Hide and Seek

"If you want me to be gentle with him, maybe you're looking for a babysitter rather than a trainer, Captain."

Raine's eyes narrowed darkly at Nyx, but Vince could see that the man wasn't intimidated. He kept his cool as if nothing could scare him.

"That's one way to ask for death, Nyx. How could you ask your captain for such a thing?" Raine's voice was sweet, but her hazel eyes were cold.

"I didn't say you should treat him with utmost gentleness like a child. I only told you not to be too harsh because I know how cruel your methods can be. Remember, Vince isn't an ordinary trainee. He's my potential mate, and I hope you respect him."

"I give all living things the same degree of respect, Captain."

"Don't worry, Lady Raine. I'll watch over Master Vince and make sure he's fine throughout the training," Fiona butted in.

"It's fine, Raine," Vince said calmly. "I'm not fragile, and I've managed to achieve the goals you've set for me over the past couple of days. I'll be alright."

Raine gave Nyx a warning glare and then turned to Vince with a bright smile like she suddenly turned into a different person.

"Take care of yourself, then. I'll have dinner with you later, so do your best, okay?"

"Okay."

Raine left in her carriage. Vince watched it rise into the sky, then turned to the man in front of him, who looked like an undead.

This guy seriously needs some sleep.

"We meet again," Nyx said.

Vince remembered something and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, and I was reminded that you didn't thank me yesterday after I helped you find the criminal. Did you catch him?"

"Yes, we caught him. Thank you."

Vince thought the Dracula didn't sound genuinely thankful. His 'thank you' felt empty, as if the words held no real meaning. Or maybe it was his expression and the bland tone of his voice. Vince thought it might just be his personality.

"Let's not waste time here. Follow me."

Nyx turned away and started running toward the forest.

Vince followed him while Fiona flew above his head. Nyx ran so fast that Vince could no longer see him, even with his enhanced eyesight.

"Hey, what is Nyx's power class?" he asked Fiona while running.

Though he could no longer see the man, he still knew where he was going by tracing his scent.

"He has an amethyst stone."

"Oh. Regnant, then. Just a rank below Raine's class."

That's probably why he's acting all arrogant and has the guts to annoy Raine.

"Run faster, Master Vince. Don't keep Nyx waiting!"

Vince hissed at Fiona. "Don't boss me around. You're my pet servant, not my master."

The sassy cat didn't say anything and flew ahead of him.

Vince ran faster as well. Compared to when he was human, he could see a significant difference in his current physical state.

He had better agility and much better speed. He couldn't run as fast as Nyx, considering the gap in their classes, and he was still an ordinary powerless guy, but he knew there was plenty of room for improvement.

Vince stopped in a part of the forest where the last trace of Nyx's scent ended.

After a certain point, the scent vanished as if Nyx had disappeared from the surface of the world.

The trees didn't carry his scent either, so he must not have jumped into the trees after running for a while.

Vince looked around and noticed Fiona was gone too.

Where did that cat go?

The forest was very silent, with towering trees casting long shadows.

Occasionally, the wind made the trees and leaves sway, some leaves falling to the ground. Crickets and other insects made distinct sounds, along with chirping birds.

But beyond that, there was no other noise. No footsteps or anything else.

What was that guy planning?

He was sure he had followed the scent correctly and hadn't gotten lost.

"Hey, Vice-captain! Are we playing hide and seek now?"

He should have at least given me a heads-up.

Vince started to get annoyed when he suddenly heard a voice.

"You don't know how to draw energy from nature, which is why your soul force isn't enough to awaken your power core."

Vince darted his gaze around, looking for Nyx, but he couldn't find him anywhere.

It was hard to trace the voice. From the loudness of the voice, he knew Nyx was nearby, but there were no traces. No scent, no visual signs, just nothing.

"I heard the Captain has been training you for the last two days, and I can see that your body seems to be in good shape. You are more agile and faster than the average dormant demon, yet it's not enough to awaken your power core, which led me to think that you are just really ungifted and unlucky. Why else would you remain dormant with your body's physical state?"

"Are you here to criticize me or to train me? Tsk."

"I'm just stating facts so you wouldn't have unrealistic expectations. I know Raine is encouraging you, and maybe she has her reasons for pushing you to awaken, but I'm telling you this in case the results of your training don't turn out in your favor."

"I know. I know…" Vince's fist clenched, and he looked down, his hair falling over his eyes. His lips curled into a smirk.

"There's a chance this training won't work out, yes, but I want to give it my all and see it through. So, I'd appreciate it if you stopped disheartening me because it isn't helping. If it turns out unfavorably, at least I gave my best. A person's hope can strengthen his willpower, you know."

There was silence for a moment.

Then Vince lifted his head and smiled. He vowed to himself that he would grow powerful so people would stop looking down on him.