99

Hunter, Don't Shoot My Friend

Chapter 99: The Vampires

A group of cars slowly left the city, turned onto the lonely road, and sped up to their maximum speed. In the back seat, Ethan called his sister, who was currently at the family’s main mansion.

“A report just came in that there's a strong cursed energy signal. Ethan, you won’t be facing just vampires if you head straight to that town.”

Ethan frowned upon hearing this and replied, “I anticipated that. Only a demon could empower a human enough to control vampires. I’ll use an ancient relic to seal the demon. Do you think that’s the best course?”

“Do it. You’ve got good exorcists and hunters with you, so make the best decision.”

After ending the call, Ethan reviewed the information gathered about certain demons who could make such a sacrifice, like the girl on the road, to learn more about the enemy.

“Did you request an ancient relic because you think you’re dealing with a powerful demon?” Liam, who was sitting in the front of the car, asked, now showing a bit more trust towards Ethan.

“Probably. It’s a demon that has been wandering the world since ancient times, with the sole purpose of opening the gate to hell.” Ethan gazed at the empty road, feeling the atmosphere begin to change, and couldn’t help but laugh.

Not long after they had left the community, Ethan started feeling something strange but familiar.

He pulled out some yellow leaves, inscribed them with runic symbols, and then attached them to the cursed objects they had recently obtained.

“Are you carrying top-tier equipment?” Ethan asked the men in the cars behind them, unsure of the weapons they were packing.

“We’ve got first-rate gear. We’re ready to face anything,” said Terry, Ethan’s second-in-command, who was driving and had joined his group after being offered revenge.

Ethan nodded approvingly, but after a few minutes, exhaustion began to slowly take hold, and he felt sleep creeping in.

“What did I hope to achieve at the end of this path?”

He couldn’t answer that question because Ethan himself didn’t know what he could accomplish as a priest. His main goal was to leave things in order before retiring. He didn’t want to leave his men or his sister unprotected.

He supposed that might be the dream of anyone in his situation.

Who doesn’t want to achieve all their goals in life?

In any case, when Ethan awoke to this new life, he began to delve deeper and deeper into the supernatural. He stepped into the darkness, and it embraced him, slowly merging with it, becoming someone entirely different from who he once was.

From then on, every day turned gray as Ethan had to relentlessly fight the darkness that filled this world.

Now, he was heading toward the town where the energy signals were alarmingly strong. He wanted to gather data and, if possible, seal the rift to hell through the medium.

“You won’t make it.”

Ethan tried to wake from the strange dream where he was slaughtering entire families of supernatural beings.

Anger stirred within Ethan, even while he was still asleep. Just as he was about to get serious, the truck he was traveling in came to a sudden stop, causing the two vehicles behind him to crash into each other.

“What’s going on?” Ethan opened his eyes, regaining his composure.

“There’s an old lady blocking the road, sir. What should we do?” Terry looked at the elderly woman, and the people around her cocked their rifles, ready to face whatever might come.

Ethan took a deep breath, opened the truck door, and stepped out. Numerous agents dressed in special suits also got out.

“Ma’am, may I ask why you’re standing in the middle of the road?” Ethan walked to the front of the vehicle, looking at the woman before him.

“There’s no road beyond this point. Where exactly are you trying to go?” The woman looked at Ethan with disdain.

Ethan smiled slightly and said, “We’re heading to the town a few kilometers ahead. We’re in a hurry.”

“Are you hunters?” The woman eyed the purple cross on Ethan’s chest and the scar on his face. For a moment, she had a vision of him battling a massive, two-winged creature that seemed to be an invincible being.

Ethan nodded and said, “It seems you’re a field agent; at least you know about us. We’re going on a hunt. Do you have any useful information?”

“You’re walking into a trap. The entire town has been turned into vampires, led by an incarnate demon.”