What It's Like Being a Vampire

The coin that Xiang Kun flicked up seemed to spin faster and faster in the air, then hung still three or four meters from the ground, looking eerily surreal.

Mr. Liang instinctively sensed something was wrong. He had just stopped his forward momentum when he saw the still coin in the air suddenly flying towards him.

In the moment the coin flew at him, he heard a harsh buzzing sound, then his world went pitch black, and his sense of smell was abruptly cut off.

Mr. Liang instinctively rolled to the ground, avoiding the incoming coin, his body reentering invisibility mode.

After standing up, Mr. Liang wanted to unfold the wings contained in the “biological component” swollen on his back and directly ascend to the sky. However, he found that he could no longer feel the “biological component” on his back and could not control his wings. Although he could still control the propulsion modules on his back that could push him into the sky, without opening the wings, the corresponding flight stability systems would not function, rendering flying meaningless as he couldn’t maintain flight posture or control direction.

In that moment, he quickly understood that Xiang Kun had somehow managed to interfere with all electronics—he knew that his own “biological component,” although vastly different from ordinary electronic devices, relied primarily on microelectronic devices for functionality.

In analyzing Xiang Kun’s abilities previously, Mr. Liang had considered the possibility of such an effect. After all, when the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant in Myitkyina appeared, all electronic devices, including electric lights, were affected.

Before and after seeing the illusion of rabbit meat in the underground lab, Dr. Fang’s lighting equipment and computers also reacted to some extent.

However, judging by the subsequent usage of these devices, the interference seemed not very strong. Moreover, all of Mr. Liang’s “biological components,” including his drones, were equipped with a strong anti-disturbance and anti-electromagnetic pulse gear. He had originally thought that Xiang Kun’s demonstrated abilities would not have a significant impact on his “biological components.”

With his senses entirely paralyzed and losing contact with all nearby drones, most of his capabilities and tactics were rendered useless before they could even be put into action.

Nonetheless, Mr. Liang didn’t panic. He opted not to remove his “biological component” helmet and kept moving. He could feel that his “biological components” had not been fundamentally damaged, the effects of Xiang Kun’s interference were likely not caused by a pure electromagnetic pulse, and they might not last too long.

Then…he ran into a tree.

However, this was intentional, a move to lure Xiang Kun closer.

As expected, Xiang Kun took the opportunity to rush forward, and the fierce fight began anew. This time, however, Mr. Liang couldn’t see or hear, and had to judge his position through touch alone. He was instantly at a disadvantage, taking more hits than he landed.

Mr. Liang didn’t, however, remove his helmet and continued to fight blindly, albeit in close quarters. He watched for an opportunity and, during the struggle, launched a tiny metal cone from a mechanism in his left arm.

Due to the close proximity, the metal cone pierced through the top of Xiang Kun’s clavicle, vanishing into the ground beyond, a sturdy metal wire trailing behind it.

With a circular sweep of his left hand, Mr. Liang used the metal wire to loop around a tree, binding Xiang Kun, and then rapidly put distance between them.

He knew this move wouldn’t hold Xiang Kun for long, nor was it intended to. He simply aimed to create distance, then pulled off his “biological component” helmet—once it was opened top and bottom, it transformed into a thick collar around his neck, seemingly one piece with the swollen “backpack” on his back.

Mr. Liang reappeared but kept one hand over his eyes, loudly saying, “Xiang Kun! You can’t beat me, let’s talk.”

Even if the “biological components” composed of many micro-electronic elements couldn’t be used, Mr. Liang still had many tactics at his disposal. However, most of them were high-damage, high-power abilities that he did not intend to use.

Although Xiang Kun appeared fiercely aggressive, as if ready to fight to the death, Mr. Liang sensed that, like him, Xiang Kun didn’t have the intention to kill.

Previously, Xiang Kun had somehow launched a small knife that, instead of aiming for a vital spot, had targeted his shoulder. At first, he thought Xiang Kun might have simply missed, but their continued fighting and struggling had convinced him otherwise. Xiang Kun’s ferocious and fearless approach wasn’t an attempt to fight him to the death, but more like a form of probing and… experimentation?

If his “biological components” hadn’t been completely blocked off, Mr. Liang wouldn’t have minded continuing to fight Xiang Kun, showing him more of his “biological components” abilities, and letting him understand more about his own evolutionary path.

Now, although he could still use some of his “biological components” abilities, they were too lethal. He was not certain whether Xiang Kun’s exhibited extraordinary healing abilities could recover from a fatal injury.

After finishing his sentence, Mr. Liang removed his hand from his eyes and looked at Xiang Kun.

Just as he had predicted, the metal wire had not held Xiang Kun captive for long. He had already extricated himself, pulling the tiny metal cone out from between his shoulder blades. Then the gruesome wound began to heal at a visibly fast rate, the flowing blood swiftly turning to ash and dispersing.

The speed of recovery truly surpassed my beliefs.

Mr. Liang suddenly noticed that after Xiang Kun had removed the metal cone, he simply stood there with his eyes closed, utterly still, as if he were asleep.

What on earth is happening?

In a trance, the original sunset sky suddenly became overcast with dense clouds.

The surroundings swiftly darkened, shrouding the whole forest under uncanny murkiness, with sobs of the wind.

Mr. Liang raised his head upon sensing something, and an incomprehensibly massive eight-armed, eight-eyed monster wobbled up from behind the mountain, looming over him.

Have I been affected already!?

Upon seeing the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster, Mr. Liang froze. Glancing back at Xiang Kun, he noticed the place was now vacant save for his metal cone embedded with thin wires laying on the ground.

When did I get affected, and how?

Was it the instant I removed the helmet? Or was it after the sensory information collecting ability of the ‘biological components’ was blocked? Or perhaps, from the beginning, was my fight with Xiang Kun just a hallucination?

Thinking about Xiang Kun’s unbelievably fast recovery, Mr. Liang began to doubt himself.

But soon, he had no time to ponder upon these thoughts, as he found out that the massive face of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster from overhead was rapidly changing. The eight eyes became two, its skin, as dark as black granite, turned white, and slowly, the face matched Xiao Xue’s.

Xiao Xue was very beautiful, with delicate features and fair skin. But at this moment, the face hanging in the sky seemed as large as several football fields. Its features were equally immense: eyes like two magical orbs that refracted complex rays of light, a nose that appeared like the entrance of an abyss, and two lips that looked like ancient creatures hung on the face.

Mystical, eerie, terrifying, and profoundly oppressive.

“It’s an illusion… it’s false… none of this exists.”

Despite Mr. Liang trying to convince himself not to be swayed by the illusion, he couldn’t control his emotions. Especially when the eight-armed giant “Xiao Xue,” wearing a grim face, slowly turned into a look of sorrow and pain, with bloody tears streaming from the corner of her eyes. Even though she was just standing there, silently watching from above, a surge of irrepressible terror sprouted from the bottom of his heart.

This fear was complex: he wasn’t afraid of “Xiao Xue” – even if she genuinely had the body of an eight-armed giant, even if her power exceeded his infinitely, even if she could crush him in an instant, he wouldn’t feel scared, he’d feel rage, and fight.

However, seeing “Xiao Xue”‘s expressions, memories within Mr. Liang were revived. It’s like he was helplessly forced to face the wounds that he didn’t want to see – when he avoided looking, he could endure the pain, pretend everything was normal, even healed. But, staring directly at his wounds, observing the sore and festering parts, it became hard for him to avoid the reality.

The face of “Xiao Xue” began to undergo changes once more—the skin turned somewhat rough, and the eyes became slightly smaller. Gradually, the face of a middle-aged man emerged.

Mr. Liang recognized this face as well. It was that of Academician Shen Hai Chong—an elder who guided him in researching, made him understand what had happened to his own body, and showed him how to control, guide, and perceive things.

Seeing “Academician Shen” looking at him, his initially expressionless face started softening gradually. His lips curled into a faint smile.

Within that smile, Mr. Liang perceived regret, helplessness, concern, reluctance, and relief.

Gazing at the smile, more and more memories started to flood within Mr. Liang. Those scenes, those bits of information, all of which were stored in his memory without ever being forgotten, were merely dormant—until now.

Ever since “Xiao Xue” killed and devoured Academician Shen, and after he hunted and devoured “Xiao Xue”, he had sealed away that memory, unwilling to revisit it.

Yet now, those memories, those details that he had always known and was aware of, were being strongly stirred in his mind, making him clearly aware of some ideas that he had once come up with but was unwilling to ponder deeply.

Before the incident, Academician Shen had given him the assessment of “Xiao Xue”; judging from her previous normal behavior while feeding on blood, when the Stage of Limit arrived, she might be unable to resist her innate thirst for blood. If there was no way to help her find a suitable “blood-eating creature” to devour, they would need to take strict measures to control her.

At that time, he and “Xiao Xue” were still on good terms and he thought that it was Academician Shen’s cautious statement. When the time came, Academician Shen would naturally have ways to deal with it, and he surely would allow “Xiao Xue” to safely make it past the Stage of Limit. He had become accustomed to relying on Academician Shen, and he trusted him.

From some of the memories he had deliberately avoided recalling all these years, Academician Shen was actually nearing his Stage of Limit before the incident.

It was easier for “Xiao Xue” to survive her Stage of Limit, but it was not that simple for Academician Shen. Finding an appropriate “blood source” was not easy, and ordinary “blood-eating creatures” couldn’t help him complete a blood meal or break through his Stage of Transformation.

At that time, though, he hadn’t thought too much about it, still believing that Academician Shen could resolve everything.

Only now did he suddenly realize from the surge of these memories that perhaps “that incident” was Academician Shen’s solution:

Academician Shen didn’t let the blood-hungry “Xiao Xue” ambush him unprepared—he deliberately allowed himself to be devoured by “Xiao Xue”.

Because he knew that, before the Stage of Limit arrived, he would no longer be able to find a suitable “blood source”. Ultimately, his fate was to return to dust.

He once vaguely suggested to Lu Qinliang that he hoped he could take up his mantle, but Lu Qinliang’s answer made him realize that this young man took him as family, the most reliable elder, and would never devour him no matter what, even if he was surely going to die.

There was also “Xiao Xue”. After getting along for a while, he knew she was not a competent “researcher,” unable to control her innate thirst for blood and desires. While he was around, he could control her, but if he wasn’t, Ah Liang, who had clearly fallen for “Xiao Xue”, would not be able to handle her heartlessly, and he couldn’t strictly control her.

At that time, if “Xiao Xue” killed someone unfamiliar, or other “blood-eating creature” that did not comply with the “standardized blood-drinking rules”, did other things that violated the rules and harmed the interests of the organization and the country, could Lu Qinliang handle it according to the rules?

Academician Shen knew he couldn’t.

So, when “Xiao Xue” was dominated by her blood-thirst at her Stage of Limit, he did not resist, he did not control, he let her kill him and devour him.

Only in this way could Lu Qinliang break his fantasy of “Xiao Xue” and obtain his “mantle” by devouring “Xiao Xue”.

Of course, it was possible that Lu Qinliang would not be able to make it to that step, maybe “Xiao Xue” would simply kill him straight away, maybe he wouldn’t be able to handle “Xiao Xue” in time and let “Xiao Xue” cause big trouble.

…

Mr. Liang remembered the night before the incident, when he was helping Academician Shen with an experimental record, Xiao Xue was watching TV in the living room outside the lab. That was the last comfortable moment for the three of them.

That night, Academician Shen praised his experimental operation and some of his theoretical conjectures about the “mutation of blood-eating creatures”. He then said to him:

“Ah Liang, I have always believed that you will be a better researcher than me. I’m sure you will find a way to break through the fog above our heads in the future.”

His response at that time was: “I think Xiao Xue is way smarter than me. It’s just that she hasn’t followed you for a long time. She will definitely be better than me in the future.”

Academician Shen just smiled and patted his shoulder: “Have faith in yourself.”

It seemed that at that moment, Academician Shen was already prepared.

From the living room came Xiao Xue’s shout: “Ah Liang! Ah Liang! Come out soon, ‘The Condor Heroes’ is starting!”

“My experiment is not done yet…” he shouted to the living room.

“Go ahead, go watch TV, I’ll finish this.”

That was the last sentence Academician Shen said to him.

…

All these memories, all those details, were hidden in his mind. He actually had a vague judgment in his subconscious, but he wasn’t willing to confront it, nor did he want to think it through, to understand.

Because he was scared.

He was afraid to ponder the right and wrong of the incident, he was afraid to analyze whether Xiao Xue knew about Academician Shen’s plan. He was afraid to ponder whether or not Xiao Xue could control her innate thirst for blood, and whether she really couldn’t control herself or if she deliberately followed Academician Shen’s plan.

He was more afraid that he failed Academician Shen’s expectations, that he could not find the way to break through the fog.

He was afraid that he sacrificed everything and chose a direction in desperation, but couldn’t reach the end in the end and there was nobody to help him continue on.

He was afraid of dying.

…

He didn’t know when, but the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster had already disappeared. The surroundings were still dim, but that was because it was already night.

The sky was sparkling with stars. The weather was excellent.

Obviously, he had been hallucinating and immersed in his memories for quite some time.

Mr. Liang rubbed his eyes and looked at Xiang Kun who was standing quietly not far away. There was a small cone with a metal wire at his feet. The traces on the tree trunks and the mud testified that the close combat that had just taken place was not an illusion.

He felt that his connection with all the “Biological Components” had been restored, and he could take flight whenever he wanted.

Mr. Liang sighed and said: “It seems you know who I am.”

Xiang Kun said: “I have studied ‘Divine Technology’.”

“Is it the rabbit woodcarving?”

“The carving was indeed made by me.”

“Seeing what I look like, you’re not scared?” Mr. Liang’s voice was still that deep, guttural sound with a frictional metallic tone. At this moment he was not invisible. His unhuman-looking body, covered with intricate lines of special skin, and his strange features, were all revealed to Xiang Kun.

Xiang Kun smiled: “Some people look gentle and affable on the outside, appearing like good people, but on the inside, they are even more fierce and cruel than a beast; some people look fierce and strong on the outside, like thugs, but they are actually kind and innocent.”

Mr. Liang couldn’t help but laugh as well. His laughter came with a sandpaper-like sound, which was very harsh to the ears: “Do you think I am kind and innocent?”

“I was talking about me.”

“…”

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