Chapter 9: Blutbad Feud
The explosion rattled the windows of the mansion, even on the outskirts of Portland. Adam, who had been trying to explain the intricacies of "toxic family dynamics" to a bewildered Ciri, paused mid-sentence.
"Well, that's one way to announce your presence," Adam muttered, pulling up the news on his mental interface. "House explosion. Looks like we've got a good old-fashioned Wesen family feud on our hands. Blutbaden, if I'm not mistaken. Monroe's kind. And knowing Monroe, this is going to be dramatic."
[ Wesen Conflict Detected: Inter-Family Feud (Blutbad). Threat Level: High. Priority: De-escalation/Neutralization. ]
"Inter-family feuds," Adam sighed, shaking his head. "Always with the drama. Can't they just send passive-aggressive texts like normal people? No, it has to be explosions and property damage. So uncivilized."
Ciri, who had been listening intently to Adam's explanation of "toxic family dynamics" (and still looked utterly confused), merely scoffed. "Senseless violence. It achieves nothing. A decisive strike is one thing. This… this is a waste of energy."
"Agreed," Adam said, already planning their approach. "But it's also a prime opportunity for some XP. And a chance to see Monroe in action. He's usually so mild-mannered. I'm curious to see his 'inner wolf' when his ex is involved."
Their investigation led them to a tense standoff between two Blutbad families, one led by Monroe's ex-lover, Angelina. The air crackled with primal rage, and the woged Blutbaden snarled and lunged at each other, oblivious to the humans around them. Monroe was caught in the middle, desperately trying to de-escalate the situation, his own Blutbad instincts warring with his desire for peace.
"Okay, Ciri," Adam whispered, observing the chaos. "This is a de-escalation mission. We don't want to kill everyone, just… calm them down. And if they don't calm down, then it's acid time. But let's try diplomacy first. Or, you know, aggressive persuasion."
They moved into the fray, a blur of motion. Adam, using his Witcher durability, shrugged off a glancing blow from an enraged Blutbad that would have sent a normal human flying. He then popped a Thunderbolt potion. His eyes, for a terrifying moment, turned completely black, reflecting the snarling faces of the Blutbaden. He moved with enhanced speed and strength, delivering precise, non-lethal strikes that stunned and disoriented the Wesen.
The Blutbaden, caught in their primal rage, suddenly froze. Their eyes, wide with terror, stared at Adam's black eyes. This was not a Grimm. This was something else. Something ancient, something that radiated an unnatural coldness. Something that looked like a human, but whose eyes were the void itself. The primal fear was overwhelming. They whimpered, their woges flickering.
Ciri, meanwhile, was a whirlwind of controlled chaos, her silver sword a blur, disarming and subduing the more aggressive Blutbaden with precise, non-lethal strikes. She moved with a grim determination, her disdain for senseless violence evident in every fluid movement.
"See?" Adam said, his voice calm despite the chaos, his eyes flickering back to normal. "A little bit of 'unnatural terror' goes a long way. And just like that, the family reunion is over. No more explosions. Probably."
[ Kill Count: 0 Wesen. Level Up! Current Level: 2. Kills to Level 3: 4. ]
"Still no level up," Adam sighed. "Guess de-escalation doesn't pay as well as outright murder. The System has very specific priorities." He then looked at Ciri. "You know, this whole 'family feud' thing. It's like a really bad reality TV show. All screaming and throwing things, and nobody actually talking about their feelings. It's why they need therapy. Or, you know, a Witcher to knock some sense into them. Preferably the latter."
Ciri, who had just disarmed a particularly stubborn Blutbad, merely grunted. "Humans and their… feelings. Always so complicated. In my world, if you had a problem, you fought. Or you died. Simple."
"Yeah, well, in this world, sometimes you fight, sometimes you die, and sometimes you just need to talk it out. Or, you know, get a mysterious vigilante to scare the pants off you."
Monroe, shaken but relieved, watched the mysterious figures vanish into the shadows. The fight had stopped. The Blutbaden were disoriented, terrified, but alive. He didn't know who they were, but he was grateful. Their intervention had prevented a bloodbath. He looked at Nick, a new understanding dawning in his eyes. The world was far more complex than he had ever imagined, and these mysterious protectors were a part of it, for better or worse.
Want to read more? I've written over 20 webnovels (and counting), and it takes a lot of energy, ideas, and time to keep them coming!If you enjoy my stories and want to support me, even the minimum $5 tier on Patreon unlocks a LOT more chapters and helps me keep going.
👉 Click here to dive deeper: patreon.com/TheFinex5More stories, more chapters — and yes, your support really makes a difference.