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Chapter 127: The Pathetic Vampire
🕑 Added 2025-01-01 09:16:13 +0000 UTC"Chitter-chatter~" The Velociraptors moved nimbly through the dense forest, occasionally making strange calls to maintain communication with their companions.
Under normal circumstances, Cretaceous velociraptors would be ill-suited to modern natural environments, especially the harsh, cold winters of Europe.
However, after being bred by Yuri, these velociraptors had also undergone modifications. While they couldn't withstand extreme conditions, typical climates no longer posed a threat to them.
As they responded to each other and scanned the area, the radio transmitters on their bodies continuously relayed their positions back to Vito.
"We're moving out!" Vito, watching the converging paths of the ten red dots on his miniature radar display, immediately realized the Velociraptors had found something. Without hesitation, he led the task force to their location.
But halfway there, Vito noticed that the Velociraptors had gathered in one spot and stopped moving.
When they arrived, they found the Velociraptors standing just outside an ancient, abandoned town called Winsburg. The town had been abandoned since the 1830s, and considering its age, could hardly be considered ancient.
Ten Velociraptors stood nervously outside the town, afraid to take a single step inside.
"It seems that this city is indeed hiding something unusual," Vito mused, watching the raptors' behavior.
If the Velociraptors had stopped here, it meant that Hugh Jones must be in the city. Their current hesitation clearly indicated that they were afraid of something that would prevent them from entering the city gates.
Animals have senses far beyond those of humans. For even the ferocious Velociraptors to feel fear suggested the presence of something truly terrifying hidden within this town.
But why had Colonel Ward's soldiers found nothing in their initial search? And why had Hugh Jones and his team disappeared after entering the area?
"Move in!" Vito ordered, glancing at the Velociraptors before pulling out a controller to force them into the city.
"Chitter-chatter!" The highly intelligent velociraptors were visibly reluctant to obey, but Yuri's technology was remarkably effective. Despite their reluctance, the velociraptors were forced to enter the city.
"Follow them!" Vito ordered the task force as he watched the Velociraptors cautiously enter the city. The fifty-man team split into three tactical groups—front, center, and rear—and followed the raptors into the city.
"Stop!" Vito gave the order to halt the advance as soon as they entered the city.
The reason was simple, he felt threatened.
Perhaps due to an incomplete early genetic modification or the side effects of using dinosaur beastification serums, Vito's instincts were now extraordinarily sharp.
Outside the city, he felt nothing. But the moment he stepped inside, a strange sensation overwhelmed him.
The entire city seemed devoid of life-no bird calls, no insect noises.
Staring at the overgrown, desolate ruins of Winsburg, Vito couldn't shake the deep sense of unease. This was anything but normal.
"Inside, go inside, to the source of the threat, the first team will follow, the rest of the people will stand guard outside!" Looking at a house with half-closed doors by the side of the road, Vito ordered a Velociraptor to go in while giving orders to the action team.
It was a small medieval structure, its stone exterior worn but sturdy. One could see that this town must have been prosperous and wealthy in the past. Except for a few ruined houses, the entire city is made almost entirely of stone, so even after two hundred years, it is extremely well preserved.
A pissed off Velociraptor snorted and flicked its tail, but obeyed the command to push through the rotten wooden door and enter the house.
Vito led the first team inside and took command.
The interior of the building was not very large, and the facilities were quite old and worn from years of neglect, showing that no one had lived here for a long time.
This door stood out immediately. Judging by its location, it probably led to a basement. But unlike the dilapidated state of the house, this cellar door looked strangely new.
Led by Velociraptor, Vito and his team quickly arrived at a door. Upon seeing this door, Vito immediately noticed something wrong.
This door stood out immediately. Judging by its location, it likely led to a cellar. But unlike the house's worn-down state, this cellar door appeared oddly new.
Without hesitation, Vito gestured with a series of tactical hand signals. A team member stepped forward to inspect it.
"Sir, it's locked from the inside—one of those old wooden locks," the soldier reported after examining it.
" Locked from the inside?" Vito narrowed his eyes. "Break it down!"
At the command, the soldier raised his left arm and smashed into the door. Though the right arm of their tesla trooper armour housed their primary weapon, the left arm carried a heavy metal gauntlet capable of smashing through such a weak barrier.
The wooden door shattered under the force, revealing a steep, dark passage. A chill spread from below, and the Velociraptor beside them grew increasingly agitated.
Vito had been right—it was a cellar.
"You two, head down and scout!" This time, Vito spared the velociraptor and assigned the task to two soldiers.
Without hesitation, the soldiers activated the flashlights on their suits and went down, one leading and the other covering the rear.
"Sir, come see this!" One of their voices echoed back.
Reassured by their safety, Vito followed them down.
The cellar was small, but its contents were disturbing.
Two wooden coffins.
Vito's pulse quickened. Vampires. The coffins matched the characteristics described in Josie's information on vampire habits. His anxiety increased.
"What are your orders, sir?" A soldier asked, his voice dry with tension. They had been warned of this possibility before the mission, preparing them for such eerie encounters.
"Open the coffins. You, stand ready—if anything moves, fire immediately," Vito ordered, pointing to one of the coffins. He raised his electromagnetic emitter, ready for any threat.
Following orders, the soldier cautiously approached and lifted the lid of one of the coffins.
Inside was a man dressed in 19th century rococo. His body was disturbingly fresh, as if he had died only days ago.
Before the three could process the sight, the corpse's eyes snapped open. The man clutched his face, screamed, and disintegrated into a cloud of ash.
As if triggered by its counterpart's demise, the second coffin burst open. A woman, similarly dressed, briefly emerged. But she too screamed and disintegrated as if burned alive before she could utter a word.
...
Silence fell over the cellar.
Vito and his men stood frozen, staring at the empty space where the two vampires had perished.
So they really were vampires. But why were they so... useless?
They hadn't even made a move—no attacks, no curses, not even a last-ditch attempt to defend themselves. They were just gone.
If the vampires had voices now, they'd probably be yelling, "Turn off your damn lights before you talk about us!"
The reason for their sudden demise was simple. The floodlights built into the Tesla Trooper armour weren't ordinary—they emitted ultraviolet light. A bane to most vampires in myth and legend, it proved to be their doom here as well.
The unfortunate couple had confirmed this truth first hand.
"Sir, something's happening! There's movement in the houses!" A voice crackled over the radio, breaking the eerie silence. It was the team stationed outside, reporting disturbances in the city.
(End of Chapter)
