaps, an unbreakable enmity would form as a result. There was no knowing how many more lives would be forfeited afterwards. 

  How could I voice this command? In the end, I can only go by myself after all… 

  Curtis frigidly declared, “Family Head, please allow me to clarify: I will not allow you to carry out a rescue mission by yourself. You have the entire family’s forces as support. The last action you should take is to act alone.” 

  I shook my head. “This matter has no relation to the Elysees.” 

  “It is related to you, and therefore it is related to the Elysees! Even if you needed to start a war, the Elysees would never fear it!” 

  At the mention of the previous campaign, I recalled the family members lying on the battlefield and I could not suppress my anger as I roared, “Never fear it? How many family members died in the fight against the Church?” 

  “One hundred and eighty-two people.” 

  I was dumbstruck. It was evident that Curtis was not actually unaffected by those lives if he remembered the number so clearly. 

  “Were they all Extraordinaries?” 

  Curtis shook his head. “No, the majority of them were not. This type of battle does not require Extraordinaries. Equipment is more important.” 

  “Were they the family’s elites?” 

  Curtis was silent for a while before answering, “They were the elite troops.” 

  “Was it worth it?” 

  Curtis indignantly responded, “They were soldiers. The Elysees raised them as important members to protect the family. Now they have died for the sake of the family head. Do you think it was worth it?” 

  I only grew angrier as I shot back. “If the Elysees family head you are speaking of referred to yourself, then it would be worth it. However, I am merely the family head in name only.” 

  Curtis’s complexion turned ashen. He gazed at me in fury and forcefully emphasized every one of his words. “‘Family Head,’ please allow me to remind you once again: Charles Endelis is the true head of the Elysees family. If you have any doubts about this point, please immediately return and personally take charge of the family. I can become your general manager and assist you with handling the family’s affairs, or you can simply expel me and choose someone you prefer to be your manager!” 

  He was serious; I could tell. Even if I used my speed to escape this place and rescue X alone, it would likely take only a second for Curtis to gather the family’s army and enter the battlefield once more. 

  Thus, the current question was now who was more important between X and the Elysees. 

  I had no way of scoring people in my mind as the young master did. It was impossible to know the answer. I…Wait. 

  Charles, if both X and I are in mortal danger, who would you save? 

  What if it were X and the Elysees? 

  I will make up for it. 

  I suddenly understood and could not help but murmur, “He had also heard this news, and he is about to go rescue X!” 

  Curtis stared at me in confusion and asked, “Who?” 

  “Young Master!” 

  I had known long ago that the young master was not someone who would ask meaningless questions. There was a concrete purpose to everything he did. If he had numbers assigned to score people’s significance levels, how could he possibly ask a question as pointless as “who would you save if your mother and wife fell into the water”?! 

  If X and I are in mortal danger, who would you save? 

  If I had responded “Young Master,” he would not have gone to rescue X, because he was more important. 

  What if it were X and the Elysees? 

  If I had responded “X,” he also would not have gone to rescue X, because the Elysees family would do it. 

  However, I had refused to give him a single answer! 

  “Family Head, are you all right?” 

  I could not continue staying in bed any longer. I took a deep breath and directly set foot off the bed. A wave of pain immediately came from my knees, and my legs could barely stay upright. However, I eventually stabilized myself. My condition had undoubtedly improved, though moving freely would require a while. Moreover, I needed my condition to be better than being able to simply “move freely.” 

  I picked up the blood bags on the tray and began to consume them. 

  “Family Head!” Curtis stubbornly declared, “I will never allow you to abandon the family’s resources and run off to clash with the Church on your own. You are the family head! You should not be the one charging in at the very front!” 

  Resources… Ah yes, the Elysees are more than one individual person. 

  As I drank blood, I asked, “Curtis, how much money do you have?” 

  Curtis was taken aback for a moment, but he inquired back, “Are you referring to my money, or are you actually referring to your money?” 

  “…My money.” 

  “It may require at least three days’ time to verify all of your cash, movable and immovable properties, company equity shares, foundations, patent rights, creditor’s rights, and the like. There are a few property rights that are very difficult to accurately appraise as they have not yet officially been sold.” 

  “These should be the Elysees family’s resources, are they not?” I furrowed my brows and stated, “I do not wish to touch the family’s assets.” 

  Curtis’s brows knit together even more deeply than my own as he continued, “With just your personal assets, I would still require a day to verify them all.” 

  This response indicated that the amount of money in my possession was vast enough for even Curtis to be uncertain of its size. Rather, I am personally uncertain; when did I suddenly become so wealthy? My only assets, as far as I was aware, were several ancient castles, as well as a few bank accounts. Perhaps I had some private treasuries as well, but since Sadina had specialized managers handling them, I never paid any attention to them. 

  If I survive this, I should find some time to look into those places. I hope Sadina did not leave the family in debt to make up for my allowance. 

  “Hand your cell phone to me.” 

  Curtis stared blankly for a moment. However, it appeared that he would comply with anything as long as I did not flee, as he directly handed his cell phone to me. 

  I dialed a number and immediately cut to the main point. “Aren, this is Charles. Is Lieder beside you? I would like to speak with him.” 

  The other end gave an affirmative response, and another person answered the phone. 

  “Lieder, how much money are you and your doctor worth?”


  No Hero    

  Volume 9 Endless Days, The End NO.7: Assistant

  “Ri Xiang Ye and Dark Sun. “The truth is, you have always been both of them, have you not? There is no difference between Ah Ye or Dark Sun. It has always been you!” 

  Highest master has issued a command: kill Charles Endelis. 

  “You took all the behavior that falls outside of your brother’s expectations, all the ideals that are unacceptable to society, and any characteristics that could be deemed ‘evil,’ and pushed them onto Dark Sun. This ‘Dark Sun’ persona is just a refuge for you to seek solace in!” 

  Highest master has issued a command: kill Charles Endelis! 

  “I have served you personally. No one is able to see this more clearly than me. When the criminals used hostages to threaten the heroes, you decided on killing to end the killing. When Josh’s ability became a threat, you decided to simply eliminate him to prevent any further trouble. When you made these and many other cold, calculated decisions, it was not as Dark Sun.” 

  Charles Endelis. Level of significance: 91.5%. 

  Highest master. Level of significance: 95%. 

  Following highest master’s command to kill Charles Endelis! 

  “Your coldness and innocence intertwine into an indivisible individual. How could you possibly separate them into two? They had never been two different people in the first place!” 

  Microchip, perform analysis: If the elimination target’s level of significance surpasses the highest master’s, what action should be adopted? 

  Unable to analyze. 

  Possibility of highest master changing? 

  Unable to analyze. 

  “Young Master, you are the one who does not want Dark Sun to vanish, because Dark Sun is your excuse for being unable to adapt to this world!” 

  If the elimination target’s level of significance surpasses the highest master, can the highest master’s command to kill be disobeyed? 

  …YES. 

  If Charles Endelis is more important than the highest master, could he do the reverse and command me to kill Gē—No! Cancel that inquiry! I won’t ask! 

  Do not answer! 

  “Charles Endelis! You must die!” 

  No one can be more important than Gēge—not even you, Charles! 

  *** 

  “I need you and Dr. Ni Cai to help me infiltrate the Church’s Sin Elimination Committee.” 

  I earnestly looked at the single person sitting across from me. He appeared to be somewhat weaker in terms of individual strength, but no one present would see him as weak. 

  Lieder possessed the power to control others with speech. At least, that was his ability at the moment. Thinking about it, the reason he had never changed it was likely because this power was too useful, or because he had not yet encountered another person with a special ability. 

  “It’s to help the Elysees infiltrate the Sin Elimination Committee!” 

  Lieder glanced at Curtis, the person speaking next to me. By Curtis’s side was Dong Fang Lei, and next to him was an entire row of soldiers dressed in combat gear. According to Dong Fang Lei’s introduction, these were the Extraordinaries troops of the red bowties. 

  They did not seem to be as formidable and mighty as the soldiers on the battlefield, but each and every one of them was rather unique. I was uncertain if it was instinct or my imagination, but I felt that these people were indeed quite dangerous. 

  In addition, the lackey that had previously brought me to find blood bags was also in the group. He stood by Dong Fang Lei with a proud air. Among the Extraordinaries, his posture was the most rigid, and he appeared to be the youngest. He was likely a novice, and he gave off a strong sense of vitality. 

  Lieder replied, “The Church has already raised their guard, so it is extremely difficult. Ni Cai cannot provide any guarantees.” 

  The doctor was not here, nor was he willing to show himself. However, I could understand this; if Ni Cai was here as well, they might not have any room to decide against helping. 

  After a moment’s consideration, I smiled and said, “Then how much money is required for him to provide us with guarantee?” 

  Lieder smiled as well. 

  “Money can motivate me, since I have too many plans that require money as operation funds. However, money won’t budge Ni Cai… Hm, but I can’t say that there isn’t a way to move him. Let me put it this way: for a computer expert of his level, getting money is a very simple matter. That’s why money alone will not motivate him.” 

  I pondered this. If money is useless, then exactly what conditions would stir Dr. Ni Cai? The next move requires both Lieder and Ni Cai with neither of them missing. Or rather, without Ni Cai’s support, I am afraid Lieder would not dare to accept the task either. After all, his power is so useful that it would not be at all strange if a powerful force captured him and locked him away forever. 

  At this moment, I suddenly thought of Dr. An Te Qi, who was also a doctor. Moreover, they were both doctors with particular actions and thoughts. Could their interests be the same? 

  “I drank the same medicine as you. Since then, I have been unable to sleep. In addition, the last time I swallowed a bunch of candies in one go, my strength was boosted to the extent where I could even defeat Ri Xiang Ye. Afterwards, I had to consume a large amount of blood that far surpassed what I could process…” 

  The more I spoke, the more fascinated Lieder grew. He even unconsciously leaned forward, as though that would allow him to hear more. 

  I smiled and asked, “Do you think Dr. Ni Cai would be interested in my condition?” 

  “Of course.” Lieder immediately nodded and replied, “He’s even more fanatical about such matters than I am.” 

  As expected, all unusual doctors in this world are the same. 

  “I can let him research—” 

  “Family Head!” Curtis stood in a rage, glaring furiously at me without any sign of respect. 

  I calmly raised my head to look at him with absolutely no intention of retracting my words. 

  Curtis held my gaze for a while, then twisted his head to shout at Dong Fang Lei, “Go bring the research materials for the Extraordinaries!” 

  My expression changed, and I stood as well to reprimand, “That is the family’s hidden strength. You cannot do that. I will not allow it!” 

  Curtis looked at me with emotions of both grief and indignation. The sight of it floored me, as I could not comprehend why he would show such an expression. Is it really that serious? 

  I hurriedly explained, “Naturally, I would not let him conduct any research that could cause me harm—” 

  He interrupted me and growled, “You are our family head. No one can ‘research’ you, no matter what kind of research it is! This is a vicious slap to our family’s face, completely obliterating the Elysees family’s reputation. Don’t tell me you want to allow such a thing to occur?” 

  The family’s reputation… I finally realized the situation. I was no longer the Elysees family head that no one knew. The Sun Emperor, Church, and even others all knew at this point that Curtis was merely the steward. The true Elysees family head was someone else. 

  I was no longer hiding behind Sadina, but rather had stridden up to take the stage. 

  Even if Curtis was the main one handling matters at the moment, all the powers clearly understood my status now. In the last battle, the Elysees family had openly taken action against the Church, which evidently showed that they undoubtedly cared about me, their family head. If I continued to call myself a family head in name only, I would merely be deceiving myself. 

  I am the Elysees family head. 

  “Go retrieve it.” 

  Curtis opened his mouth, as though still wanting to justify himself. However, when he suddenly understood my words, his eyes widened in disbelief. 

  “Do not bring too much.” I eyed Lieder as I smirked and added, “Those two do not have that much worth.” 

  Lieder shuddered as he stared at me in wonder, as if not daring to believe there was such a side to my personality. 

  Curtis respectfully bowed and replied, “Understood, Family Head.” 

  He nodded at Dong Fang Lei. Upon receiving the order, the other did not leave either, but instead directed a subordinate to fetch it. He remained next to Curtis as a guard, unwilling to relax in the slightest. This was a good thing, as Curtis’s safety was indeed more important than anything else. 

  I reminded Lieder, “Contact Dr. Ni Cai and tell him of the conditions. There will be no need to wait for the materials to be brought over; I am sure you would not be able to comprehend much of the research data for the Extraordinaries anyways.” 

  Lieder chuckled. “You really understand me well. That’s right, I can never understand why the numbers and data are more interesting than actual people. In any case, I will just agree on behalf of Ni Cai first.” 

  “You do not need to ask him?” I was slightly curious. That doctor did not appear to be a character that would allow others to make decisions on his behalf. 

  Lieder shrugged. “I know that guy’s personality. Ni Cai is more interested in the Extraordinaries than you. Extraordinaries are natural human mutations. I can only use the word fanatical to describe his attitude toward those things. If I called him, I’m afraid he’d immediately charge over, and then the both of us would be in your hands…” 

  I instantly moved to stand right in front of Lieder. It took him an entire beat to jump up from his seat in alarm. 

  “Never—Never refer to them as ‘those things’.” 

  I warned in an extremely stern tone. 

  Lieder could only stare dumbly at me. 

  Dong Fang Lei stepped forward and smiled as he said, “Family Head, he isn’t enough for you to personally do anything. Please allow me to take your place. How would you like to discipline him for his rudeness?” 

  Lieder blurted, “I apologize.” Then, he sighed in admiration. “Charles, have I ever told you that you are truly incredibly fast?” 

  “Many times.” 

  Lieder shook his head. “Even saying it another hundred times would not be enough. It seems as though the aftereffects of drinking the medicine aren’t just being unable to lose consciousness, but may also include an increase in strength as well? That doesn’t seem quite right either; those two abilities are too unrelated to each other. There’s no explanation.” 

  I did not believe that was the case. The reason my speed increased further was likely due to the results of practicing it with my life on the line. The medicine’s effects increased the amount of blood a vampire could absorb to make up for the energy required due to sleep deprivation, excess activity, and bodily injuries. 

  Despite obtaining research on the Extraordinaries, Lieder did not want to give up on the effects of my medicine consumption either. 

  I would have to be more cautious from now on. I could no longer act as I had before, believing I had nothing others could use to conspire against me. Thus, I could not be careless about various matters. I was connected with too many important people now: the young master, the Elysees family, X…There were honestly too many people that others could utilize against me! 

  Seeing that I remained silent, Lieder did not show any particular emotion either. Instead, he straightforwardly began discussing the conditions. “Ni Cai wants those materials, and I want money. In addition, you must use the position of the Elysees family head to make a contract with me: In the future, the Elysees family will not come looking for trouble with Ni Cai and me.” 

  “As long as you and Ni Cai do not provoke the Elysees first, we will naturally not start anything with you two.” 

  “Then, there really won’t be an issue. If it was the Sun Emperor or the Church, I wouldn’t guarantee that I would not provoke them. But not provoking the Elysees?” Lieder spread out his hands and said, “That is truly not hard. Who would want to strike smiling butlers for no reason?” 

  Indeed. If it were not because of me, the Elysees family would have continued staying low-profile. There was no one that would have tried to provoke the support-natured family of butlers. 

  Lieder continued, “Under these conditions, I can only help you enter the Sin Elimination Committee. I am not responsible for fighting.” 

  Curtis emphasized, “The most important part is ‘exiting,’ not ‘entering’!” 

  I followed-up, “You must personally bring me in, then back out.” 

  Lieder did not mind this. “Of course. My ability isn’t one like Ni Cai’s that can operate from a distance. Besides, if I don’t bring you out, I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to survive for long either.” 

  He paused for a moment and then flashed a smile that did not reach his eyes. “The matter of a certain person being captured was so big that it nearly caused a world war. A lowly person like me cannot afford to incite that kind of thing. Speaking of which, if you have those Extraordinaries under your command, you might as well send one of those experts to come with me instead of coming along yourself. That way, I’ll be under a bit less pressure. I fear that if the Elysees family head merely loses a patch of skin, someone would want to skin me entirely.” 

  Curtis immediately turned his head toward me at this, his eyes full of agreement. 

  I coolly replied, “No. X would not go with you. The moment he is free from confinement, he would immediately leave everyone behind, regardless of whether or not he actually has a means to escape the Sin Elimination Committee. I am the only one he would follow.” 

  Lieder indifferently said, “Well, you know my ability.” 

  “X would not go with you. You cannot even completely control the young master, yet you foolishly assume you can stir the consciousness of a millennium-old vampire?” 

  “A millennium-old vampire! Heavens, that really does sound intriguing.” Lieder clutched his heart exaggeratedly and excitedly asked, “Charles, let me chat with him! An hour…no, half an hour is enough. You don’t need to pay me any money, and I’ll even help you fight. What do you think?” 

  I chuckled and shook my head. “Trust my words, paying you money is far simpler. X has absolutely no patience toward strangers. He would not want to chat with anyone. In fact, if you say just a few words to him, he will either disappear from your side, or you will disappear from this world entirely.” 

  “What a pity!” Lieder dejectedly leaned back on the sofa and sighed, “He’s a living historical figure. Can you imagine how many historical truths we could learn from his mouth?” 

  “Zero. You don’t think X would care about human history, do you? It even took him many years of being chased by Sin to finally realize that they had already been replaced multiple times.” 

  Lieder somewhat resentfully huffed, “He’s so different from you. It would be great if he was more similar. Who knows how much insider information about history I’d be able to get from you?” 

  I expressionlessly asked, “Are you certain I will not become like him after I have lived for over a thousand years?” 

  Lieder furrowed his brows and replied, “For some reason, I feel like even if everyone else changes, you are the only person who would never change.” 

  “You overestimate me.” 

  “No, no, that is precisely why the famed E.X., a vampire that refuses to have any dealings with the rest of the world, maintains contact with you. You can make him feel as though there is finally something unchanging in this world.” 

  I was taken aback, and I stared at him in confusion. Is this a conjecture, or does he have some type of concrete evidence? It is impossible that X would say such a thing. 

  Lieder smiled and explained, “The Church has full analyses on you and X. When Ni Cai broke into their computers, he helped me steal some of it. It was really a brilliant and outstanding analysis. Those research materials were my greatest reward from going to the Church, worthy of my participation!” 

  Curtis bellowed, “That damned Church! Dong Fang!” 

  “Here!” Dong Fang Lei immediately responded. 

  “Summon the family’s hackers. Once this matter is resolved, I want all of the Church’s computers to crash if they even try typing Family Head’s name!” 

  I nearly laughed at this. Curtis truly refused to let even the smallest things go, though this was not a bad thing. The nature of the Elysees family was destined to be unaggressive. If the one in charge was weak, the family might not stay standing. 

  Just then, a cell phone suddenly rang. I could tell it was not Curtis’s ringtone and I saw Lieder pull out his phone to glance at it. Then he gestured and stated, “It’s Ni Cai.” 

  I gestured back to indicate he was free to answer. 

  Lieder did not stand. He simply stayed in his seat as he answered the call. After quietly listening for a while, he voiced the condition of receiving the Extraordinaries’ research materials. 

  “I know you are determined to get those materials, don’t worry. I already responded. Prepare to break into the Sin Elimination Committee again.” 

  Lieder cut the call and went straight to the point. “It’s best if we take action as soon as possible. Ni Cai just informed them that Sin won over the researchers. They will kill E.X. at first light tomorrow, so we do not have any more time.” 

  “Then, let us go immediately.” I was burning with impatience, terrified of being too late and reduced to only hearing the news of X’s death before I could even see him. 

  Lieder nodded and said, “At least prepare weapons.” 

  “We cannot be so rash. Weapons are not the only things we have to prepare!” Curtis hurriedly urged, “Family Head, you must bring the Extraordinaries troop…” 

  “No.” The moment I rejected it, Curtis showed an unrelenting, steadfast expression. I explained, “With my speed, being unable to escape would mean that the situation is impossible to escape from. Moreover, if there is a way to escape but there are members of the family present, do you think I would be able to abandon them and leave alone?” 

  Curtis’s face fell. 

  “Give me an unsurpassable dagger. You must trust me for everything else!” 

  Curtis stared at me with no sign of confidence in my words. 

  I met his gaze and solemnly vowed, “I swear that I absolutely do not want to die. There are too many people tied to me now. The consequences of dying are too grave for me to possibly bear! Furthermore…” 

  I looked straight at this child who regarded me as his father. 

  “There is no way I could believe your past words. If I died, would you really not lead the family to seek revenge? I do not think so; therefore, I cannot die!” 

  Curtis was dumbstruck for a moment. Then the corners of his lips curved upwards slightly, and he asked with slight discontent in his tone, “Only a dagger? What about a gun?” 

  I nodded and replied, “I am going to rescue someone, not to start a massacre. If I have the time to kill, I may as well use my speed to escape them.” 

  This time, Curtis nodded in agreement. However, he stressed, “If you do not return, Dong Fang Lei will lead the Elysees forces over, just like last time.” 

  I knit my brows together, but I knew that trying to dissuade them would be of no use. As a result, I could only agree. This operation had to succeed. Even if it failed, I would not be able to compensate with just myself. Hopefully if that time comes, I can… make a choice. 

  It was in times like these when I could not help but feel somewhat at a loss. Was the young master’s scoring of people a good thing or not? Who was more important between X and the Elysees? I truly did not know, and I would likely never know. 

  Curtis sternly reminded, “Family Head, please remember that you are much more important than E.X.” 

  I truly was not certain about that. 

  Curtis coldly said, “At least he has already lived for over a millennium. Please forgive me for saying this, but he has already lived long enough!” 

  I was silent for a moment before saying, “He has lived long enough for a while now. There has never been a moment when he has not wanted to die, but there must be a specific reason for him to have never chosen to die. Only something more terrifying than death could stop him from seeking it.” 

  However, I had to admit that I was honestly somewhat apprehensive of learning the truth behind the reason terrifying enough to force X to live more than a thousand years. 

  Lieder nodded and said, “That is reasonable. But what is more frightening than death?” 

  “Many things.” 

  For example, being trapped between pain and thirst, unable to even maintain rational thought. It could not count as being alive at all. In that moment, death was not the least bit frightening; rather, it was a kind of relief. 

  Another example was when I had been captured by Countess Avexila with Sadina and Curtis by my side. Death had not made me feel fear; what would become of those two was what had truly terrified me. 

  X, what kind of reason is the one you have to live more than a thousand years for? 

  At this moment, there was another ring. This was Curtis’s phone, so I did not pay it any mind. There were too many people that would look for Curtis. However, Curtis unexpectedly furrowed his brows when he saw the number. After picking up, he passed the phone to me instead. 

  “Family Head, it is for you.” 

  I doubtfully accepted the phone. Who would have called Curtis to find me? 

  “Charles-gē.” 

  “Aren?” I was slightly astonished, though after some thought, this did not seem strange. With how complicated the situation previously was, it was normal for him to find a way to confirm the circumstances. 

  “Er, Charles-gē, you told us not to go looking for Ah Ye, but he came looking for us.” 

  When I heard this, I asked in concern, “Did he injure you?” 

  “No, Ah Ye said he already knows where you are, so there was no need to interrogate us.” 

  “That is good then.” I sighed in relief. 

  “Um, actually, Ah Ye said not to tell you about this, but it felt like a bit of a bad sign, so I figured it was still better to let you know.” 

  “Please go ahead and speak. I am also very concerned about your status. If anything is wrong, you can call this number immediately.” While this was not my phone, I would likely be unable to answer the phone from now on. 

  “Ok!” He took a deep breath and said in a single breath, “Ah Ye’s older brother commanded him to stay in place, but Ah Ye disobeyed and ran away. He said that as long as it did not violate the meaning of his existence, he had ways to go against his brother’s words.” 

  Indeed, the young master was never a particularly obedient child. However, during my service to the young master, I had also never witnessed the Sun Emperor truly “command” the young master. 

  Aren hesitantly said in a quiet voice, “Charles-gē, Ah Ye ran away to go rescue your brother.” 

  “I know.” 

  “…That idiot Ah Ye said you didn’t know. Recently, nothing he’s said has been right!” 

  “Could I trouble you to please tell the young master something?” 

  Aren gritted his teeth and said, “I just said this call was a secret, but you still want me to pass on a message?” 

  “Please tell the young master that he is more important than X, and that he should not go rescue X.” 

  “…Fine, I’ll go tell him. Wait for me. Don’t hang up the phone!” 

  “Understood.” 

  I did not have to wait long before Aren returned. 

  “Ah Ye said that you are also more important than X. Could you not go rescue him?” 

  I chuckled and regretfully replied, “I cannot.” 

  “Ah Ye said that he can’t either in that case—by the way, can’t you two just directly talk to each other? Why am I stuck in the middle relaying messages? Are you two elementary students passing notes to each other? Ah Ye, just take my phone and talk!” 

  I waited. This time, the wait was even longer than when Aren had been notifying the young master. 

  “Charles…” This was all the young master uttered before falling silent again. 

  “I am here, Young Master. May I please request for you to not go rescue X?” 

  The young master was quiet for a while before replying, “Melody told me that it’s my brother who traced X and discovered that he was in Daystar City. He also leaked this information to the Church.” 

  My grip on the phone tightened, and it took a great amount of effort not to break it in my hand. 

  “You should not have told me this. If I bear resentment toward the Sun Emperor, would that not increase my danger level?” 

  “Mhm, but Curtis would know, so it would be the same even if I didn’t tell you.” He uneasily said, “Me saying it is still a little better than you finding out on your own, isn’t it?” 

  I truly could not say if it was any better or not, nor was I willing to voice a false opinion, so I merely remained silent. 

  “Charles, are you still there?” 

  “Yes.” 

  “Turn on the speaker function. I have something to discuss with Curtis.” 

  Despite having some misgivings, I complied with the request. 

  “Curtis, I plan on using a great amount of firepower to break through the front door by force. It should occur around one in the morning. Have Charles use this chance to infiltrate the Sin Elimination Committee and secretly save X. Don’t forget to dispatch your family’s strongest hackers to go and help open the doors for him. Since the Sin Elimination Committee has already been invaded once, their defenses are definitely very strong now. It’s best if you have the hackers attack from the outside and support from the inside. The success rate is higher that way.” 

  Lieder interjected, “Don’t worry, my Ni Cai is very strong.” 

  “Lieder?” The young master was taken by surprise. “That’s great then. Your ability is very useful, and Ni Cai’s hacking is formidable too. With you two, the success rate for saving X is significantly higher!” 

  As expected of the young master. While I was merely thinking about dissuading him from going, he was instead thinking how the two parties could cooperate and how high the chances of a successful rescue were. There were admittedly many times when the young master’s rationality was undoubtedly incredibly useful. 

  “Charles, remember: no matter what, you must not appear in front of me. I-I can’t guarantee I won’t attack you.” 

  “Understood.” 

  “Also, don’t die.” 

  “Very well.” I will try my best. 

  The young master hesitated for a beat before asking, “Charles, if X still dies, what will you do?” 

  I did not want to respond to this question. However, the young master’s questions had to be answered. He required concrete answers not for emotional reasons, but to reliably decide what the next step should be. If I did not reply, perhaps the situation would become as disastrous as it had this time. 

  X was trapped in the Church’s hands, while the young master was likewise on the verge of being dragged in. 

  Without the Sun Emperor’s assistance, the young master could at most only bring Melody and Bramble’s group. Despite this, he said he would break through by force. The level of danger was possibly significantly higher than it was for my side. There was nothing more terrifying than both X and the young master simultaneously being in mortal danger. 

  “At that time, would you take revenge?” The young master’s voice sounded extremely worried. Perhaps he believes that my target of revenge would include the Sun Emperor? 

  “No, I will think of a way to rescue X. But if he is already dead…” I glanced at Curtis and firmly declared, “I will not continue to seek further compensate with lives.” 

  “Oh!” The young master’s tone seemed relieved. “If that time comes, I won’t help avenge X then, either.” 

  I let out a relieved breath as well. 

  “But if Charles dies, I will definitely avenge you!” 

  “Count me in as well!” Curtis immediately echoed aloud. 

  “Sure!” The young master responded in high spirits. 

  …Death truly was not frightening. What was frightening was the world war that would be triggered after death. If vampires were religious, then the aftermath caused by dying would definitely send me to Hell or force me to suffer through great pain for my sins. 

  “Young Master, please do not die as well.” I could not help but be concerned. If something happens to the young master, what would the Sun Emperor do? 

  The young master smiled. “Don’t worry, you don’t need to take lives to avenge me. My brother would already have done it. However, if that time comes, it’s best if you hide with the Elysees and don’t come out. While the killer would be the Church, my brother might take his anger out on you. Er, or rather, I should say that he would take his anger out on many people. You should just hide in an underground bunker or something with Curtis and X.” 

  “Heavens…” Lieder covered his face and wailed, “I’ve already started wishing that you guys wouldn’t go to save E.X. The consequences of you two dying are much graver than if he dies.” 

  “That seems to be true. But I’ll still go save him!” The young master paused and then said, “Charles, I think I understand a bit now.” 

  “Understand what?” 

  “Even if I am more important than X, and you are more important than X, we are ultimately still going to risk putting our lives in danger to rescue X. If you think about it that way, it doesn’t seem like comparing significance is important anymore!” 

  I smiled. Then I teasingly said, “Young Master, it is the exact reverse of what you said. It is not that it is not significant, but rather the opposite—in actuality, everyone is very significant.” 

  The young master was quiet for a long while, before resolutely giving a determined hum in agreement. 

  *** 

  Earlier, I would have paid a great price for the sake of escaping from the Sin Elimination Committee. However, now I was instead paying a great price for the sake of infiltrating the Sin Elimination Committee. One could only describe this as the unpredictability of life. 

  A person sticking closely by my side asked in a low voice, “Are your legs all right? Your complexion is pale as paper. Why don’t we have someone else take your place?” 

  I swept a glance over at the other person, who was currently sporting a sour expression. I had truly not anticipated cooperating with this person so many times. 

  “I am a vampire. Don’t tell me you expect my face to have the complexion of peach blossoms?” 

  Lieder nearly sputtered in laughter, but he held it back until his face was contorted. Then he sincerely replied, “I will look forward to the day your face is like a peach blossom.” 

  I smiled and stated, “If you had not tied the injured young master to a cross, perhaps we could truly have become friends.” 

  “…I thought we were about to head into a life-or-death situation together.” 

  “We are.” 

  “Yet we aren’t friends?” 

  I shook my head. “We are not.” 

  Lieder slapped his forehead and let out a loud sigh. “Heavens, you really make me feel a bit of regret. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have tied him to a cross. I could have just properly placed your young master on a bed, and everything would’ve worked out.” 

  I flatly stared at Lieder, not believing that he truly thought this was the main factor. 

  He spread his palms and said, “I had no choice. If I didn’t open the way with your young master, how could I have rattled Ri Xiang Yan? The people I released from P29 were all very intriguing, yet were locked up. Some were confined for their entire life because of a minor crime, while there were more people like Josh, who had been locked up since a young age without ever even having the chance to commit a crime.” 

  “They were extremely dangerous.” I calmly stated, “The people that were released have indeed caused trouble.” 

  “Being dangerous cannot be a reason to imprison them. Every person with a gun is dangerous. Don’t tell me you can lock them all up as a result?” Lieder angrily said, “If we’re talking about dangerous, there are very few of those people that are more dangerous than you, Charles Endelis. If you were willing to receive training, you could easily become the world’s most dangerous hitman!” 

  I looked at him and seriously asked, “You do not believe that I am already the world’s most dangerous hitman?” 

  Lieder seemed to be caught off guard by this being the point on my mind. After staring blankly for a moment, he smiled and explained, “There are many places in this world that cannot be entered without good skills.” He paused and then continued, “If you joined hands with Ni Cai though, you would not have any issues.” 

  “Then there should not be any issues now.” 

  I was indeed currently joining hands with Dr. Ni Cai. However, I inwardly resolved to learn more technological skills in the future. The most powerful assassin, the most powerful doctor, the most powerful smith, the most powerful technology skills… Ever since I had started following the young master, there had been many things to learn. If I was not a vampire—and now I had even become a vampire that did not require sleep—perhaps I would truly be unable to handle it all. 

  Lieder suddenly sighed and commented, “So, you were just afraid you were not strong enough to complete the upcoming task. And here I thought you really wanted to become the number one hitman. Please, don’t go stealing the hitmen’s jobs . In this day and age, anyone with a gun can kill people themselves. Being a hitman is seriously a hard job.” 

  I did not believe these words at all. 

  “You don’t believe it? The high difficulty ones like your economic groups mostly foster their own group of hitmen and don’t need to externally invite contractors who they have no background information on. For the low difficulty ones, most people would rather use the money for hiring a hitman on buying a powerful firearm instead. A single shot can resolve everything.” 

  I still did not believe him. 

  Lieder rubbed his nose. “All right, the killing profession has indeed been in demand since ancient times up until now—By the way, is it all right for us to be chatting without restraint right now?” 

  I did not respond. I had unconsciously just…it seemed that I truly was not suited to be a killer. 

  We were currently hiding in the dark forest, not far from the abandoned nuclear plant-like Sin Elimination Committee. Just then, Dr. Ni Cai sent us a location; we had to follow the route he provided us with in order to advance without the notice of the Church. 

  “Unless you two speak louder than 140 decibels, and the Church’s patrol unit just happens to be nearby, you will not be discovered. If your luck really is that poor, you might as well take the opportunity to die now. That’ll save me quite a bit of effort later on.” 

  A cold voice suddenly rang out from the earpiece—Dr. Ni Cai. Despite calling him “doctor,” until now, the skills I had seen him display least often were medical techniques. I had witnessed him using physical force and hacking skills quite a bit though. Should I say that he has a wide range of abilities, or that he is ignoring his actual occupation? 

  Regardless, I will just directly call him Ni Cai. It will not be too late to add the “Dr.” honorific later if I ever witness his medical skills. 

  I politely reminded, “I am grateful for the hiding location you selected. However, if misfortune befalls me, I am afraid that you would not only fail to receive the materials regarding the Extraordinaries, but you may also be hunted to death by my child. While I hope he does not take his anger out on those who do not deserve it, I fear he is not that obedient of a child.” 

  The person on the other end of the earpiece was silent for a while. “In three minutes, you two must advance five hundred meters to the left within one-and-a-half to two minutes. A door will be there. The route map has already been transferred to your visors. You cannot be early or late, or else you will run into the patrol unit.” 

  Despite the Church raising their guard, Dr. Ni Cai had stolen quite a large amount of data last time that was truly useful in multiple regards. Ni Cai had said that he would first send a mild shock to the Sin Elimination Committee’s main server, though he would not be able to control it completely as he previously had. He could only guess which data were still usable and find invasion routes. There was a possibility that he could secretly help us open a few doors as well. 

  “Your child?” Lieder leaned toward me and quietly asked, “The person you’re talking about isn’t that Curtis fellow, right?” 

  I smiled. “It is precisely that Curtis.” 

  Lieder raised a brow, seemingly wanting to comment on something. However, he realized something and said, “Forget it. With your personality, you must have been taken care of by your father and lectured by your children, so it’s not strange.” 

  “…” 

  “There are thirty seconds left. Prepare for countdown.” 

  Upon hearing Ni Cai’s words, the two of us stopped speaking and silently pulled down the visor plate. The semi-transparent bulletproof lens covered about half the face. 

  Curtis had been unwilling to prepare only an energy dagger for me. Thus, while we were on our way over, he had ordered equipment to be sent over from a different place. There were all types of armor, but putting them on would make my movements so vastly incompatible for infiltration that I might as well break through from the front with the young master. 

  Curtis had also thought it impractical after re-evaluating it, but he had striven to recommend a first-ranked armor—that was merely a few centimeters less thick. 

  In the end, after my persistence and Lieder’s eyerolls, I wore only a sturdy, light and skin-tight partial body armor. This armor was like a vest that only protected the front and back of the chest as well as the abdomen. However, this was not a complication for me. The other areas could be made up for using blood ability. This way, I had both defense and mobility. The amount of blood ability I would expend would be negligible as well. It truly could not be any better. 

  “Go!” 

  Following Ni Cai’s final word, the two of us immediately headed out. This time, I did not use x-speed; the restriction of being unable to arrive early was more perplexing than being unable to arrive late. I could only advance according to the display on my visor. Wherever it moved, I would go with it. It honestly made one feel extremely hesitant to take a single step. 

  Furthermore, the visor contained multiple information, maps, and the locations of surveillance cameras and patrol units. There were even various danger values… I was dumbstruck for a moment as the values made me think of the young master. Is the current display on the visor similar to the world that the young master sees? 

  This chain of thoughts immediately made me feel conflicted. With the scene in front of me, I felt as though I barely knew how to walk. What does it feel like to be forced to see these numbers and paths for years on end? 

  There was a sudden tug on my arm. I turned my head to see Lieder fiercely glaring at me, and I immediately shot an apologetic look back. I had let my mind wander while in the middle of infiltrating the Church on a rescue mission; while it had been merely for a few brief seconds, it was quite unacceptable. 

  I hurriedly focused back on proper business. Under Lieder’s guide, we arrived before the door on time. This metal door appeared to be in complete shambles, hanging slanted on its hinges. It seemed like a gentle touch would cause the entire door to fall down. However, in reality, even a vampire’s strength was unable to pull it open. 

  Ten seconds later, the door abruptly opened by actually retracting inwards, revealing the pure white corridor behind. 

  “If you forcibly break the lock, you would only see a rundown hallway with piles of trash that cannot be walked through.” Lieder chuckled and said, “The Church goes to pretty difficult lengths to conceal the location of the Sin Elimination Committee.” 

  The Sin Elimination Committee was basically the most painful existence to all non-humans. If it were not concealed as well, perhaps non-humans would finally unite to form an army and attack this place. How could the Church not go through such difficult lengths? 

  However, despite concealing it in such a way, Curtis had still discovered it and commanded an army to attack. I suddenly felt the pride of a father, and even a faint regret from not having taken part in my child’s past. 

  Under Ni Cai’s directions, we smoothly snuck in and hid in a closet-like room. Then he said, “Wait for orders,” and stopped giving out instructions. 

  I stared at Lieder in confusion, and he explained, “The rest will depend on your young master. Ni Cai no longer has a means to control the main server. Did you think the Sin Elimination Committee was really so easy to infiltrate? This place is merely the area surrounding Sin Elimination Committee. Most of what resides here are supplies and cleaning staff. They must frequently come in and out, so it is not controlled as tightly as the central area. But where do you think E.X. would be locked up?” 

  I did not reply. It had to be the center of the center. 

  “We must wait for Dark Sun to draw the Church’s attention away. Then we can sneak in.” 

  At this moment, Ni Cai’s cool voice rang out once more. “If Dark Sun doesn’t stir up a large enough commotion, then the two of you don’t need to go in; you definitely wouldn’t be able to come back out.” 

  “Have you told this to the young master?” I was somewhat worried. This Ni Cai person was honestly too cold and taciturn that he might not have pointed this out to the young master at all. 

  Ni Cai grunted in affirmation and said, “He only asked exactly how large of a disturbance he had to make, and had me explain with an example. I told him that destroying a quarter of the Sin Elimination Committee was probably enough.” 

  “…” I was completely speechless. When I glanced at Lieder, I discovered that his eyes were also wide. 

  Lieder bitterly chuckled. “Looks like even without the Sun Emperor and the Elysees as enemies, we’ll still be hunted down by the Church. And they’ll be pursuing us with no small amount of power.” 

  I actually now started to sympathize with Lieder’s situation. However, this sympathy was far overshadowed by another emotion. 

  I worriedly asked, “Would you be able to project the young master’s situation onto my visor?” 

  Ni Cai did not respond. Right as I was about to ask again, the scene before my eyes suddenly changed. It was of a large rusted door covered in danger warning signs. 

  “Charles can watch, Lieder is responsible for standing guard.” 

  “I want to watch too.” Lieder stubbornly said, “You can give me just a tiny display in the corner, right?” 

  Ni Cai instantly rejected, “No, you’ll get distracted.” 

  Lieder sighed. “Then remember to keep a video for me as usual. I want to watch after I get back!” 

  Ni Cai hummed in agreement, then said, “If you can get back alive.” 

  “…Being friends with you is really not easy.” 

  “Did the young master say when he would act?” I could not keep myself from feeling impatient. While Ni Cai had heard that they would execute X at the first light of dawn, who knew if Sin would suddenly decide to bring everything to an end early? 

  However, aside from impatience, I was also concerned about the young master’s need to destroy a quarter of the Sin Elimination Committee. How will he do it, and how much blood will he be stained with as a result? Even though he may not mind, it still… 

  “I’ve arrived.” 

  Caught off guard by the voice, I blurted out, “Young Master?” 

  “It’s me.” The young master asked, “Charles, have you gone in?” 

  “Yes, but we are only in the surrounding area. I am afraid we need to wait for you to act before we can venture deeper.” 

  “Mn, be careful. I feel like the Church definitely knew you would come, so things will not be that simple. If you are caught, just use the Elysees family to warn them. As long as it doesn’t involve X, they shouldn’t have any absolute reason to kill you.” 

  Absolute reason…what about a reason like destroying a quarter of the Sin Elimination Committee? 

  I worriedly inquired, “Young Master, how do you plan to do it? You are not really going to destroy a quarter of the Sin Elimination Committee, are you?” 

  “No, there are quite a few people here. Doing so would kill many of them. By that point, you might replace X as the target for the Sin Elimination Committee to pursue for millennia.” 

  I felt relief wash over me. Fortunately, the young master’s thinking was more farsighted than Ni Cai’s. 

  “Then, what do you plan to do?” Ni Cai suddenly cut in. “A method of attack like what the Elysees used last time is no longer effective. The Church knows they need to guard against people sneaking in. If you don’t cause a scene of utter chaos, I won’t be able to find an opportunity for them to infiltrate.” 

  The young master replied, “Don’t worry. Before Charles could move, I had them hide around the Sin Elimination Committee. I originally wanted to try seeing if they could save X, but now is the perfect time to use them.” 

  Them? 

  Before I could ask, the young master stated emotionlessly, “An incident has occurred. The door has opened for a vehicle fleet departure. Unable to determine if the fleet contains the rescue target. It is determined that the fleet cannot be allowed to leave; action must be taken immediately. Complete upheaval is estimated to last ten to twenty minutes. Allies should operate according to the circumstances.” 

  “Received.” Ni Cai immediately responded, “Charles, Lieder, be prepared.” 

  When the display in front of me suddenly vanished, I hurriedly said, “Do not remove the screen. Please keep it in a corner for me.” 

  Ni Cai was unresponsive for a long while, and the image did not appear. 

  “I will not be distracted,” I promised. 

  Lieder immediately rolled his eyes at me, as though he had heard a criminal with repeat offenses swearing to never commit a crime again. 

  I could only plead, “I must know the young master’s situation.” 

  Still silence. 

  “Let him see,” the young master commanded. 

  A translucent image appeared in the top left corner of the visor. It was like the reflection from a glass window, but if one focused on it, it was possible to see the entire situation. It was basically the young master’s point of view, likely from a camera on his visor. 

  There really was a fleet outside the door. However, as the inspection was incredibly rigorous, including examination of both the people and the vehicles, they were progressing extremely slowly. 

  “Charles,” the young master called out. 

  “Yes?” 

  “You need to understand that if this fails, X will definitely die.” 

  I froze. 

  “In addition, I’ve calculated the chances of failure to be nearly 70%.” 

  It’s that high? I guess if I think about it, that is correct; if the Church sees something wrong, they might immediately act to kill X. Rescuing him was going to be difficult from the start. If the young master makes a rational decision, I am afraid he would only have the choice of “abandoning rescue.” 

  I quietly stated, “If you have a chance to see X yet are unable to save him, please ask him if he is willing to die. If the answer is affirmative, then I will have to trouble you to rescue him.” 

  Regardless of what X’s reason for not dying was, he would perhaps rather die if he falls into the Church’s hands. 

  There was a long moment of silence before the young master responded. 

  “O.K.”


  No Hero    

  Volume 9 Endless Days, The End NO.8: Mistake

  I lost. As expected, Charles is really strong! It’s a pity though… 

  At that time, it looked like he wasn’t himself anymore, so it doesn’t count as a true loss. I wonder, will he be okay after eating so many blood candies? You really can’t eat the things Bàba makes in large quantities. 

  Outside the railings, someone yelled in rage, “Why would you want to harm the family head?” 

  My entire body was tied up, so I could barely turn my head to look at him. That was Dong Fang Lei. Charles said that he is the head butler working alongside Curtis, but he doesn’t look like a butler in the least bit. Yup, Charles is still better. 

  “Our prestigious Elysees family head is so loyal to you, yet this is how you repay him? By delivering his most important brother figure into the hands of the Church, and then trying to kill him?” 

  “Gēge issued a command.” I calmly watched him, but I could not shake the nagging feeling that something was off. 

  Dong Fang Lei shouted furiously, “Are you saying that as long as he issues a command, you’ll do anything?” 

  “If Curtis ordered you to kill Charles, would you do so?” 

  Dong Fang Lei froze, and fell silent for a while. He then answered, “If the family head has done nothing wrong, then even the substitute family head cannot give the command to kill him. I would not follow it.” 

  I laughed, and said, “At first, you didn’t even like Charles, and would give him the evil eye upon seeing him. Your hatred level even reached eighty percent…” 

  Right, I know what’s wrong now. 

  Since when did all the system analysis disappear? 

  Shouldn’t there be a lot of numbers floating next to each person? Why is it that now, I can only see Dong Fang Lei? 

  What exactly is wrong with me? Could this be the result of not listening to Gēge’s orders? Is the chip broken? 

  “The family head changed my view of him through his actions.” Dong Fang Lei stated, as though it was a matter of fact. “At first, I thought the family head refused all responsibilities while still having command over the entire Elysees family. Afterwards, I found out that he was willing to put his own life at stake for the sake of the substitute family head and the family. Yet, he did not have any intentions of taking back his authority from the substitute family head. Therefore, I changed my mind. Is that not perfectly normal?” 

  I looked at Dong Fang Lei, wanting to know if what he said was the truth. If I just analyze him… But there was no need. Even without the computer chip’s analysis, it was clear that he was telling the complete truth. 

  *** 

  The video feed showed that more than half the vehicles had gone past the inspection point. It was at this time that the young master finally made a move. The image screen moved forward some distance, then a cylindrical object suddenly appeared in the top part of the camera—that was a cannon! 

  That caused me to freeze up for a bit. At first, I was concerned that if X were truly inside one of the vehicles, it would be highly likely that the cannon blast would hit him. Thinking more on it, though, the choice of transport the Church would use to transport X would be no ordinary vehicle, and X himself was not that weak. He had even said that bullets cannot kill a vampire, and that had most likely been based on personal experience. 

  In short, I did not speak up to stop it, and watched as the barrel of the cannon started emitting light… Light? 

  A faint blue light was radiating from the barrel body, extending slowly until it reached the mouth of the barrel, as though gathering strength. The cannon shone brighter and brighter, until it shot out an eye-catching, bluish-white beam of light straight at the vehicle leading the procession. The vehicle seemed to have been particularly reinforced and was as thick as a city’s wall. The front of it was even pointed so it could knock away anything standing in its path. 

  The beam shot by the energy weapon ended in the front of the vehicle, where a similarly bluish-white shield had appeared. It was a little bigger than the vehicle, and once the laser beam hit it, a strange buzzing sound rang out as the laser turned to dust and was absorbed into the shield. 

  The current generation of modern technology is certainly eye-opening. I had originally assumed that energy weapons were limited to handguns, and I had never imagined the young master’s hair-like energy weapon. Afterward, I also managed to see many various types of energy weapons and defensive items in the recent battles. 

  In the past, one could only see such high-tech weapons in movies. It was unfathomable that they had long existed in real life but had all been hidden away because these organizations were unwilling to let others discover their true strength. 

  Ni Cai indifferently said, “Though the energy weapon being used is powerful and easy to carry around because it’s small, it’s very easy to detect. Additionally, it’s not very efficient, as the energy shield is also made of energy and is more effective blocking energy weapons than bullets.” 

  I assumed that the young master must be very aware of this, as he had personally modified his own weapons. 

  As expected, the young master answered as he ran to a new location, “I intended for them to detect the attack, as the objective of this mission is rescue, not elimination. The higher the body count, the harder it will be to deal with the aftermath.” 

  Hearing that, Ni Cai gave a “Hm” to acknowledge that he understood but then added, “But this attack is not strong enough to create the kind of chaos I need.” 

  Noise kept coming over the feed; it was the sound of metal colliding lightly with metal, like from fiddling with a weapon. 

  “This is just the alarm bell for the start of the war.” 

  The young master had just raised his second cannon, but before he fired, we heard various guns and cannons firing from all directions. Then, he too fired, this time aiming at the body of the car. 

  “You have so many helpers?” Ni Cai’s voice sounded a little surprised. 

  “Yeah. I’ll send over the others’ feeds.” 

  Ni Cai seemed confused as he asked, “But I only gave you two visors. How are you going to send over the others’ video feeds to me?” 

  “I don’t need any from you. I own a lot of visors. I’m now giving you the position and authorization of a host. You can connect to them yourself.” 

  “Very well, read it to m—” Ni Cai said, then cut himself off. Following that, he stiffly said, “I received it.” 

  Many images appeared on my visor. They were all from the viewpoints of our allies, so in theory we should not be able to see anyone. However, we could still see our allies on our screens. They were able to see each other due to their sheer numbers. 

  That was the adjudication squad. It seemed that even if the young master had a falling out with the Sun Emperor, he could still control the adjudication squad. 

  These adjudication squad members had actually come up from the ground. Seeing as a lot of the dirt on their bodies had solidified into clumps and was practically stuck on, they must have been hidden underground for quite a while. 

  Melody pulled up her visor, faced the screen—I guess it was a certain adjudication squad member—and made a peace sign. In another image, Mr. Bramble was leading Dell, May, and even a bunch of adjudication squad members to attack from the other side. 

  Suddenly, the image from the young master’s view was greatly enlarged. Beside him was someone who was dressed in a very familiar way, a little like how a vampire would dress—they were pretending to be me! 

  “Dark Sun, what a great strategy!” Ni Cai praised, “Working with you really saves me a lot of hassle.” 

  The young master did not reply. He and a few other adjudication squad members kept on relocating and attacking with a variety of weapons. The Church’s vehicle fleet went on the defensive, but large group of people marched out of the large door in the back, wearing heavy gear and armed with various weapons. 

  The people at the front were wielding giant shields, which looked like a defensive wall that even artillery fire would be unable to take down. 

  At that moment, we saw from the other smaller screens that adjudication squad members had started attacking from different directions. Their firepower was not as strong as the young master’s, most likely because they were hiding underground, but it was not to be underestimated. The fact that they did not fear death was the most headache-inducing, as some of them had even turned themselves into human bombs, using their bodies to break through the defense. 

  Immediately, the sound of explosions rang out through the entire abandoned nuclear plant. There must have been a lot more adjudication squad members than were displayed on the visor. 

  “Charles, you all get ready to move.” 

  The young master made this remark, then stepped out of his hiding spot. He was dragging a giant suitcase. Upon opening it, the Death Scythe was assembled and once again made its appearance in the world. 

  The young master was dressed in the standard attire of Dark Sun, wielding his giant Death Scythe. It seemed like he had absolutely no intention of hiding his identity, but, thinking about it again, it was fairly pointless to do so anyway. The Church already knew who he was, and trying to hide it was unnecessary. 

  Many people stood beside him, all from the adjudication squad, though one was masquerading as a vampire. 

  Just how many adjudication squad members are there? Is this all of them, or just a portion of their numbers? I did not think that the Sun Emperor had this many adjudication squad members under him. Of course, he definitely still had his own army, as the adjudication squad was only meant for assassination, storming fortifications, and rescue missions. 

  I vaguely felt that the situation did not look good, and decided that I should have Curtis clarify the current military might of the family when I got back. Now that the Elysees had appeared on the world stage, we could no longer afford to be as indifferent as we once were and must have the means to protect ourselves. 

  “Dark Sun, as expected, you’ve finally shown your true colors.” 

  A member of the Church spoke up at this time, attracting my attention. The young master looked over. He did not react or reply, but merely raised his Death Scythe and seemed to not move a muscle. From my perspective, he was likely directly commanding the adjudication squad members in his mind. They appeared to be endlessly changing formation, attacking and defending with impeccable movements. 

  “Hero? What a joke!” 

  That was Anceo. I immediately recognized this man at a glance. He had previously been a part of the Sin Elimination Committee’s squad that was tasked with chasing X all the way to Sunset City. That time, he was brazen enough to try groping the young master. Then, he did not recognize Dark Sun as human, causing the young master to be deeply saddened! 

  To think that now, he would dare to provoke him… 

  Ni Cai quickly said, “Charles, Lieder, the Sin Elimination Committee is starting to descend into chaos. Head out immediately; the route has already been uploaded. However, I can’t guarantee your safety. The Church knows that we have a hacker on our side, and they should have some hackers on their end too. I have already tried my best to eliminate the traps, but there’s no way to ensure the route is safe. If an issue occurs, you’ll all have to play it by ear.” 

  Lieder gave me a tug, and I brought my attention away from the visor’s feed back to the mission. Now was not the time to be angry. I had to save X as quickly as possible, which would allow the young master to retreat and no longer have to suffer or bear with that Anceo guy. That would be the best way to go about this. 

  “Move out!” 

  We stepped out of the storeroom. There was no one along the way, which made me a little puzzled. If not for the concern that we might be spotted by the surveillance cameras, we could have charged in without reservations. 

  “This is so much simpler than kidnapping Ri Xiang Yan.” Lieder still had time to leisurely smile as he said, “It sure was less relaxing than the situation right now. Though I don’t agree with calling Ri Xiang Yan the Sun Emperor, I can’t deny that he’s a lot stronger than a lot of monarchs throughout history.” 

  Absolutely. I fully agreed, even though I did not want to praise him. At the moment, the Sun Emperor was more an enemy than a friend, so I could only hope that he was weaker than we imagined, not stronger. 

  “Be careful, behind this door is the core zone. Additionally, the current situation doesn’t seem quite right.” Ni Cai spoke gravely and earnestly, “I tested many doors, but I could only open three. There must be traps set up beyond these three, given that our opponents are already on their guard. I can’t guarantee that the way through this door isn’t trapped.” 

  “I understand.” I was already plenty surprised that we had not run into trouble from the moment we entered up until now. 

  “I don’t think you fully understand. As soon as the door opens, you all might be shot to death in an instant. Do you get it now?” 

  Hearing that, Lieder laughed and said, “Even if I don’t understand, I don’t think I have another choice.” 

  I grabbed a blood candy from my pocket, swallowed it, and then said, “Please open the door.” 

  Ni Cai started counting down, “Opening the door in three seconds, please get ready.” 

  I warned, “Lieder, hide behind the door. Just cover me with your gun.” 

  Lieder froze, and then did as I said. He could not help but jab, “Didn’t you say that we aren’t friends?” 

  “Three…” 

  “Yes, we are not friends.” I kept my knees slightly bent, and formed a rapier in my right hand with my blood ability. My left hand gripped the energy dagger, and I prepared to dash forward at any moment’s notice. 

  “Two…” 

  Lieder raised both his guns, and exclaimed in disbelief, “I’m now really doubting your definition of the word ‘friend.’ Who exactly do you consider a friend? How about you give me an example?” 

  “One!” 

  The door opened, and the words slipped from my mouth, “Yue Gang.” 

  However, this was not an answer to his question. Instead, I was calling out a name. 

  The one who appeared behind the door was Yue Gang, who was equipped from head to toe. What he was wearing was exactly the same as the priests outside, and the equipment was clearly from the Church. Next to him was Father Alex, and for some reason, the two of them heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing me. 

  It cannot be… My heart sank. The suspicion that Yue Gang would turn around and oppose me never crossed my mind. Instead, I was worried that he was being controlled. Or, even worse, perhaps Father Yue was in trouble, and Yue Gang had been coerced into coming. 

  “Charles, charge right in!” Lieder shouted, “With your speed, no one can stop you.” 

  That is my only choice now. Thinking of X’s situation, there is no room for concern. I cannot hesitate any longer! 

  “Charge in, my ass—the heck, where did he go? Charles, don’t run!” 

  Sorry, Yue Gang. I really cannot stop here. X is at death’s door… 

  “Hey! The guy you’re looking for isn’t here!” 

  I froze in my tracks and hesitated for a moment. I could not confirm whether Yue Gang’s words were true, though I did not suspect that he was lying. It was more likely that he was being tricked by others. 

  “My old man has already left to chase them. He wanted me to stay here to warn you that this place is an empty shell, and E.X is in the motorcade.” 

  I froze, then instantly returned to stand in front of Yue Gang. 

  Yue Gang stared at me with wide eyes and shouted, “How can you run so fast? Are you teleporting?” 

  “I’m using drugs.” 

  “H-How could you take drugs? Do you think I won’t arrest you and throw you in jail, you idiot!” Yue Gang asked in worry, “What did you take? Snow? Obsidian? Zombie Hop? This stuff is all terrible! If you keep eating it, it won’t take long before you have to start wearing diapers!” 

  “Concentrated human blood.” 

  “… This doesn’t seem illegal.” 

  This was not the time for idle chit-chat. I anxiously asked, “Did you say that X was in the motorcade? How would the Church dare to transport him out of here? Were they not going to kill him at dawn?” 

  Yue Gang scratched his head and said, “You’re asking me so many questions, but I don’t have a clue either.” He looked at Father Alex. 

  I had actually wanted to hear Yue Gang explain it personally. Though Father Alex appeared to be an ally rather than an enemy, I found myself unable to fully trust him. 

  Perhaps he had known that, and that was why Yue Gang was here? If the person calling me had not been Yue Gang, I most likely would not have stopped, not even if it had been Father Yue. 

  Father Alex explained, “Charles, you can’t go in. All that’s left in the Sin Elimination Committee is the suicide squad. This place is a giant trap. The moment you step into the heart of the place, there will be an explosion and you’ll be blown to smithereens.” 

  I froze. The Church wants to blow me up? Why would they want to do that? 

  Lieder said perceptively, “That doesn’t sound logical. This person beside me is the Elysees family head, and blasting him to bits is a serious issue that would cause a war. Don’t underestimate the Elysees family. When the butlers go crazy, things can really go out of your expectations.” 

  Alex sighed, “I have no doubt about that.” 

  “Then why would the Church still do it?” I tried my best to inquire calmly, even though I was very anxious and simply wanted to know where X was as soon as possible. 

  Alex shook his head, saying, “They feel that you are abnormally strong for your age, and hence believe that you have received X’s inheritance. If they were to let you go, perhaps the vampire that the Sin Elimination Committee pursues will switch from E.X to you. Additionally, it would be harder to kill you than X, because you have the support of the Elysees family. This would make you a more terrifying opponent than the solitary E.X.” 

  Inheritance? I was simply unable to understand. X did not have an inheritance of any sort. Was it related to why Sin calls X a sin? 

  “My strength came from Lied—a source unrelated to X.” At that point, I hesitated for a moment, but still decided not to speak of the medicine. Most likely, the Church would not believe it, but it would definitely land Lieder into a lot of trouble. 

  I did my best to avoid looking at Lieder so as not to raise suspicion. However, he gave a faint smile, and even mouthed out the words, “Not friends?” 

  … Perhaps I do not need to concern myself with this person’s safety in the least, given that he himself does not mind it at all. 

  “I believe you,” Alex gave a bitter laugh as he continued, “but the Church wouldn’t.” 

  I took a deep breath, and asked, “Yue Gang, can I trust what he says?” 

  Yue Gang quickly clarified, “I don’t know this guy. My old man just told me to come over and tell you that E.X isn’t here, and then listen to this guy over here for the rest.” 

  I did not let him off the hook with that and continued to ask, “Then, can I trust what Father Yue says?” 

  “That’s for my old man…” Yue Gang scratched his head, then answered magnanimously, “Anyway, I’ll follow you wherever you go right now! I’ll bet on whether that old man of mine would dare to sabotage his only son! If I get done in, my mom will definitely bury him and commit suicide afterward. So with this one act of sabotage, the whole family would be a goner. I’ll use my entire family’s life as a guarantee! You should be convinced now!” 

  I surrender. It is really impossible not to be convinced by this. 

  “What they said should be true.” From the visor, I heard Ni Cai speak quickly, “I obtained the image from the central area, and there’s no one inside. Damn it! Lieder, Charles, hurry up and get out of there. They’ve probably already realized that we figured out the truth, so the door will—” 

  Before Ni Cai could finish his words, the sound of doors closing came from behind us. However, they immediately sprang open again. 

  “Hurry and get out!” Ni Cai sternly said, “You all only have less than a minute to get out, and I can’t promise that I can delay it that long.” 

  One minute? I was stunned. How could this be possible? Not unless I use X-speed to escape while completely abandoning the others. 

  At this moment, Lieder burst into a mad dash. I froze for a little and was just about to pull Yue Gang along with me so that we could escape together, but then realized that the other had long since “jetted” out of there—yes, “jetted”. On his feet were metal boots. The soles were spraying white flames, and he shot out of there like a whirlwind. 

  As he ran, Yue Gang turned back and shouted, “Charles, you idiot! You still aren’t running! Are you standing around waiting to die?” 

  When I returned to my senses, there was not even a single person by my side. Even Father Alex was running ahead of me. 

  I suddenly realized something. Could it be that my reflexes are too slow? Perhaps this is why my ability upon reaching adulthood was X-speed. Even if I had a late start, I would still be able to catch up in the end. 

  With a burst of strength from my legs, it took mere seconds before I went from last to first place in the race. But I did not stop running, as waiting for the others was meaningless. Looking at the route charted on the visor, I decided to go ahead clear the road of any possible obstacles, so as to avoid obstructing the others’ escape later. 

  Ni Cai sternly instructed, “Charles, stop the door ahead from closing.” 

  The doors were already almost shut when he finished speaking. I immediately grabbed the cleaning cart beside me and pushed the whole thing over. By the time it reached the doors, they had already closed to a width narrower than the cart. With the sheer momentum of my dash, I lodged the entire cart in between the doors. 

  This entire time, the cart emitted the shrill sound of metal being compressed, and doors continued compressing the cart even more as they closed. Apprehension had just kicked in when the doors stopped moving, the crushed cart leaving a gap that a person could just barely fit through. 

  The Church must certainly be regretting buying such a high-quality cleaning cart. 

  At this point, the three people behind me had caught all up. While they were alarmed by the sight, they did not stop, even so. They leapt across the cart one-by-one and continued fleeing. 

  Striking red numbers appeared on the visor, indicating thirty seconds left. 

  This is too ridiculous. What happened just now should only have been a dozen seconds or so, and it even felt more like ten seconds to me. Why is half the time suddenly gone? 

  “Hurry and run.” Ni Cai’s breathing sounded abnormally heavy, and he quickly said, “I’m fighting for time right now, but they’re very stubborn on activating something and are even willing to give up control of the doors for it. I’m guessing it’s a bomb.” 

  Hearing Ni Cai’s words, we ran like mad. 

  “If they are willing to give us control of the doors, it means that the explosion will be extremely powerful. Even if you make it out of the base, if it’s only by an inch, you might not be able to escape.” 

  In the space of the time it took to activate X-speed, I instantly said, “Let the young master retreat.” 

  Ni Cai fell silent for a while, and then said, “Dark Sun is no longer able to retreat. The Church has most likely made their move, because the adjudication squad suddenly all collapsed, so now he’s surrounded.” 

  I was shocked. I had not imagined such an unforeseen turn of events. No wonder Ni Cai cut off the video. He must have been worried that I would get distracted, perhaps? The Church’s numbers were so high, so how could the young master deal with them without the adjudication squad? Especially since, now, the Church insisted on blasting me to bits despite knowing that it would lead to them being at odds with the Elysees family. Would they would use a similar method against the young master? 

  I was about to tell Ni Cai to show me the video, but he spoke before I did. 

  “You guys…” 

  I froze, having never heard Ni Cai’s voice be this somber. His voice was usually cold, and his way of speaking was monotonous, with barely any deviation either way. 

  “Run!” 

  The sound of explosions rang out from the back, and everyone’s expressions changed. Our mad dash became even faster, almost more like flying. 

  “I’ll shut the door, but this isn’t going to delay it much. You all—” 

  We were already unable to hear what he was saying, as the rumbling sound of the explosions followed close behind us, and all our concentration was focused on moving our legs even faster. 

  “What the flying fuuuuu—” As Yue Gang ran, he miserably shrieked, “My old man really sabotaged his son!” 

  Alex shouted, “No such thing! They clearly said that they would wait till Charles entered the central area before detonating the bomb—damn!” His expression changed, and anger appeared on his usually gentle face as he growled, “They intentionally tricked me with false information! But how could they have deceived me—unless all those people were also being lied to!” 

  That is not important, really! I truly do not care whether your powers are of mind-reading or prophecy. 

  The exit doors were within sight, but the explosions were already right on our heels. I gritted my teeth, circled around, and grabbed all three of them. In this time frame, I also split my attention to releasing my blood ability and solidifying it into a thick shield behind me. Then, I bent my knees slightly, waiting for the right moment. As the heat wave from the explosion hit us, I seized the opportunity to rush out. 

  One leap, two, then three, followed by sprinting and more sprinting. I could not tell whether I was running or being blasted outwards, or perhaps it was both. 

  I charged ahead with all my might, until even my surroundings blurred. Only when I reached an unavoidable obstruction in front did I think about slowing my footsteps, but I then realized that I was completely unable to stop. The moment I tried to stop, the momentum kept us moving forward. In the end, we all fell to the ground, rolling into a big pile together. 

  I laid on the ground, gasping for air in large mouthfuls, as I felt my heart thump so vigorously that it was almost about to leap out of my chest. 

  “Charles! Charles, you’re still alive, right?” 

  I looked at Yue Gang, who was making a big fuss as he got to his feet, but I was simply was too out of breath to even reply. However, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing my face. 

  He said in disbelief, “These drugs that you took are simply terrifying! You’re actually using that angry ‘roid stuff, right?” 

  You mean steroids, but those are not very effective on vampires. 

  “Where on earth are we? Did you take us all the way around the world?” 

  Nothing of the sort, though I do feel breathless to the point where I feel like I have circumnavigated the globe. 

  Lieder and Alex were looking over, seemingly quite dazed and not yet fully recovered. Their reaction times were apparently slower than Yue Gang’s, but it was also possible that Yue Gang simply had nerves of steel and would be unfazed by even crazier situations. 

  Alex turned back and stared at something not too far away. He muttered, “This is simply too unbelievable. You actually managed to outrun an explosion?” 

  “And while carrying three people.” Lieder smiled bitterly. 

  “What the heck!” Yue Gang followed Alex’s line of sight and his face immediately turned ashen. He looked flabbergasted as he continued to curse. 

  I looked over in confusion. The fake nuclear power plant was already half-ruined, and it really looked as though a nuclear explosion had occurred. Perhaps the Church was intending to use this excuse? If a mishandled nuclear plant had exploded, no one will dare to even come near this place in the future. 

  “L-Lieder… living… then reply. Otherwise, I will abandon the mission and start running for my life.” 

  Ni Cai’s voice transmitted over the visor, jerkily at first, then becoming crisp and clear. 

  Lieder took a deep breath and replied, “Yes, I’m still alive, and with only a few additional bruises to boot. This is really all thanks to Charles.” 

  Ni Cai was quiet for a moment, then said, “Then go over and assist Dark Sun. However, I must warn you that there’s way too many of the Church’s men. A direct confrontation has zero chance of victory and could only drag out the inevitable. Let me try and see if I can restore the power of the adjudication squad, but I can’t make any promises.” 

  Young Master! I forced myself onto my feet, and instantly shouted, “Send me the video feed from the young master’s group!” 

  “Hold on, due to interference from the explosion, it’s a bit unstable right now. Don’t go over yet. The Church will probably assume that you all were caught in the blast and died, so I’ll find a route for you all to sneak in. Perhaps we can catch them off guard.” 

  As Ni Cai explained, he was accompanied by the furious typing sounds of a keyboard, and it was evident that he was very busy. Though I was torn up with anxiety about the young master’s current situation, I felt that what he said made sense. Rashly heading over would only result in getting surrounded myself, and that would be of no help at all to the young master. 

  Alex anxiously replied, “We can’t wait anymore, we have to go over immediately. Sin is holding off on killing E.X for the sake of luring Charles over. Now they must think that we all died in the blast, so then E.X is in danger!” 

  My expression changed. 

  “Don’t you dare go over there! Give me three minutes.” Ni Cai warned us strictly. 

  I did my best to suppress my anxiety. To distract myself, I could only silently count three minutes out in my heart, but the more I counted, the more hurried I got. As a butler, I ought to be fairly accurate at counting in my head, but as of now, I could tell that I was counting too fast even without checking a watch. 

  At this time, Alex suddenly walked up to me and squatted down, extending a hand to touch my knee. 

  “…” 

  “Does it hurt?” He asked as he raised his head. 

  “I am fine.” I shook my head as I answered, “My knees feel a little weak, that’s all.” 

  “Drink my blood.” Alex pulled open his shirt collar, and calmly said, “Losing three hundred milliliters of blood won’t have an effect on me, but it should allow you to recover quickly.” 

  That was indeed the case. I had wanted to take another blood candy, but I was worried that if I were to take too many, the dreadful consequences would occur again. Therefore, I decided to drop all pretenses and went straight up to bite his neck for a small snack. 

  To the current me, three hundred milliliters of fresh blood was really just a small piece of cake. 

  Alex scrutinized my face, and praised, “Your complexion is already looking much better. With this kind of ability, no wonder the Church believes you have E.X’s inheritance and insists on killing you too.” 

  “Even if X has an inheritance of some sort, he is only one person, and cannot make waves to a huge extent.” 

  I simply could not understand why the Church would label him as their mortal enemy. X was strong, but Dark Sun was equally strong, and Anceo did not think of the young master as human either. So why would the Church not include Dark Sun as another target? 

  In my opinion, if the young master, who has the support of the Sun Emperor, wished to throw this world into chaos, his destructive power was definitely a thousand times stronger than that of one vampire. 

  Alex however looked at me with his brows knit together, as though he wanted to say something, but did not. 

  “Connected!” Ni Cai gave a small cry. 

  Only one image was projected onto the visor, but it was the scene that I least wanted to see. The young master was heavily surrounded and outnumbered, and yet his allies were only a mere few. 

  These were Ezart, Melody, Mr. Bramble, and the others. Thankfully, they appeared to be fine. Most likely, they had long headed out to help the young master, and so had not been caught in the explosion. The other person was Father Yue, whose fighting strength was rather shocking. He was fully armed from top to bottom, and the amount of firepower was simply dumbfounding, making me feel as though I was looking at an upgraded version of Yue Gang. 

  There was one more person, but because of the camera angle, I could not see who he was. 

  The Church seemed to have no intention of using bombs. Thinking more on it, the vehicles were so close by that, unless they were willing to kill their own people in the blast, the Church could not use the kind of bomb that we had just encountered. In addition, I believed they were not serious in trying to kill the young master. 

  Angering the Elysees was one thing; throwing the Sun Emperor into the mix was entirely another story. 

  The young master probably had a similar line of thought, which is why he would have refused to retreat even now. Otherwise, with his logical reasoning, he should have reached the conclusion that the rescue mission was a hopeless case and retreat was the only option. If he had retreated, the procession would have long disappeared from sight. 

  However, at the moment, the young master was still fighting, even with his whole body battered with wounds and even knowing the effort was futile. Such irrational behavior was completely unlike the young master. Yet, my heart was very conflicted by this, and I did not know how I should feel about it. 

  “When Dark Sun got into danger, he asked me not to transmit the feed to you, so you wouldn’t worry and be distracted.” Lieder said. 

  “The young master was correct.” 

  If I had seen this scene just now and had even the slightest hesitation, all of us would have died in the explosion. 

  “He is always correct.” 

  This time, the young master refused to retreat. This could possibly be the wrong choice. 

  This mistake, however, would be forever engraved in my heart.

  No Hero    

  Volume 9, The End NO. 9: Heroes

  Charles looks so weak. As expected, eating too many blood candies is a big problem. 

  It’s just that the numbers aren’t there anymore, so I have no way to appraise his thoughts. 

  Since there’s no other way, I can only ask him directly. 

  “Charles, if one day both X and I are in mortal danger, who would you save?” 

  “Then if it’s X and the Elysees family? Who would you save?” 

  In the end, Charles didn’t give me an answer. Is it time to go back using the numbers and analyses to determine who he considers most important? 

  The results of the microchip’s self-diagnostic tests didn’t indicate any damage. I should be able to turn its functions back on… 

  Except, I’m looking at Charles without wanting to open fire. There are no threat levels, and no prompts to eliminate the target. It seems like I can simply refrain from shooting. 

  Without the numbers, haven’t things improved? 

  At the very least, the world looks so clean. People come and go, and there aren’t any numbers next to their faces. Lots of passers-by are looking at me. Do their expressions mean they like me, or do they think I’m weird, hm? Well, there should probably be more people who like me, right? 

  I sat on a bench by the sidewalk and watched for a long, long time. 

  “Microchip, bring the system prompt functions out of sleep mode.” 

  If I wanted to go save X, I would need those numbers. 

  *** 

  “Charles! Charles, you’d better answer me!” 

  The young master’s voice sounded like he was about to fly into a rage. Although he was wearing Dark Sun’s outfit, he was missing Dark Sun’s indifference. With the Death Scythe in his hands, he did not look like he was about to save people; rather, he had a fiercely imposing manner, as though he wanted to annihilate everyone in the world 

  Hurriedly, I shouted, “I am fine, Young Master.” 

  The young master’s movements halted for a moment, which even caused him to be shot. Fortunately, Melody, Bramble, and the others immediately stepped forward to cover him and did not allow him to take any further damage. 

  Father Yue’s face, crazed with anger like an evil spirit’s, would not at all lose out to the young master’s. As he released vast amounts of firepower, he roared, “Dark Sun, are communications restored? What about my son?” 

  The young master replied simply, “Charles is still alive, so Yue Gang should be fine.” 

  “Yue Gang is fine,” I quickly said. 

  Yue Gang angrily spoke up, “Huh? Who said I’m fine? Tell my old man, he even dared to dupe his son. When Mom gets back, he should just wait for her to bury him!” 

  The young master really passed the message on, “Yue Gang says you should prepare for your burial.” 

  With a face full of calm, Father Yue said, “As long as my son hasn’t been buried yet, the child’s mother wouldn’t let it happen to me either.” 

  I was nearly speechless. In this kind of a situation, such clamor from Yue Gang and his father unexpectedly dissipated the tense atmosphere by more than a small amount. However, the reality of the current situation was that they were surrounded by groups upon groups of people, without even an escape route. For some unknown reason, though, the Church was somewhat delayed in deploying its large-scale weaponry to deal with the five people… Wait, five people? 

  From whose perspective am I actually seeing everyone? 

  “Whose viewpoint is this? Who is wearing the visor?” 

  “It’s DSII!” DSII replied in the same voice as the young master, though his tone was completely different. The vivacious and playful boy’s voice, accompanied by cannon fire as background music, was rather subtly unnerving, to say the least. 

  Mr. An Te Qi, are you certain that DSII is a robot? There were no other changes or mutations? 

  “The map with the infiltration route has been sent,” Ni Cai’s cold tone sounded practically like an angel at present. 

  Sure enough, a map appeared on the visor. I shouted with joy, “Young Master, I will soon arrive…” 

  “Charles, you can’t come over,” the young master said unexpectedly. 

  My expression changed, and I said, “Young Master, there is no way I can place you all in a dangerous situation while avoiding it myself!” 

  “That’s not it. If you come here, we’re dead for sure.” The young master briefly summarized the situation, “Based on Father Yue’s information, my guess is that they’re waiting for you on purpose, so they can kill you and X in one fell swoop. So, as soon as you get here, there’ll definitely be weapons with strong firepower directly bombarding us to death. There won’t even be a chance to dodge.” 

  I was stunned. 

  Don’t tell me, I must either watch the young master struggle to fight on in front of my eyes, or ask him to retreat, then watch as X dies? 

  With great difficulty, I asked, “Then, if your theory is correct, is there still a chance to rescue X?” 

  The young master did not actually respond, saying simply, “Right now, the Church is still waiting for you to take the bait. If I retreat and you haven’t come, they’ll probably give up on using X to lure you out and kill him at once. They probably won’t even move him anywhere else; they’ll probably just stay here. Those vehicles simply aren’t planning to break through.” 

  I was silent for a moment, then asked once more, “Young Master, is there still a chance to rescue X?” 

  This time, the silent one in the exchange had become the young master. During this time, he was both dealing and receiving injuries himself. In the end, he ultimately opened his mouth and said, “It’s very low. Essentially, the system won’t display that the probability’s zero, because there’re always exceptions.” 

  So, the probability is zero? 

  X… 

  I closed my eyes, then opened them once more. Firmly, I said, “Please leave this place, Young Master.” 

  Straightforwardly, the young master refused, “I won’t. If I leave, you would definitely come over, even if the probability is approaching zero. After all, Charles, you were the one who taught me that things can’t be calculated with numbers.” 

  I laughed bitterly. I had not actually thought that I would be hit in the face with my own words, nor that I would actually use the young master’s words to counter him. 

  “However, you were the one who taught me when to use reason to decide. Sometimes, all we can do is make a choice, and when probabilities state something is impossible, the only choice we have is to give it up.” 

  I had learned this too late. If it had been just a bit earlier, the young master would not have had to push himself until his whole body was covered in wounds. 

  “Young Master, what I least wish to see is the simultaneous loss of you and X. Please, do not let this come to pass.” 

  The young master split apart the huge shield the Church was using as defense, then circled around, jumping onto the front part of the truck. Taking advantage of the artillery shots being temporarily lured away as the others jumped up to follow him, he reached out to pull out a few bullets lodged in his shoulders. Meanwhile, he asked, “Then, after I’ve left, will you come over?” 

  I opened my mouth, but discovered I could not speak. All I could do was grit my teeth and squeeze out the words, “I will not.” 

  “I can’t tell.” 

  I flinched. “What?” 

  “I can’t tell if what you said was the truth or a lie, Charles. You’ve been corrupted by Ezart.” 

  The young master smiled and said, “If I’m right, X should be right under my feet. Do you really want me to give up and leave?” 

  The young master began to smash the top of the car with the Death Scythe, but members of the Church were not such easy prey. They surrounded this truck en masse, firing frantically at the roof. If not for the group of people on top of the truck returning fire with weapons that were no less powerful, in addition to the fact that their opponents had to fire up at them, and the truck itself blocking more than a few bullets, I had no doubt that they would have long been shot up into honeycombs. Even as things were, everyone in the group was still injured all over. 

  “I’ve decided on you!” 

  I could not stand watching them continue to get hurt, and yelled loudly, “Young Master, you are more important than X! I beg you, leave at once! 

  The young master turned up the corners of his mouth, but did not leave as he had said he would. He still continued swinging and hacking with the Death Scythe. As for the truck, it seemed to be constructed of an unknown material, as it was actually able to withstand the young master’s scythe. He had slashed it so many times, but had only hewn open a seam in the truck’s roof. 

  “Haha, just wait! I’ve got to tell X, Charles thinks I’m more important!” 

  Young Master? I did not understand. Why is he still not leaving? The young master should have been the most logical one. I had already chosen to give up on rescuing X. For what reason would he still not wish to leave? 

  “They can no longer retreat,” Ni Cai said softly. “This is very clear to Dark Sun, so he kept talking to you, delaying you from going over there.” 

  How could this be? The Church would not want to provoke the Sun Emperor, and the young master is Sun Emperor’s most deeply beloved! 

  Immediately, I said, “Inform the Sun Emperor! Show him the feed from the young master’s visor. He can stop the Church!” 

  “Dark Sun has asked me to do that since earlier, but there isn’t the slightest response.” 

  Hearing this, my heart sank and seemed to freeze over. I suddenly remembered that it was the Sun Emperor who had leaked the news about X to the Church. Had he known the situation would end up like this? Has the Sun Emperor given up on the young master? Or even… Did he do this on purpose? 

  Softly, Lieder said, “I guess this time, Dìdì was just too disobedient.” 

  I immediately activated x-speed. 

  “Charles, don’t come!” 

  Impossible! 

  “Charles, listen to me! They’re waiting for you! They won’t kill X and me until the last minute, but as soon as you get here, they’ll immediately bomb the area to take care of us all at once. They don’t care about their own people here. That’s why Sin isn’t here!” 

  I stopped running. 

  “Charles, you just said, when probabilities state something is impossible, the only choice we have is to give it up.” 

  I… 

  “Let us go. Even if you come, all you can do is die with us. I’ll try to break apart the truck and see if I can undo X’s restraints before the bombardment. My guess is that X has managed to escape for a millennium, so he probably won’t die so easily. Maybe if he has another way to escape, and just needs to be untied, there’s a chance that X can still survive…” 

  There was a higher chance that the young master and X would just die like this, and I really would watch this happen in front of my eyes. How could I let this happen? 

  “Young Master, I am sorry. I did not learn to give up. I was lying to you just now.” 

  If I released all my blood ability as a protective shield at the moment of the explosion, perhaps I could protect the young master and X. They were both very powerful, and could certainly escape. 

  “Charles!” The young master said furiously, “Think of Curtis! If you die, what will he lead your family to do?” 

  I could not help but laugh as I said, “What Curtis would lead my family to do… what I would do if you and X die at the hands of the Church?!” 

  I only realized by the end of my speech that I was howling, and decided I may as well howl out the rest. “Young Master, please wait for me!” 

  The young master opened his mouth, but ultimately shut it again. Forcefully, he hacked downward and cleaved a large gash in the roof of the truck. The situation inside the truck was already visible. 

  “Okay, I’ll wait for you.” 

  The young master crouched down. From this angle, it was almost impossible for the bullets to strike him. He said to the group, “Everyone leave right now. As long as I stay, the Church shouldn’t waste energy on stopping you.” 

  Ezart scowled and shot a glare at the young master, but soon afterward was busy sending the others down one by one. 

  Melody screamed, “Young Master!” 

  Mr. Bramble yelled even more angrily, “We are your bodyguards!” 

  Hauling open the top of the truck, the young master looked inside, moved in one step further, and said, “DSII, cover the others. Go with them and get out of here.” 

  DSII dutifully said, “But Gēge said that the meaning of my existence is to protect Ah Ye. Well, then again, Gēge also said I have to listen to Ah Ye. I’ll listen to Gēge, Gēge wants me to listen to Ah Ye, so I’ll listen to Ah Ye! 

  There must something wrong with this robot. 

  Father Yue did not even have the chance to turn his head, and could only shout while shooting, “If we go, these guys will climb up here at once! You won’t even have time to save E.X.! 

  “They won’t come up here,” the young master said coolly. “If they had wanted to come up here, they would have come up long ago. With the firepower of just you few people, how could you have possibly blocked everyone? Right when I get in the truck, they’ll most likely retreat immediately, so they don’t get caught in the heavy artillery bombardment.” 

  Resolutely, May shouted, “Young Master, we’re not going!” 

  Dell mournfully said, “We’re totally dead,” but his actions, on the contrary, included holding and rapidly firing his gun with absolutely no intent to leave. 

  Angrily, the young master yelled, “Shut up! If we say Charles, X, and I still have a small chance at survival here, then there isn’t the smallest chance for you all to make it! DSII, take them all and go!” 

  Before anyone had the time to protest, DSII quickly made several trips up and down the truck, kicking each and every one of them off the roof. On the ground below, there were Church members everywhere; if anyone wanted to force their way back onto the truck, they would become a living target. That left only the choice of retreating from the area. 

  But somehow, Ezart had seemingly seen this coming. He evaded DSII’s assault, and was left as the only one not kicked off the roof. 

  As though he had expected this, the young master only said, “Ezart, help me rescue the others. You can’t help me anymore here.” 

  Ezart made a “tsk” noise, muttering, “Whatever. If you kick the bucket, your big bro’ll annihilate the world anyway. It’s death either way, so this makes no difference.” After saying that, he jumped off the roof of the car. 

  Just then, DSII walked forward, using his own body as a shield and taking countless bullets. Because I was watching from DSII’s perspective, I could not see him, but I could occasionally glimpse his arms and legs. I realized that DSII’s condition was not far from that of a thoroughly destroyed piece of iron. 

  There was one cause for joy: the young master was correct and those priests from the Sin Elimination Committee truly did not have much interest in the others. The greater part of the priests’ guns were still aimed at the roof of the truck. 

  The perspective shifted again. Right in front was a piece of steel that had been torn apart. This piece of steel was so thick, it was practically a wall. No wonder the young master had to hit it for so long, even with the Death Scythe. 

  The young master jumped into the truck. The space inside was not large, but surprisingly, there were no guards. It seemed that the young master was correct; this was actually a giant trap, with the intent to kill us in one fell swoop. 

  X’s entire body had been solidly confined to the bottom of the truck, with the metal covering him perhaps no thinner than the truck’s roof. As soon as he saw the young master, his eyes grew wide, and he said angrily, “Leave! This is a trap! Why are you here? Hurry and get out!” 

  The young master ignored him and moved straight onward, checking X’s bonds. He pulled at them with his hands, but they were absolutely immovable. 

  “Charles, if X’s limbs are shattered, or are even cut off, will they grow back? 

  “Young Master, you need not concern yourself with any injuries he may receive.” 

  It is said that vampires with lower generation numbers can indeed regrow severed limbs, as long as they had significant amounts of time to spend on it. While I did not know X’s generation number or if the legend would apply, I did know that survival was a blessing under circumstances such as these. Lost arms or legs could be considered but minor sacrifices. 

  The young master picked up the Death Scythe and struck the restraints at X’s feet. Laughing, he said, “I’m not concerned. I just asked because I was curious.” 

  “Hurry and go!” X roared. I had never seen this side of him. Is this because he is too anxious, or has the Church done something to him? 

  “Young Master, I am here.” I stood behind a shelter and looked out. Sure enough, the Sin Elimination priests surrounding the truck really had not climbed onto it, and had indeed even retreated somewhat. However, the group continued to surround the truck with their guns aimed at it and solemn expressions on their faces. I did not know if I had been influenced by the young master’s theory, but I could not shake the feeling that their expressions were those of stoicism in the face of death. 

  The young master immediately said, “Don’t come over for now. As soon as you get here, our deaths are assured.” 

  X howled, “If you still refuse to leave, everyone’s deaths are assured! Beat it!” 

  The young master slashed a few more times, but those restraints were really sturdier than the truck’s roof. While perhaps the Death Scythe would be able to slice it open if the young master continued hacking at them, there was truly no time left. There was certainly a surveillance camera within the truck, and there was no way the Church would look on as the young master sliced open the restraints right in front of their eyes. I was almost afraid it was about time already; if the young master still did not leave, then he would only be buried with X. 

  “Young Master, would you please…” 

  Seriously, the young master asked, “X, may I kill you?” 

  X was stunned for a moment, then shouted at once, “I don’t need you to kill me. Hurry up and scram!” 

  Oh no, now that Young Master has said these words, I am afraid that… I immediately dashed straight toward the freight truck. From the visor, I could see a fiery light coming from under X as the young master immediately leapt upward. 

  Just when I had dashed up onto the truck’s roof and stopped, the young master burst upward out of it. Before he had finished saying the word “go,” I was already using X-speed. 

  This time did not go as smoothly as the last. Because I was too hurried, I could not control the timing well. By the time I had pushed off, I had already missed the best moment to ride the blast. This time, being blasted was by far the best way to describe my flight, rather than running away; though, even like this, all I could do was try my best to run as fast as I could. Still, it was impossible to tell if the result was my own controlled sprint or if we were being blasted outward by the explosion. 

  Not a few moments later, my whole body was so battered that I was a jumbled mess. If it were at all possible for me to lose consciousness, I admit I likely would have passed out long ago. 

  “Young Master…” 

  I pushed myself up and looked around. The young master was lying right behind me. I was just about to crawl over and check on his condition, but discovered dense, dark shadows had gathered around us. Raising my head, I found that we were thoroughly surrounded by the black robes of the Sin Elimination Committee. 

  There were giant shields in all directions, and there were even strange beams of light enveloping the empty air. They crossed to form the shape of a net, and it would be quite apt to say it was encompassing heaven and earth. 

  I turned my gaze back, crawling over to examine the young master’s injuries. His eyes were still open, but he was lying on his side and motionless on the ground. There were wounds all over his body, and a whole piece of his back had even been scorched. His left leg was also twisted and misshapen. Even if he could just barely walk, he could make no precise movements to speak of. Just like that, Dark Sun’s strength had fallen far short of its usual levels. 

  The young master had just managed to climb onto my back. It was he who had helped me block most of the explosion’s might. 

  “Charles…” the young master softly said, “you’re so fast. How about you rush out by yourself?” 

  I shook my head. Even if I was able to, I could not. 

  “So not even an explosion of this level could blast you two to death.” 

  Sin walked out from behind a huge shield. He looked at us with an awe-struck expression, as though we were not a pair of wounded soldiers, but instead a grotesque, final boss. 

  I tried to stand, but even my two legs were shaking. I took a step forward to block my young master’s broken figure, though I knew this was futile. We were completely surrounded on all sides. How could I block him? 

  “I have received no inheritance from X!” I said severely. “Do you really want to provoke the Elysees family for that?” 

  Upon mentioning X, I felt a pain in my chest. Behind Sin, and beyond the Church’s huge shields, only a scorched, leveled plain was left. The motorcade that had originally been there had ceased to exist, of course. As for that truck we had just faced, which had even been able to withstand the young master’s Death Scythe, I was now unable to find any traces of it. In this kind of explosion, no matter how strong X is, there is no way he could have survived… 

  But at this moment, I could not wallow in loss and grief. With a heavily wounded Young Master just behind me, the only feeling I should have is one of fighting on, of defending him! 

  Sin said indifferently, “You’ve received no inheritance? Then how could you have escaped such large explosions twice, Charles Endelis? You’re a vampire that hasn’t even lived for two hundred years yet; if vampires had such strength, our Sin Elimination Committee would have long been annihilated.” 

  I could only speak in half-truths. “In the past, I drank a dose of medicine, and it was that medicine that made me like this. It had nothing to do with X!” 

  “We can go with that, but this is best opportunity to settle things once and for all. There’s E.X., you, and that Dark Sun, who’s just as dangerous—no one can stop our measures for eliminating sin, no matter if it’s the Elysees or the Sun Emperor.” 

  Sin slowly retreated. When he was in the very center of the giant shield formation, he declared, “Here and now, we put a full stop to our thousand-year pursuit! You non-humans who disturb the peace of our world can descend into Hell together! 

  This lunatic! I released countless blood shields to encircle our surroundings and continuously condensed them, but if we had no means of breaking through the blockade, even the thickest shields would be pierced eventually. Right now, though, just standing actually made my legs tremble. How could we escape? 

  “That’s ridiculous. Charles and I are both human.” Swaying and shaking, the young master stood. The Death Scythe was already gone from his hands, and firearms were completely out of the question; they had long since been blasted away somewhere. Still, one limping step at a time, he walked over to my side and extended his long, metallic nails. 

  “Clearly, all we had to do was give up, and only X would die. But now, the result we’ve achieved is that we’re all about to die. Only humans would do such silly things.” 

  It really is silly. I took a deep breath. But I really could not refrain from coming to save X. 

  “My apologies, Young Master.” 

  Tilting his head, the young master said, “We’re about to descend into Hell and this is all you have to say to me?” 

  I laughed, took a deep breath, and revised my statement with a vow from the bottom of my heart. “Even if I find myself in Hell, I will always continue serving as your butler, Young Master.” 

  The young master laughed too. “Mm, that sentence is much better!” 

  The muzzles of guns large and small all pointed directly at the young master and me. This time, there was no need to wait for someone to take the bait. There would be no more mercy, and additionally, we were already so riddled with wounds that even dodging would be a problem. 

  When the sparks burst from the gun muzzles, I was blocking the young master from the front, and in turn, there were blood shields in front of me. Each round that struck the shields left a huge impact. As expected, it was a merciless assault. 

  Only a few seconds later, I could no longer resist, stumbling backward until my back bumped into the young master. He propped me up, and I had the sense that I was currently fighting side-by-side with him. Even though my partner could no longer fight, this was really an exceptionally wonderful feeling. Even if we were to die now, I would have no regrets. 

  “Young Master,” I said with exceeding calm amidst the gunfire. “I am almost at my limit.” 

  The young master let out a “Mm” in response and said, “Press on as long as possible. When you really can’t continue anymore, you may as well cancel the blood shields completely and let their great firepower kill us at once.” 

  I agreed with this point. Rather than linger at death’s door and give the enemy the opportunity to torment us, it would be better to die instantly. 

  Not even three seconds later, I felt that my blood ability had already just about reached its limit. I closed my eyes, preparing to cancel the use of my blood ability completely. I look forward to continuing to serve the young master in Hell. 

  Three, two, one, cancel… 

  My heart clenched. The sound of explosions continued to resound, but unexpectedly, I felt no pain at all. Did I go straight to being dead? 

  There was a startled cry. I recognized this as the young master’s voice and promptly opened my eyes. Surprisingly, there was a huge shadow in front of me… 

  “Dragon Peace!” The young master shouted. 

  The bullets struck Dragon Peace’s body, eliciting a pained howl. At that moment, a white cape descended from the sky, while an energy whip drew a spiral in the empty air before collecting together into a shield. 

  First Wind stood next to me and said in admiration, “After Dark Sun’s modifications, my whip has become quite useful.” 

  “First Wind?” I called softly. 

  We heard the young master’s voice. “Ah, Solitary Butterfly, did you come too?” 

  I looked back. Solitary Butterfly was facing directly away from me, wildly returning fire. Just then, the pair of guns she was holding were not small pistols, but two giant rifles almost larger than her own body. The contrast between the petite woman and huge firearms was dumbfounding. 

  The gunfire was so loud that Solitary Butterfly was forced to shout in response, “Did you think that I wouldn’t come? That the Four Great Heroes are a lie? 

  The young master stammered, “I-I didn’t mean it like that, and I’m not acting as a hero right now. This is a personal issue…” 

  Solitary Butterfly gave him a dark look and said disagreeably, “Give your thanks to Dragon Peace. He said, ‘Dark Sun’s going to die. Everyone hurry and save him!’ What else was I supposed to do? And is it that you wouldn’t come save me when I’m not acting as a hero?” 

  Revealing a wide smile, the young master resolutely said, “I would definitely go save you!” 

  Solitary Butterfly huffed, then said, “That’s more like it.” 

  All Four Great Heroes had gathered together, but Dark Sun had no energy left to fight with, and I had also completely spent my blood ability. Meanwhile, the Sin Elimination Committee still has… I cannot quickly count how many people they have. 

  “Can you break through them with the young master? I can cover you.” 

  First Wind looked at me strangely and asked, “How do you think we got here?” 

  At the time, my eyes had been closed, and with the deafening guns and artillery fire all around us, I truly had no idea how they had suddenly appeared. Additionally, had the young master and I not already been completely surrounded? We were still completely surrounded now. How had they appeared? 

  First Wind gestured at the sky. I raised my head and saw a multitude of planes speeding by. Then, a dense cluster of small black dots descended. 

  “The Sun Emperor sent us here,” First Wind said simply. “The Sun Emperor’s computer systems have been hacked, and the whole system came to a standstill. Unable to connect to Ah Ye, he nearly went mad with anxiety. This should’ve been the Sin Elimination Committee’s handiwork.” 

  So it is like that. I let out a huge sigh of relief. As long as the Sun Emperor had not completely abandoned the young master, it was fine. I could not imagine how much anguish that would have caused the young master. 

  “He dispatched a plane to bring us over here. We climbed onto Dragon Peace’s back, and had to let go of the parachute at a rather high altitude so he could fall directly to the ground. Otherwise, if we had parachuted down the whole way, we would definitely have been shot into a honeycomb.” 

  First Wind laughed as he pointed into the distance while saying, “Look, the support from your household has also arrived.” 

  Our household… 

  I did not even have the time to press him further before I heard a familiar shout. 

  “What the heck!” 

  It was Yue Gang, wearing that full-body set of equipment. Behind him followed those who had just retreated: Ezart, Melody, Mr. Bramble, and the others. Furthermore, there were even Father Yue and Father Alex. 

  Yue Gang raged, “It hasn’t even been a few minutes. How have you already become a burnt and bloodied guy again? Why do you like barbequing yourself so much? 

  “It seems that the rest of the support has arrived as well,” Alex said softly, with a faraway look. 

  I followed his gaze and saw the people who had been falling from the sky just then. They glided to the ground from a height that was not exactly low and were even just using tiny little parachutes that they let go of quite quickly. They fell from what would have practically been five stories up. Are these really ordinary people? 

  They charged directly into the group of Sin Elimination Committee priests. Their high speed was so fast that it contributed to my doubts, but when I saw their leader, these doubts were resolved. They were all completely outfitted for combat, but parts of their faces were still visible. Those faces had transformed to an extent that they rivaled a vampire’s Face Morph—it was the Extraordinaries troops. 

  Simultaneously, I rejoiced to know the young master could survive and felt somewhat anxious. The Sun Emperor had jets, as did the Elysees, and the Church certainly had them as well. Could it be that the current situation will escalate into an all-out war? 

  “Halt!” Alex shouted loudly, “Brothers of the Sin Elimination Committee, your current actions have not received the permission of the Church. The Sun Emperor and Elysees have issued a stern warning and furthermore, have dispatched a large number of reinforcements.” 

  The priests of the Sin Elimination Committee, large shields still raised, did not give any response. Suddenly, a roar sounded from their midst, “You pair of traitors!” 

  Sin pushed past the priests beside him and indignantly stepped out of the giant shield formation. 

  “E.X. is already dead!” Still, Alex did not flinch at all. He looked at Sin and said, one word at a time, “The mission of the Sin Elimination Committee is complete. We ought to put a full stop to the thousand years of sacrifice in pursuit of E.X.” 

  Sin pointed at me, raging, “If he has obtained E.X.’s inheritance—” 

  However, Alex interrupted him mid-sentence. Breaking from his previous gentle elegance, he responded similarly, shouting in rage, “You don’t even know if E.X. had something like an inheritance! The scriptures of the past have never mentioned any inheritance at all! But right now, the Elysees family has issued an ultimatum saying that if anything happens to Charles Endelis, the Elysees family head, the Elysees will battle the Church to the death! Is this the result you wish to see? Starting another millennium of mutual destruction, here and now?” 

  At this, Sin’s complexion had gone ashen, and the black-robed priests’ faces finally seemed to waver as well. 

  “He even wanted to kill the Sun Emperor’s dear little brother,” Adding fuel to the fire, I said, “Do you really want to make an enemy of the entire world?” 

  However, Sin lifted the weapons in both his hands, turning to face all the black-robed priests. Leisurely, he said, “Even if it means making an enemy of the entire world, brothers of the Sin Elimination Committee, are you with me?” 

  The passion of mob mentality was roused in all the black-robed priests. They raised their weapons high and screamed with a world-ending vigor. 

  “This is absolutely ridiculous!” Father Yue said bluntly. “Does this group of brothers spend all day, every day in the Sin Elimination Committee being brainwashed by Sin?” 

  Hearing the enemies’ clamor, Dragon Peace was fully incensed. He opened his big mouth, threw back his head, and howled. At that time, the Extraordinaries troop was blocked by the priests’ huge shields with no way in. They too were thoroughly infuriated. Upon hearing Dragon Peace’s roar, they immediately began to howl as well. 

  First Wind quietly asked, “Are we supposed to yell too?” 

  Solitary Butterfly flatly refused at once. “Don’t even think that I’m going to howl along with them.” 

  Amidst the uproar, Alex leaned over and softly said, “Charles, wait until we’ve stalled our brothers from the Sin Elimination Committee. Then you and Dark Sun search for a chance to leave the area. Sin is just relying on his influence from leading the Sin Elimination Committee for so many years to command these brothers whose judgments are clouded by zeal. Believe me, even the Church is not pleased with this method of doing things. They only agreed to let Sin execute E.X., with absolutely no intent to involve and harm you. This is Sin’s personal intention. However, once they are unable to complete their objective today, in the future, the brothers of the Sin Elimination Committee will also stop listening to Sin so unconditionally. 

  I had vaguely guessed this, or else a missile would have long since been shot over to take care of us once and for all. 

  “Why are you and Father Yue helping us, then?” I did not understand at all. If it was based on the bonds of friendship, like those that caused people to lay down their lives in helping each other, the bonds between us were certainly not strong enough to speak of. 

  Alex smiled gently and said, “It isn’t to help you. We simply want to discover the original truth, as well as mark the end of the Sin Elimination Committee in its current form.” 

  A termination… I could not help but think of X. My chest hurt, but I suppressed the emotion at once. At present, it was still not time to wallow in loss and grief. There was now hope for rescue; however, the number of people dragged in had increased. Regardless of whether they were the heroes or the Extraordinaries troops, I refused to let severe wounds manifest on any of them. 

  I nodded, looking at everyone, and said, “Once we have retreated, please finish this skirmish as quickly as possible. There must be absolutely no excessive bloodlust! 

  Immediately, Alex said, “I’ll watch them. Our brothers are on the opposing side, and the Lord wouldn’t want them to receive any injuries whatsoever. 

  This thinking is more naïve than mine. I only hope that the number of casualties will not be too shocking. 

  This time, rather than waiting for us to start the battle, the opponents acted at their convenience. However, they were also likely pressed by the Extraordinaries troops, who had already run out of patience and were drawing closer step-by-step, leaving the Sin Elimination Committee without any other options. 

  Initially, we had been surrounded, though, currently, we were still surrounded as before. However, because there was another outer ring composed of the Extraordinaries troops, the group seemingly surrounded on all sides was the Sin Elimination Committee’s priests, even if their numbers were no lower than ours—no, our side still has more reinforcements arriving. The adjudication squad is here. 

  In a low voice, Solitary Butterfly reproachfully said, “Exactly how many of these things does the Sun Emperor have? Couldn’t he conquer the world with just those?” 

  Are you certain that the Sun Emperor has not conquered the world already? 

  Compared to the Extraordinaries troops, the adjudication squad, with the capability of robots, attacked more decisively. They closed large distances instantly, but were also destroyed particularly quickly. Only the unmasked leader at the front of the adjudication squad would even move to evade danger. Moreover, his face was so lively that it was impossible not to suspect that the commander of this adjudication squad was human after all. 

  He simultaneously fought while yelling with excessive cheerfulness, “Ah Ye, Charles, I’ve come back to save you!” 

  Melody cried, “DSII? We clearly saw his entire body get completely destroyed for the sake of providing us cover to get us out!” 

  Laughing, the young master said, “DSII can switch bodies spontaneously. He’s really becoming more and more lively. It’s probably better to give him a single designated body; he’s a little… too strange.” 

  I agreed too, though in the current situation, his being strange was indeed a good thing. At least, earlier, DSII had chosen to listen to the young master and ignore the Sun Emperor. 

  Seeing that everyone was busy obstructing the black-robed priests from charging toward us, I walked over to the young master’s side, picked him up tightly, and carried him horizontally in my arms. He asked, “Are your legs okay?” 

  I nodded faintly. After this period of motionlessness, they were already much better. Although I most likely could not race away from an explosion for a third time, sprinting normally and even using X-speed occasionally should not be a problem. The cost of over-consuming blood candies last time finally seemed to have some payoff. 

  I shouted loudly, “Please help us clear a way out to advance toward the adjudication squad.” 

  Dragon Peace responded with a great roar along with a swing of his fist that sent a horde of priests flying. Ezart, unwilling to be outdone, similarly sent enemies flying with his blows. Because of his gloves, these enemies met no better fates than those hit by Dragon Peace’s huge strike. 

  Solitary Butterfly and Father Yue’s guns flashed unrelentingly, First Wind used all his strength to protect the young master and me, and Alex wielded his cross-shaped chain knives. Often, one sweep would knock over a whole group of enemies, but to no avail; because he seemingly did not want to hurt the priests, they would always climb back up. Still, at least he could stall them for some time, reducing our enemies’ firepower, which also somewhat diminished the pressure on the others. 

  Melody, Mr. Bramble, and the others, in contrast, did not take very much action. They surrounded the area around Young Master and me, preventing any bullets from injuring us. 

  Carrying the young master, and under everyone’s protection, I began to break through the encirclement. 

  “Family Head!” 

  There was a shout, resounding and brimming with anger to the extent that even on a noisier battlefield, it still would have been impossible to ignore. I turned my head toward it. One of the Extraordinaries had restored their original visage. It was Dong Fang Lei. 

  “You envelop them from the rear!” I responded using a vampire’s Hollow Roar. 

  Dong Fang Lei seemed thoroughly dissatisfied, but obeyed and did as I commanded. 

  I admit I was moving closer toward the adjudication squad and not the Extraordinaries troops because of an incredibly selfish motive. I truly did not want to treat the Extraordinaries as a shield for our retreat. I would rather escape in the direction of the adjudication squad. 

  I looked up at the adjudication squad, dauntless in the face of death. Fortunately, the only animate face among them was DSII’s. The others were indeed mechanical robots. Even though they looked like people, they were entirely lacking in personhood. 

  By the time I saw this, we were about to converge with the adjudication squad. There was one group of black-robed priests separating us, but this group was all that was left. However, it seemed they would rather die than retreat. Raising their huge shields, they were knocked to the ground by the adjudication squad one-by-one, and it was unclear whether they were dead or alive. 

  “Halt! Halt!” 

  Alex was the first to yield, and stood pale-faced in front of us. He had wanted to stop both our group and the black-robed priests, but instead, the ungrateful priests treated him as a target for their attack, and they immediately began to open fire to sweep him down! 

  Just in time, First Wind used his shield of energy to block the multitude of attacks, while Solitary Butterfly charged ahead to pull Alex back. However, she herself was shot and forced by the bullets to retreat. She hopped back a few steps before completely collapsing to the ground; fortunately, she had already returned to the area we had surrounded, landing right in front of me. 

  Solitary Butterfly lifted her head. A half-shattered visor’s mirror surface fell from her face just as she looked at me. 

  She froze for a moment, then shot me a glare to warn me before lowering her head to adjust the visor. 

  “You’re not allowed to reveal this,” she threw this one sentence at me before she went back to shooting. 

  So, it was her, though it should not have been a difficult guess; I had simply not given it any thought before. 

  I nodded and promised, “All right, I will not say anything.” 

  Aside from the passionate and emotional Alex, the others had still managed to maintain their calm, though their expressions were also quite ugly. Although they were experts in using weaponry, they were also entirely unused to slaughter. 

  At that moment, the young master spoke up and asked, “Dragon Peace, could you charge ahead to force a way through while Charles uses X-speed to rush off the battlefield? Is that possible?” 

  Dragon Piece immediately let out a great roar toward the sky. 

  I nodded. Even if it is impossible, I will do it! 

  The young master showed a little worry as he asked everyone, “Can I leave without worrying there’ll be any issues for you guys? 

  “Your quick departure is the best way to prevent any issues,” Father Yue said, as though making a firm vow, “I swear to properly protect these children and will not let a single issue arise.” 

  “These children,” including his son, all gave him a big eye roll. 

  “Hey, who needs your protection!” Yue Gang said angrily. “It’s us who are protecting you, you old geezer!” 

  “Who’s an old geezer! I’m still in the golden, prime days of my youth!” 

  “Looks like the declining days of your golden age to me!” 

  “You’ve completely mixed up your metaphors. If you can’t speak properly, stop talking so much!” 

  The adversarial father and son had indeed started quarreling on the battlefield, but they actually covered for each other even as they argued. Moreover, they acted with complete tacit understanding of each other, and even their levels of firepower were comparable. One could tell they were father and son at a glance. Met with this sight, “these children” felt even more helpless, and could only hurriedly follow after to cover the father-son pair as they led the charge against the opposing troops. 

  But the leader of the group quickly became Dragon Peace. He charged directly ahead with the staggering momentum of a thousand-ton train, and in the span of a single breath, a horde of priests had been knocked over like bowling pins. He really forced a way through, though it was only for a short instant, as the beleaguered priests stood up and formed the wall of giant shields once more. 

  However, this short instant was enough. I bent my knees slightly and dashed out. Before anyone was able to react, I had already run past the priests who had been knocked over and made my way next to the adjudication squad. I hesitated a moment, then rushed past the entire adjudication squad to instead lose myself in the middle of the forest. 

  Only then did I relax and use my usual running pace rather than continuing on with x-speed. With the current state of my body, if I did not end my use of x-speed, I would really be concerned that I would no longer be able to hold the young master and have to throw him directly out of my arms. 

  “Charles, come over this way!” 

  I jumped in surprise. At once, the young master said, “It’s DSII.” 

  DSII passed me and was even waving his arms. I followed him immediately, quickly increasing our distance from the battlefield. It was fortunate that there was DSII to lead the way, or else I really would not know which way to go. 

  I was unsure when it had started, but the feed from the visor had disappeared, and we were unable to receive further messages from Ni Cai. Moreover, Lieder had not followed us to the battlefield. He had most probably escaped, perhaps? After all, it could be said that he had completed his task, successfully bringing me into the Sin Elimination Committee, then back out. I really could not ask for more; inciting his malice instead would be unfavorable. 

  “DSII,” Young Master suddenly asked, “Where did you get this body? I don’t believe I’ve seen this face before. Why does it look a little like Charles?” 

  I looked toward DSII. The other’s appearance now seemed much more mature, though because his expression was too lively, he did not look mature at first glance. However, I actually could not tell whether this face was like mine or not; a vampire truly did not have many opportunities to see their own face. 

  As though it were obvious, DSII said, “Gēgē gave it to me. He’s helped make lots of bodies for me.” 

  “Gēgē made it?” The young master quickly asked. “Why didn’t you tell me? How much has he done? Where is he?” 

  Cheerfully, DSII said, “Gēgē said this is a secret that we’ll surprise Ah Ye with later, so I didn’t tell Ah Ye.” 

  “Charles!” Ah Ye said anxiously, “I feel like something’s wrong. You should hurry and go, get away from DSII…” 

  I halted my steps, but the young master had also stopped talking. In front of us were the figures of people, but they were not standing. Rather, they were lying motionless on the ground. 

  This situation was too uncanny. I turned to leave, but DSII was standing behind me gleefully, both arms spread wide, in position to block me. 

  DSII was as joyful as a child as he said, “Gēgē said he misses Ah Ye and that he wants to reconcile, so he needs me to bring him over here to find Ah Ye!” 

  The young master sighed. 

  Even if DSII was too unique, to the point that he did not listen solely to the Sun Emperor, this emperor could still find other ways to control DSII in the same way that he controlled this world, as though everyone was just a chess piece on his board. 

  To him, X’s death was nothing but the sacrifice of a chess piece. 

  The young master simply said, “Charles, let me down first so I can go take a look.” 

  I did as he said, supporting the young master as he limped over to investigate. The people lying on the ground were, unexpectedly, Luo Ye and Anceo. 

  There were so many bullet holes on the two men’s bodies that I did not even know what to say. Even though I personally detested these two people, the thought of wanting to perforate their bodies to such an extent had never crossed my mind. 

  Moreover, is Luo Ye not… I turned my head to look at the young master, who had lowered his head as he looked at the corpse. He sighed. 

  “Gēgē, if you want to kill someone then just kill them. Why do you have to beat them to this extent, huh? After all, he’s…” 

  From one side, a familiar icy voice called over, “He’s nothing! Our only father is Ri Ji Yan. I’ve told you this from the start, but you just won’t listen!” 

  The Sun Emperor. 

  He walked out from the midst of the woods beside us. He actually appeared in front of me… all by himself. 

  “Not even this could kill you, Charles Endelis. You must have a lot of vitality. Ah Ye, look at the expression on your butler’s face. He wants to kill me!” 

  The Sun Emperor turned up the corners of his mouth and said, “Shouldn’t your first step be taking care of him?” 

  I stiffened. The words I least wanted to hear left the other party’s lips. 

  “Ah Ye, kill Charles Endelis!”


  No Hero    

  Volume 9, The End NO.10: Eternal

  My vision was filled with numbers again, and the world once again returned to its original state. But to save X, there was no other way… Wait. 

  Microchip, can the notifications be turned off? 

  “…” 

  They really turned off. 

  So, um, how did this happen? Before, these functions could never be turned off. How did this suddenly happen? 

  Additionally, there were several other things that weren’t quite right, the most glaring one being… that Charles was still alive. 

  After he acted against Gēge, after Gēge gave the order to kill him, and after I realized his significance level was approaching Gēge’s, Charles was still alive. 

  Does this have anything to do with Gēge doing so many strange things? 

  It must, right? Gēge definitely did this on purpose. It’s just that letting Charles become more significant than him is absolutely unthinkable. Huh, just how high is Charles’s significance level now? 

  Microchip, evaluate Charles Endelis’s significance level. 

  Evaluating. Level of significance is ninety… 

  Never mind! 

  Microchip, permanently shut down the significance level evaluation function, and only turn on battle related notifications during combat. 

  Most of the time, it’s better to look at a clean, numberless world. 

  Charles was right. Everyone is significant. 

  “Ah Ye, kill him!” The Sun Emperor roared, “Don’t tell me you’ve really stopped listening to me? Is a lowly butler more important than me?” 

  The young master clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles went white, and his eyes were so wide it was almost as if his eye sockets would split open. Glaring fixedly at his older brother, he was nevertheless able to say to me through his gritted teeth, “Charles, go!” 

  The Sun Emperor smiled coldly, saying, “If you dare leave, the adjudication squad members on the battlefield will simply turn around to engage the Extraordinaries troop. Hmph, the Elysees family may certainly be good at hiding away, but in the end, I was able to force their hidden strength out into the open.” 

  With this one brief statement, the Sun Emperor had made it impossible for me to escape, no matter how quickly I could run. Even if I were to make a move and attack the opposing party, the young master was standing to the side, body riddled with scars, and the microchip in his brain was giving him only the option to follow the fundamental meaning of his existence and protect his older brother. How could I possibly I attack the Sun Emperor? 

  With just this one sentence, I had been trapped between a rock and a hard place. Sun Emperor, what need do you have to force out someone’s hidden strength? Do you truly even know what fear is at all? 

  “Charles…” The young master clenched his teeth. He had released his fists by now, but extended his metal fingernails instead, transforming them into his even deadlier claws. He howled, “We went through so much just to escape. Don’t throw away your life in vain, hurry and go!” 

  “Ah Ye!” The Sun Emperor’s expression darkened. He pointed at me and continued, voice not changing at all, “Dark Sun, kill him!” 

  The young master turned his whole body around, movements stiff like a broken-down android. His expression had already become Dark Sun’s as he coldly said, “Not leaving is a mistake. You’ll only lose your life for no reason.” 

  He lifted his claws, the light from his flashing metal fingernails practically painful as it shone into my eyes. 

  “You have already done your utmost to help me rescue X, knowing full well that there was no hope for success but still making the mistake of persevering. Since this is the case, will you not let me choose to make a mistake and lay down my life for no reason as well?” 

  I closed my eyes. If my own death could allow the young master to understand and no longer use scores to judge people, that would be wonderful. 

  “Ah Ye, have you still not made your move?” The Sun Emperor’s angry voice resounded. “Kill him!” 

  I took a deep breath, waiting to meet my end. I heard the sound of a fist striking flesh, but unexpectedly, there was no pain all. Confused, I opened my eyes. The scene before me was astonishing. 

  The Sun Emperor had fallen to the ground. A trickle of blood was leaking out of the corner of his mouth, and half his face was starting to swell up into a large lump. 

  The young master was backing up step-by-step incredulously. He looked at his own fist, then back at the Sun Emperor, murmuring, “No way, there’s no way I… Anyone who harms Gēge must die, I…” 

  Hearing this, my expression changed completely. The young master would not commit suicide, would he? I immediately stood and rushed forward, preparing to prevent him from doing something foolish at any given moment. 

  The young master raised his head and stared at me blankly. In a daze, he said, “Charles, I… I hit Gēge. This isn’t right. T-the meaning of my existence is to protect Gēge. I—” 

  I cut his comment off, saying sincerely, “With all due respect, Young Master, you certainly struck true. Recently, the Sun Emperor has very much been in need of someone to smack him awake!” 

  The corner of the young master’s mouth twitched, and it looked like he wanted to smile. However, alarm struck him once more, and his smile was unable to appear. The young master’s entire body went rigid, as though he were a marionette. 

  “Isn’t this easy to understand?” 

  The young master and I turned to face the Sun Emperor, who was now sporting a large, extremely painful-looking lump on one half of his face. It gave me a certain sense of satisfaction. 

  He gave a cold, short laugh, saying, “If you are able to lay a hand on me, then the meaning of your existence is no longer my protection.” 

  With guilt, the young master yelled, “Gē, I didn’t mean—” 

  The Sun Emperor roared, “There’s no use denying it! The microchip can’t control you at all. Any fundamental meaning to your existence no longer means a thing! You were never an obedient child, both when you were young and now that you’ve grown up! 

  Petrified and panicked all at once, the young master was at a loss for words, and the syllables coming out of his mouth were impossible to put together into coherency. 

  “Gē… I-I’m obedient… E-even if I don’t listen sometimes, the microchip… existence… significance level—” 

  The Sun Emperor expressionlessly cut off the young master’s incomplete thoughts. Frigidly, he said, “The microchip has long since become unable to control you. There’s no need for you to lie to yourself, and don’t even think you’d be able to lie to me! Who do you think I am? No one can lie to me! You…” 

  I stood behind the young master anxiously, watching his back tremble with fear. 

  “Ri Xiang Ye, you don’t need to protect me anymore,” the Sun Emperor said cruelly, “because you are no longer the Dark Sun who lives and dies for my sake; if need be, you could even set about killing me!” 

  The young master bellowed, “Impossible!” 

  The Sun Emperor’s lips curled, and he even deliberately turned his injured face for the young master to see as he said, “Look at my face and say it again. Is it truly impossible?” 

  The young master fainted. 

  “Sun Emperor!” I roared, promptly supporting the young master to the ground. Only then did I notice that his face was covered in tears. Even in unconsciousness, his face was terrified. Suddenly, new loathing welled up and fed my initial resentment. First was X’s death, then even the young master was abandoned? The Sun Emperor was truly deserving of his title; he genuinely had no need for any sort of personal attachments, not even with his only relative in the entire world! 

  Once I had ascertained that the young master truly had only fainted, I stood and stared at the solitary Sun Emperor. I could not see if there were people hidden in the surrounding area ready to protect him, but then again, with x-speed, was there anyone who could stop me from killing this emperor? 

  Everyone says I am quite fast. 

  I extended my claws and charged at the high and mighty king— 

  “E.X. is alive.” 

  My claws stopped in front of the Sun Emperor’s face. The distance between them was less than ten centimeters. 

  Faced with a vampire’s razor-sharp claws, the Sun Emperor nevertheless said calmly, “Charles Endelis, you pass.” 

  …Huh? 

  Is this still a test? I found it hard to believe as I stared at the Sun Emperor, but I grit my teeth. I could not let him lead me by the nose; perhaps he was only stalling for time… 

  Impatiently, the Sun Emperor said, “Do you think I don’t know how fast you are? If E.X. really had died, what would I be doing standing here in front of you? Do you think I’m tired of life? Ah Ye still hasn’t gotten married and had any kids. I have to stay alive no matter what!” 

  “… But how could X have survived?” 

  The Sun Emperor laughed for a moment, saying, “He was never in that truck in the first place. Long before then, I had people spirit him away and replace him with a fake. X didn’t even spend the night in the Sin Elimination Committee. This was a condition he gave for his cooperation; before sunrise, I would have to let him escape from the Sin Elimination Committee. 

  “I personally saw him in the truck.” I did not dare to hope, but the Sun Emperor’s actions really were off; his appearance here fundamentally made no sense. However, could this be possible? Is X still alive? 

  The Sun Emperor gave a cold snort and said, “In this day and age, can you really trust your eyes? Since you’re a vampire, you must have heard of ‘shapeshifters’ before, right? 

  I had indeed heard of them, but they were practically a countryside legend, and I had certainly never met one. 

  “I heard the shapeshifters went extinct a long time ago.” 

  “They haven’t gone extinct. Though there really aren’t too many of them left, they’re still around. They’re especially fond of disguising as dogs and wandering through the city.” 

  Dogs? No, they were wolfmen! I remembered. When we were in the Sin Elimination Committee, there had indeed been an especially giant wolfman that had been captured. Could that have been him? 

  I asked, refusing to get my hopes up, “You are actually able to incite the shapeshifters to action?” 

  That would truly be too terrifying. The shapeshifter clan’s power is so formidable that, if they follow the Sun Emperor, I am afraid the whole world would be… 

  The Sun Emperor said lazily, “Don’t tell me you think I’d use the shapeshifters’ powers to control the world? That I’d replace all the important figures in the world with shapeshifters or something crazy like that?” 

  He suddenly gave a short laugh, though because it pulled at his swollen face, his expression suddenly became somewhat odd. 

  “If that happened, this world would really become too boring.” The Sun Emperor regained his serene expression and said, “It was just an exchange of terms, that’s all. They would send someone to meet their death, and I would shelter their race. Not only am I not allowed to exploit the shapeshifters, but no matter what great powers capture one of them, I must help rescue each individual. “ 

  My head was a tangled mess, and my only thought was that this was simply inconceivable. I could not help but acknowledge how much I wanted to believe him. If this is true, X must still be alive! 

  But… 

  “In any case, there is no way X would cooperate with you.” 

  The Sun Emperor snorted coldly and said, “What no way about it is there? I need only propose enough of a benefit to draw someone in, and any- and everyone would cooperate with me. For E.X., say: ‘help him permanently escape the Church’s pursuit, and ensure that Charles Endelis will never be linked to him again.’ This benefit was enough to convince him to cooperate with me.” 

  Permanently escape the Church’s pursuit? That is true, X is already “dead.” Of course the Church will no longer hunt down a vampire that has already been killed. 

  I was suddenly able to understand to some extent. It was not as though X had never tried something like faking his death. Ultimately, however, he had still failed because the Sin Elimination Committee would never believe that he had truly died. On the other hand, this time, even I had assumed that X had been killed, and, judging by Sin’s reaction, the Church believed it too. 

  The Sun Emperor had hunted me down, and, not scrimping at all on providing for the Church, had let X be captured, which meant even the young master and I had no choice but to come forward and rescue him. We had nearly lost our lives in the process a good number of times. In all, he had made such a fine mess; who would believe that it was just for the sake of helping X fake his death? 

  Even I would not believe it. That said, the Sun Emperor most certainly would not have done so many things just for X’s sake, but even now, I was nevertheless still unable to clearly discern the Sun Emperor’s true goal. 

  “It could not be that all this was simply a test, could it?” 

  If so, even if the Sun Emperor really did help X fake his death, I would still want to smack him until the other side of his face was swollen as well. 

  The Sun Emperor turned his head, shifting his gaze away from me. He did not answer directly, saying instead, “This all was entirely for Ah Ye.” 

  I was quite furious as I said, “The young master is among those who suffered the most harm during this time! Have you not seen how much pain he has had to bear? His wounds have been opened and re-opened again and again! How could you say it was for him?” 

  The Sun Emperor continued to look away from me and spoke as though he were talking to himself, “An Te Qi once reported to me that there is no way to extract the microchip from Ah Ye’s brain. Even if there were, there would also be the chance that he would not want it to be removed, because if it were removed, even if his body were to retain the same abilities, a person’s mind cannot conduct operations in the same way as a machine. Ah Ye’s speed, coordination, and even judgment would decline. Without the microchip, his overall ability would fall by at least 30%.” 

  I held my tongue in silence. Though I was still furious, since I realized the Sun Emperor was unexpectedly rather willing to give an explanation, I decided it could wait until after I was done listening to him. I myself was truly too curious to know what all of this had been for in the end. 

  “This unremovable microchip was engraved with the statement that the fundamental meaning of Ah Ye’s existence is to protect me.” 

  This was indeed true. The young master had said it countless times, but this had never been a cause of angst. Even without the microchip, he so dearly loved his older brother that he would not hesitate at all in the face of death for the sake of protecting the Sun Emperor. There was no difference, microchip or no microchip, so there had been no need to mind it. 

  “But I must die at some point,” the Sun Emperor said indifferently. 

  I stared blankly for a moment. Was this not common sense—Wait, the young master would pay any price to protect the Sun Emperor, but what happens when the Sun Emperor reaches the end of his lifespan and is about to die? 

  “If you were to… pass away, how would the young master react?” 

  With a dark expression, the Sun Emperor said, “He would die.” 

  I stared, wide-eyed. 

  “This is a base setting, and there is no way to alter it, so An Te Qi has always been researching how to take this setting apart. Only recently did his research return results. During a modification surgery, he secretly conducted revisions on the microchip.” 

  “So, the young master will have no issues, then?” I asked, but my hopes were not very high. If there were no issues, the Sun Emperor would not go out of his way to raise the matter again. 

  “No, An Te Qi fundamentally had no way to determine if this was true. The functions of the brain are too complex. There was no way he could use Ah Ye as a test subject for debugging, and while he has previously used Ah Ye’s clone, DSII, for experimentation, DSII is useless for tests of brain function. So, while the changes this time were theoretically feasible, there was simply no way to be sure when it came to reality.” 

  The Sun Emperor gave the unconscious young master a glance and said with mix of satisfaction and worry, “Either way, Ah Ye would always protect me, regardless of whether that damned setting is there. However, I absolutely had to be completely certain that this alteration had succeeded. Moreover, An Te Qi was of the opinion that if Ah Ye didn’t realize he was no longer controlled by the microchip, he would still be in trouble when the time came.” 

  So, this was the element I had neither known about nor been able to deduce. 

  It was all entirely for the young master. 

  “You cannot be telling me there was no method even slightly simpler to help the young master understand, are you?” I truly did not know whether my reaction should be to laugh or do something else. All in all, was this just for the sake of having the young master understand this one thing? 

  “Do you think I’m so bored I have nothing better to do? You think I’d cause such an uproar for the sake of one thing? If you’re going to do something, do it right the first time!” The Sun Emperor snorted coldly. “Let’s say you had a mortal enemy that you’ve been hunting for a thousand years without success. If you suddenly heard they were hit by a car and killed, would you believe it?” 

  Of course, I would not believe it. If someone were to become my mortal enemy, they certainly would not be the kind of person who could be killed by a car… Except for the Sun Emperor; he really was an ordinary person who could be killed by a car. Still, if there ever came a day that someone told me the Sun Emperor was killed in a traffic accident, I absolutely would not believe it. 

  “Not even you’d believe it! So, without a commotion of this scale, how would the Church ever believe it?” 

  This statement I agreed with. 

  “In addition to how the matter of the Church hunting X affects you, the Elysees family is another uncertain factor. It was necessary that I ensure that, come hell or high water, Curtis would not violate Sadina’s preparations and betray you, you useless Family-Head-in-name-only!” 

  I was stunned. I finally realized how many things the Sun Emperor had been doing at the same time. 

  He tested everyone both physically and emotionally close to the young master, especially me, as I was the one who would accompany the young master for the longest amount of time. This also meant, however, that anyone or anything dangerous by my side would have to be eliminated. 

  The Sun Emperor tested Curtis’s loyalty to me while allowing X to fake his death to escape the Church’s pursuit. He swept away all these threats simultaneously, and even used these issues to force the young master to slowly become more and more upset with him, until the young master finally broke through the idea of a meaning to existence. 

  Once I had thought through it all, I could do nothing but laugh bitterly. “So it turns out that this really had nothing to do with Luo Ye, even if he were the one to instigate the whole thing.” 

  “Luo Ye instigated it? You really esteem him too highly; this was all instigated by my father, Ri Ji Yan! If he hadn’t taken out his rage over my mother’s affair on Ah Ye by stubbornly taking him away and modifying him like this, there would have been no reason for such trouble today!” 

  The Sun Emperor snorted coldly, a thick detestation visible in his eyes as he looked over. 

  “To safeguard Ah Ye’s thousand worry-free years, an intellect like yours certainly isn’t enough. You’ll have to find time later to come over and shadow me.” 

  I understood completely. Even if Luo Ye were the Sun Emperor’s biological father, the Sun Emperor had only seen him as a chess piece from start to finish, and even treated him as a redshirt for cannon fodder. Once he had outlived his usefulness, the Sun Emperor had mercilessly killed him—and even been so angry as to riddle him with countless bullet holes. 

  “Let’s go.” The Sun Emperor looked toward the young master worriedly, saying, “Bring Ah Ye over to let An Te Qi have a look. It should be that the change he’s experiencing is too great, so he had to reboot. Although this isn’t the first time he’s had to reboot, still…” 

  Seeing the Sun Emperor’s expression, I smiled gently. 

  Still, Master, you fret each time it happens. 

  “Of course, Master.” 

  The master shot a glance at me. He did not say anything and simply squatted, lowering his body as if to pick the young master up. However, his expression quickly changed when he tried to stand. I thought of the young master’s weight and immediately reached over to catch him, ultimately carrying the young master horizontally in my arms. 

  The master looked at the young master, then back at me. For the first time, I was unable to see arrogance in his eyes. The emotion in those eyes was actually… dismay? 

  As we walked, I listened to the master’s grumbling. 

  “Before, when I had finally found Ah Ye after so much difficulty, he had also fainted like this. At that time, I doggedly carried him on my back. Back then, he weighed just over ninety kilograms, and the weight nearly made it impossible for me to walk. 

  “Then, because Ah Ye would always keep getting hurt despite my every effort to stop him, all I could do was have An Te Qi modify him to be even stronger. Now he weighs more than a hundred kilograms, and I’ve already aged out of being a young man in his twenties.” 

  The master sighed and said in a frustrated tone, “I’ll never be strong enough to carry Ah Ye again.” 

  I said quietly, “The young master will be exceedingly glad, Master, for it is finally his turn to carry you.” 

  The master stared, then smiled. 

  “Oh…” 

  The young master suddenly stirred. The master immediately rushed over, his anxiously worried expression plainly visible. He was still that same master who saw his younger brother as more important than the entire world. 

  The young master opened his eyes. His muddled expression dropped away in a flash, and he spontaneously showed a panicked one instead. Raising his eyes, he saw me. He first stared blankly, then he saw the master standing next to me. The panic vanished, and the muddled expression returned once more. 

  I smiled gently at him. The young master blinked a couple times, as though he realized something. 

  “Gē!” He tentatively gave a shout. 

  “Hm?” The master frowned as he swept his eyes over the young master from head to toe. Seeing him covered in wounds, the master’s complexion became an ashy gray, as though he were the one injured. 

  “You’re okay, right?” The young master surreptitiously glanced at the master’s face, half of which was still swollen up like a steamed bun. Guilt immediately came over the young master’s entire face. 

  “What could have happened to me?” The master peevishly began nagging like a broken record, though with a steamed bun lump still attached to half his face, any observer would not have known whether to laugh or to cry. “Let me tell you, you end up like this every single time! If you could avoid getting hurt for one month, I would thank the gods by donating a hundred billion yuan to charity. 

  Guiltily, the young master said, “There should be one month where I didn’t get hurt… ah, no, that time was only twenty five days.” 

  The master made a great show of rolling his eyes. 

  Seeing the master’s expression, the young master seemed to feel that there was no issue and quietly let out a sigh of relief. Patting me, he said, “Charles, why don’t you let me down? Aren’t I heavy? I can walk on my own.” 

  “You’re not allowed to let him down!” the Sun Emperor immediately roared. “If he’s carried by someone, then he can still avoid suffering more wounds for a few hours. Carry him properly for me, butler. If you dare put him down, I’ll fire you!” 

  “But, Gē, I can wa-alk!” 

  “Not allowed!” 

  The young master let out a laugh. “It’s finally your turn to say not allowed, huh? Gē, before it was always me saying you weren’t allowed to do this, or you’re not allowed to do that. I had to work really hard to take care and make sure you wouldn’t go around killing people! 

  The master immediately denied it in one breath, “Nonsense, it was clearly me making sure you wouldn’t go around getting hurt. Don’t make any random movements, butler, and don’t let him down! 

  I smiled as I watched the bickering brothers. “Of course, Master. I will carry the young master properly.” 

  “Ah! Charles, how did even you end up standing on Gēge’s side?” 

  I said deferentially, “Of course I stand on this side; I side with you.” 

  The young master huffed angrily as he looked at me. There was no need for him to open his mouth. I could see his expression saying, “Then why don’t you hurry up and put me down?” 

  I smiled and said, “However, young master, you yourself stand with the master, so I, too, would stand by the master’s side, as a matter of course.” 

  The young master stared, looking at me suspiciously, then looked at the master, seemingly not understanding how or when the two of us had banded together. 

  “Ah Ye! You’re O.K., right?” 

  Everyone hurried over to us, battered and exhausted as they were. Astonishingly, DSII was the one leading them. He happily shouted, “I led everyone over. Like Gēge said, we need to bring everyone over and have fun together!” 

  The young master let out a surprised cry. Immediately, he struggled out of my arms and leapt to the ground, moving strangely with erratic steps as he ran over. 

  The master rolled his eyes at me and said, dissatisfied, “Didn’t you just say you would properly carry Ah Ye? If I see you even keeping up with him, I’ll thank the heavens!” 

  I smiled gently as I watched the young master become completely engulfed by good friends, subordinates, and heroes. 

  “I will most definitely keep up with him properly. After all, I am quite fast. Everyone says so.”


  No Hero