As soon as Arin turned to look at Riya's cousin, he gasped.
'Wait... He's Riya's cousin!?'
The boy was wearing a brown coloured tunic, with black trousers.
His brown hair was fluttering lightly in the chilly wind, and his green eyes were fixated on Arin.
He was the hammer boy from the tournament.
The boy who he had a fight with because of the flag in the first stage of the tournament.
Of course, because Arin was wearing a mask, the boy didn't recognize him.
"Hey, are you really sure you recognize him?" Leon whispered to Tessa, though the others could clearly hear him.
"Yes, Leon," Tessa whispered back. "He participated in the tournament. Didn't you see him on the screen?"
Leon furrowed his brows.
"Hmm... I don't quite remember..."
The boy stared at Arin warily before stretching out his hand.
Arin shook the boy's hand.
Ethan nodded as he stared at Arin.
"My sister has told me everything I need to know, including about those two," he said as he pointed at Tessa and Leon with his thumb from above his shoulder without turning back.
"Huh? What does he mean by 'those two'!? Tessa, is he looking down on us!?" Leon asked loudly, not even caring to lower his voice.
"I don't know, Leon," Tessa murmured.
She was more focused on the lady standing in front of Chaos than on Ethan.
"But I must ask again. Can you really help me and my sister? Can you help us get our reven-"
"I can," Arin replied instantly, staring at Ethan. "You can trust me. And with all your combined support, it'll make it easier."
"Then I'm truly ready to follow you."
Immediately he said that, the system screen instantly appeared in front of Arin.
[Congratulations! You have gained a new ally!]
[New Ally: Ethan Windgale.]
Instantly, Ethan felt a sudden boost in strength. It was almost as if he became stronger all of a sudden.
Arin smiled, understanding the reason for Ethan's current expression.
"That's just one of the perks of being my ally. There are even more."
Riya clapped her hands as she walked towards the carriage.
"Alright, that's enough discussion for now. Time to go."
Reaching Tessa, they both stared at each other for some seconds before she entered the carriage.
Leon was also wary of this lady just like Tessa, but since she was with Arin, he knew that there was really nothing to worry about.
Though, he still remained cautious.
Ethan entered the carriage, followed by Leon, Tessa, and then, Arin.
The carriage was powered by a Beast Core, so no horse was needed.
Carriages powered by Beast Cores were expensive.
'I don't know how Riya got this. Either she's just rich, or she stole it,' Arin thought.
The carriage began moving at a steady pace.
Among all of them, only Ethan and Leon carried a bag that had a few clothes inside and other stuff.
The others had storage rings, so they didn't need to carry bags.
With that, they began heading towards their destination.
In a certain location, six figures emerged from the forest, staring at the wooden wall in front of them.
"Kekeke, they call this defense?" One of them laughed, displaying his fangs.
The other five laughed as well, also staring at the wall.
Behind them, inside the forest, another six figures were present, and they were also chuckling from what the first dude said.
In total, there were twelve of them.
Another one with black hair walked forward, placing his hand on the wall.
"Remember what Lord Vaelric said. We must try capturing the humans instead of killing them."
One of the Vampires with short red hair laughed again.
"But he also said that if they resist too much, then we should kill them."
The Vampire whose hand was on the wall shot the red haired Vampire a look.
"Don't do anything stupid. Obey orders, if not, you'll end up like our dead friends."
The other Vampires who were laughing instantly quieted down after hearing what the black haired Vampire said.
The black haired continued.
"Alright, prepare yourselves. We are stronger than these puny humans, but we also shouldn't underestimate them."
From the way he spoke, it was obvious that he was the leader of the other 11 Vampires.
"Understood!" The Vampires said.
With that, they walked out of the forest, and stood in front of the wooden wall.
The black haired Vampire grinned as he stared at the other 11 Vampires.
"Though, I said we shouldn't underestimate them, that doesn't mean we shouldn't asset dominance..."
They immediately understood what he meant, and in that instant, they all released their Blood Energy.
The black haired Vampire punched the wooden wall, instantly creating a huge gap.
"You all know what to do..."
The other Vampires nodded and grinned before walking into the Village through the huge gap.
Meanwhile, the occupants of the village instantly sensed the Blood Energy, and many of them instantly began waking up.
The ground of the village wasn't paved, and the houses were neatly arranged in order.
Though, the residents of those houses were currently panicking after sensing the Blood Energy.
The door of one of the houses burst open as a man rushed out.
Two other men also rushed out from their homes, joining the first man.
"SHIT! Has the Leader not sensed the Energy of those Vampires!?" One of them roared as he gripped his sword.
The other two also gripped their weapons, their eyes fixated on the wooden wall that wasn't too far from them.
Though, they could all see the gap on the wall.
But apart from that...
"Oh shit! They're here!" The man holding a spear exclaimed.
The residents of the village trembled in fear in their homes, not even attempting to come outside.
Though, nine more men and one woman had joined the three men, and they were all holding weapons.
They could see the twelve Vampires approaching with grin on their faces.
The village Leader has arrived.