Ejiro Sani walked up to a dark wooden closet. After opening it, he realized it was empty.

Then, he manipulated the wooden panel facing the wall until it slid, revealing an opening.

Ejiro walked to the other side. ‘That’s surprising. To think there was a small village underneath this shop.’

He was standing atop a large slope that cycled an entire cavern before reaching the bottom, where stood many small lodgings.

“You should have just told me about it instead of attacking me.” The Vampire Hunter looked at the shop owner. He was dead, laid on the ground with a thick layer of blood.

…

Isaac was still in the other vampire hideout. Apart from the trio he had killed, the place seemed deserted. However, judging by the state of the chambers he visited, the other vampires had left no more than a day ago.

“How did you acquire this magic?” asked Carlyle, the soul floating next to him.

Isaac sighed, “I think it was when I got caught by those bad guys on my first mission for the Snowrider faction. I had been submerged in a fluid the same colour as my new magic. But up until recently, I believed I had just imagined it.

“I heard of a type of magic rumoured to have been discovered by the Dark Faction, red magic. That’s why I decided to call it such.”

Carlyle thought for a moment. “That could be a clue to finding the Dark Faction…

“Isaac. Your next target… who’s absorbed hundreds of us… is very close… I can sense them.”

The young mage peeked into the closest room. The door was already open, and a sign indicated that it was a bar.

In a barren bar sat a middle-aged man at the counter with a glass of crimson beverage.

The man had sharp black wings, long fangs, and pure white skin. It was a high vampire dressed in black.

“Hey, kid, you aren’t who I was expecting. The Vampire Hunter’s not here?”

Isaac stood firmly and summoned his spear. His eyes glowed red. “No. You’ll be facing me.”

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“I was hoping to have a duel with him, but I guess you’ll do.”

Isaac remained vigilant despite the regenerative ability that came with his new power. After all, he had a limited amount of mana. ‘He’s stronger than the other ones. I need to be careful-’

A fireball came out of the vampire’s fist. He had kept a portion of his fire mana pool intact after turning. It was the unlikely phenomenon mister Sani had told Aaron about.

“Shit!” Isaac changed his spear into a shield and narrowly redirected the fire to the right.

“Phew~”

“Not bad!” the man laughed.

However, as Isaac looked back at the vampire, his life flashed before his eyes. A strong lightning-fast fist smashed the inexperienced mage, sending him straight to a wooden table.

*Crash*

The table split in two. Isaac fell into a temporary stun as a few of his bones broke.

“But you’re still a child- Huh? Huh?” The high vampire’s face became tense.

Defying his expectations, Isaac began laughing uncontrollably.

“Why are you laughing?!”

*Bvoom!*

“What?!” The vampire scarcely evaded the sudden red beam which sprang from Isaac’s palm.

“If that wasn’t enough, then avoid this!” Sneering, Isaac pointed his two hands at the vampire and continuously released hot beams of magic.

Even with his unnatural speed, the man was having trouble dodging them.

‘I can’t underestimate this kid! I need to end this!’ The vampire cast a massive fire beam toward his opponent.

Isaac remained still on the ground. He didn’t even try to block it and endured the blazing sensation, no doubt, because of the red magic influencing his mind.

“You lost!” The vampire jumped into the fire with his fist, ready to crush Isaac’s skull and settle the fight.

*ZAP*

The man opened his eyes. Strangely, his heart rate was dropping rapidly.

Above him was Isaac in his ragged and burnt clothes, a blue spear scratching his neck.

“I also have two powers,” Isaac explained, with one eye glowing red and the other blue.

“Oh…” The dying man had gotten electrified. His body was losing strength, and his life was in Isaac’s hands.

He made one last desperate attempt to cling to his life. “The truth is, I stayed here to inform the Vampire Hunter that some guy, Aaron, had been taken hostage.”

“What?!” Isaac tensed up.

The vampire grinned. “So you know him then. Why don’t you let me live, and I’ll guide you?”

*Slice* Blood suddenly flew out of the middle-aged man’s neck. His heart had stopped beating.

“NO.”

Isaac bottled up the anger as best he could. “I need to find Ejiro.”