Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

Ryan split the teams while waiting for the sun to drop, needing the cover of darkness to sneak into the hidden passage. Nikolai and Risa ended up paired with the tall blonde woman and another member of their group with black hair and blue eyes.

• Team One: Bruce, Brian, Luke, Nicola.

• Team Two: Nikolai, Risa, Maria, Ryan.

"Team one will engage with the villagers, head on, using these goggles, able to detect the abnormally cold body temperature of Ghouls." Ryan's voice echoed, while Luke, the leader of the Tiger unit, stood beside him.

With a nod from Luke, each member of Team One approached and received one goggle each.

Nicola pushed her dirty blonde hair back and put her goggles around her neck. The other's in team one seemed amused by their usage. The second team using the hidden path took the goggles too, but Nikolai and Risa didn't wear them, instead inspected them quite impressed.
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"Keep an eye on that river; it appears to be running underground." Said Ryan, while holding his own pair of goggles, his eyes fixed on Nikolai, his gaze faltering. The team was waiting on the opposite side of the riverbank to the village.

Once the time hit five o'clock, they would rush along the passage.

"Risa, are you excited?" Nikolai whispered as they waited in silence.

"A little…" She muttered, her lips curling upward as she held her dagger-like weapon in both hands, watching Team One get into position. The leader of the Tiger unit seemed a little on edge while keeping an eye out for the sun's placement in the sky.

"Panther 5, do you trust that man?" Luke became fixated on Nikolai from the moment the groups split apart, his eyes flicking between him and Maria.

"He's a piece of shit, Tiger 1 you should be careful, or that woman will end up in his bed too."

Bruce spoke badly of Nikolai, his teeth showing when he scowled toward Risa and Nikolai, the soft fairy master nowhere to be seen.

He didn't even bless and enchant the second team.

"Hey, leave the kids alone. They can't help falling for each other, he's a handsome boy!" The sudden sound of Brian defending Nikolai and Risa shocked Bruce as he glared back at Brian with cold eyes.

"Don't stick your neck out for those two!"

"Why not? If I was ten years younger and a woman, I'd be flirting with him too." Brian narrowed his eyes, the moment Nikolai vanished from sight, nodding with a smile, no longer worried this jealous kid would play some tricks.

"Freak."

Bruce huffed, and turned away, walking over to Luke and Nicola.

"Nikolai… this mission doesn't seem to be normal, be careful." Brian's tall figure gazed back along the river one last time before turning away. "This is all I can do to repay you." He learned from Ryan about the missions where Nikolai saved his life from certain death, which made Brian more humble.

Meanwhile, sneaking along the river Nikolai observed the dark water, catching sight of the setting sun bouncing off its surface.

Risa walked closely beside him; her face hidden by her mask. Every so often, they stopped to listen to the villagers' conversations.

"Do you think it's true?" A voice came from above their heads while they rested against the wall, Risa pointing her daggers into the air.

"Shhh!"

"Hm? I heard that those SSS bastards are coming for our village." Another hoarse voice echoed.

Risa gasped and gripped Nikolai's arm as they looked at each other for a few seconds before crouching down low.

"The SSS… those stupid cunts!"

Nikolai assumed the three voices came from demons. In response, he pointed upwards before standing again, taking a peek above them, seeing three old men with pale white eyes.

Crunch!

Inside a pot, they boiled a human body.

"Sickening creatures!" As soon as whispered those words, he held on to Risa's wrist and kept moving forward silently, both on full alert, their senses stronger than Maria and Ryan who were oblivious and leading the way.

"Nikolai, what should we do?"

The disgusting crunching sound faded into the background when they pressed against the wall. Nikolai touched his chest, the slow beats of his hearts calm and undisturbed. This made him realise his humanity started to shrink, fear and the negative emotions of a human fading.

"Let's just keep going, there's something we need to check, the nest is close."

Though the three men looked like human villagers to the other people in the group, for Risa and Nikolai the ghouls were disgusting, balding, sparse hair, wrinkled pale faces with rotten teeth and disfigured faces.

"This is the entrance." Maria found the hidden path after thirty minutes of walking without knowing they went past the monsters cooking humans. The sunlight became dark red as it started falling beneath the horizon, ready for night to take over.

"We made it. I've been here once before, but never used this passage." Ryan looked back at Nikolai, Risa and Maria.

"The door." It was difficult to see, forcing the human pair to use the goggles, but the others quickly saw the outline of an old wooden door. There was an eerie silence once they reached the place.

'Shit.'

Nikolai's eyes narrowed because the walls were warm, sticky, and covered in the black corruption just like the wraiths' nest. Once might be a coincidence, but twice, there is definitely a connection.

'Someone, or something, is trying to do something using these stray monsters.'

He shook his head to focus on the mission. Ivan promised to research about these caves after he finished bringing Anastasia home.

'Do we go through?'

Nikolai's hand lingered on the door handle, but Risa spoke, sensing danger.

"There's a strange tingle running along my arms, be careful." Risa moved towards the handle, and bumped Nikolai away with her hips, her delicate and skilful hands picking the lock open, as a loud sound echoed the moment the door opened.

Thunk!

A series of black crossbow bolts flung at the place where Nikolai would have stood if he opened it.

"Tsk!" Nikolai complained while glaring at Ryan as if telling him 'I thought you did your research!'

"Hey, stop messing around, get your ass moving." Ryan had to let everyone know he was the boss, but in front of Nikolai and Risa, he could only put up a shallow front. The memories when they fought in the club humbled him.

"Careful, the air smells foul."

Sniff~

Risa and Nikolai's noses twitched and flared, the thick scent of death and decay, the overwhelming smell of rotting flesh bombarding them as the group walked into the passage.

"Oh, god, that smells terrible! What died?"

Ryan's eyes narrowed, his own nose irritated by the assault.

"Dead bodies, likely the leftovers tossed down here to marinade. Ghouls seem to love rotting meat."

Nikolai covered his mouth, trying his best not to retch.

"We should hurry, there's no point in bickering, Panther 1, White wolf." Maria tried to ease the tension between Ryan and Nikolai. She couldn't understand why Ryan accepted mercenaries who were so sloppy and lacked any sense of danger.

Shuffle~

Step!

Various sounds echoed through the caves. At least Ryan brought a basic map, allowing them to move deeper into the network.

"Panther 1, Tiger 2 can you hear me?" A crackle of static filled Ryan's communication device. Luke contacted them suddenly, letting them know their situation.

"I can hear you loud and clear, tiger 1, we are approaching our target." Ryan kept his voice steady while talking on his earpiece. Though the walls were filled with corruption, there was a pathway down the middle which seemed clear of all contamination. Even Risa felt relieved now she noticed that, too.

Nikolai's eyes gazed at the corrupted walls.

A feeling of dread filled him each time he came close, as if a shadowy hand would grab him and drag him into the darkness.

"The monsters have gathered, this is weird since there's not even a single ghoul patrolling up here… be careful Panther 1, Tiger 2!" Luke's chat ended quickly, giving some vital information.

"So the ghouls are gathering underground?" Maria muttered.

Bang!

"Argh!" As the four moved further in the tunnels. Nikolai caught sight of someone running, darting behind a wall out of sight, it's figure almost human, but like a beast. It ran on all fours, and moved in a bizarre, inhuman fashion.

"Careful, Tiger 2, Panther 1. The enemy is close."

Risa lowered her hips, spreading her arms while focused on the ghoul climbing around the cave. The silver glint of her daggers granting minimal light as she rushed ahead.

Tap Tap Tap!

Drip… Drop… Drip…

Splash!

Her steps splashed on the surface of puddles.

Growl!

A strange growling noise vibrated through the air, then from above the ghoul with a bloody maw leapt toward them from the top of the wall.

Thud!

It landed near Ryan and Maria's feet. Ryan stepped back to evade the snapping jaws of the Ghoul as it lurched forward and swiped at Maria with its sharp claws, before Risa's body darted ahead of her, and deflected the monster's claws with her daggers.

In a rush, Nikolai charged forward and smashed a fist into its chest, lifting the creature up off its feet before slamming it to the ground.

"Grreeek!"

A fist shaped dent appeared, after the force shattered the Ghoul's heart and bones, killing it instantly.

"Ryan, get your weapon ready, we've got company."

Nikolai's low voice snapped the other two out of their shock, then voices appeared, dozens of growls coming from the depths of the cave.

"It seems that the entire village has become ghouls… not just a few!"

In the dark caves, the sound of shuffling feet, and claws dragging against stone echoed, while Nikolai and Risa stood waiting.

Their lips curved into a deep smile.

"The one with the least kills buys dinner." Risa mused, her hips swaying as she prowled.

"Deal!"