The Winter Hunt (4)

"So those are the Elders of the Everwinter House…"

Once again, I was reminded of how vast the world truly was. While I bragged about one day becoming the strongest being in the world, right now I was far from the summit. A mere Elder was already capable of eviscerating Outer Demons that were as powerful as A-Rank Hunters. Compared to them, my Telekinetic abilities did seem rather stale.

"But… I won't lose."

Did I feel intimidated? Wary that I could never surpass them in the future? Of course not! I knew full well what my potential was. With my extensive knowledge of magic and rapid learning capabilities, I knew that I would eventually surpass those who stood at the precipice of the food chain.

It was just a matter of time.

Besides, as the days continued to go by and I'd begun to familiarise myself with my Vampire Aspect, I became more convinced that it wasn't just Telekinesis…

"Brother…"

"Hmmm?"

Irina's gentle voice broke me from my mental dedication, forcing my gaze to follow her line of sight. As suspected, a group of Vampires who looked like they were in their twenties were glaring right at us as if we were their mortal enemies.

"Who are they?"

"They must be members of Damien's faction," Irina spat in annoyance. "They probably were sent to back Trent in recruiting me. And since you've foiled their plans, they naturally aren't happy."

"Hoh…"

So they were part of that scum's crew? Should I give them a 'warm' greeting?

No… That would cause too much of a commotion. I'd already incapacitated Trent, and besides, they have yet to actually show that they were a threat. I couldn't just restrain someone just because they looked at me funnily. However, if they dared to lay a single finger on Irina…

My eyes turned red as my bloodlust spiked. It was odd. Normally, I was quite adept at controlling my emotions. Yet, ever since meeting Irina and turning into a Vampire, I couldn't tolerate anyone even breathing a single bad word in her direction. Even that incident with Trent before. I wouldn't have outright plummeted the guy, no matter how irritated I was back when I was a human.

Was this part of my original self? Or was I affected by the Vampire's instincts?

Haha, no it didn't matter what caused this change in me. I quite liked how honest I'd become. Rather than hiding behind social norms, I've come to accept that my actions spoke louder than any threat I could give.

And thus…

I stared. No, my red eyes burst forth with magic power, causing the Vampires to subconsciously take a step back. Since they were trying to intimidate me, I decided to fight fire with fire. It didn't matter what happened to me; I wasn't going to forgive anyone who aimed at my precious little sister, even if they were an Everwinter House Elder.

"Stop it, Master Jin." Variel raised his hand in front of me, suppressing my urge to fight. "It's not worth dirtying your hands. If they pick a fight, I'll handle it myself."

Although those lackeys weren't afraid of me whatsoever, the moment Variel showed his intention to fight, their bloodlust faded away like snow in the Summer Sun. After snorting to show their dissatisfaction, they turned away and quickly moved to their starting locations.

"Hmph, just a bunch of cowards."

Irina folded her arms and spat once again. And well, I was inclined to agree with her statement. If they wanted to pick a fight, they should have the balls to finish it. If they were going to turn tail the moment Variel intervened, they weren't worthy of being my opponents, to begin with.

"Young Miss, we should get going as well."

Variel bowed and began to guide us to the starting point of the Winter Hunt. Since we were participating in it to appease the Matriarch and the other Elders, Irina needed to at least kill a number of the captured Outer Demons. Or at the very least, she needed to showcase her abilities so that no one could question her position as heir-in-training.

"Remember that I won't be actively participating in the hunt. I will protect you if a dangerous threat were to present itself, but otherwise, everything will be in your hands, Young Miss."

"Yeah, just leave it to me."

If Variel participated, it wouldn't even be a competition. The man was a three-thousand-year-old Vampire that had served the Everwinter House since its inception. If he wanted to, he could annihilate the entire field of Demons without breaking a sweat. The only reason he was allowed into the arena was to serve as Irina's guardian.

Therefore, the only ones that could actively hunt the Outer Demons with Irina were me, my parents and Luminita, the battle maid that served at Irina's side.

"Luminita, assist Irina in any way you can."

"Understood!"

The silver-haired maid bowed respectfully as she received her orders. I've rarely interacted with the girl for the past month since she always seemed to be busy with something. In fact, I can't even remember the last time we talked until today. However, since Irina and Variel had so much trust in her, I decided to believe in their faith.

It didn't take long for our small group to reach the hunt's starting point. Unlike the other factions that had dozens, if not hundreds of younger True Vampires or Blood Servants. Our party was only six people strong. Well, if you excluded Variel, we only had five fighting bodies.

And so, when the siren of the hunt finally sounded, none of us were eager to rush in. We followed in Irina's lead as she happily sauntered into the deadly field with my right arm in her hands.

Rather than being on a hunt where our lives could be threatened, it seemed like we were going on a leisurely afternoon date.

"Irina, shouldn't you be more cautious?"

"I am serious! Aren't I protecting you from Outer Demons right now?"

"Hah…"

Apparently, the girl was in some kind of jovial mood. I don't really understand what made her this happy, and given our current location, I wasn't that curious to find out. Though, I was hopeful that Irina would at least be more aware of our surroundings.

"Please give it up, Master Jin." Luminita, who had been quiet for the longest time, finally spoke her mind. "Once the Young Miss is in this state, it's almost impossible for her to stop fawning over you."

"Oh? Has she been in this state before?"

"Multiple times," Luminita tried her best to be serious, but the slight rise in her lips betrayed her true feelings. "Whenever she's having a bad day, the Young Miss will look at photos and videos of you. And when that happens, she will start to have those delusions and-..."

"Luminita! Stop talking or I'll dock your pay."

"Krmpht! As you wish, my lady."

The silver-haired woman broke into laughter and struggled to keep her poker face. But still, you don't just drop that kind of information and just leave me hanging… Looks like I'll need to meet this Vampire in secret after the Winter Hunt is over.

Whoooosh…

A chilling breeze broke the monotonous still air of the Winter Graveyard, drawing a sense of uneasy danger in my heart. And sure enough, it wasn't just me who felt this change. Irina and my father instantly turned towards my right as their faces became as still as stone. Only my mother, who wasn't a Vampire or a Hunter with enhanced senses, remained oblivious.

However, she wasn't kept in the dark for long as…

ROARRRR!!!

A hideous monstrosity broke free from the dense forestry, roaring and raging with every step that it took. The ground shook every time it jumped, causing numerous trees to fall. And it wasn't long until we had a clear view of the Outer Demon that attempted to target us.

Silver fur dominated the ape-like creature that emerged from the shadows. It measured at over ten metres in height, with thick, muscular arms that would make a bodybuilder cry in shame. However, unlike most silverback gorillas, the Demon didn't possess a face. Or to be more precise, the only thing on its head was a gigantic mouth with teeth sharper than a talon's beak.

But the creepiest part of this Outer Demon wasn't the fact that it was faceless. Instead, it was the disgusting twenty-odd tentacles protruding out from its back. Attached at the tip of every tentacle was a blood-stained eyeball and each one of them contained a sinister energy that made me nauseous just by observing it from afar.

It was unquestionably one of the worst things I'd ever come across. And so, I looked to the only people who could give me some semblance of normality.

"A Yzhigesh," true to his word Variel didn't lift a single hand to help us. Instead, our source of information came from the silver-haired maiden who was wearing a Victorian-style maid uniform.

"It's an Outer Demon with immense physical strength and agility. While its defence is weak, it has an amazing awareness. It can sense danger from every angle using its twenty-six eyes, so sneaking up on it is near-impossible. If you want to defeat it…"

"I'll just need to do it in one, unavoidable strike, right?"

Irina stepped forward without anyone prompting. She raised her right hand, and almost instantly, a white light illuminated the back of her hand. The Winter Sovereign emblem, the mark of the Empress of Ice, was now shining brighter than it ever did.

Within seconds, a giant ice glacier, one the size of a small mountain, appeared above our heads. Or to be more precise, it was formed directly above the Yzhigesh. True enough, its awareness was top notch as it instantly realised the precocious situation it was in. And almost as swiftly as it charged towards us, it quickly attempted to flee.

It thought that it could evade any attack that we could throw at it with its massive hind legs and monkey-like dexterity.

But alas… How could you outrun a mountain falling at terminal velocity?

BOOM!!!!

The frozen glacier crashed violently, causing a mini earthquake to send tremors through the Winter Graveyard. Snow and hail flew in our direction, but they miraculously turned into water droplets the instant they came within five metres of us. The glacier crumbled into multiple pieces, ensuring that nothing could ever escape from its wrath.

There wasn't a need to verify the kill.

Even I couldn't say that I would survive that damage, let alone a mere Outer Demon with no regenerative capabilities.

So what was Irina doing after performing such a violent deed and almost rearranging the map's topography?

"Hehe, I think that hits my quota for today, right?"

That adorable creature leapt back to my side, claiming the right side of my arm as her property once more. She snuggled her face on my elbow, all while saying that she was tired even though she didn't even break a sweat.

Goodness… My little sister sure is overpowered.