The vivid dream gave Rey a clear understanding of the changes happening in his body after the vampire bite.
The thick, ink-black figure at the edge of the city must represent the vampire's dark power. But what was the giant face in the sky with the dark golden eyes?
He didn't know, and he didn't understand. But whatever it was, after that dream, he felt temporarily safe. He could still feel a slight burning sensation at the site of the bite on his neck, where a small, hard lump had formed.
This burning sensation was a constant reminder that the dark magic was alive, waiting to spread to the rest of his body. For now, it seemed contained—perhaps restricted by that unknown spell from his dream.
"Akh... khye... ass... Mokacha..."
Rey remembered the life-saving incantation clearly. He could pronounce it perfectly. But when he tried it in reality, nothing happened. No magic, no gale-force winds.
Touching the hard lump on the right side of his neck, Rey picked a random direction and started walking.
It wasn't dark yet, so he wanted to cover as much ground as possible. In the wilderness, encountering a few wild animals wouldn't be a problem for a wizard. But a pack of wild animals? That was a different story.
Looking at the terrain, predators were definitely a possibility. This kind of barren landscape screamed "wolves." In his past life, Rey loved nature documentaries, especially ones about wolves.
Wolves are pack animals. A lone wolf can't beat a lion. But a pack of wolves could absolutely take down a pride of lions.
It didn't make sense, but nature often defied logic. And in a world with magic, logic was even less reliable.
Rey really wished he could cast a Levitation Charm on himself right now. Floating would make travel easier and help him get his bearings.
The most important thing was to figure out where he was and which way to go.
Night fell quickly. Before it got completely dark, Rey found shelter in a large pile of boulders that offered some protection from the wind.
Wizards are human too. They need to eat and rest.
However, in the wild, a wizard's survival skills far outstripped those of a Muggle.
For example, Rey was about to enjoy a hot meal. Fire? Magic. Catching game? Magic.
Two roasted rabbits were sizzling over the fire, their aroma making Rey drool.
It had been a long time since he'd had barbecue. Even without fancy seasoning, the natural flavor of wild game had its own unique appeal.
Focused on cooking his rabbits, Rey wasn't worried about predators sneaking up on him. He had cast the protective charms he learned at school around the perimeter of his camp.
The rabbits were plump, fat dripping onto the fire with a hiss. The scent must have drifted for miles.
Rey took food seriously. Like any Chinese man who traveled abroad, he considered himself at least half a gourmet.
The rabbit skin was turning golden brown. Rey had poked small holes in the meat with a twig to let the fat render properly. It promised to be crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, chewy and flavorful.
---
"That smells... incredible!"
Just as Rey was focusing on his roast, a baritone voice spoke from behind him.
The voice appeared out of nowhere. There shouldn't have been anyone there; Rey had surrounded the boulder pile with protective charms.
Startled, Rey rolled to his right instantly, drawing his wand and pointing it directly at the source of the sound.
A bolt of raw magic—a non-verbal spell that hits like a bullet—shot from his wand.
The speaker was a tall, burly man around thirty. He wore leather boots, fine orange noblemen's clothes with a gold-buckled belt, and a sword encrusted with rubies hanging at his left hip. In his right hand, he held a greasy, shiny pointed hat.
His style was retro, looking like a medieval knight. He had short, light red hair that barely covered his ears.
Everything happened in a flash. The man spoke, and Rey rolled and fired.
The man dodged Rey's magical bullet, but it grazed the pointed hat in his right hand, slicing a gash in the brim.
After one shot, Rey stopped, but he didn't stand up. He stayed low, wand trained on the red-haired eccentric.
The stranger looked a bit awkward. He slowly raised his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. "Easy there, kid. I didn't mean any harm."
Rey wasn't a kid. Being called one annoyed him. And looking at this weirdo, Rey felt uneasy.
No one likes being snuck up on.
Just then, the smell of burning meat wafted through the air.
"My rabbits!"
Rey shouted. Seeing the man truly meant no harm, he lowered his wand and scrambled to the fire to rescue his dinner.
However, he kept his wand in his hand, ready. He was wary of this stranger. If the man showed even a hint of malice, Rey was prepared to use the Killing Curse.
Given an eleven-year-old's appetite, one rabbit was plenty. Rey had roasted two just in case one burned.
Now, it seemed the stranger would benefit from his caution.
"How did you get in?" Rey asked pointedly. He was concerned about the integrity of his protective charms.
The stranger pointed to the massive slab of rock balanced above them. "I was sleeping up there the whole time. If it weren't for the smell of that rabbit, I probably wouldn't have woken up until tomorrow."
Rey paused. He looked up at the flat rock serving as a roof. It was certainly big enough for someone to sleep on.
"Are you a knight?" Rey changed the subject to ease the awkwardness. After all, he was the one intruding on the man's nap spot.
The stranger had a sword, looked like a knight, but clearly wasn't one. Dressing like this in the modern wizarding world was rare, though not unheard of. Maybe he was an opera singer? But there was no stage out here in the wilderness.
"Don't you think knights are cool? Especially when they duel," the eccentric asked with an exaggerated expression, dodging the question while tearing into a rabbit leg.
"So, you're a wizard?" Rey pointed to the slashed pointed hat beside the man.
"Of course! I am a very famous wizard." The man nodded, though it was unclear if he was affirming his fame or the quality of the rabbit.
"You don't look like a wizard." Rey retorted grumpily. A wizard who wanted to be a knight... that was rare. Plus, the guy was talking to him like he was a toddler.
"Haha! And you don't look like a child," the stranger laughed, winking at Rey several times.
Ugh.
Rey felt nauseous. Being winked at by a grown man... if Rey were truly a child, it might have been playful. But with an adult soul, it was just gross. Rey lost his appetite.
But just as Rey was feeling disgusted, the stranger stopped eating. His left hand slowly drifted to the hilt of his sword.
Rey went on high alert immediately, thinking the man was about to attack. But then, a low, guttural growl echoed from the darkness surrounding them.
It was a deep, resonant sound, vibrating in the throat before being unleashed.
Suddenly, the darkness was filled with pairs of glowing green eyes.
Wolf eyes!
A pack of them. Judging by the eyes, there were at least fifty. Being stared at by that many predators made Rey break out in a cold sweat.
Fifty wolves. That was unimaginable. And looking at the height of those glowing eyes... the smallest of these wolves stood about a meter tall at the shoulder.
As for the Alpha... Rey found the biggest, brightest pair of eyes.
Just by eyeballing it, that beast had to be at least a meter and a half tall.
---