Anna kept on rambling about herself as if she were on a field trip, causing Reign to feel irritated.
He had this urge to lunge at her and rip her head apart because she was so talkative, but alas, he knew that he would be pierced by her blood tendrils before he could even get near her.
If she desired, she could kill him, so maybe she really intended to help.
The situation was unexpected, but Reign knew he had to adapt.
He wasn't some protagonist of a web novel who would miraculously power up when facing a stronger opponent. Reign knew he had to be strategic, biding his time until he could catch Anna off guard before making his move.
He had a system that would make him stronger over time, but it would all be for naught if he died prematurely. Well, technically, he was already dead, so it was more accurate to say he would cease to exist.
Looking over at her father, George, Reign noticed that he seemed just like any other regular guy. But something about the way he fussed over Anna seemed a bit too much.
He even carried her on his shoulder as if she were an innocent child.
'Why can't you see that your daughter is a fucking monster? The reincarnation of evil ? Why spoil her? ' Reign pondered silently.
He couldn't understand why any human would willingly coexist with such a creature.
If he were human, he would steer clear of her. Hell, he even entertained the thought of running away, and he was a goddamn zombie for God sake.
From just a glance, he could discern that Anna was far from virtuous; she emitted a sinister aura.
With a voice that seemed to grumble like distant thunder, Reign asked, "Are we returning to the town?" His words slurred slightly, as if they were being dragged from the depths of his ragged throat.
"Town's too risky. Let's head deeper into the woods for camping. My daddy got a cabin less than 10 km from here. We'll be safer there," she suggested.
"Okay,"
After walking for what felt like 30 minutes, the trio climbed a rugged mountain path.
Eventually, after an hour or so of walking, they saw the cabin nestled within the dense woods.
The cabin stood weathered and worn, its wooden exterior bearing the scars of time and nature's embrace.
Moss clung to the walls like a shroud, and the roof sagged under the weight of years gone by.
Surrounded by towering trees, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers.
The emptiness of the place made George skin crawl, casting a spooky vibe all around.
But both Reign and Anna couldn't help but feel like it was a darn good spot to settle down.
"It'll be morning soon, so we better head inside," Anna said, taking the lead.
"You struggle in the mornings?" Reign inquired.
"Obviously, don't you?" Anna raised her eyebrows. Mornings always left her feeling drained and drowsy.
While sunlight didn't spell her death, it did irritate her, so she usually choose to stay indoors.
"Same," Reign replied, finding it rather cliché that monsters despised the sun. The lack of originality in this world was obvious .
Or perhaps it was just a standard across different worlds that monsters had an aversion to sunlight.
CREAK!
After opening the door, the trio headed inside to rest. Reign became even more cautious now.
While he knew that Anna had no immediate plans to harm him, he also recognized the need to bolster his own strength for a safe escape, or perhaps even to kill her.
Knowing that he gained experience points from consuming humans, he considered that he might gain even more from consuming her.
'If I'm lucky, I might even be able to steal her powers,' he muttered to himself.
After all, his father, the Evil Monarch, was rumored to possess the ability to replicate other powers. As his offspring, maybe he had inherited that ability as well.
***
In the morning, the events at the cemetery had made headlines.
Unsurprisingly, the blame was pinned on a rabid bear, masking the existence of real monsters in the world.
At the same time, after hearing that three more people had gone missing, some residents decided to leave.
With George, his wife, and daughter nowhere to be found, many assumed they had already fallen victim to whatever lurked in the forest.
"Sir, this isn't the best time for you to be here," one of the residents, the owner of the local bakeshop, cautioned as he handed a bag of freshly baked bread to an elderly man clad in a black jacket.
"Why not?" The old man's voice cracked with years of experience as he gazed at the baker.
"There's a rabid animal on the loose, so most residents are leaving for the time being," the baker explained, his tone tinged with concern.
"A rabid animal?" The old man smiled, a glint of nostalgia in his eyes.
"That's just perfect. I used to be an animal hunter back in the day," he replied confidently.
"Sir, we're talking about a rabid animal here, not a deer," the baker chuckled, thinking the old man was simply humoring him.
"Of course," the old man smiled back, then turned around and walked in the direction of the forest.
"I'm getting too old for this," the old man sighed, eyeing the mountain ahead of him with a mixture of exhaustion and resignation.