Chapter 24: The Demon Hunter’s Gambit

Lovelenica had not waited long in her small villa before the sun began to set. After peering out from a second-story window to confirm no one was present, she reverted to her original petite form, donned a Gothic dress, and stepped directly out through the villa’s front door.

Generally, as long as she did not overuse her vampire powers, this form could be maintained until her next feeding.

Liliana had meticulously planned all of this, ensuring Lovelenica remained in a state where she was neither too weak nor capable of resisting Liliana.

Lovelenica had two main tasks to accomplish over the next two days.

The first was to register as a demon hunter in her true form, preparing her identity for certain future actions.

The second was to find a way to feed again and ascertain if her powers had changed. Although Lovelenica felt a strong aversion to directly drinking blood from humans, consuming blood from blood bags was acceptable to her. Consequently, she intended to infiltrate a hospital or orphanage under the Crimson Family’s control.

Given that the Crimson Family’s enterprises were designed to identify humans with exceptionally potent blood and produce blood bags for themselves, it stood to reason that these establishments would possess specialized blood banks for storing such blood.

Lovelenica’s task was to locate these blood banks and, after consuming their contents, determine if her strength had increased.

Such was Lovelenica’s plan for the coming two days; today, however, she resolved to first register as a demon hunter.

She journeyed from the residential district to a bustling street in the heart of the royal city, where the Demon Hunter Guild, established for freelance demon hunters, was located.

By this time, the sun had already set, and the night market stalls were beginning to open. Lovelenica’s petite figure and delicate beauty drew numerous gazes and hushed whispers from passersby.

“Hey… is that girl a young lady from some noble family? She looks like she’s out alone.”

“Don’t get any ideas. Her attire alone tells you she’s beyond our reach. Even if she appears to be unaccompanied, she probably has several guards secretly watching over her!”

“You, look… why is she heading towards the Demon Hunter Guild?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. She’s clearly going to the dessert shop next to the Guild… What? You’re saying she actually walked into the Demon Hunter Guild? That place is full of weirdos…”

Lovelenica heard most of the hushed conversations from the street. In her current state, even without employing her specific vampire abilities, she possessed the keen senses characteristic of her kind.

However, she paid little mind to their words; after all, their curiosity stemmed from novelty rather than malice.

Of course, if anyone were foolish enough to openly provoke Lovelenica, she would not hesitate to ensure they met a few bullets.

As for the Demon Hunter Guild, Lovelenica recalled from the original novel that some of its freelance demon hunters were not exactly upstanding individuals.

There were those who genuinely sought to earn a living by hunting demons.

Others harbored a deep hatred for fantasy creatures but lacked the qualifications to join official organizations, thus training independently.

And then there were those who, bolstered by their meager magical abilities and their status as demon hunters, considered themselves superior, treating commoners with arrogant disdain.

Lovelenica pushed open the heavy doors of the Demon Hunter Guild. The hall, initially filled with a raucous clamor, fell several degrees quieter the moment she stepped inside. All eyes turned towards her, scrutinizing her with an odd mix of curiosity and surprise.

They had, quite simply, never seen a child so small enter their domain.

“Little sister, have you perhaps come to the wrong place?”

A receptionist quickly set aside her work and approached Lovelenica, intending to escort her out.

“Are you perhaps looking for the dessert shop next door? Big sister can take you there.”

“No, big sister, I wish to register as a demon hunter.”

At her words, the entire hall was plunged into stunned silence.

From a corner, a short, stifled sound escaped, forcibly suppressed yet still audible—a sound that resembled a choked sob, but even more so, an uncontrollable snicker.

That irrepressible snicker seemed to open a floodgate among the onlookers, and a roar of laughter suddenly erupted throughout the hall. Some slapped their thighs, others bent over in paroxysms of mirth, and the Guild filled with a boisterous, cheerful atmosphere.

“Whose little noble lady has graced us with her presence? Didn’t your esteemed parents teach you not to wander into the Demon Hunter Guild?”

“Pfft… Little sister, are you even tall enough to reach the counter?”

“Hahaha, a mere babe, barely out of swaddling, wants to be a demon hunter? Go home and drink your milk!”

“Dressed up like a little cupcake, do you think demon hunting is some easy task? Are you hoping to make those fantasy creatures die of overeating? Or perhaps… you intend to seduce them? Hahaha—”

‘Ah… so it’s come to this, as expected.’

‘Just like it said in the original novel, the Demon Hunter Guild is full of eccentrics. What business is it of yours, you strange people, if I register as a demon hunter…’

‘Never mind, I’ll just bear with it. I’ll register and leave, no need to expose my true strength.’

Lovelenica remained utterly unfazed by their mocking words, as if she hadn’t heard a single one. Her gaze remained fixed on the receptionist before her.

“I am not joking, big sister. Please take me to register as a demon hunter.”

“Little sister, please leave quickly… there aren’t many good people among them.”

With that, the receptionist reached out to take Lovelenica’s hand, intending to lead her out of the Guild.

“Hey! You hag! This brat’s business can wait. Hand over our payment first!”

Witnessing the receptionist’s attempt to lead Lovelenica away, a two-meter-tall man with a gleaming bald head and a prominent scar across his right eye, who had been standing at the counter, immediately grew displeased. He was the very one who had mocked Lovelenica most savagely, even suggesting she intended to use her body to entice fantasy creatures as a means of demon hunting.

It had been his demon hunter squad’s turn to collect their payment when Lovelenica entered, but the receptionist had gone to attend to her instead. Consequently, Scarface was utterly furious.

“I apologize, please bear with me for a moment. I just need to escort this child out.”

“You stinking hag! What the hell do you mean by that?!”

Upon hearing the receptionist’s reply, Scarface instantly exploded like a lit powder keg. He lunged forward, grabbing the receptionist by her collar and lifting her into the air.

“Please, calm down… I merely…”

“My brothers and I are waiting to go drinking! Can’t this brat’s business wait?! Why are you so concerned about her? Is she your bastard daughter—”

“Bang—”

Scarface’s words were cut short by a gunshot. The receptionist plummeted back to the floor, stumbling and collapsing into a heap.

Something else fell to the ground alongside her: Scarface’s hand, the very one that had been gripping the receptionist.