The Armor Enchanted Gear Gets Its Chance

"Why bother caring about someone who's already dead? Your sister worked herself to the bone just to scrape together a little tuition money for you. Money — I have as much of it as I want. I could give you plenty." The trench-coat Vampire spoke in a hoarse rasp.

Liu Ru's fury ignited at those words. She snatched a fallen branch from the ground and raised it like a sword.

The moment the trench-coat Vampire spotted the sharpened branch, he began to tremble with what looked like genuine terror!

"You — you — how did you know?" he stammered, wild-eyed. "We're afraid of wood! Don't come any closer — please, don't!"

Liu Ru's confusion had barely taken shape when the trench-coat Vampire burst out laughing.

The trembling terror vanished in an instant, replaced by shameless mockery — the Vampire had put his flair for theatrical overacting on full and exquisite display.

"Ha! We cannot be killed," the Vampire said, his voice turning cold. "Nothing in this world can destroy us — save ourselves, or the cruelty of a woman we once loved."

"Then die now!" Liu Ru's voice shook with rage.

"You two sisters look exactly alike, but your personalities are complete opposites," the Vampire said, his tone almost conversational. "And it wasn't I who killed her — she killed herself. Every single day she begged me to bite her neck. She said her life was utterly empty. No one took her seriously. She had a little sister dragging her down. She told me the only time she ever felt a shred of happiness was when she was with me — when I bit her and gave her that exquisite rush. She kept calling me out even as her anemia worsened, bleeding herself dry for it. Tell me — doesn't that make her sound like a whore living from one fix to the next?"

Those words broke something in Liu Ru entirely.

That was her beloved sister — and this creature was dragging her name through the filth.

She charged at him with her pathetic little branch, throwing herself at the Vampire she loathed with every fiber of her being. But the trench-coat Vampire simply stood there, smiling pleasantly as the hot-headed Liu Ru walked straight into his trap.

*This younger sister is far more interesting than the elder. She doesn't just roll over and take it — she'll keep me entertained for a good while.*

Liu Ru reached him — and the moment she did, she understood how foolish she'd been. They weren't in the same league at all.

She was certain she was about to share her sister's fate — when a blazing column of fire erupted beside her.

Rose-red flames roared to life, their brilliant light tearing through the mist and darkness that choked the woods.

The fire condensed into an enormous fist and slammed into the trench-coat Vampire with devastating force.

The Vampire had never expected a Fire Element Mage to be lurking in these woods. The full force of the Blazing Fist detonated against him, sending him flying more than ten meters and wreathing him entirely in flames.

He hit the ground hard, his body ablaze. He wasn't finished so easily — he scrambled upright through the fire, staring across at Mo Fan with disbelief written across his face.

Something seemed to dawn on him. He yanked his trench coat up to shield his face.

A Vampire's face could not be seen — if it was, he would never be able to remain in this city again.

His eyes burned with fury. Someone had ruined his game.

Unsure whether other Hunter-mages were hiding in the woods, he whipped his trench coat around himself. His body seemed to melt into the dark leather, his entire form swallowed within it — and as it took to the air, the coat spread like bat wings, beating swiftly as he fled.

He plunged back into the trees, activating his Shadow Element abilities as he ran.

He was fast — devastatingly fast. By the time Mo Fan used Shadow Fade to give chase, the Vampire had already vanished without a trace.

"Damn it, that fast?" Mo Fan swore under his breath.

He had to admit it — this Vampire's command of the Shadow Element far surpassed his own. There was no catching him under these conditions.

But there had been no other choice. If he hadn't acted when he did, Liu Ru would likely be dead.

Mo Fan walked over to Liu Ru.

She was slumped on the ground, tears streaming down her face despite herself.

She looked completely shattered.

Standing beside her, Mo Fan wanted to offer some comfort but couldn't find the words. If anything, it was remarkable — Liu Ru, who seemed so fragile on the surface, carried a resolve for vengeance that was iron-hard. Her sister clearly meant everything to her, above all else.

And thinking of the way that Vampire had spoken — the tone he'd used to mock both of them — Mo Fan felt his own anger flare.

Liu Ru cried in the woods for a long time. Going back to the school was out of the question now, so Mo Fan brought her to his apartment and had her rest in the living room.

He fetched some high-quality Blood Serum for her. He already understood what she had done — deliberately let the Vampire drain some of her blood to earn his trust, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Thank you," Liu Ru said, lifting her head. She looked heartbreakingly fragile. "I'm sorry for how badly I treated you before."

"So you already knew your sister's death was no accident," Mo Fan said. "You should have told me sooner. You're an ordinary person — how could you possibly take on something like this, something on par with a Demon-Beast?"

"I just didn't want to drag anyone else into it. I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Leave this Vampire to me — I'm already handling the case on commission. But we've spooked him now, and catching him again won't be easy. He kept his face covered the entire time; I couldn't get a clear look at him. Do you know who he is?" Mo Fan asked.

Liu Ru shook her head. She had never encountered this person before. Perhaps her sister had known — but her sister was gone.

"Rest here," Mo Fan said.

He got her settled in his own bedroom. There was no sending her back to school — no telling when that Vampire might turn his wounded pride on her. He'd have to keep her safe.

He watched Liu Ru drift off quickly, exhaustion overtaking her. Even in sleep, her pale face held a shadow of grief. Mo Fan let out a quiet sigh.

Using herself as bait — any ordinary person who knew they were up against a Vampire would have been scared out of their wits. It spoke to how fiercely Liu Ru's need for revenge burned.

He settled into the living room. It wasn't long before there was a knock at the door — Lingling.

It wasn't her first visit to the apartment. She went straight to the refrigerator with practiced ease, pulled out a bottle of juice, and started gulping it down like a toddler with a bottle.

"Any luck tracking him?" Mo Fan asked quickly.

Lingling wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Almost lost him. I tracked him to a private club — some kind of rare spirits members' lounge. I didn't push any further in case there was something else inside."

"That's enough to work with. Now we need to figure out how to catch him!" Mo Fan's eyes lit up.

*Looks like my Armor Enchanted Gear is finally going to see some real action!*