By the time Alucard arrived at the base of the village, the Hollow Slayers had been long ready, surrounded by a group of villagers giving their prayers and goodwill.

"Hey! You're late!" Vernon scoffed before Lisvern interjected.

"No no, you're right on time! Everything all set?"

"Apologies for my delay, I did not expect to take so long. And yes, I am fully prepared to go."

From when Alucard left his tree, the sky had barely changed its tone, and the sun was near its brightest. Of course, he would have preferred if the sky was dimmer, but, he could not delay for much or else he would raise suspicion or ill will. In fact, he had been going as fast as he could, but due to the lack of living trees aiding him with shade, it had taken him far longer than expected.

"Enough bickering. We should leave immediately. The sun will set if we take too long." Adam shook his head, taking his first step into the forest.

"Yeah! Let's get going!" Lisvern followed, but that was when he heard a sound calling from behind.

"Adventurers, won't you wait a bit to hear the words of an old man?" Out of the masses, a single man appeared as the crowd immediately made way for him to pass.

It was the village elder himself.

"HUH!? What do you want now old man!? Can't you see we're in a hurry?" Vernon sneered, his eyes glowing like a predator.

"Ah— I…" The elder shuddered, not even attempting to compose himself, even for a public image. "Please take these with you… They have healing properties, if you feel weakened, eat them."

In his hands were a dozen ash blossoms. The same medicine he had shown them earlier.

"These are all we have left… Please… take them… and save our people… we beg of you…" He slowly forced his aging body to bend down, holding the flowers over his head like an offering, shaking in his boots.

"..." Vernon did not know how to react. All he did was stare at the man below him in absolute disgust.

Only when his friends called him from behind did he open his mouth.

"Hey! Vernon! What's the hold-up!?"

"Nothing! I'm coming!" He shouted before turning his focus back below him. "Fine! I'll take it!" He snatched the flowers with a quick swipe. "But you better have left some with Taylor! If anything happens to them when I come back, I promise you it will not end well…"

He took a deep breath and spun around. The crowd of bustling cheers and prayers had suddenly turned stiff. None were able to even breathe as they stared at his back, only managing to regain their sense of self after he had completely vanished.

"Elder… Sir… Will everything really be alright?" A man asked, petting his daughter who was shivering, hugging his legs.

"..."

"Elder?"

"I don't know…" He slowly answered. "All I do know is that they're our only hope. "They're all extremely powerful… Hopefully enough. If they fail… we're all doomed…"

♦️ ♦️ ♦️ ♦️ ♦️

Despite the slow, careful pace of the group, Alucard struggled to keep in line. The forest, if it still could be even described as such, was an odd, uncomfortable sight. The deeper they walked through its thick mist, the more withered it became.

The few animals and beasts they saw at the start became nearly none existent, the trees and shrubbery became far more sparse, the corpses and bones of dead animals increased along with the sound of croaking birds, and the stench of rancid decay. Nevertheless, even more bizarre, the smokey mist became even denser to the point that they brought out a lantern to properly navigate.

Signs of previous life could be seen everywhere, it was clear that it was once a thriving ecosystem and all who lived there were either dead, or had long migrated.

In complete and utter silence, the hollow slayers went at a steady pace and kept their eyes alert, but, it was Alucard who was the one most acute of all.

Although he had never gone this deep, he had explored a large portion of the forest, and the withering and decay ahead of him felt as though it was accelerated. The level of corruption made him feel a hollow feeling in his stomach, although, that was not the only thing that kept his nerves occupied…

It was all eerily calm until one voice unexpectedly broke the quiet.

"Hey! Would you mind speeding up!" Vernon abruptly turned around, pointing his anger at the masked man lagging behind.

"Hey, Vernon… It's okay. Just calm down," Adam tried his best, but not even he could tame his hot-headed ally.

"I know you and everyone else are annoyed and thinking the same thing but didn't wanna say it out loud! So I'll speak what's on everyone's mind! What's your deal!? You're slowing us down! At this rate, the sun will set before we get to the cave! What's your agenda huh!?"

What Vernon spoke was indeed the truth. That question was on everyone's tongue, and the intrigue caused them to turn all eyes on Alucard.

As such, Alucard stopped, as though taking a deep breath before he calmly spoke, seemingly unphased.

"I was simply trying to be more perceptive and careful… But, that's not the only thing… I feel something wrong in the mist…"

"Wrong!?" Vernon blurted, inching closer towards Alucard grinding his teeth. "We're all being perceptive! But we're still—"

"Out of the way!"

Vernon had not even finished his words, Alucard moved within striking distance, and in the next instant, before his fighting instincts could kick in, Vernon found himself flung in the air with a blank face, tumbling to the ground.

"..." He blinked frantically.

For moments, he laid down on the dead leaves, trying to understand what had happened, before he gritted his teeth, and rage began to overtake his senses.

He raised his head, his hands eagerly grasping the hilt of his sword fully ready to cut Alucard down where he stood.

But, when he met his face, his gaze grew wider, and it was as though all those feelings had faded away.

It was when he noticed them, despite how small they seemed, three needles stabbed straight through Alucard's chest, tipped in black ooze.

*GAWKKK* Alucard croaked, dropping on one knee, spitting out liquids from beneath his mask.

Vernon had long realized what had actually happened, but it was only when he heard the whispers of that dreaded sound echo through the mist did his anger finally trigger once again, and his blade found its new target.

"GAGAGIKU GIKAKU GA!!"

"GOBLINS IN THE FOREST! WE'RE SURROUNDED!!" Lisvern yelled, quickly readying his sword.

"I've already killed two…" Vernon replied.

"WHAT!?"

"Three…"

"Four…"

"Five…"

"Six…"

All that Vernon could see was red, the putrid blood of his enemies splattering his face as they ran away, shooting darts that he casually dodged, sowing chaos within the disruptive ranks of the goblins.

He had not forgotten the rage nor the feeling of revenge these creatures brought upon him. Their evil grins, yellow, foaming mouths, bulging, bloodshot eyes and putrid, bumpy green skin were deeply etched in his mind as he cut them down, and all that fueled his powerful Ki-Arts.

All fell within one strike of his rapier, using his secret technique, [ Instant Dash ] to close the distance. He did not know if he had gotten stronger, or if these goblins were simply too weak, and he cared not to know. All that he knew was that he would not allow even a single goblin to escape alive…

"Seven…"

"Eight… Nine, ten…"

♦️ ♦️ ♦️ ♦️ ♦️

It was a surreal moment of bloodlust that overcame Vernon. It was as though he was only half conscious as he let his emotions take control.

He breathed heavy breaths, dropping his sword and clenching his heart, looking at the filthy corpses all around him. He went on one knee as the adrenaline began to fade, and only now did he notice how far he had pushed his own body.

However, it was still not time to relax. He pushed his body to stand, balancing with the tip of his rapier as he stepped over the corpses as though they were mud. In the fighting, he had separated from the rest of his team, and he did not allow himself to rest without knowing that they were safe.

However, it did not take him long before he and his tired eyes ran into a wall that sent him tumbling down.

Instinctively, he bit his tongue and grabbed the hilt of his sword.

"Hey… Where do you think you're going?"

But once he heard the voice it belonged to, his grip fell apart as he decided to stay down and rest.

"Damn… You scared me. You really know how to sneak up on a guy you know?" He panted.

"I guess," Lisvern smiled, laying down, panting to his side. "Damn, you killed twice as many goblins as both me and Adam combined you know?"

"Yeah… Of course, I did…" He chuckled.

"Blaber mouths! How can you be so relaxed!? Aren't you worried about something?" Adam stood, looming over the both of them.

"Huh? What is it?" Vernon wondered.

"These goblins must have come from somewhere…" He sheathed his bow. "What if they came from the village!?"

"TAYLOR!?" Vernon's mind jumped, and his hands imminently flung towards his sword.

But that was when a coughing voice intervened.

"I wouldn't worry about that… These goblins came from the way we're heading to right now, and not from the way of the village… I can guarantee you that on my life… They most likely came here with you as the target for revenge…"

"Alucard?" Vernon's eyes shifted, and his grip upon his sword loosened once again.

"Hey? Alucard… How are you doing? Still alive after those three darts?"

"Yeah… It's not that bad…They hit me where my armour was strongest… Besides, I had been picking up any ash blossoms we came across and ate them all… With a bit of rest, I should probably be in fighting shape…"

"Heh, figures…" He grinned, "Still, I'm glad you're okay."

"But, are YOU okay? You sound more relaxed. Do you really trust my words?"

"I suppose…" He chortled, looking at the darkening sky. "Taylor was right… You're not that bad… Thank you for what you've done…"

"Thanking me?" Alucard blurted.

"Yeah, me and you got off on the wrong foot… So, let's start again… My name is Vernon Roselow, and it's nice to meet you…"

"R—... Roselow?"