Chapter 75: Tracking
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: PlumSauce
Mark noticed that the plants on the other side of the pool had been bent and trampled, and footprints were visible in the mud, about ten feet from the water’s edge. It looked like whoever had come this way had deemed the pool too dangerous and had turned back halfway.
The footprints were enormous — Mark estimated that the creature must have been taller than most basketball players. Moreover, it was clearly an intelligent being; the footprints suggested it had been wearing soft shoes or socks. It had even picked a number of wildflowers nearby.
Mark wondered what the creature might want with the flowers. Decorate a cave, perhaps? With his special forces background, he was good at reading signs in the wilderness. Carefully, he studied the tracks and, bringing along the others, began to follow them.
By then, the sky had darkened. Coraci suggested postponing the search; continuing now would be unsafe. After all, they were outsiders, and they were planning to confront golems that were native to the area.
As they debated, they skirted a thicket and emerged from the forest. The sandbox space was limited in size, so no matter which direction they went deeper into the woods, they would eventually appear at a random edge of the open fields.
“Alette, what area is this?” Mark asked, sweeping the meadow with his spotlight. The terrain rose and fell, and their line of sight couldn’t reach the other side of the hills.
Alette shone a small flashlight on her manual. “It should be District Fifteen. District Sixteen nearby has started collapsing. This spot is close to one of the fissured exits. Ahead, there should be a cliff. Watch out — it’s designed to be abrupt.”
“Oh, I remember the cliff,” Mark said. He had been involved in the sandbox’s design details. “Yeah, it’s abrupt. You walk along, and suddenly there’s a cliff — makes no sense. It can be dangerous at night.”
“Maybe we should just listen to the exorcist and rest at the edge of the field?”
“That works, though I still think we should move quickly. Between District Fifteen and Eighteen is the area where the golems are active…”
While they discussed, John noticed a short, sharp sound coming from the bushes. It was faint, like an electronic tone, nothing like any animal or insect.
He motioned for silence. After a moment, the electronic sound rang again.
John parted the bushes and followed the noise, finding a cell phone. It was Carl’s phone. John was deeply affected because the lock screen and wallpaper were both photos of Carolyn. The battery was critically low, and it was intermittently sending alerts.
“Carl might be in danger,” John explained. He briefly introduced who this intern was, keeping it vague. To avoid alarming the human companions, for now, he did not mention that Carl was also a vampire. “Why don’t you guys rest here, and I’ll check ahead. He could be nearby.”
“I’ll go with you,” Coraci said, patting John on the shoulder. He turned to the two humans. “You should find a safe spot to stay here and think about our next route — we need that.”
“But…” Alette started to speak, but Mark waved his hand to stop her, agreeing with Coraci’s plan. “Right. You two are more experienced at dealing with strange creatures. Alette and I will camp at the edge of the forest and wait for you. Don’t wander too far; it’s easy to get lost. Following us will make it easier to find the fissured exit. If you get lost, it’ll just make things worse.”
“Okay, I agree,” Coraci nodded. “We’ll be back before dawn at the latest.”
John and Coraci’s figures gradually vanished into the night. While setting up the tent, Alette asked why Mark wanted to stay put. Mark shrugged.
“First, I’m a little scared of vampires. That guy hasn’t eaten in over a day. Second…didn’t you notice they’re a couple?”
“I noticed,” Alette said.
“Maybe they just want some private time at night. A romantic night in the sandbox space — it’s a rare treat.”
John and Coraci moved through waist-high grass.
“Aren’t you worried about being spotted by the Association?” John asked.
Coraci shook his head. “Not really. I can’t be completely isolated from the world for three years. Besides, I have an illusion cast on myself. Speaking of this, if you do meet Association colleagues, just say I’m a Ranger who wandered in by mistake.”
“Yeah, got it.” John paused, then asked, “So what happens after that?”
“After what?”
“After I find my colleagues, we resolve the sandbox space situation, find the fissure and get out — then what? What are you planning next?”
“That depends on where I end up after leaving the fissure,” Coraci said. “This space has two connection points — one at the abandoned factory, one in West Bay City. I entered from the factory side.”
“So you will do your utmost to leave from there too? You’re just…leaving after that?” John asked, trying to sound casual but his reluctance was already extremely obvious.
“Of course I have to leave,” Coraci said. “I can’t exactly go home with you. Your colleagues would question me. Also, I also have other matters to attend to — related to the Rangers. After this, I’ll need to go to Darling Town. But before I head there, I might stop by to see you.”
“What?” John said, turning in surprise.
“I might stop by to see you,” Coraci repeated. “Where do you live now? At my place?”
“Yes…” John said, a little embarrassed. He had, unexpectedly, become the head of the house.
“Good,” Coraci said. “I might come see you at dawn — but which day exactly, I can’t say. Truthfully, the reason I returned to West Bay City again is…to find you.”
John felt a surge of excitement mixed with a sharp ache in his chest. He didn’t know what to say in response. In his eyes, the open fields under the night sky seemed to bloom like spring flowers.
“I need to discuss a case with you,” Coraci continued, immediately shattering the floral illusion in John’s mind. “Something related to Darling Town. This matter is best handled with the Association involved, but I can’t report it directly — so I wanted to talk it over with you first.”
“Oh… I see…” John replied, a little deflated. “What kind of case is it?”
“It’s complicated. Not an emergency, so I’ll explain in detail later. Look — seems like the canyon is right ahead.”
The canyon was deep, a fall from it was certain death. Below ran a swift stream, bordered by trees on the canyon floor.
“I could turn into mist and go down,” John said, peering over the edge, “but what about you?”
“Neither of us need to go down,” Coraci said. “Let’s just follow the stream along the canyon.”
“Wait. I know following the canyon might lead to lower ground, but it could take forever if it’s very long…”
“It won’t be that long. The physical sandbox area is roughly ten to thirty times the size of its cultivation pool. I’ve seen the pool at the old factory — the area isn’t actually that big. It’s just the space layout that’s confusing. By proportion, this canyon isn’t longer than Silver Star Walk in West Bay City.”
“Silver Star Walk is long enough…” John followed Coraci’s lead along the canyon.
Carl knew John and Lathander were searching for him. Both were experienced staff members and likely already understood what had happened here, while he had no clue about this world.
Fortunately, a “monster” was willing to guide him to find his companions. Carl silently guessed that the creature might belong to some race he hadn’t learned about yet, living in isolation in another space. Though a bit frightening in appearance, it seemed kind-hearted. After finding Liz and Carolyn, maybe they could register the “monster” with the Association and improve its life somehow…
The monster asked Carl where his colleagues might go. Carl thought for a moment and guessed that Carolyn and Liz would track malevolent beings. The creature nodded and led Carl through the pitch-dark forest, pointing out the most dangerous places — places that anyone who enjoyed hunting would definitely visit.
“Where are you from?” the creature asked casually as it walked in front.
“West Bay City…uh, do you know it?” Carl said. “Anyway, it’s different from here. When we return, what about you? Do you want to come with us?”
“Go? Where?”
“To a place better suited for living. I’m not saying your cave is bad… It’s just too lonely. Don’t you think it’s unhealthy?”
The creature chuckled, a low rumbling in its throat.
“Lonely… Yes, I know loneliness. Thank you, but I can’t go to your place. Though I haven’t seen anyone for a long time, I know humans too well. Their faces are etched in my memory. I hate them, and they hate me.”
“That bad?” Carl wanted to see the creature’s expression, but it walked ahead, hidden from view. “You said you don’t remember your name and always refer to ‘long ago.’ You must be long-lived, right? I get it. Humans in the past were awful — incest, persecution, burning innocents, ethnic massacres… And past bloodkin weren’t much better. You’ve been isolated too long. The world outside has improved a lot, though there are still problems. Hey, I come from an association that helps all sorts of creatures. We…”
He rambled on until the creature suddenly stopped.
“You’re truly kind,” it said, its back to him. “You’re warm, cheerful, talkative.”
“Thank you,” Carl said, feeling a sense of accomplishment. As an Association staffer, he felt recognized.
The creature continued, “I’ve read that bloodkin are undead, right?”
“Yes. Strictly speaking, they’re a type of dark creature with undead traits.”
“Human blood is best for you. Other creatures provide only minimal energy — you can survive, but weakly. You dislike sunlight, act at night, and often live a very long time, sometimes forgetting your exact age…”
“That’s right. But I’m not that old — less than two hundred years.”
“Me too. I don’t know how long I’ve lived,” the creature said, slowly turning to reveal eyes full of pain. “I only remember being created by humans, though I don’t recall how. I remember loving them, though they probably never loved me. I hurt them, yet cried because of them… I remember these feelings, but not who they were, nor who I am…”
“Amnesia?” Carl asked gently, stepping closer and resting a hand lightly on the creature’s arm to comfort it. It didn’t resist, and Carl was glad to see it accepting his kindness.
“I’ve lived so long… So very long,” the creature said. “I know one day passes with a full day-night cycle. I know thirty days make a month, more than three hundred days make a year. I can calculate time by marking each day’s passage.”
“So smart,” Carl said, nodding. He felt like an official Association mediator — this new creature was opening up to him.
“But gradually, I lost track. Too many days, too much… My mind became chaotic. I couldn’t count, or the numbers became too many to count…”
“That happens,” Carl said. “I’ve heard that very old bloodkin forget many things and sometimes even change personality. Humans can’t endure that many emotions or memories — a lifespan of a hundred years is enough, bloodkin a few hundred is fine, but over a thousand…who knows? Probably no bloodkin has lived tens of thousands of years. If so, they’d be a true primitive.”
The creature seemed oblivious to his jest and stepped forward, looming over him. “In that sense, we have much in common.”
“Maybe…uh, shouldn’t we keep moving?” Carl asked. The creature’s size was overwhelming.
“I loved humans, and they hated me. Later…they died,” the creature said.
Carl struggled to follow its thoughts. The topic jumped too quickly. “They died because they hated you… So they tried to kill you? You killed them?”
“No,” the creature said with a bitter smile, shaking its head, exposing its short, beastlike fangs — actually a little frightening when it smiled. “I didn’t kill him. Because I loved him. He… I don’t even know why he died. He disappeared, and I never found him again.”
“Well, humans always get sick,” Carl said, nodding.
“I want to be with people who are kind to me. That way, I won’t feel so alone.” The creature moved its arm and, unexpectedly, clasped Carl’s hand that was resting on its own forearm. Carl jumped. The creature’s palm was enormous, covering his hand and wrist completely. The sudden motion made him uncomfortable.
“I also hope that those who are kind to me won’t die…so I won’t forget them again.”
Carl shivered all over at the words. Before he could react, the creature suddenly shoved him, pinning him against a tree trunk.
Carl, as a bloodkin, reacted quickly. He used a burst of force to break free of its grip before the creature could exert its full strength, crouching low and trying to slip away.
A sudden impact behind him threw him to the ground. He had been seriously injured just a day ago. Relying only on beast blood to restore his strength, Carl could not withstand such force. He hadn’t even gotten back up when a sharp pain stabbed from his back into his chest.
He couldn’t even cry out. A pointed wooden stake drove through his chest, nailing him to the ground.
The stake didn’t pierce through the center of the heart, but it did pierce its side. A bloodkin impaled in this way would normally be completely immobilized, even losing consciousness. In Carl’s case, the stake missed the exact center, so he was paralyzed, speechless, yet fully aware.
Lying face-down, he noticed pearlescent silver spheres ahead, scattered among the grass in a distinct pattern.
He recognized them — they were used for defensive alarms, like infrared sensors. He had seen Liz use them before.
Perhaps Liz and Carolyn were resting not far ahead, and the creature had noticed this before Carl did.
Carl tried to open his mouth, but no sound came out. The creature reached over, touched his hair, smiled faintly, then drew a curved blade and silently moved toward the area where humans might be stationed.
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