There was a reason Jasmine waited for daylight—she had business to attend to.
Although she could sneak out at night to do things that would terrify vampires, it was wiser to keep a low profile, especially since she had just arrived at the school. Once daylight came and the vampires were asleep, it would be easier for her to move around unnoticed.
Jasmine put on some plain clothes she had found in a trunk the night before, then quietly climbed out from her balcony like a lizard. She moved swiftly and silently, and within moments, she had left the school grounds.
The school itself was a castle built halfway up a mountain, much like the school in a certain magical movie series she had watched as a child. Escaping from it, however, was a different challenge. In this world, there were many non-human creatures, but not as much magic, nor magical creatures, and even if there were challenges, for Jasmine, they were mere trifles.
She quickly made her way down to the small town at the base of the mountain. In the town, there were more humans around, though not many. On vampire-controlled lands, humans had to adopt the vampires' nocturnal schedule. Every time Jasmine thought about this, she couldn't help but mock it: Vampires might be scientifically managing their human subjects, but they overlooked the fact that humans are creatures who need sunlight.
The streets were populated only by humans, as no other non-humans were allowed on vampire territory. But as an experienced hunter, Jasmine knew that other species had long since infiltrated the vampires' domain, secretly building bases known only to them.
As she searched the streets, examining each corner closely, Jasmine eventually found the mark of the Hunter's Guild.
In this world, anyone could become a hunter—whether they were human, non-human, or even a vampire—as long as they could complete the missions. No one cared about your background or species.
Despite its name, the Hunter's Guild wasn't about hunting animals; it was about hunting bounties.
Jasmine thought it should be called the Assassin's Guild instead, as the most common jobs here involved assassinating targets. Every member of the Black family had a hefty price on their head.
Following the mark, Jasmine reached a warehouse, where she found a hidden door leading to a secret passage. She crawled through and emerged in a sewer, the foul stench assaulting her senses. She wrinkled her nose, knowing she'd have to bathe thoroughly afterward to avoid alerting the vampires.
She also knew she couldn't go directly to the Hunter's Guild like this. Jasmine extended her hand, and black threads emerged from her sleeve, connecting to her hair. Her short hair instantly lengthened into flowing locks. She then ran her hand over her face, and the fine threads wove a black mesh that covered the lower half of her face.
There was no need to worry about her scent being recognized—everything reeked so much in the sewer that any smell would be masked. The Hunter's Guild often hid its bases in sewers for this very reason.
Jasmine followed the signs through the sewer, carefully stepping along the clean path while the filthy water flowed beside her. After a while, she came to a door, with a faint light seeping through and two non-humans standing guard.
As she approached, the guards ordered her to stop. Jasmine promptly showed her hunter's token, and they let her pass. Inside, the noise of chatter greeted her as hunters of various species drank and made merry. A bearded werewolf behind the counter was busy with the accounts.
The notice board nearby was covered with bounties for the region.
The Hunter's Guild had one rule: as long as you paid, they would do anything.
Jasmine's arrival caused a stir among the non-humans. They instinctively assumed she was a vampire, as vampires in human form closely resembled humans—only their ears, fangs, and eyes were different. Werewolves, too, looked similar to humans, though they had more distinctive features like animal ears, tails, and thick fur.
Her ears were hidden beneath her hair, making it hard to tell, but her eyes were an ordinary black, revealing her as human. This discovery shocked the patrons further. Vampire hunters were rare but not unheard of—human hunters, however, were a different story altogether.
Humans were seen as weak, with frail limbs and no magic. If not for vampires drinking their blood, humans might have gone extinct long ago.
A human in the guild was big news, especially a female human. The non-humans whistled at Jasmine, and one bold creature even stood up, drink in hand, hoping to share a toast with her. Because humans resembled vampires, they were popular in certain illicit markets, where some non-humans, unable to deal with real vampires, took out their frustrations on humans.
Though Jasmine's face was partially hidden, her beautiful eyes and slender figure made her a prime target.
But if these creatures thought they could have their way with her, they were sorely mistaken. Jasmine didn't even make physical contact with the bold non-human who approached her. Instead, a black thread wrapped around his arm and flung him aside. Jasmine looked down at him, her black eyes cold and emotionless, like a frozen mountain peak.
"Next time, you won't be so lucky. I'll cut off your hand."
Inwardly, Jasmine admired how cool she was—these creatures probably didn't even see how she threw the guy, and now they must be wary, unsure of her strength.
Jasmine might have been a bit chūnibyō, but who could blame her? With such overwhelming power, it would be a crime not to flaunt it.
Jasmine walked past the non-humans with light, graceful steps and approached the counter. The werewolf behind it bristled, his fur standing on end as his instincts warned him that this human was not to be trifled with. Jasmine pulled out a small pouch from her pocket, and the clinking sound of coins confirmed its contents.
If possible, Jasmine would have preferred to hand over a check—that would have been even more stylish. But in this world, the banks were all controlled by vampires, and non-humans or people like her couldn't open accounts, let alone use checks. Even the occasional paper currency that circulated wasn't widely accepted among non-humans. Instead, gold coins with a high purity were the standard in the underground market.
"I want to post a job."
The werewolf glanced at Jasmine, then nodded, taking the gold and handing her a task form to fill out.
Jasmine detailed her request. She needed someone to deliver a letter. Despite her incredible physical abilities, she didn't have any teleportation powers, so she couldn't instantly reach the human safehouses she had established. If she suddenly lost contact, it would cause panic. To avoid leaving them leaderless, she had to use the Hunter's Guild to get the message across.
Of course, she wouldn't have the delivery made directly to the base, but rather to a disposable outpost. The letter was encrypted, so even if the messenger peeked, they wouldn't understand it. The job also required the return of a token from the recipient to ensure the letter had been delivered before the payment could be collected.
There was little risk of betrayal—hunters who crossed the line faced a death warrant from the guild, resulting in a relentless pursuit. With life already tough under vampire rule, non-humans wouldn't cut off their last means of survival.
After filling out the form, Jasmine left the letter, payment, and form with the werewolf and turned to leave. As she walked through the sewer, she sensed she was being followed. The Hunter's Guild had many rules but didn't prohibit conflict among its members. The fact that she had just spent a lot of money to send a simple letter made her look wealthy, so it wasn't surprising that some hunters might try their luck.
But they were mistaken. Jasmine deliberately led them into a dead-end.
When they revealed themselves, one of the hunters sneered, "Hey, missy, did you get lost? If you know what's good for you, hand over your money and have some fun with us. Maybe we'll let you live."
Jasmine detested such vile language, and with no audience around, there was no need for theatrics. Against these doomed fools, showing off was pointless. So, she quickly and efficiently dealt with them, emptying their pockets afterward.
Despite her earlier display of wealth, Jasmine was actually quite poor. She had a lot of humans to support, and no amount of money was ever enough.
"Bunch of poor bastards."
After rifling through their belongings, Jasmine muttered an insult but still pocketed their loose change. Even the smallest amount was valuable. After taking their money, she left without looking back.
Once she emerged from the sewer, Jasmine sniffed herself and sighed. "I smell terrible."