Chapter 5: Bloodfang

Eveline stayed quiet for a moment before suddenly standing up. She walked toward the window and looked outside.

Caelan watched her for a moment before getting up as well. He didn’t ask anything further because she looked sad over it.

"What are you looking at?"

"I don’t know." Eveline placed her hand against the window and looked into the darkness outside.

The entire village was covered in darkness. While glancing around, Caelan noticed something.

"Wait." Far away from his building, there was a faint red glow. It was barely visible at first because it only looked like a small light hidden somewhere in the distance.

"What is that?" Caelan narrowed his eyes.

Eveline followed his gaze and her expression immediately changed.

"That shouldn’t be there."

"What do you mean?"

"It’s red eyes..." Caelan froze as he heard that. He looked at the red thing and it suddenly moved. His heart thumped out loud.

It was really an eyes of something. He couldn’t make out what it was, but he could tell one thing. It was huge.

"What is th—" before he could ask, Eveline suddenly grabbed Caelan’s arm.

"We need to leave."

"Huh?"

"Now." Her voice was shaking, almost as iff she wanted to say something.

"What is it?" Caelan looked at her.

"I don’t know." She stared outside the window with fear in her eyes.

"But whatever it is, it’s the reason why this village is quiet."

"Wh—" Caelan’s eyes widened.

*Grrrrrrrrr...

A strange sound suddenly came from outside, stopping the two of them from talking. Caelan immediately turned toward the door.

That sound didn’t sound like a normal growl. Instead, it sounded like something mad was walking beneath them.

*Grrrrrrrrr..

The sound was becoming louder every second.

"What do we do?" Eveline stepped closer to Caelan.

Caelan didn’t know how to answer that. He had only been in this world for a few hours.

He had no idea what was happening, and he definitely wasn’t prepared to fight some giant monster in the middle of the night.

[Warning.]

Caelan’s eyes narrowed when a message flashed in front of him.

[Unknown entity detected.]

He swallowed.

[Estimated threat level: Medium.]

Before he could even process it, another message appeared.

[New Objective.]

[Protect Eveline Ardent.]

[Failure to do so will revoke your Life Thread with her.]

[Reward: +100EXP]

"..."

Caelan slowly looked toward Eveline and saw that she was staring at him with a frightened expression.

"We should—"

*BOOM!

Something slammed into the wall downstairs that the entire building shook. Eveline jumped and immediately grabbed Caelan’s arm.

"What was that?!"

Caelan clenched his fists. He could hear something moving downstairs.

*THUD.

*THUD.

*THUD.

Each heavy step seemed to shake the floor beneath them.

Caelan took a slow breath. His second life had barely even started. And somehow, he had already found trouble.

"Ah... fuck it." He looked at Eveline.

"Stay close to me." He had no choice either way.

"I will." Eveline nodded quickly and moved as another loud bang came from downstairs. She looked frightened as she hid behind Caelan. She looked like it was her first time experiencing this too.

*BOOM!

The entire building shook as another sound appeared. Just then, dust fell from the ceiling. It looked like something had dropped on top of it.

"What the hell is that?" Caelan asked.

"I don’t know," Eveline whispered. She looked like she was about to cry but was just restraining herself.

Another loud sound echoed, and this time, Caelan heard someone scream outside. It was a single lone voice. His expression changed at it.

They need to find a way out.

Caelan looked toward the door of his room and thought that it might not be safe now since the way there was dark.

"We need to get out through the window."

"We’re on the second floor!" Eveline looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"I know."

"That’s not exactly a safe way down..."

"Do you have a better idea?"

She opened her mouth but closed it the moment another crash came from downstairs.

"No."

"Then we’re doing it my way." Caelan quickly opened the window fully. Just then, cold air rushed into the room. Snow immediately blew inside.

He looked down and saw that it wasn’t really high. If they jumped, they might be able to land safely.

Well, he hoped.

While he was inspecting it, Caelan heard something downstairs. It was a low growl. It was followed by the sound of wood breaking.

"Come on." He looked back at Eveline.

She nodded and gathered her courage. But before either of them could climb out, the door to Caelan’s room exploded inward.

*BANG!

Caelan jumped backward while Eveline screamed.

Something large stepped through the doorway. For a moment, Caelan’s brain couldn’t understand what he was looking at.

It was shaped like a wolf, but it was far too large to be one. It stood almost as tall as a man, with four long legs covered in black fur. Its head was shaped like a wolf, but two large horns grew from its forehead.

And its eyes... they were completely red.

"What the hell is that?" Caelan stared at it.

"A Bloodfang." Eveline’s face went pale.

"A what?"

"A Bloodfang!" She grabbed Caelan’s arm.

"They suddenly appeared days ago! We don’t know what they are, but people said they can smell blood from far away and attack those who are injured!"

The creature lowered its head and stared at both Caelan and Eveline. Caelan immediately understood that it was looking for them.

It probably smelled the blood on their clothes a while ago.

"It came here for us..."

*Awoooooooooo!

The Bloodfang suddenly growled. The sound was so deep that Caelan felt it in his chest. Then, not even wasting a moment, it suddenly charged.

"Move!"

Caelan pushed Eveline out of the way causing for the creature to slam into him. That was when Caelan realized something.

Why was he trying to be a hero again?!