Zongman: Beginning and Snow under the Rain Escape from Raccoon City

"However, Russian news websites are still reporting on missing persons on version 5.0."

"I guess the police haven't found the body either."

Hattori Heiji analyzed.

"Hey, Hachiman, do you vampires eat people?"

Hattori Heiji suddenly asked.

Hachiman Hikigaya was speechless: "I already said I'm a vampire, of course I only drink blood, how could I eat people?"

"Then why is there no sign of them, neither alive nor dead?"

Heiji Hattori was somewhat troubled. Although he was a detective, all his past experience became useless when it came to supernatural factors.

Hachiman Hikigaya's voice was low: "I suspect that Ichiro Tanaka didn't kill them at all."

Chapter 218 Mine

Hattori Heiji was stunned: "Not killed? How come all those people are gone?"

Hachiman Hikigaya lowered his gaze, staring at the frozen water stains on the ground, as if pondering: "The instinct of a blood slave is to thirst for blood, not to kill."

"So, I actually suspect that Tanaka Ichiro took everyone from the village with him..."

Hattori Heiji was stunned for a moment, and some images flashed through his mind: "Don't tell me that he captured these people, then kept them in captivity, like... livestock, to be used to suck blood at any time?"

Hachiman Hikigaya looked up and met his gaze; silence was the best answer.

"Hey, this is an entire village!"

Heiji Hattori couldn't help but mutter, "Is this guy crazy? Does he really plan to build a 'human ranch' in Siberia?!"

Even in the biting wind, Hattori Heiji's words still echoed.

Hachiman Hikigaya did not answer, but simply looked up and stared at the dark, dense forest.

Tanaka Ichiro was in there.

The trees in Siberia are very tall and have very dense branches.

Vampires dislike sunlight, so this shaded area is perfect for their survival.

The deeper the forest, the softer the wind.

The snow-covered forest path came to an end, revealing a dark cave entrance.

The broken railway tracks meandered out of the tunnel entrance, already covered by ice and snow.

The rusty mine cart lay overturned to one side.

Hachiman Hikigaya stopped at the cave entrance, right here.

"The mine..."

Hattori Heiji gripped the flashlight tightly: "No wonder there's no one in the village... they've all been kidnapped to this godforsaken place."

Hachiman Hikigaya didn't answer and walked straight inside.

The mine was filled with a strong smell of blood.

Torches were stuck into the stone wall, casting a flickering red light. The villagers, their hands and feet bound, leaned against the cave wall, their eyes glazed, their faces pale, their chests rising and falling with their weak breaths.

Deep inside the cave, a tall figure slowly turned around.

Ichiro Tanaka.

His eyes were bloodshot, his skin was pale due to the vampire transformation, and there were still traces of blood on the corners of his lips.

His lips curled slightly, his voice hoarse yet carrying a strange excitement:

“My dearest father…you have finally come.”

Hattori Heiji felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively took a step back: "Hachiman, this guy is calling you—"

"Shut up."

Hachiman Hikigaya coldly uttered two words.

He doesn't have a son like that!

It was just a blood slave that was accidentally created!

Tanaka Ichiro's smile widened: "Father, you have given me a new life—"

Before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly disappeared.

Hachiman Hikigaya's heart tightened, and he reacted with lightning speed, instantly conjuring a blood blade in front of him for a horizontal slash. But the next second, he suddenly realized something was wrong—

The goal is not yourself.

"Heiji, watch out—!"

The moment the words left his mouth, a dark figure pounced from the flank in front of Hattori Heiji.

Hattori Heiji had no time to react. He felt a heavy weight on his chest, and a tremendous force sent him flying. He crashed heavily into the stone wall, and blood, sweet and metallic, gushed from his throat.

"cough--!!"

A sharp pain spread from his ribs. He only had time to raise his flashlight, the beam of which shone on Tanaka Ichiro's hideous face before he was slammed to the ground.

"you--!"

Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes narrowed suddenly.

He immediately pounced, his blood-red blade flashing with cold light, slashing towards Tanaka Ichiro's back.

Tanaka Ichiro moved with incredible speed, twisting his body to avoid the attack and landing on another rock. He grinned, revealing his fangs, and licked his lips: "Father, you really do care about this mortal, just as I thought."

Hattori Heiji huddled in the corner, his chest heaving, blood staining his clothes, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Hachiman Hikigaya stared coldly at Ichiro Tanaka, a genuine murderous intent rising in his heart for the first time.

Tanaka Ichiro licked his fangs, his eyes bloodshot, his voice low and hoarse: "Father, you care about this mortal? Then I'll tear him to pieces first..."

Hachiman Hikigaya's pupils suddenly contracted. The anger that had been suppressed in his heart for a long time finally erupted.

"enough."

He suddenly reached into his backpack and pulled out a pure white object.

It was a holy emblem that shone with a soft light, its edges engraved with mysterious and special inscriptions.

　017 Tanaka Ichiro's smile instantly froze on his face: "That is—"

Before they could react, the holy emblem suddenly exploded with light.

boom!

The entire mine was instantly filled with holy light, the dazzling white light pouring down like the blazing sun.

A sharp roar echoed between the rock walls, and Tanaka Ichiro's figure rapidly dissolved in the light, his skin cracking and his flesh evaporating.

"Ahhh-"

The screams lasted only a few seconds before silence fell.

As the light gradually faded, only ashes remained in the cave.

Hachiman Hikigaya's hand, still gripping the sacred emblem, remained taut.

"As expected, the items it provides are the most useful."

Hachiman Hikigaya glanced at the badge in his hand; its luster had dimmed considerably, but he could tell it was slowly recovering.

He quickly walked to the corner, knelt down, and checked on Hattori Heiji's condition.

Heiji Hattori's mouth was covered in blood, and his face was deathly pale, but he still managed a weak smile: "Ha... Hachiman Hikigaya, you're a vampire, so why are you radiating holy light...?"

Chapter 219 Returning to Osaka

Hachiman Hikigaya glanced at him: "You'll die if you don't treat this injury soon."

Hattori Heiji coughed up blood, panting, "Well... anyway, I'm lucky, I won't die so easily."

Hachiman Hikigaya was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "If you want to survive... there's only one way."

Hattori Heiji paused, then immediately understood: "You mean—"

Previously, Hachiman Hikigaya had introduced blood slaves to Heiji Hattori.

"Yes."

Hachiman Hikigaya stared directly at him, his gaze cold yet tinged with hesitation: "Become a blood slave. You will lose your freedom during the day and be scorched by the sunlight. You will become bloodthirsty, unable to bear not drinking blood for a day, and it must be human blood."

"The only advantage is that you will become incredibly strong and have an extremely high recovery rate."

Hattori Heiji gave a wry smile, and even though he was weak, his eyes revealed a stubbornness: "Ha...it doesn't sound like much either."

"But... it's better than dying here, right? I still want to keep solving cases."

Hachiman Hikigaya stared at him for a few seconds, then finally whispered, "Then don't regret it."

The next instant, he bent down, his sharp teeth piercing the side of his neck. Warm blood flowed into his mouth, and the blood pact was swiftly completed.

Hattori Heiji's body trembled violently, and the pain in his chest receded like a tide, replaced by a burning sensation and unprecedented strength.

He slowly opened his eyes, his breathing became steady, and his voice was low and hoarse: "...Holy crap, it actually worked."

Heiji Hattori could feel his ribs, which were almost completely broken, rapidly regenerating and reconnecting one by one.

Inside the mine, the last iron chain was snapped.

Hachiman Hikigaya pointed to the cave entrance and said coldly, "Let's go."

Hachiman Hikigaya doesn't speak Russian, so he can only use English.

But these locals don't seem to understand Hikigaya Hachiman's English very well.

Fortunately, seeing his gestures, I understood that he was urging me on.

They staggered out, falling in the snow and getting up again, their cries of joy and footsteps echoing through the forest.

Heiji Hattori leaned against the stone wall and smiled weakly: "It's amazing they can still run."

The villagers ran all the way back to Zharnoye.

The fires were lit again in the deserted village, and long-lost smoke rose into the night sky.

Someone pulled out an old, worn-out radio, their hands trembling so much they could barely press the buttons, and repeatedly tried to call out to the outside world.

Their cell phones and telephones had long been destroyed by Ichiro Tanaka, leaving only these primitive communication tools.

"Help! This is Zharnoye village... We're back..."

Several hours later, sirens blared outside the mountain road. Snowmobiles struggled into the village, and police officers and medical personnel rushed out to quickly check on the villagers.

When the police launched an investigation, no one could explain the situation clearly.

All I know is that an East Asian man trapped them and sucked their blood.

Then two East Asians came and rescued them.

No one can explain exactly what happened.

Because Hachiman Hikigaya and his team communicated entirely in Japanese, the Russians couldn't understand a word they said.

……

Osaka.

The night was deep, and the chirping of insects outside mingled with the sound of trams in the distance.

The door to the front door was pushed open, and Heiji Hattori dragged his suitcase into the house.

"Heiji!"

A low, anxious voice came from the living room.

A burly man strode over, his imposing presence undiminished—Hattori Heizo, Chief of the Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters.

"You little rascal, you're finally back."

His words were tinged with barely suppressed worry.