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“Looks like I missed by a little,” Zane barked, finding the bloodsucker still alive even after taking a dagger to the neck. Burn those monsters and their super regenerative abilities. Even though he felt down inside, he didn't show it outside. “Don’t worry, I won’t miss the second time.”

“It's been two weeks days,” said the pyromancer in a slow, condescending tone. “Two weeks since you stomped on our pride. Two days since--”

“Pride?” Zane cut her short with a burst of wicked laughter. Well, at least it appeared wicked to them. “Since when did monster have pride?” As he continued, a deep-rooted hatred poured into his words.

Yes, he hated them to the core, but that didn’t mean he would shoot at them at first encounter. Zane took a breather, wasting empty words with the bloodsuckers. They might be doing the same, but with them holding the advantage, he didn’t mind it that much. He took a heavy breath, eyes darting at his adversaries as well as the surrounding, peering to find anything he could use.

The problem was that the narrow tunnel of the cavern was too damn dark, as if the darkness stood still, waiting to consume all the light you poured into it. That’s not natural. The bloodsuckers they were doing something here, and he was just on the point of finding that out. Unfortunately, it was they that found him first. Well, it was not it's all for nought, but it certainly would be if he didn't manage to keep his life.

Still, he would need to bring back words to the empire, to the Academy, and more importantly, he had to keep his life, get back in one piece. There was still too much for him to do. The face of his snotty little sister appeared in his mind. He couldn't possibly leave her on her own, could he?

Zane resolved his mind and stirred the power inside him. The vampires noticed that. It was all too easy for them. They could even hear his heart pound, his blood racing—enough giveaway that he was trying something.

“Hey, shitheads,” he called. His body lurched up instantly, and he pounced on his enemies. “Stop me!” His voice was all the smirk and confidence. It was his challenge to these creatures . . . these monsters in human skin who plagued the society, feast on the blood and flesh of children and innocents.

Zane was strong up front. Confidence lingered in his moves, but inside, he knew how insecure he was. But his enemies didn’t need to know that.

Zane was merely halfway there when the spellcaster sizzled red-hot fire at him. Zane was waiting for that exactly. He abandoned his anchor at the very moment and made a new anchor. The spellcaster. She barely found that something was wrong when a storming force thumped against his body like a lone sledgehammer pitting an anvil.

Her face broke into a terror of cry as she was flung away to collide against the cave wall.

Zane knew he wouldn’t get many chances, and he would have to make the count as soon as possible even if he had to exchange blow for blow. Red hot fire sizzled his way. Even though he managed to fling away the pyromancer, her attack wasn’t stopped. Luckily, she hadn’t managed to bring out all her power. And with the enchanted cloak on his body, he might just make it with minimal damage.

The pungent reek of his burning hair entered his nose, but he ignored it to emerge from the open fire. The two other vampires were already out of the way, but they couldn’t take away the wounded one. He lay helpless on the floor, eyes shuttering in terror as the figure emerged out of the sizzling fire towards him with a wicked smile.

Zane didn’t give him time to scream. His dagger shot away from his palm and penetrated the head of the helpless vampire, digging all the way to where it matters. Mattered enough to kill a false immortal.

“Told you," Zane crackled, "I’ll be through next time.”

The lady vampire, now had a hideous look on her face, shrilled, “TOPAS, NO!”

Zane didn’t wait for their mourning to pass. He ran like hell like his life depended on it. Well, as a matter of fact, it did. The mourning of a few bloodsuckers didn’t even mean a single penny to him. Monsters as they may be, they had some familial bond. At least some of them do. While the pyromancer mourned in indecision, her companion trailed Zane, firing the guns they had with them, though little good they did. Zane's enchanted cloak took all the damage.

Zane’s feet were dull inside his heavy boots, but they didn’t stop. The tunnel grew narrower, which was troublesome to using any gravitational force, but reliving to his mental sense. That meant he was in the right direction, and salvation wasn’t that far away.

Zane swore that if he got away with his life this time around, he would never go alone into missions like these. Hell, if he wouldn’t even have that blasted bastard and that foul-mouthed baldie.

Looks like the sorceress had some emotional entanglement with the bloodsucker he just killed, making her stop there. That’s really rare to see in vampires, but it worked fine in his case. The fewer opponents he had, the less trouble he would get getting out. One almost got close enough to deal a blow, but he was prepared for it.

Zane turned his anchor to him and pushed with all the gravitational force he could muster. Both of their bodies jerked away in the opposite direction, the vampire more than him, as he got a few metres closer to his way out. The other one shot bullets at him, finding him getting away. Zane hid his head as his enchanted cloak did its work, though the bullets thumped against his body quite painfully. The mission turns out to be more than what he could pay for. It is going to cost a lot to fix his stuff.

Anyway, he was off. Zane turned to look at the face of the bloodsucker for the last time and pushed against the heavy boulder, blocking his way. A small gap appeared, which turned out enough for him to slide out to safety.

“God damn it!” Zane swore the very moment he got out. "You can't really be serious."

The reason for his outburst was that it was still dark, the sun hadn’t risen yet. The only thing that could salvage his situation. As a rebellious mist drifted in the land, obscuring his vision enough that he had trouble finding the right route, not that he would be able to get away easily.

Shaking his head in despair, Zane rushed out, as disruptive spell work formed behind him. The heavy boulder that closed off the entrance to the underground world shattered into thousands of shards of stones as fiery hot liquid flames sizzled out of the cave.

Blasted heroes! Zane felt like the whole world wanted him to die. He staggered his exhausted body with all his might, only to hear a few footsteps behind him, spreading out to encircle him.

"You," a voice said in all its coldness one could master. Zane turned to find the vampire sorceress standing with her eyes glowing in malevolent, blood smeared on her face. Mist warped around her as spiritual energy undulated with her seeping out anger.

The two others stood on his left and right, blocking his way. Zane shook his head as if they could block his way. "See you around, sucker."

Dominion of Gravity stirred inside him as he pushed against the earth to lurch up in the air as the vampires punched towards him. Now, Zane was too exhausted to even muster half of his speed, but all he could be enough to get from their trails. Or at least, buy time until the sun comes on.

"You're not escaping now," screamed the pyromancer. A spear of fire formed over her head and shot at him. Zane dodged that, as he was always perfective of the spellcaster's attack. But it appeared she was in no mood to stop now.

Zane manoeuvred his anchor at an acute angle to fly away, knowing these vampires wouldn't let him to that easily since once they got hold of him. Though the mist created obscurity in his sight, enough for him to lose the way, it still helped him hide his tracks. Still, keeping the dominion running for long was a challenge for him. He needed to take a brother soon, or he might fall right into the vampire's grasp.

Thinking that Zane created a few false tracks over a couple of kilometres to fly out of their way to take shelter against a ridge, panting frantically. His chest heaved up and down as he looked towards the southern sky, wasting to see any sign of sunrise.

With the mist obscuring his vision, he could make out nothing. Zane groaned and stayed limp against the rocky ridge, hoping the vampires would never find him. But he was still not without options. Yes, it would cost him a lot, but outside the dark cavern, he had ways to deal with the vampire.

Zane has already taken healing potions twice in the last couple of days to have one now. It could seriously strain his body and leave him paralysed or with long-term consequences. But if they must, he might take them with him as well.

_ _ _

Another entry for this opener of volume two. Sorry for the delays.

Also shameless shoutout for PA TREON.

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