Chapter 1723: An Investigation Marcus went on to explain to the others why he was there and what had happened to him. He spoke clearly, but the strain in his voice showed he was still processing it. He explained how he had originally been on his way to meet Lupus and his group. He was in the middle of an auction when he was attacked, and it wasn’t a normal attack either. There was no warning and no time to react. The ones who attacked him were vampires. They destroyed everything where he was. The place was ruined so fast it felt organised. Marcus tried to communicate and find out what was happening at the other locations, but it was useless. Calls went unanswered, contacts vanished, and the silence became its own answer. It looked as if the Dark Guild had been wiped off the map. No longer having influence and no longer having anywhere to go, Marcus was unable to do anything. His name didn’t matter, and his resources were gone. While on the run, he headed to the only place he thought was safe. Slough. What Marcus did omit from his story was running into Rickle. He believed it might make his story seem weaker as to why he had come here, and it wasn’t a particularly important detail compared to the Dark Guild being erased. “Doesn’t it seem like the timing is too good?” Innu commented. “I mean, you guys have a good relationship with Lupus, right? The fact that you were attacked while Lupus was fighting against us... do you think Unzoku and the vampires could be working together?” “It could be,” Marie answered. “But it might not be as well. The vampires originally asked Gary to fight against Lupus, through the Altered group, to deal with him. They probably saw something like this was going to happen anyway and decided to act.” She looked around the room. “The bigger question is why they felt the need to go after the Dark Guild. What benefit do the vampires gain?” “To weaken our power,” Luzen said shortly. “Our weapons, items, and relationships. All of it is gone just like that.” There was silence as they started to realise how strong the vampires probably were. To get rid of an organisation like the Dark Guild, and do it so cleanly, wasn’t something just anyone could pull off. “Isn’t this a problem for us then as well?” Austin asked. “If they are after the Dark Guild and Marcus is here, they could come for us too. I understand helping somebody, but we’re just going to bring trouble, and Marcus doesn’t really have much to help.” “Marcus is strong,” Galark said. “Even without his group backing him, he will be a strong ally. This is a regular city and a gang city. We can’t keep track of every person that comes in and out, and I’m sure the vampires will know that as well.” Austin wanted to say more, but he stopped. He started to wonder what Gary would do, and someone being chased like this was not someone Gary would just throw out. Everyone could feel the shift in the room. Without Gary there, the usual anchor was missing, and even the confident ones kept glancing at each other for confirmation. Marcus noticed it too. He wasn’t being treated like a guest; he was being weighed. If he was telling the truth, they needed him. If he wasn’t, he could be a trap waiting to spring. At any moment. “There’s one more thing I need to tell you all,” Marcus said. “On my way here, I came across something I’ve never seen before.” Marcus explained the details of the werewolf he had met. How it was unusually strong with power, and how it didn’t look of this world. It didn’t seem to be part of any pack either, and that was what bothered him most. “There seems to be quite a lot of problems,” Xin said. “There are things we need to get to the bottom of.” She looked at everyone and spoke carefully. “Right now we have no idea when or how long it will be until Gary, Kai, and Lupus return, so we need to act as best we can with the situation.” Xin started to assign roles. “Innu, Austin, Marie, and Slit, you four should try and investigate this new type of werewolf. Ask around the city and see if you can find anything. Use your connections, and contact the other cities to see if they have heard anything else as well. The werewolf is most likely Unzoku’s doing, and we have to be ready.” Xin then looked toward the others in the room. “Luzen, Marcus, Olivia, and myself, we will run our own investigation. We should head to one of the Dark Guild bases. There might be someone alive, or a group of yours that managed to survive. Maybe we can find out why the vampires did what they did.” “And even if we don’t,” Xin added, “we need to know if the vampires are a threat or not.” The groups nodded. It was unusual for them to take orders like this from Xin rather than Gary, but as Xin said, it had already been a long time since the three went missing. It was better to act like they weren’t going to come back soon. “I have one question,” Olivia said. “If we do come across a vampire, then what should we do?” “If we come across any vampires, try not to engage and I’ll explain the situation,” Xin replied. “But if they go for your life, then don’t just die. Fight for it.” **** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. Instagram: jksmanga P.a.t.r.e.o.n: jksmanga When news drops about My Vampire System, My Werewolf System, or any other series, you’ll hear it there first. Feel free to reach out, if I’m not too busy, I tend to reply.