Yunyu turned his head, and when he saw that Michael was chasing him relentlessly, Yunyu panicked. He used all his energy to run as fast as he could, the best possible thing he could do right now was to run away, that was it.
"Don't run!" Michael kept chasing Yunyu through this forest. They were deep in the forest, and the light was getting dimmer because it was already dusk. The Duke was really fast and in the end, Michael was still a human being, he finally lost his breath and tripped on an overgrown root.
Michael fell to the ground, he winced in pain. He had sprained his ankle badly.
Michael took a breather on the ground, because he used up all his strength to chase the Duke who had disappeared. He had a feeling that the Duke was not a regular human, his instinct already saw that Duke Damien was possibly a vampire.
But when the Duke unknowingly showed his fangs, Michael was stunned. If it was the regular him, he would open his holy book immediately and purge the evil to oblivion. But when he saw the Duke dazed with his fangs out, Michael suddenly forgot to take out his book.
Michael sighed, he had to heal himself first. He searched for the pocket holy book inside his hood, but he couldn't find it.
Michael had a bad feeling about this. He searched it again in his pocket, and his pocket was practically empty, "Did it fall somewhere?"
Michael gulped. He still needed the holy book to chant his magic. He looked around, but everything had turned dark and the calm forest turned into a dark dungeon.
Michael tried to stand up, but his ankle was sprained badly and he fell again. Suddenly, he heard a rustle from the bush. Michael turned his head vigilantly, "Who's there?"
Another rustle on the bush and Michael was nervous now. He didn't bring his sword and his holy book was gone. He was defenceless.
Suddenly, a pair of amber eyes appeared from the bush.
After he saw that Michael didn't follow him anymore, Yunyu stopped. His step was wobbly and he fell to the ground, exhausting almost all his strength.
[Alright, system, you win. I will drink animal blood.]
Yunyu already exhausted everything, if he didn't consume blood at this point, Michael would find him and kill him.
Pupa had told him that he wouldn't die for real. If he truly died before completing the Breakmeter, he would have started from the beginning. Fortunately, this was his first world, if Yunyu failed here, he wouldn't suffer so much grievance.
But, Yunyu was naturally an optimist. He believed that as long as he could still do something, his chance was not zero. He'd think of another way to fill the Breakmeter.
[Pupa: You still have a bit of strength left, on your right, there is a rabbit. You can kill the rabbit and drink its blood.]
Yunyu glanced at his right, he saw a rabbit watching from afar. The rabbit was minding its own business, munching grass before returning to its burrow.
[Forgive me Rabbit chan, I will ask Michael to pray for your soul. May you live in rabbit heaven, amen.]
Yunyu used all his strength, he flashed and he caught the rabbit immediately. Yunyu ripped the rabbit's neck in a gruesome way and sucked the blood. When the taste of blood went inside his mouth, there was a faint taste of iron, but it was more like a meat broth.
[Hey, this rabbit's blood tastes like a broth. This is not bad at all!]
Yunyu excitedly sucked the blood out of the poor rabbit.
[Pupa: Human blood tastes better, there is strawberry jam flavour, peanut butter, even Boba milk tea flavour. You should try it.]
[… You are so cruel to humans! I am a good vampire, I don't drink human blood! That is human cruelty!]
[Pupa: so you are one of those 'vegetarian' vampires.]
Yunyu wanted to bicker more with the system, but a loud scream was heard not far from them, "HELP!"
Yunyu knew whose voice was that, he had a moment of pause, "Michael!"
Yunyu had regained some of his strength. He finally had enough power to dash and flashed in front of Michael. Yunyu saw the situation and came between Michael and the threat immediately.
Michael had closed his eyes. He was ready to get mauled by the ferocious wolf who came from the bush. But he didn't feel anything, except a drop blood and a faint groan from a familiar voice.
Michael opened his eyes.
The gentle Duke was shielding him from the wolf's claw with his back. Yunyu groaned in pain. He hugged Michael and jumped a few meters back to avoid the wolf.
Michael saw everything, including the drop of blood from the Duke's lips. Blood also dripped from the Duke's fangs. The gentle Duke… had killed someone.
Yunyu ignored Michael, he turned back to the wolf.
[Whoa, I'm going to fight a wolf! Is it a werewolf? Would it turn into a handsome hunk with six packs? Oh my god, Jacob!]
[Pupa: It's a regular wolf.]
[Yunyu: (;_;)]
Yunyu focused his gaze at the growling wolf. The wolf pounced at him, but Yunyu avoided it and sharpened his nails. His sharp nails were now as deadly as knives. Yunyu flashed behind the wolf's back and slashed his neck clean.
The wolf fell to the ground and died due to blood loss.
[It really is a regular wolf…]
[Pupa: This is not THAT world, you're not Bella Swan.]
[Stop ruining my fantasy!]
Yunyu waved his fingers to scrape the wolf blood. He then saw Michael who was still in the same position. Unlike the usual domineering prince, Michael was now in pitiful condition. His ankle had been sprained badly, and his clothes were dirty and torn.
Yunyu approached Michael to help him. Michael jolted when the Duke approached him, he thought that the Duke would drink his blood next.
There would be a grievance in his heart, if the Duke really drank his blood here. Because he actually trusted the Duke with all his gentleness. But now, he was actually a vampire, the vile creature that killed humans for food.
Yunyu obviously noticed Michael's fear. He frowned in displeasure, "Do you think I will kill you?"
Michael gulped, "Y—You obviously drank blood before you came to me, who did you kill? Confess!"
"A rabbit," Yunyu crossed his arms, "I never drink human blood."
"Lie! I know your kind are a bunch of murderous beasts! I will not fall to your trickery!" Michael was obviously scared, because he didn't have his holy book now. Based on his observation, the Duke must've been a powerful vampire, because he was able to stay in the grand church without being burned.
However, Michael was a proud and faithful man by nature, he didn't want to beg for his life to the enemy of god.
"Is this your way to thank me after I save your life?" Yunyu sneered mockingly, "I never drink human blood in my three hundred years of life. I only drink animal blood. But Your Highness is the most righteous, of course your judgement is always correct."
Michael saw a trace of disappointment in the Duke's eyes. However, the Duke turned his head immediately and disappeared. Michael thought that the Duke knew nothing good would come from killing the next saint, thus the Duke let him off.
But surprisingly, the Duke returned with his coat off. The coat was covering something in his hand. Yunyu threw the coat to Michael.
Michael opened the coat, he saw his pocket holy book. He looked at the Duke in disbelief, "This is—"
"Use your holy magic to treat your ankle."