Rina sprinted cautiously through the forest, her eyes darting in every direction, searching for one person—Larry. Memories of the battle flashed in her mind. How she almost killed him with her bare hands. The blind boy she swore to protect, who had ended up protecting all of them. She pushed those thoughts aside, her focus set on finding him, no matter the cost.
Though her heart was heavy with fear and regret, Rina's instincts kept her on edge. She couldn't afford to lead any beasts to Larry. The forest was deathly quiet, the only sound being her shallow breaths as she moved with calculated precision.
Suddenly, she froze, her feet rooted to the ground, her breath catching in her throat. There, not far ahead, lay Larry, blood-soaked and motionless.
"Larry!" she cried, rushing to his side, falling to her knees beside him. She placed her hand on his chest, desperate to feel even the faintest heartbeat. His skin was ice-cold, but a slight, rhythmic thumping reassured her—he was still alive.
"Rina…" Larry's voice barely escaped his lips, weak but alive. Tears welled up in her eyes, her gaze lingering over the wounds that marred his body—wounds she had inflicted on him.
"I did this to you…" she stammered, her voice trembling. She pulled him close, cradling his battered body. "I'm so sorry, Larry... I couldn't protect you," she sobbed, her words catching in her throat. She tried to imagine his pain, but she knew her imagination paled compared to the real suffering he endured.
Larry's body twitched violently, his senses heightened beyond control. The sound of Rina's heartbeat, the rush of blood through her veins—it was maddening. Despite his fading strength, the primal hunger surged within him, overwhelming any rational thought. His fangs began to extend, a wave of need washing over him.
"Rina…" he managed, his voice barely audible, strained with the effort of trying to hold himself back.
Rina tried to pull away, her eyes widening in confusion. "I need to get you to safety. We need to find the others—"
She gasped as Larry's hand clamped down on her shoulder, pulling her closer. Before she could react, his head jerked forward, fangs sinking deep into her neck. The taste of her blood filled his mouth, and he drank desperately, the raw energy of it rejuvenating him, healing his broken body. He was fully aware of what he was doing—of the pain it must be causing her—but he couldn't stop.
Rina's initial shock melted away, replaced by a strange euphoria. The pain was gone, replaced by a numbing tingling that spread through her entire body. She barely registered what was happening as her strength drained away.
Larry's body healed rapidly, his wounds closing, his strength returning tenfold. When he finally let her go, Rina collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. Her heartbeat remained, faint but steady. Larry's senses slowly returned to normal, his fangs retracting as he looked at her. Guilt stabbed at him like a dagger.
"Rina... I never wanted this…" he whispered, his voice cracking. He touched her cold skin, wishing for her forgiveness. His hand brushed against his face, feeling a change. His blindfold—it felt different. A mix of red and black, pulsing faintly.
Suddenly, the familiar sound of a system notification echoed in his mind.
Ding
[A+ Blood has been consumed.]
[1 stat point allocated to strength.]
[Your HP has been fully restored.]
[The item 'Blindfold Band' has been activated.]
"Blindfold Band…" Larry murmured, his fingers tracing the strange fabric. The darkness that had been his only reality began to shift. For the first time, the void of blindness gave way to a hazy red outline—a sketch of the world drawn in faint, glowing blood. It was crude, but it was something. He could see.
"Is this… Blood View?" Larry whispered in disbelief, turning his head to take in his surroundings. The outlines were clearer now, and there, just a few inches away, he saw something—a bright core, flickering weakly.
He stumbled back, overwhelmed by what he was witnessing. Then, the system's voice spoke once more.
[The Passive Skill of the item 'Blindfold Band' allows the user to see the Energy Core of humans.]
It clicked into place. He was seeing Rina's energy core—the flickering flame of life within her. He knelt beside her, the weight of what he had done crashing down on him.
"System… what's happening to her?" he asked, his voice thick with worry. No response came. He could hear her heartbeat, slow but steady, her blood still flowing.
"I'm so sorry, Rina," he muttered, pulling her into his arms. He lifted her effortlessly, surprised by his newfound strength. As he looked around, a shape began to form in the air—a rectangle, faint and ethereal. It slowly sharpened, revealing itself to be a glowing screen.
Ding
[Congratulations. Host has successfully activated the Blood Screen. The Blood Screen is one of the Attributes of the Blindfold Band.]
"What...?" Larry whispered, staring in awe. He read the text displayed at the top.
"Info"
Host: Larry Quinn
Occupation: Bounty Hunter
Level: 3
Rank: Novice Dhampir
A smile tugged at his lips. "Level 3… I can finally stand equal with the others," he whispered. "Maybe even Peter Cruz won't look down on me now…"
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps snapped him back to reality. He turned, seeing three energy cores approaching: one blazing like fire, another like the deep sea, and the third an earthen brown.
"Larry!" Victor called out, rushing towards him. Larry's body tensed, unsure how to explain the scene before them. Garret's eyes locked on Rina, still limp in Larry's arms.
Victor reached him, his face a mix of shock and relief. "How... How are you standing?" he asked, but Garret had already stepped forward, concern for his sister overtaking all else.
"She really meant to protect you, Larry. She gave everything she had to heal you," Garret said, taking Rina from Larry's arms. Larry handed her over, relief flooding through him. It seemed they had assumed Rina had used her energy to save him, and for now, that explanation would do.
Victor clapped Larry on the shoulder. "Thank you, Larry. Without you, we'd all be lost."
"If not for you, Larry… Rina would've killed me," Victor added with a shaky laugh. Larry managed a smile—awkward, uncertain—this was the first time anyone had thanked him. It felt strange, like something he wasn't used to feeling.
"Are we still going for the mission?" Larry asked, breaking the moment of quiet. Garret pulled out an energy core, its glow intense and alive. The pressure radiating from it was immense.
"This… this is the core of that beast," Garret said, awe in his voice. "It's a new species, something undiscovered. This will be worth a fortune. We need to report to the Hunter's Guild before others catch wind of it."
Victor and Sean nodded, setting up the teleporter. They stepped through, one by one, until only Larry remained. He turned to look back at the clearing, at the place where everything had changed. He took a deep breath, then stepped forward, disappearing through the portal.
The blood-red view faded, replaced by a bright light. He had faced death, he had tasted blood, and now… now, he was ready to face whatever came next.
****
Note: This is another new Journey for Larry. After battling with the Military Students, Larry's now going to face the Hunters in a New World. Keep the flow going .