As the sky began to lighten at the horizon, Ethan Clark thought it was just the blood from his shoulder that hadn’t clotted, dripping onto the ground. He didn’t dwell on it, simply opened the sliding door, climbed the stairs into the wine cellar, and hid in the coolest, darkest corner. Enduring the intense hunger gnawing at him, he waited for the agonizing daylight to finally pass.

　　……

　　Not long after dawn broke, several clergy members riding pedal horses appeared on the yellow dirt path of the mountain village. Among them was the Sky Knight who had abandoned Ethan Clark. Clearly, this man wanted to confirm whether Ethan Clark was truly dead.

　　“Is it here?” A clergyman in his twenties glanced at the abandoned house where Ethan Clark had hidden, then spoke to Knight Turner.

　　This clergyman was the young master of the nearby Black Marsh City, named Angela Carter. Today was his first time using the clerical arts he had studied for five years. If he could successfully eliminate all the zombies in the village, he would pass the initial test for clergy and become a truly respected clergyman.

　　“It’s up ahead. There are a lot of zombies there. It was my negligence last night, otherwise Young Master Ethan Clark wouldn’t have been dragged away by the zombies.” Knight Turner looked deeply ashamed.

Chapter 007: Clergy

　　“You’re saying there are nearly a hundred?” Another middle-aged clergyman wearing a pointed ceremonial hat spoke up.

　　This middle-aged clergyman was the chief cleric of Black Marsh City. For a cursed village to appear within his jurisdiction was a disgrace. Upon learning that the distinguished Miss Grace Bennett had been injured by zombies, the chief cleric set out at dawn to eradicate them.

　　However, the chief cleric was puzzled. Judging by the medals Knight Turner wore, he should have been more than capable of handling those zombies himself. So why had he fled in such a sorry state?

　　“Yes, that many. I was worried there might be a powerful sorcerer there as well, so I immediately escorted the young lady away,” Knight Turner replied, though his eyes darted as he spoke.

　　After becoming a dark creature, Ethan Clark’s hearing had become extremely acute. Even while hiding in the wine cellar, he could hear their conversation fifty meters away. Of course, he also heard what Knight Turner said.

　　“That bastard, spouting nonsense!” Ethan Clark muttered to himself. He dared not make a sound now—destroying dark creatures was the sacred duty of every clergyman, and they wouldn’t care whether Ethan Clark was conscious or not.

　　“There’s a deathly aura in that abandoned house—there might be something unclean there as well,” a young clergyman suddenly said.

　　Ethan Clark’s heart thudded violently. He wasn’t sure if his heart could even beat anymore, but it was a nerve-wracking sensation. If he were still alive, his heart would definitely be racing.

　　“Teacher, let’s check the village first,” just as Ethan Clark was about to risk everything, a woman’s voice reached his ears. The three clergymen and Knight Turner then rode their horses toward the mountain village.

　　Ethan Clark wiped cold sweat from his brow, thinking to himself: No matter how ugly that woman is, I have to give her a big kiss—her words were music to my ears!

　　But as he imagined kissing the woman, a bloody scene suddenly flashed through Ethan Clark’s mind. In truth, what he had fantasized about wasn’t kissing her, but burying his mouth in her body, gnawing on her tempting flesh, and swallowing the fragrant, delicious meat…

　　Hunger—Ethan Clark was already starving. That desire was battling with his reason. When the urge to drink blood and eat flesh reached its peak, Ethan Clark was certain his uncontrollable body would rush out in search of meat, no matter the cost…

　　Waves of cramps wracked his abdomen. The hunger made Ethan Clark’s eyes turn green. He frantically gnawed on wood shavings in the basement, but they did nothing to ease his hunger. The craving for flesh burned in his mind like a fire, consuming almost all his consciousness and reason.

　　“Cluck cluck…”

　　Laughter! After finishing off the weasel, Ethan Clark suddenly felt he heard a woman’s laugh—seductive, wanton, even laced with a certain magic. Ethan Clark couldn’t help but want to seek out the source of the sound, but when he listened carefully, there was nothing.

　　Ethan Clark’s “heart” sank. He recalled the cold wind that had drifted by when he was driving away the little ghost, and the inexplicable bloodstains that had dripped down…

　　“Could there be something else in this wretched house?” Ethan Clark wondered. Once he forced down his hunger, he regained the ability to think.

　　“Whoosh whoosh whoosh～～～～” Suddenly, a bat with a beautiful, curvy silhouette swooped over Ethan Clark’s head, teasing him by tapping lightly on his head before vanishing into the darkness.

　　“So it was just a bat—scared me to death…” Ethan Clark let out a sigh of relief and didn’t pay it much mind, continuing to crouch in place, waiting for the clergy to leave.

　　He had no idea how much time had passed, but Ethan Clark faintly heard the sound of hooves. Clearly, the clergy and Knight Turner had completed their mission and were on their way back.