The trio walked slowly along the deep mountain path, their shapes barely visible under the moon's dim light.
Reign felt the urge to run, but Anna was adamant on walking.
Despite her mastery over blood, her physical strength was not that good, so she would ask her father to carry her from time to time.
"We are moving too slow," Reign grumbled, eager to quicken their pace to the mine so he could level up more.
The confrontation between Anna and Dominic was a strong wake up call.
He realized that stronger opponents would likely hunt him down in the future.
Feeling vulnerable and insecure, he wanted to increased his strength fast .
"Don't worry, we're almost there," she reassured him.
Reign looked at Anna and sighed. He had tried running away before, but her blood powers had immediately caught him.
"Why are you even helping me?" he asked, curious about her true motives for sticking by his side.
"You and Anna are the same," she replied, her smile innocent and pure.
"Is that all?" he asked. "I'm sure there are other monsters like me out there."
"Maybe," she said, her voice soft and warm, a gentle smile curving her lips. "But Anna has taken a liking to you."
'This...' Reign scratched his head in disbelief. He never imagined his first compliment in this world would come from a loli girl.
Realizing that talking with her would only result in this kind of awkward interaction, he decided to stay silent and keep up his pace.
With her presence by his side, he now had his own personal bodyguard, which wasn't such a bad thing after all.
They continued their travel and would stop from time to time because George would need a rest and eat some snacks before continuing.
Seeing George dotting on her, Reign pondered if this was a normal fatherly love for his offspring.
He couldn't help but wonder if his own father would treat him the same way, but then he remembered how wicked and brutal his father was.
The thought of his father being loving and caring was as likely as winning the lottery without even buying a ticket.
"George," Reign patted George's shoulder, and George instinctively cowered, afraid that Reign might suddenly decide to eat him.
"Do I really look that scary?" Reign grumbled.
"Have you ever looked in the mirror?" George replied with a sigh.
"You..." Reign felt a little bit insulted, but he kept his composure. He knew that Anna might kill him if he did anything to her father.
"Anna thinks you're very handsome," Anna giggled.
CLICK.
George cocked the shotgun and pointed it at Reign.
"I would never approve of you for my daughter," he muttered in annoyance while clicking his tongue. His cowardly demeanor changed when it came to her daughter.
"I'm a different kind of monster," Reign tried to defend himself. He felt as though he was being judged.
"Good, it's a good thing that you know your place," George stood tall, appearing more intimidating now.
'You're lucky that your daughter is here, or I would have eaten you already,' Reign growled inwardly.
"Anna won't mind though," she giggled as she hugged Reign's arms tightly, her laughter breaking through the tense atmosphere. Her warmth contrasted sharply with the cold night .
"I know it , you are too dangerous!" George's words cut through the moment like a sharp blade, his voice dripping with disdain as he once again pointed the gun.
'Damn, both the father and daughter are crazy,' Reign sighed in defeat .
***
Around 4:00 am, they finally arrived at the mine.
It stood there, a relic of the past, its entrance barely visible in the darkness.
The mine was small and weathered, like a forgotten secret hidden in the earth.
As they approached, the faint sound of dripping water echoed from within, creating an eerie atmosphere. The entrance resembled a gaping mouth, beckoning them into its depths.
"Are you sure this mine is still in use?" Reign asked, his voice tinged with doubt.
"Well, our information is from five years ago, so maybe they've already closed it," George replied, acknowledging the possibility.
'So we wasted our time?' Reign grumbled to himself.
"Anna can smell humans, lots of them," she said, breaking the silence.
"Are you sure?" Reign quickly asked, his hopes rising at the possibility.
"Anna is 100% sure ,"
***
Three years ago, this cave was abandoned when its owner deemed it no longer profitable. High labor and production costs outweighed the revenue, leading to its closure.
However, unwilling to let his investment go to waste, the owner decided to repurpose the mine as a drug laboratory.
Deep inside the cave, the drug lab sprawled across the damp, rocky floor, illuminated by harsh fluorescent lights dangling from the low ceiling.
Makeshift tables cluttered with glassware, beakers, and chemicals lined the walls, while rows of shelves held various substances in mismatched containers.
The air was thick with the acrid scent of chemicals, mingling with the earthy dampness of the cave.
Shadows flickered on the walls, creating a heavy atmosphere in the secret drug lab.
Although everything looked makeshift, it seemed like each part was chosen carefully for the job it had to do, giving the place an organized feel.
In one corner, a row of industrial-sized drums stood , their contents unknown but undoubtedly for making drugs.
Nearby, a series of pipes snaked along the floor, connecting various apparatuses in a complex network of production.
The sound of bubbling liquids and hissing gases filled the air, punctuated occasionally by the clatter of equipment as workers moved about their tasks.
"Is the next batch of meth ready?" asked a man, holding a rifle.