hunt or be hunted

Untitled Episode 2

I'm not human, that's the truth and the secret I'm keeping.

Before descending into the human trafficking cave, I was stranded in the f*******n forest outside the city. More monsters than plants can be found there, and the more you delve into the area, the more varied the monster population becomes.

I don't know what happened at the moment, but I am aware that as soon as my feet entered the forest's border, a swarm of monsters pounced to hunt. I was terrified and panicked at first, racing for my life to get out of there, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get away from the wolf's claws. A thin, hungry toddler opposite a great pack of werewolves is the most absurd comparison I've ever heard.

An adult has fewer than 10% chance of surviving the circumstances. How is it possible to beat a pack of at least two-meter-tall wolves using only a young girl's strength? It is impossible to triumph.

Their claws clawed their legs, then their hands, and soon blood was all over my garments. Fear gripped me, making my legs weak and impossible to move, and my blood flowed so quickly that it caused me to feel dizzy.

At this point, I was no different from the prey that the hunter had deemed an item of enjoyment before resting in its stomach. When I thought I was about to die, my blood unexpectedly awoke.

Right when my body was dizzy from losing a lot of blood, my throat felt dry as if I hadn't drunk water for a long time. Not thirst for water, but for blood. Bloodlust makes all of my senses more sensitive than ever. It controls my mind. Right now, I feel like I've just awakened a monster inside my body. My body rushes to the nearest wolf, using my baby teeth to dig deep into its neck and knock it down quickly. At this moment, my eyes became brighter and brighter, glancing at the remaining monsters like looking at my meal. My mouth involuntarily laughed out loud. But, as if it were the first time I had laughed, the sound turned strange and frightening.

The monsters witnessed the leader being defeated and torn apart right in front of them. At that moment, they realized their identity as a hunter had swapped with this tiny prey. My mentality went even more mad after drinking the blood. I rushed towards them, a devilish smile still on my lips. Just like that, one by one, they fell. None of them survived. I had never consumed blood before, yet it didn't seem unpleasant; in fact, it felt as though I had been born with the ability to do so.

At first, I was just scared. I almost ran away when I saw the monster. But I don't know when I became a link in the food chain. Thanks to my small appearance, my hunting became easier than ever. Every day, monsters sniff out small prey and rush towards me. Every day, my body fights many formidable monsters. Just like that, my quick reflexes and first defenses appeared.

While trying to find my way out, I came across a vast lake. Numerous wild animals come to relax and drink water, and the view is as lyrical as being lost in a fairyland. Looking into the brilliant blue water, I found myself in a disheveled state, with untidy hair and old, ragged garments covered with dried blood spots. My face was as white and frigid as a dead person's, and my eyes were as crimson as blood. Even I am afraid when I stare at this face.

After much attention, I realized my eyes were a bit special. When my body becomes bloodthirsty, my eyes turn an extraordinarily blazing bright crimson. Additionally, it will only be a pale red shade that blends in with black in appearance.

I additionally discovered a great deal of essential information regarding my bloodlust. Aside from the fresh blood I hunted, the crimson fruits can help quench my thirst. However, in the jungle, the plants I eat are generally hazardous, with some causing rashes and others temporarily paralyzing my nerves. So even if drinking blood is a little savage, it's better than accidentally eating a dangerous fruit. By the way, it appears that I am not human... huh... Is this a demon's nature?

After many days of transforming into Tarzan in the mountains, I eventually saw a human. I met them while sucking the blood of my prey, a tiny monster who had become separated from the pack.

"Dracula? "A kid Dracula!"

"HA HA HA, win the lottery, win the lottery!"

"Shh, say it quietly." Take care not to let the prey get away."

Those folks spoke unusual words as if they were their native tongue, and I couldn't understand them even after hearing them. Nevertheless, I can say with certainty that these individuals are wicked people and that they are all out to harm me.

“Dracula?”

I seem to recall hearing this word somewhere, but I am unable to remember anything when I think about it.

"Are you Aria, from the Beru family at the far end of X village, near XX road?"

"Yes. How do you know?"

“???”

“Are you Kyte, son of Kyta, a few villages away from me?”

“???”

"Oh yeah, it's me, it's me."

"The fictional tale he first devised was successful. We are quite fortunate because we didn't need to do anything to find a unique item today. Surely, the commission will be several times larger than in past transactions. "Ha ha ha ha..."

We glanced at each other and laughed. They laughed at me because it was easy to catch me, and I laughed at them because they were easy to fool. The k********g squad, disguised as the village uncle, arrives next to assist the child who has been lost in the wilderness. As for me, it's not easy to find a compass that runs on rice for free. Therefore, my mood became especially good. If they don't do anything excessive, I will consider sparing their lives.

“What is Dracula?” - I ask

"Dracula is a scary demon who eats meat and drinks the blood of curious children like you." - With that, he also pretended to scare me.

"Dracula?"

"They are cold-blooded undead demons."

"Dracula?"

"Has magical potential only after dragons."

"Dracula?"

"This child asks a lot of questions! Dracula is nothing more than a g**g of rats who don't dare to stand in the sun. What is immortal, and what is talented? Standing in the sun is nothing more than a bunch of dry, feeble bones."

The leader didn't appear to want to hear another word about Dracula. He grumpily cursed everyone who ever talked to me.

When I came out of the forest, it was also dark. They carried out the procedures to lead me into the city. When they arrived at the alley on the outskirts of town, they began to expose their true character, each of them laughing like crazy and grabbing me.

“I tell you what: I have no idea who Aria or Kyte are. I am the boss of the slave trade in this area.”

“I've never seen a demon as stupid as you. Listen to a stranger say two or three sentences you already believe.”

“What do you see? It's the full moon. Today is the full moon night.

You, Dracula, will be weakened on the night of the full moon.”

“HAHAHAHA…”

"If you're smart, keep your mouth shut. If you break our agreement, your life will be hard to keep. Remember to perform well! If not, next year will be your death anniversary."

"Ha... HA HA HA." What exactly are you babbling about? Who said I was Dracula?

Tonight's moon is really lovely, suitable for assassinating precepts."

I laughed, drowning away their unfinished sentences. It turned out that was the cause behind their resolve to leave the jungle before tonight. But I may have to disappoint many people. On the full moon night of each month, my body changes compared to usual. But. It's many times stronger than usual. That was also the day when my instincts awakened most strongly.

My compassion disappeared as I looked at their saying and behavior. Holding on to this trash will only damage others. The frigid breeze increased my excitement.

A group of ten people died quickly, and blood splattered everywhere. The fragrance of blood lingered in my nose as if beckoning me to relish it. Human blood isn't like the blood of beasts. It doesn't have a bad smell like the blood I used to drink. The consistency is just right, the sweetness is perfect, and for my picky tongue, there is no rejection. Sure enough, the blood-sucking Dracula were all a gourmand.

Compared to bloodthirsty, human blood is much more terrifying. The conflict within me was so strong that it was difficult to discern between victory and failure. In the final moments, I clamped my teeth to my left palm, limiting further exposure to human blood. Victory came to me with thorns, and my body felt fatigued. I fell asleep right next to a mound of bodies.

The case of ten people killed by monsters that year caused a lot of controversy among people. I was not present in the newspaper because that very night, I was picked up by the current human trafficking group. It is at the moment of unconsciousness that the magical contract is formed. Otherwise, all of them will very quickly become the main victims of the second murder case. That's what led to the current incident: being sold to become an assassin and forced to carry out orders from others. But because of it, my identity is kept a secret.

But. I don't want to be an assassin!