Published at 12th of February 2026 7:14 am

Chapter 1725 Protectors Of Humans

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“I knew the Dark Guild was a large organization that was spread across multiple areas, but to have one of their bases inside a dam?” Olivia asked, her voice echoing slightly against the massive concrete walls. She looked down taking in the towering structure with a mix of disbelief and skepticism. “Isn’t this place meant to be government-run or something like that?”

“You’re right, it is,” Marcus replied, his eyes scanning the perimeter for any signs of movement. “But in order to control situations effectively, there needs to be a regular appearance of normality. The Dark Guild is an organization that has lasted for hundreds of years. It’s not like the other kings who flaunt their power in the open.”

He paused, looking at the heavy steel doors ahead. “What you really should be thinking is: how was all of that eliminated so easily? And more importantly, how did they even find out about this place in the beginning?”

All of them were on high guard. The air felt heavy, and it wasn’t just the humidity from the rushing water. It was for the simple reason that Luzen had mentioned before, they could smell a heavy stench of blood.

Even with the smell of the river water being so heavy and damp, there was a pungent, metallic scent of blood that carried on the breeze. There was another worrying factor: the fact that they could smell it so clearly meant the source had to be fairly recent. This wasn’t old, dried blood; this was fresh.

“There was another reason why I wanted to head to this location compared to the other ones,” Marcus explained as they moved closer to the entrance. “The Guild has multiple bases, and many of them were used primarily as storage units.”

He gestured toward the facility. “The storage units would be where we kept our items that were waiting to be moved to the auction for sale. Out of all the Guild's hidden caches, this is the closest one to you guys.”

Marcus looked back at the group. “I thought that in exchange for helping me out, maybe it would be good to hand your group some items. Even the regular Howler members, if equipped with some decent beast gear, would be able to put up a decent fight, right?”

“That’s assuming that we plan to go and fight them,” Xin said, her voice sharp and cautious. “We have met with the vampires before, and as of right now, we are not in a formal fight with them. I want to remind you of that as we head inside. We are here for information and assets, not to start a war we aren't ready for.”

“Right. And besides, if the vampires really did attack this place, they would have most likely taken all the good items for themselves anyway,” Olivia commented, though her hand stayed close to her weapon.

At the top of the dam, they reached a reinforced door entrance. Security cameras were mounted on the concrete exterior, their small red power lights indicating they were still in operation. As they stepped into the field of vision, Marcus raised a hand and waved toward the lens with a grimace.

Honestly, he wasn’t hoping for much of a greeting. Since there was no response from the intercom and the cameras didn't move to track them, he was already assuming the worst.

Placing his hand on the heavy metal handle, Marcus felt the resistance. He didn't wait for a keycard. He shoved his weight forward, using his strength to snap the internal mechanism. The lock broke with a loud, metallic crack.

“That’s strange,” Xin asked, peering over his shoulder as the door swung open. “If the vampires already visited and slaughtered everyone, then why was the door still locked?”

“The vampires... they are able to control people. You said you’ve visited them right? I’m sure you’ve seen it before,” Marcus answered shortly. He wasn't really in the mood for talking as the reality of the situation began to sink in. “Whether they got a worker to lock up behind them or used someone on the inside to help them out, who knows.”

They began to descend the internal staircase. As they went deeper into the heart of the dam, the smell of blood grew significantly worse. It was thick enough to taste. Finally, as they reached the main open area, they walked out onto a metal balcony that served as a second-floor walkway.

It looked down onto the main control room. Usually, this would be a wide, bustling space filled with desks and glowing computers, with several consoles set up to monitor the water flow and turbines of the dam. Instead, the group found themselves looking down at a complete massacre.

Blood was spilt across the consoles and the floor in wide, dark pools. Bodies were strewn about, many of them cut up with terrifying precision. There were clear signs of a violent struggle; deep claw marks were gouged into the metal flooring and some of the heavy machinery had been smashed into junk.

“You would think they would try to at least replace the people here or something,” Olivia said, her voice dropping to a whisper as she stared at the carnage. “What if the dam had some type of technical problem?”

“And it ends up killing an entire city?” Luzen said, shaking his head. “The vampires have never cared for anyone but themselves. I’ve heard that some of them see themselves as protectors of the human race.”

He looked down at a fallen worker. “But even then, it always seemed it was for their own sense of worth. I could never see a vampire giving up their own life for the sake of a human. Even if they see themselves as those meant to protect humans, they don’t see their lives as the same. They see themselves as above, and they see us as even less.”

Marcus was inclined to agree. He held onto the balcony railing so tightly that the metal began to groan under his grip. His knuckles were white as he stared at the loss of his men and the facility.

“Come on,” Marcus said, forcing his voice to remain steady. “Let’s head down and see if there is anyone left alive, and see if there is any equipment left that we can get our hands on.”

At the same time, as the group went deeper into the facility to explore the lower levels, they didn’t realize that a black vehicle had quietly pulled up on the outside of the dam.

The doors opened, and a group exited the car. They were a striking sight, wearing dark sunglasses despite the overcast sky and heavy, dark robes that billowed in the wind. They moved with a predatory grace, heading straight for the main entrance.

The man leading the group reached the door and stopped suddenly. He looked at the broken lock, his nostrils flaring as he caught the scent of the intruders who had arrived just before them.

“Someone broke in?” the man said.

He tilted his sunglasses down, revealing eyes that glowed with a piercing, unnatural red. A cold smile spread across his face.

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