4 Chapter 4 ~ The Thirst That Drives You Mad
( I know that I've spent a lot of time in designing the facial structure of Vlad Alucard so it was sure to look good... but... )
Looking at the people staring at him, he was nothing but stunned. The females were gazing at him in awe while the males were staring at him very intently; they must have gotten jealous of the reaction Shiro was getting from the females.
There were many people that were placed on both sides of the gate: mainly people who were leaving the city, and people who were going inside; and it seems that every one of them was staring at Shiro.
( Uwah... I should've disguised my face too! ) he shouted those words only inside his mind.
He then started to hear the people staring at him gossip, something about him being a noble, or an angel.
It shocked Shiro first to the fact that he can understand the words they were saying. So he thought that they must be also Japanese, but of course, he knows that it was not the case. The fact that he somehow suddenly got transported to this world as his in-game character was more shocking than instantly understanding the language of a different world.
After enduring the embarrassment for a long time, the long line of people earlier has finally shortened.
He was now under ( inside ) the large gate he was gazing at earlier. The walls and the gate looks very sturdy; It can easily say that they were well-built and well-maintained.
~~~
After another short while of waiting, it was now Shiro's turn to face the guard.
It seems that the guards will inspect and will question the people who want to go inside the city first before they can go inside. This was to prevent any danger or threat that might come if they just casually let people inside the city without any proper inspections.
Facing the guard in front of him, Shiro felt nervous -
The guard in front of him was wearing metal armor on both his upper body and his lower. He also has a large helmet that covers the entirety of his face which prevented Shiro from seeing the expression the guard currently has.
[ Wha-What is your purpose for visiting? ] with what seems to be a cracking nervous voice, the guard had asked him the question.
[ Umm... I came to this city to visit a friend. ] Shiro answered with confidence in his voice. Everyone would believe that what he had said was the truth.
- But the obvious truth was that his answer was a lie.
While waiting earlier for the line of people to clear up, he had already prepared an answer to all possible questions that the guards might ask. That was how prepared he was.
[ I-Is that so? Then, let me inspect yo-your clothes first...! ] the guard said, stuttering his words in the process.
( Why does he talks this...? I guess it's either he's suspicious of me... or he's just really nervous. ) - Shiro uttered inside his head. That's what he thought -
And what Shiro had guessed was correct -
The moment the guard saw Shiro standing in line earlier, he immediately put his helmet on. He does not normally do this but he thought that he will definitely get nervous in the face of such a "Beautiful" man, even if he was a man himself; he simply doesn't want to show his nervous face in front of such a Man.
And then finally, after he questioned him: "What is your purpose for visiting?", it was time to inspect the man's clothes -
The guard was nervous to death. He has never seen clothes so Luxurious and so Sumptuous in his life. He was afraid of touching Shiro's clothes as he might accidentally put some dirt on it.
Only pretending that he was actually touching and checking Shiro's clothes, he gently caressed the air an inch away from the clothes. While doing this repeatedly, sweat ran from his head down to his chin. And finally, after a moment later, he had finished the act and he finally stood up.
[ Whew~ I-I've finished my inspection! You are now free to go inside, Sir! We-Welcome to Altair City! ] forming his hand in a straight line against his forehead, he uttered those words.
( Wha-What the hell was that!? He did not even try to touch my clothes! ) Shiro perplexedly shouted inside his head.
Shiro might've not been able to see the expression on his face, but with his tone and actions, he figured out that the guard must really be nervous more than what he had expected.
[ Then... Thank you very much... ]
Leaving those words behind, Shiro finally put his first step inside the city, outside the gate.
[ Whew~ ]
Somehow, he was still able to hear the sigh of relief of the guard inside.
( Really... I should've made a full-on disguise... )
Turning his back to the guard, he muttered those words regretfully inside his head.
Now that he was finally inside the city, the first thing Shiro saw was the same "Stares" he got basked in back when he was still outside - but never minding and ignoring the stares of the people looking far away in front of him, he turned his head downwards and then upwards to look at the city in front of him instead.
( It seems that this world is really different from mine... )
The road below his feet was made of cobblestones. The well-built houses and buildings beside him were also made out of stones and bricks; there were also some others that were made of logs and wood. Having made out of different materials, there were almost no buildings that look the same; it was completely different from the houses of the new generation of his country - Japan - where almost all houses in the streets look the same.
The people too also look completely different from the people he sees every day in his country. Their faces resemble more of that of a western person from his world. Furthermore, their clothes also almost look the same as the clothes in the Medieval Era of the same western part of his world.
While still turning his head to all possible directions, Shiro started to walk; gazing at all things he has never before seen in his life.
***
Now inside the city, Shiro was trying to figure out what he should do.
He started walking since earlier, and now, he has spent a lot more time walking than the time he has waited outside the gate.
Looking around, all the buildings and even the roads inside the city were something you would only be able to see in a European country; which in Shiro's case, in western movies.
Flipping a coin he took from his inventory with his fingers, he stopped walking and started to think.
( I wonder if I can trade these coins... )
Shiro was able to figure out how to take out the items from his inventory. He had no idea at first, but now that he's able to, he can do many things with it.
There are about a million of these gold coins in his inventory, if he will be able to trade them with the coins of this world, he will automatically become rich.
While pondering this matter, a huge shout came out in the crowd in front of him. Not a moment later, people had already gathered to where the voice came.
Interested, or perhaps curious, Shiro immediately came running towards the crowd. And the soon he got close, he heard the shouts of two individuals fighting against each other.
[ What did you say about me!? ] the shout came from the left side corner of the crowd, a girl holding a sword is currently struggling to escape from the hold of two men trying to stop her in her rampage.
[ Hold that woman down, that bitch has the guts to punch my face...! We'll show her how we deal with bitches in this place. ] a large man with a large figure stood up from the ground. Caressing the red part of his face that had probably got hit by the girl, he stood straight in front of the girl and smiled mockingly.
[ You bitch... If this is all that you can do, you might as well quit being an adventurer. You better off becoming a prostitute or something. ] leaning his head towards the girl's face, he said those mocking words.
[ You... You ugly basta - ]
SFX: SMACK! SMACK!
Before she could even finish her sentence, she was hit by two slaps from the big hands of the man.
...
...
Not a moment later, blood came running down her forehead.
At this moment, Shiro was stunned. His head turned black and his vision grew dim.
It happened the moment the girl got hit in her face...
No -
It happened when the girl's blood came running down her head.
( ...What is happening...? )
As she saw the blood of the girl, time seemed to have stopped. In his vision was only him, and the girl inside the crowd. His heart was beating fast, his body started to sweat, and his already keen senses became keener.
One would say that the sensation he was having right now was the same kind of situation that happens when a boy has suddenly seen his crush - but for Shiro - that seemed not to be the case.
He unconsciously licked his lips. He seems thirsty. Very thirsty.
As if he hasn't drink anything at all for a long - long time, he was very thirsty.
( I need to drink something... Something... Something... ) as that thought came into his mind, he focused his sight on the girl that is currently getting beaten up, more particularly, in her neck.
SFX: DUN!
Snap*
As if he got suddenly woken up by the sound of the girl falling into the ground, he came back to normal.
[ Hehe? We wouldn't mind stripping you up right here, you know? But we need to beat you up first before we do that of course. ]
Coming back to his senses, he finally figured out how grim the situation in front of him was.
( Why is no one helping her? )
As he looked around the crowd, there seem to be no one who has the guts to stop them. Everyone was either looking at the girl with pity, or with a smile on their faces.
( This is pretty messed up... )
[ Appraisal...! ] trying to not gather any attention, he casts the skill.
( Appraisal: Result )
Name: Gondo
Race: Human
Level: 27
Job Class: Swordsman
Health: 34/112
( Appraisal: Result )
Name: Cassandra
Race: Human
Level: 23
Job Class: Swordsman
Health: 137/145
( They're pretty weak... ) that was the first thing that came into his mind.
After analyzing their stats, Shiro figures that he immediately needs to help the girl.
The girl's Health Bar that only Shiro can see was slowly decreasing. If it reaches 0, the girl might faint, or worst, she might die.
[ Hypnosis... ]
Hypnosis - A Lv 7 spell that allows the user to temporarily paralyze the movements of people it was cast into. Players who're level are 75% much lower than the caster, can be controlled for a short moment of time; this was the reason why many people use this spell to troll with rookie players.
Shiro cast the spell to the two people who were holding the girl earlier.
Almost instantly, the smiles on their faces disappeared and were replaced by blank looks.
[ Beat that guy up till his HP drops to 10... ] whispering those words with a very quiet voice with no one can hear, he was able to give his command to his new Temporary underlings.
SFX:BAM!
A punch then came flying towards the man's face.
[ Wha-What the hell are yo - ! ]
Shiro's underlings cornered the man and he was left with no other choice but to lay to the ground.
And just like that, the two men he was ordering earlier have turned against him; beating him up to a pulp inside the crowd.
( Well, he deserves it... I think. )
[ What the hell...? ] the girl lying on the ground sat up, and she was only able to whisper those words to herself with confusion.
[ Heal. ] with those words, a dim light enveloped the girl's body and the pain she felt earlier instantly disappeared.
( I guess that's enough for now... ) After casting "Heal" on the girl, he finally turned his back to the crowd, uninterested.
[ But... What the hell was that thing earlier... ] putting a hand on top of his head, he muttered those words.
The thirst, no - lust - he felt earlier almost consumed him. He felt like something was about to come out inside him. It was like something was taking over his body.
( Is that one of Vlad's racial abilities... I think rather than ability... It was more of a curse... )
Shiro still does not know what his current situation is, but he knows that this now might be his new reality.
It was then this time that he accepted the fact that the dream about him getting hit by a truck might not be a dream at all, but reality.
