When Genji walked into the hunter branch in this town, he noticed everyone was on edge. Hearing the door swing open, everyone's head snapped in his direction, and their hands unconsciously reached for their weapons. When they realized it was a fellow hunter, they quickly relaxed.
"What's going on?" he asked the person in charge.
"The vampires started moving again," the person explained, understanding that Genji hadn't heard the news yet. Not much of a surprise when the news only arrived two days ago.
"What do you mean by moving?"
"The main HQ was attacked five days ago. They suffered massive casualties and are asking for strong hunters to reinforce them. It's up to you if you want to join."
[You have discovered the response mechanism: Vampire War]
Description: After discovering a Duke's death, the vampires felt threatened and launched a war to exterminate the hunters.
"I'll head over then," Genji replied, ready to join this war to weaken the vampires. He pulled out a map and confirmed his route, realizing that HQ was relatively close. This discovery also explained how this branch got news of the attack so quickly.
Then Genji replenished his supplies and set off again under Bruce's begrudging stare.
'Why are we leaving already? We barely got any rest! How am I supposed to show off if we leave like this? This is animal cruelty! '
After a few more days of galloping at full speed, they reached a large fortress town surrounded by sturdy walls. Countless scratches and bloodstains adorned the exteriors, demonstrating the many triumphant battles it had experienced.
The world of Evernight was separated into two parts. The humans inhabited a small part of this world, overseen by the vampire hunters for protection. In this area, towns were built as people settled in areas of semi-fertile soil.
Outside of this area was the uncharted wilderness, an area ruled solely by vampires. There were occasionally some humans in the wilderness, but they were all blood slaves that were kept like animals. That was why human territory was considered the only realm of safety.
And at the crossroads between the two territories was this fortress that withstood the tests of time, keeping the people behind them safe. The hunters in this location killed vampires at a staggering rate, doing their best to keep these bloodsuckers out.
But this job was a difficult one, and some strays were bound to slip through. That was what the weaker hunters inside were hunting. In this way, the hunters could nurture the next generation and keep the villagers safe.
Those who didn't have the potential would become the teachers of those after them, continuing this cycle until they produced a hunter outstanding enough to lead them in a counterattack.
Although only a century had passed since the hunter's establishment, 19 generations had occupied this fortress, making each generation only five years. The life expectancy of a hunter was that short.
Genji dismounted and approached, noticing that one part of the walls looked newer than the surrounding material. It was like this fortress was once breached and later repaired. From the signs of wear on the surface, Genji was certain this structure was another remnant of the previous era which the hunters repurposed.
Since he had seen what a proper fortress was like in the Spatial Battlefield, Genji knew that many of its initial features were in disrepair. Take that large orb on the tallest tower, for example. He was certain that it was some kind of energy storage, but it was dull grey right now, signifying its emptiness.
For some reason, the hunters of this world had lost their inheritance of the power system, leaving only their potential and mortal bodies to fight against the vampires.
When Genji walked through the gates, a heavy scent of iron and blood hit him. Looking around, he saw countless hunters in makeshift medical rooms. Bloody bandages and other dirty cloths wrapped their wounds, trying to stop their bleeding. It was a devastating sight filled with misery and death.
Many became disabled in this unsanitary environment while the lucky few that survived experienced a period of weakness. The only factor keeping them in fighting condition was their willpower and perseverance to protect.
From their fresh wounds, Genji speculated that they had experienced another attack since the last time he heard about them. Taking his silver tag, Genji met up with the other hunters in the fortress.
Upon entering the canteen, he saw many familiar faces in passing. Many of them were people he had become acquainted with through the many coven exterminations he had joined.
At the edge of the room, a blue-haired teen sat by himself, reminiscing about his past. This was Connor, who had experienced another jump in strength since the last time we saw him. Excluding Genji, Connor was the hunter who had the highest promotion speed, currently achieving Silver rank, the same as many of these elites.
Then there was Lazul, the silver-ranked hunter that Genji teamed up with during his first Coven extermination. He was also sitting by himself, polishing his sword. For some reason, all of Genji's acquaintances were either eccentrics or lone wolves.
Zepher, who was also in his own corner, only supported that statement. Other than him, there were no realm members in sight. It had been 2.5 months since Genji entered this world, so everyone who entered with him had already finished their mission and left.
As for the people who entered after them, they weren't at the level for the branch managers to tell them about this event. What was the point if they didn't have a way to get there? That was why everyone in this fortress possessed the strength of silver rank, the equivalent of a Count.
"Night Stalker, you're here," a rowdy hunter called out to him with a raised mug. This was the hunter who told stories about Genji's feats and got people to buy him a drink.
"How can I not when such a fun event is happening?"
"Haha, that's true. With your hatred for vampires, you would never give up a chance to kill so many vampires. I'm just surprised that you didn't come here sooner."
"I had other business to attend to, especially in the wilderness."
"Makes sense. You were the person that exposed those traitors so you must have been furious. With your tracking abilities, I'm sure you must have made them pay."
"There definitely is less of them in this world." Genji chuckled and grabbed some food. Then he sat in his own corner until a loud vibrant bell echoed from above.
Hearing this, many of the hunters grabbed their weapons and rushed out to the walls. Genji followed and arrived to see a group of vampires below. They were quickly approaching, giving them little time to react. Due to the year-round darkness and night fog, it was hard to spot these figures from a distance.
The hunters drew their crossbows and unleashed a storm of arrows, but the projectiles were easily blocked by blood arts. Technology hadn't kept up with their powers so these crossbows were the same that veteran-ranked hunters used.
Knowing they were dealing with a squad of elites, many of them ran downstairs to open a latch in the middle of the walls. Then they jumped out and unleashed a killing spree among the group.
They effortlessly carved through the crowd like a hot knife through butter, killing just fast enough to outpace the flowing blood around them. In a matter of seconds, they reached the back lines where all the noble vampires were.
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A Baron was enough to stall them, and a Count was enough to trouble them. As they stalled out, dangerous blood arts came down on them. They parried what they could and endured the weaker ones, opting to damage the opponents before them. Blood splattered everywhere, but their bodies were strong enough to continue.
It was a chaotic battle where stray attacks flew everywhere. If they weren't careful, they would be hit by the blood arts of another vampire, catching them off guard.
One silver-ranked hunter landed in this situation and was forced to launch a suicidal exchange, praying he could finish the Count. His battle axe came down, but his opponent reacted with his own counterattack.
From the difference between their reaches, the hunter knew the vampire's attack would land first. Once that happens, his attack would only deviate from the impact. At best, he would severely injure the vampire, but that meant nothing on a battlefield filled with blood. Vampires could easily regenerate themselves using it. It's his demise.
But to his surprise, a cross bolt came out of nowhere and struck his opponent's shoulder, slowing him enough for the hunter's attack to land first. Without thinking further, the hunter grasped this opportunity with all his might and severed the approaching blood claw. Then he pivoted, transitioning to a whirlwind, and cutting down everyone in a two-meter radius.
Once he stopped, he glanced at the origin of the timely assistance and saw Genji throwing his crossbow at someone on his right. Then he caught a preloaded crossbow and scoured the battlefield for other people who needed help.
"Remember to dip the bolt heads in silverbane. I won't be able to do much damage otherwise," he calmly reminded his helpers.
Unlike the other hunters, Genji had chosen to remain on the wall and provide ranged support. Compared to the other hunters, Genji's stats were inadequate for a silver rank. Granted, he could temporarily rival a gold-ranked hunter once he activated Berserk, but that wouldn't change the outcome of this battle.
That was why he opted to play this role. Instantly taking command, he regrouped the remaining hunters into a production line to maximize his efficiency. He had 8 people on his right to catch the crossbows he used and had the people on his left reload them. Other than them, there was a third group responsible for transporting the unloaded crossbows back to the start, propelling this machine gun fire rate.
In this manner, Genji would shoot multiple attacks per second and mitigate the injuries of the hunters. It was mostly the silver hunters who needed his help, but he would occasionally assist in creating openings for the gold hunters. Because of this, the hunters were able to rapidly cull the crowd and force a retreat.
Yet this meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. In the ranks of the vampire army, this was simply a scout team, led by a Marquis to harass them. Their goal was to ensure that the hunters were constantly injured, even if minor. That way, when the main army arrived, they would sweep the fortress against these tired defenders.
"I didn't know you were such a marksman," the hunters said, gathering around Genji.
"I have my methods."
"That's true. A good hunter never relies on one trick. That being said, that's some aim you have there."
Then they returned inside the fortress to patch themselves up, readying for another attack. This was the third time already, and there were no signs of stopping. The vampires were making a big move, and they needed to maintain combat conditions at all times.
Genji also returned and got some rest. That barrage of attacks had severely drained his concentration.
After two days of rest, the same bell sounded. By now, Genji knew this was the signal for another wave. He rushed onto the walls and continued his barrage. This time, the attackers were larger in numbers, forcing the hunters to fight in steadfast formation instead of charging through their ranks like before.
The watchers smoothly got into position and cooperated with him, allowing the fighters below to pile on kills faster than the vampires expected. The battle continued like before, but toward the end, three Marquises showed up and fought a grueling battle against them.
Mind you, the gold hunters could only match Marquises in body stats, but not abilities. This meant that it took multiple gold-ranked hunters to fight a Marquis, making this a hazardous battle. To continue his support, Genji manifested [Curse Bearer] at the opportune moment and heavily injured one Marquis.
Seeing this unexpected threat, the Marquises quickly retreated, utilizing their teamwork to ward off all attempts at their lives. The heavily injured hunters were forced to stay back and allow this, as pursuing would only lead to problematic scenarios.
"Things just became more troublesome," Genji muttered as he returned to the canteen to replenish his energy. On the way, he saw countless injuries and even more questionable medical treatments.
"I know your bodies are strong, but shouldn't you sanitize that knife before you use it to operate? At least that way, you don't force your body to fight against the germs," Genji called out with a frown.
The medic in question stopped the blade that was about to open his patient's chest and turned to Genji with an unhappy expression. Everyone knew it was bad practice to interrupt the medic mid-treatment like this, especially with such heavy injuries. A single slip and their comrades could die under their hands.
"What do you mean?" The medic asked unhappily. The only reason he didn't lash out was that Genji obtained the praises of many hunters.
"Dip it in silverbane or burn it. Hell, soak it in alcohol, and it'll still be better than what you're doing."
"Look, I respect your abilities, but can you please leave this conversation for later? I need to start the treatment right away or he'll die."
*Sigh*
"Sure," Genji said, defeated, and muttered to himself. "Why are the medical practices of this world so backward?"
"Backward? How so?" Zepher, who heard his comments, asked with curiosity, causing Genji to look at him stupidly.
"You too?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Have you been just spamming consumables after battle?"
"Yeah. How else am I supposed to heal?"
Hearing his response, Genji was starting to understand how attractive his adapting healing potion was. If everyone had this mentality, it was only a matter of time before they went bankrupt from this burden. The less combat-active members might not face this problem, but champions definitely would.
"Is it just me or did no one invest in medical knowledge?"
"Of course, I did. I know how to bandage myself and realign my bones," Zepher replied with pride.
Genji facepalmed, knowing full well Zepher's "realign" only meant pop back into a usable position; a position that allowed him to continue fighting but would have long-lasting problems. Genji knew this because he had seen how roughly Zepher treated his wounds in the past. If he had to guess, Zepher has been relying on the healing provided by EverRealm after worlds to deal with these hidden injuries.
"I forgot how backward your world was. No wonder you never noticed anything wrong with this."
"Is that contempt I hear?"
"On second thought, I guess it never mattered with your power system. You people were too busy worrying about suppressing your curses, so these problems never had time to surface. And even if they did, revival would bring you back to peak condition. The same applies to this world. People never live long enough to have to worry about disease and illness. If there were such afflictions, they wouldn't survive anyway."
In response, Zepher gave Genji a blank look, not understanding anything of what he just said.
"Hey medic, let me," Genji called out, hoping his knowledge could improve their situation.
If there really was going to be a war, he couldn't allow the hunters to be weakened by little factors like these. Not when they were the main fighting force against the vampires, and Genji needed their help against a prince.
The medic gave him a skeptical glance, but Genji snatched the bandages from his hand before he could react. Then he gently pushed him aside before he could stop him.
Pulling out a medical needle and threading it with stitches made from degradable materials, Genji swiftly sewed the wounds shut. Then he unraveled the bandages and cast-wrapped them. It was a rough treatment, but the hunters could manage. Right now, they needed to prioritize speed over effectiveness since leaving open wounds in this environment was worse.
"Think you can do something similar?" Genji asked the wide-eyed medic.
"I- ah..."
"I'll take that as a no. For now, wash their wounds with silver shade water or diluted silverbane. If you can do that, I'll take care of the rest."
"I never realized you were a doctor," Zepher commented.
"I don't want to die from wounds after battle when I run out of healing items. Now spread the word and get other people to help out. With what we will be facing, we will need as many combatants as possible."
A grave expression formed on his face, but Zepher chose not to ask. Genji was reliable as long as he didn't become an enemy. They might have their differences, but Zepher got his resolution.
Minutes later, the other medics noticed the commotion, but they welcomed the help. There were never enough medics to go around, so any extra help greatly relieved their burden.
Hours passed like this before everyone let out a sigh of relief. Sweat dripped down their faces, but happy smiles were apparent. Despite the severe injuries, not a single hunter died during this period.
To the people of this world, this was a miracle made possible only with Genji's medical knowledge and fast movements. After all, medics weren't exactly known for their strong bodies.
Genji ignored the people around him and found Zepher again.
"Bring me to someone with authority. With how things are going, we need to make some changes if we want to preserve our strength."
Minutes later, Genji stood before some older gold-ranked hunters. These were people who succumbed to the sands of time, weakened and feeble. Yet with this period, they gained the wisdom to lead the group.
"What's this for?" They asked after reading the list of items Genji handed over.
"I might not look like it, but my main strength is substance concoction. If you can provide me with these materials, I'm confident I can make something that will hinder the vampires' blood arts."
The elderly hunters stared at him for some time before finally speaking up with a sharp gaze.
"You're not from this world, are you?"
In response, Genji smiled, happy to finally meet someone who understood his situation. This would save him a lot of explanations and make this process smoother.
"As long as you help me kill a specific vampire, we won't have any conflicts," Genji explained his objective and eased the worries of these leaders.
"How confident are you?"
"Confident enough after fighting so many vampires."
With that, both parties reached out and shook each other's hands, content with this cooperation.