Published at 6th of March 2026 6:24 am

Chapter 1763 Don't Underestimate

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The minibus continued to drive down the eerily empty road, the hum of its engine the only sound for miles. Eventually, they approached one of the main highways that served as the primary artery into Centrefield.

What should have been a bustling multi-lane expressway was completely choked off. A massive, heavily fortified barricade had been erected across the asphalt. High metal chain-link fences were reinforced with thick stacks of sandbags, and glaring industrial floodlights cut through the gloom. Stationed outside the perimeter were numerous stern-faced people wearing what looked entirely like official military uniforms.

Park slowed the vehicle to a crawl, his eyes widening as he took in the details of the blockade.

“Wait a second… are those actual guns?” Park asked, his voice tight with disbelief as he pointed through the windshield. “I haven’t seen real, lethal firearms deployed like that in a long time. Not since the Non-Lethal Weapons Act was passed globally.”

“You’re right,” Kai commented from the back, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the heavy assault rifles slung across the guards' chests. “Since Altereds were officially banned and heavily regulated, it seems things are quickly reverting back to the old ways again. Although, I’m genuinely surprised they managed to get their hands on those types of high-caliber things so incredibly fast. Bureaucracy doesn't usually move at that speed.”

When the minibus finally rolled up to the heavily guarded checkpoint, the tension in the vehicle spiked. However, before the guards could even raise their weapons to demand identification, Haylock smoothly slid the side door open and stepped out of the vehicle into the cold air.

“Stay here. I will handle this,” Haylock said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Watching him walk confidently toward the armed men, Luzen scoffed from the back seat, his grip tightening on his bow.

“Remember what they said back at the manor,” Luzen commented. “They openly admitted that they were the ones who put this entire city into a strict lockdown. These military people out there… although they might not be vampires themselves, they are clearly under their direct control or influence.”

Luzen glared at the back of Rowa’s head. “Most likely, the Vampire families had these lethal weapons hidden away in secret armories for the right time, which is exactly why they could get their hands on them so fast and arm a perimeter.”

“You speak as if we are not sitting right here in the vehicle with you, wolf,” Rowa added, turning his head slightly, his red eyes gleaming in the dim light. “And you should know better. Do you really think anyone could get countries all around the world to genuinely agree to a disarmament pact like that?”

Rowa let out a cynical, dry chuckle. “Of course, the governments of the world would have signed the treaties on paper to appease the public. But every single military organization, every shadow agency, would have had heavy weapons hidden somewhere just in case. Human paranoia is predictable. This is hardly our doing. We simply knew which strings to pull to authorize their deployment.”

Outside, whatever Haylock was saying, or whatever hypnotic influence he was exerting over the commanding officer, worked flawlessly. The armed men quickly moved the heavy gates aside and waved the vehicle through without a single search. Haylock slipped back into his seat, and in a short while, they were officially crossing the city limits, entering the belly of the beast.

They drove in tense silence until the heart of Centrefield could be seen clearly. There were plenty of towering skyscrapers, as well as massive, modern commercial buildings stretching into the sky.

Although it wasn’t a city that was directly controlled by the Kings of the Underworld like Slough was, it was no doubt a Tier 1 city. The sheer influx of wealth and corporate money that had been poured into its infrastructure was evident in every glass facade. But now, it looked like a massive, glittering tomb.

“Stop the vehicle here. We should get out and travel the rest of the way by foot,” Jin said suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Seriously?” Innu complained from the back, leaning forward to look out the window. “But we’re still quite far away from the city center. Why walk?”

“Don’t you remember what I said before during our meeting?” Jin replied, as he looked at the dark, empty streets ahead. “The whole place is practically a ghost city. There are still a massive amount of people living here, trapped in those buildings, but the streets themselves are completely empty.”

He gestured to the shadows between the skyscrapers. “The corrupted Werewolves are actively attacking anything that moves out in the open, so the surviving people have had to barricade themselves up, hide in the dark, and wait for rescue. Next to no one is traveling in vehicles. So, us driving a loud, rumbling engine straight down the main avenue will act like a dinner bell. It will gather a massive amount of unwanted attention.”

“Isn’t that a good thing, though?” Austin added, cracking his knuckles. His massive frame shifted in the tight seat. “We are here to try and get rid of them or stop them anyway, so we need to go after them eventually. Let them come to us.”

“Hahah! I honestly don’t know if you are incredibly brave or just incredibly foolish,” Haylock laughed, shaking his head at the young Altered's blunt logic. He turned serious just as quickly. “Make no mistake, we know there is probably nothing in this entire city that can beat us in a straight, one-on-one battle.”

Haylock pointed a perfectly manicured finger out the window. “But information and strategy are key to survival. The whole city has been affected. This is a sprawling metropolis filled with millions of citizens who have been forced into lockdown. Do you understand the math? It means that the enemy is also vast in number. A swarm.”

He locked eyes with Austin. “We could easily tire out. We could be surrounded by thousands of them at once. And whoever is controlling them could very well be expecting us to make a loud entrance. In a war of attrition, it is not every time that the strongest combatant wins. Exhaustion is a killer.”

Kai sat back, quite surprised by the lecture. As incredibly arrogant as the ancient vampires were, these Family Leaders were demonstrating extreme, calculated caution.

He supposed that had to be the case. You didn't live for hundreds of years by charging blindly into unknown territory. If they weren't this strategic, they would have likely tried to fight the Werewolves or Lupus's group head-on years ago and risked annihilation.

Respecting the logic, the group decided to get out. Park secured the minibus in a hidden alleyway, promising to keep the engine warm and stay out of sight. From there, it would be quite a long, grueling walk until they reached the first major residential sector.

They started to rush through the abandoned highways, keeping to the shadows. Luzen immediately took the lead, his feral instincts perfectly suited for navigating the concrete jungle.

“Are you okay to keep up?” Luzen asked over his shoulder, a hint of challenge in his voice as he looked at the three ancient beings.

The Vampires simply nodded, their movements effortless and silent as ghosts.

“Hey, wait, wait a minute!” Innu panted, jogging to keep pace. “Can I remind you guys that I’m fully human? And Austin is a heavy-hitting Altered, not exactly built for high-speed sprinting! So let’s try not to rush off too fast, alright?”

The supernatural group was traveling together, and although they were moving at quite a fast speed compared to a normal jog, the apex predators were clearly being forced to slow down their natural pace due to the physical limitations of the human and the Altered.

“Why would you bring two frail humans with us on something that’s so vitally important?” Rowa asked Gary, glancing back at Innu and Austin with blatant disdain. “They are a liability. They could easily die and slow us down.”

Gary bristled. He was about to snap back and say something fierce to defend his friends. They were an absolutely vital, irreplaceable part of the Howlers. Gary had relied on them time and time again when his own life was on the line.

It was specifically because of these two, their loyalty, their grit, and their courage, that the Howlers had managed to get to where they were today. He trusted them more than anyone else in the world, far more than these ancient bloodsuckers.

However, Gary didn’t even have to speak up to defend his pack, because it was surprisingly Luzen who spoke up instead.

Luzen slowed his pace slightly, turning his head to glare at Rowa.

“You shouldn’t underestimate humans, bloodsucker,” Luzen commented, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. “I saw the way you reacted when you first saw me back at the manor. You vampires are a little wary, a little scared of my strength as an Ironfang, aren't you?”

Luzen smirked, gesturing a thumb back toward the panting teenager behind him. “Well, you should know that that specific 'fragile' human managed to completely best me in single combat. So, I highly suggest you keep that in mind before you look down on them.”

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