I Explore Urban Legends - Chapter 109: The Vampire Doctor’s Ideal (Patreon)

“Lily, what do you think that man we just passed was?”

Liam turned toward the passenger seat and casually chatted with his animal friends.

“No idea. But he didn’t look like someone who needed help.”

Lily sprawled across the seat cushion, batting Charlotte around with one paw, completely uninterested in the man outside.

Charlotte, despite being rolled around like a ball, had her own opinion.

“If you’re carrying a basket full of eggs, don’t go picking wild fruit from the trees.”

“True. We’ve still got a lot of kids with us. There’s no point taking unnecessary risks,” Liam agreed.

Just then, the man appeared in front of the truck again and raised a hand, trying to make him stop.

Liam simply drove around him again.

As he watched the pickup disappear down the road, the man finally lost his patience. His body dissolved into a cloud of black mist, and he shot after them.

The mist moved incredibly fast and soon caught up with the pickup.

Ignoring Watson and the children riding in the truck bed, he went straight to the hood.

Holding his top hat in place with one hand, he bent down and knocked on the window. Despite the speeding truck, his body didn’t sway in the slightest.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

Liam sighed, rolled down the window, and looked at him.

“Sir, is there something you need?”

The man forced a smile.

“Perhaps we could wait until the vehicle stops before talking?”

“I’m busy. I’m a TV host. My time is measured by the second. Can you afford to waste it?”

That left the man speechless.

So he simply stretched out across the hood, completely blocking Liam’s view of the road.

Liam scratched his head. He hadn’t expected the man to be this persistent.

With no other choice, he hit the brakes.

“Thud!”

The sudden stop sent the man flying off the hood. He slammed into the road and rolled several times before finally coming to a stop.

Liam pulled over, opened the door, and walked toward him to see whether he was dead.

Just then, the man abruptly got back to his feet and brushed the dust from his clothes.

Remarkably, his top hat was still on his head.

He extended a hand toward Liam, apparently intending to shake hands. Then he noticed some dirt on his glove, wiped it against his trousers, and offered his hand again.

Without changing expression, Liam shook it.

The only thing he felt was icy cold.

Just as he’d expected.

The man bowed slightly and introduced himself.

“My name is Vlad. I’m a doctor by profession. As for my race, I imagine you’ve already guessed. I’m a Vampire.”

Liam immediately thought of Brown.

“You’re here because of that female Vampire? Too bad. She’s already my prize.”

Vlad replied with a faintly apologetic expression.

“That’s right. She is of my bloodline. In human terms, you could think of her as a direct descendant.”

“You haven’t done a very good job keeping this relative of yours under control.”

At that, Vlad actually sounded somewhat self-righteous.

“Perhaps our standards differ from your laws, but in my view, everyone in that town carried a blood debt. That was precisely why I turned her into one of my bloodline. Hatred carried through blood allows a Vampire to grow rapidly.”

The more Vlad rambled, the more irritated Liam became.

None of that justified tormenting an entire town for over a century.

“So your idea of a blood debt is pretty convenient. If a few more people got involved, wouldn’t the entire world eventually owe you one?”

Vlad smiled and shook his head.

“It isn’t that simple. Brown was indeed in the wrong, but what she did benefited us, so we had no reason to condemn her.

“Perhaps this will ease your anger somewhat. Although we harmed hundreds of children, we also saved tens of thousands of humans.”

Everything suddenly clicked into place for Liam.

“Your base is inside Boston Hospital. You built that laboratory for the Reptilians.”

Vlad showed no irritation at having been exposed. He answered naturally.

“That’s correct. The Elders made that arrangement with them. The Reptilians wanted to trade political support for our technology.

“But I assure you, I personally bear no ill will toward you. I opposed that laboratory from the beginning.”

To Liam, however, that explanation sounded like nothing more than an excuse.

“What? Did you come all this way to offer your life as an apology?”

Vlad shrugged.

“I knew you would say that. From the standpoint of our races, we may be enemies. But as a young man of only two hundred years, I would like to see some things change. That is why I’m telling you all this.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“I’m a devoted fan of your show. To put it simply, I’ve wanted to expose our existence for a long time. I believe that forcing our race to remain hidden in the darkness only gives darker crimes room to grow.

“Even if everyone knew we existed, what would really happen? It isn’t as though discrimination between different groups of humans has ever disappeared.

“We Vampires are fundamentally a race that coexists with humanity. If we reveal ourselves sooner, we can integrate into society at the lowest possible cost, before something truly disastrous happens.”

Vlad went on at length, but Liam immediately picked out the important part.

“You’ve carried out plenty of human experiments too, haven’t you?”

Vlad admitted it without hesitation.

“Of course such experiments exist. Humans have conducted plenty of them yourselves. That kind of wrongdoing should not be blamed on an entire race.

“My apologies. I’ve talked too much. My actual reason for coming here is simple. I came to punish Brown. A single bat is hardly enough to prove the existence of Vampires, so I want you to kill her.”

“I didn’t expect you to be so cold. Isn’t she part of your bloodline?”

Vlad didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

“Every mistake has consequences. I’m sure you understand that.

“Think of this as my pledge of loyalty. I came here to propose an alliance.”

Liam stiffened, nearly failing to process what he had just heard.

“You’re a Vampire, and you want an alliance with me?”

Vlad’s expression finally became serious.

“With the passage of time, the Elders have grown far too corrupt. Sooner or later, their greed will destroy us.

“The Reptilians, meanwhile, are an entirely different race. They want to exterminate humanity. Cooperating with creatures like that is simply courting our own destruction.

“You’ve seen their laboratory, so I’m sure you understand what’s happening. I’ll return in a few days. I hope you’ll have an answer for me then.”

After Vlad left, Liam made sure no other strange figures were approaching before silently opening his Events Logbook.

[Vampire]

[Event Level: A]

[Exploration Progress: 2% (Phase 1: 10%)]

Contact with a key member of a major faction would trigger an event related to that faction.

Vlad claimed to be nothing more than a doctor, but he was clearly at least a mid-ranking member.

After Liam returned to the truck, Charlotte’s voice spoke up.

“Mr. Liam, I heard everything the two of you said. I must warn you.

“A wolf never cooperates with sheep.”