Chapter 12: Crimson City

Elsie awoke from her restful slumber, her injuries miraculously on the path to healing. Her elder sister, Clarisse, eagerly recounted her conversation with Zac, and Elsie's face lit up with a radiant smile as she learned that Zac had carried her to safety, his young shoulders bearing the weight of their trust.

"Little Brother, now that you are stronger than us, you should help protect us sisters," Elise said with newfound admiration in her voice.

But before their new bond could be further celebrated, Clarisse interjected, her voice laced with concern, "Are you leaving now?"

Elise was quick to echo the sentiment, "Why are you leaving? Since you don't know anybody here, why don't you come with us?"

Bella, who had gone back to hiding in Zac's pocket, wisely added, "Zac, It's best to follow them until they reach the city. We can decide what to do once we gather more information."

"Okay," Zac replied. His reply caught them off guard. The sisters had thought that he would refuse them, since they hadn't known each other for a long time. Seeing their expressions, Zac clarified, "I will follow you guys until the city. Once I get more information, I will decide what to do next." The sisters agreed to this, and they started their journey back to their family.

As they progressed on their journey, Elise couldn't contain her enthusiasm. She exclaimed, "Sister, they'll be in for a shock when they see the body of a Virtuoso-stage ghoul. We had set out to hunt a Adept-stage ghoul, after all!"

Clarisse, the cautious elder sister, scolded gently, "Elise, we should be grateful that we survived this ordeal. If it weren't for Zac, we might have met our end."

"I know, sister," Elise's enthusiasm momentarily waned as she contemplated the gravity of their recent experiences. Then, her mood shifted to anger. "It's all because of that brat, Louis. I'll make sure he faces the consequences when we return to the family. Let's see how he'll escape punishment from the elders."

Amid this passionate exchange, Zac, walking in silence, finally spoke up. He turned to Elise and addressed her with a stern tone, "Elise, you should stop blaming Louis. I don't deny that what he did was wrong, but why single him out? I heard from Clarisse that Louis joined your group through family connections and the fact that you were acquainted. Furthermore, he joined your group after you and your sister decided to venture into the ghoul realm."

Zac paused, locking eyes with Elise, who listened attentively. He continued, "Your first mistake was agreeing to let him come with you. You should have been cautious about his character. It's your carelessness that led to a misjudgment of his character. In a ruthless world like this, vigilance is paramount. Your second and primary mistake is that you are not strong enough. If you were stronger, you wouldn't have had to rely on others to escape this perilous situation.

Elise countered, "But I am strong. Among our peers, there are few who can match my abilities. Those who can defeat me are even fewer."

Zac scoffed at her assertion, saying, "Among your peers? Are you playing house here? When you encounter an older and stronger adversary, do you think they will show you mercy just because of your age? Elise, life doesn't always play by the rules." By this time his voice was practically shouting.

Zac suddenly was reminded of the memories of his torture and experiments. Bella, who was hiding inside Zac's pocket, tried to calm Zac down. "Sorry for raising my voice," he said, now more composed.

Elise, still recovering from Zac's outburst, contemplated his words. Clarisse, the observant sister, noticed the array of emotions that briefly flickered across Zac's eyes—pain, anger, despair, and helplessness. She couldn't help but wonder what he had endured to exhibit such complexities at his young age.

After a few moments, Elise snapped out of her shock and asked herself, "Was I wrong? Was I too carefree?" She thought back to her memories. She had always been a talented child, her talent even higher than her sister's. Her sister had worked hard to reach the stage she was at today, while she was only able to reach her current stage due to the resources her family had poured into her because of her talent. But her sister had never complained once. She was always there by her side silently protecting her. Even though her sister could have broken through to the Ascendant stage, she had suppressed her cultivation so that she could help Elise make great achievements in their hunt. This was because young vampires had to carry out their hunt while they were in their Adept stage or Virtuoso stage. At that time, Elise had taken her sister's sacrifice for granted.

Coming to self-realization, Elise had tears streaming down her face. She turned around and tearfully hugged Clarisse, realizing her own shortcomings. She felt indebted to her sister for the silent sacrifices she had made over the years and pledged to become stronger, determined to protect Clarisse in the future. With tears streaming down her face, she uttered, "Sister, I'm sorry."

Clarisse bore a contented expression, one that had been long in the making. Throughout the years, she had diligently endeavored to steer Elise in the right direction, only to find that her advice often fell on deaf ears. Now, in this transformative moment, Zac's candid words had pierced through Elise's defenses and struck a resonant chord in her heart.

As Clarisse reflected, she couldn't help but entertain the idea that she might have been too lenient in her guidance. Perhaps a more assertive approach, akin to Zac's directness, could have led her sister to this realization much sooner. Regardless, she reminded herself of the adage, "Better late than never."

Clarisse discreetly observed Zac, his gaze fixed on the evolving dynamics between the sisters with a curious intensity. As she regarded him, his enigmatic nature seemed to deepen. His previous words had cut to the core of Elise's flaws, exposing them with remarkable clarity. If an elder had delivered such insights, it would have been more readily accepted, but the source of this wisdom was an eight-year-old boy. Clarisse couldn't fathom the depth of experience and understanding behind Zac's words.

Unbeknownst to her, Zac bore the mind of a twenty-one-year-old, having endured circumstances that no ordinary child should ever have to face.

Both the sisters separated from their hug after some time.

"Shall we continue with our journey?" asked Zac.

"Sure," they both replied with a smile. It was dawn when they caught sight of the gigantic walls far away. Zac started seeing signs of settlements. There were occasionally a few tribes of different races along the way to the city. The settlements grew denser as they grew closer to the city.

While journeying through the Undead realm, Zac embarked on a fascinating crash course on the intricacies of this mysterious world. His guides, Clarisse, and Elise, served as his encyclopedias to the enigmatic realm they traversed.

In this ethereal domain, known as the Undead realm, a tapestry of diverse races thrived. Most of these races, however, existed under the dominion of seven major powers. One of these formidable powers was the Vampire Race, a proud lineage to which Clarisse and Elise proudly belonged. But the vampires were only one piece of the grand tapestry.

The Ghoul race, for instance, comprised not the mindless creatures they had previously confronted but a group of formidable entities capable of assuming human forms. These powerful ghouls had carved a place for themselves in the intricate hierarchy of the Undead realm. The Skeleton race, on the other hand, emerged as another major force. Their numbers were substantial, rivaled only by the Zombie Race. This group of sentient skeletons, boasting a variety of forms, commanded attention as they played a significant role in the realm's balance.

And then there were the formidable Werewolves, whose origins traced back to another world altogether. Occupying territory that was originally part of the Vampire race's dominion, the werewolves entered the Undead realm and quickly established themselves as a potent force. This resulted in a cataclysmic war between the two powers, a war of epic proportions that inflicted profound losses on both sides.

The conflict reached its zenith as the Ancestor of the Werewolf race, and the Blood Queen, the formidable ruler of the Vampire race, both Astral-stage, engaged in a titanic battle. The Undead realm itself seemed to shudder beneath the weight of their confrontation, as all other races trembled in fear. For days on end, the battle raged, wreaking havoc and chaos until the Blood Queen, in a final act of valor, managed to slay the Werewolf Ancestor. However, her own injuries proved insurmountable, and she slipped into a deep slumber, the toll of the battle taking its toll.

In the wake of these grievous losses, an uneasy truce was forged, stipulating that the war would continue, but with a vital condition—the exclusion of experts beyond the Emperor stage. The conflict persisted, and the battlefield itself endured as a reminder of the past, serving primarily as a crucible to train the younger generation of warriors.

The concluding powers in this eclectic ensemble were the enigmatic Ghost Race and the formidable Dark Tower. Both operated on the fringes of the realm's politics, choosing to remain elusive and reclusive. The Ghost Race, ethereal and spectral, consisted of spirits and entities beyond mortal comprehension. In stark contrast, the Dark Tower housed a community of mystics, wizards, and witches, who delved into the enigmatic depths of dark magic.

What set the Dark Tower apart from the Ghost Race was their origin—while the Ghost Race belonged to the Undead realm, the inhabitants of the Dark Tower were akin to the werewolves, originating from another world. Despite this distinction, they had carved their territory within the realm through sheer power and determination.

Most of the other minor races either lived in seclusion or had submitted to one of the seven powers. For getting more information, Clarisse advised Zac to visit the library in the city. By this time, they had reached the city gates. There were two vampires guarding the city gates. They exuded a faint sense of pressure. Bella, who was in Zac's pocket, didn't dare to scan them. Although she knew her master's necklace would conceal her from others, she wasn't sure if it would still work if she took the initiative to scan their energies.

The two vampire guards suddenly blocked their way and said, "Identify yourselves."

Clarisse suddenly fished out a token from storage and showed it to the guard. The token had "Crimson" written on it in elegant letters in their language. Below, it was written "Main," indicating that they belonged to the main branch.

With the presentation of the token, a subtle shift occurred in the demeanor of the city guards. Their initially condescending attitudes transformed into that of deep reverence and respect, acknowledging the sisters' affiliation with the main branch. Clarisse smoothly returned the token to its place, allowing them to proceed through the imposing city gates.

Crimson City, enclosed within the formidable walls, unveiled its grandeur before their eyes. The vast expanse within those protective ramparts sprawled with meticulous urban planning and architectural finesse. At its epicenter, a colossal and resplendent castle reigned supreme, dominating the cityscape with its sheer size and magnificence. The castle's sprawling presence occupied a substantial portion of the city, an embodiment of power and heritage. There were impressive mansions that dotted the surroundings of the central castle. These abodes, though substantial, seemed dwarfed in the shadow of the monumental castle, their grandeur eclipsed by the epicenter of the main branch's power.

In a hushed tone, Clarisse revealed the city's identity, "This is 'Crimson City.' The castle you behold at its heart is the residence of our main branch members." The words were imbued with a sense of pride, as they entered a world defined by ancient legacy and potent lineage, poised to embark on the next phase of their journey within this prestigious realm.

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